08 Dec A life worth living

Matthew 28:18-20

¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

One day there was a call to 911. The operator answered, and the voice on the other end panicked, saying, “My hubby is dead. My hubby is dead. We were out hunting, and he suddenly fell, clutched his heart, and now he is not moving. I think my hubby is dead.” The 911 operator replied, “Mam, I need you to remain calm. Don’t panic. I need you to do a few things for me. First, we need to confirm that your husband is dead. Can you do that for me?” The line went silent for a moment, and then the 911 operator heard a loud gunshot. The wife got back on the phone and said, “OK. Now what?” Now, I am very sure that’s not a true story. But the point is that clarity is absolutely crucial. Especially when it regards an important assignment. Without clarity, we can easily miss the point and do the opposite of what we are told to do. Let me ask you a question. How would you define success in the church? Let me go more personal. How would you define success in your life as a Christian? What is your measure of success as a Christian and as a church? We need to know the answer because I am convinced that today there are many successful churches according to the world’s standards that fall short of how God defines success. If the church has its own 1000-seating facility, is that church successful? What about producing their own worship album? What about having their own seminary, hospital, childcare, school etc.? Can we call that church a successful church? Now, I am not saying those things are bad. They are good. But is that how Jesus measures success? Here is my concern. Sometimes church can excel in many good things except the one thing that Jesus told us to do. And if that’s what happens, then we miss the point. So, what is the one thing that Jesus told us to do?

Our passage for tonight is one that we read almost every single Sunday at the end of the service. It is the one thing Jesus called us to do as a church and as Christians. Just one thing. And this one thing becomes the measure of success for us as a church and as a Christian. It is what is known as the great commission. Everything that we do must serve this purpose. This is Jesus’s marching orders to all his disciples. Get this. The success of a church and our lives as Christians is measured by whether we make disciples of Christ or not. Every disciple of Christ is called to make disciples of Christ. That’s what we are going to talk about tonight. Making disciples is one of those words that we often use in church, but we don’t really know what it means. Here’s how I know that. Every time I type the word discipling in my Word document and phone, they want to correct it to discipline. So clearly Steve Jobs and Bill Gates didn’t get it. That’s why we need to be very clear on what it means to make disciples and how we do it. And listen. This is not my vision for us. This is Jesus’ vision for us. This is the only kind of life worth living.

Three points for my sermon: the authority; the commission; the confidence.

The authority

Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Jesus begins the great commission not by telling his disciples what to do, but by reminding them who he is. This is important because Jesus knows exactly what he is about to tell his disciples to do. This is Jesus’ mission in life. And he is about to trust his disciples with his mission. The first thing he says is, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The word all in Greek means all. It means that God the Father has given Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth. It does not mean that Jesus did not have authority before he was resurrected. Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time. What is different is not the extent of his authority but the sphere of his authority. Let me explain. In Greek, there are two words that are often used to describe power. These two words have similar but different meanings. The first word is ‘dunamos’ from which we have the word dynamite. Explosion. This is the word often used to indicate the explosive power of Jesus to heal the sick and perform miracles. And the second word is ‘exousia.’ And the meaning of the word ‘exousia’ is not power but authority. And these two things are different. We understand this. We can have power but not have the authority to exercise that power. Authority speaks of the scope of power.

Let me give you an example. A policeman in Sydney can use his gun to arrest criminals in Sydney. But if that policeman goes on vacation to Jakarta, he cannot use his gun to catch criminals in Jakarta. Because Jakarta is outside the scope of his power. You can have power but not authority to use that power. But you cannot have authority and not have power. And the word Matthew uses here is not ‘dunamos’ but ‘exousia.’ While Jesus was still in human form, the sphere of his authority was limited to Israel. But now that he is resurrected, the sphere of his authority includes all heaven and earth. So, what Jesus is saying is that not only he has all power in heaven and on earth, but he also has all authority in heaven and on earth. There is not one centimetre in the universe that is outside the scope of Jesus’ power and authority. And the great commission, the command to make disciples of all nations, hinges on the authority of Jesus.

