What Now?, Part 3

To His disciples, Jesus said these comforting words. Welcome to Insight for Living, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor and Author Chuck Swendoll. You've chosen a milestone day to join us because today's program features the final message in Chuck's verse-by-verse study through the entire Gospel of Matthew. He's teaching from chapter 28, and in particular, we're focused on the parting mandate Jesus gave to His disciples. Jesus commanded them to go into all the nations and make disciples.

Well, let's pick up the study now. Chuck titled his closing presentation with a simple two-word question, What Now? Jesus presented His plan, which was brief, simple, and clear. I've been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands.

We'll go on in a minute, but just stop right there. He had authority over everything on earth and in heaven. They didn't. He does. We don't. He does. And He makes that clear. So He has the right to level a command.

He certainly outranks us. As the second member of the Trinity, He has the right to declare a statement that requires obedience. This is not a suggestion. This is a command. This would be their marching orders from now on. Now, let me have you notice something very important. The main verb is make disciples.

Now, look again at the commission. You would think the main verb would be go, but it isn't. You might even think the main verb would be teach.

It isn't. So let me render it correctly or render it in a way that underscores the main verb. Therefore, make disciples of all the nations going, baptizing, and teaching. These three other words surround the main word, make disciples.

It will take going. It will certainly involve baptizing those who believe, and it will definitely include teaching, but the main commission is the making of disciples. When you are involved in making disciples, men, don't limit your involvement to the familiar, your own world. Plan to be going beyond the familiar to people who have a culture that's different from yours, who speak a language unfamiliar to you, because I want you to go into all, all the nations. In fact, let me have you notice the repeated use of all.

Look at it. All authority, verse 18. All the nations, verse 19. All the commands, commands, verse 20.

I will be with you always from now on, wherever you go, to whatever nation. There are no limitations. There are no reservations. There is no area marked off because it is dirty or dangerous or because the people are sophisticated or perhaps live in a lower standard than you.

Perhaps they are people that are illiterate or there are those who are highly educated. All the nations. Now, let me give you the third statement that I observe here. Jesus was intense about the mission, but flexible regarding the method. He was intense about the mission, but flexible regarding the method. The words all reveal intensity.

All, all, all. Now, having said that, we must keep in mind that there are different cultures at every one of those nations. You don't go to a country in Africa and you don't go to Africa and communicate to them or expect from them the kind of things you would as if you were going to minister in New Zealand or Japan or Indonesia. So there's a flexibility that must be built into the method. The point is you're to reach all the nations keeping in mind that there cultural uniquenesses that need to be honored, observed, cooperated with.

Here's the fourth. Jesus expected obedient action from all of his followers. How do I know that? Verse 20, teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I've given you. You know what that says to me? I'm gonna level with you.

Nobody gets off light. I have no business preaching a watered down message that makes you feel good or helps you leave thinking, man, I pretty well have life wired unless you are engaged in what God would want you to do and then you won't have that attitude. My responsibility is to put the cookies on the lower shelf and not back off from anything Christ has said and he says we're to obey all the things he has commanded.

You don't want to know something? And I testify only because I know me better than anybody else. It's the driving force of my life. Every day of my week I think of it. I'm driven by it day and night and I was before I went into ministry. I love the Lord that deeply. I just got training so I could do it better but the point is it is the driving force of my life into doing what I do.

It's what takes the word retirement out of my vocabulary. It's what says to me you need to be doing this as long as you can do it effectively and stay at it because Christ expects you to fulfill what he has commissioned you to do. Let me give you some examples. Why do you buy a car? To drive it.

To use it. Why do you purchase fishing equipment? To fish.

Skiing equipment. To ski. Why do you get a home? To live in it. Why do you fix a meal? To eat it. Why do you build a swimming pool? To swim in it. Why do you pull a book off the shelf? To read it. Why do you follow Christ if you don't have plans to doing what he says?

