The Great Commission | Jesus Is | Part IV | Episode 47

In this episode of For Heaven’s Sake, Jenny is joined by Andrea as they unpack the Great Commission and what it truly means to “go and make disciples.” Together, they explore how this calling isn’t just for a select few, but for every believer. If you’ve ever wondered what your role is in God’s plan, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to step into it with confidence.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

And a pastor who was a first pastor. Turn around someone's like, this is what you're doing. This is what you got to come in to do. And the amount of people who have don't have to make it because of that because he was investing in a man is crazy, but a lot of people don't do that because everyone and welcome back to For Heaven's Sake.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

We're excited to have this next episode of our Easter series, Jesus Is, where we're gonna talk about the Great Commission and who he is to us and what our instructions are to follow after his resurrection and when he ascended back into heaven. So I'm Ginny Morgan. This is my lovely co-host for today, Andrea Callahan. Grateful that she was um able to come and be with us. Um just with us for the last episode and again for this one. So super excited. Um so going in to talk about, and I'm gonna sidebar five seconds, which is fine. When we go in and talk about the Great Commission, um this is such clear instructions on like what does it mean to be a Christian? Yeah. Like we've told we've talked about the like his death and who he was in his death, and we talked about the resurrection and who he was in his resurrect in his resurrection. And then that's oftentimes like where we leave it. People are just like, oh, I'm saved, like I've got my fire insurance, like don't gotta worry about hell. That's it. And totally miss like the point. You know? Um Jesus is the point. Don't get me wrong. But totally miss the commands that he gives. He's like, hey, I have died and I have risen and I am going to heaven, but you have a job to do. Yeah. And we miss that. Like, I feel like I know for myself, like my younger Christian years totally just like it didn't matter whether I told people about Jesus, it didn't matter whether I lived like Jesus, I just knew that I was saved. And that's all that mattered. Was all that mattered. I'm going to heaven, and that's it. Yeah. And like we've missed the point if we don't do what he has commanded and followed the Great Commission. So that's where I want to go. Kind of the beginning of this, right before he gives the Great Commission. Um, he gives this challenge to Peter. So at we talked about the resurrection. He's like, go and tell the disciples and Peter. And that always is so striking because Jesus told him that he was gonna deny him. And then he does. And then when the rooster crows, Peter is like, Oh my gosh, like I've done this terrible, awful. I'm not gonna do that. Oh no, and then he goes and they're like in hiding, and they don't want to be found, they don't want to be associated with Jesus. And then he comes back, and like the first thing he says and the angel says to the women who are at the tomb, go tell the disciples and Peter. Yeah. Um, so he he reminds him, like, even though you've done this horrible thing, it doesn't matter anymore. Like, I still want you to be my disciple, yeah. Um, which is such a picture of grace in like that we can come to him, that he that he wants us even in our messed up state, even in times when we you know, before salvation, deny him, or or and maybe not even necessarily denying him with our mouth, but maybe denying him with our actions. And he runs to us and he's like, I still want you. Yeah. Um, so then right before the Great Commission, he has appeared to the disciples, he's appeared, appeared to 500 other men, like he's appeared to all of them. And he's talking to Peter and he says, Um, in John 21, 15 through 25, but starting at the beginning, he says, After breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, Peter replied, You know that I love you. Then feed my lambs, Jesus told him. And Jesus repeated the question, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Then take care of my sheep, Jesus said. And the third time he asked him, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt that Jesus asked him this question three times. And he said, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you. And he's Jesus said, Then feed my sheep. And I'm gonna pause there before I jump to the next part. And so after he denies him, Jesus is saying, I've I've come to you, I've forgiven you, I want you to be a part of myself. He's like, but I'm asking you to serve me with your life. And not only does he ask him one time, he asks him three times. And I think that's such a picture of he said, You're gonna deny me three times, you did deny me three times, now you're gonna claim me three times. And I'm gonna give you instructions on how to commit your life to me in the future because I'm about to leave. Um, and that Jesus didn't like condemn him or push him away, but he wanted them to commit their lives, and and he knew that they had been with him all the like all through his ministry, they were with him and then goes to the cross, and we've said this a few times, that they hid themselves, um, trying to, you know, not be crucified alongside him or taken to jail or whatever. Um and then he's saying, I'm Jesus knows, like I'm about to leave. Yeah. So I'm gonna need you to get it together. I'm leaving, but you're saying, yeah. But exactly, and you're saying, so here's what I'm here's what I'm telling you to do. Feed my sheep. Well, see, he says, feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, and then he says, feed my sheep. Um, and we could go into all of the we've talked a few times on the podcast about how he likens us to sheep. And he's telling him, like, you're gonna you're gonna be a shepherd. Yeah, you've got to be a shepherd to these people that I'm leaving. Right. Um, and then in verse, starting back in verse 16, he says, I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked. You dressed yourself and you went wherever you wanted to go. But then when you were old, you will stretch out your hands to others, you will and others will dress you and take you to where you don't want to go. And Jesus said this, Jesus said this to let them know by what kind of death they would glorify God. And then Jesus told him, Follow me. And again, this is right before the Great Commission. And we in those, in that next step, the next step of faith, not just not just the act of faith saying, I believe in you, like I believe in your resurrection. The next act is to follow him. And what does following him look like? Um, it means feeding his sheep, right? It means caring for those who are left on earth, it means teaching, it means uh serving others, it means all of those things. Um, and then it goes to um the Great Commission on, I'm gonna go to the Matthew's version of it, and it says, 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. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you and be sure of this. I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Sorry. Um, and I think it's important that we identify, and I and I purposefully in my Bible highlight these commands in a different color because it's not just a truth, it's not just a promise. It is something that Jesus said, do these things. And so I want to go to the things that he says to do.