So, what sort of authority does Jesus have? Let me remind you of just two. One time, Jesus stood in front of the tomb of a man who had been dead for four days. Then Jesus took a deep breath, and he yelled out three words. “Lazarus, come out.” And at his words, life invaded Lazarus’ dead body. Lazarus opened his eyes, and he walked out of the tomb. This is the walking dead before the walking dead. But the difference is that Lazarus was not a zombie, but he was fully alive. I love the way D.A. Carson puts it in his commentary. He writes, “The authority of Jesus is so great that had he not specified Lazarus, all the tombs would have given up their dead to resurrection life.” That’s the kind of authority Jesus has. Let me give you another one. One night Jesus told his disciples to go across to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and they experienced a far bigger storm than they could handle. It was a life-and-death situation. But while the disciples worked extremely hard to save their lives, Jesus was sleeping on the cushion at the back of the boat. The disciples woke Jesus and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? Do something about our situation.” So, Jesus faced the storm and cried out, “Peace! Be still!” And immediately everything stood still. No wind, no waves, no sound. A great calm. And the disciples were afraid and said to one another, “Who is this man that even the wind and the sea obey him?” That’s the authority of Jesus. There is absolutely nothing in the universe that is outside of Jesus’ authority. And the same authority that Jesus exercised throughout his life as a man is now exercised over all heaven and earth. There is not a single space in the universe that is outside of his authority.

Now let’s bring it down to us. What does it mean for us? Two things. First, if Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, it means Jesus has authority over our lives. I hope that’s obvious. Jesus does not need our permission to be our Lord. He is the Lord, whether we want him or not. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We don’t get to choose. We will bend our knees to Jesus whether we like it or not. The question is not whether Jesus is Lord or not, the question is whether we submit to Jesus’ Lordship or not. To submit to his Lordship means we surrender our right to determine the direction of our lives. If Jesus is our Lord, we no longer call the shots in our lives. So, as we think about our future, where we should work, where we should live, who we should marry, it is not up to us. It is not in our hands. It is in Jesus’ hands.

Second, if Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, it means the mission is a guaranteed success. Think about it. If Jesus has all the authority, then it does not matter what he says next. It is happening. It means that Jesus’s mission is unstoppable. Jesus’ mission cannot fail. Nothing can stop him. The end of the story has been written. Jesus is not sitting down in heaven, worrying, thinking how he would accomplish his mission. No. He will accomplish his mission. He has all the power and authority to do it. It is a guaranteed success. All of history is heading this way. The question is, are we going to take part in accomplishing his mission? Don’t give too much credit to ourselves. Jesus does not need us. He can accomplish his mission on his own. He will accomplish it with or without us. But he graciously invites us to take part in his unstoppable mission. Church, we have been invited to play a game we cannot lose. Don’t waste this opportunity.

The commission

Matthew 28:19-20a – ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

So, we know that Jesus has all the authority. We know that whatever he says, it is a guaranteed success. We know that the end has been written. People from every tribe, nation and tongue will bow down and worship Jesus. That’s the end of the mission. Now, the question is, how do we accomplish this mission? The good news is that we do not need to second guess Jesus’ plan. He does not tell us the goal and leaves us to figure out the plan ourselves. No, he gives us the plan. He makes it crystal clear how to accomplish his mission. But here is the funny thing. The church is on board with Jesus’ mission. Every church agrees on the importance of the great commission. But what’s funny is that many churches do not think that Jesus’ plan is good enough.

So, this is what many churches do. The leaders in the church gather and have meetings on how to win the world for Jesus. “What should we do to accomplish Jesus’ mission? Oh, I know. We need a charismatic pastor, a pastor who can attract crowds. And not only that, but he also needs to be a good communicator and funny. So, we need a pastor who is charismatic, a good communicator, and funny. That way people would love to listen to him and that will attract the crowd. We also need someone who can sing well and play music. Let’s not go for an organ. Let’s go for a worship leader with skinny ripped jeans who can play acoustic guitar. And let’s get a decent band to back up the worship leader. And then we can add lighting and smoke during the praise and worship to make it more attractive. What else? Oh, I think it would be nice for us to have a coffee shop in the foyer. So, people can drink their holy latte while they wait for the service to start. We can attract the crowd with these. But we also need to think of a way to keep the crowd. We need good programs. We need to create excellent programs for kids, young adults, singles, marriages, etc. That means we need to hire professionals to run all these programs. We also need to create small communities based on age group or similar hobbies to keep the crowd.”

