 That said, let's get into the word in Mark chapter 16. I'll begin reading at verse 15. I read verse 18. He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. These signs will follow those who believe. In my name, they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. Now as I've been doing throughout our journey through Mark is I've been alluding to other portions of Scripture, which is what I'm going to do today. I'm going to be reading out of and sharing about this commission that's being given to the apostles. I'll be alluding to that out of Matthew 28. But what we have here in Mark's gospel is Jesus giving marching orders to his men. Everything in this gospel has been leading to this, to this final action. Now as we've been going through the gospel of Mark, we've seen that the apostle had been commanded to go to Galilee. We saw that in Mark 16 verses 6 and 7 where it says that an angel commanded the women to go tell his disciples that he's risen from the dead and going before them to Galilee and there they would see him. Well after the angel commanded them to tell his disciples, Jesus appeared to them. Matthew 2810 says that Jesus said to them, do not be afraid, go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see me. So in obedience to Jesus as men had left Jerusalem they went up north into the Galilee. So they were waiting to meet with him even as the Lord had commanded them to do. Now we already saw how that while awaiting him Jesus had met with seven of the men. He met with them on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee as they were fishing. We looked at that recently and it was at that time that Peter was restored to ministry. So what we're looking at today took place after Jesus restored Peter to his ministry. So at this point the remaining faithful men have come to meet with Jesus. Matthew 2816 says the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them to the mountain. Now Jesus often in the gospels is recorded as ministering to his men on a mountain. It was on a mountain for example that he gave what we call the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 through 7. It was while on a mountain he chose the twelve according to Mark 313. The feeding of the five thousand took place at the foot of a mountain in John 6. The transfiguration occurred on a mountain in Matthew 17. We know all the Mount of Olives discourse that you find in 24 and 25 of Matthew chapter 24 and 25. It was on the Mount of Olives that he wept over Jerusalem according to Luke 19 and ultimately he ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives. So this is also a place that is a mountain. Yet notice with me it's unnamed but it's on this this unnamed mountain that he gives the great commission. Now just so that you know some believe that this particular commission was being given to him to them rather from the same place that he gave the sermon on the mount but there's no biblical evidence of that but many suppose that that may very well be the same place he's doing that. But it's here on this particular spot that the apostles as well as we the church are receiving marching orders. So they as well as we are to be witnesses who share the gospel with other people. Now it seems to me and it's very clear to most of us that there are many professing Christians who have misunderstood this particular mandate. They they've not realized that the command was given not just the apostles but they were given to us too. For many of the church for many in the church well they'll attend occasionally church services because that may meet some of their particular needs and it escapes them that they have been given a mission and this mission that that people who attend church have have failed to understand is the greatest mission. It's a supreme urgency. We are to share the message of salvation and we're to live as if we received it ourselves and have been saved. And we're to proclaim the message but the message is to be proclaimed with a goal and the goal is not just to preach a message the goal is to make disciples. The commission is to go into the whole world and that's important to note because we are to go into the whole world the apostles were to go into the whole world not just to the nation of Israel. You see when Jesus originally trained them they were first sent only to the Jews. In Matthew 10 5 and 6 it says these 12 Jesus sent out and commanded them saying do not go into the way of the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans but go rather to the last sheep of the house of Israel. In Luke chapter 10 when he had appointed 70 others he sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to go so they would go out but they would go out to the house of Israel and so now according to verse 15 they're to go into all the world and to preach the gospel to everybody. Why? Because God doesn't desire any to perish but that all should come to repentance. When Isaiah was writing in Isaiah 45 verse 22 it reads there turn to me and be saved all you ends of the earth where I am God and there is no other and so they're to go the church by application but they are to go into all the world and preach the gospel to herald the good news. Psalm 96 verse 3 says declare his glory among the nations his wonders among all peoples so they're to go forth and they do so with the authority and the intent of being listened to and to be obeyed so what we do is we proclaim the message of salvation and what we also do is we encourage people to turn to the Lord we point people to Jesus Christ we reveal to them that that he came to die that we might live