SPEAKER_04 9:01

Do you have anything? I just I wrote down that he gave us a mission. He didn't, it wasn't a suggestion for us. Oh, 100%. It was like, you're gonna do this. If you're gonna follow me, this is what he's gonna do. It's not, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. And that's what I wrote down.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Yeah, so he give these commands. So the first command in this sentence or two sentences is to go. And that can look so many different ways, but that he's saying you have to put your feet to the ground, and like your dad said, you have to put your hand to the plow. You have to till the field, you have to go and do what he's asking you to do. You have to be willing.

SPEAKER_04 9:43

Yeah, you have to be willing to use your feet, go to places where people need you, go and that doesn't, and it doesn't mean like I I feel like sometimes we're like, oh, he tells us to go into all the world. Oh, yeah. The world is literally like out your front door, yeah. Uh-huh. Everywhere, the whole world, here, the here, everywhere is where we're making disciples. My dinner table. Your dinner table, yes, the school, yes, your social media is like it's all the Great Commission. Everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Yeah. But this this action of go is to do something in obedience. And that we have to do that, like that. That is the first thing that in order to make disciples, to baptize them, to teach them, which I'll talk about in a second, you have to go. You have to be, you have to have that willing heart to do what he's asking you to do and to go. Um, the next thing is to make disciples of all people. And I think that disciple making is where the church falls short. Right. I agree. Unfortunately, yeah. Like I think we're really great at worship songs, I think we're really great at like having great preachers that preach the word, that preach truth. Um, but we have so few people that are willing to invest time, yeah, absolutely, energy, and resources into other people in order to see them grow in their faith.

SPEAKER_04 11:18

I think sometimes we get the make disciples as like I'm gonna do this and people are gonna hear what I instead of I'm investing in. We had a pastor who was our first pastor when we were in the military, and he was such a good leader of you feel like you feel called, you feel this, I'm going to disciple you, and it's because it's such a turnaround, so it's like, this is what you're doing, this is what God's called you to do. Now go out. I've made you a disciple, now go out and make disciples. And the amount of people who have gone out into ministry because of that, because he was investing in them is crazy. But a lot of people don't do that because I think they forget that that's literally what we're supposed to be doing.

