The Mission
Stand Alone - In View of a Call • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Welcome
Welcome
Thank everyone that came to the men’s fellowship
and to the valentines lunch
Introduce Myself
Important morning for myself and family
Taking a week off from John
This morning we will be in
Matthew 28 (16-20)
in my devotional time I am working
through Matthews gospel
and it has been edifying
so now, as I preach to you in view of a call
after prayer and council
I decided to spend this week in
What we all know as
the great commission
And this is such an important piece
of Scripture for us
as a church
and for me as your pastor (hopefully)
See within these 5 verses
lays such a tremendous amount of responsibility
And it is within these 5 verses
That I feel my mission for this church is laid out
as it covers what we are called to do above all else
So if your able
please stand with me
as we read our text for the morning
Matthew 28:16–20 “The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
Pray!
Illustration
Illustration
Arrow -> Theme this week!
do we have any archers in here?
at our men’s fellowship this past Monday
we looked at Psalm 127
In which we liken our sons to arrows
as they are like arrows in our quivers
But this morning I would like to
use arrows yet again
see, arrows have been around for a long
time
they are a tried and true apparatus
for defense
for hunting
for all kinds of things
describe arrows
4 stages of arrow trajectory
that will never change
first motion an arrow takes is inward
can be strongly compared our journey
As disciples
elaborate
4 stages of arrows
Inward (16 & 17)
as a church we must continue to grow
not necessarily always in numbers
but personally
inwardly
we must continue to establish a strong
foundation based on scripture
and the knowledge of God
and as we grow personally and collectively
together
we will look more and more upward
Upward (18)
Because He is above us
We operate under Christ
He is the Son of Man
the Son of God
He has the authority
and as we look upward at Him
we are to move outward
Outward (19 and 20a)
As we grow inwardly both individually
and collectively as a body
we are to go out
and spread the good news of Jesus
get involved with the community
the town
the state, even the nation and beyond
as his disciples
we have already begun this and I know you all
have already been doing this
Mens night,
new years eve
valentines things
these are all great and we will expand on them
and finally
Downward (20b)
We do all of this because He
came down
from His thrown
To our level,
To walk with us, talk with us
teach us
and ultimately die for us
Introduction
Introduction
Our text this morning is on the heals of
Jesus’ resurrection
The most significant event in human history
oh the excitement the 2 Mary’s must have felt at that time
when they walked up
saw an angel,
saw some scared soldiers
and saw, an empty tomb
how glorious that must have been
Up until this point
In the Gospel of Matthew we have seen Jesus
teach with authority
and disciple those around him
we saw him teach in cities
synagogues
and in the temple
he has taught both privately
and publically
he exercised His authority
as he healed and saved
and now, it is the disciples turn
our turn
to take what we have learned from Jesus
and apply them
in the same ways
and same places as he did
Inward
Inward
Matthew 28:16 “The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.”
It says they traveled to Galilee
Well, why did they do that?
lets back up to verse 10 of our chapter to see
Matthew 28:10 “Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.””
So, Mary and Mary saw the resurrected Jesus
And he told them to tell the brothers to meet him in Galilee
The disciples then in verse 16 knew to meet Jesus in Galilee because the ladies that found the empty tomb
told them to do so
but one thing I love about this and what we just read in V10 is that he addressed them as brothers
much like we do here
right, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ
But these brothers that Jesus just referred to
essentially abandoned him at the cross
We know that Peter denied him 3 times
and that John was the only one present at his death
We know that by looking at Chapter 26 V56
That after he was arrested in the garden
it says “then all the disciples deserted him and ran away”
yet here he called them brothers
he could have called them wimps
Cowards
runaways
really anything
but he called them brothers
and in that he teaches them a thing about forgiveness
we can learn from that can’t we?
