Onward Christian Matthew 28:16-20
We’re moving rapidly into 2024. We’re looking ahead, at least I am, ahead to the work and plans we want to accomplish this year. I need to patch part of our roof, I want to paint our master bathroom, and I want to plan a trip to Utah. These are some of the things I need to get done to fulfill my obligation to my family and our home. You can see I love my family, my wife, and children. I say I want to provide for them, love them, share my life with them. Talk is good, but it is only talk if I don’t take care of our home, use my resources to travel to Salt Lake, help my family financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
As a Christian, I believe God is the creator of all that exists. I believe Jesus came to earth, died on the cross as punishment for my transgressions and rose from the dead three days later. By my belief I am a Christian, forgiven, saved, and fully able to stand before God himself. But along with this I am now part of a great family, the family of Christ.
We hear this a lot, we’re part of Christ’s family, part of God’s family. The problem is many see these just as nice words, like a warm and fuzzy feeling. Wrong, there is a reality to this. We are members of a great Christian family with all the obligations to support these family members with the same zeal and devotion we do our biological family. To those who don’t think this is so I say look to James; James 2:15-16, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm and well feed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”
Today Jesus tells us, his followers, another truth of following him; we are to go beyond the barriers of our Christian family to others in the world. Jesus gives all his followers throughout the ages, the “Great Commission.”
The Great Commission, what exactly makes it great? First, because of who said it. Jesus, God on earth, mankind’s Lord and savior said it. Second, because of when it was said. It was said at the end of Jesus’ time on earth. It carries weight because it was one of the last things he says to us. And third, why it was said. The Great Commission is our instructions to carry on with his work after he left.
Our readings verses 16-17, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” These two verses paint a picture of the categories all men fall into.
Eleven disciples. One of the twelve, Judas, heard and dismissed the message of Jesus. Deserters, one category of man. Those who hear the word of God and completely dismiss it. By virtue of us all being her, I think I can say we don’t fall into this category.
I also believe there were more than just the eleven here. Our reading says there were doubters but by now even Thomas believed, so I think we can assume there were others there. This can be substantiated by 1 Corinthians 15, “(Jesus) was seen by Peter, and then the apostles. After that he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time.”
Doubters, those that hear Jesus, maybe even accept the cross, but follow the rules as long as they don’t put us out too much. “Jesus, I love you, I believe in you, but I don’t know about talking to others, I don’t know about accepting others.” Doubters love Jesus but they question whether the Holy Spirit will give them what they need to work for Christ; basically, they let fear prevent them from faithfully following Jesus. They let the fear of the possible consequences of following Jesus interfere with their following him.
We have deserters, we have doubters, now the third category is disciples. Those who give up everything to follow Jesus. To be fair, I don’t think I am in this category. When I think of these people I think of the eleven disciples, I think of Paul, I think of William Wilberforce who changed his whole life from a slave trader to a minister, eventually penning one of, if not the best-known hymn, Amazing Grace. I think of Charles Colson. He was sent to prison for his role in Watergate but he knew Christ. In 1976, he founded Prison Fellowship, which is now the nation’s largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for criminal justice reform. In recognition of his work among prisoners, Colson received the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1993.
As I said before I don’t see deserters here among us, however there are countless deserters of Christ in the world, and I think these fall into two basic categories. First, those who hear of Christ and then choose to walk away. Unfortunately, those that subscribe to New Age philosophies such as universal forgiveness fall into this category. They hear of God and the cross and deliberately make the decision that it’s wrong. Second are those who hear the Word, claim to accept, and yet do things their way because they think that parts of the Bible are wrong, parts of the Bible are less important. They believe they hold a more enlightened vision than God’s Word.
Are there doubters among us? Do we believe, follow the rules and traditions as long as they don’t put us out too much? Do we believe but still let fear prevent us from faithfully following Jesus? Do we fear giving up control of our lives to God? Many times I fall into this category.
I call these people doubters because they hear and accept Christ, but they doubt that God will keep them safe from all obstacles. They doubt their lives will go smoothly, financially as well as emotionally if they completely give their whole life to Christ. I’m not trying to criticize, I truly believe the vast majority of Christians fall into this category; as I said, I certainly do. It’s very difficult for us to let go of everything and accept our lives as God sets them. That’s why the accounts of those like Eric Liddle and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, both of which gave their life in the service of God are astounding to us.
Can we call ourselves true disciples of Christ? Do we follow Jesus like the original disciples? They gave up their livelihoods and family; do we? Or do we let others interfere with our worship and work for our Lord? Jesus sent the twelve out into the countryside with nothing, no provisions, no money, all they had was a dependence on God. Do we worry about how much money we earn; how much we save? Do we worry about having a new car, a nice house? Do we say we want to help others, but I have to do “this” first, I want to work for Christ but I need to visit this person first? Remember Jesus tells us the cost of being a disciple in Luke 14:26; “If anyone comes to me and does not hate their mother and father, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.”
This is the ideal. Again, I am not criticizing, I certainly haven’t gotten there yet. But it is something we should all be working toward, working our lives around Christ, and not fitting Christ in when we have time.
We are Christ’s modern-day followers. We may not go to Galilee to meet Jesus, we meet him here, and we meet him everywhere we go in our lives.
Christianity is not just a belief, it is life. A life obligated to keeping a close relationship with our Lord. A life dedicated to the work of our faith. Christianity is every day being part of this great family of God’s. And every day honoring that family, every day giving up ourselves for that family. Christianity is also daily working beyond the boundaries of this family,
Today we are given the Great Commission by Christ. We must individually decide if we respond to it as deserters, doubters, or as disciples, even if our discipleship is a continuing work in progress.
This Great Commission our Lord gives us, not only leads us in our life, but also challenges us. Challenges us to see him first. Challenges us to put him first, even above family and friends.
It challenges us to grow, and to improve in faith. It challenges us to decide Christ is first, Christ’s work is first a hundred times a day, risking the dismissal, the questioning, the misunderstanding of those we hold closest to us. It challenges us to put Jesus above even those we hold dearest in our lives.
The question we each have to answer for ourselves is; are we believers, or are we Christians, living our lives with everything that term designates?
As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, I say to you with an open and honest heart, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Cor 126:23-24)