SPEAKER_02 12:01

And I think that sometimes and this was something too from I I don't know if like Sunday or Wednesday. I just know that I remember hearing it sometime this week. Was I I think it was yesterday, um, was that we live in this state of fear. Oh, yeah. That we're fear that like we let the devil make us fearful of what others are gonna think or like how we're gonna approach it or not having the right words to say. And so we don't try and build relationships, we don't ask people to dinner because we are scared to hold a conversation with somebody who we aren't best friends with. Um, we're scared to talk to strangers in the grocery store, we're scared to make new human connections, and I think that that has only gotten worse since the advancement of technology.

SPEAKER_04 12:52

Oh, uh yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 12:53

Yeah, we are so in our own world, we're so wrapped up in our own opinions and in our own lives that this busyness and this consumption of our own world hinders us from making those human connections. Uh and so we live in this state of fear of talking to strangers or or inviting people to dinner or inviting people to our house.

SPEAKER_04 13:21

I even feel like sometimes we're we're the disciples the in between of like the death and resurrection where we're high like we get so fearful of doing stuff where we're hiding from sharing Jesus or sharing our faith and telling people and so I feel like that is something that we all s the whole world struggles with for fear of judgment, fear of you know, other people what what they believe, or and at this point there's gonna come a time where we literally for it, yeah. And so I think that people now already have that fear instead of doing what we're told to do.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Um and when we think about like what it means to make disciples, is that you are given like you have your faith and you you grow in that through reading your Bible, you grow in that through attending church, through learning all those things, and then new people come to faith, and when they come to faith, they are coming as like blank slaves. Yeah, and so it takes someone being willing to invest in them and teach them, and then we'll get there in a minute, but to him aside to go in and to teach them who Jesus is and what he can do and what he asked of us and what he commands of us, and and and building those relationships so that then they are confident in their faith enough to then go and share again. Um, David Platt has a fantastic book, Multiply, that talks about what it means to be a disciple and what it means to make disciples. Um that it's not, I feel like, I don't know if it was, I think it's both David Platt and Francis Chan. Anyways, one or the other or both. They wrote this. And it gives not like a like guide, but it's saying, like, here's the things that you need to know about your faith in order to share that with others so that then they can be confident in their faith. Yeah, and so on and so forth. Um, so I'm gonna park for a second and and challenge us as believers that if you listen to this podcast, that it's so good to take in the word. Like it's important that you listen to podcasts and that you read and that you you you know take in the word and take in the truth, but that you're not just a sponge, that at some point you do pour out into others and share your knowledge and share the wisdom that God's given you and share the knowledge that God's given you. Like it's super important that you get in your word and that you know scripture, but you don't just know it for it to fill your own head. You know it so that you can then share it with other people. Um, so I encourage you that if you are a Christian and you're like, okay, I'm I'm here, I I have this power, I believe in who I am in the resurrection of Jesus, that you take that next step and find someone who is new in the faith or newer than you in the faith, or maybe just someone who is on your same level and you need to just like pour into each other back and forth, so then you're comfortable sharing with somebody else.

SPEAKER_04 16:43

Because that is that's everywhere. I mean you're going to encounter that everywhere. You're you're either you have someone that needs to pour into you, and then you have someone that you need to pour into, and then you need someone that's level with you and able to do it to yourself. And sometimes, like I again, I we had this conversation. I I'm huge on social media. I love I I love to share my faith on social media. It just is who I am and who I've always been. And there are times where there's people that are gonna come across things that you say or you do or you share that they may that may be the only time that they hear that, and then it's a a train of them and of them. And then so sometimes you just need to what is dad saying? Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.