there are going to be times that we will
not all agree
there will be times that I may frustrate you
or likewise
there will be times we flat out may not like each other
but one thing we must remember
is that we are brothers and sisters
in Christ
and despite any and all of those differences
we are to show each other
grace
and forgiveness
as Christ teaches us here
and that is just the beginning of our
inward mission
Now, Jesus had appeared to the disciples
between the time they meet him in Galilee
and when they meet him this time
thats how they know to meet him on a mountain
in Galilee and not just in Galilee itself
So the 11, are no longer 12
signifying the fact they went from a perfect number like 12
signifying or representing the twelve tribes
to an imperfect one like 11
now it is very likely there were many more diciples there outside
of the core 11
but Matthew was specific about saying 11
Perhaps this is to show us
that Jesus is
able to work with imperfections
he could have replaced Judas then and there
but he didn’t
and nothing Christ does is not on purpose
he did this show that we as an imperfect
people are to take the gospel of a perfect
God to other imperfect people
so, this imperfect number of of men
traveled to the mountain in Galilee
this almost seems like a walk of faith right
They obviously had time to think about all this
while they were traveling
remember its a 2-3 day walk over there
But that is where Jesus directed them
much like he is still directing us today
He directed them to a mountain
we don’t know which mountain this was
But we do know that mountains are very important
in the bible
think about it
mountains throughout scripture
represent
stability
strength
holiness
greatness
We think of
Mount Sinai
Where God gave Moses the 10 commandments
it is also where he led his people after freeing them from
Egypt
Mount Carmel
Where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal
and called down fire from heaven
The Mount of Olives
Where so many of Jesus’ activities occured
it is where he prayed before his crucifixion
it is where he ascended into heaven
and where it is said that he will return
Mount Zion
This is sometimes refereed to as Jerusalem itself
or heaven
or even Gods people
We have mount Tabor
which is said to be the place where the transfiguration
occured
Mount Nebo
where God allowed Moses to view the promise land before his death
Mount Moriah
this is where Abraham was to sacrifice Issac
it is where Solomon built his temple
and it is right next to Golgotha
where our Lord Jesus was crucified
Theres Mount Ararat
where Noah landed the ark
and finally
there is the Mount of Beatitudes
which is a mountain near the sea of Galilee
actually it overlooks it
where Jesus delivered His sermon on the mount
and that is exactly where I believe he directed them to meet Him
See isn’t it fitting that he would end his earthly
ministry in the very place he started it
publically i should say
See that is where he took the disciples
at the beginning of their journey
and that is where he is taking them at the
end
On the sermon on the mount he focused
on the inward
how we are to be Jesus’ disciples by obeying
his commands
by learning to do as he does
by learning to love as he loves
by learning to give grace as he gives grace
now as we enter into the great commission
the inward growth that has occured in the disciples
will now develop
first upward
then outward
V 17 concludes with the fact that when they saw Him there
they worshiped, as well as doubted
and that’s part of growth isn't it
we all go through times of worship
when we are cloud 9 for God
followed by times of doubt
but I believe that the doubt we sometimes get as believers
can be healthy
as it churns in us a fire to know Him more and more
Mark 9:24 “I do believe; help my unbelief!””
what does this doubt and unbelief mean for the believer?
well it simply means that while we have faith
that faith is not perfect
and this doubt sometimes magnifies the
imperfections found in our faith
so it is in these times of doubt
that we do not turn from him
but run to him
and ask for more faith
when we doubt we should say to the
Father I have faith
but help me have more
and it is through this humbling experience
of longing for more faith
that we come closer and closer to Him
And that is the inward development that I am talking about
within my mission for myself and for this church
that we come to Him humbly
that we dive into His word as a congregation
understanding that we are not perfect
but that we serve a perfect God
and that will set our eyes
upward
and to our next point
Upward
Upward
Matthew 28:18 “Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
we have been talking about Jesus’ authority quite a bit
in the book of John
and here, Jesus echoes what we have been learning
the past 2 weeks in John 5
See when they got to the place
Im sure he sat down
and they stood all around Him
and just him being there
I am sure releaved a lot of thier doubt
When he appeared in front of them
bodily
He confirmed who he was
summing up a lot of the book of Matthew and John for that matter
in one sentence
as he says ALL authority is given to Him
emphasis on ALL
not just on earth
not just in heaven
but in heaven and on earth!
we just read last week Dan 7:13
how as the son of man he is granted
all dominion over everything
life
death
salvation
and judgement
So, it is this authority
that is the basis for everything else we are going to talk of this morning
and everything we started with thus far
His authority over Heaven and Earth
means that he is not just our
personal Lord and Saviour
that saying saying we made a decision
to follow Christ makes him lord
No, he is Lord whether we follow Him or not
whether we decide to follow him does not constitute the fact that he is
the Lord of the Universe and has all authority
Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave
now He is exalted at the Fathers right hand as the Lord of all Creation
Sure, Jesus loves us
personally,
He rules over us personally
But He is also universally the Lord and Savior over all
His grace and sacrifice was and is sufficient
to cover the sins or all the world
or a billion worlds
however, while his grace is sufficient for all
it is only applied to those that hear and believe
For one day every knee will bow and
every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord
so whether we do it now
or whether we do it when it is too late
does not undermine His authority
and it is within that authority that we go out
it is within that authority that we are compelled to go out
See His worth is the fuel for our mission
His worship is the goal for our mission
And His mission will succeed
How do we know that?
Because we know how this story ends
We are playing for the winning team
We just have to stay the course while the battle ensues
So as we embark on this mission
we must know that it is because God is from above
and we look upwards to Him right
that we have the
mandate to Go outwards
which brings us to our next point
Outward
Outward
Matthew 28:19 “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 everything I have commanded you.”