that's what we just celebrated recently when we gathered together for for Easter services that Jesus Christ came he lived he performed works he died on a cross and he was raised from the dead and we proclaim that that's the the core of the gospel we talk about the death of Christ so that he might purchase us redeem us ransom us out of sin to take us out of the power and sway of the enemy to no longer live as if we're still in the world and and just being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine what we are called by God to do is to be transformed we can be so through the gospel of Jesus Christ and so that message has come to us because we know that salvation is in Christ alone in Acts 4 12 salvation is found in no one else or there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved so the gospel the gospel is the greatest message that could ever be proclaimed we proclaim in that message that God has so loved the world that he gave his son we proclaim in that message that that God provides forgiveness for our sins through Jesus Christ we're just in Romans 5 just this last week in chapter 5 verses 8 through 10 and I was teaching out of these verses God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us much more than having now been justified by his blood we shall be saved from the wrath through from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been reconciled we shall be saved by his life and so Mark tells us go into all the world now the command and I want you to see this in verse 15 he simply says go into all the world and to preach the gospel that's Mark's abbreviation of the commission Matthew gives us more Matthew tells us what we are to do as we go into all the world in Matthew 28 19 and 20 go therefore 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've commanded you and low I am with you always even to the end of the age now I want to take a moment to develop this with you I've said this on various occasions how that the emphasis in the verse when he says go into all the world and make disciples the emphasis of the verse is not simply the go it's the making disciples and as I was preparing the study I was refreshing myself and going to other commentaries and other comments and all and and I wanted to share a couple of thoughts about this again in Matthew 28 19 it says go therefore and make disciples of all the nations so I looked this up because one commentator said this so I checked other sources and Greek sources and all to see whether or not he was accurate and indeed he was the Greek word that is translated through the English word go in Matthew 28 19 the Greek word can be translated go in an ongoing way go in an ongoing way in other words you are to continually be going is what Jesus is saying so the disciples were to go and they were to take the gospel out even out of Israel that's the whole point that's being made it's not just to the Jewish people now you go into the world so you're to take this out even beyond the borders of Israel and it's an ongoing thing it's something he's telling his men and by application us it's something they were to never stop doing the word go can carry with it the inference of being compelled compelled to continually go now what would compel them to continually go if he's saying go with the sense of compelling them to go what would it be that would compel them from the inside to go well one it would be God's love for them and God's love for them to a world that is lost and that would serve to compel them they have been loved by God and because God has loved them they're compelled to tell others you don't keep things to yourself that are good when I got saved I didn't keep it to myself when I met the girl I married I didn't keep that to myself she wasn't my secret kind of side thing everybody knew and everybody to this day knows that I have a love for this particular woman my wife Marie I didn't keep it to myself I'm compelled in many ways to share that which is most dear to me and so the gospel you're a compelled from the inside why because God has so loved you and God has saved you why wouldn't you talk about him why isn't it natural for you to talk about him why wouldn't you we talk about so many things talk about for me it's the Dodgers for you it's a losing team but we talk about sports we talk about our jobs we talk about relationships as mentioned we talk about our families and it's natural right you don't kind of like have to make yourself talk about those things those are things that are spontaneous why is that because at the top of your list because those are the things that matter why wouldn't I talk about Jesus Christ why would I keep unto myself why would he be the best kept secret of my life there's something that compels you he loved you he sent he laid his life down for you he forgave you he blessed you he's with you he never leaves you why wouldn't I speak about him see so there's a compelling and Paul speaks about that himself he said in 2nd Corinthians 514 the love of Christ compels us it's not my love for him it's love for me his love for me and that compels us and so one of the things that causes us to to speak is simply God's love God's love that has has been taken in if you will God's love that has been revealed in the sacrifice of Jesus that has internally driven us to speak about him and to go but there's also something very practical that you find in scripture what else would compel them to go well it's interesting because one of the things that actually compelled them was persecution you might find that interesting but it's true persecution would arise and would