Summary

Part 2 of the Great Commission series works through the phrase ‘all nations.’ God’s saving purpose has been global from the start — from the Abrahamic covenant through Revelation’s vision of every tribe and tongue worshiping the Lamb. Using 1 Corinthians 9 and the parable of the Good Samaritan, the sermon calls believers to a gospel-flexible heart that reaches across the globe and across the street, because the nations are next door.

Key Points from the Sermon

• ‘All nations’ (or all people groups) was God’s plan from the start. It is rooted in His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:3) and echoed throughout the Old Testament (Psalm 67; Isaiah 49:6), long before the Great Commission.
• God chose one people (Israel) for the sake of blessing all peoples. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, opening salvation to every tribe and nation (Revelation 7:9-10).
• Christian liberty, as Paul models in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, is freedom for missionary adaptability, not self-indulgence. Paul adjusts his methods but never the message.
• The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) reminds us that obedience to Christ’s mission starts with mercy toward the neighbor right in front of us, regardless of background or preference.
• Evangelistic fruit rarely comes from accidental living. Faithful witness requires intentionality, discipline, and the willingness to actually speak; living differently isn’t enough.
• Every believer is called to gospel witness in their vocation and context. Your everyday life is the training ground and the mission field.

Scripture Readings

Matthew 28:18-20 - The Great Commission — Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations, forming the basis for the entire sermon series.

Genesis 12:1-3 - The Abrahamic covenant — God’s promise that through Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed, showing the global scope of God’s plan from the beginning.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 - Paul’s model of missionary adaptability — becoming all things to all people to win some, demonstrating the flexible gospel heart required for the mission.

Discussion Questions

Read Matthew 28:18-20

1. What specific words or phrases stand out to you in these verses? How many times does the word ‘all’ appear, and what does each instance refer to?

2. How does Jesus’ claim of all authority change how you approach the command to make disciples?

Read Genesis 12:1-3 and Revelation 7:9-10

3. How does comparing God’s promise to Abraham with the vision in Revelation show that ‘all nations’ has always been central to God’s plan? What does this tell us about the unity of Scripture? Read Revelation 5:9 alongside 7:9-10 — what does it mean that Christ has ransomed (not merely made available salvation for) people from every tribe and tongue? How does that change the confidence with which we go?

Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

4. Paul says he ‘became all things to all people.’ What is the difference between adapting your methods and compromising your message? How did Paul maintain that distinction (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ..)

5. The sermon defined Christian liberty not as freedom for self-indulgence but as freedom for gospel advance. How does this understanding challenge the way you typically think about your freedoms as a believer?

6. Read the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. The lawyer asked “who is my neighbor?” trying to justify himself by the law. Where do we find ourselves in this parable — and who is the true neighbor who showed mercy to us when we were dying? How does receiving Christ’s mercy change the way we extend mercy to those right in front of us this week?

7. Pastor Orrin challenged: ‘If you’re not faithful in sharing the gospel with the people you’re around right now, don’t kid yourself in believing that you would suddenly become this great missionary if you had a change of context.’ How does this challenge you? Can you identify one person in your daily life whom God may be calling you to intentionally pursue with the gospel?

8. How does our local church support global missions? How can we, as a small group, link personal evangelism with the body’s collective witness?

Application

This Week’s Challenge: This week, do two things: (1) Choose one unreached people group or country and commit to praying for them daily. (2) Identify one specific neighbor, coworker, or acquaintance who doesn’t know Christ — learn their name if you don’t know it, start or deepen a conversation, and look for an opportunity to speak about your faith.

Prayer Focus: Ask God for a heart for the lost, both globally and locally. Pray for discernment to preach the Gospel in a way people will understand while remaining fully faithful to Scripture. Pray for faith to trust the results to God’s sovereign will.

Memory Verse

“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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20

Resources

• Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper
• The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
• Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation by Jason Mandryk