Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 9:57-62, Acts 17:16-21 Topics: great commission, great commandments

Our goal is to encourage every believer to know what it really means to follow Jesus and WORSHIP Him, CONNECT with other Christians by joining a small group and living life together in fellowship, friendship, prayer, and GO out together into our community and make disciples.

5/ Jesus commands us to go and work together, and help fulfill His mission

Before Jesus ever gave His followers the Great Commission He gave them His greatest commandments. Because no one could fulfill His commission for the church without His followers receiving new hearts that could really love and have the ability to obey Him. Then, His disciples would truly love God, which made it possible with the Holy Spirit inside them to actually reach the people of the world.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)

37  Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38  This is the first and greatest commandment.

39  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

40  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

John 15:12-13 (NLT2)

12  This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

13  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)

44  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

Matthew 5:45-47 (AMP)

45  To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].

46  For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? 47  And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?

Great commandments

1/ love God and show it in obedience to Him

2/ love your Christian friends by helping them and giving up your life for them.

3/ love your neighbor and show it by your good works

4/ love your enemies and show it by blessing them, doing good for them, and praying for them. 

Loving your Christian family is one thing, but passionately sacrificing your life for the general community (your neighbors and the enemies of God) is the ultimate act of love.

Genuine love is not magic, or unheard of in the secular world. For example, if your child, father, mother, or a close relative were to contract a deadly disease or suffer a terrible accident and need a $250,000 operation, and did not have insurance to cover it, would you sell your home, car, furniture, cash in all investments, etc. to save their life? Almost everyone would do it in a heartbeat because your genuine love for your loved ones drives you to such sacrifice. You would not even have to think about it!

But, what if I needed the operation, would you do it for me? Every one of you would pray for me! Some might send a small donation. But the reality is, most of you would shrug your shoulders, comment on how heaven is a better place, and let me die!

The point is, “for God so loved the world that He gave us His Son.” God has more passionate, genuine love for every person on this planet than most people love their own children. And beyond that, even though many love their kids like this, most do not even love their own spouse that much. Moms will put up with anything from their children, love them unconditionally and do anything for them, but divorce their husband for purely selfish reasons because of disappointments and disagreements. Even many criminals will die for their children but hate and hurt everyone else.

This is where the supernatural must come in, and why we are commanded to expand our hearts to practice genuine love as a controlling motive and focus of our faith. We are born with an evil heart of selfishness, so this extreme focus of life is the complete opposite. Brotherly kindness expands your heart to love fellow Christians with the same love you practice with close family. But, agape love greatly enlarges your heart beyond the church family, to love the world like Christ does, by continually sacrificing to save them from eternal damnation in hell! Only God’s Spirit in a narrow road follower of Jesus can make such changes in a person.

The apostle Paul explains it in his second letter to the church at Corinth, Greece. “13 For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit, 14 For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died; 15 And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.” (AMP)

“Therefore for the future we know no one simply as a man. Even if we have known Christ as a man, yet now we do so no longer. So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old state of things has passed away; a new state of things has come into existence. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has appointed us to serve in the ministry of reconciliation. We are to tell how God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not charging men’s transgressions to their account, and that He has entrusted to us the Message of this reconciliation. On Christ’s behalf therefore we come as ambassadors, God, as it were, making entreaty through our lips: we, on Christ’s behalf, beseech men to be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:13-20 (WEY)

Here is the definition from the Greek language for constraineth (KJV) [overmasters] = from (sun) and (echo); to hold together, i.e. to compress (the ears, with a crowd or siege) or arrest (a prisoner); figurative to compel, perplex, afflict, preoccupy :- constrain, hold, keep in, press, lie sick of, stop, be in a strait, straiten, be taken with, throng. – [Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary].

I hope you can see that Paul explains that this type of love is God’s passion driving, pressing and controlling believers through grace (Philippians 2:13 the desire and power to do God’s will) to no longer live selfishly, but instead, focus and follow the will of Jesus with the same love He shared when sacrificing His life. He joyfully gave His life on the cross of torture and death for all mankind.

He has appointed all followers of Jesus to serve in His ministry of reconciliation, by broadcasting the message of His sacrifice. He sends us out into the world for the same reason the Father sent Him (John 20:21). We must “make every effort” to be living sacrifices (Romans 12), and diligently spread the good news to the whole world. Without agape love driving you, you will not passionately accomplish this! And believe me, this clearly explains the reason John claims this is the ultimate phase of following Jesus! It is the height of love for God and man.