SPEAKER_02 17:28

Yeah, sometimes you just have to do that. Yeah. And really that's like how this podcast started. A lot of it was our desire to share, yeah. Um, and knowing that we like we have the platforms in our church, like we were our your dad has graciously given us opportunities to share um like in Sunday school or in Wednesday night or in youth or whatever. Um, but that to have a place that we could share with other people, every um right, and not saying that you have to have podcasts, not saying that you have to have a successful TikTok. I'm proud of you, friend. Hey. Um not saying that that's the answer, but when you use the resources that you have to share, your life is literally echoing your faith, it's literally echoing Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 18:17

You should be able to, people should be able to see you and that radiate from you and be able to know and sense it, and then be able to share it with them in your workspace at the grocery store. One time I was in Olys and I had a shirt on that said Big Jesus fan. And this lady was like, Me too. I love me some Jesus. And I was like, Yeah, girl, amen. Sometimes it's just those simple things of it. It also doesn't have to be crazy. I think people get that confused. Go out and make disciples, and you're like, Oh my gosh, I have to go preach and teach and do you don't have to have a stage. You literally just need a yes, like you don't have to have like opening your house, yes, or opening an invitation.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

Like I've I've said this like three times so far, like opening the invitation to go to dinner. Yeah, that is so simple.

SPEAKER_04 19:05

There are people that will not do things somewhere else, but if you say, Hey, I'm doing a Bible study, or hey, I'm hosting dinner at my house, we're bigger than that with our with every duty station we've been at, where we're like, just come and sit with us for a while. Yeah. And I was conversation.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

I was gonna say that I feel like you and John do a really good job of this where you are.

SPEAKER_04 19:28

And and we've honestly we've always been that since our I mean when we first got married, that's always been the case, just because if we don't do it, then we need it just as and honestly and truthfully, we need it as much as they needed. We had that same pastor that was very big in discipleship. His daughter was my worship pastor, and she did that to me, and really and truly she started that of like she opened her home to me. We're 10 years apart in age, and it was kind of like, What is this happening? But it made me realize like I need to open up my home to people and do the same thing, and it was just like uh and then our friends that we've done that for have done that for other friends, and sometimes that sometimes that's a great commission. You start it, someone else starts it, and it goes on and on and on and on and on.

