Place: Lurgan Baptist 11:4:2003

Reading: Matthew 28:18-20

6. CONSIDER HIM

THE UNBIASED CHRIST

One summer Barbara, was teaching a class of seven year olds. She was using the Wordless Book hat had different colours in it representing the aspects of salvation. The first page was black representing sin. But when she asked the children, “ What do you think the black page represents ?” A little African- American boy raised his hand and said, “ Someone’s face ?” She said,

“ It could, but here it represents something else.” I suppose that we are all struggling at times with prejudice and bias. According to a report in the U.S.A. an organisation known as the “ Uglies,” picketed an American Airlines ticket office in protest of alleged discrimination in the way they were recruiting people.

Evidently, this American Airline were advertising for good-looking people. And Uglies Unlimited, a Forth Worth, Texas based organisation, was formed to fight social structures that discriminate against ugly people.

Long before any organizations were formed to fight biased social structures, a divine antidote was given for the fallen condition of man …. the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed before He went back to heaven, the Risen Lord commissioned His disciples to take the message of the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. In fact, to show its importance, the Great Commission, as we know it, is recorded five times in the New Testament …. one time in each of the four gospels and a fifth time in the first chapter of Acts. My …. the Lord expects us to go, to pray, to give, to be globally minded Christians, but alas the Great Commission has become the Great Omission. Did you know that there are 6.1 billion people on earth and more than 5 billion of them are lost ? The best calculations tell us that about 600 million people claim a personal, saving relationship with Jesus Christ. An additional 1.4 billion are associated in some way with “ Christendom.”

Another 2.5 billion people are non-Christian, but have some access to the gospel message. But more than 1.6 billion have never the gospel once.

Is this the way the Risen Lord intended it to be ? Or are we His church not listening ? No portion of revealed truth magnifies the unbiased, unprejudiced nature of the Lord Jesus more than the Great Commission. And, in a surprising way, the inclusiveness of Christ’s plan is underlined in one seemingly insignificant word. For did you notice the Risen Lord used the word “ all,” 4 times in the context ? He talks about “ all power, all nations,

all things, and always.” I want to suggest to you this …. that The Unbiased Christ wants us:

(1) TO MOTIVATE ALL PEOPLE

The Risen Lord motivated the apostles that they turn might motivate others ! ( 2 Tim 2:2 ) When the Lord Jesus said, “ Go ye therefore,” ( 28:19 ) for sure, He was addressing the eleven ( 28:16 ) and, perhaps, more than five hundred others. ( 1 Cor 15:6 ) The references to “ they,” and “ some,” in ( 28:17 ) and to “ them,” in

( 28:18 ) indicate that various personalities were enlisted in this world-wide endeavour. However, the “ all,” of this emphasis needs to be qualified, for when our Lord Jesus Christ said “ Go ye,” He is speaking of:

(a) ALL WHO ARE SAVED:

I mean the ones to whom He spoke were His followers. The people He commissioned were those who had genuinely believed in Him. Why would He have commissioned unbelievers to tell other unbelievers about Someone they didn’t believe in ? You see, when it come to telling others about God’s saving grace, the Lord recruits those who have experienced this same saving grace. Now this does not mean that all the believers on this mountain were the best representatives Christ could find. Do you recall on one occasion that James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy people ? ( Lk 9:54 ) Thomas was known for his doubt and perplexity. ( Jn 20:25 ) What about Peter ? He had denied the Lord Jesus. ( Lk 22:57 ) Even some on this mountain were filled with doubt when they saw the Lord. ( 28:17 ) But in spite of their deficiencies they were believers in Christ. Did they limit the Lord in any way ? Not at all ! For Christ says, “ All power is given unto Me,” and consequently He can use anything, anyone, in anyway He chooses to accomplish His purposes ! Incidentally, are you saved ? Can He entrust this message of saving grace to you ? (a)

(b) ALL WHO WILL SERVE:

For in an unbiased way the Risen Lord has given the responsibility of sharing the gospel too all of His people.

This is every Christians job. It is the preachers job. It is the members job ! It is the elders job. It is the deacons job. It is the Sunday School teachers job ! It is the husbands job ! It is the wife’s job. My …. do you realise that it is your job ? You see, The Unbiased Christ will use one as much as He will use the other. The educated and the uneducated, the polished and the unpolished, the loud and the not so loud. Is it not amazing that Christ would allow each of us to have a part in proclaiming the gospel message ? What a privilege ! What an honour ! What a trust ! The question is, are you willing for Him to use you ? Many years ago King George the 5^th, was to give the opening address at a special disarmament conference, with a speech relayed by radio to the U.S.A.