Now, can you see what is happening? Are all those things wrong? Of course not. They are good things to have. But hear me. As good as those things are, they are not the plan Jesus gave to accomplish his mission. I have nothing against a good preacher, a good band, a smoke machine, lighting, and a holy latte. I have nothing against programs. But programs are not how we will accomplish the great commission. Because God’s plan is not programs but people. The plan of God is for the people of God to accomplish the mission of God by the Spirit of God for the glory of God. That is the plan. God wants to use people to accomplish his mission. How? It is simple. Jesus’ plan to fulfil the great commission is for every disciple of Jesus to make disciples of Jesus. That’s it. No need to spend millions of dollars to make first-class church facilities and programs. Jesus’ plan to turn the world upside down is through you and me making disciples. Again, I am not against programs. I am not against attracting crowds. But they are not the goal. The goal is to make disciples. Making disciples must be the lens by which we see everything we do as a church. The goal of all our ministry and activity as a church must be to make disciples. The goal of small groups is to make disciples. The goal of kid’s ministry is to make disciples. The goal of fellowships is to make disciples. The goal of worship services is to make disciples. Let me put it another way. Jesus’ vision for the church is for people who think like Jesus, look like Jesus, live like Jesus, and worship Jesus to help others to think like Jesus, look like Jesus, live like Jesus, and worship Jesus.

This is the gist of the great commission. We can’t see it in English, but in Greek, there is only one command in these verses. There is only one main command, explained by three participles. The command is not ‘go, baptize, or teach’ but ‘make disciples.’ This is the singular command of the great commission. Going, baptizing, and teaching are participles. Which means, we make disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching. I love the way Robert Coleman puts it in his book ‘The master plan of evangelism.’ “The Great Commission is not merely to go to the ends of the earth preaching the gospel, nor to baptize a lot of converts, nor to teach them the precept of Christ, but to make disciples – to build men like themselves who were so constrained by the commission of Christ that they not only followed Jesus themselves, but led others to follow him, too.” So, the plan is to make disciples of Jesus by going, baptizing, and teaching. Let me explain what it means.

First, making disciples by going means that wherever we go, we have a purpose to share the gospel. It does not mean that we pack our bags and go to Zimbabwe. It could mean that. But the everyday meaning of it is that wherever we go, we make disciples. It means that we are called to share the gospel wherever we are. When we go to university, we not only go there to study but also to share the gospel. When we go to work, we not only go there to make money but also to share the gospel. When we go on holiday, we not only go there to have fun but also to share the gospel. Wherever we go, we make disciples. Therefore, making disciples is not another program we need to add on top of our daily routine, but it is something we do as we live out our daily routine. Making disciples is not a program; it is a lifestyle.

Second, making disciples by baptizing means that we not only share the gospel but also show the gospel. We show other people the gospel by sharing our lives with them. Our life is the reflection of the gospel. What is baptism? Baptism is not getting wet in the pool for 3 seconds. Baptism is a public declaration that we are one with Christ. When we are dunked in the water, it is a symbol that our old sinful nature is dead together with Christ, and when we are lifted from the water, it is a symbol that we are now alive to Christ. We are a new creation in Christ and our life belongs to him. We are making a public declaration to the world that our life is not our own, but it is Christ’s. So baptizing others does not only mean getting them wet, but it also means sharing our lives with them. We don’t just tell people about Jesus, but we help them to live out their new identity. We show them what it means to live out the gospel and be part of Jesus’ church.

Third, making disciples by teaching means we teach them the gospel. We teach them to observe everything that Jesus commanded us. It means that every Christian has the responsibility to teach the Bible to others. The responsibility to teach the Bible belongs to every disciple of Jesus. Not all of us are called to preach but all of us are called to teach the Bible. So, here is what it means. When you hear me preach, you don’t just listen to the sermon for the sake of listening. Your goal is not to stay awake listening to the sermon. You don’t listen and then quickly forget the sermon a few hours later. You listen to the sermon in such a way that enables you to teach others the same truth. You listen to the sermon with every intention to reproduce the sermon to others. You are not a passive listener but an active listener. And here is a cool thing that is happening in this process. For you to be able to teach others, you must first know how to do it. To teach others how to pray, you first must know how to pray. To teach others how to read and understand the Bible, you first need to know how to read and understand the Bible. At this time, you can’t help but think that Jesus has the whole system rigged. For you to disciple others, you first need to grow as a disciple of Jesus. Who would have thought of that? Here is where I am going with this. God has set a system where we grow as disciples of Christ as we make disciples of Christ. How brilliant is that? And I think one of the main reasons many of us are not growing as disciples of Christ, the reason we are stagnant in our walk with Christ, the reason we are bored in our Christian journey, is because we do not make disciples. We grow as disciples of Christ by making disciples of Christ.