be used by the Lord to compel them you see when the church was birthed at Pentecost at first the people who saw the church actually respected these believers in Acts 2 46 and 47 it says with with one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved so at first they enjoyed the favor of the people they actually spoke well of them but a short time after the church was birthed the disciples began to be persecuted now up until that time they had remained in Jerusalem but when the church began to be persecuted they were actually compelled to leave in Acts chapter 8 verse 1 that verse tells us that after Stephen was martyred a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem and they all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles and so one is the love of Christ compels us but two they actually through persecution were forced to leave Jerusalem and take the gospel out so Jesus commanded them he commanded them to go and he even compelled them to do so for them the love of God would be the driving the compelling force but the persecution they experienced also drove them out of their comfort zone to preach and so in mark 16 verse 15 again it says go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature so they were to leave Jerusalem in order that they might preach the gospel everywhere they were to take God's word and communicate the word of God clearly now listen they weren't to appeal to listeners emotions they were to appeal to their understanding God working in them and through them was going to establish their credentials to be able to speak on his behalf and so with this in mind the commission Jesus gave them is one of making disciples not just going but going with a purpose they have a purpose a purpose is to leave and make disciples it's not just going out it's laboring in ministry to produce disciples what's a disciple a disciple is someone who believes in Jesus as their lord and savior intentionally learns from him and strives to live more like him so Jesus wasn't only sending them out but sending them out with a purpose they were to go into the world to make lifelong learners of Jesus Christ they were to go into the world and produce lifetime pupils of Jesus and his message now why is that important it's important because making disciples is the most effective way to evangelize and to thrive so as they go when they go where they go they are to make disciples and they're to make disciples not deciders that's an important point sometimes we speak about making a decision for Christ I understand the terminology I've used it but the emphasis is not making deciders because I've seen over the course of many years that sometimes people will raise a hand or come forward at an invitation who have no intent at all of following the Lord they just through an emotional reason or perhaps a going through a crisis of some sort and they think well I'm going to try God doesn't work that way it doesn't work that way it only only become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ when you completely give up die to yourself and receive him as Lord and Savior when you say I can't make it I will not make it I need you you don't add God to the to the hodgepodge of beliefs he becomes the center of everything you see and so when when we go out to make a disciple it's not so that we can have spiritual scalps that we count and say oh 65 people got saved today because they gave an invitation it's when they go on and produce disciples themselves that you know that the seed actually took that's how that works and so these are men who are supposed to go out and they're supposed to encourage people to become disciples a lot of times I I'll read I'll I'll say this I don't have it in my notes but it comes to mind when our church first began I began to read several books you know I wanted to get some insight from other people who have planted churches and do evangelism and one of the people that I used was an expert on on evangelism and church growth and so I thought I could learn from him so I read his material and book and he pointed out now this was again 40 plus years ago he he pointed out that he said in the Billy Graham organization which by the way I highly regard Billy Graham and and and and also this is not in any way a discredit to him but I found it interesting and it's what helped to form my my mentality this this fella did a lot of research on the invitations and the amount of people who quote-unquote made decisions because that's the way it's made it's it's stated there's even a magazine called decision magazine so he was saying we did a lot of follow-up and and they pointed out that in evangelistic crusades out of the hundred percent who come forward 90 percent of those are actually Christians who are simply going forward to rededicate themselves 90 percent he said within that 100 percent there's 10 percent the 10 percent that you see going up to receive Christ out of that a smaller percentage actually are being saved so in fact if you have a hundred people who went forward 90 of them were already Christians and then out of the 10 left almost half of them will walk away we in the united states because we're production oriented like to say well look at all the people who went forward I as a pastor say but how many of them continued to go see making a disciple is more than having someone make a decision making a disciple is to teach them I'll show you this in a minute in the commission so that they go forward and you know when they're a disciple when they begin to multiply by bringing other people to faith in Christ that's when they become a