Scripture
Focal text
Matthew 28:18-20 (CEB): “The Great Commission”
18 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
Supplemental texts
Psalm 32:1-8 (CEB)
1 The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
whose sin is covered over, is truly happy!
2 The one the Lord doesn’t consider guilty—
in whose spirit there is no dishonesty—
that one is truly happy!
3 When I kept quiet, my bones wore out;
I was groaning all day long—
every day, every night!—
4 because your hand was heavy upon me.
My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. Selah
5 So I admitted my sin to you;
I didn’t conceal my guilt.
“I’ll confess my sins to the Lord, ” is what I said.
Then you removed the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times,
so that a great flood of water won’t reach them.
7 You are my secret hideout!
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of rescue! Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you
about the direction you should go.
I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you.
Isaiah 1:10-20 (CEB)
10 Hear the Lord’s word, you leaders of Sodom.
Listen to our God’s teaching,
people of Gomorrah!
11 What should I think about all your sacrifices?
says the Lord.
I’m fed up with entirely burned offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts.
I don’t want the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who asked this from you,
this trampling of my temple’s courts?
13 Stop bringing worthless offerings.
Your incense repulses me.
New moon, sabbath, and the calling of an assembly—
I can’t stand wickedness with celebration!
14 I hate your new moons and your festivals.
They’ve become a burden that I’m tired of bearing.
15 When you extend your hands,
I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even when you pray for a long time,
I won’t listen.
Your hands are stained with blood.
16 Wash! Be clean!
Remove your ugly deeds from my sight.
Put an end to such evil;
17 learn to do good.
Seek justice:
help the oppressed;
defend the orphan;
plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let’s settle this,
says the Lord.
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be white as snow.
If they are red as crimson,
they will become like wool.
19 If you agree and obey,
you will eat the best food of the land.
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.
The Lord has said this.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12 (CEB)
1 From Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy:
To the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God our Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Grace and peace to all of you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and encouragement
3 Brothers and sisters, we must always thank God for you. This is only right because your faithfulness is growing by leaps and bounds, and the love that all of you have for each other is increasing. 4 That’s why we ourselves are bragging about you in God’s churches. We tell about your endurance and faithfulness in all the harassments and trouble that you have put up with. 5 This shows that God’s judgment is right, and that you will be considered worthy of God’s kingdom for which you are suffering.
11 We are constantly praying for you for this: that our God will make you worthy of his calling and accomplish every good desire and faithful work by his power. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored by you, and you will be honored by him, consistent with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 19:1-10 (CEB)
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through town. 2 A man there named Zacchaeus, a ruler among tax collectors, was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but, being a short man, he couldn’t because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to that spot, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay in your home today.” 6 So Zacchaeus came down at once, happy to welcome Jesus.
7 Everyone who saw this grumbled, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I repay them four times as much.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this household because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 The Human One came to seek and save the lost.”
Children’s story
Do you remember a time when you helped your parents, or grandparents, or teachers at school? What did you do? Why did you help? Was it because they asked you to help? Or did you feel guilty for not helping? Maybe you helped out of the goodness of your heart!
Just like you were asked to help, one time, the Mennonite church in Burkina Faso asked Bruce Yoder and Nancy Frey to come work with them. Bruce and Nancy also felt that God wanted them there, so they went with Mennonite Mission Network. They live in West Africa, in a country called Burkina Faso. They teach at lots of colleges and seminaries where people want to learn about God. They also work at a house where the students stay during the school year.
Just like in our schools in (insert location), at the schools in Burkina Faso, the students sometimes need help. Sometimes there are students who are left out, and don’t have any friends. Do you know people in your school who are left out? Maybe they don’t have any friends, and sit alone at lunch. But just like our parents sometimes ask us to help, God also asks us to help. Just like God asked Bruce and Nancy to help in Burkina Faso. What are some of the things that God asks our help for? (Give to those who need something, do what is right, stand up for those who don’t have friends, be a friend, etc.)
(Pray) Dear God, thank you for all of the ways that you have helped us in our lives by giving us friends and opportunities. Help us to hear when you ask us to help others. Let us be watchful for ways that we can show others your love. Amen.
Sermon starters
By Sandy Miller
Traditional mission emphasis on Matthew 28 has often focused the action at the end of the chapter with verses 18–20 and the emphasis on go and make disciples of all nations. Let’s sit back and read the chapter again and consider the movement within the chapter.