So, don’t miss the point of what Jesus is telling us here. You and I are God’s plan to accomplish God’s mission. Every disciple of Christ is called to make disciples of Christ. No exception. The call to make disciples is given to all Christians, not a select few. And I understand the objection. “Yos, I just don’t think I have what it takes to make disciples. I’m not good enough.” And that’s true. I know you don’t have what it takes to do it. I know you are not good enough. But that’s the point. Making disciples forces you to grow as a disciple. You don’t make disciples when you have become a mature disciple. You become a mature disciple by making disciples. Do you see? I know this is cliché but it’s worth saying. God is not looking at your ability; he wants your availability. God does not need you to be awesome; he wants you to know that he is awesome. God does not need someone who can; he wants someone who goes.

So, here is my encouragement. All of us are uniquely wired by God with different gifts and passions. And all of us are uniquely placed by God in different areas. We are not where we are by accident. We are where we are because God has a purpose for us there. God has given us the talents and the passion that we have for a purpose. Some of you are great with numbers and some of you failed sixth grade math. And that’s not because of lack of effort. Your brain is just not compatible with numbers. But some of you love accounting. I don’t understand why you love accounting, but you do. So go ahead and pursue your love for accounting. Be the best accountant you can be. But your main purpose is not to count numbers. Your main purpose is to make disciples of the people in the next cubicle as you count numbers. Some of you are a soccer mom. You take your kid to play soccer twice a week and you get to meet other parents who yell at other people’s kids. That’s an opportunity for you to get to know them and invite them to your house and talk to them about Jesus. Some of you are a daily consistent sinner. You have a great addiction that you can’t get rid of. You can’t function without two or three cups of coffee per day. So, why don’t you find a sanctified reason for your coffee addiction? Go to the same place every day and get to know the name of the young barista who’s making your $7 latte. Get to know your barista and find an opportunity to talk about Jesus. Do you see? All of us have different gifts and spheres of influence but we all have the same purpose. Our purpose is that wherever we are, we are called to make disciples of Christ. We are God’s plan to accomplish his mission. God has given us a big purpose in our everyday lives. So don’t live small; live big. We have been invited to play in Jesus’ unstoppable mission. This is the kind of life worth living.

The assurance

Matthew 28:20b – And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

If you work in customer service, you know that dealing with people is hard work. People can be crazy sometimes. And making disciples requires you to spend lots of your time, effort and energy with people. It is a long process. As if your life is not hard enough by itself, now you also need to care for other people. You are having a hard time already raising your kid. You are extremely busy with pressure from your boss to meet the deadline. You spent countless hours studying at the library for your exams. You work very hard to pay for your mortgage. And now you hear me saying that God also wants you to make disciples. You know this is Jesus’ mission for you and you want to do it, but you don’t know if you have what it takes to do it. Jesus understands you. Jesus knows exactly that the process of making disciples is not easy. And I want you to hear his word tonight.

“I am with you” – Who is this I am? Who is this person who makes this staggering statement to us? It is none other than the one who has all authority in heaven and earth. We don’t see it in English but in Greek, this is empathic I am. It literally says, “I, myself, am with you.” Jesus wants us to really know who it is that is with us. This Jesus who holds every authority in heaven and earth promises to be with us.

“Always” – The literal Greek translation is ‘all the days.’ There will not be a single day where Jesus is not with us. He is with us on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. He is even with us on Christmas and Good Friday. He does not take a break because it is his birthday or his funeral. He is with us nonstop. 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 3600 seconds an hour. The all-powerful Jesus does not take a break from his promise to be with us. Not for one millisecond we are on our own. Jesus will not forsake us. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is with us always.

“To the end of age” – Not only there is no break in his promise to be with us, but there is also no end to this promise. As long as the world exists, as long as there is today, Jesus is with us. What an encouragement to all of us. The king of heaven and earth is with us to the end of age.

This is the assurance for us as we make disciples. Our assurance is not in our own intellect. Our assurance is not in our theological knowledge or ability. Our assurance is in Jesus’ constant presence with us as we make disciples. Jesus, himself, is with us. It does not mean that he is not with us at other times. He is always with us. But listen. There is a special kind of knowing and intimacy with Jesus that we will not experience unless we take part in his mission. There is a special presence of Jesus that we will only experience as we go and make disciples. There is a huge difference between enjoying the game from the sideline and enjoying the game by playing the game. And that is exactly what Jesus has in store for all of us. There is an invitation from Jesus for us to witness firsthand how lives are being transformed by the gospel, how the sick receive healing, the oppressed are set free, and the lost are saved. It is exciting. And we only get to experience this when we play our part in Jesus’ mission.