disciple and that's the most evangelistic thing that you can do that's the most edifying thing that can happen now these men had been with Jesus and spent years with Jesus being mentored by him they were called by him they were taught by him they served with him they heard his words they received his explanations they they watched how he ministered they spent quite a bit of time with him they were witnesses of his amazing thing the amazing things that he did they saw him turn water into wine multiply fish and loaves they saw him cleanse lepers forgive sins heal the paralyzed they saw him restore sight to the blind heal the deaf enable the mute to speak calm the storms cast out demons walk on water and and even read raise the dead to life and they also knew that he himself had been raised from the dead so they'd been prepared for this by Christ and now they're being commissioned there to go both by internal compelling even outside persecution so again as they went while they went where they went they were to make disciples and it isn't just the going it's the fruit that they are to produce which is disciples they were to teach people to love Christ and to make disciples of all the nations and that's that's why even as I mentioned a moment ago that's why these kinds of things in this particular portion of scripture has has been the foundation that we as a church have built on where to teach the word to make disciples and that's what makes up what we call our four pillars the word worship witness and witness everything is centered on making disciples and everything is is centered on those four particular pillars and so we're to go out and do that now notice in verse 16 he says he who believes in his baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned so he says he who believes and is baptized he didn't say he who is baptized this is where a lot of people have an argument he didn't say the one who's baptized he said the one who believes believers are followers of the Lord in baptism because they believe and are saved the outer emblem of regeneration the outer emblem of that hidden faith is is baptism baptism is a symbol of what is called regeneration or being born again water baptism symbolizes our death and resurrection in Jesus Christ how do we know that well roman 6 verses 3 through 5 paul said don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father we too may live a new life if we've been united with him like this in his death we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection so when water baptism takes place it's actually an illustration of death burial and resurrection and i share this every time we perform baptism the water symbolizes a grave when you go down into it it symbolizes death and burial when you come out of it it symbolizes life and resurrection and so when your water baptized when you were water baptized if you were you went down into the water death and burial you did that through faith that's why we don't baptize infants because infants only believe one thing they're hungry or the wet they don't believe in christ and my faith doesn't save somebody else there's no such thing as proxy faith my faith can't save my wife i only have enough faith for myself and so there's no proxy faith at all you have to be water baptized by faith in christ so when you were water baptized when you went down into the water you were symbolizing as a an outer testimony to the world you were saying to them i believe in jesus christ i am dead and buried in him now there's something about burial that is so final you can have a hope especially in the early days before they were practicing universally embalming at all you could have a hope that somehow life would once again you know that person would actually not be dead but would be alive in in earlier days in american history i believe was american history in earlier days there were there were people who actually were drinking water out of lead cups most of you probably already know this but and they would get lead poisoning and people didn't know that at that time so they buried them and sometimes the the the place that they were buried sometimes they would reuse that and so they would open the lid or whatever of the coffin and they would find fingernails that were torn off of hands and they would find scratch marks against this is true story i don't mean to be morbid but it's true they would find scratch marks and they discovered that they were burying living people so they drilled a hole and they would put a wire and it had a bell and that's where the term saved by the bell came from did you know that it's not a boxing term they would pull the bell and you had somebody who was in another room waiting to see if the bell was rung and he was pulling graveyard that's where that came from just a little bit not from the bible but interesting right raining cats and dogs no i can go on you know what that was raining cats and dogs people used to make on their on their houses they were low and they had mud and they had hay when cats and dogs would climb on top of it when it rained it turned to mud the cats and dogs would fall off and people said it's raining cats and dogs i can go on i won't i'm just trying to make a point why'd i do that i forgot what i was saying oh yeah water baptism doesn't save you it's well in first peter 321 it says the baptism that now saves you also not the removal of dirt from body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward god it saves you by the resurrection of jesus christ first peter again chapter 3 verse 21 baptism doesn't save you you are baptized because you