The New Creation: Revelation 21:1-8

How many of you have ever seen the television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?  Basically in this program, a family in a hopeless living situation has their old home completely transformed into something new.  Sometimes their old home undergoes a radical renovation and sometimes it is replaced entirely, but either way, their new home is completely “new” and better in every way.  A possible title for sermon today could be EXTREME MAKEOVER: UNIVERSE EDITION, because in Revelation 21:1-8, the whole creation gets an extreme makeover, and God’s new creation is indescribably better in every way.  (Review?)

[21:1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

[5] And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” [6] And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7] The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. [8] But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8 ESV)

I believe this vision of the new creation is meant to encourage God’s people to persevere.  Such a vision would have showed them that everything they were about to face was worth enduring.  Is this not still true today?  This vision of the new creation gives us tremendous encouragement to persevere in the face of temptation and persecution.  It sets joy before us that should motivate us to endure.  My prayer today is that we would be so taken with this vision of the new creation that we would endure anything to enjoy it.  If we are going to come to that place, we will need to see in it a reward great enough to justify any that we might suffer.  So what is it about the new creation that would cause us to be willing to endure anything to enjoy it? 

I.              In the New Creation, God’s People will Enjoy a New World (1,5)

After the final judgment (20:11-15), John sees “a new heaven and a new earth” (1).  They have come because the “first heaven” and the “first earth” have now “passed away.”  This statement is the first in a string of allusions to the book of Isaiah in this passage.  Isaiah 65:17-19 reads: [17] “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. [18] But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. [19] I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.”  John’s vision here in Revelation is seen as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.  This is part of God’s “making all things new” (5), an allusion to Isaiah 43:19. 

A question we will want to consider is what is actually means for the first heaven and earth to pass away.  You can read about this event in greater detail in Romans 8:19-23 and 2 Peter 3:1-13.  Some people believe that God will completely do away with the old creation and create a new one from nothing (ex nihilo) as He did the first creation (Genesis 1:1).  Others believe that this means that the new creation will only be qualitatively new.  In other words, God will do more of a renovation and restoration of the old creation than a complete doing away with it.  Here there is a real passing away, but also a real continuity as well, much like a caterpillar’s transformation when it becomes a butterfly.  I tend to side with this second option because of what Romans 8:18-23 says: [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. [23] And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Either way, what I want you to see is that the new creation will be a whole new world.  It will be a real, physical place.  It’s not just a “spiritual state.”  Heaven won’t be a place where we just sit on a cloud, wearing a big diaper and playing a harp.  This language is meant to bring Genesis 1-2 to mind, where God originally created the heavens and the earth.  This new heaven and earth will be another perfect world. 

II.            In the New Creation, God’s People will Enjoy the Fullness of God’s Presence (2-3,6-7)

Here I want to point out how verse 3 seems to be an interpretive or summarizing statement about all that John is seeing.  John is seeing all this stuff, and then we’re given this announcement, alerting us to what all this means.  A voice from the throne announces, “the dwelling place (tabernacle) of God is with man.”  This is the big idea here, that what hasn’t been a reality since the garden of Eden will now be a reality again: the fullness of God’s presence will once again dwell with His people.  This is one of the great themes of the Bible: God dwelling with His people.  In the Garden of Eden, God walked with man in the cool of the day.  We read over and over again that He was “with” the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph).  God’s presence dwelt among the people of Israel in the Old Testament in the Tabernacle and in the Temple.  When Jesus Christ came into the world, the Bible says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us” (John 1:14).  In the new covenant, God’s people are now the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. 

But none of the threads of this great theme do it the justice that it deserves.  This is the day that the whole Bible has looked forward to!  It is beyond human vocabulary to describe what it will be like to dwell in the fullness of God’s presence.  When something is indescribable, you can only try to get close by piling up images that we can relate to.  This passage gives us three such images.  These images attempt to describe the indescribable joy, intimacy, and deep satisfaction that will come from dwelling in the fullness of God’s presence forever.  First, there is the image of the bride and her husband (2).  “The holy city, new Jerusalem” (which will talk more about later in this chapter) is described as a “bride adorned for her husband.”  This bride is a contrast to the great prostitute we saw earlier in Revelation 17.  God’s people are many times portrayed as His bride in Scripture (Isaiah 62:4-5, 2 Corinthians 11:2), and this image is meant to communicate incredible joy and intimacy.  The presence of God in the new creation will bring with it all the joy and intimacy of a honeymoon.  Heaven will be the honeymoon of God and His people, the happiest of all happily ever after’s.  As a side note, it is interesting that there was one wedding that took place before the fall and now only one wedding that takes place after the curse is removed. 

