Victory Baptist Church Holly Ridge
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      • 2 Peter 3.18KJV1900

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  • Sermon 4: The Mandate from the Master

    Text: Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
    Series Title: Mission of the Master Sermon Title: The Mandate from the Master Big Idea: The Great Commission is not a suggestion—it’s a command Given by the Master

    Introduction

    By the time we reach Matthew 28, the cross is behind Jesus, the grave is empty, and the full force of His resurrection power has been displayed and the disciples are standing face to face with the risen Lord.
    This is not a quiet, casual moment—it is a world-changing moment.
    Every step of Jesus’ earthly ministry has been leading to this scene.
    He is about to return to Heaven, but before He ascends, He gives His disciples a charge that will echo through every century until He returns.
    Over the course of this series, we’ve seen the mission unfold in stages:
    The Master revealed His mindset — “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
    He gave His message — repentance and remission of sins through His name (Luke 24:46–48).
    He provided the model — “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21).
    Now, in Matthew 28, He gives us the mandate
    — His final earthly command before He leaves His Mission in our hands.
    This is not merely a motivational farewell speech.
    It is a royal decree from Heaven’s King, binding on every believer, in every generation, in every corner of the globe.
    It is the reason missionaries leave home and cross oceans.
    It is the reason churches send and plant churches.
    It is the reason you and I must cross the street, walk across a break room, or pick up a phone to share Christ with someone.
    Mandate means : 1. an authoritative command (especially: a formal order from a superior court or official to an inferior one)
    2. an authorization to act that is given to a representative
    Christ has given us an authoritative command and an authorization to act as His representative and in these verses He has laid out for us three truths that I believe will help us better understand and apply this mandate.
    First, in this Mandate from the Master we see

    I. The Power Given to the Master

    “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
    Before Jesus ever says what to do, He tells us why we can do it.
    The mission of God rests on the unshakable authority of the risen Christ.
    He says “All Power”
    A. His Authority is Supreme
    “All power” means all authority — unlimited, unrivaled, and unquestionable.
    It is the authority of the One who conquered death, who commands angels, who reigns over kings and nations.
    No ruler can veto Him.
    No demon can conqour Him
    No cultural wall can over shadow Him.
    No government decree can silence Him.
    Philippians 2:9–11 declares that God has “highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name… that every knee should bow… and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
    One day, every rebel heart will bow to Him — but until then, we go forth as ambassadors of the King who reigns from on high
    A. His Authority is Supreme
    B. His Authority is Sovereign
    He says this authority covers “heaven and earth.”
    There is no spiritual realm where He is not King, and no earthly territory where His rule does not apply.
    The wind and waves obey Him.
    The hosts of Heaven worship Him.
    The devils tremble before Him.
    When you share the gospel, you are not a volunteer working on your own.
    You are an authorized representative of the Highest Throne in the universe.
    You carry the seal of Heaven,
    the backing of the Sovereign Lord,
    and the protection of the Almighty.
    Application:
    If Jesus has all authority, then my excuses hold no authority.
    My fears hold no authority.
    My comfort zone has no authority.
    The only authority that matters is His.
    And because He is in control — it’s a guaranteed mission. He says,...
    “My Word shall not return void”
    “He that soweth spearingly shall reap spearingly, He that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully”
    “All those that come unto me, I will in no wise cast out”
    The missions success doesn’t depend on our cleverness, our charisma, or our creativity.
    It rests entirely on His authority
    Our job is not to make the mission possible — it’s to make the master visible.
    Because He has all power, He can gives us a plan.

