Welcome to the preaching ministry of Tri-City Baptist Church in Chandler, Arizona. Our desire is that God would be magnified through the preaching of His Word, and that Christians would be challenged, strengthened, and edified in their personal walk with Christ. I invite you to take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew, the last chapter, chapter 28. We will be looking at the last section of this passage in just a few moments, a section that we're familiar with as the Great Commission. Wanna consider the area this morning of a great commitment to the Great Commission. You know, one of the main concerns that students have in classes when signing up for a class on a more advanced level is what does the syllabus look like? What are the assignments of this class? What is the level of work involved and will I be able to meet the expectations? I remember my first semester in graduate school in seminary, I took a class that was called methods of Bible exposition. There were no quizzes, no exams, no real reading assignments for this class. The only thing that was assigned was we would be given one passage every week and we had to do the exposition of that passage. We had to write a paper that was explaining that passage and dealing with all the aspects of it. And this was in the days before computers. So there wasn't the ease of doing research online or writing the papers with a computer. And so I did the first paper. There was one due every week. And I did the first one. I stayed up very late into the early hours of the morning writing that paper, typing that paper. And I realized very quickly, this is not going to work. And so I hired a typist. I said, I'm going to let somebody else do the typing. And that way I can get some sleep. I'll do the research. They can do the typing. And it worked out well. Since I hired them for the entire semester, I got a better rate because I was going to be giving her all of my papers. And she's being paid by the page. And so it worked well for me. But it also did a couple of other things. I realize that if I'm going to get my paper to the typist, I can't do it at the last moment. She's going to need time to do the typing because she doesn't feel the urgency that I do of turning it in on time. So I had to do my research early, which then actually had an advantage that I hadn't realized. I get to go to the commentaries before most of the class. because we're all writing on the same passage, so we're all going to the library to pull out the same commentaries, and I have to do it sooner. And so it really helped on several levels. But imagine I walked in one day, and I turned in my paper to the professor, and instead of turning in a paper dealing with Philippians 2, I gave him Ephesians 2. What do you think the professor would say in that situation? So, well, this is nice, but that's not the assignment. This isn't what I asked you to do. Now, there have been times as a teacher that I've had assignments turned in, it's like, okay, but you missed a significant part of what I asked in the assignment sheet. And there'd be times I would just highlight this and turn it back and grade accordingly. Okay, appreciate what you gave me, but it wasn't what was assigned. So what is Christ's assignment that he has given to us as believers? What is the mission of the church? And really, why are we here today? You know, what is the primary purpose of the church of why we are here at this time in history? You know, there are several ideas that may come up for the purpose of the church. Some may say, well, we're here for fellowship. You know, we get together to encourage one another, we need that friendship, we need that for the purpose of discipleship, that's why we're here. Others might say that we're here for Bible teaching, that we need Bible teaching, that we can be equipped to serve, to stand in the world, that we can think properly, to have biblical values. And teaching is necessary for that, to help us have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, and to be obedient. And we want teaching to be transformational, not merely informational. Others might say, well, it's for prayer and praise. That we want to come together, we want to worship the Lord, we want to praise Him, we want to spend time in prayer. And that's an important aspect. I mean, missions exist because proper worship doesn't. That people are trying to worship, but not in the right way. As Paul says later in Acts, as he goes to Athens and he says, I see that you have an altar to the unknown God, I want to tell you about him. I want to tell you about the God you don't know. Well, that's really the heart of missions, to help people in these areas. But if these were the reasons that we were here, if our primary purpose was one of these, couldn't all of these be better accomplished in heaven? I mean, how many times is our fellowship broken and messed up because of sin? Either our sin or somebody else's sin. You know, they say something, do something that causes us not to really want to be around them and breaks that fellowship. We don't want to show up because of sin in our lives. Or we prefer not to be around other Christians. Couldn't we have better fellowship in heaven when there is no sin? Or how about Bible teaching? You know, wouldn't it be nice to be able to hear the Bible stories firsthand? To talk to Joshua and David and Esther and Ruth and others and ask questions? I mean, I have questions that aren't all answered in the Bible. And how much better to know Jesus if we could be in His presence? And wouldn't it be better to praise and spend that time to worship Him around the throne? And so why are we here? What is our assignment? All of these elements need to be present in the church, but none of them really represents the central purpose, the mission of the church in this world. And in Matthew chapter 16, we find the first mention of the church. It's the first mention in the Bible of the church. And Jesus told his disciples then that he would build his church and the gates