Then there is the image of Father and son (7).  God promises the conqueror this inheritance: God will be their God and they will be His children.  Again, this is attempting to communicate that we will know God in a most loving and intimate way.  Like a Father, God will protect us, provide for us, look after us, etc.  Can you think of any two human relationships that are closer than husband/wife and parent/child?  Finally, we are given the image of the thirsty being satisfied (6).  “Thirst” is an image that Scripture sometimes uses to signify deep desire and longing for God (Psalm 42:1-2).  This imagery communicates that heaven is a place of deep satisfaction, where God will satisfy our souls forever with Himself, because He is what makes heaven heaven.  So pile up the images in your mind: the joy and intimacy of a wedding and honeymoon, the love of a Father and son for one another, and the satisfaction water gives a parched individual, and that is as close as we can get to describing what it will be to experience the fullness of God’s presence forever. 

What does this really teach us about God?  It teaches us that God is heaven’s greatest treasure.  He is better than a spouse.  He is better than a boyfriend or a girlfriend.  He is more satisfying than sex.  He is better than children.  Was this not Paul’s point in saying that being with Christ was “far better” than anything he could experience in this life (Philippians 1:23)?  He is the highest and deepest joy that anyone can experience on either side of eternity.  I wonder, do we savor the presence of God now like the psalmist in Psalm 16:11?  [11] You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

III.         In the New Creation, God’s People will Experience the Fullness of God’s Healing (4)

The new creation will also be a place where God’s people experience the fullness of His healing.  God says that He will “wipe away every tear” from our eyes, and “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (4).  This is another allusion to Isaiah 25:8: He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. These statements imply that the curse of Genesis 3:14-19 has been lifted.  Every consequence that our sin and rebellion brought into the world is now removed. 

How messed up is this world?  Sin and death have reigned since Adam.  It’s a world full of war, violence, hatred, disease, natural disasters, tragedies, etc.  We get sick, we die, the people we love die.  Sin destroys the lives of the people that we love.  They have to battle things like addictions, divorce, and depression, disease, and eventually death.  Sometimes death is sudden and sometimes it slowly eats away the people we love, but it is never easy. 

But this passage points us to a day when there will be no more cancer.  There will be no more Alzheimer’s.  There will be no more heart disease.  There will be no more house fires or hurricanes.  There will be no more death for the people of God, nor any of the tears, mourning, or pain that accompany it because we will experience the fullness of God’s healing.

IV.          In the New Creation, Those Who do not Belong to God will Experience the Fullness of His Wrath & Separation (8): “BUT”

The next description we get of God’s new creation comes as a sobering warning that not everyone is going.  “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (8).  The inheritance of the wicked will be the lake of fire, a place of eternal torment.  This is some very bad news because all of us find ourselves in this list.  We are all rebels, guilty of the rebellion we read about here.  We are not the “conquerors” that we read about in 21:7.  But here is the good news: we can be.  In Revelation 12:11, we learn here why the conquerors were called so: it was because they were made conquerors by the blood of the Lamb.  What do the words or Romans 8:37 say? “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Those of us who are conquerors are so because Christ has conquered sin and death for us.  May we never forget that the realities we read about in the new creation are blood-bought realities, and they can be true for you if you will come to Jesus Christ in faith and repentance.  

The Final Judgment: Revelation 20:11-15

 [11] Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13] And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV)

Let me start by saying that when it comes to the millennium and the final judgment, several things are not clear.  For example, does this final judgment deal only with the lost or with both believers and unbelievers?  If it is only the lost, then are believers judged before the millennium?  When believers are judged, are all of their sins brought up?  If there is a millennium, do any people become believers during the millennium?  There simply aren’t clear answers to these questions.  As with last week’s passage though, what is most important about this passage is clear and should be our primary focus. This passage calls us to live in light of the final judgment.  So, how do we do so?  

