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Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
October 20, 2019
The Great Commission – Overview
Matthew 28:16-20
Introduction
Last week we studied the final section of the Gospel of John in our study of the Life of Christ. John did not intend to write a comprehensive account of Jesus life even pointing out the world could not contain all that could be written about Jesus. John was writing some 30 years after the other gospel writers and supplements their accounts in order to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that you may believe and have eternal life in His name.
John concludes his account with Jesus meeting the disciples by the shores of the Sea of Galilee according to the instructions that He had given them. However, instead of proclaiming the gospel and fishing for men, following Peter’s lead, they had gone back to fishing for fish. When Jesus met them that morning, He pointed out that they had not caught anything though they had worked all night. He then told them to put out their net on the other side of the boat resulting in a very large catch of fish, and He had breakfast prepared for them when they came ashore. Both the miraculous large catch of fish and feeding all those men with just one fish demonstrated one again that they could trust Jesus to provide for them so that they could concentrate on the commission He had given them in sending them out even as God the Father had sent Him into the world (John 20:21). God wants us to be the same way which is why Jesus commands His followers in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first His kingdom and righteousness, then all these things will be added unto you.” God wants the focus of your life to be on walking with Him and serving Him, so His promise is to provide for your physical needs of food, drink and clothing as you put Him first. (See: Waiting on Jesus)
After breakfast, Jesus took Peter aside to talk privately. Peter had been humbled by his denial of Jesus at His trial, and he would never again boast of being superior to the other disciples or even of the level of his love for Jesus. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble, and Jesus restored the humbled Peter to ministry and leadership. Jesus also told Peter that he would die by crucifixion, which was actually an encouragement to Peter since it meant that he would be faithful to the end. (See: Do You Love Jesus?) Peter noticed that John was following them, so he asked Jesus about what would happen to John. Jesus rebuked Peter essentially telling him that what happend to John was up to Him and none of Peter’s business, and He then commanded Peter firmly, “you follow Me.” (See: Following Jesus)
That command applies to all of us. Our focus needs to be on following the Lord Jesus Christ to become like Him in character and humble service to God. While we are to pray for others and praise God for what He does in their lives, we are not to be distracted from our own pursuit of holiness and service by others. We are neither to be jealous nor proud by comparing ourselves to others. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
John’s account ends with Jesus meeting with His disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Matthew, Mark and Luke all continue in their accounts with events that took place after this. This morning we will begin our examination of Matthew 28:16-20, often referred to as “The Great Commission,” which also concludes in Galilee.
The Great Commission and Its Purpose – Matthew 28:16-20
All of Matthew’s gospel account culminates in this short passage for in it Jesus encompasses all of His other commands as He expresses His desire that His disciples take the gospel throughout the world so that others may know and live according to the word of God. The Great Commission is Jesus’ final command recorded in Matthew’s account, but it is great because it is the preeminent command that defines the purpose of the Christian and so defines the reason for all that Jesus did.
16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples 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 that I commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, unto the end of the age.
Jesus Christ left the glories of heaven for a purpose, but it is not the purpose that many people think. Luke 19:20 is often used to show that the central message of the gospel is that Jesus came to “seek and to save that which was lost.” Certainly that is true, but man centered theology has distorted its meaning. Salvation is now often promoted as being rescued from an unsatisfactory life to a wonderful life, or among those that still will preach about hell, being rescued from hell to heaven. One of the most often used gospel tracts of our time begins by stating that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” That is a true statement for God does love you and He does have a wonderful plan for your life, however, what is wonderful is according to God’s definition, not your own. That “wonderful” life according to Jesus will include being hated by the world (John 15:19) resulting in persecution and false accusations against you because of your relationship to Jesus (Matt. 5:11,12 etc.).
The reason the Lord Jesus left the glories of heaven behind in order to become a man, live a sinless life, die on the cross for our sins and then be resurrected from the dead was to reconcile you to God and make you His servant. In other words, Jesus came that you might be saved from sin and its effects for His own glory. The personal benefit to you is secondary to that. Paul states it this way in Ephesians 1:5-6 “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Paul adds in verses 11-12, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.“ Salvation is not man centered, it is God centered. It is God redeeming man to Himself that man may again accomplish the purpose for which he was created which is to bring glory to God, his Creator.
For those who are true Christians, the great commission is not an option. Though it is popular in some circles to talk about being a disciple as some second step in Christianity, our text this morning shows that being a disciple and making disciples is central to the very purpose of being a Christian. The great tragedy is that the majority of those who profess to be Christians do little to nothing in fulfilling Jesus’ commandment here. Why? Let me give you two reasons.
First, many of those that profess never did confess and are in reality Christless. In other words, they have a false profession of faith. They either do not know the Jesus Christ of the Bible, or they have not placed their trust in Him alone for salvation and their faith is actually in something else, or both.
The second reason is ignorance. That is not stupidity, but just untaught and inexperienced in the walk of faith. I hope to clear up the first part of that this morning and challenge you to fulfill Jesus command here. What exactly is it that Jesus does command? And how does a person become capable to fulfill this great commission?
Prerequisites for Fulfilling the Great Commission
There are three things necessary for the Christian to be able to carry out the Great Commission, and all three are foundational in being a Christian. They are availability, worship & obedience.
Availability. Verse 16 begins by stating that “the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.” This was according to the directions Jesus had given them to meet Him in Galilee (Matthew 28:7,10). From what we have already noted in our study of John 21, the disciples would have arrived in Galilee about two weeks or so after Jesus’ resurrection, or within a week or so of Jesus’ appearance to all eleven disciples in Jerusalem. Jesus would ascend from the Mount of Olives to heaven forty days after the resurrection (Acts 1:3), so then Jesus and the disciples would easily have been together in Galilee for two weeks or longer. John 21 records what happened when Jesus first arrived there with this event happening sometime after that.
There were two advantages in going to Galilee. First, they would have not been bothered in Galilee because they would be away from those that opposed them in Jerusalem. Second, there were a large number of Jesus’ followers in that region and this would have given them easier access to Jesus. Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that over 500 of Jesus’ followers saw Him at one time. The evidence would lead us to believe that this occurred in Galilee, and perhaps even on the occasion being mentioned here in Matthew.
We do not know which mountain Jesus designated for them to meet Him, but most likely it would be one of those where Jesus had spent time with them before. The disciples have followed Jesus instructions and are at the designated place. This reveals the first requirement to being used by God. You must be available.
The greatest ability you can give to God is your availability. None of these men were great prizes at this point. All of them except Peter and John had run away when Jesus was arrested and had stayed hidden. Then at Jesus’s trial, Peter denied with a curse that he knew Jesus and then he also fled. None of these men were noted for great faith either. All of them had also missed Jesus’ repeated point that He would be raised from the dead. These were just ordinary men complete with all of a man’s normal failures. They could selfish and proud while failing to understand the obvious. They could be boastful and yet prove to be weak and afraid in the very area of boasting. They were ordinary men, but God worked with them and turned them into men that later “turned the world upside down” as reported by their opponents in Acts 17:6.
Are you available to God? Are you willing to go where He wants you to go and do whatever He wants you to do? The question here is not if you are capable, but are you available? God will enable you to do anything He asks you to do. If you will make yourself available, God will make you capable.
As I look back at my life, it is marked over and over again of being used by God simple because I made myself available, for I know the things God has done in and through me are not things for which I was capable. The reason I am even here today is because I made myself available. If it had been left up to my own wisdom, I would have found more reason not to come here 28 1/2 years ago than to come. I like my relatives. I like my friends. I like the ocean, the mountains, and the deserts with their grand vistas. I like being warm without humidity, and I don’t like being cold or shoveling snow. Why should my family and I have left all that 3,000 miles behind to come here? Only one reason. A Christian is to be available to God to go where He wants you to go and do what He wants you to do.
