Introduction

If we could sit across a kitchen table together this morning, coffee steaming, hearts open, I’d ask you a gentle question: Where did Jesus meet you this week? In a car line with cranky kiddos? In a conference call that felt like it would never end? At a mailbox where the bill looked bigger than the bank account? Our Savior is not distant from those moments. He steps into the ordinary with extraordinary grace. He comes close. And when He draws near, He doesn’t just pat us on the head and send us back to the grind. He lifts our eyes. He reminds us that our days are not random and our places are not accidental. Your street is chosen. Your office is assigned. Your lunch table is a mission field draped in napkins and names.

John Wesley once said, “The world is my parish.” That’s not a slogan; that’s a summons. Imagine if that line moved from a page of history into the pocket of your heart. The world—your cul-de-sac, your classroom, your Zoom room, your locker room—your parish. Could it be that God has already placed the people you are called to love within arm’s reach? Could it be that the Great Commission is less about packing a passport and more about opening our mouths, our homes, and our calendars to the people already in our path?

We are not spectators in the stands; we are sent ones in the stands, in the shops, and in the schools. The King has a way of turning errands into encounters and interruptions into invitations. He does not recruit the impressive; He empowers the available. He stitches courage into scared hearts and puts songs in stuttering mouths. And here is the sweetest truth: He never sends without going with. The Sender stays.

Before we pray, let’s hear the words that frame our faith and fuel our feet.

Matthew 28:18-20

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.’”

Do you hear the rhythm? Authority, assignment, and assurance. The crown on His head, the call in our hands, and the Comforter at our side. This is not a task for the gifted few; it is a grace for every believer. Your conversation counts. Your kindness counts. Your quiet prayers carry more weight than you know. God delights to use willing hearts with simple words and steady love.

Let’s ask Him to help us.

Opening Prayer:

Lord Jesus, King over heaven and earth, we pause under Your authority and rest in Your affection. Thank You for meeting us in our Mondays and for calling us into Your mission. Give us eyes to see the people You’ve placed around us, ears to hear the whisper of Your Spirit, and hands ready to serve. Loosen our tongues to speak Your name with humility and hope. Make our homes hospitable, our work honorable, and our steps obedient. When fear rises, remind us that You are with us. When weariness weighs us down, lift us with Your presence. Anoint this time in Your Word and align our hearts with Your heart, so that disciples would be made and Your name magnified. In Your strong and steady name we pray, Jesus. Amen.

Christ's authority defines our mission

Mission starts with Jesus. He stands above every power. He speaks with real weight. His words are not advice. They carry command. When He says go, we go. When He says make disciples, we make disciples. We do not set the aim. He does. That brings peace. We do not have to guess. We do not have to build a plan from scratch. We receive our orders from a living Lord.

This changes our posture. We move with humility, because we serve under His name. We move with courage, because His rule has no boundary. Doors that look closed can open. Hearts that seem hard can soften. Systems that feel too strong can shift. He is not asking us to carry our own name. He sends us with His authority. That means our role is simple. Listen. Trust. Obey.

Authority also shapes our message. We speak what He has said. We point to what He has done. We call people to turn to Him and to learn His ways. The center is not our story, our brand, or our church style. The center is Jesus Himself. We aim for allegiance to Him. We teach His words. We point to His cross and His empty tomb. We ask people to yield to His rule with glad hearts.

Authority sets our measure of faithfulness too. Success looks like obedience. We show up where He sends. We say what He has said. We keep going when results feel small. He sees. He knows. He weighs things with truth and grace. He is wise about timing. Our task is steady steps under His lead.

“All nations” stretches the scope. The mission reaches every people group. Every tongue. Every story. No one is outside the reach of His care. The good news is for the neighbor next door and for the family across the ocean. It fits the apartment and the village. It fits the office and the farm. His reach is wide, so our hearts must be wide too.

This wide call starts right where you stand. The places you walk each day matter. Hallways, break rooms, bus stops, fields, waiting rooms. Faces you pass again and again. Names you know and names you do not know yet. The wide world flows through these small places. We carry the same message to each one. Jesus saves. Jesus leads. Jesus is worthy.

“All nations” also means patient cross-cultural love. We learn to listen. We ask good questions. We honor histories. We work at clear words. We make space at our tables. We refuse quick labels. We let the Bible shape our views of people. Every person bears God’s image. Every person needs grace. Every person can be taught. Every person can teach us something about God’s work.

And this scope calls for shared work. No single church can touch every group. No single plan can fit every city. So we link arms. We pray with other believers. We support workers in hard places. We send and we receive. We celebrate what God is doing across the street and across the sea. The King gathers one family from many peoples, and we get to help.

“Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” shows how people are brought in. Baptism marks a new start. It is a clear sign of trust in Jesus. It is a public welcome into a real family. A person goes under the water and comes up again. A simple act speaks a big truth. We belong to God. We belong to His people.

This sign carries a name. Not many names. One name that holds three Persons. Father, Son, and Spirit. Here we see God as He is. The Father plans and loves. The Son saves and reigns. The Spirit gives life and power. Our mission flows from God’s own life. We call people into fellowship with Him. We do not invite them to a club. We invite them to God.

Baptism also shapes how we see the church. New life needs a home. People need care as they grow. So we make space in our groups for new brothers and sisters. We teach them how to pray. We show them how to read the Scriptures. We correct with gentleness. We cheer every step forward. The water is the start, not the finish.

And baptism points to a holy way of living. The old life is left behind. A new path begins. Grace washes. Grace trains. We help each other say no to sin and yes to the Lord. We keep short accounts. We confess quickly. We forgive freely. The sign at the start keeps speaking to our days. You are Christ’s. Live as His.

“Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” sets the pace of our work. We teach for action. We aim for practice. We do not stop at facts. We help people obey. We open the Bible and show the way of Jesus in real life. Words about money. Words about mercy. Words about truth. Words about enemy love. All of it matters. All of it is good.

This kind of teaching takes time. It happens in circles and in homes. It happens on walks and over meals. It happens in sorrow and in joy. We answer hard questions. We admit when we do not know and then we learn. We model what we say. We keep the commands in sight and we keep grace in our tone. We teach with patience because change is slow.

The Lord adds a promise to steady us. He is with us. Every day. Every place. That promise fuels endurance. We can teach again and again because He stands with us again and again. We can face hard rooms because He fills the room. We can carry weighty words because He carries us. His nearness is the strength of our work.

So our teaching keeps coming back to Him. We teach repentance with hope because He forgives. We teach holiness with warmth because He supplies power. We teach service with joy because He served us first. We teach mission with calm hearts because He stays. His presence frames every task. His presence fills every gap. His presence keeps us going to the end.

Make disciples where you live and work

This call lands in the places we already stand ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO