Introduction - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew

Introduction - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

^{18 "}Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Hi Fellow Student,

     Welcome to a journey to greater understanding of God, His message and our purpose.

     This study is built upon two principals:

First, the Great Commission is the last message of Jesus that Matthew chose to share; therefore we can assume that Matthew viewed it as very important.

This is something that Reverend Mark Hickman shared at a Lay Speaker’s Academy in Keyser, West Virginia, USA.  Reverend Hickman then indicated that everything in the book of Matthew leads up to these words.  This means that, although the crucifixion and empty tomb are the climax of the book, everything in the book of Matthew points us the Great Commission and helps us to understand it.  Matthew, in telling us about Jesus, also included more Old Testament references than any other gospel writer.  This study of the Great Commission will begin with a passage in Matthew, then look to the Old Testament to find background, move to the New Testament letters for understanding, then ask how all of these help us to understand the Great Commission.

Second, no one has a complete understanding of God or His message to us.

There is an old story about three blind people examining an elephant.  The first was at the head and felt the ear, the second was farther back and felt the body, and the third almost missed the elephant but felt the tail.  Later they came together to discuss the elephant.  The first said, “An elephant is like a sail.”  The second said, “No, an elephant is like a wall.”  The third said, “I don’t know what you all are talking about, an elephant is like a rope.”  They all understood the part of the elephant they came into contact with, but did not grasp that the elephant was much more than those particular parts.

We have that same challenge when understanding God and the message that He has for us along with our purpose.  We all have different backgrounds and experiences, along with minds that function differently and diverse revelations that are given by God.  If we hold tight to them and don’t accept that other people have different revelations and insights then we are limited by our isolated experience.  If we listen to what others say but don’t share what God has given to us then the understanding that they have is reduced because we haven’t shared our insights.

This study is structured to invite participation and sharing.  In Riverton, where everyone has a Bible, the reading is shared.  In your location you will have to do what is realistic in your circumstances.

 

A greater challenge than circumstances to achieving class participation is found with us as leaders.

 

For leaders, the easy way to guide a class is to lecture.  This may require more preparation, but it protects leaders from the tangents that individuals might take the class on.  It also limits the opportunity for one or two class members to monopolize a discussion.  Therefore, while the work might seem harder to lecture than to lead a discussion the risk is much less.  It is very easy to slide into lecturing.

For leaders, it is much more challenging to encourage others to share their points of view.  We don’t know what they might say, the class might move into areas where we don’t have any answers, we might be challenged to find ways to encourage all to comfortably participate, but the way we build the most complete understanding of God and the message He has for us along with our purpose is for all to participate.

 

To facilitate encouraging all to participate, most of the questions in this study will be answered directly from the scripture referenced.  Please feel free to allow people to volunteer answers, or to ask specific people to answer; as your circumstances and people dictate.  Please try not to answer the questions yourself as leaders because this will limit class participation.

There are questions that start with “In your opinion”.  These questions are not answered from the specific text.  Please tell the students that they aren’t supposed to have perfect right answers for the questions, and that the questions don’t even need to be answered in the class.  These questions are to cause us to think.  Please allow people the opportunity to discuss the questions.  Some of the questions won’t generate any discussion, but some may generate a lot of discussion and provide the opportunity for all to gain insights into God and His message and our purpose.

     I pray that these lessons will stretch you and your understanding as much as they have stretched me.

     I am glad to be journeying with you!

Your brother in Christ,

JD