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Love

Teaching Text: Matthew 28: 16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Themes

Consider these themes and ask your group what else they see in the passage:

The Great Commission

Formation

Thoughts and notes you can use for discussion:

In AD 25, nobody outside a small town in Galilee had heard of Jesus
By AD 50, there were riots in Rome because of Him
By AD 65, His followers were being persecuted by the Emperor himself
By AD 300, the known world knew of Jesus and the Emperor claimed a faith in Christ
Some women went back in the middle of the night when no one else would
Jesus sent them to tell the 11 remaining disciples
Jesus then told those disciples to GO
THIS IS DEEP IN THE HEART OF GOD. This is our mission and purpose as the church and as followers of Jesus
Courageous women were commissioned to be the first to tell the news that Jesus was alive. They did the job and now these Apostles are about to be commissioned.
GO and TELL
For some reason God chose to partner with us to tell of His Kingdom.
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” – Matthew 28
The translation is actually the word “hesitated”
- “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted (hesitated).”
- I dont think this is “What’s it all about, maybe God isn’t real doubt.”
- I think this is “OK we are now worshipping this Man who is back from the dead as our God type hesitation.”
No less human but a different emphasis on the moment.
This is Israel (the 12 tribes represented - Judas) worshipping their God on the mountain and its JESUS.
The whole story in some sense has been about worship. What will have your heart and affection and devotion and loyalty and love?
Anything less than God in the primary place will not do and will warp your soul.
And now they have the culminating moment….AND THEY WORSHIP THROUGH THE HESITATION
And Jesus says “Ok, now give this away. Pass this along…”
Invite others to know me as FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT
SHOW them the way of the Kingdom of God that I have been showing you.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28 v 16-20
What He tells them
- Go and make disciples of all nations
  - Be intentional to move out into the world looking to invite people into this relational pathway of transformation through love
  - What’s been done for you, make it available to others - we can start there
  - There is a beautiful diversity here. This is not going to just be people like them
  - The whole world is included in God’s plan of love and redemption in the Gospel of Jesus
How do you make disciples?
- Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
  - First introduce them and let people be immersed in the love of God
The Father is Holy and Other but loving and calling us
The Son has come to show us the way and give His life to bring us in
The Spirit applies Jesus’ life, death and resurrection to us and empowers us to live Jesus’ life and ministry
The Gospel is FORGIVENESS and UNION
- Teaching them the Way of Jesus
  - Matthew has given us 5 blocks of Jesus’ teaching - start with the sermon on the mount. Start with the parables. Start with the travels and miracles of Jesus
  - Together in commmunity with the Gospels as our guide and the Holy Spirit empowering us we are learning the live the way of Jesus in our time.
What He promises them
- Jesus promises His Authority
- All authority in heaven and on earth has been give to me SO GO
  - What do you think this authority means?
  - How did Jesus get this authority?
  - Why does it matter that he tells them(us) this?
He does not let us do it by ourselves.
His power and presence go with this mission of love
- His authority and His nearness
And throughout the ages, this question and invitation comes through to us
What are you doing with the influence of your life?
Are you living with the sense of Jesus’ authority and presence?
To be a disciple is to make disciples
- Baptize into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
- Teach them to obey what I have commanded you
  - The apologetic of your life
  - The apologetic of community
  - The apologetic of language
  - We need to learn with Jesus to live beautifully and to talk beautifully - this doesn't mean our lives are perfect or stylized, but they are real and full of God's love