Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, welcome. We gather here today, not as strangers, but as a family knit together by the love of our Father. We are here to share in the joy of His word, to find comfort in His promises, and to be equipped by the truth of His Gospel. We are not here by chance, but by divine appointment. Every one of us is here today because our Father has a message for us, a message that can transform our lives and the lives of those around us.

Mark Dever once said, "Discipling is deliberately doing spiritual good to someone so that he or she will be more like Christ. Discipleship is the term I use to describe our own following Christ. Discipling is the subset of that, which is helping someone else follow Christ." Discipleship and discipling will be our discussion points today.

Let us turn to the Scripture for today, the very words of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, as recorded in Matthew chapter 28, verses 19 and 20:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

This passage, beloved, is commonly known as the Great Commission. It is not a suggestion, but a command. A command to know the Gospel, to knead the message into our hearts, and to kindle the moment of sharing this truth with others. It is a command that comes with a promise - the promise of His presence, His guidance, and His power.

So, are we ready to embrace this command? Are we prepared to allow the Gospel to permeate every aspect of our lives? Are we eager to share this life-changing message with those around us?

Before we delve deeper into this command and its implications, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for gathering us here today. We thank You for Your Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. As we reflect on the Great Commission today, we pray that Your Holy Spirit will guide us, teach us, and empower us. Help us to know Your Gospel, to knead Your message into our hearts, and to kindle the moment of sharing this truth with others. We ask this in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let’s get started!

Knowing the Gospel

The Gospel, the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the cornerstone of our faith. It is the message that we have been saved, not by our own works, but by the grace of God through the sacrifice of His Son. This is the truth that we must first understand and accept before we can fulfill the Great Commission.

Recognizing our need for a savior: We are all sinners, falling short of the glory of God. We have all been separated from Him by our disobedience, our pride, our selfishness. Yet, God, in His infinite love and mercy, did not abandon us in our sin. Instead, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death, and rose again, conquering death and sin once and for all. This is the heart of the Gospel: that we have been reconciled to God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Letting this truth transform our hearts and our lives: It's about surrendering to the lordship of Jesus, allowing Him to guide our thoughts, our words, our actions. It's about living in the light of His grace, reflecting His love and mercy in our relationships with others. This is what it means to know the Gospel: to be so intimately acquainted with the love of Christ that it permeates every aspect of our lives.

The message that we are called to share with others: As followers of Christ, we are commissioned to spread this good news to all nations. This is not just a responsibility, but a privilege. We have been entrusted with the most precious message in the world, the message of salvation. And we are called to share this message not just with our words, but with our lives. Our actions, our attitudes, our love for others, all these should reflect the truth of the Gospel.

Abiding in the promises of God: The Gospel is not just a message about what God has done, but about what He continues to do. It's about His promise to be with us always, to guide us, to strengthen us, to comfort us. It's about His promise to complete the good work He has started in us, to make us more like His Son. It's about His promise to use us for His glory, to make us instruments of His grace. This is the hope of the Gospel, the assurance that we have in Christ.

Kneading the Message

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