of Hades will not be victorious against it. And now at the end of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples the mission, or the commission, the syllabus for the class. And we call it the Great Commission. Because the ultimate motive of the church is to magnify God. That really is our desire, that God would be glorified as we state for Tri-City, that we will exalt the Triune God. That we do that by the edification of believers and the evangelism of the lost. And so the ultimate motive of the church is to magnify God. The ultimate mission of the church is to make disciples. This is the assignment that we've been given. This is what we find in our syllabus, God's Word. the great commission, the mission flows from the loving fellowship, the spiritual growth of Bible study, and the heartfelt praise and devotion of prayer, but that we would be committed to reaching the lost. And if we're not committed to reaching the lost, we need to really question our divine existence. And what I want us to consider this morning from this familiar passage is that the risen Christ has tasked His followers with the responsibility of making disciples. That we would make disciples. If you have your Bibles open, follow with me as I begin reading in verse 16. Matthew 28, beginning in verse 16. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. And 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." Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Father, we thank you for your word and the instruction, the direction that we have, the task that we have been given. We pray that as we look at this passage, we will apply it practically and personally, that we would fulfill our assignments, that we might hear, well done, faithful servant. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Matthew 28 is really the climactic passage of this Gospel. It offers the primary assignment to the Church, but if you understand the rest of the Gospel of Matthew and miss this point of the closing verses, we've really missed the point of the Gospel. of the entire book. That not only is it the climax, it's the focal point of the Gospel. And it's really indispensable to the entire New Testament. Because a similar commission is given in all four Gospels and in the opening chapter of Acts. So while we call this passage the Great Commission, we find that commission given five times in the New Testament. It's Christ's syllabus to those of us who have trusted Him, who are His followers. That we would make disciples and establish local congregations of Christ's followers. This is the heart of missions. That biblical missions is not simply going to a faraway land and doing something in the name of Jesus. No, it's sharing the gospel, the good news of salvation, and bringing people to that position where they trust in Him, then baptizing and teaching all things. See, the last words of Jesus should be lasting words for us. Or as Mark Herbster shared with us as we had our missions conference, his last words should be our first priority. So what does it take to fulfill the Great Commission? Well, first of all, we find that we have to be available. Christ spoke to those who were available, specifically. It says in verse 16, the eleven went away into Galilee. They were there. We must be present with Christ. And that's what we're seeing in the opening passage, that unlike the women who had been faithful in the opening verses of chapter 28, the eleven disciples missed the resurrected Christ in the garden. They weren't there. And so back in the opening verses, in verse 7, Jesus, or the angel, tells the women, go to my disciples and tell them that Jesus will meet them in Galilee. See, God's blessings aren't available to those who aren't present. It's really not the same. You know, it's nice to hear a description of what happened. But it's so much nicer to be there, to be part of it, to experience it personally. I'm sure that when the women came to the disciples and said, we've seen the risen Christ, that we've heard that he's risen from the dead. Well, it was nice, but they weren't there. In fact, some of the disciples ran to see the empty tomb. But now they've been told, go to Galilee, make that journey from Jerusalem, go north, go up there, and the Lord will meet you there. It's important to be present, to be available. The most talented person is really useless if they're not available to be used. You know, you can't disciple people who aren't there. And we can't be discipled if we're not in that position to be taught. And if we're unavailable, we're unrewarded. Because they were there, they were commissioned. And so we see that these eleven went away to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had appointed them, that they had been told. So we see this aspect. The commission came with the promise of God Christ's power and presence to those who were present. The second thing we see is that you must be focused. It says, when they saw him, when they looked upon the Lord, they worshipped. Because they were present, they saw the risen Lord. And what was the heart response? Adoration. It was a heart response of worship. But it's interesting because verse 17 also expresses a level of uncertainty with some of them. It says that they worshiped, but some doubted. I mean, tried to comprehend all that was going on. To see the risen Lord now, and He's present, and there's no indication that His coming was some miraculous thing. And so they're wondering. There's an aspect of this. Possibly they're still confused, that doubt, maybe fear. And aren't those the emotions that we often experience when we read the Great Commission? Go, make disciples. Don't we have doubts? Fears? Sometimes confusion? Well, what do I say? How do I do this? How do I go about this? That's what our Lord is answering here. That as we're focused on Him, we're going to see how He answers those questions. Third thing that we see in being available is we have to be surrendered. These disciples were where the Lord wanted them to be in obedience. That