Introduction
Let me review
Easter …
·
On
Palm Sunday … Jesus showed how he was to be the spiritual king of a spiritual
kingdom based around real fruitfulness. This was a new fruitfulness, not
based around the old ways of temple sacrifices, contrasting with the world’s
injustice, not going down a dead-end street, but offering real life and
hope.
·
On
Good Friday … Jesus did everything that needed to be done so that we could
experience forgiveness. The grace seen that day was certainly costly and not to
be taken for granted, but at the same time, came to us freely and abundantly.
·
On
Easter Sunday … Jesus rose from the dead to show that evil and death could not
defeat God’s purposes, that God’s love will win the day. We will never have to
try to make it alone, because Jesus has risen and continues to be available to
us. We have been invited into a new relationship with God, where we can
experience joy in becoming who we were created to be, being fully released in
service of others.
Where does that
leave us? Was all this only for us who already believe? No, this is all leading
somewhere.
Jesus was with
his disciples and others for forty days following his resurrection. In this
time (according to the various gospel accounts), Jesus reassured us (humanity)
about the reality of his physical resurrection – “touch me and see”, gave us a
measure of his peace in expectation of receiving the Holy Spirit, and in
Peter’s particular case … Jesus reinstalled him in ministry and leadership
(with the words, “Feed my lambs”).
But most
famously, Jesus commissioned all his followers to a particular course of
action. This has been called the “great commission’ – which is fair, because
this is such a concise and clear statement about what we should be on about.
Yet we read this text, and may find ourselves with more questions than answers:
·
What
were they doing on a mountain?
·
Why
was there doubt?
·
Where
do we “go”, and how do we actually “make disciples”?
·
What
does it mean to be “baptised” in the name of all the Trinity?
·
How
does the “teaching” happen?
·
How
is doubt dealt with?
Together on
the Mountain
We should note
that the disciples were gathered together to receive their commission. This
coming together was at Jesus’ command. What Jesus was going to ask these
followers to do was a collective task. And this was a task to be fulfilled out
of a faith that was based on a mutual response to the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. So there would need to be a ‘coming’ before there was a
‘going’! In fact there would need to be a series of ‘comings together’ to
properly facilitate the ‘going out’. In fact … if Jesus’ mission was going to
be fully embraced, there would need to an ongoing appreciation of ‘being
together’. This was later borne out by the early church’s strong commitment to
one another, and to Paul’s theology of the people of God being inter-connected
like a “body”, with Jesus at the head.
We should also
note that this commission comes from the One authorised to give it. Jesus has
become our central focus – the meeting place between ourselves and God – the
One who interprets God’s will for us.
The “go” is to
“go and to keep on going”. Movement! Connecting! Sometimes the paths which we
normally walk in daily life are enough … just with a new focus toward the
spiritual well-being of others. We naturally “go” to our neighbours,
colleagues, friends, family, and regular contacts. Then there are those people
who seem to coincidentally come across our path. Other times we will sense a
call outside of our comfort zones. This “going” often means lending much-needed
practical support. On some occasions we might feel a special pull towards a
certain person or situation. In any case, we need to be prayerful and tuned
into God.
This is all about
being available to form and build relationships (of safety and trust). This is not
about dragging people in (as if they must agree with us), but rather going out
to meet people where they are, listening to their story, and sharing with them
something that they would find interesting and helpful. This is of course not
just about words … it’s about sharing life.
This is about
inviting … inviting people to enter a new sense of community, and allowing
people to feel accepted and to belong … on their own pathway to finding faith
(or discovering something new to believe in). This could mean an invitation to
your home, or to a social occasion, small group or special service at church.
First comes belonging, allowing believing to come in their time and God’s time.
There can sometimes be quite a time lag between the ‘inviting’ and the
‘believing’. The bridge will often be the sense of ‘belonging’ that is
appreciated in between. Where relationships grow and flourish, redemption and
healing occur.
Making
Disciples, Baptising & Teaching
This is not
about converts to our way of thinking, this is about the goal of making
“disciples” of Jesus. This means preparing the way, through the way we
live, for other people to discover how to live with and for Jesus. To be a
disciple is to be a replica, a facsimile, a re-run, a follower in all ways;
being under the discipline … in this case of Jesus … in lifestyle, attitudes
and ethical principles. To be “making” disciples indicates that we are making
significant contributions to others’ lives through our faith and practical
service. We are helping God to mould people.
“Disciples” of
Jesus will come from all nations, backgrounds, ethnic groupings, cultures. How
things look now, are not how they will always be; not while we can share
the Gospel! This is why we should be very careful about any negative labelling
of any grouping, or any generalisations. For if we allow any animosity to
build about any group, then this will inevitably disrupt the exercise of our
commission! Every person on God’s earth is just a person who needs to know
Jesus. Call me naïve if you like, but then Jesus would be naïve too … as he
hopefully and graciously engaged with those who may and did send him to a
cross! Jesus said that we also should take up our cross, which in part means
engaging with those who may hurt us … in an attempt to reach those who will
come to love God. Therefore, for centuries, the Christian Church has seen
missionaries go out to the most dangerous of places. Now the world is smaller,
we all have an opportunity for this sort of mission work (right where we live).
