The Church's Primary Mandate

The Mission
Matthew 28:18-20

It seems like everybody has a cause/mission they want you to join these days. As Christians many of these causes/missions are worthy of our interest, but never at the expense of our central mission. We cannot allow ourselves to be diverted from what God has primarily called us to do or permit His mandate to become so diluted by other things that we fail to fulfill the Great Commission.

I want to demonstrate that the Great Commission IS (!!) His primary mandate for the church by looking at several factors concerning this command:

1. The Location (28:16)

Mountains were important places where instruction/revelation were often given:

• Mt. Sinai
• Sermon on the Mount
• Mount of Transfiguration
• The Olivet Discourse on the Mount of Olives

Here...He invites the disciples to another mountaintop experience because what He has to tell them is to be another monumental moment in their lives.

2. The Repetition (28:19-20)

• “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
• “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” (Mark 13:10)
• “Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14:9)
• “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.’” (Luke 24:46-49)
• “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’” (John 20:21)
• “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18)
• “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

3. The Occasion (28:18)

This commission was given after His resurrection and before His Ascension...as His last words!

A man’s last words usually carry special weight in scripture, especially when it’s specifically preserved in some form in all the Gospels, as well as the Acts of the Apostles.

Ex. Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, Paul (Acts 20; 2 Timothy), Peter (2 Peter 1:12-15.

4. The Configuration

The Great Commission is the focal point to and from which the Gospels and Acts flow.

A. The Gospel of Matthew:

• Matthew speaks more about disciples/discipleship than any other Gospel: What they believe, how they behave, what they must sacrifice...”Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES...”
• Matthew shows Jesus as the fulfillment of the O.T. Law/Prophets...The Great Commission emphasizes His authority (28:18).
• The Magi’s presence from the east is a reminder that He wants to reach all nations...”make disciples of ALL NATIONS...”
• “Today scholars agree that the entire Gospel points to these final verses: All the threads woven into the fabric of Matthew, from Chapter 1 onward, draw together here” (Bosch, Transforming Mission, p. 57)

B. The Acts of the Apostles:

“...you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

• Acts 2-7... The Gospel is preached to Jerusalem
• Acts 8... The Gospel goes to Judea and Samaria
• Acts 9... The Gospel goes to the ends of the earth

“The Great Commission is the climax to which everything points and the fountain from which everything flows.” (Kevin DeYoung)

5. The Affirmation

“All authority is given to me...I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18, 20)

“There can only be a mission imperative because there is first this glorious indicative. God does not send out His church to conquer. He sends us out in the name of the One who has ALREADY conquered. We only go because He reigns.” (Kevin DeYoung, What Is The Mission of the Church?, p. 45)

“Since Jesus Christ today has all authority, we may obey Him without fear. No matter where He leads us, no matter what circumstances we face, He is in control. By His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated all enemies and won for Himself all authority...Christianity is a missionary faith.” (Warren Wiersbe)

Never did any army have such assets behind them!!

AND...Jesus wants worshippers from every cultural/linguistic group in the world!

6. The Situation

There are four verbs in 28:19. The main verb is “make disciples” and the other three participles (which have the force of imperatives) show how it is to be accomplished.

A. The MANDATE: “Make disciples”

B. The MEANS:

• Going...implies sending
• Baptizing...implies joining (the family of God)
• Teaching...implies developing/growing

Mankind is lost and in need of the Savior!! We MUST obey the Great Commission!

The OT mandate = Come & See

The NT mandate = Go & Tell

The preponderance of this evidence demonstrates that world missions IS God’s primary mandate for His church!! Nothing should divert or dilute our effort in taking the Gospel around the world!!