As the broadcast was about to begin, a cable broke in the New York radio station and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A junior mechanic in the station, Harold Vivien solved the problem by picking up both ends of the cable and allowing 250 volts of electricity to pass through him. He was the living link that allowed the King’s message to get through. My …. is that what you are ? Are you a living link between the Lord and the lost ? Between the Saviour and the sinner ?

(2) TO INFILTRATE ALL PLACES

For the command of the Unbiased Christ was to reach

“ all nations.” Did you notice:

(a) HIS AMAZING PLAN:

“ Go ye, therefore and teach all nations,” ( 28:19 ) That is, make disciples of all nations. While, Christ Himself, never travelled out of a hundred mile radius, He commanded His disciples to go to “ all nations,” or as Mark records it to go “ into the all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” ( Mk 16:15 ) In this mandate, the Lord looked to Palestine and beyond, to the eastern part of the world and beyond, across the seas and beyond. His plan was that the message of His death, burial, and resurrection be proclaimed globally ! All of us love to travel, but few of us have ever been to Timbuktu. This city of about 20,000, known locally as Tombouctou, is located in west central Africa, in the country of Mali. Somehow, though the years Timbuktu, has gotten the reputation of being the most remote and inaccessible place on earth. That isn’t true, but one thing we know, the Lord wants us to bring the gospel to the primarily Islamic people of Timbuktu. From here to Timbuktu, the Lord intends for His gospel to be proclaimed across all the earth. At the time of King David ( 1000 BC ) there were 150 million people on earth. By the time of Christ, that figure had doubled to 300 million. The world reached 1 billion about 1800. By 1930 the population reached 2 billion. In 1999, 6 billion. By 2025, it will be 7.8 billion, by 2050 nearly 9 billion.

Listen, every minute 101 people pass into eternity, many without Christ. Do you care ? Is this nothing to you ? Have you any heart ? Any compassion ? Are you willing to go to all people, in all places, at all times with the life-giving message of the cross ? (a)

(b) HIS ACCOMPANYING PRESENCE:

For His wonderful words were, “ And, lo, I am with you always.” ( 28:20 ) The old English word “ always,” might be rendered “ all along the way.” in unbiased fashion, the Risen Lord was saying, “ Wherever you go in My Name, I will be with you all along the way.” David Livingstone had spent 16 years in Africa, but now he was greater danger than ever before. The white man was surrounded by angry, hostile natives in the heart of Africa. He was in danger of losing his life and contemplated fleeing in the middle of the night.

But something happened that changed his mind and gave him peace in the mist of the storm. He records it in his diary on 14^th January 1856. He says, I read that Jesus said, “ Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” It is the word of a gentlemen of the most strict and sacred honour so there’s an end to it. I will not flee tonight, as I intended. Should such a man as I flee ? Nay, I shall take observations for latitude and longitude tonight, though they may be the last. I feel quite calm, now, thank God.” What a time Paul had in Corinth. Opportunities ? Yes ! Opposition ? Yes ! Souls saved, the Devil stirred, the apostle discouraged so much so that the Lord shod up in Corinth one night and said, “ Be not afraid …. For I AM with thee.”

( Acts 18:10 ) “ Lo, I am with you always.” My …. the great “ I AM,” Has promised to be with us in days of barrenness and blessing, storm and sunshine, opportunity and opposition, indeed to you who are weary in the battle this …. He says, “ Be not afraid for I am with thee.” (1) (2)

(3) TO ENUNCIATE ALL PRINCIPLES

Did you miss this “ all,” ? “ Teaching them to observe all things,” ( 28:20 ) Not only were the disciples to gave the basics of gospel truth, but “ all things,” that “ The Unbiased Christ,” had revealed to them, as well. In other words:

(a) FIRST PRINCIPLES NEED TO BE TAUGHT:

Matthew breaks it down here for us. He says:

1. There needs to be DEDICATION:

“ Go,” What’s the complaint in so many churches to day ? “ They won’t come.” Whoever said they would.

Christ said, “ Go ye therefore,” or “ while you are going make disciples of.” You see, no matter where we are going we should be witnesses for Him but that will inevitably mean a dedication of ourselves, our time and talents. 1.