    II. The Plan for Fulfilling The Mandate

    “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”
    The Great Commission is not complicated—but it is comprehensive.
    It’s a simple command with far-reaching scope.
    He gives us four clear verbs: Go. Teach. Baptize. Disciple.
    The Master leaves no room for guesswork.
    A. Go – The Sending
    “Go” is a word of movement, not maintenance.
    Jesus doesn’t say, “Stay here and hope the world wanders in.”
    The church was never meant to be a fortress that hides from the world, but a force that advances the mission of the master into the world.
    This “going” will require crossing:
    Geographical boundaries — from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
    Cultural boundaries — Peter going to the Gentiles (into different languages, customs, and backgrounds.)
    Personal boundaries — Peter and John on their way to the temple; Stephen going to the eunich) stepping out of comfort zones, speaking to those we might otherwise avoid.
    We don’t wait for the lost to come to us — we go to them.
    In the 1800s, a young man named Hudson Taylor felt God’s call to take the gospel to China. At that time, few missionaries were willing to cross oceans and cultures, but Taylor said, “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.” He left his home, family, and comforts behind, and God used him to spark a movement that eventually brought millions in China to Christ. Why? Because he obeyed the Master’s simple command: Go.
    A. Go – The Sending
    B. Witness – The Saving Truth
    The first “teach” means “make disciples
    This starts with evangelism — clearly presenting the gospel so that people come to saving faith in Christ.
    It is more than sharing nice moral thoughts — it is proclaiming the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only hope for salvation.
    (give the gospel here)
    Christ lived a sin free life, Christ died for you according to the scriptures, for your sin he took your punishment that you deserved. He was buried and He rose again the third day according to the scriptures proving to us that life after death is real and you will either live in hell were the worm dieth not or you will live in heaven with the One that got up the third day.
    Jesus says ye must be born again
    Jesus also tells us that He is the only way
    Paul says there is salvation in none other
    Paul also says Romans 10:9–10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
    He tells the Church at Ephises in Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
    Then He lets us know how faith comes
    Romans 10:17 reminds us, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
    Our job is not to produce faith — only the Spirit can do that
    Our job is but to proclaim the truth so faith can be born.
    A. Go – The Sending
    B. Witness – The Saving Truth
    C. Baptize – The Scriptural Step
    Once someone believes, baptism is the God-ordained step of obedience that publicly identifies them with Christ.
    It’s a public declaration:
    I belong to Jesus.
    I believe the gospel.
    I am part of His family.
    Baptism doesn’t save — Only Christ does that
    I can pour water on wood and when it dries it will still burn.
    You can get baptized without repentance toward God and you will still burn in hell
    Just so there is no question about hell and those that do not repent and believe turn with me to
    Revelation 20:11–15
    I dont want that for you and neither does the Father that is why He sent His Only Begotten Son
    Repent and believe before its to late
    Because Baptism is nothing more than a testimony to the world of what God has done in your heart and life.
    So Christ said,
    Go, witness, baptize, and the final process in the plan is...
    A. Go – The Sending
    B. Witness – The Saving Truth
    C. Baptize – The Scriptural Step
    D. Train – The Strengthening
    The second “teach” is about training — teaching believers to “observe all things”.
    This is not a quick course,
    it is a lifelong process of grounding believers in God’s Word so they mature, serve, and reproduce.
    Without discipleship, new believers are left spiritually vulnerable.
    Without evangelism, churches become inward-focused and stagnant.
    The Master’s plan is always — reaching and teaching, winning and growing, evangelism and discipleship
    They all work hand in hand.
    Obedience to the Great Commission requires both movement and maturity.
    If we only go and never witness, we create spiritual orphans.
    If we only witness and never baptize, we create spiritual sloths
    If we only baptize and never train, we create spiritual babes.
    Only when we do all four do we obey the Master fully.
    The Power given to the Master, The Plan for Fulfilling the Mandate and lastly we see....

    III. The Promise for the Missionary

    “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
    The Great Commission would crush us if it depended on our strength alone.
    But the One who sends us does not send us alone.
    Where we go He goes!!
    A. His Presence is Personal
    “I am with you.”
    This is not a vague, poetic phrase — it is a personal promise.
    Every believer who obeys His command carries with them the presence of Christ Himself.
    When you share the gospel, He is there.
    When you step into an unfamiliar culture, He is there.
    When you are persecuted for sharing the gospel He is there
    When you are heartbroken like Jeremiah He is there
    No matter the darkest jungle or the meanest street He is there
    A. His Presence is Personal
    B. His Presence is Perpetual
    “Alway” means every day
    — in the victories and in the valleys,
    in seasons of fruitfulness and
    in seasons of sowing,
    in moments of boldness and
    in moments of fear. He is with you
    From the moment you step into obedience until you step into eternity, He is with you alway
    A. His Presence is Personal
    B. His Presence is Perpetual
    C. His Presence is Powerful
    Matthew’s Gospel begins with this truth: “Emmanuel… God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
    It ends with the same truth: “Lo, I am with you alway.”
    From cradle to cross to commission, Jesus is with His people.
    His presence is not just comforting — it is empowering.
    Fear fades when we remember who walks beside us.
    Loneliness turns to courage when we remember we are never on the mission alone.
    Application:
    You may not have all the answers, all the resources, or all the confidence — but you have Him.
    And if you have Him, you have everything you need to carry out His mission.

    Conclusion

    We have walked with the Master—seen His mindset for the mission, heard His message, learned from His model, and now stand under His mandate.
    The question is no longer, What is the mission?
    The question is, What will we do with it?
    The same Jesus who came to seek and save the lost now sends us with His gospel.
    His heart still beats for the nations, His hands still reach through His church, and His voice still calls—Go.
    Friends, the time for observing is over; the time for obeying is now.
    But before you can obey the mandate of the Master, you must first know the Master.
    The Great Commission is not about busy Christians doing religious work—it is about redeemed sinners telling others about the Redeemer.
    Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth, and with that authority He commands you to repent and believe the gospel.
    The One who sends us to the nations first calls you to Himself.
    Have you been saved?
    Not baptized, not church-going, not religious—saved?
    If you stood before God today, could you say with certainty that your sins are forgiven and Heaven is your home?
    The good news is this: the same Jesus who said, “Go” also said, “Come.”
    He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
    He died for your sins, He rose for your justification, and today He offers you eternal life if you will turn from sin and trust Him alone.
    Christian, this mandate is not optional—it is our marching orders.
    You may not be called to cross an ocean, but you are called to cross the street.
    You may not stand in a pulpit, but you can speak in your workplace, your classroom, your neighborhood, your own family.
    “Friend, the mandate of the Master is clear.
    If you are lost, He calls you to come.
    If you are saved, He commands you to go.
    The Master has spoken.
    His power is unquestionable.
    His plan is unmistakable.
    His presence is unbreakable.
    The only question left is not for your neighbor, not for your pastor—it is for you.
    Will you obey?
Victory Baptist Church Holly Ridge
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