The Commands of Christ

Command # 34

“The Last Command – Go and Make Disciples.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Tonight we end our series on “The Commands of Christ” where we began way back in
October of 2002. As we embarked on this study I told you that in Bill Gothard’s study of the
Command’s of Jesus that he had identified 49 general commands of Christ found in the Gospels.
[The Commands of Christ: The Curriculum of the Great Commission. (Oak Brook,
Illinois:Institute in Basic Life Priniciples, 2002).]

In our study of the commands we looked to the original Greek to determine what the
commands are. In the original Greek it is the Imperative Tense which tells us those things that
are to be seen as commands. In examining those Imperative commands we have confined our
efforts to Matthew’s gospel and have examined only those imperative commands that were not
addressed to specific group or individuals.

We began by looking at the statement that Jesus made in Matthew 28:20 that we are to
“teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded.” But just what is it that we are to
teach these new believers in Christ? Some believe that we are to teach them a legalist list of
rules, the do’s and don’t, if you will. Tell them, “If you keep this list, then you will please Christ.”

Others believe that we should teach these believers social responsibilities. Or as one
little girl said, “Jesus wants us to be nice.” But that is hardly words to live by.

Some Christians want to focus on social programs and social problems. And there is a
place for that. Stop for just a moment and consider things that have happened because of the
influence of the Christian church. It was evangelical Christians who led out in the abolishing of
slavery in British territory, it Christian’s who led some of the efforts to abolish child labor and
establish better working conditions for workers. It is the church that has led to the humane
treatment of the insane and the formation of orphan-ages for abandoned and unwanted
children. And as good as those things are they are not the purpose of the church.

“Despite the efforts of evangelists, para-church ministries and local churches, the percentage of
American adults who are born again Christians is no different now than in 1982, according to a
study by the Barna Research Group. The study found that 34% of all Americans can be
identified as born again—that is, they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ, and
say they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their
savior. Among those surveyed, 62% said they had made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ
that is still important in their lives today. However, among those who have made a
commitment to Christ, only 55 percent believe they will go to heaven because of accepting
Christ as their personal savior (the basic belief in the “born again” movement). Most of those
surveyed said they would go to heaven because of living a good life, or obeying the 10
commandments, or because all people will go to heaven. Others who said they had made a
commit-ment to Christ said they were unsure about what will happen to them after they die.”
[Reported in Inland Northwest Christian News, March, 1990, p. 3 - www.bible.org/illus/nt/nt-
125.htm]

Research study such as the one I just read, indicate that an amazing number of
Christians do not live any differently than people who do not claim to know Christ. The Church
is therefore not making a real difference in this world because people who call themselves
Christian are not different.

Long before the corporate world caught a vision for developing a missions statement, Jesus
gave his church a missions statement that has not changed in over 2,000 years. This mission
statement outlining the core of the purpose of the church is given in what is referred to as the
“Great Commission” and is found in Matthew 28:18-20.

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and
on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples (matheteusate- imperative command) of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20)
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age." Amen”

First let’s dispel the erroneous thought that the command in this verse is that we “go.”
Certainly “going” is an essential part of carrying out the Great Commission. If we don’t go, then
we can’t tell. But the fact is that this is not the command associated with the Great
Commission. Going is assumed for all genuine dedicated followers of Christ. The text literally
says, “even as you go.” The three components of the Great Commission are; Evangelize,
Incorporate and Disciple.

First, We Are to Evangelize.

First, Jesus says “go, therefore and make disciples of all nations.” The KJV says, “teach
all nations” in fact it uses the word “teach or teaching” twice in this passage. But the word
translated “teach” in verse nineteen (mathetheusate) literally means “make disciples.” First we
have to reach them with the gospel, we have to evangelize.

The Bible is also clear on how this call is to be carried out. In Acts 1:8, one of the other
records of the Great Commission, Jesus says to his disciples, “But you shall receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and all Judea
and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus says that the church was to begin where it was and reach out in an ever widening
circle of influence until the whole world had been reached by the Gospel.
We Have A Responsibility To Reach Our Local Community

People who study Church Growth tell us that churches can be divided into three classes.
First, magnetic – attracting more people than they lose each year to death, transfer or shift to
inactive. Second, neutral attracting about as many people as it lose each year. Third, dying –
those churches that lose more members than it attracts each year. [Herb Miller. How To Build a
Magnetic Church. Creative Leadership Series. (Nashville: Abington Press, 1987) p. 13]

It is not true that liberal churches don’t grow and conservative churches grow. The fact is
churches that aggressively seek new member tend to grow, those that don’t, won’t.