My life is not my own and neither is yours. Jesus Christ purchased me and you with His blood. If you are a Christian, then you belong to Him. He is our master, and we are His slaves, and the slave goes were the master sends whether that is around the corner, to the other side of town, across the country or around the world. It is a matter of being available, not a matter of being capable. I am certainly not capable, but God is able and He will enable you to do what He asks of you. I believe my own life is an example of this, for when I began college, I had to take a remedial English class to qualify for the remedial English class that would qualify me to take the required English class for which I would finally get credit for my degree, and yet God has seen fit to put me in a position in which I earn my living in large part by writing and speaking. You may not be capable, but God is able and He will enable if you make yourself available.
The disciples were ordinary men, but they made themselves available. Are you available?
Worship. Second, verse 17 states, “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.” The heart beat of the Christian should be the worship of God. These men saw Jesus and fell down and worshiped Him.
The phrase that states that some were doubtful refers to those in the crowd that were present alongside the disciples that were unsure if it was really true that Jesus was alive. Remember that the eleven disciples had also been doubtful until they physically saw Jesus, so it would be expected that others would have been uncertain about the report that Jesus was alive. They had come to find out for themselves if it was really true.
Matthew’s comment about those who were doubtful demonstrates the veracity of what he is saying. If the resurrection had been a hoax then no one trying to promote it would have said anything that would have cast uncertainty on their case.
Certainly doubting will leave us in a weaker position as James 1 points out, but doubts are neither to be feared nor dismissed out of hand. God is gracious and helps us work through any doubts that we have that we might stand firm in our faith. Did not Jesus do that with “doubting” Thomas and all the other disciples that also had doubted until they had seen Him? But once the doubt was removed there was no hesitancy in their worship of Him. That was also true when Peter got out of the boat to join Jesus who was walking on the water to meet him. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink, Jesus reached out and took hold of him and said, “you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). He uses the same word as in Matthew 28:17. When Jesus got into the boat, they all worshiped Him.
What is at the heart of your relationship with Jesus Christ? If it is not worship, then something is wrong. Worship is the natural response of those that truly know Jesus and have placed their faith in Him. If you look to Christ as the magical genie who will get you out of trouble, you do not understand Him. If you look to Jesus as your servant who is supposed to make your life wonderful and happy, then you do not know who He is. Jesus is available to us anytime and anywhere, but He is not at your beck and call to accomplish your will. We are to be at His beck and call to accomplish His will. If you are here for some other reason than to worship our God and Savior, then you need to have your heart changed. I suggest you begin by praying that God will reveal His holiness and your sinfulness that may become humble so that your heart may be changed to one that will bow down before Him.
Obedience. Third, verse 18 states, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” His coming close to speak would help to remove the doubts that some had that it really was Him. As Jesus begins speaking He says two things that demonstrate the necessity of obeying Him. First, what He says about Himself, and second, the command that He gives.
Jesus says that “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Jesus’ claim here is unlimited. Authority refers to Jesus’ right, power and freedom to do as He pleases and command others to do as He pleases. Jesus’ claim here is that this authority has been given to Him by the Father and that it encompasses everything. The word, “all,” and the phrase, “heaven and earth,” reinforce each other in expressing the idea that Jesus has authority over all created things physical and spiritual.
Jesus has the right to command us, and we have the responsibility to obey Him. Failure to obey Him subjects us to either His chastisement, forced obedience or His wrath. Hebrews 12:4-11 explains that God loves His children and will chasten them as needed, and that those without chastening are illegitimate. Philippians 2:10 and Romans 14:11 both state that every knee will bow to the Lord. You will humble yourself before the Lord voluntarily or it will be forced. Romans 1:18 states that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and Revelation 20:11-15 describes the final expression of that wrath when the ungodly whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life are cast into the eternal lake of fire.
It is important to make sure you understand that Jesus has the authority to command and that what He states in verses 19-20 is a command and not a suggestion. It is expected that those that belong to Christ will obey His instructions. It is ludicrous for someone to say that they believe Jesus’ claims and trust Him for salvation and then reject what He says and not submit to His authority. That only proves they do not believe Jesus’ claims about Himself, and one of His claims is that He has been given all authority over all creation.