SPEAKER_02 20:11

Yeah. So and like you said, this like it can just be simple, yes. Yeah, like just opening like your home, opening an invitation, just just having a conversation, saying something small to someone, complimenting someone, just to open that door to conversation that can lead who knows where. The next thing is that we're commanded to baptize them. Um, and not just to baptize them, but to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. And to baptize them the way that Jesus was baptized, which was dunked all the way up under that water. Um okay, caveat. Um, but then scripture even says, like, we're buried with Christ in baptism. Like we in, I feel like I have this somewhere. Maybe not. That's fine. Um, that we are that like in the same way that he died, like we are to to lay down in death in baptism and to be raised back up in new life. Um, and that when we do those things like very symbolically saying, like, I've I'm dying to the old man and I'm being raised to new life. Um, and that when we baptize them, it is that public profession of faith, and that in their hearts they have decided. Yeah. I feel like lots of people use that, like I've decided, shirt, yeah, for their baptisms. But it's true because they're saying, like, no, like, not only am I, not only do I believe, but I've decided in my heart and in my life that I'm going to take actionable steps to follow him. Yeah. Which is what he says. And in that first step of following him, that first profession of faith is to be baptized. So if you love Jesus and you listen to this podcast and you have not been baptized, or you were baptized at a young age, and maybe you it wasn't. Out of a commitment to follow him. Yeah. Like maybe you need to do your first works over again. Like maybe that is something that the Lord is calling you to as a first act of faith and obedience. Yeah. Absolutely. You know, lots of times that happens when you know you do it as a kid, or you're, you know, you you are saved, and so you are you are don't really grasp it the way that you should. Um those are the first actionable steps of following him and being obedient to him. Um the next thing is to teach them. And I said this you know a minute ago, uh, but it's important that you don't just read the Bible for your own well-being. It's not just for you to read and gain not only just to gain more knowledge of the word, you know, the scripture says to to read the word and to hide it in your heart so that you won't sin against him. Like that's very much a reason to read it, but it's also so that you can then go and teach other people. Yeah. And I have done like Wednesday night classes, Sunday morning classes, um, podcasts. We've done all kinds of things. And I am a teacher by trade, but being a teacher did not make me an effective teacher of the Bible either. Um that teaching the Bible is a discipline. Um because you're not just you should not just talk about it willy-nilly. Like you want to take time to I wanna I don't I don't know how to explain this, but like come up with the thoughts that like the Lord is giving you, listen to what he's telling you so that then you know what people need to hear. That you are using your tongue as a a mouthpiece of Jesus, that you are submitting your and this is like I think something that I've been checked with in the past is reminding myself that it has nothing to do with me. Right, that I'm not here to teach because I can, I am here to teach because he has asked me to, right? He says to teach, and so I'm just gonna open my mouth and say whatever he wants me to say. Um, and knowing that in that obedience, when you're committed to knowing the word and and committed to teaching it, that he will equip you, that he will give you the words to say, and and he will give you the lessons that those around you, that those that are in the room need to hear. And I think about this like from like a pastor's perspective is that when you listen to what God has to say, like you are sharing things from the pulpit or from a podium or from a podcast, whatever, to an audience that the Lord has divinely orchestrated to be in that place. Right. Um, and that those teachable moments are different from place to place and time to time because of the people that God has orchestrated to be in that place. Um so when you are being willing to teach, it's important that you prayerfully consider the audience that you will be with. Because it's gonna be different. 100%. So absolutely. Um I wanna go to At the end of it, he says, um He says, teach them, teach these new disciples to obey all the commands that I have given you. Um and I'm gonna go back to that part. So teach the new teach the new disciples to obey all the things that I have um all these commands that I have given you. So we're then supposed to teach them the commands of scripture, which are to go and to make disciples and to baptize. Yep. So that it's not just it's not just a one time over, it's a million times over. Um, and that the the the teachable moment is to teach them to go to make disciples and to baptize. Um and that when we do those things, we don't have to do them from a place of fear because he says, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. And I'm I'm pretty sure that our next like series, episodes, whatever is gonna be on acts. We've talked about it a little bit. Um so spoiler. Um, and that we are we have the Holy Spirit, yeah, and that that Holy Spirit gives us power and it gives us boldness and it gives us strength and it gives us courage. Um that we have to walk in that courage and walk in that power um and not let the fear that the enemy tries to put on us keep us from obeying the commands of scripture. Um and he says that and this jumps to Mark, but from the same kind of passage, and he says, and when you do these things, when you go and share and baptize new believers, that all these miraculous signs will accompany them, that you'll cast out demons and they and that you'll speak in um new languages, and that you'll be able to handle snakes, and that you can drink poison and it won't hurt you, and that you'll be able to place your hands on the sick and they'll be healed. Um, now some people are sand mountain folks that like to handle snakes.

SPEAKER_04 28:00

I one of them people that shall be me.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

I've got a story. Tell it. Okay, so I went to a secular university. I went to the University of South Alabama, but I took a world religions class. And in this world religions class, our like professor made us read this book about the snake handlers on Sam Mountain. What is the name of that book?

SPEAKER_04 28:31

I don't know. Y'all go read the book. Oh man. Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_02 28:35

I I need to go find that. I need to go look it up. I don't have my phone. Couldn't be me. What look it up, Brendan? It's the something, something on Sam Mountain, snakes on Sam Mountain or something like that. Dagger from Sam Mountain, he ain't touching snakes either. So anyways, it was so funny. Uh-uh. And then whenever I moved to, you know, it was starting, well, I I was going to Oak Park. But then, like, we there's all kinds of folks from Sam Mountain that are in the Church of God in Caitlin. Yeah. And I was like, these people, they behave. You handle snakes. But he made us like watch videos about it, and he made us read this book as part of my like college.