We're not building a club here. We're engaged in what is called the Christian way of life where we trust him, follow his teaching, and do it to the last day of our life regardless. Now hopefully we do it tactfully, graciously, but consistently and the more we do it the better we get at it because that's why we've trusted in Jesus. We didn't trust Jesus just to miss hell. We didn't trust Jesus just to miss hell.

We trusted in Jesus to become like him so that the Lord could turn our lives around and make us like Christ. In fact, his last words in this gospel are so comforting. Look at the assurance. Be sure of this. I'm with you always, even to the end of time.

Isn't that great? He was not with me more when I was a younger man than he is now. He is not with me now more than he will be 10 years from now if I'm still alive, still doing what I'm doing.

He is still engaged, still making himself available, still empowering us to do what we're meant to do. The implication is I will give all the strength you need provide all of the energy necessary, open all the doors that need to be opened, and when I do, walk through them. Speak to those people. Open your heart, open your doors, open your life.

The question is, are we doing it? Which brings me to the story. Remember the legend?

Now listen to the story. On a dangerous seacoast notorious for shipwrecks, there was once a crude little life-saving station. Actually, the station was more like a hut. Actually, the station was more like a hut with only one boat for saving lives. But the few devoted members of that hut kept a constant watch over the turbulent sea. With little thought for themselves, they would go out day and night tirelessly searching for those in danger as well as the lost. Many, many lives were saved by this brave, though small, band of men and women who faithfully worked as a team in and out of the life-saving hut. By and by, it became a very famous place. Some of those who had been saved as well as others along the seacoast wanted to become associated with this little station. They were willing to give their time and energy and money in support of its objectives. New boats were purchased.

New crews were trained. The station that was once obscure and crude and virtually insignificant began to grow. Some of its members were unhappy that the hut was so unattractive and poorly equipped, they felt a more comfortable and attractive place should be provided. Emergency cots were replaced with lovely furniture. Rough handmade equipment was soon discarded and sophisticated classy systems were installed.

The hut, of course, had to be torn down to make room for all the additional equipment, new furniture, the systems and appointments. By its completion, the life-saving station had become a very popular gathering place and its objectives had begun to shift. It was now used as a sort of clubhouse, an attractive building for public gatherings. Saving lives, feeding the hungry, strengthening the fearful and calming the disturbed rarely occurred by now. Fewer and fewer members were now interested in braving the sea on life-saving missions, so they hired professionals to man the lifeboats and to serve as the crew to do this work. The original goal of the station wasn't altogether forgotten, however.

The life-saving motifs still prevailed in the club's decorations. In fact, there was a liturgical lifeboat preserved in the room of sweet memories with soft indirect lighting which helped hide the layer of dust on the once-used vessel. About this time, a large ship was wrecked off the coast near this place and the boat crews brought in loads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty, some terribly sick, all of them lonely, frightened. Others were black and brown and different from the majority of the club members. The beautiful new club suddenly became messy and cluttered.

A special committee saw to it that a shower house was immediately built outside and down the road from the club, so victims of shipwreck could get cleaned up before coming inside the nice building. At the next meeting, there were strong words and angry feelings which resulted in a division among the members. Most of the people wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities and all involvements with shipwreck victims. As they put it, it's just too unpleasant.

It's a hindrance to our social life. It's really opening doors to folks who are not our kind. As you'd expect, some still insisted on saving lives. That this was their primary objective, that their only reason for existence was ministering to anyone needing help, regardless of the club's beauty or size or decorations. They were voted down and they were told they wanted to save the lives of various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters. They could begin their own life-saving station down the coast, which they did. As years passed, the new station experienced the same old changes. It evolved into yet another club and yet another life-saving station was begun elsewhere.

History continued to repeat itself. And if you visit the coastline today, you'll find a large number of exclusive impressive clubs along there, owned and operated by slick professionals, who have lost all involvement with the saving and rescuing of lives. Shipwrecks still occur in those waters, but now most of the victims are not saved. Every day, every day they drown at sea and so few seem to care.