What is the command that Jesus gives in verses 19-20? There is one command accomplished in three elements. The Greek grammar is one verb with three participles which direct how to carry out the command of the verb. Let me make a somewhat wooden translation of this to help bring this out. “Going therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep whatever I have commanded you.”
This command is not arbitrary but based on Jesus Himself. Notice that the word “therefore” is the transition to the command and that brings back into focus Jesus’ authority. The command to make disciples can be fulfilled because Jesus has the authority to send us and the power to accomplish His work through us. As I said earlier, it is not your ability, it is your availability given in worshipful submission though which Jesus will accomplish His work through you. Since Jesus is who He claims to be, therefore, go do what He commands. You can rest assured He will enable you to do what He commands.
Make Disciples – Matthew 28:19-20
The command Jesus gives here is to make disciples. Whatever else the church does, the center of its focus needs to be in making disciples. Our fellowship, our ministries, and even our worship all revolve around being and making disciples.
What is a disciple? A disciple is someone who follows the teachings of another. They learn from the teacher. They identify with the teacher. They seek to be like the teacher. Luke 6:40 gives a good description explaining that the “disciple is not above his teacher, but after being fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” Paul tells us in Romans 8:29-30 that all those that will be saved are “predestined to be conformed to the image of [Jesus].”
You can see from this that if you claim to be a Christian, then being a disciple of Christ is not an option. Even the term, “Christian,” speaks of discipleship since Acts 11:26 explains that it was the “disciples” that were first called “Christians” in Antioch. The term itself means to be “a little Christ.” True Christians are, as Paul describes in Galatians 2:20, those who have died to themselves, and have Christ living in and through them. When people see you, do they see Christ living in you?
Jesus’ command is to make disciples of Him and you cannot do that unless you are His disciple first. We make disciples of Christ the same way that the apostle Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 11:1 in his call for them to “be imitators of me just as I also am of Christ.” We call people to follow us as we follow Christ. If others became like you, would they also be becoming like Christ? That in a nut shell is what making a disciple is all about. Other people begin to pattern their life after you, and since you have patterned your life after Jesus, they in turn are also becoming like Christ.
Jesus commands us to “make disciples” and He gives three elements needed to accomplish that. Going. The first element is going. Notice that we are the ones that are to be going. The little sign we have above the doors of this building as you go out the door reflects this. “You are now entering the mission field.” Christians are to go out to the non-believers in order to start the process of making them into disciples of Christ. Let me quickly add here that this participle is in the passive tense, which means that this command is something that is to be fulfilled in the normal course of life, because in normal life you are often “going” somewhere where you meet people. It may be specifically planned or unplanned, but you are to take advantage of every opportunity to start the process to make a disciple of Jesus Christ. That includes family, friends, co-workers, school mates, those with whom you do hobbies or socialize with, and strangers that you meet wherever you meet them.
Notice that the command is to make disciples of “all nations.” The word here is e[qnoV / ethnos meaning every ethnic group, and that brings a very active element in going out to fulfill this command and it leaves no room for prejudice. Christians are the ones that need to be making the effort. We are the ones that will be inconvenienced. We are the ones that will expend our time and money in the endeavor. We are the ones that will be in places that may make you uncomfortable for you have to leave your comfort zone to reach out to people who are different from you. They may have different physical characteristics and eat foods you consider unusual and live in a different climate you find uncomfortable. They may speak a language and have customs you do not understand. Whether they are around the block or the world, the command is for us to make them disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and that requires going.
The first aspect then of fulfilling the command to make disciples is to going out to the non-Christian community. What will you do when you go? You will proclaim the gospel, the good news of salvation from sin and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. That is Jesus’ command recorded in Mark 16:15 which gives the scope of this command, “preach the gospel to all creation.” which can only be fulfilled by “going into all the world.” We are to proclaim the gospel everywhere, and you are only limited by your imagination and willingness to be available in how to do this. There are the obvious people and places like your family, friends, neighborhood, school and place of work, etc. There are also all the people you do business with, those involved in your hobbies, your social organizations, and such. Then there are all the people you can make special outreaches to such as jails (adult and juvenile), convalescent homes, hospitals, parks, shopping malls, train stations, parades, fairs, flee markets, etc. Then there are the missions efforts to reach other cultures and go to distant places. God will use you if you are available. Are you willing to go?