Now here is the shocker for many believers, it is not a special calling for an elite few, but in time and with training from God, He intends to move you and everyone of His narrow road followers to this way of life! “For although, considering the long time you have been believers, you ought now to be teachers of others…” Heb 5:12 (WEY)

Let those words sink into you! Many Christians make excuses that they do not have to be a missionary, pastor, preacher, teacher, etc. because they have not been led or called to do it, as if you need a special bonk on the head before you are responsible for the world going to hell forever!

If you are truly born again, the grace of God will push you to do His will and join His ministry team! If you are a hypocrite, keep making excuses, you will end up in hell with the world anyway. And without agape love, you will ignore the fate worse than the death of your child, as you watch your community, nation, and world rush to eternal judgment and death.

Those who really, Biblically, personally follow Jesus must see that their mission from God is the Great Commission of Matthew 28. The strong and faithful servant of God must have a passion for the lost world that launches him into serving in the ministry of reconciliation that the Lord leads them to join. 

This does not mean that you must be full-time missionaries but it might. This does not mean you become a pastor of a church, but it might. What it does mean is that your focus of ministry melts together with your job, whether you are a school teacher, plumber, banker, or scientist. The apostle Paul’s job was a tentmaker, but he is famous for being a great missionary.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Great Commission

1/ go and make disciples

2/ greet them, baptize them, and accept them into your friendship of the local church

3/ guide and help them to obey all the commands Jesus taught the very first apostles

A football team works together to get the football across the goal line. Our team, the BODY OF CHRIST, works together to get the gospel of Jesus in our city across the goal line of the stubborn disobedient hearts of those who do not believe. Together our team uses all the love, prayer, truth, grace, strength, determination, and combined force that God empowers us with to push the devil down the field and plant our football, the word of God, in the end zone of hard hearts that will be rescued as trophies of grace for our awesome God.

At the same time, we all participate in helping the new “recruits” 

1/ by becoming best friends with them, 

2/ gathering them into our teams, 

3/ teaching them how to help others, 

4/ recognize and use their spiritual gift, 

5/ and share the good news. 

We are disciples making disciples for the glory of God.

What is God’s primary will for Christians while living and working in the world?

Primary Call: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

Luke 9:57-62; 10:1-3 (GW)

57   As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”

58  Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”

59  He told another man, “Follow me!” But the man said, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”

60  But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about the kingdom of God.” 61  Another said, “I’ll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye.”

62  Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

“After this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples to go ahead of him to every city and place that he intended to go. They were to travel in pairs. 2  He told them, “The harvest is large, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest his crops. 3  Go! I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:1-3 (NKJV)

To follow Jesus Christ is to abandon…our goals, our pleasures, and to embrace the purposes of God… “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” – Matthew 4:19

Matt 16:24 AMP “Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple , let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].”

The first disciples understood the call to follow Jesus meant to forsake their way of life and be trained by Him to be His disciple [fishers of men].

1/ They fished at night and used light to attract the fish to the surface

Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV)

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14  You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

Two things are clear:

1/ God floods His saints with the Holy Spirit so that they are the truth givers of each generation preserving the earth by proclaiming the Good News and sharing eternal life for all generations until Christ returns. (verse 13)

2/ God also blesses the generations of mankind with eternal hope by shining the light of His holy life from inside the skin of all His followers as they live out His righteousness.  God is clearly seen by the vast numbers of lost humanity drawn to Him by the love they see from the church. (verse 14 and 15)

“We must not try to hide from the world but let our influence count for Christ in such a way that God will get the glory for the good deeds in our lives. We are to live so that everyone will feel our influence. We are vessels for the indwelling Spirit of God. Our lives reflect the light of God that burns on the inside.” – Disciple’s Study Bible.

As team members of the local church, we are raised up by God to shine brightly as a group with overwhelming kindness and love. This supernatural change can only be recognized as the divine presence of the Holy Spirit glowing and flowing from within true born again followers of Jesus. Today this is God’s secret weapon to attract the hurting, broken sinners to Jesus. We must never lose sight of God’s plan to attract the lost with our love.

2/ They used nets to grab the fish and haul them into their boats

“For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.” John 6:44 (NLT)

Acts 17:16-21 (NLT)

16  While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17  He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. 18  He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”

19  Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20  “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.”

21  (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

Acts 17:22-34 (NLT)

22  So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,

23  for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

24  “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples,

25  and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

26  From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

27  “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

28  For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

29  And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

30  “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31  For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

³² When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” ³³ That ended Paul’s discussion with them, ³⁴ but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.