2. There needs to be EVANGELISATION:

“ Teach,” or “ make disciples of.” Mark’s record says,

“ preach the gospel to every creature.” My …. is this not priority number one ? Lost sinners must be brought to the place of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ! ( Acts 20:21 ) We must by the means of preaching the gospel seek to make them Christ’s disciples. John Wesley said to his students, “ You have only business and that is the salvation of souls.” David Brainerd at the close of his life wrote, “ I cared not how I lived nor what hardships I went through, if only I might gain souls for Christ.” What about us

corporately ? What about you personally ? Have you lost the sharp edge of evangelism ? 1:2:

3. There needs to be IDENTIFICATION:

“ Baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” ( 28:19 ) For baptism, is an outward sign of our union with the Lord Jesus and our association with the people of God. You see, the N.T. knows nothing of spiritual gypsies, believers who just wander here, there and everywhere. Do you recall what happened following Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost ? We read, “ …. they that gladly received His Word were baptised and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” My …. has God’s order changed ? Has the Divine Pattern changed ? No ! We hear the gospel, we receive the Saviour, we obey the Lord in baptism, we submit to the authority of the local church. Christians say to me, “ I wouldn’t join that church, because of the lifestyle of some of its members.” Tell me, what has that to do with the pattern the Head of the church has laid down ? (a)

(b) FURTHER PRINCIPLES NEED TO BE TAUGHT:

“ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” ( 28:20 ) My …. how vast is the range of thought presented or suggested by this saying of our Lord. All of us need to be aware that there are “ things that accompany salvation,” ( Heb 6:9 ) doctrinal and practical principles, that are for our

“ instruction in righteousness.” ( 2 Tim 3:16 ) Indeed do the Saviour’s words not highlight the reason for so much superficiality in the church ? Its because there is so little Biblical and systematic teaching of the Word of God. We’ve got everything and anything to undermine the Primacy of the Word. Yet our task is what ? “ To present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” ( Col 1:28 ) (1) (2) (3)

(4) TO APPROPRIATE ALL POWER

For surely any activity no matter how impressive it may be, is mere activity apart from the authority and power of “ The Unbiased Christ.” Look here at:

(a) HIS ALL-ENCOMPASSING POWER:

Did you notice what Christ said ? “ Power is given unto Me,” no ! “ Some power is given unto me,” no ! Rather His claim was the claim of omnipotence. “ All power is given unto me.” My …. this is too much for the mind to comprehend. This is power beyond our knowledge of power. Spurgeon says, “ We might as well attempt to describe infinity or map the boundless as to tell what

“ all power,” must mean.” “ All power, or all authority,” “ In heaven,” for the forces of heaven are at His disposal ( 1 Pet 3:22 ) “ In earth,” remind us of Christ’s total rule. (a) Are you not glad that no satanic force can resist that power ? ( Eph 1:21-22 ) Are you not glad that we can rely on that power ?

(b) HIS ALL-ENABLING POWER:

For did the Risen Lord not say, “ And ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”

( Acts 1:8 ) In other words, the all-encompassing power of the Lord, becomes the all-enabling power in His obedient people. “ All power …. go ye therefore.” “ And as you go, know that moment by moment, day by day, you can lean on Me.” Would this not have been a tremendous encouragement to the disciples ? Can you imagine how they must have felt when they received such a commission ? “ We conquer the world, sure we can hardly conquer our fears, and misgivings, Lord we’re fishermen from Galilee, with no letters, no means, no influence and no resources.” But Christ says, “ Go in the realisation that all power is to be by Me placed at your disposal.” ( Eph 1:19 ) My …. we can go forward in this great work of global evangelisation, this work of winning souls, without fear no matter where He leads us, no matter what circumstances we face for He is control.

“ We rest on Thee our Shield and our Defender

We go not forth alone to face the foe

Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender

We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go.”

The Unbiased Christ wants us to (1) (2) (3) (4)

According to a legend, when Christ returned to heaven following His death and resurrection, the angels gathered in amazement. They gazed at the wounds in His hands and feet, and shuddered to recall His suffering. Finally Gabriel spoke, “ Master, you suffered terribly down there. Do they know and appreciate the extent of your sacrifice.” “ No,” said the Lord. “ Not yet, right now only a handful of people in Palestine know. “ Then what have you done to let everyone else know ?” asked Gabriel. “ I’ve asked Peter, James and John and a few others to spread the news. They will tell others who will tell others until the message spreads to the ends of the earth.”

But Gabriel, knowing the nature of human beings, asked, “ What is plan B ?” “ I have no Plan B,” replied Christ. “ There is no alternative plan. I’m counting on them.” Twenty one centuries later, the Lord Jesus still has no other plan. He’s counting on you and me. The question when He comes, will He find you faithful ? Will He find you active ? Will He find you committed in proclaiming Him ?