The Great Commission

Coming up next on Renewing Your Mind. His authority governs every event, every molecule every person's life in this world today. We don't have to wait for the second coming for Jesus to be Lord is Lord.

Right now, that means that no one and no thing can thwart God's will, we need to remember that as we consider the charge that Jesus gave his disciples before he ascended into heaven.

The great commission wasn't the suggestion.

It was a command and it applies to us as followers of Christ. If the building that houses the Bureau of standard sin measurements in Washington DC were blown up and the standard yardstick that is found there by which we measure precisely the 36 inches that make up a yard word to our understanding of the yardstick be destroyed with that explosion. If we lost the original normative standard of one your Woodway knots by the existing copies that we have in our possession be able to reconstruct that original yard to within a zillions of an inch of accuracy of the reason for that analogy was that the Bible as we have it today does not contain the original manuscripts that were written by the prophets and the apostles and those agents of revelation that God superintended in the original writing of sacred Scripture.

The original Scriptures have been copied thousands and thousands and thousands of times through the ages and in many cases those monks whose sole task was to spend their lives carefully and assiduously precisely copying the existing manuscripts that they had Word for Word, line upon line, accent upon accent that even from time to time, you would see variations between the monks of one locale in the monks of another locale and we therefore say we don't believe in the infallible inspiration of copyists and so the question is raised well. If we don't have the original manuscripts and all we have are copies, and those copies include errors of transmission. Why do we still speak of having an infallible Bible. Do you feel the problem and the weight of the problem and so we have thousands of manuscripts that have been copied from the first century onward, and it is become a rather precise science to reconstruct the original documents and why am I telling you all will. The reason is the most difficult text in all of the New Testament in terms of trying to reconstruct the original content of the New Testament happens to be the text that I just read a few moments ago, which in the nomenclature is called the long ending of Mark. Now when the scientists look at all of the existing manuscripts and try to determine what was in the original. They look at external information such as I say the collection of manuscripts also the quotations of the original text by first and second century church father's and then they also look internally if there any abrupt changes in syntax and style, and so forth. Now I really believe that the reconstruction of the New Testament is as accurate as the reconstruction of the yardstick that if we lost that building in Washington except for this chapter. Here in chapter 14.

This long ending of Mark is problematic. For this reason all of the best manuscript evidence as well as internal analysis would lead us to conclude, and I'm convinced almost compellingly that the last few verses that I just read here from the Gospel of Mark were not in the original version. So why do translators stick it in here. Well, because they believe that that longer ending is suitable a suitable conclusion to the gospel of Mark because without it, Mark would end in chapter 16 verse eight where we read so they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid Mark is brief and terse throughout his gospel. That's a little bit too terse for most readers. They want the book to say a little bit more and so let's believe that in the very earliest part of the second century, the Christian church wanted to give a an appropriate conclusion to the abrupt ending of Mark.

We ought to be disturbed by that but let's look at what is found in this long ending in say that the doctrines that are found therein are very consistent with what is taught everywhere else in the New Testament there is one tiny section of it that raises some eyebrows, but will get to that in a moment, let's look then beginning at verse 15 where we have this quotation from Jesus with respect to the great commission and by the way there's no question in church history and a biblical analysis that our Lord gave the great commission, whether it should appear here in the last portion of Mark is the question. There's no question of Jesus gave this commission were said go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We examine that, of course, every year in our mission conference but it's something that we need to examine every Sunday because this is so central to the life of the church that our Lord has given us a mission. He's enlisted us into this mission and that mission is to preach the gospel and the gospel has a definite content didn't give us the mandate to preach entertainment to preach the latest psychological theories that this mandate is to preach a particular method a particular message. I should say which message can be gleaned by looking at the apostolic record itself that the gospel has definite content. It has to do with the announcement of the person in the ministry of Jesus and of how the benefits of his life and death can be appropriated to us by faith. The gospel is not that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

The gospel is not that if you come the Christ you will have purpose for your life. Those things may be true, and they be interesting and inviting to certain people.

