Go Ye Therfore!

September each year is a special month at Mt Kenya Baptist Church. This Sunday our missionary, Pastor John Longisa will bring the missions message to our people at MKBC. May The Lord warm our hearts to be daily engaged in Pursuit for mankind who would receive God gift of grace in repentance. This message was shared at MKBC on 6 Sept 2009 to start our missions month!

GO THEREFORE! MATTHEW 28:16-20

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 28 begins with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb where our Lord Jesus was buried. It is the first day of the week – Sunday morning. They found that the tombstone had been rolled away. The angel of the Lord informs the two women that Jesus who was crucified is not there in the grave for he is risen, as he said v 6. They were instructed to go and inform the disciples that he – Jesus is risen and he was to go before them to Galilee – there shall ye see him v 7

Jesus appeared to them as they were running to tell the disciples. The two women were afraid and filled with joy. The Lord tells them not to be afraid. I believe that His appearing to the women took away their fear, which they had. The message is that Jesus would meet his brethren in Galilee. It was in Galilee that Jesus began his earthly ministry by calling out the disciples. Imagine that Jesus – the risen Lord was going to meet with His disciples.

The soldiers that guarded the grave were fearful and shaken up v 4 that night of the resurrection they had become as dead men! The contrast of the women is that of fear and great joy. The risen Lord eventually alleviates their fears!

The chief priests who were the religious leaders then, heard the report of the things that had happened and wanted to counter that with a false report. This fictitious report was circulated around to counter the truth that – Jesus was risen. You and I know that bad news travel faster than good news!

THE DISCIPLES WENT TO GALILEE

Our Lord had told the disciples that he would rise up from the dead and would go before them into Galilee. Matthew 26:32 “But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” The disciples saw the Lord. They knew the place of their appointment, Matthew says into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them v 16. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. Still some of the disciples could not comprehend and identify the resurrected Christ. Even today there are two categories of disciples worshippers and doubters! Which one are you? This is not the only time that the Lord had appeared to the disciples probably prior to this incident. John 20:19-23 gives the account of the resurrection day when our Lord appeared to the 11.

Could this message be coming to a disciple who doubting today? We now look back almost 2000 years since when Lord was raised from the dead by God! The Great Commission as it is called is evidence to us; that live in the ends of the earth that our Savior indeed is alive! Christian look around and see what the Lord has done through the rest of the passage.

THE GREAT COMMISSION - GO YE THEREFORE!

You and I are Christ’s disciples! We are of the household of faith. Our Lord is commissioning us to go. He is not telling us to stay. He wants us today to tell the nations. When He told his disciple how they were to tell the nations. I believe the completion of this commission is found in Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria”, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. For the disciples to reach all nations with the Gospel they were to start from their sphere of influence - Jerusalem. You and I are not Jews – the gospel came to us. We could say we are in the uttermost parts of the earth from to this place at the mountain where Jesus gave this commission! As it was a command to the disciples to go EVEN SO TODAY MUST EVERY DISCIPLE OF JESUS GO OUT! The call to go has specific instructions:

I. MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS

The phrase teach all nations refers to converting all Gentiles or make disciples or every nation. Earlier in this book of Matthew, Jesus had sent his disciples to the lost sheep of Israel Mt 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This time our Saviour, the resurrected Christ sends out his disciples to all nations! Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. The Gospel commission is open to us the Gentiles who form part of the nations.

The church is God’s means of Christ’s mission to the world. It is God’s commission to the Mt. Kenya Baptist Church to carry out the mission to our world. We are to make disciples of all nations starting right here in our town – reaching people we meet day to day. Further we are to do the same by supporting the work of our missionaries that we support in different places in this country and Tanzania. The Lord wills to do more in our neighboring countries that need the gospel message! He is looking for disciples that will obey the commission to go! Will you go therefore?

II. BAPTIZING THEM

When the disciples are converted they are to be baptized. The institution that was to do this work is the Church. The disciples of Jesus had been baptizing earlier as recorded in John 4:1,2. However the baptism that Jesus commissions is to be done uniquely acknowledging the Triune God - baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost –v 19.

Baptism is not intended to be a ritual, as a tradition in a Church – believing in Jesus Christ must precede it. One must be a disciple of Jesus prior to being baptized. Today many religions have it all wrong thinking that by baptism they are believers in Christ. Ephesians 2:8,9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” One among the good works or deeds a disciple should be identified with is Baptism. Not as part of his salvation but as a deed of outward obedience to his new Lord Jesus Christ.

III. TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” v 20. The disciples had been with Jesus. From the sermon on the mountain in chapter 5, to the miracles he did, to the parables he had taught, to the times he had withstood the opposition of the Pharisees and the Sadducees – They had been with Jesus. They were to teach the new disciples in Christ to observe the things of their new found faith in Christ. The local New Testament church is to provide an edifying and exhorting ministry. In the book of Acts we see this further developed in the new church. Acts 2:41,42 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The church should have an on-going ministry of discipleship to new believers.

A PROMISE FOR ME

The last chapter in this book of Matthew ends with a great promise! It is a promise of God’s presence. The disciples would definitely miss Jesus their Rabbi, physically! That would be a lonesome time considering how close he had been to them. This was a promise to the 11 disciples of Jesus then, and it is to us today. Jesus in his prayer in John 17:20 prayed, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.”

The great commission is to be carried forth unto the end of the world. The Mount Kenya Baptist Church is charged by our Lord to continue fervently in the proclamation of the gospel until the end of the age! In our might it is not possible. It is a spiritual charge. It is possible with the help of God’s Holy Spirit! We have a sure promise of God’s presence as we fulfill this great commission.

Will you go? Jesus meets with his disciples in a special place in Galilee with a special message to them. He gave them a charge that they were to carry out and Lo! It has come to us and we are to do likewise as other disciples also did!

In the African context the words of a dying person to his children or to someone are taken seriously! Jesus was not going to die, He had resurrected from the death. He would soon ascend to the Father (Acts 1). His last words to us while on earth are important.

WITH ME ALWAYS

Disciples that stay focused to the task of the Great Commission are assured of God’s presence. They will grow in the faith, they will not doubt the Son of God like other disciples, they will grow to become just like Jesus (Eph 4:13). There is a song that says this: “To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus, All I want is to be like Him, All through life’s journey, From earth to glory, All I ask to be like Him” Yes, you and I are assured of his omnipresence as we carry out the Great Commission. Go Ye Therefore!

Matthew closes this Gospel assuring us what Hebrew 13:5b,6 tells us “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Some words of a favorite chorus, says, “Who will carry the touch? Who will lift up the flame? And walk in the darkness, with the light of His Word?” The responsibility of carrying the Gospel torch and raising the Gospel flame, is yours disciple! Go Ye Therefore!