Baptizing. The second aspect of making a disciple is baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. As you go out some will respond and desire to follow Christ. One of their first steps in their walk of faith should be baptism, and we believe all the evidence points to baptism by immersion. Baptism does not save nor does it extend any special grace. It is an act of faithful obedience in public identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To be baptized into the name of God marks you as professing to belong to God. Note that “name” is singular signifying the unity of the trinity, one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
If you want a full understanding of what the Bible teaches about Baptism there are some information sheets in the back of the church. Pick one up, and if you have not been baptized by immersion since you have professed faith in Jesus Christ, then let me know so that we can arrange for you to be obedient in this.
Teaching. The third aspect of making disciples is “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” There are those within the church that are especially gifted to teach, but this command is given to all. In addition, learning to do all that Jesus has commanded will be a lifelong process, though I must point out that it only takes a short time for someone to learn walk with Christ enough to begin the process with someone else. Even if you have been a Christian for less than a year, if you have been careful to learn what has been taught to you about Jesus, you are already capable of working with a new Christian who knows less about living for Christ than you.
Making a disciple is not an academic exercise. It is the interaction of your life with someone else so that they know from what you teach them and by your example how to live for Jesus Christ. You do not have to know all the answers, but you do have to know the Lord. I will expand on this topic of how to make a disciple in the weeks to come, but for today, I just want to make it clear in your mind that God can and will use you to make disciples if you are available, a worshiper of Christ and willing to obey His commands. The Great Commission is to the whole church and God wants you to be an active participant in its fulfillment.
Why am I so sure of this? Because Jesus has the power and authority to accomplish it and I have seen Him do it in my life and in the lives of so many other people. In addition, Jesus gives us an additional promise at the end of the last verse in Matthew, “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus begins this promise with “lo,” which is a call to be alert and focus your mind on what He is about to say, and then He makes it emphatic that He will be with us to the end. A literal translation would be, “I will be with you, even I, all the days even to the conclusion of the age.”
Jesus will be with you each and every day of your life even if that is to the conclusion of this age and you are transformed and taken to heaven without having to taste physical death. Jesus is present. His power is present. He has the authority to make this command and the ability to enable you to carry it out. The only open question is whether or not you will be available, worshipful and obedient to let Him use you to make disciples of Him. What will you do?
Sermon Notes – October 20, 2019
The Great Commission: Overview – Matthew 28:16-20
Introduction
John concludes with Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee – _____________ for His disciples
Peter had been humbled, and Jesus __________ him to ministry and reminds him, “You follow Me”
Jesus both forgives and restores the __________ – we must keep our eyes on Jesus
The Great Commission and Its Purpose – Matthew 28:16-20
This commission is great because it is the ____________command that defines the purpose of the Christian
Jesus left heaven and became a man to “seek and to save that which was lost” – ____________man to God
God’s “wonderful plan” for a Christian includes being hated and __________by the world which hates God
The personal benefit of salvation to you is _________to the glory of God receives for it – Eph. 1:5-6, 11-12
The Great Commission is ______________________for the true Christian
Those who profess but do not confess are in reality ___________- they do not fulfill the Great Commission
Those who remain ___________about how to walk with Christ also do not fulfill the Great Commission
Prerequisites for Fulfilling the Great Commission
Availability – Matthew 28:16
After His resurrection, Jesus could have been in Galilee with the disciples for about _______________
Galilee was away from the ________________ in Jerusalem & Jesus had many followers there
The disciples have gone to the designated place to meet Jesus – to be used of God, you must be __________
They were _______men who made themselves available, and God used them to turn the world upside down
A Christian is to be ____________to God to go where He wants you to go and do what He wants you to do
You may not be capable, but God is able and He will _________ if you make yourself available
Worship – Matthew 28:17
