Great Commission Sermon. Ideas?

Matt. 28: 16-20
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Intro:
a)Great Commission
b)Why important
c)What it means to us today
d)How we as individuals and a church fulfill
(First let’s examine the verse we previously read…)
1) Jesus commanded disciples 3 things – “go,” “teach,” “baptize”
a. How does this relate to us? What are we to do with this?
2) Gave promise (vrs 20)
a. He will always be with us.
3) We must “go”
a. Go and don’t look back Luke 9:59-62
Might leave…
-music
-friends
-tv
-wealth
-etc
Disciples forsook all to follow Christ (left nets and boat, showing true faith)

4) KJV says “teach,” Greek word means “to make disciples”
a) “learners,” “adherents,” “imitators” of Jesus
a. How did Jesus act? How did he live his life? Our witness, our everyday behavior speaks louder than the words we say.

Read MISTAKEN FOR JESUS

5) “Baptize”
a. Baptism declaration of our faith
b. Supply believers same opportunity

6) Doubt
a. Disciples doubted. Do we doubt our capability?
b. Acts 1:8 We aren’t worthy or able to witness. Good news—It isn’t us. When we witness, we are to ask for the Holy Spirit to be the one coming through—not us.
c. Jesus knew this. That’s why He said in vrs 18 “All power given unto me in heaven and earth” Jesus is more than enough.

Mark 16: 15-18
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
1) Gospel has power to change lives
a. Story of Saul
b. We as Christians should want to relay the Good News

2) Noticeable change in disciples
a. Can’t go on living same sinful life as before when Jesus is working in us
b. Living a good example helps our witness
c. Our own faith strengthened
d. We care for “every creature” (Vrs 15)


3) “Signs that follow them that believe” (Vrs 17)
a. “cast out devils” = Satan/selfishness within our lives
b. “speak with new tongues” = clean language, godly subjects
c. “take up serpents” = conquer fears
d. “drink deadly thing, not hurt them” = stand persecution
e. “lay hands on sick, and they shall recover” = help the weak/weak in faith
WHY preach Great Commission?
a) Jesus tells us to
b) Paul tells us “Preach the Word” 2 Tim 4:2
c) Bind brokenhearted Isaiah 61:1-3
d) Make Gentiles fellowheirs Eph 3:6
e) Laborers few Luke 10:2
HOW preach Great Commission?
1) Deny oneself Luke 9:23
2) Preach the cross 1 Cor 1:18
A) Service
“Go,” “teach,” “baptize” sounds like all action. While fulfilling the Great Commission does take work on our part, there is so much more to it. Not all of us are going to be missionaries in Africa, or teach in a church school, but there are ways each of us can be “disciples” for Jesus.
Read THREE TREES
Matt 25: 31-40
1) Great Commission all about service
Conclusion
a) Luke 18:27 “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
b) 1 Cor 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

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Something I never thought about until a few years ago is that the baptism mentioned here may not be limited to the ritual that many insert into the meaning. The baptism the immersion people into the knowledge of God. In fact the structure is consistent with that idea more then baptism as symbol because many times in the old and new testament a verse will say the same thing in a couplet style. So baptism in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to immerse them into the character (metaphor from name, because actual names aren't given here just titles) of God we do that by teaching them the things Christ has instructed us by His words and His life, about the love revealed by Jesus who is God who never leaves us on our own.

Thank you so much for that on baptism. I was searching for something to go deeper and that's exactly what I needed.

the following link is an interesting article on matt 28:19 about the phrase Father Son and Holy Spirit: