“And the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mount where Jesus had arranged for them to go. And having seen Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted. And having come up, Jesus spoke to them saying: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.”
Introduction
In the book of Genesis, we hear of the Triune God at work in creating the world. The Spirit of God is named, and hovers over the waters. Creation comes about by God speaking it into existence. For us with the benefit of the New Testament we know that John’s Gospel tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. This is a clear reference to Jesus, and that through Him all things were made. That means that Jesus was also at work in the Genesis creation account even though He is not named.
Human beings had the incredible dignity, honour, security, purpose and value of being created in the image of God. The ultimate purpose God created humanity for, was relationship, that is to be in relationship with one another but also to be in daily personal relationship with God, receiving His blessing.
Relationship is the way in which two or more people or things are connected, or the state of being connected.
The text
Jesus gives us a clear description for the one God as being in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The risen Jesus speaks to His disciples, saying: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus has all authority, authority over life and death. Jesus triumphed over the grave for us to free us from eternal separation from God and to restore us to the relationship God originally intended all people to have with Him.
Just as all three Persons of the one God shared in the work of Creation, so too all three Persons of the one God participate in our salvation.
Jesus commands all believers to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
The Triune God desires to save all people (making disciples; followers of Jesus from all nations) and each Person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—actively participates in that universal goal. The Holy Spirit comes to us and gives us the faith to do what is humanly impossible for us humans to do in our own strength: which is to trust in Jesus.
However, most churches in the Western world are struggling with declining numbers as they try to combat the decadence of a world that has lost its way in affluence and materialism, that also has a type of pick-and-mix spirituality, with many other things competing for attention on a Sunday morning. Churches in the West struggle of not just keeping the younger generation connected, but all generations connected. If the parents aren’t coming to church, their children certainly won’t be either.
Why do you think people no longer attend church???????
Let us now consider what the bible tells us.
In the Apostle Paul’s last letter before his death, he gave Timothy some signs of the last days.
The Church in the Last Days (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
Paul speaking to Timothy said: “But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have rejected its power. So, avoid people like these. For some of these insinuate themselves into households and captivate weak women who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. Such women are always seeking instruction, yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people—who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith—also oppose the truth. But they will not go much further, for their foolishness will be obvious to everyone, just like it was with Jannes and Jambres.”
[2 Timothy 3:1-9]
Christians were being persecuted throughout the Roman Empire. However, in this passage, Paul was not talking about suffering from outside the church but rather about suffering from within the church. Some of our greatest sufferings, as Christians, often come from people within God’s church. There are some things we must realize about the church, and if we don’t, we may become disillusioned or even fall away. Sadly, many have fallen away because they didn’t recognize the state or condition of the times. In describing the state of the church in the last days, Paul said it would be “very difficult” and there would be seasons of heightened peril in the church.
He also spoke about those departing from the Faith
Do you know someone who once claimed to be a Christian but then later walked away from the faith? This is not a surprise to God. Perhaps it was to us, but it may be that they were never really converted in the first place and came to Christ for the wrong reasons (for example some come for happiness, prosperity, and good health).
The Apostle John wrote, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1st John 2:19), so they may have never really been saved in the first place, or they would have remained with the church. God alone knows (1st Samuel 16:7).
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1st Timothy 4:1), and all you have to do today is look around you and you can hear all of the various teachings, many of which are clearly not from God, so there is no shortage of false teachers today, but you can’t judge them by their looks. They might appear to be godly, be an eloquent speaker, and have a charismatic personality, but the Bible says that even Satan’s ministers can appear as angels of light, so they might look good, they might even sound good and have a huge following, but the standard for truth is not in looks or how it sounds or by how many there are. Teachings must be from biblical preaching, which is mostly expository verse by verse preaching, which includes the need for repentance, and glorifying God. Paul wrote, “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2nd Timothy 4:3-4).
Timothy needed to understand the nature of being a follower of Jesus so he would not get discouraged and fall away. Similarly, in warning the disciples and the early church about coming persecutions, Christ said, “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away” (John 16:1).
We also need to understand this reality as well. Difficulties are already around us and ahead of us. However, Jesus did not say: wait for more disciples...or lament that disciples aren’t coming. He said “Go and make disciples.” As Christians we all are called to bear witness, to testify to the hope we have in Christ, to tell people about Jesus and to make disciples. This is a daunting thought! But take heart and listen closely—none of us do this in our own strength or authority, but by the grace of Jesus. Knowing His Word is the starting place. As we read and study, Jesus comes and guides us and grows us on our own discipleship journey. That can be used to bring others to Him. Amen.