Temple Baptist Church - 8-16-2026
Matthew 28:16-20
Introduction:
A. Last week, we saw the internal work of the local church. The word “church” means a called-out assembly.
B. As often as ye do this (The Lord’s Supper) is referred to in 1Corinthians chapter 11. Churches often differ on the days of the week and times of assembly, but all Bible believing churches agree that Sunday, the first day of each week, is a requirement. We meet both morning and evening on the Lord’s Day. Most local churches have a mid-week service also.
C. These services are for prayer, worship, teaching and preaching, and exhortation of
God’s people.
1. Verse 16. The people who assemble. Here, “the eleven disciples” shows that all were assembled. One was missing because he, Judas Iscariot, was a lost man who denied the Lord and took his own life. In our day, it is hard to get the unsaved or backslidden to assemble, but those who love the Lord are generally faithful to do so.
2. Verse 16. Those who assembled did so at the place of God’s appointment. “went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.” They did not meet at the Golf Course or on a boat while fishing. We are to meet at the local church.
3. Verse 17. There was worship on faith and doubt. “When they saw Him, theyx worshipped Him: but some doubted.” There will always be that element of God’s people who fail to trust what God says!
D. Verse 18. There is also external works of the local church that are found in our text for this morning.
1. At the assembly, “Jesus came and spake unto them.” You cannot separate Christ Jesus from His Word. He is the Word and the Bible is His Word!
2. These two things, “came and spake,” are separated by the word “and” which places them on an equal status. When we come to church and hear the Word of God, we hear the words of that Jesus speaks to His people today through the Word of God!
E. We are familiar to verses 18-20 as we quote them every Wednesday night. In these verses, we find two external works of the local church of which I will deal with one of them this morning.
1. Verse 18. The Power of Missions. “All Power … in heaven and in earth!” The power of God is given to the people of God and the local church to do missions!
a. We have experienced that power here at Temple Baptist Church over the years. A few precious, hard-working middle-class people have and continue to do the work of domestic and foreign missions through their prayers and willingness to give!
b. The finances are available when faith is exercised! “Tithes and Offerings” are mentioned in Malachai chapter 3. The tithes take care of the needs of the local church, and the offerings take care of the mission’s program.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; (2) How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. (3) For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; (4) Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (5) And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
c. God is not and never will be broke financially! He owns heaven and earth and all that in them is!
2. Verse 19. The People of Missions. “Go ye therefore” The power and finances are there for the work of missions. “Go ye” is to every saint of God. As we walk through the doors of the church and back into the world around us, we enter our mission field.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
a. Those who go to witness to the lost in our Jerusalem (Laurens County). I will look closer to this next week in Part 3.
b. Those who go to other places (all Judaea-Samaria-Uttermost). Evangelists who are missionaries. Men of faith who leave all for the mission fields of their calling. God bless them. Pastors, who leave the place of their birth, leave behind families and friends, houses and lands, to serve the people if their calling.
3. Verse 19. The Progression of Missions. “teach all nations” Soul winning is not as simple as: “one, two, three, repeat after me!”
a. People who have never heard must be taught the Word of God before they can have the faith to believe. In the Bible Belt, most people have some what of a working knowledge but, this is not the case in most places with most people.
b. Teaching is a slow process that takes the diligence, faithfulness, and understanding of the missionary! It is their life’s work.
4. Verse 19. The Product of Missions. “baptizing them” Baptism is the first act of obedience for the child of God. It does not save the child of God but is the command of God and part of our confession before the world that we believed the Gospel and have accepted the finished work of Christ for our redemption.
5. Verse 20. The Pattern of Missions. “teaching them to observe all things” Paul spoke of the ongoing work of the pastor/teacher in Ephesians chapter 4.
Ephesians 4:12-13 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Till we all tells us that it is a never ending work as one generation follows the other!
6. Verse 20. The Promise of Missions. “and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” A song says, “If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go … anywhere!” He goes with you here in the church. He goes with the missionary to places unreached. He goes with the pastor.
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