As we have said,
discipleship – is the act of following in the Jesus way. Once there, we can
make a symbolic presentation of who we are now. This is ‘baptism’ – where we
publicly identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus; where water
represents a purification. We go under the water to show that we have died to
sin (or turned away from sin), and come out of the water to show that we have
risen to new life. We are now Jesus people – we have died to self and the
world, and now live for God’s purposes. [If any want to be baptised, or know
more about baptism, then please ask me.] We want to show the community and
world around us the sincerity and validity of faith in Jesus through public
witness.
Baptism is given
in the name of all members of God’s Trinity. Why?? Two main reasons:
·
Baptism
testifies that we are connecting with God in all aspects of life i.e. with God
who created us and has always loved us, with Jesus who has saved us and led us
into new life, and with the Holy Spirit who enables and empowers us on a daily
basis to walk in the ways of God;
·
Baptism
in the name of God’s Community shows that we are being baptised into a
community i.e. God’s Church – into an interconnectedness with others who have
likewise become disciples of Jesus … as God is community, we are baptised into
community.
Discipleship,
baptism, then learning. Some of us have received the call and gift to be
teachers, essentially teachers of God’s Word … where we find all we need to
know about being God’s people. Yet, as this is a mutual commission, we are all,
in some way or other, teachers of one another. We all have different
experiences of God, we all have different testimonies of how God has blessed us
and challenged us, we all have learnt things from God’s Word that have made a
positive difference in us that we can share. We need to help each other grow!
Each of our unique experiences of life and God can bring so much to our
understanding of how God is touching people’s lives.
What needs to
spread through our teaching and learning is “everything that I [Jesus] have
commanded you”. These matters are contained in the four gospels and are also
promoted in the rest of the new testament. This is NOT knowledge for knowledge
sake or just receiving abstract truths, but rather practical teaching for
everyday living. Think of this as training for life, much like being on the
training track for sport. What is very obvious, is that a lot of the values
that Jesus teaches are very different to how the world around us often
operates. Bitterness versus forgiveness. Power versus humility. Hate versus
love. Selfishness versus selflessness. Wealth versus generosity. Conflict
versus peace. Hardness versus compassion.
And this brings
us back to the required balance between ‘coming’ and ‘going’. We need to be
together to learn and encourage one another in being disciples, in combination
with our ‘going’ … to share the love and grace of Jesus with those who we meet
and are led to.
Doubt &
Faith
We should note
the comment that “some doubted” (v.17b). We know that some disciples, most
famously Thomas, doubted the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Despite all of
Jesus’ appearances and reassurances, some found it hard to fully accept what
had happened. Even now as they had gathered around Jesus and worshipped him,
and were there in the act of being commissioned for ministry and fruitfulness,
“some [still] doubted”! Doubt brings uncertainty and hesitation. It’s hard to
give yourself fully to something where doubt exists. Such doubt would mean that
these disciples were not fully ready or prepared to embrace the mission
set before them.
What would we do
with such doubt and inertia … in ourselves, or in others??
·
In
ourselves … get involved, especially in corporate worship, give things a try,
be open to the faith and encouragement of others
·
In
others … one word – encouragement … positive encouragement, about their value,
about their giftedness, about how much God loves them.
Doubt may be
based all around human incapacity and limitation. The disciples may have been
actually doubting themselves. Where was all this leading, and would they be up
to it!? The disciples that day may have been feeling the enormity of the task.
But this is not all of what there is to the mission of God! This is
super/human work empowered by a greater source than merely the human. This is
Jesus’ work, and it will all being empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.
If the
opportunity exists, so will the resources! So in the face of some who were
doubting, Jesus said, “Remember, I am with you always” … and not just today and
tomorrow, but, “to the end of the age”. Jesus will go with us, before us,
beside us, behind us and within us … guiding, comforting, reassuring,
empowering, encouraging, strengthening … all bases covered.
I suppose it’s
human to want all the facts, and have some idea what the future might hold, but
this is not the way of faith. We might find that it is only as we “go”
that we experience Jesus’ company, and, conversely, if we are not experiencing
Jesus’ company, it might be because we haven’t gone anywhere! The more I “go”,
the more of Jesus I might get!! Faith expressed is faith embraced.
Jesus clearly believes that his disciples can succeed. And Jesus’
first disciples did succeed brilliantly … in the power of the Holy Spirit. The
challenge of this ‘great commission’ is now ours. This is in the face of some
levels of disinterest or even antipathy, and many other options for people’s
allegiances. Yet in a town like this, where we live, we do have plenty
of opportunities to build on one another’s efforts in addressing the ‘great
commission’.
Conclusion
Never think we go
out on mission on our own, under our own devices! This is a partnership. This
is a partnership … built on a series of relationships that have been forged, in
each and every case, in two places – at the foot of the cross, and at the open
tomb. Have we been to both places? Have we received the forgiveness we need
at the cross, followed by the entry into new life at the open tomb?? If our
answer is ‘yes’ and ‘yes’, then we are promised the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit which will not only deal with any doubt, but also deal with all fear.
Our friends and neighbours live and breathe in the presence
of the greatest Lord. Yet, [often], they do not know it. We, the people of the
Lord, who know [God’s] majesty over heaven and earth, must stand up … and, in
whatever way is appropriate to our gifts, personality and circumstances,
promote [God’s] glory.
[from John Dickson: “The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission”, pg.37.] Amen
to that!!
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