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Matthew chapter 28, as we finish 
our look at the Great Commission and also finish the Gospel according 
to Matthew. I want to focus this morning 
on verse 20, specifically Matthew 28, 20, but I do want to read 
beginning in verse 16. Then the eleven disciples went 
away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for 
them. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. 
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been 
given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make 
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of 
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. teaching 
them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, 
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Let 
us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you 
for the written word and we pray now for the ministry of the Holy 
Spirit. We pray, Lord God, that you would take these things and 
make them clear to our hearts and minds, that you would help 
these things to be formative in our own church life, and may 
we indeed recognize the absolute authority of the Lord Jesus Christ 
and the great and glorious mission that he has given to us. May 
we revel in the fact that He is with us even to the end of 
the age, and may it be the case that all that we do would be 
for the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Do forgive us 
now for our sins and our transgressions. Cleanse us in that precious fount 
that was open for sin and uncleanness. God, we have transgressed your 
law, we have lacked conformity unto it, and so we confess these 
sins, trusting that there is forgiveness with you that you 
may be feared. And bless us now with the presence and power of 
the Holy Spirit. May he take the word of God and 
may he make it something that is effectual in our own hearts 
and lives. May you sanctify your people and conform us evermore 
unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. And may this be the day 
of salvation for those who are dead in their trespasses and 
sins. We don't appeal to them and to their free will. We appeal 
to a sovereign God who is able to make men willing in the day 
of his power. We pray most high that you would 
come in great saving mercy and grace and display your love and 
kindness in the effectual calling of sinners out of darkness into 
marvelous light. Bless other churches in our community. 
We pray for the preaching of the word that it would go forth 
throughout this city and that many more people would come to 
know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And we pray in his most 
blessed name. Amen. Well, as I said, we're 
going to take up verse 20 this morning, but I want to remind 
you where we've been. We see with reference to this 
great commission, the Lord Jesus sets forth his authority and 
power and sovereignty with reference to that mission in verse 18. And then he gives specific details 
or highlights the focus of the church in the execution of this 
great commission. Notice in verse 19, he says, 
go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
Spirit. We've already considered those particulars. The disciples 
must go. The disciples must make disciples, 
and the disciples must baptize those disciples. We see here 
the evangelistic enterprise of the church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. And here in verse 20, we'll notice that the disciples 
must teach them to observe all things that Jesus had commanded. 
In other words, once a disciple is made by the preaching of the 
gospel, once that disciple is publicly identified as a disciple 
in the waters of baptism, that disciple now enters into a lifelong 
instructional period. He or she needs to learn the 
Word of God. They need to learn the truth, 
and therefore the mission or a specific focus of the church 
is to teach the Word of God. So I want to look at this teaching 
ministry under four considerations this morning, or this teaching 
activity. First, we'll notice the simplicity 
of the activity. Secondly, the scope of the activity. Thirdly, the perpetuity of the 
activity. And then fourthly, the comprehensiveness 
of the activity. But note in the first place, 
the simplicity. I think that if you just had 
Matthew 28, 18 to 20, there would be very little question as to 
what we're supposed to do as churches. In fact, it's all spelled 
out very simply and very clearly in the text before us. Can churches 
do more? Can churches have a Sunday school? Can churches have a youth night? 
Certainly churches can do those things, but they certainly must 
do these things. They must do what Jesus has committed 
for the church in her life on earth. So note the simplicity. 
Go, make disciples, baptize those disciples, and teach them. It's 
a very intriguing thing. Primary focus or ministry of 
the church is upon teaching. I think this jives with what 
we see in the prophet Isaiah. You see, we have a promise concerning 
the messianic age in Isaiah chapter 2, verses 1 to 4. And specifically in Isaiah 2, 
3, we read, many people shall come and say, come and let us 
go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God 
of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and 
we shall walk in his path. It's a simple thing that the 
church is tasked to do. It's a simple thing in terms 
of setting forth a gospel ministry that is tasked with opening up 
scriptures and declaring that scripture to the people of God. The emphasis in scripture is 
clear. We will do what we know. In other words, if we are not 
instructed in who God is and we're not instructed concerning 
His law and His will for us, we will not conform to His image. 
We will not serve Him. We will not fulfill those things 
that He has given us to do. So the people of God are instructed 
in the knowledge of God so that they can be sanctified by the 
Spirit of God doing the will of God in this world. It's a 
very simple process that must not get sidelined. It's a very 
simple process, not simplistic, but simple in the sense that 
the people of God need to be instructed in the Word of God. 
Pastor Porter read from Luke chapter 8. And we see there the 
emphasis upon the types of soil that receive the word. So if 
the preaching ministry is one of the primary emphases in the 
Great Commission here, then the hearing ministry must follow 
suit. Ryle says something to the effect 
that there is nothing. as necessary in terms of the 
health and prosperity of the church than a faithful preaching 
ministry. But he goes on to say there needs 
to be a faithful hearing on the part of the people of God, because 
if the teaching is consistent, if it is biblical, if it is exegetically 
sound, and if it is coming out, you need to receive it. Because 
this is God's way. Remember Jesus in the high priestly 
prayer. He says, sanctify them by thy 
truth. Thy word is truth. It's an amazing 
thing. People that say, oh, I want to 
be holy. I want to be godly. I want to be righteous. Are you 
reading your scriptures? Well, no, not really. Well, then 
read your scriptures. This is the primary means by 
which God sanctifies you according to that high priestly prayer. 
Sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth. In other words, 
if we don't take in scripture, we're not going to be changed 
by the power of the Spirit according to scripture. You see, the emphasis 
with reference to the church is not upon entertainment, it's 
not pandering to people, it's not catering to every perceived 
felt need. The emphasis with reference to 
the church is encapsulated for us in 2 Timothy chapter four. Paul tells Timothy as his last 
corporate command with reference to church life, preach the word. Be ready in season and out of 
season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with 
all long-suffering and what? teaching. He gives two particular 
reasons to Timothy why that is to be the case. First, because 
the church is not going to endure sound doctrine. In other words, 
Timothy, when the church says, we don't want sound doctrine 
anymore, we want entertainment, we want you to pander to us, 
we want you to cater to every one of our perceived felt needs, 
Timothy, you still preach sound doctrine to them. In other words, 
the people of God do not determine the direction that the church 
is supposed to go. Now, if the people of God like 
teaching and preaching, all that, great. But God determines the 
direction the church is supposed to go. Does everybody get that? I'm not saying the elders do. 
The elders simply submit to what Jesus' word says, and the elders 
see that the primary emphasis with reference to church life 
is to go, to make disciples, to baptize those disciples in 
the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and then to 
teach those disciples. And your job, my job as disciples, 
is to be taught with the idea that the more that we're taught, 
the more that we'll put it into practice, and the more that we 
put it into practice, the more we are being conformed to the 
image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Isn't this the 
end game? Isn't this why God has purpose 
to save us? For whom He foreknew, these He 
also predestined to be what? To be conformed to the image 
of His Son. If His Son lived His life in 
dependence upon the Word, having said to the devil himself, man 
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds 
from the mouth of God. If the Son of God lived that 
way, then we, the sons of God, by grace, by adoption, by His 
Spirit, we're not going to live in the same way. Teaching is 
not important to us. We want entertainment, we want 
experience, we want feel-good. We want encounter. We want the 
existential moment. Brethren, we are to want teaching 
because that is what is good for us. That is what our Master 
has said is to be the case. Notice, secondly, the scope of 
the activity. He says, teaching them to observe 
all things that I have commanded you. The commands of Christ are 
taught so that disciples obey them. See that? I know this is revolutionary 
data today because we all just live as if there is no word of 
God and we are free to do whatever it is we want. But the disciples 
are taught in order to obey. See, it's not a matter of, I 
just want everybody here to have a PhD in theology so that you 
can go out and live like the devil. No, the PhD in theology 
ought to promote conformity unto Jesus Christ. You see, you and 
I are under marching orders. You and I are subject to the 
Master. You and I are called to obey 
Him. We're not supposed to lie when 
we sing 505. All the way my Savior leads, 
I will follow. We're not supposed to lie when 
we sing that. We're supposed to comply with Him. So the focus, 
or rather the scope of the commission, of the teaching activity, is 
that disciples obey the Word. Doesn't our Lord speak of taking 
His yoke upon us in Matthew 11, 28 to 30? Yeah, we're freed from 
the yoke and the bondage and the slavery of sin. But that 
doesn't bespeak an independent or autonomous state. We take 
the yoke of the master by his grace upon us. We comply with 
his commands. We follow his lead. We do what 
he bids us, whether as individuals or families or in society or 
in churches. As well, we see this in John 
1415. What does Jesus assume there? 
If you love me, you will do what? You'll continually balk at my 
commandments? You'll continually whine about 
my commandments. You'll continually try to redefine 
my commandments. You'll continually try to theologize 
my commandments out of the New Testament. No, you'll obey my 
commandments. What does John the Apostle say 
in 1 John? The commandments of God are not 
what? They're not a burden. If you 
find that the law of God is a burden to you, you may have bigger problems 
than you ever thought. Because for the Christian, the 
burden isn't God's law. The burden is this remaining 
corruption in that I don't always comply with God's law. That's 
the burden for the people of God. It's not the law itself. And then, of course, James, that 
very practical epistle we're in on Sunday nights. What's James 
say concerning our relationship with reference to the Word? Yes, 
hear the Word, but do what? Be a doer of the Word. Don't 
be like the guy who wakes up in the morning, goes and stands 
in front of the mirror, shaves his face, walks away and forgets 
what he looked like. No, you're supposed to come to 
the Word of God as receptive hearers and as practical doers 
of it. Again, the whole context is not 
in order to get saved. The supposition is, you're already 
saved. James 1.18, of his own will, 
he brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be his 
first fruits. It's that supposition, the sovereign 
grace of God invading the heart of the sinfulness a sinful man 
and changing him from the inside out, giving him a love for those 
things, causing him to comply with those things. It's not do 
this in order to be saved, it's do this because by God's grace, 
you have been saved. If you love me, you will keep 
my commandments. Brethren, this is the scope of 
the commission in terms of the teaching activity. You are to 
observe. The commands of Christ also include 
both the New Testament and the Old Testament. Now, there are 
some that want to get out of that, and they want to suggest 
that, no, it's only the New Testament that's in view here. Christ is 
only talking about the things that he said in his earthly life. 
