Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome

Over the last few weeks we have been covering the values of Renew

Passionate Pursuit

Selfless Service

Fearless Followers

Real Relationships

This week we continue our values with Active Apprentice

The last command given was to go and make disciples

The term make disciples there means to to teach or to follow a teachers precepts and instruction

Disciple here really means to be an apprentice

Apprentice - a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer

Christ commanded us to teach them “to obey everything” (or all things), which means that for all Christians a lifetime of learning must follow conversion and membership in Christ’s church.

Boice, J. M. (2001).

The Gospel of Matthew (p.

649).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

We must commit to being lifetime learners as Christians

Christ commanded us to teach them “to obey everything” (or all things), which means that for all Christians a lifetime of learning must follow conversion and membership in Christ’s church.

Christ commanded us to teach them “to obey everything” (or all things), which means that for all Christians a lifetime of learning must follow conversion and membership in Christ’s church.

If we are not learning and moving forward we are moving back from God

This is part of the active in Active Apprentice

We must always be learning more about God

Boice, J. M. (2001).

The Gospel of Matthew (p.

649).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Boice, J. M. (2001).

The Gospel of Matthew (p.

649).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

But we are also called to find other apprentices like us

We must teach them

We must make them apprentices with us.

So what do we teach our apprentice?

Teach the Power and Authority of Jesus

It cannot be denied the importance of Jess starting off with this.

This was not just an exercise in just reaffirming the earthly power he had professed

It was a statement that his authority is superior to all other authorities

The resurrection itself proves his authority over any force imaginable

This is important to the message that we are portraying to those around us

No matter what you have done, no matter what you are going through, Jesus is bigger

No addiction, no mistake, no situation is bigger than God

His authority extends over all of those!

His power extends beyond anything that we can face!

John Stott summarizes this well:

The fundamental basis of all Christian missionary enterprise is the universal authority of Jesus Christ, “in heaven and on earth.”

If the authority of Jesus were circumscribed on earth, if he were but one of many religious teachers, one of many Jewish prophets, one of many divine incarnations, we would have no mandate to present him to the nations as the Lord and Savior of the world.

If the authority of Jesus were limited in heaven, if he had not decisively overthrown the principalities and powers, we might still proclaim him to the nations, but we would never be able to “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

Only because all authority on earth belongs to Christ dare we go to all nations.

And only because all authority in heaven as well is his have we any hope of success.

John Stott summarizes this well:

The fundamental basis of all Christian missionary enterprise is the universal authority of Jesus Christ, “in heaven and on earth.”

If the authority of Jesus were circumscribed on earth, if he were but one of many religious teachers, one of many Jewish prophets, one of many divine incarnations, we would have no mandate to present him to the nations as the Lord and Savior of the world.

If the authority of Jesus were limited in heaven, if he had not decisively overthrown the principalities and powers, we might still proclaim him to the nations, but we would never be able to “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

Only because all authority on earth belongs to Christ dare we go to all nations.

And only because all authority in heaven as well is his have we any hope of success.

If he were just another teacher.

If he had not decisively held authority over the enemy

He was not just another teacher.

He stepped on the throat of the enemy

Because of this, we have the power and authority of Jesus to proclaim this good news to all people!

It’s the Good News that says, Jesus is bigger than anything you could ever face!

This power and authority is based on the sovereignty of Jesus

Sovereign = Right to Rule

To say that God is sovereign, therefore, as the Bible does, is to say that God rules in all matters and all places.

Nothing is an accident.

Nothing you could ever do would make God step back and say “WHOA!”

Jesus holds power over all things

Including the things that we are struggling with

To say that Jesus can’t is to say that we are bigger than God

His power and authority reaches beyond anything our finite mind could ever comprehend.

His power and authority is the truth that we must teach them

Teach the Truth of Jesus

Christ commanded us to teach them “to obey everything” (or all things), which means that for all Christians a lifetime of learning must follow conversion and membership in Christ’s church.

This truth that we are to proclaim is not a truth that is easy to hear

Too many times, as seeker sensitive churches, we have watered down the gospel to make it attractional

You have to bring them in

But the truth must be told

We have to teach them these things

A high view of Scripture

This is not just some book

This is the end all be all

Every situation that we could find ourselves in has the answer in these letters

It is not an outdated manuscript

It is the road map by which we live our lives!

We have to teach them about the power of God!

God is BIGGER!

The depravity of man

Man is in rebellion against God

Man is dead in sin

Salvation is through Christ alone

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.

These are not popular things to hear!

We cannot deprive the Gospel for the sake of being PC

We must teach the truth that all have fallen short ()

We need to speak of the depravity of man, so much so that there is no hope for him apart from God’s grace.

We need to speak of God’s electing love, showing that God enters the life of an individual by his Holy Spirit to quicken understanding and draw the rebellious will to himself.

We must show that God is able to keep and does keep those whom he so draws.

But the last thing that we must do is maybe the most important thing we have to teach

But the last thing that we must teach is maybe the most important thing we have to teach

Teach the Love of Jesus

The love of a savior emanates from these last words

No matter what happens, no matter where this command takes you, I am with you