So very few. Remember Gabriel's question? You remember it, don't you? Have you made other plans? If those 21st century people grow weary of obeying your commission, remember the answer?

No. I have no other plan. The Great Commission, or there is no other plan.

Or there is no other plan. Now I close with a question. Are you engaged in your life in obeying the Great Commission? In case you wonder about how you could answer, can you name a disciple as a result of your influencing their life, reaching out, speaking, caring, rescuing, loving those who were lost? Those who were lost. Please bow with me.

Sit very quietly right there and think about what you have just heard. The question is really not how much of Matthew have we gone through, but rather how much of Matthew has gone through us. Jesus really meant it when he said, go, make disciples, baptize and teach, and do it from now on.

I am with you all the way to the end. If we can help you get engaged in this vision, nothing would thrill us more. But we're really not here just to study. We're here to obey as we make Christ known in this desperate, hostile, lost world. Be our vision, O Lord, we pray. Break us free from habits of indifference and self-satisfying objectives for living. Free us in our giving so that we release rather than withhold. Give us eyes to see beyond the obvious and to hear the hurts along the ragged edges of people's lives behind the tears in their eyes and the brokenness in their voices. Cultivate within us as a church a continued heart of compassion as we do what you have commanded us to do. Go and to make disciples of all nations. I pray this, Father, believeingly in the name of Jesus our Savior. And all God's people said, amen.

Amen. God's plan was expressed in the Great Commission of Jesus, and truly there is no other plan, nothing to invent or manufacture. The command is binding and clearly stated to go into all nations and make disciples. You're listening to Insight for Living and the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll.

Today Chuck included his comprehensive teaching series through all 28 chapters of the Gospel According to Matthew. And to learn more about the resources and study guides available for this study, please visit us online at insightworld.org. From the day this ministry started back in 1979 until now, we've taken these words of Jesus very seriously to make disciples of all nations. And gratefully, thousands of like-minded friends have joined us in this effort. In fact, it's culminated in an audacious plan that God planted in our hearts to carry the teaching of Insight for Living to all 195 countries of the world. We call this initiative Vision 195.

As someone who values Chuck's teaching, we're inviting you to join us. You can do that by supporting Insight for Living with your charitable year-end giving. By supporting this non-profit, ministry you're making it possible for people around the world, many who speak a different language than our own, to hear clear and convincing teaching from the Bible. So to give a gift today, please give us a phone call. If you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888.

The number once again 1-800-772-8888. Or you can give a donation online at insight.org. As we conclude this broadcast series in The Gospel According to Matthew, I'll remind you Insight for Living is highlighting the commentary Chuck wrote that complements his teaching. It's called Swindoll's Living Insights on Matthew.

And because of the scope of this study, the commentary comes in two hardbound volumes. You'll find them readily available for purchase online at insight.org slash offer. Or if you prefer to speak with one of our friendly ministry representatives, call us right now. If you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888. In March 2022, Insight for Living Ministries is hosting an unforgettable journey to Israel, carefully planned to deepen your understanding of the Bible and draw you closer to God.

Chuck Swindoll. For thousands of years, no place has been more meaningful to God's children than the land of Israel. The rugged landscape reminds us to find refuge in God alone. The fertile valleys invite us to follow our shepherd. Jerusalem's position at the very center of the world announces the good news of Christ to every nation. And now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living Ministries March 6 through 17, 2022. Every time I visited the Holy Land, I've returned home with a refreshed heart for God and a renewed vision for the world.

Really, I mean it every time. And so I want you to have the same life-changing experience. To learn more, go to insight.org slash events, or call this number 1-888-447-0444. Insight for Living Ministries Tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. Join us when Chuck Swindoll describes the wonderful virtue of gratitude. That's our subject Monday on Insight for Living.