obedience is demonstrated in their willingness to come and then to be used of the Lord. The heart of worship is one that responds in surrender. Like Isaiah, when he sees the Lord in Isaiah chapter 6 and he says, here am I Lord, send me. He hears the question in heaven, who shall we send? Who will go? And he says, send me. Because he had seen the greatness of the Lord, the holiness of God, as we sang, holy, holy, holy. He saw the mighty, mighty, mighty Lord that deserved glory. He said, I'm willing. Here I am. So the first aspect of fulfilling the syllabus, the assignment, is we have to be available. The second one is we understand Christ's supreme authority. That Christ speaks to us with authority. Verse 18 says, all authority has been given to me. See, before the Lord gives the assignment sheet, His great commission, He announces His authority. And it's because of His great authority that He will provide the great power to fulfill the great commission. See, His authority, first of all, is comprehensive. The idea of authority, the word that's being used here is the freedom to speak and act as one pleases. With Jesus, his freedom and right is unlimited and it's absolute. All authority is given to me. All authority over all the nations, over all time. And it was evidenced during his earthly ministry. And so that's why I said this is the culmination of this gospel. When you read through the gospel, what you find is you see the power that Jesus had. He had power over disease, over demons, over death, even over destiny. In fact, in Matthew 10, verse 28, he says, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. He has power over destiny. Jesus has power to forgive sins. So in Matthew 9, verse 6, he speaks of that. And understanding, he also had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. So how do we respond to his authority? It's comprehensive, but how do we respond? A.W. Tozer died on May 13th of 1963, and he had written an article before he died, and it was published two days after his death. It said this, the authority of Christ is challenged by the world, and it's ignored by the church. Christ in the church is like a king in a limited constitutional monarchy. The crown of such a country is only a traditional rallying point. It's a pleasant symbol of unity and loyalty, much like a flag or a national anthem. The king is lauded and well taken care of, but he has no real authority. Nominally, he is the head over all, but in every crisis, someone else makes the decisions. Who makes the decisions in our lives? You know, we can acknowledge, oh yes, Jesus is, He's Lord, but when it comes right down to making decisions, do we vote biblical principles? When we make decisions about life, of work, of our spending, of how we spend our time, is He the head or a figurehead? What position does Christ have? See, He's saying all authority, it's comprehensive. This authority is sovereign. It was given to the Son by the Father. We read in Philippians 2, therefore the Father God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow. He has ultimate comprehensive authority. But His authority is also the culmination of His resurrection power. That we see in this what is taking place. This comes after the resurrection. That He had power to lay down His life and take it up again. And the resurrection was a vindication and a validation of His authority. The resurrection shows us several things. It's the manifestation of the power of God. Power over death. Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, grave, where is your victory? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory. It's the authentication of the word of God. That God's promises are sure. That Jesus said that he would rise again. And it's also the revelation of God's plan. That this was not the second tier idea. This was God's plan from eternity past. to show his love, his compassion. The one who has power over death really deserves to direct our lives. Because there's no place in heaven or earth that is outside his authority. That we read that he has put all things under his feet. That the lowest place on Jesus is higher than the highest place of any authority in heaven or earth. So really our options are we either do the assignment or we don't. We obey or we disobey. You know, there were times that when I was looking at my program that I would see certain classes and I would check the syllabus ahead of time and say, you know what, I'm not signing up for that class because I can't handle that workload right now. And so I would say, you know what, I'm not taking that class. I might later, I might find it with a different professor, I'll find out if it's an elective, but I'm not taking that class because of the workload. We don't have that option. The teacher assigns what we are to do. And yet, it's not simply, okay, what am I going to do? We're called to take up our cross daily to follow Christ, but He gives us the power. And so we see His authority provides confidence for success. That not only does He have the authority, He provides the tools. He gives us the power. He's assuring His disciples that the Great Commission, that assignment, He will give them the power to succeed. The professor in that grad class that I took, that we had this paper due every week, and we were having to do an exposition of some passage of scripture. But this professor had written a book where he had evaluated the various commentaries that were available. And he would note which ones he felt were the best commentaries. that these were the ones that did the best job of treatment of that book or that passage. So when I would look at that assignment sheet and see what passage it was, the next thing I did was I went to his book. And I said, which commentaries does the professor recommend? And that's where I went. Because I figured if he thinks these are the best, then that's what I want in my paper. The professor really gave me the tools. And the fact that I was having to do my papers about a week ahead of everybody else, they were