I.              Live Fearing the Judge of All the Universe (11)

After the final defeat of Satan, John then sees a “great white throne” and one seated upon it (11).  Although we are not told here who is sitting upon this throne, we can be almost certain that it is God.  The only other time we have seen such a distinguished throne in Revelation, God was sitting on it (4:2,5:7).  Also, the major Old Testament passage behind this vision is Daniel 7:9-10, where it is the “Ancient of Days” who is seated in judgment: [9] “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. [10] A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”  This seems to be the same scene that John is seeing. 

Another indicator that God is the one seated upon this throne is the fact that “earth and sky fled away” from His presence (11b).  This same thing happened in Revelation 6:14 and 16:20 when the great day of God’s wrath had come (6:12-17, 16:17-21).  This probably signifies the removal of the first heaven and earth in preparation for the new heaven and earth in Revelation 21:1.  How dreadful is this picture: creation fears and flees from the presence of God when judgment day arrives. 

This awesome scene of God on His throne is meant to remind us that as created beings, we will all stand before our Creator and give an account of our lives to Him on the Day of Judgment.  Our Creator is also our Judge.  This understanding should cause us to live in the “fear of the Lord.”  That was the conclusion of the wisest man in the Old Testament: [9] Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9 ESV) [13] The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. [14] For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ESV)  Every human being will answer to God for how they have lived their lives.  It does not matter whether they have believed in Him or not, they will still answer to Him.  This is one of the main reasons that the Bible teaches us that the “fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Job 28:28, Proverbs 1:7, 9:10).  When I live by faith in the truth that I will give an account of ever decision to the Lord on judgment day, it greatly affects the decisions I make.  That’s living in the fear of the Lord. 

II.            Live Understanding the Nature of the Final Judgment (12-13)

John also sees “the dead, great and small,” standing before the throne and “books” were opened.  One of these books is set apart from the others, the “book of life” (12).  According to this passage, the “books” are a record of everything every person has ever done and “the book of life” seems to be a register of God’s people (see 21:27).  The “dead” who are standing (12) and “the dead” that “the sea” and “Death and Hades” give up (13) are “judged” by what is written in these books.  As I said earlier, I’m not clear whether “the dead” here is referring to only unbelievers or both believers and unbelievers.  In Revelation as a whole, “the dead” simply refers to anyone who has died.  For example, Jesus is the firstborn of “the dead” (1:5).  In Revelation 11:18, it says the judgment of “the dead” includes both the “rewarding” God’s servants and the “destroying” the destroyers of the earth.  It also seems strange for “the book of life” to be pulled out here if no one being judged is going to be found in it.  In Revelation 20:5-6, however, we see that a portion of “the dead” (believers) comes to life in the “first resurrection” before the millennium, but that “the rest of the dead” do not come to life until after the millennium.  So again, it’s not that clear exactly who is included among ‘the dead” here. 

What does seem to be clear here is the nature of the final judgment.  God has an accurate record of the deeds of every person who has ever lived and on judgment day, every single person who has ever lived will be “judged…according to what they had done” (12,13).  So the final judgment will be a judgment based upon one’s deeds.  Several passages of Scripture confirm this. 

Jeremiah 17:10: “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”  Matthew 12:36-37: [36] I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, [37] for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.  Matthew 16:27: [27] For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 25:31-46: [31] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. [32] Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. [34] Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35] For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, [36] I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ [37] Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? [38] And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? [39] And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ [40] And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

[41] “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [42] For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, [43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ [44] Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ [45] Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ [46] And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

John 5:28-29: [28] Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29] and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Romans 2:5-11: [5] But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. [6] He will render to each one according to his works: [7] to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; [8] but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. [9] There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, [10] but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. [11] For God shows no partiality.  1 Corinthians 3:12-15: [12] Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—[13] each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. [14] If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. [15] If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 2 Corinthians 5:10: [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

So how are we supposed to think about the fact that we are saved by grace but will be judged by our works?  This does not mean that our works in any way merit our salvation; I think it means that our deeds will be the confirmation that we were in fact saved or will expose the fact that we were not.  So your works, while they do not save you, are not irrelevant. 