Now hear me on this. I believe one of the reasons many of us are bored as Christians is because we do not join the game. We are too busy cheering on the sidelines while Jesus invites us to play the game. We are too busy playing in this little huddle called comfort that we neglect Jesus’ mission. We are too busy protecting the safety of our lives and our families that we closed our ears to Jesus’s invitation to play a part in his mission. There is one illustration from Francis Chan that sticks with me. It’s like the movie Madagascar. Sometimes the church can feel like a zoo, where you get to see wild animals performing and attracting crowds. If you remember the story, one day the zebra has an epiphany while he is running on a treadmill watching a documentary on the wild. “I was made for so much more than the zoo. I was made for the wild.” So, the Zebra has a council meeting with the lion, the hippo and the giraffe. And when the zebra expresses his feelings, miss hippo asks, “Why would you want to do that? It is nice being here. It is comfortable. We don’t have to hunt for food, they bring the food to us. All we must do is perform for the kids. The people love us. Why would you want to go out to the wild?”

That’s how the church looks like a lot of time. We know how to perform. We know how to make people happy. We are safe and comfortable inside our cage. But we are not made to be in the zoo. We are made to be in the wild. Long story short, they break out of the zoo with the help of penguins, and they make it to the wild. And do you know what happens in the wild? It is in the wild that Alex the lion is finally able to roar like a lion. It is in the wild that they find their true nature. Listen. Christians, we are not designed to play safe in the zoo; we are designed to roar in the wild. “But it’s too risky. The wild is dangerous. I’m afraid to do it.” And you are not alone. I’m afraid as well. But until we go, until we take that step of faith, until we take that risk, we will not experience the presence of the all-powerful Jesus with us. It is in those moments of uncertainty that Jesus proves himself faithful to us. We will only experience “I will be with you” when we go. If we don’t go, we won’t know. It’s learning on the job. The power and presence of Jesus are given for the purpose of Jesus. No Christians should ever be bored.

But here is the ultimate question. How can we be sure that Jesus is with us in his mission? Here is how. Jesus is not telling us to do what he has not done himself. Listen to what he says in John 17:19 – And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. The word consecrate means to set apart. Jesus is saying to us, “I set myself apart for you. It is for your sake that I did everything I did. I gave my life for God’s mission for you. I left the comfort of heaven, entered the world, lived a perfect life, died the death of a criminal, resurrected on the third day, all for your sake. I paid the price of your sin that I might set you apart as mine.” Do you see? Jesus did not die for us so we can sit comfortably on Sunday listening to sermons. Jesus set himself apart for us so that we can be set apart for him and his mission. Jesus knew exactly what it would cost him to make us his and he paid the price for it. Do you remember what happened at the cross? Jesus was forsaken by God the Father. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Why did he go through all that? For you. For me. These are the costs that Jesus had to pay for our sins. At the cross, Jesus was separated from God so that when we put our faith in him, we can have the confidence that he will never ever abandon us. Because of what Jesus has done at the cross, we can have the assurance that he is with us always to the end of age. I love the way Tim Keller puts it. “It is only when you see yourself as the object of Christ’s mission that you will see yourself as the subject of Christ’s mission.” Because of what Jesus has done for us at the cross, we have the confidence we need to go and make disciples of Jesus. The one who sends us is good and he loves us to the cross. We have no reason to fear. Jesus went all out for us so that we can go all out for him.

Let me close with two reflections, one personal and one corporate. First, what needs to change in your life for you to make disciples? What priorities need to change? What needs to change in your lifestyle? How is God calling you to make disciples right where you are right now? Whatever changes you need to make, I pray that you trust God wherever he leads. Second, what needs to change for us as a church to make more disciples? Are we doing everything we can as a church to make disciples of Jesus? Is this our main priority? Or are we too busy doing church that we neglect what Jesus called the church to do? Changes are never easy. But life changes that enable us to make disciples of Jesus are always worth it. It is the only kind of life worth living. Let’s pray.

Discussion questions:

1. What struck you the most from the sermon?
2. How does knowing Jesus has all the authority encourage you to play a part in his mission?
3. What can you do or change in your life to make making disciples a priority? Be specific.
4. What are some fears you have in making disciples? How does Jesus’ presence deal with those fears?
5. How can you be sure that Jesus is with you in his mission?