Since the average church lose 6-7% of its members each year by death, moves(16.6% of
Americans move each year), or drift away to inactivity. It is not just a good idea but a necessity
that we attract new people, it is the difference between life and death.

So what can we do to do a better job or reaching our Community?

You Can Invite Our Friends. People do not come to church because we have the best
looking building in town or because we have the biggest church in town. Do you know number
one greatest reason given for any person’s decision to attend a particular church? Statistics tell
us that 70% to 90% who join any church do so due to the influence of friend relative or
acquaintance. “No amount of theological expression from the pulpit can overcome a lack of
invitational expression from the pew.” [Miller. p. 32]

We had very good attendance today I believe for that very reason (we had **** visitors)
and almost 50 people more than Memorial Day a year ago.

You Help Us To Do A Better Job of Following Up On Our Visitors.

We had a plan in corporate a ministry called the CARE ministry to follow up on our
visitors. Some of you even singed up to help. But this plan never got implemented. I accept
responsibility for that and am going to ask you to help us when we come to in the coming
weeks for help in carrying out some form of this plan.

Here is what the experts tell us about follow up visitation. “When laypersons (some one
other than staff) make a fifteen-minute visit to the homes of first-time worship visitors with
thirty-six hours, 85 % of them return the following week. Make this visit with seventy-hours and
60% of them will return. Make it seven days later and 15% will return. (This next part is the part
that astounds me.) The pastor making this call, rather than lay persons, cuts the results in half.”
[Miller. pp. 72-73]

We could really use someone who would see this as their ministry much like Bro. Stan
Campbell does with the Discipleship Ministry.
So keep your ears open for details about helping out with following up on our visitors.

We Have A Responsibility To Help To Take the Gospel To The World.

Paul says in Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher?”

Charles Malik, Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations, asked in a speech: "What
has been the greatest American contribution to the rest of the world? Has it been money? Has
it been food? Has it been medical skill? Has it been military might? Has it been industrial know-
how?" Then he answered, "The greatest thing to come out of America has been the American
missionary effort: The quiet, selfless men and women who have left the comfort and security of
their homeland to bring the gospel of Christianity to less favored nations."
We hear about churches that are "missions-minded" and First Baptist Church is “missions-
minded, but we are more than that! Missions is First Baptist Church’s purpose for existence.
Coca- Coca may seem to be an odd place to get mission advise but Coca-Cola does seems to
be everywhere. But how does it get there? I think that the motto, posted in the company's
headquarters, explains it, it says, “THINK GLOBALLY, BUT ACT LOCALLY.” What this slogan is to
Coke, the Great Commission is to the church.

We have made great strides since we began “Faith Promise Mission’s Giving” in 1990.
That first year we promise $18,878.00 for the year, and in 2004 at the completion of our 15 th
annual Mission’s Conference we had pledges totaling $134, 174.00. In those intervening years
we have given over 1 million dollars to missions. So while recognizing and appreciating our
progress I want us to continue to grow.

Secondly, We Are To Incorporate.

The second thing Jesus says that we must do is “… baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” In the command to “baptize” we see the
importance of not only reaching the lost with the message of the Gospel but the need of
incorporating these new believers into the body of Christ.

This baptism not the means by which a new believer is saved, but the means by which a
new believer becomes part of the local church.

If we are to establish fruit that will remain we must see new believers led to an
involvement in the life of a local church.

Third, We Are To Indoctrinate.

Although the term “indoctrinate” often carries a bad connotation it does have to.We
think in terms of “brainwash” - as in something that “cults” do. But indoctrination or
discipleship is the final part of the Great Commission where we are told, “… teaching them to
observe all things that I have commanded you.” The word “teaching” (didaskontes) means
“instruction.” And that is instruction in “observing” or “keeping” the commands of Christ.
And although this has been the basis for this study I believe the greater call here is a call
to discipleship.

I personally believe that one of the grave problems of the modern Church is that it is like
the Rio Grande River, it three miles wide and ½ inch deep. What I mean by that is, that many
believers do not know what they believe nor why. They have never been discipled.

It is for that reason that I believe that every believer throughout his or her lifetime
should see himself as a disciple. Every believer should therefore be in the process of being
discipled by someone or involved in discipling someone else. Discipleship is a life-long learning
experience. Our Discipleship Ministry headed by Bro Stan Campbell begins with Basic 101 –
taught in a classroom setting - is an introduction to our church for all individuals new to the
church. Discipleship 201 is designed to be a one to one presentation of a series of 13 lessons on
the basics of Christianity. An individual after completing 201 can in turn lead someone else
through this level. Discipleship 301 is is to incorporate the believer into a ministry. Discipleship
401 is outreach/evangelism.