Brethren, the implications of that kind of thinking is not 
only not reform, but it's positively dangerous. The Old Testament 
is still normative for the people of God today. Now certainly there 
are some things that we need to take into consideration. The 
law say against the nations of the Canaanites in terms of holy 
war. We don't have that applicable 
to us today. There are certain things, ceremonial, 
judicial, that do not straightly apply to the people of God in 
the new covenant, but certainly the Decalogue, and I would argue 
a whole lot more, then the Decalogue is still binding on the people 
of God today. What's Christ's relationship 
to Old Testament law? He's already dealt with that 
in Matthew 5, 17 to 20. Do not think that I came to destroy 
that law, but I came to fulfill it. Don't think I came to abolish 
or abrogate, but to fulfill it. But C.H. Spurgeon on that passage 
makes this observation, our king honors his father's law. He took 
care to revise and reform the laws of men, but the law of God 
he established and confirmed. Our king has not come to abrogate 
the law, but to confirm and reassert it. Now, some of you might be 
saying, of course it means Old and New Testaments. But there 
is a reason why I bring this out, because both dispensationalism 
and what's called New Covenant theology reject the abiding validity 
of Old Covenant law for the people of God. That's why no Sabbath 
in dispensational and in New Covenant theology churches. That's 
why there's no chapter 22 in their confession of faith. But 
for the Reformed people of God, we see the abiding validity of 
the Ten Commandments for the people of God today. The prophesied 
function of the Ten Commandments in the book of Jeremiah. God 
says there's a new covenant coming, or I'm going to make a new covenant 
with the house of Judah, or Israel and Judah. Not like what I made 
with them before, which they broke, but with reference to 
this particular covenant, I will write my law upon their hearts. 
What law is that? It is the Decalogue, the Ten 
Commandments, that blessed revelation of who God is in terms of His 
holiness and righteousness and justice. Interestingly, in Matthew 
26, Christ inaugurates what? The New Covenant spoken of by 
the prophet Jeremiah. And then, of course, the abiding 
validity of the Old Covenant law in the New Testament. I mean, 
I don't know how this dispensational or New Covenant theology, I've 
read enough to see how they try and justify it, but it just doesn't 
wash, brethren. It just doesn't add up. Especially 
the book of James, as we're going through that, it's like anybody 
that has antipathy against Old Covenant law really mustn't like 
James. Because he's operating in that 
context. He's writing primarily to Jews that are familiar with 
Torah, and he continually appeals to Torah to apply it to the people 
of God living as New Covenant Christians who have believed 
the gospel. This idea that the commands of Christ are simply 
those things he uttered is not accurate. God spake by Moses. Remember we saw in our study 
on the significance of the name and to which new disciples are 
baptized, Christ is God. He's authoritative with reference 
to every stipulation, statute, commandment, and judicial principle 
in the Old Testament. You see, the Old and New Testament 
are included. As well, just still considering 
the scope of the activity, the commands of Christ are taught 
so that new disciples obey. The commands of Christ include 
both Old and New Testament, but notice as well, the commands 
of Christ are taught, not the opinions of the disciples. If you ever leave our church 
and you go to another church, again, I've said before, church 
membership is commanded, but the church in which you join 
is voluntary. as long as they're preaching 
the gospel, but if you ever sit down at a church and the fellow 
says, I just want to share my heart, that might be the time 
to get up and leave. You're not there to hear a man 
share his heart. You're not there to be certainly 
entertained. You're not there to hear the 
opinions of men, but the commands of Jesus Christ. Preaching must 
be exegetically sound. That means it responsibly and 
carefully handles the text of scripture. That means it attempts 
to package it in such a way that the people of God can receive 
it and benefit from it. What good is hay if you put it 
on the top shelf and the horses can't get to it? You put the 
hay on the ground so that everybody can eat. Brethren, it is absolutely 
crucial that you are not looking for the opinions of disciples, 
but rather the commandments of God. John Calvin made this point. He said he sends away the apostles 
with this reservation, that they shall not bring forward their 
own inventions, but shall purely and faithful deliver from hand 
to hand what he has entrusted to them. Let us hold that by 
these words teachers are appointed over the church not to put forward 
whatever they may think proper, but that they as well as others 
may depend on the mouth of the master alone so as to gain disciples 
for him and not for themselves." You get that? You get the steady 
dose of the guru sharing all of his popular opinions that 
makes your life exponentially better. Why are you ultimately 
there? Because he has the key to this 
exponentially better life. No, we want disciples for Jesus. And it's the Word of God that 
is calculated to produce this by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
It is not the opinion of the disciples that matters. It's 
the Word of Christ that matters. Is everybody with me? Yeah? You 
alive? This is probably one of the most 
important sermons I have ever preached or ever will preach 
because it's the marching orders for Free Grace Baptist Church. 
It's what defines us. It's what should define us. It's 
what should describe us. It should be that which puts 
metal in our souls and causes us to pray accordingly. But, 
before we leave this scope of the activity, notice as well 
the commands of Christ are taught, not experience. Not experience. Now, experience 
can illustrate. Experience can shed some light. Experience, especially of biblical 
characters, can certainly ground us. But notice that Jesus, in 
the language of Bruner, points them to verses and not visions. I love that. He points them to 
verses, not visions. Bruner goes on to say, or he 
gives a detailed, and I don't always agree with Bruner, I want 
you to know that, but what he goes on to say there is that 
Christ puts it in the past. Teach them all things that I 
have commanded you. He calls it the pre-Easter teaching 
of Jesus, not the post-Easter vision of Jesus. Again, not that 
that's not important, resurrection to be sure, but the emphasis 
for the disciples is to preach Christ's commands, not visions, 
not experience, not charismata, but rather preach verses and 
not visions. Now, this doesn't just happen 
in the sort of charismatic and Pentecostal churches. It's whenever 
we hold men outside of scripture as the standard for our experience. You're going to be like this 
guy. You're going to be like that guy. No, I got to believe 
the gospel and turn from my sin. I need to follow the master who 
saved me. Brethren, this is a very subtle 
point that people often fall into, and we often see it in 
the Charismatic and Pentecostal movement, primarily, but we're 
not inoculated against it. If experience becomes defining 
in terms of what we do, we are reading Scripture wrong. Go to 
verses, not visions. So there's the scope of the activity. Note, thirdly, the perpetuity 
of the activity. I think it's implicit in our 
text and explicit in other passages in the New Testament. Teaching 
them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, 
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. That comforting 
statement, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of 
the age, is built upon or predicated upon the fact that the church 
or disciples are doing what they're supposed to do. In other words, 
while you go and while you make disciples and while you baptize 
and while you teach, you have the promise of my presence until 
the end of the age. So church, guess what your task 
is or your job is or your mission is or your focus is until the 
end of the age. It's to be making disciples, 
it's to be baptizing those disciples, it's to be teaching those disciples. 
That's your function. That's what you're about. I hear 
you go to church. What's church all about? Well, 
you could do no better than to cite Matthew 28, 18 to 20. It's 
very clear. It's very obvious. And as I said 
earlier, it's very simple. It's just the opposite of Ikea. 
What a complicated place Ikea is. Church shouldn't be like 
Ikea. It should be very simple. It should be incredibly simple. 
Do you understand that? We're at a crossroads here. We're 
at a place in the context of 21st century Christianity where 
this question is up for grabs. What is the function of the church? 
What is the role of the church under the influence of some persons? 
The whole idea is on social justice. I'm not against social justice, 
certainly not. In fact, I'm going to argue in 
just a moment the comprehensiveness of the activity includes that 
we preach the scriptures concerning all aspects of life on God's 
earth. But when we take up the cause 
in a particular area, we typically neglect the cause in another. 
And as I said, we can do more, but we are certainly not allowed 
to do less than this. And when we divide ourselves, 
and when we chase so many particular strands, we end up not doing 
anything particularly well. You understand that? We've got 
to work on what God's given us to do and seek by the grace of 
God to do it well. But the perpetuity of the activity 
is seen throughout the book of Acts. You can turn to Acts 2. 
Acts 2. We're going to run through some 
passages just to highlight the perpetuity of the activity. Perpetuity, 
kids, means it keeps on going. Keeps on going. This is what 
we're supposed to do. There's never supposed to be 
a time in the church when she stops doing what we find in Matthew 
28, 18 to 20. Acts 2.42, they continued steadfastly 
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of 
bread and in prayers. Who are they? They're the ones 
that had gladly received His Word. Those who were baptized, 
those who joined the church in Jerusalem. What do they do now 
that they've joined the church in Jerusalem? They continue steadfastly 
in the apostles' doctrine. They fellowship with one another. 
They break bread together and they pray together. That's church 
life, you see. Acts chapter 6, specifically 
at verse 4. Context, pick out men to serve 
the widows because these widows are taking us from the primary 
calling that God has given to us. Notice they don't say widows 
are unimportant, we're not going to feed them, we're not going 
to engage in acts of social kindness and mercy and justice, no. But 
if it takes the apostles from their main task, they need to 
call for men, and I think these are the first deacons, what we 
call deacons. Notice, let's go back to verse 
2, 6-2. Then the twelve summoned the 
multitude of the disciples and said, it is not desirable that 
we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Again, not 
that serving tables is somehow beneath the apostles. I think 
that gets built into, he's a pastor. No, it's just a matter of who 
God has chosen to do a particular task. Are we all as offended 
that we're not the prime minister as some people get in the church 
if they're not elders? It's okay to not be an elder. 
It's not a commanded activity. Thou must be an elder. Why is 
that so offensive? God has equipped you to be an 
elder, qualified you to be an elder. The church has laid hands 
on you and identified you as an elder. Praise God. But brethren, 
it's not, you know, I've got to be an elder. My life is somehow 
incomplete. We read this, we say those mean 
apostles, they're too good or proud to serve tables. Not at 
all. They're perfectly acceptable 
to serve tables, clean up vomit, plunge toilets. They can do all 
that stuff. But when plunging toilets and 
cleaning up vomit keeps them from the word and prayer, that's 
the problem. What's he suggesting? What's 
the narrative telling us? The primary function for the 
church is not to eat. I know that's radical and I know 
that's revolutionary. The primary function of the church 
is the Word of God. Well, so you don't, we can't 
feed, of course we can feed people. Of course we can do more, but 
we can't do less. And the moment that pastors or 
elders or apostles are leaving the study to go tend to toilets, 
that's when they say, we need somebody to tend the toilets. 
Not because I'm a superior creature that can't touch a toilet, but 
because it's taking me from what God's called me to do. I think 
that's a very elementary and simple thing to follow. I really 
do. I like to think it is. Notice, 
verse 3, therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven 
men, good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom 
we may appoint over this business, but we will give ourselves continually 
to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. Isn't that definitional 
for a pastor? What are pastors to be doing? 
Well, 6.4 describes it, prayer and ministry of the Word. Not 
CEOs, not movers and shakers, not fortune 500ers. You know, 
the conception, especially in big churches, what's the pastor? 
He's the CEO and he manages groups that manage people. And it's somehow, that's just 
expected. That's just the way it is. That's 
his calling. That's his task. What about prayer 
and the ministry of the word? Oh yeah, he does that too. That's the primary focus of his 
calling. I was going to quote later, but 
I think it's fitting now, C.H. Spurgeon from Lectures to My 
Students. He's lecturing to his students, as you might imagine. When I read Lectures to My Students, 
I like to try to think back. These brothers were in the pastor's 
college and all week long they were laboring in Greek and Hebrew 
and exegesis and hermeneutics and systematic theology. Spurgeon 
lectured on Friday afternoons. Could you imagine a better way 
to end the week? And if you ever read lectures 
to my students, wow. He was funny too, just some funny, 
funny gut-busting stuff that you'll read as he's bringing 
this practical horse sense to bear on ministerial students. 
But in a lecture entitled, On the Choice of a Text, he says, 
your pulpit preparations are your first business. just read recently, within the 
last little while, J.C. Ryle, a biography by Ian Murray 
called Prepared to Stand Alone. And Ryle said the same thing 
whenever he talked to young ministerial candidates or aspirants or ministers, 
your preparations, your pulpit preparations are your first business. And if you neglect these, you 
will bring no credit upon yourself or your office. Bees are making 
honey from morning till night, and we should always be gathering 
stores for our people. I have no belief in that ministry 
which ignores laborious preparation. That wasn't the persnickety ramblings 
of an old president from a college that's now defunct. What's Paul 
saying in 2 Timothy 2.15? Timothy, be diligent to show 
yourself approved unto God, a worker who need not be ashamed, rightly 
dividing the word of truth. What's Paul saying in 1 Timothy 
5? Honor those elders who rule, 
especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. There's 
labor involved in this process, and we see it here with reference 
to Acts 6.4. We will give ourselves continually 
to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. That is some devotion 
to this aspect of the Great Commission. Notice in chapter 13, and we're 
just going to take a sampling. I don't want to bog us down here. Actually, I'm sorry, go to Acts 
20. Acts 20. We'll just look at one 
more specimen here in Acts, and then I'll probably just pull 
out a few in the pastoral epistles. Notice in Acts 20, 28, therefore 
take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the 
Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God 
which he purchased with his own blood. You all get the word pastor 
is shepherd, And you get the analogy. In fact, Pastor Porter 
read Psalm 23. The shepherd deals with the sheep 
via rod and staff. You see, brethren, what is the 
minister's rod and staff? It's the Word of God. In other 
words, how do ministers shepherd the flock? It's not with their 
winning personalities. It's not with their wonderful 
opinions. It's not with the revelation of their ecstatic experience. 
It's through the exposition of God's Word. In other words, how 
does a pastor shepherd the flock? It is through preaching and teaching 
the Word. That's clear, I think. Should 
be. Notice what's called the pastoral 
epistles, the book of 1 Timothy. Again, just a few samples here. 
1 Timothy chapter four. First Timothy chapter 4 verse 
6, if you instruct the brethren, could be translated by instructing 
the brethren, in these things you will be a good minister of 
Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good 
doctrine which you have carefully followed. So that's the benefit 
for Timothy, but notice down in verse 12. Let no one despise 
your youth, but be an example to the believers in word and 
conduct and love and spirit and faith and purity. Till I come, 
give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." Now, 
when Paul tells Timothy, give attention to reading, to exhortation, 
to doctrine, he doesn't mean for Timothy's own soul. This 
is public reading of Scripture, public exhortation from the Scripture, 
and the public exposition of the doctrine of Scripture, because 
that's what the people of God need, Timothy. Notice in 1 Timothy 
6, verse 3. The danger of bad doctrine, if 
anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome 
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the 
doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, 
but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from 
which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings 
of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth who suppose 
that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. And then notice in 2 Timothy 
1.13, 2 Timothy 1.13, showing the perpetuity of the activity 
of the teaching ministry of the church. 2 Timothy 1.13, hold 
fast. The pattern of sound words which 
you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ 
Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by 
the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 2 Timothy 2.15, again, be 
diligent to present yourself approved to God. A worker who 
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of 
truth. And I love this, be diligent to present yourself approved 
to God. Not men. Tiptoe around the brethren because 
you don't want to make them angry. Don't tell the brethren hard 
things because they might leave the church. Don't suggest that 
people actually need to obey the word because then they'll 
get upset and run. No. You show yourself approved 
to God. That's requisite for the ministry. I don't think that means needlessly 
offend your people every step of the way, but certainly don't 
court their favor instead of God's. I already highlighted 
2 Timothy 4, 2 and 3 in terms of preach the word, but notice 
Titus 1.9, one of the qualifications for an elder. Titus 1.9, holding 
fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be 
able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who 
contradict. Exhort, those who believe and 
receive, and convict those who contradict. Calvin says the minister 
has two voices, one for the encouragement of the sheep and one for the 
driving away of the wolves. That's what Titus 1.9 tells us. So you see, brethren, the perpetuity 
of the activity is obvious, not only in the commission itself, 
but in the New Testament practice and in the New Testament epistles. 
So we've seen the simplicity, the scope, the perpetuity. Let's 
look finally now at the comprehensiveness of the activity. The comprehensiveness 
of the activity. In other words, teaching them 
to observe All things that I have commanded you. The Bible's a 
big book, isn't it? Imagine if every Sunday I got 
up here and I preached on husbands love your wives. That'd be good 
for about two sessions, and then you'd probably say, okay, we 
get it. We're terrible humans that don't love our wives the 
way we're supposed to. We need a comprehensive view of God's 
Word. There's a good Baptist sort of 
addition of the shorter catechism. And they added a particular question 
in light of, you know, departures from the doctrine of inerrancy. 