These words here in verse 19, and some of 20 are
in fact the heart of the Great Commission
Matthew knew that the last words are
often the lasting words
as these words close out
his gospel account
v19 started with
Go, therefore
The therefore is here to link this verse to the previous
as we already discussed
because Jesus has ALL the authority
we, as His followers must carry out his orders
and these are his orders
and they start with action
Go is about as much of an action word as we can get
He didn’t command to come and sit
He didn’t command us to
come and be comfortable
he commanded us to Go
Go and do all things we have learned from Him
and the central command of that
is to make disciples
and at the heart of making disciples
is to reproduce in others
what Jesus has produced in us
which is
Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. .”
Fruits of the spirit right
But may I also add
strength
discipline
Because this verse is not a comfortable call to Christians
it is not a comfortable call to us as a congregation
it is a costly command
to go out!
PAUSE
In Matthew 4:19 ““Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.””
or fishers of men!
In Jesus’ introduction in Matthew, where that verse came from
he established that every follower of Jesus is a fisher of people, or men
and here in the conclusion he is saying
that every disciple is
and should be a disciple maker
see we, are His disciples
and if we are His disciples then we must be
making disciples
from beginning to the end this was His plan
that we are to make disciples of all nations
starting in our families
them moving to our communities
to Crescent Valley
to Hidden Valley
to guadalupe
to victoria
to Bloomington
and beyond
the greek for nations
means
ethnos
or people, ethnic groups
meaning there are no boundaries for the
gospel
and for making disciples
no matter their economic status
their skin color
their neighborhood
their background
or their sins
we are to reach them all with the message of Jesus Christ
and not only witness to them
but to serve them
with the same grace served and given to us
PAUSE
Now, that we know who and where we are supposed to go
lets see what the imperatives around making disciples are
Those are
Going
baptizing
and teaching
the first as spelled our for us is “go”
we have already talked about this one
but a little more food for thought consists of this
When we go
we are to share the word
whether it is at dinner
across the street
whether its feeding the poor
wherever it is
it is where we find unbelievers
and there we are to speak the word
and live the word
show grace and compassion
all of the things we learned
Yet, making disciples doesn’t end
when we share the gospel
and they respond
see at that point that it is only the beginning
what do we do when someone turns from their
sin, and turns to Christ?
we baptize them
our second imperative
See Baptism is the outward expression of our internal decision to follow Christ
it is a celebration
full of joy and happiness
it for all to see
See it’s not that you or they
have to be baptized to be saved
and become a christian
however, once you are a christian
your public declaration of faith involves baptism
because baptism represents the identification of people
with this new life and new faith
and we are to baptize them in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
the trinity!
Then once someone is baptized we
will continue to share our lives together
because disciple making isn’t spending
an hour here in the service
or an hour in Sunday school
it happens when we walk through life together
as a community of faith
as members of the local body
we show each other how to pray
how to study
how to grow
and how to lead other in Christ
This all happens as one is baptized and comes into the
loving arms of the local church
of us!
Then third, as we make disciples we are to teach the word
we are to teach all of the things that Jesus
has commanded us
and we find these commands and teachings
in the bible
and that is my focus as is yours
that we teach the Bible
that we hold scripture to the highest accord
and this is the only thing I will ever preach
as your pastor I will exposit the word
of God to the best of my ability
Because the teaching of the scriptures
is the of the upmost importance to the church
for that is the truth that we take outward
and finally
our final point of the morning is
Downward
Downward
Matthew 28:20 b “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
We just covered
in our first 3 points
that we must
work on ourselves inwardly
because
believe in the authority of God
and that we are to obey the command of Christ
and here we get the assurance
that we can depend on the presence of Christ
in all of this
that He will be with us every step of the way
Because He came downward from heaven
stepped into His creation
and saved those that believe in his name
See this mission is not based on who we are
or what we can do
it is not based on me or you
it is based on the person and works of Jesus Christ
and that should be so encouraging and comforting
so together
Lets experience the power and presence of Christ
Conclusion
Conclusion
So as I come before you
in view of a call
I pray that we can come together
and spread this message of Hope and Grace
that we are able to see inward
in order to focus upward
and go outward
because he came downward
As we enter into this time of invitation
I pray that if anyone here does not know Jesus Christ
as their Lord and Savior
that he died a criminals death
as an innocent man
for us and for our sins
I pray that if you have not committed yourself to Him
that you do so soon
and for those that have already committed to Him
Lets continue with the Great Commission
Let us pray
Invitation
Invitation
So now as we will enter into a time of invitation
This is a time of prayer and commitment
If you would like to pray with me
or one of our deacons about your salvation
or any other needs
now is the time
also, if you would like to begin the process of
becoming a member here
you can come up front as well
Let us sing