I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      The book of Matthew closes with one of the most important messages of the entire Bible, which we have come to know as the “Great Commission.”

                                                             1.      This message is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 – “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

                                                             2.      The Lord Jesus spoke these words to His eleven apostles after His resurrection and before His ascension to heaven.

B.      We can gain a complete understanding of the Great Commission by dividing it into four sections associated with the term “all.”  These sections are:

                                                             1.      “All authority”

                                                             2.      “All the nations”

                                                             3.      “All that I commanded you”

                                                             4.      “I am with you always”

II.      “ALL AUTHORITY”

A.      By having all authority, Jesus has the right to rule.

                                                             1.      Jesus has the absolute right to rule in the three recognized categories of authority:

a.       Legislative – Jesus has all authority to make law.

b.       Judicial – Jesus has all authority to interpret law.

c.        Executive – Jesus has all authority to enforce law.

                                                             2.      Jesus was given this authority in heaven and on earth by His Father.

a.       Regarding legislative authority, Jesus said, “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak” (John 7:16-17).

b.       Regarding judicial authority, Jesus said that the Father “has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22; see vv. 22-30 for full context).

c.        Regarding executive authority, Jesus said that the Father “gave Him authority to execute judgment” (John 5:27).  This executive authority will be exercised when “the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2Thess. 1:7-8).

B.      Christ’s authority is relevant to the Great Commission because it emphasizes His right to issue the Commission and our duty to obey it.

                                                             1.      By issuing the Great Commission, Christ was sending His commandments into the entire world.  He has the right to do so because He has all authority over the world.

                                                             2.      Because Christ is our Lord with all authority, it is our duty to obey His words and carry out the Great Commission.  The Great Commission is Christ’s law, and failure to obey His law will incur His judgment and His execution of our punishment.

III.   “ALL THE NATIONS”

A.      Just as Christ’s authority applies to all the nations, so also His gospel is to be taught to all the nations.

                                                             1.      The Great Commission of the gospel is the means Christ employed to bring all nations into compliance with His authority.

                                                             2.      Through the gospel, Jesus removed the differences between Jews and Gentiles.

a.       Judaism had been a national religion that was never intended for the Gentiles, but the religion of Christianity was given to all the nations.  The gospel declared that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also the God of the whole world.

b.       Notice Romans 1:16-17 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith.’”

c.        Ephesians 2:11-22 explains how that the Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled to God together in one body (the church) through the cross of Jesus.

B.      The Great Commission of the gospel to all the nations leads them to become disciples of Jesus.

                                                             1.      A disciple is a learner, and in order to learn, a disciple must be taught (more on this below).

                                                             2.      People of all nations who learn to become disciples of Christ must be baptized.

a.       This baptism (immersion) is given in water (Acts 8:36) in the name (by the authority of) the Father (who gave all authority to Jesus), the Son (who has all authority), and the Holy Spirit (who communicates all authority from God to man).

b.       According to Acts 2:38, the purpose of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is “for the forgiveness of your sins.” 

IV.    “ALL THAT I COMMANDED YOU”

A.      Disciples of Christ are made by teaching the commandments of Christ.

                                                             1.      A disciple of Christ is instructed in the discipline of Christ.

a.       Disciples of Christ learn from both the words of Jesus and the ways of Jesus.  A true disciple becomes like his or her teacher (“…everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” – Luke 6:40).

b.       Notice from Acts 11 that disciples (v. 26) are the same as believers who turn to the Lord (v. 21), members of the church (v. 26), and Christians (v. 26).  The Great Commission calls for the making of all of these, for they are the same.

                                                             2.      By the authority vested in Christ by the Father, Christ has the right to give commandments to all people in all nations.

B.      It is essential to teach all of Christ’s commandments without exception.

                                                             1.      We are bound by the Great Commission to declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27).

                                                             2.      Any preaching that adds to or takes away from the gospel of Christ is disobedient to the Great Commission and is really not the gospel at all (Gal. 1:6-9; see Rev. 22:18-19).

                                                             3.      Notice that in preaching all that Jesus commanded them, the apostles passed on the Great Commission itself, for preaching the gospel was one of Christ’s commandments (compare to 2Tim. 2:2).

V.      “I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS”

A.      Christ’s abiding presence makes it possible for His disciples to carry out the Great Commission.

                                                             1.      If preaching the gospel to all the nations was left to the power of men alone, then we would be doomed to failure.  However, Jesus has promised to be with us always as we carry out His commission.

                                                             2.      Consider how important the fact of Christ’s presence was to the eleven apostles who were charged with spreading the gospel to the whole world.  Such a task would seem impossible, especially in that age of slow travel and communication, but they were tremendously successful through the power of Jesus.

B.      Christ is a steady, unchanging, immovable rock to which Christians must bind themselves.

                                                             1.      Jesus Christ will never desert us or forsake us so that we may confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What shall man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6)

                                                             2.      Men are fickle, weak, and prone to failure, but Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).  The fact that He is with us as we work for Him should give us all the confidence we will ever need.

VI.    CONCLUSION

A.      Today, we need to recognize that the Great Commission is our commission.

                                                             1.      It was first given to the apostles, but they are long gone.  It is now our responsibility to carry on the commandments of the Lord.

                                                             2.      Just as Christ was with His apostles, so also He is with us so that we can successfully carry out the Great Commission.

B.      Will we fulfill our commission from our Lord, the authority over all things in heaven and earth?

                                                             1.      Souls are depending upon us to teach them the gospel.  Will we rise to the occasion?

                                                             2.      Jesus will be with us if we work for Him, but He will be against us if we refuse to obey His commission.  The choice is ours!