And they ask, are the scriptures trustworthy in all that they 
affirm? The answer is, the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments, 
being God-bred, are infallible and inerrant, and are therefore 
trustworthy in all that they affirm concerning history, science, 
doctrine, ethics, religious practice, or any other topic. I quite like 
that definition. I quite like that explanation. 
And if we extrapolate from it, we ought to make this very pertinent 
observation. The Bible speaks to us as individuals. Nobody questions that. The Bible 
speaks to us as families. Nobody questions that. The Bible 
speaks to us as a church. Nobody questions that. But you 
know what gets frequently neglected is the Bible outside the church. Right? Not here to publish for 
you a list of things you're supposed to believe when you go into the 
voting box because we don't have time. But they're in there. Take, for instance, economic 
theory. Does the Bible teach that communism 
is bad? Absolutely positively in the 
Eighth Commandment. You mean, you shall not steal 
applies to governments as well? Yeah. I don't know that Chairman 
Mao was somehow exempt from the Eighth Commandment. I don't know 
that Karl Marx was somehow exempt from the Eighth Commandment. 
You get this? There's a comprehensive application 
that so few of us actually pursue in our lives. What about Criminal 
procedure with reference to the courtroom. Thankfully, we still 
do operate based on some stuff in Deuteronomy 17 and 19. You 
know, the whole idea of two or three witnesses corroborating 
evidence. Thankfully, the Western world 
is still at least embroiled in that aspect of civil jurisprudence 
or criminal jurisprudence. What about the function of the 
civil magistrate? Wait a minute, we just accept 
that the government is our big brother there to help us every 
step of the way. Do you realize that the stuff 
that the government does most of the time is not what God's 
Word says to do? I love Machen. Machen made this 
observation about the civil government. He said the civil government 
is, quote, not intended to produce blessedness or happiness. This 
is so gone from our thinking. Of course the government's there 
to make me happy. Of course they're there to proffer 
blessedness to me. That's their job, is to make 
me healthy and whole and happy. No, that's your job under God, 
and the government certainly doesn't have the right, the business, 
or the prerogative to undertake. He says, the government is not 
intended to produce blessedness or happiness, but intended to 
prevent blessedness or happiness from being interfered with by 
wicked men. They don't confer it, they provide 
a climate of safety so that it can't be interfered with. That's relatively it. He goes on to say, the state 
exists for the repression of evildoers and the protection 
of individual liberty. Again, my point here is not to 
get into a great big debate concerning economic theory, socialism versus 
capitalism. It's not to get in and talk about 
the merits of the conservatives or the liberals. It's not to 
get into all of that in particular, but to tell you that the scriptures 
speak to those things in particular. In other words, there is a comprehensiveness 
about this great commission that includes all the commands of 
Christ. And the people of God who embrace 
the Word of God as individuals and for family and for church 
need to understand as well that many things addressing us in 
our current age and situation are addressed by Scripture too. 
Certainly, you may not have a Colossians 3 or an Ephesians 5 that says, 
husbands, love your wives. There's not a particular text 
that I know of that says, go out and vote conservative or 
liberal. I'm not going to tip the scales 
either way. There's not a particular text 
I know that says that. You might have to work a little 
bit harder to figure out, what does God say concerning these 
things? And what is God's will concerning these things? And 
when it comes to the state confiscating property, that seems like a fundamental 
you know, invasion of the Eighth Commandment, and we shouldn't 
want that. I shouldn't vote for people that want to steal money 
from me. That just seems like a very fundamental and basic 
economic principle to me that the Bible substantiates. The 
Bible speaks to. You know, Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 
3 tells us the profitability of God's work. He says, you've 
known the sacred scriptures from your youth, and these sacred 
scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith 
which is in Christ Jesus. speaks of the profitability of 
the scripture to the man of God, why? That the man of God may 
be thoroughly equipped unto what? Every good work. Now, there are 
those that'll say, well, politics isn't a good work. Yeah, and 
they're called Anabaptists and their theology is wrong. Brethren, politics is part of 
every good work. Maybe this Anabaptist mindset 
has predominated such that we can't find a decent man or woman 
to get into government. With the amount of supposed Christians 
there are, not a one has the intelligence and capability to 
do a decent job in some political capacity. I don't buy it. Perhaps 
we are pietistic at core, at the core. We're not training 
our youngsters to pursue law, ethics, politics. We've abandoned 
it. We're dispensationalists, functionally. 