usually available when I went to the library. I could check them out, I could take them back to my room, I could work on it, and I had a confidence that I was using the sources that He had recommended. Jesus Christ has the power and He gives us the resources that we need. He says, because I have both the authority to command you to be witnesses and the power to enable you to obey the command, the gates of Haiti will not prevail against the church. That is a wonderful promise. So we don't have to be fearful and wonder, well, what if? No, we rely on Him. He has the authority to open ears, to open eyes, to open hearts. So we don't have to doubt or fear when Jesus is near, that I can trust Him. The third thing that we see in this passage, though, is that Christ entrusts you with a specific assignment. Before He gives the assignment, He's focused on His authority. You know, if you were given an assignment, you want to be clear, you want to know what that assignment is, and you want to make sure that it's communicated clearly. I had the opportunity of being both the student and the teacher, and a number of years ago I had the privilege of teaching a class with Chinese pastors. And I had to teach it through an interpreter. And it was really an interesting class because they had given me an assignment to cover the area of stewardship. Now that's challenging enough within our culture. It's really challenging when you're doing it cross-cultural. And I can say what the Bible says, but when it comes to making applications and getting questions, and when I started teaching the class, I was really concerned because when I would ask questions, I'd get an answer, but they weren't asking any questions. And I went to the people, I said, you know, I've got so much material for this week, but if I don't get some feedback, I'm gonna be, I'm plowing through my material fairly quickly. And they said, well, you know, we'll see what we can do to adjust. Well, after several days, they started asking questions. And the person I'd gone to, they were teaching the last day and they came back to me afterwards and said, you created a monster. So they're asking all kinds of questions. I said, that's good. But one of the challenges was when I gave the exam and they were like most students, will you accept this answer? You know, it's like, well, you know, professor, will you accept this? And I would turn to my interpreter and say, was I clear when I explained it? And she'd say, oh yeah, you were clear. They just missed it, it's wrong. I want to give grace. And so I would, well, okay. And so this happened several times and finally she quit interpreting for me. She would just answer and tell them it's wrong. You know, that's not what I want to hear. But when there are those dynamics, you're not always sure, is it clear? Jesus Christ is clear. He gives us very clear instructions of what we're to do. Our syllabus gives us four verbs that tell us what to do in the assignment. And while there are four verbs that are given in verse 19, there is one main verb. The other three verbs are imperatives. They are three participles that are explaining, or there's one imperative and there's three participles that explain how do we accomplish the one main part of this assignment. And the job description, the assignment sheet, is given to his followers, and ultimately what we're to seek to do is make disciples. Now, I realize that's not the first one stated, but that is the main verb. That is the imperative. We are to disciple. Really, the idea is a verb there. The force of this is urging us to make followers of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission is a command to bring unbelievers throughout the world to a saving knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ so that they will grow in obedience to him. That's the heart of the Great Commission. To make disciples. It says make disciples, not get decisions. It's not simply having somebody say a prayer, write a date on a card, or put it in the front of a Bible and say, we're all set. No, it's to disciple. It's not like, well, I'll become a follower and later I'll become a disciple, that I'll say a prayer and later I'll take a Bible class and go through a discipleship course. No, when we trust Christ, we become His disciples. At that moment, and then it's a growing, it's a lifelong opportunity and experience and responsibility. But to not be a disciple of Christ is to not belong to Christ. We become disciples at salvation, we continue throughout our life to be in that process of discipleship. See, those who know Christ personally, follow Christ experientially, and become instruments for making disciples internationally. Go into all the world. So this is the climactic record by the Holy Spirit that is recorded in multiple places. That's why we sing, I love to tell the story. Because that's our heartbeat. And so how do we do that? Well, we go. It says, as you go, the verb there is going. Believers are to be active, not passive. It's having gone, really the indication is this is the ongoing, this is the lifestyle of believers. That we need to put the go back in the gospel. Go into all the world. So I can't go internationally. Well, go around the corner. Around the corner, around the world, a soul needs Jesus. And the truth is we live in a day and age when the world comes to us. And we've shared that. One of the joys of Tri-City Baptist Church is that there is an intercultural aspect and that we would recognize that. But we ought to live with the awareness of divine appointments. We put it on our prayer sheet every month. Pray that the Lord will stir the hearts of the unsaved and lead them to us and us to them. Do we pray that individually? I know I don't do it as often as I should, but I'm trying. Because we want to do that, where does it start? Well, when you go to Acts chapter one, the gospel begins where we are. You will be witnesses to me first in Jerusalem, then in all Judea and Samaria, and then to the utter most parts of the earth, to the end of the