4 - Our Promise - Matthew 28(20b)


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Our Promise Matthew 28:20b Introduction My family and I love to swim in the summer. As far as summer activities go, besides fishing and golf, swimming is one of my favorite activities. And on more than one occasion, the following scene has occurred: Reticent Child (Standing on the Edge of the Pool) Excited Daddy - “Jump! I will catch you! I’m here!” Reticent Child (Still Standing on the Edge of the Pool) And then… they jump! And typically, after they realize that I am willing and able to uphold my end of the bargain, they will jump and jump until they simply cannot jump anymore. There is something about a parent’s demonstration of trustworthiness that allows children to step outside of their comfort zone and heed their parent’s call. This morning, we will consider how Christ’s call is worthy of our obedience because of the promise that He give us! Matthew 28:16-20 16

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Exposition So far in this series, we have considered the priority of Great Commission, which is the glory of God, the permission of the Great Commission, which is the authority of Christ, and the plan of the Great Commission, which is making disciple in faithful everyday living of the Christian. Today, we consider the promise of the Great Commission, which is that in our everyday, faithful work of disciplemaking - Jesus is with us! And he is not just with us sometimes; he is with us always! So the promise we have is that Jesus will be perpetually with us! But what is so important about the presence of Jesus? What real difference does it make? I.

The presence of Jesus calms our fear. (“I am with you”)

In the gospel of Matthew, there are at least two other instances where Jesus uses the phrase, “I Am,” in a very significant manner. The first is found in Matthew 14:22-33, which recalls Jesus walking on the water. It reads 1

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

When they hear Jesus say, “I am,” standing before them, here in verse 20, do think you they might recall that night on the water when Jesus calmed both the troubled waters and their troubled souls? Of course! Who forgets the night a man walked on water, enabled another man to walk on water, then calmed the winds! Illustration – Anyone ever been on a boat in windy weather? Imagine that you start to see a figure approaching the boat. And if that is not unbelievable enough, image that figure getting in your boat, then all the wind ceasing. Do you think you are going to forget that fishing trip? Of course not! And the same applies to these disciples who are now hearing Jesus say, “I am with you.” In the midst of their fear, uncertainty, and overwhelmed state, Jesus speaks a calming peace to them. The fulfillment of the daunting task of the great commission is possible because the fearcalming, peace-speaker is with you! II.

The presence of Jesus confirms our faith. (“I am with you”)

In the first point, I mentioned that there were two significant places in the gospel of Matthew where Jesus uses the “I am” phrase. The second place is Matthew 22:23-33, where we find Jesus in a dispute with the Sadducees regarding Resurrection. It says The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” 29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

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At the time it might not have seemed like it, but imagine if you were on of the disciples now listening to him after His resurrection. When you heard Jesus say, “I am with you,” while appearing before you in His resurrected body, here in verse 20, do you think that you might recall his interaction with the Sadducees when He declared that he was the “God of the living?” When Jesus originally said it, it might have been hard to believe, but what about now? Would it be hard to believe that Jesus was the “God of the Living?” Illustration – Justin Smith – “I can hit a golf ball 150 yards.” Me – “No you can’t!” Just as my friend’s actions confirm his statement, so did Jesus’ statement regarding His status as the “God of the Living!” His life and his actions confirmed his claims, which results in our faith being strengthen. When we hear the risen Christ speaking to us in the Word, we are hearing from the One who has conquered the grave for us! We have no reason to fear, but only to believe! His presence strengthens and emboldens our faith! We simply need to be reminded that He is with us, and that he has promised to neither live or forsake us! Conclusion Nothing quite jeopardizes the success of the Great Commission in our church like strong fear and weak faith. Fortunately for the believer, the powerful and perpetual presence of Jesus drives out fear and strengthens our failing faith. Applications There might be some here today that struggle greatly with fear while doing the work of Christ. It might be fear of rejection by a friend, family member, or co-worker. It might be fear of embarrassment by society. It might be fear of failure in your eyes or in the eyes of the others. This morning, I want you to hear afresh the words of Jesus, “I am with you! I, the calmer of the storm! I, the resurrection and the life! I am with you till the end of the age! Don’t fear! There might be some here today that wrestle often with doubts in their faith. It might be that you doubt your own adequacy in following Jesus. It might be that you doubt certain things about the Christian faith. It might be that you doubt that others even possess the ability to change. This morning, I want you as well to hear afresh the words of Jesus, “I am with you! Your effectiveness is not grounded in your own sense of adequacy, but in my adequacy. I have conquered the grace both for your faith and the future faith of those who will hear my voice. Believe! Trust in Me! For I am with you! Like a good parent standing firmly in the pool waters calling their children to join them, Jesus stands in victory, promising you His presence, which calms your fears and confirms your faith. The only question that remains for you today is this: Will you trust Him? Will you believe that He is with those forever who call upon His name?

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