Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Matthew 28:16-20
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  June 12, 2022

It’s the couple signing on the dotted line while buying their first home. It’s the person who jumps off the dock and yells “Cannon Ball!” just before they crash into the lake. It’s the guy who pushes all of his chips to the center of the poker table. It’s called “Going All In”. Today is the Sunday we celebrate the Trinity and we might not usually connect this doctrine with the intensity of “Going All In”…but Jesus does. Today Jesus tells us to “Go All In” saying “Go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In the original language of the commission, “go” is a participle, a backup singer for the starring main verb, which is to “gather disciples.” So the point is not “to go somewhere” as if a mission will only start if you travel somewhere else, but rather it adds urgent intensity to the gathering of disciples. It tells us we should GET GOING and gather disciples right where we are at now! Another way that this section of Scripture shows emphasis is that Jesus uses the word “all” 4 times in just three verses, giving us not only a simple way to walk through the text but a call to Go “All” In as we carry out the Great Commission in the name of our Triune God.

1. All Authority: The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some hesitated because they were uncertain. 18 Jesus approached and spoke to them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

A frequent refrain of Jesus during his time on earth was: “I can do nothing of myself” (John 5:19; 8:28; 12:49; etc). He repeatedly reminded his followers that he did miracles in his Father’s name and gave them the words his Father gave him. Not only is this a clear testimony to the Father and the Son’s unique relationship within the Trinity, but a reminder that before his resurrection, Christ had veiled his glory for our sake. What did the Apostle Paul write? “He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” But now after his resurrection, Christ is done with his state of humiliation and he rightly says, “All  authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18). The Father restores to Christ the authority he deserves, not because he lorded it over us, but because he was willing to set it aside to die for us. So first as we consider the authority Jesus holds, let us give thanks that Jesus is the one who holds it. Let us give thanks that the ruler of heaven and earth loves us and cares for us more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Note, that Jesus doesn’t have authority only over his Church or only over Christians. He has authority over all things. Jesus has authority even over those who do not acknowledge him! As Christians, this is a key component of our expression of faith. When you believe in Jesus, you are not just saying Jesus is “my truth” or “my personal spiritual path”. You are affirming his authority in all areas of life, public and private. You are affirming that Jesus’ word applies to all people whether they know it or not, including his grace and his death on the cross! If Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth, then this is not the great suggestion. It is the great commission. It is a desperately relevant and consequential mission that he has planned for you! It’s a commission worth going all in on because your Savior holds all authority in heaven and earth! How you live has eternal meaning because it is Christ who sends you out!

1. All Nations: Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Did you know that Christianity is the world’s most culturally diverse religion? Doesn’t this speak to the fact that not only is the Gospel for people of every nation but that, by Christ’s authority, his church can carry out the great commission? Yes, over 2 Billion people living right now call on Jesus as their Lord! The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, has granted God’s Word success in every corner of the world, just as Christ commanded! Don’t be tempted to think that Christianity doesn’t apply to people who might look different than you. Don’t be tempted to think that your faith can’t cross a cultural border. What does this mean for us here at Eastside as we observe the onslaught of prejudice in the world? How important is our defense of the Gospel as truly multicultural? How important is it for us as Christians to reveal, through our words and actions, that Christ stands supreme over any national or cultural loyalty? 

Notice also the significance of baptism in the Great Commission. The first step of gathering disciples is that of baptizing in the name of the Trinity. Bringing people into the family of God through water and the Word connected to the name and work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is Jesus’ command about baptism! Remember how we start each service here at Eastside in the name of the Trinity, and how I make the sign of the cross? Every time I do that I think about those words of the baptismal liturgy where the name of the Trinity is spoken and the sign of the cross is made. (“receive the sign of the cross over the head and the heart to mark you as a redeemed child of Christ.”)  As we begin each service, I want you to impress the remembrance of your baptism into your minds and your hearts, both as confidence in your salvation and a mark of your commission. Nothing says “Go All In” like baptizing someone into the name of the Trinity.

1. All Instruction: and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you.

The Great Commission does not speak of baptism alone. Gathering disciples is about baptizing and teaching. Gathering disciples involves training people in the Christian faith. Certainly, this means evangelism. But it does not stop there. Christ was concerned about teaching his disciples the entire Scriptures. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus affirms the Law of God: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). In fact, he would explain and deepen our understanding of God’s holiness! Christ taught his disciples constantly for three full years and when he was done, they still had much to learn! 

Sometimes we assume that there is no more need to grow in understanding God’s Word, that there is sort of a happy place when it comes to faith… “I know the big stuff, but I don’t need to sign up for a Bible study.” Think again, do you know all of the teachings and instructions of the Lord? This is Christ’s command! Even as we seek to disciple others we all ought to be growing! Claude Bernard wrote: “It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.”  Isn’t that true? Let’s not have this be the case when it comes to the Christian faith! Part of being a disciple is to be constantly learning! 

In this way, we see that Christ is concerned with the quality of his disciples, not necessarily the number. Did you notice how odd something sounded in the first verse of our text? Matthew said, “The eleven disciples went to Galilee…” Think about it, Jesus poured himself into just 12 men during his ministry, and one betrayed him! He’s not asking you to convert your entire apartment complex, or even to get the whole baseball team here on Sunday morning. He’s asking you to gather some people close to you and to teach them to follow Christ seriously, to keep them in his Word and teaching so that they receive all the instructions he has given you! It’s said, “ Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and he’ll never go hungry.” That also applies to discipleship. Jesus didn’t just give people what they were craving for spiritually. He called them to be fishers of men. He taught them how to catch fish themselves. I’m afraid there are a lot of Christians who are content to just be given fish, to just exist or survive as Christians, not to grow in faith and instruction to the point where they can also teach others. May this be our prayer, that even as we seek to learn more, we are emboldened by the great commission to pour ourselves into a select few around us in order to teach them everything we know about our gracious Savior! Let’s Go all in!

1. Always with you: And surely I am with you always until the end of the age.”

Here Jesus promises his presence always (literally, “all the days”), until the end of the age. Christ is with us. He never leaves us to carry out the mission alone. The Great Commission is also the Great Comfort, because Jesus never forsakes his disciples. Did you notice how the remaining disciples experienced a mix of worship and hesitation when they saw Jesus? To this self-doubting group, Jesus speaks his command and promises to be with them so that, with his authority and presence, they will be able to do what he asks; they will be able to live like children of their Father in heaven. Don’t think that ordinary people like you and me can’t fulfill the Great Commission today! Be confident in the name of the Trinity, and GO ALL IN on the Great Commission! Amen.