Well, why polish the brass on a sinking ship? It's all going, 
you know, to hell in a handbasket anyway. Now, very often, brethren, 
and I would say always, we emphasize the place of good works in the 
life of the believer, don't we? I'm a rotten, terrible person 
because I say the church's primary function is to preach the word, 
not pass out hot dogs. Oh, you need to be about passing 
out hot dogs. If passing out hot dogs on an individual level 
is good, why wouldn't it be good, as a work, to be in political 
office affecting things on a larger scale? See, to me it doesn't 
seem legit to say we need to be about good works, but not 
the good works that actually could shape some policy. for 
some young men to start thinking scripturally on things? To start 
asking the questions about economic theory? To say socialism is a 
step away from communism, and it's still basically founded 
upon the principle of theft, diminishing others for their 
hard work? Brethren, is that a scriptural 
motif? Is it a godly thing? No, Solomon 
says, do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before 
kings. Yeah, in our situation, we'll 
have to give the fruit of his hard work to them. I'm not getting 
into the particulars, but I am suggesting that the commission 
is more comprehensive than we have heretofore been told. If 
good works are legit, and they are, at the individual handing 
out a hot dog level, then they must be good with reference to 
the macrocosmic. A guy actually becomes the president 
or the prime minister, and he thinks biblically. He thinks 
in terms of law. Again, you're saying, Butler, 
that'll never happen, but shouldn't we try? And to the argument, why polish 
the brass on a sinking ship? Again, why cut your lawn? Why 
hold the door open for an older person? Why give a hot dog away? If that's our mindset, when it 
comes to that level, then it should be the mindset when it 
comes to the lower level as well. Why would I do any good thing 
if we're, you know, it's just a brass on a sinking ship? Doesn't 
God call us to shine His lights in the midst of a crooked and 
perverse generation, holding forth the word of truth? Doesn't 
He say, let your light so shine before men that they may see 
your good works and give glory to God? pietism, anabaptism, 
dispensationalism, have all paralyzed the comprehensiveness of the 
Great Commission, teaching them to observe all things that I 
have commanded you, including the rules of evidence. How in 
the world can we as God's people ever indict someone without the 
required two or three witnesses? Didn't Jesus command that too? 
How in the world can we accept the sorts of things that go on 
rampantly and say, oh, but I love the commands of Jesus? Let's 
just be honest. We love certain ones. We love 
particular ones. And churches are guilty for only 
emphasizing a handful. But if you listen to the word 
of Christ here, teaching them to observe all things that I 
have commanded you, and some things, Not a few things, but 
all things. So you could say, well, you know, 
Jesus isn't God, so therefore he has no abiding authority over 
the Old Testament, and therefore it's not normative for the church 
today. Again, that's not where you wanna end up. That's heresy. People that say that end up in 
hell. We try to dance around the comprehensiveness of the 
commission. I'm not saying every single one 
of you go out and run for local office. That's not it either. Embrace where God has placed 
you. Grow where you have planted. 
But brethren, think beyond that from time to time with reference 
to prayer. Paul tells us very specifically 
in 1st Timothy that we're supposed to pray for governing authorities. 
Why is that? Why if the mindset of dispensationalism 
is right, or the dispensational is right, why polish the brass 
on a sinking ship? Why would Paul tell the believers 
to pray for the civil authority? Well, his mindset is selfish. It's so that we may lead a peaceable 
and a quiet life. Do you think Paul would actually 
pray for a civil authority only so that the church could lead 
a peaceable and a quiet life? The primary emphasis in the context, 
I would suggest, is that you're praying for the civil authority's 
salvation. and to suggest that Paul would 
be disingenuous at the throne of grace, not really concerned 
for Nero's salvation, but only the peace of the church, really 
flies in the face of what we know of Paul. Certainly he wants 
Nero not to chop the heads off of believers, but he also wants 
Nero to confess faith in Jesus. You know how I know that? In 
Philippians, he says, all those in Caesar's house greet you. What does that mean? That means 
that while Paul was incarcerated by the Roman Empire, he preached 
the gospel. And all those of Caesar's household 
greet you. What does that mean? It means 
they had come to Jesus. You think he didn't want Caesar 
to be converted? Of course he did. Brethren, again, 
Plant where you are, grow where you've been planted. Embrace 
God for the blessed normalcy of life. But if there's dudes 
or brothers in the church that have some acumen, young ladies 
in the church that have some acumen, that can think in terms 
of law and ethics and politics, and we go, well, you can't do 
that. It's not a good work. We're the problem at that point. Because Jesus said, command them 
or teach them to observe all that I have commanded. Economic 
theory, function of the civil government, health care. All these things, brethren, are 
spoken to. Again, not Romans 17-ish. Here's 
what you need to think on every jot and detail of your lives, 
but in terms of principle, wide swaths, explicit text, and then 
implicit inferences, or implicit. Those things which are expressly 
revealed, or by good and necessary consequence, deduced from there, 
or therefrom. So the point is, for those who 
are nodding off, the Bible applies to the totality of life. The 
Bible applies not only to the individual, not only to your 
marriage relationship, not only to your dynamic with your children 
and childhood parent, but to the church, obviously, and it 
speaks to matters of government. And even if you're not gonna 
ever try to be the prime minister or run for city council, you 
can certainly pray with these things in mind. You can certainly 
reject the concept of, well, a good work is giving a hotdog 
on an individual basis, but it can't be a good work for a man 
to be in political office and shape policy. Or best, get government 
out of stuff. I heard on the radio yesterday, 
and I'm only using this as an illustration, and perhaps I won't 
even mention the particular thing, but BC is going to legalize something 
soon. And the holdup is, they have 
to develop a whole lot of laws and policies and procedures. To legalize something? Think about it. We're going to 
make this legal, but we can't do it without another bucket 
full of wads. Just that could be anything. Brethren, we need to think biblically 
about stuff, and we need to ask the questions. Sometimes, is 
this government's responsibility? I think at times, we ought to 
embrace the reality of the hierarchy in terms of life's social spheres. First comes the individual. You 
need to be full of self-control. Then comes family, then comes 
church, then comes state. So, an amazing thing that we 
bypass some of these other structures and we just go right to the top. 
Again, I'm getting into details and I don't want to. I just want 
to highlight the comprehensiveness of the activity and then notice 
we're going to end finally with reference to the assurance provided 
for the commission by our blessed Lord in verse 20. teaching them 
to observe all things that I have commanded you, and, lo, I am 
with you always, even to the end of the age." Now, you need 
to make a connection here with reference to this statement and 
verses 1, or chapter 1, verse 23, and chapter 18, verse 20. 