SPEAKER_04 29:14

Then we can go back and be like, listen, I met them folks, and they ain't handling no snakes.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

What is it? Yes. Let me see this. Can I have it? You have to zoom in.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Probably get copyrighted.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

It's called Salvation on Sand Mountain, Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia.

SPEAKER_04 29:40

That would be a no for me. Look. I want to know if any of them people do that.

SPEAKER_02 29:48

Wild times. Anyways. Um literally.

SPEAKER_04 29:52

Quite literally.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

And so it we had to watch these videos about these people that would literally take these boxes of poisonous snakes. And they would, you know, we're we Pentecostal people dancing the Holy Ghost.

SPEAKER_04 30:06

But then he was dancing with snakes. I'd be dancing out to the woods to throw it out.

SPEAKER_02 30:11

No chance. No chance. So not all Pentecostals handles handle snakes, but he says that we can. We can. I won't be. I think they drink poison too, legit. No. Anyways, wild times. That's your fun point. We do.

SPEAKER_04 30:34

Absolutely believe in that one. 100%. So funny.

SPEAKER_02 30:39

Okay. And then in Luke's account of whenever he appears to the disciples right before he ascends, and it says, And now I will send the Holy Spirit just as the Father promised, but stay here in the city until this Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven. And that's where we'll get to Acts. But um, but he promises that when he leaves, that he will send this comforter and that we will be able to do the things greater than he has because he has gone to be with the father. That's here somewhere. Back it up. Somewhere. Yeah. Hold on. That's a whole different section. Anyways, right here somewhere, he says that you'll be able to do greater than me because I go to be with my father. Right? I'm not crazy, am I?

SPEAKER_04 31:32

It does say that.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

It does say that.

SPEAKER_04 31:34

It does say that. Okay. Is it right here? I know I had it highlighted, but it's here somewhere.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

Anyways. Um it's there. It is there. I know. It's up here.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

I need to I need to figure out the whereabouts.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

Um but he does, he's anyway, says that we can do greater things because he's go he goes to be with the father. And so whenever he leaves us, he leaves us with action steps. He gives us instructions on what to do as a Christian. And then also says, you don't have to do this on your own, that I'm gonna be here with you.

SPEAKER_04 32:14

Like, could you imagine? I was just thinking about this while you were talking. You're right. Could you imagine being a disciple who's walked hand in hand with Jesus? Because like, think about us. Like, we we we don't know, we know what it feels like because the Holy Spirit and we could you imagine walking hand in hand with Jesus and then we'd be like, by the way, I got to go. I got to go. So I'm gonna send a comforter to you, but like it'd be like your friend, your best friend leaving and being like, by the way, I'm sending someone for you. It's it's sort of me, but it's me, but I couldn't imagine and being like it's a different version. Okay, if you say so. Also, everything that you've done and I've done, go do it greater. Okay, like I've seen you spitting some mud and rubbing on some guy's eyes. If you say so, I will do it.

SPEAKER_02 32:59

You raised a whole man from the dead. You're like Lazarus. And I'm gonna do it. Greater, yeah, greater. So as we wrap up this Easter episode, we're just grateful that you're willing to come and to listen to the podcast and to be a part of um this Easter season with for heaven's sake. Um I hope that you've, if you haven't learned something new, that you've been encouraged by um just remembering who Jesus is, that he was the promise, the prophesied Messiah, that he's the savior through his crucifixion, that he's the resurrected king, and that he um has given us instructions um on what we can do as Christians in the future for him. So um just be encouraged in this season, and we're grateful that you are willing to sit and listen with us. Yeah. Amen. Amen. See you later, saples.