That's not the gospel. The gospel has to do with the life of Jesus, his work, his atonement, his resurrection, his ascension and the salvation that is wrought by Jesus, which is appropriated by faith and by faith alone. That's the gospel. The gospel is not my personal testimony. My personal testimony may relate to your circumstances. Or it may not. But the gospel relates to everybody's circumstances and the extent of the preaching of the gospel is according to our Lord's directive every creature in all the world. Every creature in all the world. This is his last mandate in the wall the world to every creature that they would hear the gospel and then the Texas Jesus said, he who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Now this message here may be a little bit confusing. Some people look at it and find the baptism is necessary for salvation because our Lord said, he who believes and is baptized will be saved and so therefore the inferences drawn that justice faith is a necessary condition for salvation so is baptism. However, the rest of the New Testament makes it very clear that the only absolute necessary condition for our salvation. Which condition is not only necessary but is also sufficient is faith. Anyone who truly puts their trust in Christ will be justified. At that very second and we see examples in the Scripture themselves of those who were say to her, not baptized. For example, the thief on the cross. Now let me state this way for you if I can make a fine distinction and the distinction is this the baptism is not necessary for salvation, but it is necessary for sanctification. Why do I say that because were commanded to be baptized and if we do not obey that command. That is a failure in terms of our being conformed to the image of Christ and of our obedience in terms of our sanctification. So even though we all have an obligation to be baptized, that baptism does not necessarily mean that if we haven't will be saved, or if we don't have it will be lost. Now notice in the second clause of this statement Jesus makes Haley does not believe will be condemned. Notice the absence there of the term Baptist Jesus does not say in the parallel fashion that he does not, be baptized will be condemned, but faith is necessary for salvation and the lack of it will result in condemnation. You remember John 316 that's quoted all of the time in which John 317 anyone, for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him may be say when he goes on to say this is the condemnation, that men prefer the darkness over the light because their deeds are evil and Jesus says in that same context, that he who does not believe is condemned already, and I stress this for this reason that Jesus doesn't come into a world of innocent people in order to bring them salvation.

Our Lord came into a world that was already universally under the condemnation of God. People who have never heard of Jesus are not condemned because they rejected Jesus a phone they've never said we breathe a sigh of relief and we think it will, therefore, would not worry about their condemnation. On the contrary there already in the state of condemnation because they have universally rejected the general revelation of God the father, who was made himself known and clear to every creature and every creature down to the last one of us has exchange that knowledge for an idol.

Exchange the truths for Alliance serves and worships the creature rather than the creator which exposes the whole world.

The condemnation and then Jesus goes on to say, and these signs will follow those who believe in, in my name they will cast out demons. They will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents and if they drink anything, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

I think you've already detected the one statement in there that's problematic.

But my guess is that you haven't.

My guess is that you have responded to the wrong one. Let's look at these things again. Here's the signs will follow those who believe. First of all, I'll be able to cast out demons that happen with the apostles in the book of acts. Yes, that was fulfilled. They will speak with new tongues did that happen in the book of acts, the apostolic age yes they will take up serpents that happen was not Paul when he reached his hand in the far bitten by and asked who affixed himself to Paul's and in this poisonous snake after Paul shook it loose. Did no damage to the apostle Paul. I wonder how many of you zeroed in on that one as one that was.

Not really fulfilled. While this of course is the proof text for snake handling cults and we've all heard about those cults of people who at the heart of their Christian faith is the testing of their faith by handling poisonous snakes usually rattlesnakes, copperheads or moccasins, and the idea is that if they handle the snakes and they have the proper amount of faith. They're not going to be fatally wounded by these snakes know some of these people become very proficient of handling snakes without irritating the snakes and become able to play with the snakes without getting bitten but every year you read of reports of those in such cults, who indeed are stricken by these serpents. This was not designed by the word of God to reduce a ritual in the life of the church to prove our faith as some suppose. But indeed we do have the apostolic record of one at least the apostle Paul who survived the encounter with the deadly snake.