III.         Live Rejoicing Over the Defeat of the Last Enemy (14)

One of the most remarkable things about this passage is that it forever closes the chapter on sin and evil.  “Death and Hades” themselves are “thrown” (19:20, 21:20) into the lake of fire.  What exactly does this mean?  “Death and Hades” are references to the realm of the dead (1:18), but also are personifications (6:8) of the power of death and hell (perhaps even demonic powers).  Ultimately, this passage is reminding us that one day death and everything that has to do with death will be no more.  I believe Paul was referring to this event when He said that “death” would be the “last enemy to be destroyed” (1 Corinthians 15:26). 

One of the toughest things for me to think about is the prospect of the death of a loved one.  I don’t think about it often, but every now and again, I will remember that one day my parents are going to die.  One day my wife is going to die.  One day my children are going to die.  One day I am going to die.  As much of a joy as each one of them is to my life, they will all face death one day and I will not be able to save them from it.  I take heart in the fact that as great an enemy as death is, it will be defeated at the final judgment. 

IV.          Live Trusting the One Who has Borne Our Judgment (15)

One final thing that this passage seems to make clear is that the only hope of escaping eternal torment is if one’s name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.  This passage says that everyone is going to be judged according to what they have done, but it doesn’t say that anyone escapes the “the second death,” which is “the lake of fire,” a place of eternal torment (20:10), based upon what they have done.  Only those whose names are found in the book of life escape the lake of fire (15) and enter New Jerusalem (21:27).  Anyone whose name is not found in “the book of life” is “thrown” into the lake of fire. 

So how can we have assurance that our name is written in the Lamb’s book of life?  Because both Revelation 13:8 and 17:8 clearly state that the names in the Lamb’s book of life were written there “before the foundation of the world,” our task is not so much to get it written there but to find assurance that it is written there.  A clue to answering this question comes when we consider the full name of this book give in 13:8.  It’s called “the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”  From that title we see that there was something about the Lamb being slain that gave the people in this book life.  Revelation 5:9 tells us what it was: when He was slain, His blood paid the “ransom” for His people.  The cross of Jesus Christ, where the blood of the Lamb was shed, was God’s way of judging the sins of His people without destroying them in the process.  So to have assurance that you are in the book of life, you have to be a person who is trusting Jesus’ being slain to have ransomed you. 

 We see this same reality in Jesus’ words to the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:5: The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.  It seems that to have assurance of being the Lamb’s book of life, you have to be someone who “conquers.”  Well, how does one “conquer” in Revelation?  Revelation 12:11 gives us the answer: one conquers by “blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.”  To be a conqueror, one has to be covered by faith in the blood of the Lamb, a faith that produces a testimony.  This testimony will be the evidence of their conversion at the final judgment.  In the end, this is the only reason that any of us should have assurance of our salvation: that we are trusting in the finished work of Jesus to save us and we are still following Him.  How do you measure up to this assessment?  In the end, Jesus is our only hope on the day of judgment because He has borne our judgment upon His cross. 

Disciple Making Disciples: Matthew 28:16-20

Greetings!  It's good to be back in Dry Creek.  One thing a mission trip always does is bring to my attention things that I ought to already be doing here where I live.  So I thought I would take this opportunity to not only recap our trip but also remind our church of what we are supposed to be doing, not only among the K. people in Africa, but also here in Dry Creek, LA.  The mission of Dry Creek Baptist Church is to bring glory to God by making disciples of who will treasure Jesus Christ and carry Him to the ends of the earth.  Our passage this morning is one of the places this mission statement comes from: 

[16] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. [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 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.” (Matthew 28:16-20 ESV)

I.              What it Means to BE a DISCIPLE of Jesus

A “disciple” is a learner, or follower, of Jesus.  From the text we also see that a disciple of Jesus is someone who WORSHIPS and OBEYS Jesus (16-17).  Since a disciple is someone who obeys Jesus, a disciple is also someone who MAKES DISCIPLES (19).  A disciple of Jesus makes disciples of Jesus or they are not a faithful disciple of Jesus.  There is no such thing as a Christian who is not a disciple, and there should be no such thing as a disciple who isn’t making disciples.