are saved so jesus is not saying you have to be baptized to be saved because i want you to notice what he says and i'll say it again notice verse 16 first it says he who believes and is baptized it doesn't say he who is baptized and believes he who believes and is baptized why because faith saves you faith in jesus christ now in matthew 28 19 we we have a command he says to baptize in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit now when it speaks of the name that speaks of the name of god which is a a revelation to us of who he is so baptism is to reveal that through regeneration we have a new relationship with god and the union of these three names father son and holy spirit three names for the one god is a proof of equality of the godhead you see in 2nd Corinthians 13 14 where paul says it like this he said may the grace of the lord jesus christ the love of god and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with you all so it's showing us the unity of the godhead and you baptize in the name of the father son and holy spirit in the new testament because the apostles were going into gentile lands they would baptize not with certain formula but with they'd say they were baptized in the name of jesus that's not saying that it was jesus only it's saying that they were baptized in his name because they came to be believe in him and were saved by him that's what that point is being made in that particular way that it says it especially through the book of acts and so how do converts become disciples what keeps the church from being a crowd well it's the teaching and the observing of all things that jesus commanded observing he said all things because in matthew 28 verse 20 it says teaching them to observe all things that i have commanded you so the observing of all things is another way of saying a systematic knowledge and teaching of the word of god and so believers are to be taught the gospel and about the ministry of christ and they're to know the word of god and to be encouraged to obey it it's through the proper teaching the correct teaching of scripture that believers will grow and that's why again our philosophy here is to teach two books of the bible in acts 20 verse 27 paul said it like this he was speaking to some elders from a church the church of Ephesus he's in a port city called my leaders and and he said to them i have not shun to declare unto you all the counsel of god i've taught you that a to z you know it all and that's what it's all about we're we're supposed to know the word so teaching god's word is intended to protect believers and encourage believers to grow protect them from deception and encourage their growth in christ teaching god's word is intended to instill biblical understanding in the believer and that's why in second peter chapter 1 verse 12 the apostle said i will always remind you of these things even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have can't you tell me something new can't you tell me something fresh can't you give no he said i'm gonna give you the essentials why because it's on the essentials that you build your faith and from there you learn to communicate it and understand how it works properly in the world that you live in deception is the earmark of the last days it's spoken of often in scripture in second timothy i'll give you an example chapter 3 verses 13 and 14 evil men and apostles will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived but you must continue in the things that you've learned and been assured of knowing from whom you have learned them you must continue in these things why because deception is rampant even in the earlier days of the church there were people who were preaching false things about god and christ and the work of the spirit so jesus intended his followers to become fully mature again their faith is not based on their instincts their opinions or their desires their faith is built on the foundation of the word of god their faith is to be built on the rock of his word a word that strengthens us and it's the word of god that develops our faith again in acts 20 verse 32 paul was saying to these same elders i commit you to god and to the word of his grace which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified again there's a bit of an interest in the jesus movement through greg's movie and all and things of that nature that's what made this jesus movement in my lifetime in my experience powerful revival but it was undermined i'm hoping and praying that god will do the work that he's done not the same word but do a work i'm praying that he'll do that built on the word of god by the power of the holy spirit but it got undermined and let me tell you one thing that bit controversy to say controversial to say for some people but i think it's true and i might as well say it um i won't say it second service i'll just say it to you now what what is it and i don't want to give you a history lesson but i will say this and i got saved in 1970 i was 20 years old within around six years those who do church history research you can find this anywhere if you're interested in but those who have chronicled the works of the spirit in the church from ancient church history to the present will tell you that the jesus quote unquote jesus movement many many of these who are of that scholarly sort will say that it it began in like 68 69 they'll say and then it it came to its end they'll say which i don't believe it's come to its end jesus hasn't stopped moving but they'll say the height of it stopped in around 76 77 what happened in that day you know what happened and