Tabor Baptist Church

Apologies for the GSM 'buzz' particularly from about 20 minutes onwards. This cannot be removed from the recording.

• A big name speaker
• An 'inter-continental' name
• He said one word 'Go' and then sat down
• He came, he stood, he spoke and he went
• 2000 years ago there was a speaker like this: the Lord Jesus Christ
• A transition
• "Come" - to the lost
• "Go" - to the saved
• More and more language groups being lost
• The words this evening are for all of us
• The context of the words
• Not set in prayer or worship
• Set in the context of evangelism
• George Wakefield: "When I go, He comes"

Firing Up (v16-18)

• A real sense of completeness
• Things have gone full circle
• Galilee
• Some say just the 11 apostles, others say to the 500
• The disciples were in varying states
• Some were worshiping
• Some were doubting (uncertain)
• Both states were sent
• We don't need to be perfect before we can speak to people for the Lord
• We don't need years of experience
• It is a command that we obey
• Jesus authority
• 'Might' and 'right' / Power and authority - a combination of the two
• Something extra has been given to Jesus
• The three pictures:
1. All authority
• Example of North Korea: no control over nature, over illness
• The Lord Jesus has 'all' authority
2. Given to me
• Example of David Cameron
• Authority not shared with the church or the angels
3. Everywhere: in Heaven and on Earth
• [The unbeliever has] no authority in this place
• We are called to go into the garden of God's earth
• Jesus puts fire in the souls of His disciples

Flinging Out (v19)

• John McArthur: Evangelism is the main reason that we are Christians (left on earth)

Instruction

• We must all do
• The 'go' does not just relate to the original apostles or disciples
• Both Peter and Thomas (who made mistakes were to go)
• Andrew an ordinary disciple
• Matthew a tax collector
• James and John - the sons of thunder
• Whoever we are - we are to go
• Have you gone without going?
• The original disciples/apostles
• Thomas - India
• Andrew - Russia
• Paul and Peter - Italy and Rome
• Philip - North Africa
• We are not to wait for a call to a foreign country
• We have already gone into a non-Christian world
• Are you going?

Transformation

• We must make disciples
• Evangelism is always to be filled with optimism and hope
• We are to go to distinctive groups
• How are we reaching these groups?
• Go not just to the whole world and ethnic groups but the 'real' sinners
• Go to the 'bad' ones
• John McArthur: Very little difference between a man and a pig
• Some people really do love their sin
• Jesus says: goes to them
• Have we said we will not go to the 'pigs' and 'dogs'?

Method

• v20 - teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you
• What do we say to people - what the Lord Jesus said to us
• Do we really?
• Do we go beyond what the bible says?
• Example of alcohol and dancing
• Example of smoking and over-eating
• The words of Jesus have weight and power: artificial rules do not
• Teaching - didactic
• Teaching that aims to change the will
• Example of showering before entering the pool
• To turn and affect and to influence their will
• Barking commands at people won't help
• We must reason with people

Jesus with us

• "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (v20b)
• Last recorded words of Jesus
• Not words or work but words of love
• "Lo" - what the word introduces
• The most painful part of love is separation
• Jesus says 'with My people it never happens'
• Words set in the context of evangelism
• The Lord Jesus is near to those who speak