Here Am I, Send Me: Embracing the Great Commission

Jesus grounds the Great Commission in His own authority: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” The command to go and make disciples is not a great suggestion. It is crystal clear marching orders for every believer. Jesus came to seek and save what was lost, and those who have been found are sent into the same lost world as reflections of His light. Christ is the sun; believers are more like the moon, imperfectly reflecting His light into the dark.

Missions is not something the church does on the side. Missions is what the church is. The called-out ones have been called out of darkness into marvelous light so that they might proclaim His excellencies. Holy huddles and mega monasteries miss the point. The church is not meant merely to gather, study, sing, and pray; it is a launch pad for people equipped, ignited, and sent.

The Great Commission belongs to more than the eleven apostles. The command to teach disciples “to observe all that I commanded you” includes the command to make disciples. Acts shows non-apostles scattering, sharing the gospel, planting churches, and carrying Christ’s name into Samaria and Antioch. Every Christian is either going, sending, or disobeying. Concern, conviction, and consecration keep the Great Commission from becoming the great omission.

Christ gives His people authority to speak truthfully about sin, forgiveness, salvation, and eternity. The gospel will not always be welcome, but it is always right. Faithfulness, not visible success, is the measure of obedience. Jeremiah did not fail because nobody listened; he declared what God told him to declare. The Lord causes the growth.

Discipleship begins with baptism and continues through lives that teach others to observe Christ’s commands. A disciple cannot merely hand somebody information about Jesus. A disciple must let others see Christ’s life in action. Branches abiding in the vine bear fruit because Christ’s character, love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control flow through them.

Jesus also promises His presence to those who stay on mission: “I am with you always.” Witnessing is not something Christians do for the Lord as much as something they do with the Lord. Fearful disciples behind locked doors became bold witnesses when the Holy Spirit came upon them. The call is not to manufacture courage, but to receive fresh power from heaven and answer, “Here am I. Send me.”

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The Great Commission is a command [46:49] Christ does not present disciple-making as an option for unusually committed believers. His authority in heaven and on earth gives weight to every word of the command. Obedience begins when concern for the lost becomes personal rather than delegated to somebody else. [46:49]
• 2. Believers reflect Christ’s light imperfectly [46:20] Christ is the sun, the true light of the world, while believers are like the moon reflecting light they do not create. Failure and weakness do not cancel that witness, though pretending to be perfect surely does not help it. A dark world still sees something real when Christ shines through an honest, surrendered life. [46:20]
• 3. Faithfulness matters more than visible results [01:01:22] The gospel may be life to one person and death to another, but rejection does not make the witness a failure. Jeremiah preached faithfully even when nobody wanted his words. Eternal reward rests in doing what Christ commanded and leaving the increase to Him. [61:22]
• 4. The Spirit turns fear into witness [01:29:35] The disciples knew Jesus had risen, yet they still hid behind locked doors until the Spirit came. Knowledge alone cannot produce the boldness needed for a hostile world. The Holy Spirit gives believers both the desire and the ability to say what they have seen and heard. [89:35]
• 5. Availability comes before knowing every detail [01:34:08] Isaiah did not need to know where, when, or to whom he would go before saying yes. God deals with weak mouths, sinful hearts, and every excuse that keeps a servant on the sidelines. “Here am I, send me” is not a claim of strength; it is an offering of availability.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [39:05] - Missions Month and Church Partnership
• [40:28] - The Great Commission
• [43:35] - Crystal Clear Marching Orders
• [45:14] - Christ the Sun, Believers the Moon
• [46:49] - Missions Is What the Church Is
• [51:54] - Speaking With Divine Authority
• [62:08] - The Church Called Out to Proclaim
• [69:03] - Baptism and Making Disciples
• [71:33] - Abiding and Bearing Fruit
• [79:19] - Christ’s Presence on Mission
• [86:03] - Are You Following and Fishing?
• [88:18] - Witnessing Through Holy Spirit Power
• [91:57] - The Church as a Launch Pad
• [94:27] - Here Am I, Send Me

1. What does Jesus say about His authority before He gives the command to go and make disciples in Matthew 28:18–20? [40:34]
2. What are the three parts of making disciples named in Matthew 28:19–20, and what does each one involve?
3. According to 1 Peter 2:9, what has God called His people out of, what has He called them into, and what purpose has He given them? [01:05:00]
4. What difference is described between merely knowing Jesus’ commands and teaching others to observe them in everyday life? [01:10:19]

1. Why does Jesus begin the Great Commission by declaring that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him? How should that authority shape the way believers speak about sin, forgiveness, and salvation? [51:54]
2. Jesus says, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” In what ways does this show that Christ’s mission to seek and save the lost continues through His people? [45:06]
3. If believers are called out of darkness in order to proclaim God’s excellencies, what is missing when a church only gathers for study, worship, and fellowship but does not reach outward? [01:05:24]
4. Acts 1:8 connects witnessing with the power of the Holy Spirit. Why might knowledge of the gospel alone not be enough to make someone a bold and loving witness? [01:29:35]

1. Who is one person in your daily life—family member, coworker, neighbor, classmate, or friend—who may need to hear the hope of the gospel? What would be a natural next step toward building a spiritual conversation with that person?
2. Believers are like the moon, reflecting Christ’s light rather than producing their own. Where are you tempted to hide your weaknesses or pretend to have everything together? How could an honest, surrendered life point someone to Jesus instead? [46:20]
3. The Great Commission is not only for pastors, missionaries, or unusually outgoing Christians. In what ways might God be calling you to go, to send, or to become more involved in gospel work where you already are? [47:17]
4. Rejection does not mean a witness has failed; faithfulness is the measure of obedience. Is there someone you have hesitated to speak with because you fear their response? What would faithful, gracious obedience look like in that relationship? [01:01:43]
5. Disciples are taught to observe Christ’s commands by seeing His life at work in other believers. Is there a newer believer, child, friend, or family member who regularly sees your life? What part of following Jesus do you hope they can see more clearly in you? [01:11:11]
6. Witnessing is something believers do with the Lord, not merely for Him. What fears tend to put you “behind locked doors,” and how can you specifically ask the Holy Spirit for power and opportunity this week? [01:30:51]
7. Isaiah did not know all the details before he said, “Here am I. Send me.” Is there an area of service, ministry, generosity, or mission where you have been waiting to know every detail before becoming available? What might it mean to offer God a sincere “yes” today? [01:34:09]