earth. That's really the outline for the book of Acts. The gospel spreading beginning in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and that was because of persecution as we've heard. And then to the other most parts of the known world. And really understanding that this is why we want to begin at home. The gospel begins at home. Do we pray, Lord, lead somebody to me that I can share the gospel. Well, what if they're not receptive? He has the power to open their eyes and open their hearts. And if there's not an openness, then we move on. But we're sensitive. You know, the health of Tri-City Baptist Church is seen not so much in our seating capacity, but in our sending capacity. Go and make disciples, and that's why our missions conference is such a joy, and we're sending people out from here. But we're to make disciples as we go, and then baptize. And understanding the relationship with Christ comes before the ritual of baptism. You need to be saved before you're baptized. That's how it's laid out here. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them. Once they're disciples, once they've trusted Christ, then we baptize. Without the relationship, the ritual has no meaning. You know, I know there are churches that they sprinkle infants, and that may be very meaningful to the parents. It means nothing to the child. They have no say in it. They don't remember it. That's why we call it believer's baptism. In fact, the word baptize is actually not an English word. It was a Greek word. It was the Greek word baptizo, and the English translators didn't want to create conflict, so they didn't really translate it. They just took the Greek word and gave us English letters, and we got a new word, baptize. But the Greek word means to plunge, to dip, to immerse. That's why believers' baptism is by immersion. It's after salvation, but it's a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So that when we're raised to walk in that new way of living, we're raised with resurrection power. We're acknowledging the power of the resurrection that is given to us to go and make disciples. It's a public testimony of that inner change. That baptism is not necessary for salvation. It doesn't wash away original sin. That's not what the Bible says. It's the first step of obedience for a Christ follower. And so if you've trusted Christ, you need to be baptized. That's a step of obedience because it's that public identification with the Trinity. Buried or in the likeness of his death raised in the likeness of his resurrection But it says we're baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit so the goal of Tri-City Baptist Church is to exalt the triune God and We see the Trinity in this verse that the Father gave his only begotten Son and For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. The Son paid the penalty for our sins. He died in our place. It's His robes for mine. It was that exchange that took place. And it's the Holy Spirit that works to bring spiritual life to those who are spiritually dead. So that's what we see in baptism. So have you followed the Lord in believers' baptism? It's a step of obedience because it's part of the fourth thing, which is teaching. Teach them to observe all things. That is, to watch, to keep in mind. And again, we're seeking to make disciples, not decisions. Baptized disciples are taught by exhortation, by application. Our goal is to observe all things. As it says here, observe all things that I have commanded you. I mean, this goal is a radical reorientation in the life of a Christian. that we really are different from the world. So that's why we need Bible teaching, that's why we need fellowship, that's why we pray for one another, because we need one another to fulfill the mission, the assignment that we have. It is a group project in reaching the world. Going out into all the world and share the gospel to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus. We gather for edification, we scatter for evangelism. I enjoy watching college football. And after every play, they get together in a huddle. And they're talking about the next play. But you know, games are never won in the huddle. Sometimes it's more fun to stay in the huddle. We come together and we can talk about the last play, we can talk about our quarterback and our stadium and everything else. We have to get out and go to the line of scrimmage. The goal is not to run out the clock. Our goal is to run up the score. Making disciples. So what gives us confidence? Say, okay, I know that, I know what the assignment sheet is, I don't know if I can fulfill it. What gives us the confidence to step out? To no longer fear or doubt? And that's really the fourth thing that we see in this passage. Christ comforts us with a steadfast assurance. This statement at the end of verse 20, it's very familiar to us. Most of us have this memorized. But when Jesus said, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. The first aspect of this is His care is present. That Greek word that is used for lo, It's an interjection. It's used in the New Testament. It's at least 130 times in the Gospel, but usually it's translated, behold. And it's saying, pay attention to this. This is really important. It's used to grab our attention. Jesus is saying to them, now, Pay attention to what I'm about to say. I'm about to tell you something and you need to listen. You know, it's like in class you say, you know, is this on the assignment? Or is this on the quiz? Is this on the test? Jesus is saying, this is on the test. Mark it down, pay attention. This is a key part of your assignment. I'm gonna be looking for this. I'm gonna give you the power. I'm gonna give you the authority. I'm going to be with you. It's like Jesus is saying, pay attention. As crucial it is that we're available, as important it is that we're obedient to His authority, that we seek to complete the assignment, that we're trying to fulfill the mission, we're not going to succeed without His power and presence. And that's why this is