In Mark 1:17, we see that to be a disciple is to be a fisher of men.  Can someone who never fishes call themselves a fisherman?  Are you fishing for men?  Are you learning and following?  Are you worshipping and obeying?  Can you call yourself a disciple of Jesus Christ?

II.            What it Means to MAKE DISCIPLES of Jesus

If you were to grammatically diagram this sentence, there is really only one command given, and that is to "Go...make disciples" (18).  This is the one thing that Jesus has left us to do.  But what does it mean to make disciples?  First of all notice that it says to make disciples, not just converts.  There is a difference, just like there is a difference between having a baby and raising a baby!  This passage unpacks what this command entails.  It entails two things: (1) baptizing and (2) teaching.

Baptism assumes evangelism and conversion.  It assumes that Jesus’ disciples are out sharing the good news about Jesus with those who haven’t heard.  Making disciples begins with a disciple sharing their faith and winning another person to Christ. 

To make a disciple, we must also teach someone to OBSERVE all that Jesus commanded.  Notice that Jesus does not say to teach them all that He has commanded, but to teach them to “observe” all that He has commanded.  What’s the difference?

Disciple making is aimed at teaching obedience, not merely information, or as Colin Marshall and Tony Payne point out, making disciples involves imparting DOCTRINE and LIFE: teaching, modeling, accountability (relationship & imitation).  The goal is to establish a pattern of Spirit-filled obedience to Christ’s commands. The book of Hebrews tells us that this is how we grow: "About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14).

This also shows us what the ultimate material is that we are trying to communicate: the words of Christ.  Here again, I love how Marshall and Payne describe disciple making: “A Christian brings a truth from God’s Word to someone else, praying that God would make that word bear fruit through the inward working of His Spirit.”[1] In other words, disciple making takes place any time that the Word of God is shared across a relationship.  Now this also means I am going to have to know God's word if I am going to make disciples.
Knowing God's Word is critical in using a tool that we use among unreached peoples in Africa.  We use something called a "story cloth," which takes people through 42 Bible stories from creation to Christ.  In order to share these stories, you must be familiar with God's Word.  

This passage in Matthew is so rich.  Not only are we given the specifics of what disciple making is, we are also given the scope of this mission.  We are to make disciples among “all nations” (18).  The Greek word is “ethnos,” or ethic groups of people.  We are to make disciples of ALL PEOPLES in ALL PLACES (See also Acts 1:8).  Also, we are to make disciples “always,” until “the end of the age” (20).  This is something we are to do until Jesus returns. That is the scope of our mission as Christians.
Another helpful illustration of this principle of disciple making is found in 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul tells Timothy to take the things that he has heard from Paul and teach those things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  That is disciple making!  It is reproducing reproducers.  That was the goal of our trip among the K. pastors this past week.

One final thing I want to point out is how the early church carried out this mission.  It takes our description of disciple making a step further.  The way the disciples carried out this mission in the book of Acts was by planting church planting churches where disciple making disciples are made.  One example is Acts 14:21-23: "When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed." The goal of each missionary journey was to leave plant reproducing churches.  Since the goal of missions is the worship of God among the nations, the strategy of missions must be the planting of churches among the nations as outposts of God's coming kingdom.

III.         Why We can BE Disciples Who MAKE Disciples of Jesus

One of the most important words in this passage is the word, "therefore" (18).  It is because all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus that we are to do this work.

Notice how these instructions are wrapped, first by Jesus' position and then by the assurance of Jesus' presence when we do this work.  "Because I have all authority in heaven and on earth, you therefore go am make disciples of all peoples in all places until the end of the world.  Also remember that when you do so, you are no doing so alone.  I am always with you when you do this work."  Church, that is why we call this passage the GREAT CO-MISSION!!!

These statements are supposed to make us feel the way Romans 8:31 makes us feel: that if God is for us, then who can be against us?  It is supposed to make us feel the way that Matthew 16:18 makes us feel: that the gates of Hades cannot stop Jesus from building His church.  Because of the power and presence of Jesus Christ, nothing can stop us from making disciples of all peoples in all places until Jesus returns.

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[1]  Colin Marshall & Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine, 39