However, we have no biblical record of anybody drinking poison and surviving. We do have an extra biblical testimony from early church history about one Christian who in persecution was forced to drink something like hemlock and nevertheless survived the experience without even becoming ill, but that's again extra biblical and even though it's extra biblical would certainly fulfill this particular prophecy, they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover and that prophecy as well has been well attested.

Then what follows in the text at the very end. So then after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God was in the sentence.

The last clause he was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God to the most important activities of our Lord or compressed into less than one sentence. This is the reference here to the ascension of Jesus, which is of extreme importance. If we look carefully at Luke's gospel and at the book of acts that Jesus after the resurrection did not go to Mexico or to the United States but he ascended into heaven, fulfilling that office promised to the faithful Messiah where he goes into heaven for his coronation as the King of Kings and is the Lord of lords, and then at the end of the confession of the ascension comes the confession of the session in the apostles Creed we say ascended into heaven and sit in on the right hand of God in this church. We have a session which is a group of elders in there called the session because these elders meet regularly in an ecclesiastical session where they are seated together and they make judgments and decisions by which the church is governed and there are many members of our session in heaven there is only one session member and that is Jesus, our supreme elder who is seated at the right hand of the father and the father has delegated to Christ all authority on heaven and in earth.

That's why we say he is the king of the kings and the Lord of the Lord's, and his authority governs every event, every molecule every person's life in this world today. We don't have to wait for the second coming for Jesus to be Lord is Lord. Right now, and he is right this moment seated at God's right hand, which is the seat of heavenly authority and then we read that they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.

No sooner has the ending of Mark's gospel affirmed that Jesus has left this world that he is ascended into heaven, that is no longer present with us that in the same breath.

It is expressed that as the apostles went about their ministry that the Lord was working with them. Hence, the confessional statement that says touching his human nature. Jesus is no longer present with us touching his divine nature. He is never absent from us. Our Lord himself when he announced his imminent departure to his disciples that get a little while you will see me no more from going away more ongoing you won't be overcome. Right. Nevertheless, I'm with you, and so the task that is given to the church here is not a task that is to be accomplished by human effort alone with that task that we are called to do, dear friends, is a task that is to be done with the help of the Lord who works with his people who goes before his people, even in his resurrection announcement that we read last week that he's told the women go until the 12 that I am going before them in the Galilee.

That's his pattern we go and we find out he's already been there. He doesn't follow the ministry of the church. He leads the ministry of the church as the Scripture says finally it says and confirming the word through the accompanying signs the Bible doesn't have a word for miracle. There's no word for miracle in the New Testament, there are three words for miracle. There are signs powers and wonders and all three of those. Give us the substance by which we extrapolate the concept of miracle. These signs that we call miracles are given to the church primarily and essentially the confirm the truth proclaimed by the apostolic testimony.

Finally, the gospel, in the longer ending ends with one word. Amen.

That word which is based upon the Semitic word for truth simply means this is the truth.

So what you been listening to today and last Sunday last month last year and all of our gathering together here as we followed closely through this gospel is that we've heard the truth of God and that wraps up our verse by verse journey through the gospel of Mark.

Thanks for being with us today here on the Lord's day addition of Renewing Your Mind. I'm we web in we have been working our way through Mark's gospel for more than 60 weeks now in a sermon series that Dr. RC Sproul preached to his beloved congregation at St. Andrews Chapel. The sermons are the basis for Dr. Sproles expositional commentary on Mark and we would like to send you a digital download of the commentary when you contact us today with a donation of any amount. It will provide you with a wonderful opportunity. You continue your study on your own, you can go online to requested at Renewing Your Mind.word we want to be a source of biblical help. As you study and if you get stuck in a verse or a theological concept very helpful source for answers is ask Liggett here.

It's available 24 hours a day, Monday through Saturday and it gives you the opportunity to ask well-trained staff members.

Your theological or biblical questions. For example, what does it mean to be in Christ. You may have other questions like that. So go to ask.we can hear.org and one of my colleagues will be glad to take a question. Well I hope you make plans to be with us next week as we begin. Dr. Sproles sermon series from the gospel of Luke is next Sunday. Here on Renewing Your Mind