Sermons

Taking the Great Commission Seriously Week 85 – Matthew 28:18-20 – 11/9/25

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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about the passage of Scripture where we read about the great commission.  

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is our final week in the Gospel of Matthew! In this part of God’s Word, we see Jesus’ command to make disciples. Unfortunately, many people who say they’re Christians do not take this seriously. By taking a close look at this command that Jesus gives, we can learn why we should be…

Taking the Great Commission Seriously:

 

  1. Making disciples is not optional

Matt. 28:18, 4:19, Rom. 10:14-15, 1 Pet. 3:15

  1. God gives us His authority

Matt. 28:18, Col. 1:16, Mark 6:7, Luke 10:19

  1. Discipleship leads to changed lives 

Matt. 28:19, Rom. 12:2, 2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 4:22-24

  1. God’s heart is that all would be saved

Matt. 28:19, 2 Pet. 3:9, 1 Tim. 2:3-4, Ez. 18:23

  1. Making disciples involves teaching God’s truth

Matt. 28:20, John 8:31-32, 14:6, Col. 1:28, 2 Tim. 2:15

  1. We don’t have to fear, because Jesus is with us

Matt. 28:20, Is. 41:10, Ps. 46:1, Rom. 8:38-39, Heb. 13:5

  1. Understand the dire consequences 

Matt. 12:36, 25:41-46, 2 Thess. 1:5-10, Rom. 14:12, 2 Cor. 5:10, Jer. 17:10

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

  • Take some time to read over Matthew 28:18-20 and pray. 
  • Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
  • What surprised you as we talked about it?
  • As you reflect on this part of God’s Word, put yourself in the place of the people of this story. How do you think you have reacted? Why?
  • Take some time to pray for those in your life who do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Write their names down on the card in the bulletin. 

Diving In 

  1. On a scale from 1-10, how natural is sharing your faith for you? Why is that? 
  2. What excuses do you most commonly come up with to not share your faith? 
  3. Who shared their faith with you, in order for you to come to faith? What did they do well? What did they do poorly? How can you learn from that experience? 
  4. Read Matthew 28:20. Jesus makes it clear that He is with us, and so we don’t have to be afraid. How does remembering this help you to share your faith? 
  5. Where are you going to put the name card so that you can remember to pray for those in your life who don’t know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior? 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

  • What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
  • How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
  • Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?




 

 

Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?