There were those in the ___________ that had not yet seen the resurrected Jesus and so were doubtful
Matthew is speaking _________. If he was promoting a hoax, he would not have referred to doubters
We are to believe, but God is __________ to help you work through any doubts and become strong in faith
Worship is the natural ___________ of those that truly know Jesus and have placed their faith in Him
Obedience – Matthew 28:18
Jesus claims ____________ authority over all creation has been given to Him
Jesus has authority to command, and failure to obey will result in chastening, forced obedience, or His ____
What Jesus states in Matthew 28:19-20 is a ____________, not a suggestion, and true Christians will obey it
Jesus gives _______ command – make disciples – carried out in three elements: going, baptizing, teaching
The “therefore” bases the command in _________ Himself who will enable you to do what He commands
Make Disciples – Matthew 28:19-20
A disciple is someone who ____________the teachings of another identifying with and imitating the teacher
Acts 11:26 – a Christian is a ___________ of Christ, the term meaning “a little Christ”
Your ability to make others into disciples of Christ is dependent on _________yourself – 1 Corinthians 11:1
The first element of making a disciple of Christ is _________- you go out to proclaim the gospel to others
We are to make disciples of “all nations” ( e[qnoV / ethnos) – every _________ group
You must ________ your comfort zone to go to those who are different from you to tell them about Jesus
You are only limited by your __________, willingness & availability about where you can preach the gospel
The second element of making a disciple is ___________ those who respond in faith to follow Christ
Baptism is an act of __________in identification with Christ in profession that you belong to the triune God
The third element of making a disciple is ___________them to walk in obedience to all of Jesus’ commands
Even a new Christian can teach a _______________Christian what he has learned about walking with Jesus
The Great Commission is to the _______church & God want you to be an active participant in its fulfillment
Jesus has the authority to command you, the power to equip you to do it, and He promises ______________
Jesus is present and will do His part. Your part is to be available, worshipful and ____________ to Him
KIDS KORNER – Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following:1) Count how many times the word “disciple” is mentioned? 2) Talk with your parents about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus
THINK ABOUT IT – Questions to consider in understanding the sermon and its application. About how long after His resurrection would it have been when Jesus met with His disciples in Galilee? Where did He first meet them there? What does John 21 record happened then? About how long could they have been in Galilee before His ascension? Why was Galilee a good place for them to meet? Where in Galilee does what is recorded in Matthew 28 occur? Why did Jesus leave heaven to become a man? What did Jesus warn about how the world would treat His followers? Should that warning be included in a gospel presentation? Why or why not? If not, when should the warning be given? Why is Matthew 28:16-20 referred to as “The Great Commission,” what makes it great? What are the two major reasons professing Christians do not fulfill the Great Commission? What is the importance of availability in fulfilling the Great Commission? Explain. What qualified and enabled the disciples to “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6)? How available are you to God? If you are not, or not as much as you would like, what hinders you from being available? What can you do to change that? Why can Christians be confident that God will use them? Can your lack of capability keep God from using you? Explain. Why should worship of Christ be the heart beat of a Christian? How did the disciples demonstrate that? How important is the worship of Jesus to you? Why did some doubt? How does God want you to deal with your doubts? What are some of the ways He will help you overcome them? What is the source and level of Jesus authority? What effect does that have on you personally? What will God do to Christians who are disobedient (Hebrews 12:4-11)? What is God’s response to non-Christians who are disobedient (Romans 1:18f & Revelation 20:11-15)? What will everyone eventually do (Ephesians 2:10)? What is the specific command given in the Great Commission? What is a disciple? Are you a disciple of Jesus? What is the relationship between being a disciple and being a Christian? What qualifications must be met in order to make disciples of Jesus? Are you qualified? Explain. What is the extent of the command to make disciples? What are your ideas about to whom and how you could proclaim the gospel to others? What is the purpose and necessity of a Christian being baptized? Who should be involved in teaching others to observe Christ’s commandments? How should you be involved in fulfilling this command? How does Jesus’ promise to be with you encourage you to live for Him?
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