such an important aspect. His care is very present. Pay attention. It's also very personal. I am with you. Says, okay, pay attention to this. And the Greek phrasing here, we don't really get it in the English. But Jesus is saying, look, not remember, but look, I myself am with you. It's a statement that I, I am with you. Or lo, I myself am with you. He's emphasizing his personal presence. He says, I am the one that will be with you. I'm not delegating this. I'm doing this. How do you think that resonated with the disciples? What do you think was in their mind when Jesus said, okay, pay attention to this, listen up. Look, I am with you, myself. Do you think they might have remembered back to some other times? I mean, there's the time in Mark chapter one that Jesus gets up very early, he gets up before the sun is up, it's not daylight yet, and he goes into a solitary place, a place of solitude, and he prays, and they can't find him. And Peter, it says Peter and some of the others come and they say, look, everyone is looking for you. They didn't know where he was. Do you remember the time that we read about it in Matthew 14 when he tells them to get into the boat? and go across the Sea of Galilee and the storm comes, and they're out there and he's not with them, and they look and they think they see a ghost walking on the water, and they're panicked. And he says to them, take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid. I don't know, but in my mind, I think they might have remembered that. You know, there were times that we were in some tough spots and you weren't with us. And he's saying, look, Behold, I myself am with you. Jesus is stating emphatically that I am present with you and will help you fulfill the assignment that I've given you. Well, how long will he be with us? Third thing that we see is his care is perpetual. Always, even to the end of the age. How long is the Lord with you? I will be with you until the end of the sermon. until you leave the building on Sunday morning. Like, okay, I need a little more than that. Personally, this means He'll be with us all the days of our life. Hebrews 13, 5 says, He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. There will never be a situation where He is not with you. There is never a trial, never a difficulty that He is not there. And that includes the one you're facing right now. Or the one we're gonna face tomorrow. Or what comes next month. He is always there. I will never leave you. This is a promise to his children. And so it says in Hebrews 13 verse six then, after he gives this promise, I will never leave you nor forsake you, it says, we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me? Isn't that one of our big fears in giving the gospel? What will they say? What will they think? What can man do to me? Jesus said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. What can a mere person do when the Lord himself is with us? And for the church, this means he will be with us to the end, the end of the age, the end of history, the end of time. I personally think that this statement has an anticipation to Christ's bodily return, to judge the world and to set up His millennial kingdom and rule. And I believe that because the other three times this phrase is used in Matthew, when he uses that phrase, the end of the age, it's focused on His second coming. He used three times in chapter 13, verses 39, 40, and 49. And it's encouraging because as the end draws near, things are going to get bad. When you read the Bible, in the last days, evil men go from bad to worse. Isn't that what we see in our culture? Isn't it rather disheartening to us at times? We can take courage because He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be with us always, even to the end. And so how do we apply this? Well, it's just a couple of considerations in conclusion. Christ does his work through our obedience. We have the assignment sheet. He's given us very specific details of what's expected. And you know, eternity is more important than the temporal. Fulfilling our mission is even more important than living. When you read Acts, they take that mission forward. And as Pastor Malone reminded us, there are martyrs. We read of the first one, there will be more. But he is with us always. Are we willing to pray for gospel opportunities? That's really the heart of missions. Pray, meet people, tell them about Jesus. Say, well, I can't go to a foreign land. No, but there are people who come to us. There are people who are in need. Let's pray for those divine opportunities. I mean, the world has come to Phoenix. We have a great mission field. It really begins by, are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Maybe you're here today or you're watching and you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. That's the first step, to become a disciple, a follower. To acknowledge your sin, that Jesus died in your place, and ask Him to forgive your sin and to be your Savior. Have you done that? And then are we striving to fulfill the task that has been assigned to us? You know, when we stand before the Lord, there won't be questions about, you know, how many times were we on the honor roll? What was my GPA when I took that class? How many academic degrees do we hold? How many championship trophies have we won? How many corporate recognition plaques do we have? How many top sales certificates did you receive? How many Awana awards did you accumulate? You know, it doesn't even matter that we get awards for recognized as best in Chandler. There's nothing wrong with those. And they may be part of the task, they may be actually tools. But the real question is, did we fulfill the assignment? With that assignment, go, make disciples, baptizing and teaching. Do we have a great commitment to the Great Commission? Do we have a great compassion for those around us? If so, let's pray, meet people, tell them about Jesus. Our desire as a church is to equip. Our responsibility as the church is to go. Will you go? Let's pray together.