You see, Matthew is the gospel of Emmanuel. You shall call his 
name Jesus, for it is he who will save his people from their 
sins. You should call him Emmanuel, God with us. Matthew 18, we saw 
it this morning. Where does Jesus promise to be? 
He promises to be with two or three of his gathered church 
when they are effecting judicial decisions concerning the church. Where two or three are gathered 
together, there am I with them. in a prayer meeting, though I 
wouldn't deny he is there, but in the context of Matthew 18, 
asked to do with church discipline. So Christ says, when you, as 
church, do what you're supposed to do as church, and you discipline 
people, realize, I'm going to be present with you. So he's 
Emmanuel, Matthew 1, 23. Emmanuel, Matthew 18, 20. He's 
Emmanuel, Matthew 28, 20. I am with you. Isn't that a most blessed and 
encouraging statement? John Gill says that He would 
be with them in a spiritual sense, to assist them in their work, 
to comfort them under all discouragements, to supply them with His grace 
and to protect them from all enemies and preserve from all 
evils, which is a great encouragement both to administer the Word and 
ordinances and attend on them. So He promises His presence and 
He makes good on this promise until the end of the age, even 
to the end of the age or literally all the days. And so we can infer 
here in the good times, in the bad times, in times of peace 
and in times of persecution, in times where we by faith see 
Him in our midst and when we by times don't always see Him 
in our midst. Christ has promised His presence 
among His people while they engage in the commission until the end 
of the age. Until He comes again in glory, 
the church has this certain confident expectation that insofar as she's 
obedient to her Master, insofar as she is going, she is making 
disciples, she is baptizing, and she is teaching, she has 
this assurance that her Master is with her. Her Master's presence 
is her presence. Her Master's presence is her 
power. Osborne points out how Jesus 
surrounds the commission with his omnipotence and his omnipresence. Omnipotence in verse 18, all 
authority has been given to me. His omnipresence in verse 20. 
I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Well, brethren, 
I suggest that this is definitional for church life. I think it is 
comprehensive in terms of its application in church life when 
we look at what Jesus says concerning all things that I have commanded 
you. I said this would be our last 
sermon. I'm not just trying to extend 
this, but I want to do one more. because I don't want to rush 
through points of application this morning. We'll tease that 
out, God willing, next Sunday morning in more detail. And then 
I do want to close with an emphasis that Matthew sets before us a 
lot. We're coming to the end of Matthew. We're at the end 
of Matthew. I'm just trying to prolong the 
end of Matthew. I've loved Matthew. I've enjoyed 
going through Matthew. I hope that you've enjoyed the 
sermons as well. But one of the continual emphases 
of Matthew is on who Jesus is in terms of Savior. in terms 
of saviour. You see, economic theory and 
politics, as important as I think that is in terms of us understanding 
and us knowing what scripture says and informing us when we 
go into the voting booth and informing us as we look at current 
events and social issues and we think through transgenderism 
and the various isms that are, you know, being Foisted, is that the word? Foisted 
upon us. Probably not the word. Cam's 
looking at me like I'm dumb. Foisted, I thought that was a 
word. But pushed on us. We need to think through that. 
The primary thing we need to think through are three texts 
in Matthew's gospel. 121, he will save his people 
from their sins. Matthew 20, 28. The Son of Man 
came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a 
ransom for many. And then Matthew 11, 28 to 30, 
where Jesus, in his characteristic glory and in his characteristic 
willingness to save, says to sinners, come to me, all you 
who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. You 
see, we need to know what Scripture says over here, but we first 
and foremost need to know what Scripture says at the cross. 
And the only way of salvation, the only way to think Christianly 
or biblically is regeneration, having been born again, having 
our minds renewed. being transformed. We need to 
come to the cross. We need to believe the gospel. 
We need to look to him who will save his people from their sins, 
the one who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give 
his life a ransom for many. That's the means by which he 
affects the salvation of sinners. It is through the giving of his 
life as a ransom, as a substitute, as a sacrifice. And on the heels 
of that, that blessed statement in Matthew 11, 28, Come to me 
all you who are weary and heavy laden. Not heavy laden because 
you've got a tough work week, but heavy laden and burdened 
because of sin. Sin is a terrible taskmaster. 
It is a hard master. It drives us in a way that is 
unholy and ungodly and unrighteous and ultimately exhausting. I 
love the language of our blessed Savior. Come to me and I will 
give you what? I will give you No rest for the wicked, but that 
eternal state for the people of God is defined as rest. If you are weighed down, laden 
by your sins this morning, tired of the burden, tired of the exhausting, 
you know, recklessness by which you live your life, listen to 
the Savior and come, and He will give you rest. Well, let us close 
in a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank you for 
your word and we thank you for your graciousness and your mercy 
to us. Give us the grace, God, to receive 
with thankful hearts this commission as a church. May it indeed be 
a definitional text for us as we proceed or progress in this 
lower world. I pray for the South Surrey Church 
that they would continually see this as well as their focus and 
that, God, we would be about the disciple-making, baptizing, 
instructing, and seeking to honor God and realizing the presence 
of Christ with his church while she's engaged in these blessed 
privileges. We ask that you would go with 
us now, help us to have a blessed Sabbath day in total. Give us grace to return tonight 
that we may worship and serve you together as a church. And 
we pray these things through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation and then be dismissed.