There is divine interaction at a cosmic level with the great earthquake as the angel of the Lord descends from heaven and rolls back the stone. A well-known angelic greeting of “do not be afraid” invites the women to come and see the place where Jesus is no more. Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee, and they are instructed to inform the disciples of this. When Jesus meets the women on the way, they fall at his feet and worship him.
As the women are on their way, we get a glimpse of the journey the guards are on. Instructed to change their story as to what they witnessed, they eliminate all divine and cosmic intervention related to the event, and their story is filled with untruth concerning Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Joining the women, the 11 disciples went to Galilee as directed, and when they see Jesus, they worship him. Jesus gives them all the authority in heaven and earth and reminds them that he will be with them always. These last verses summarize the ongoing ministry of Jesus now given to his disciples and those who are baptized and believe.
In Matthew 28:19, the Greek verb poreuomai (por-yoo’-om-ahee), or go, is a participle, not an imperative, and notes ongoing action. A better way to understand this Great Commission is to consider go to mean as you go. In other New Testament texts, this Greek verb is interpreted as how one should conduct oneself, or how one should live and walk in faith. The Great Commission is for the entire congregation!
This message is for all of us; God’s commission is for all of us to be making disciples as we go. As we go to work … as we go to college … as we go to family gatherings … all that we do as individuals in our Christian journey is about making disciples. Rather than sending a select few to go and make disciples, we are all called to a discipleship lifestyle that invites others to join. Some people will be called to travel far away, but that does not release any of us from being about the work of Jesus where we are.
I also like to emphasize the importance of worship on the missional journey. Worship is one of the most important things that the body of Christ does collectively! The Mennonite Church is full of diversity, especially when we consider the worldwide Mennonite Church, and this is a gift. I’ve heard it said that Sunday-morning Christian worship is the most segregated time, and that is true in one respect. However, I believe it is also the most unified time as we worship the same God.
Believers around the world, baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, join together in worship across the miles as God hears all of our praise. Thanks be to God that we have the promise of our Emmanuel, God with us, to the very end of time. To the end of time when all tribes and nations gather around the foot of the throne in praise to the Lamb … but that’s another sermon: Revelation 7:9.
Worship resources
Gathering/Call to worship
Leader: We are here to worship you, God, our Creator, Redeemer and Enabler.
People: We bring all that we have and all that we are to this place of worship, acknowledging your love, grace and mercy to us.
Leader: Accept our worship of praise, thanksgiving and adoration in word and song. Free us from the burden of failure and despise.
All: Pour your Holy Spirit upon us so that we may experience anew your call to share with all people the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who came to seek and to save the lost. Amen.
Confessing/Reconciling
(Based on Psalm 32:1-7)
Leader: We confess our sins to you, O, God.
People: We cannot hide them; you see our sins even in our silence.
Leader: We confess our transgressions to you, O, God.
People: We are tired and weak from fighting the floodwaters of judgment.
Leader: We confess our rebellion to you, O, God.
People: We are parched like sun-burnt clay, unable to absorb your overflowing love.
Leader: O, God, You are our hiding place.
All: You forgive us our sins. You love us in spite of our offenses. You protect us from the evil one. You restore us to right relationships and surround us with songs of victory. Amen.
Suggested hymns and songs
Note about your service: As usual, the songs, prayers and sermon suggestions listed here are taken from Mennonite resources and are just one way that you can incorporate the theme of mission into your worship. We encourage you to take a look at the ways your church does worship, and find ways to include the themes of mission and call at least once per year.
Songs from Voices Together
- #737, “Breath on Me, Breath of God”
- #705, “For the Healing of the Nations”
- #760, “Take My Life, That I May Be”
- #545, “Here I Am Lord”
- #761, “I Love to Tell the Story”
- #23, “Come Walk With Us”
- #765, “Listen, God Is Calling”
- #715, “Longing for Light”
- #790, “How Can We Be Silent”
- #774, “Lord, You Gave the Great Commission”
- #748, “Take, O Take Me as I Am”
- #566, “We Will Follow”
- #288, “Love the Lord Your God”
- #412, “My Soul Cries Out”
Suggested worship songs
- Mighty to Save (Hillsong);
- Surrender, I will follow (Chris Thomlin)
Suggested reading
- #1043 in Voices Together
Sending/Benediction
(Based on Isaiah 1:17)
Go into the world. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Plead for the widow. Share the good news of Jesus Christ. Go, with the Spirit of God, to witness to a world in need of healing and hope.