i'll tell you the truth there was a brother whom i highly regard highly regard his memory highly regarded him as a minister of the of the gospel i i regarded and respected him very much jerry fall well some of some people hated him i saw him as as a strong leader and i appreciated his ministry so this is no a negative towards him at all but i'll tell you what happened he got involved he got he got the church involved in a political message and when he did that the power of the spirit began to diminish why because we started preaching politics and not the gospel i saw that happen i have strong political opinions i'll bring them up once in a while of course i should i should but i've never lost sight of the fact that that politics don't change your life jesus does i've never forgotten that i i i just haven't and so with that said we have to be aware of that and a second thing was the proliferation of of of tv ministries radio ministries and now we have proliferation of quote unquote ministries on on the internet and and in in the past somebody could have an odd belief that he was teaching from his pulpit but it was pretty much localized it would stay within the confines of his city or perhaps perhaps his region but now that person can get on tv or that person can get on on radio or that person can go on social network and and the proliferation of those things now is just exponential whereas before it could be dealt with now it's just out there it's like letting it out and that's what's taking place too and what happened in that is false doctrine began to expand nationwide is that something we shouldn't have been prepared for no we are prepared acts 2029 and 30 i know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves so it's the teaching of the whole council of god that produces disciples and finally i'll close with verses 17 and 18 what these signs will follow those who believe in my name they'll cast out demons they'll speak in new tongues with new tongues they'll take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover verse 17 these signs will follow that's important it doesn't say believers will follow these signs it says these signs will follow believers keep that in mind please because there are a lot of christians who follow the signs and sometimes the signs are taking them where they're not supposed to go so these signs will follow the believers it doesn't say these believers will follow those signs it's a very simple thing i just told you but if you take that to heart you'll be safeguarded because there's a lot of people how come you don't this and how come you don't do that because that's not scriptural that's why we don't do that and so he speaks concerning these things believers he said will cast out demons believers will speak with new tongues he saw that at pentecost they're going to pick up or take up serpents and that finds in i find that interesting because some of you have seen these snake handlers they're out there with a snake in this and that then they die in math through 28 3 through 6 paul gathered a pile of brushwood and as he put it on fire a viper driven out of the heat fastened itself on his hand when the when the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand they said to each other this man must be a murderer for though he escaped from the sea the goddess justice has not allowed him to live but paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects and the people expected to him to swell up or suddenly fall dead but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happened to him they changed the minds and said he's a god that's interesting fickle minded people he's a demon oh he's a god you know that's the way people think but it actually happened in the ministry and that's like a portent or a prophecy that that thing and we see it in scripture well if they drink anything deadly that speaks of supernatural protection they'll lay hands on the sick and they'll recover you see that often in the book of acts and by the way that's why we do pray for the sick and the point that he's making is take this gospel and proclaim it to all the nations in luke 2448 it says beginning in the city of jerusalem take the gospel out to the world now one last thought and we'll close there are those who say what useless information what childish mythology why do you teach fables it does you no good the gospel is out of out of a sink with modern culture it has nothing that it does that's any good that we haven't already done i remember the story so i just wrote it down so i could say it right in what was once called french indonesia a commentator was viewing sites that at one time were used for cannibal rights as he did so he made a comment he made a comment to one of the inhabitants that it was just too bad that missionaries had come and messed up their culture so the native pointed to a rock and asked him if he knew what that rock was and this commentator said no i don't so the native said well that's the rock that prisoners were executed on we would lay their heads on the rock and we would crush it with a hammer and then we'd eat their brains and then he went on to say if the missionaries had not come you'd be my dinner and so i think the gospel has done a lot of good in the world and i'm pretty sure this commentator would be grateful that these people messed up their culture because their culture was eating human brains why did i tell you that just felt like the gospel does a lot of good may we make sure we take it out take the gospel out not your opinions not your political persuasion but jesus christ let's make sure we do that