WE CAN DO THIS
Matthew 28:18-20
Intro: There’s a story told about a Barber who got saved. Now this Barber was known to be eccentric. He was actually mentally deficient and although he had a good heart, he usually did or said things the wrong way. People would overlook him because they knew who and how he was. One day not long after he was saved a stranger walked into his barber shop and asked for a hair cut and a shave. The barber cut the mans hair and had lathered up his face for his shave and something inside of him said that you need to tell this man about Jesus. The Barber had his razor in his hand and he walked around to the front of the chair and looked at the man with his razor held high and said “are you prepared to meet your God today”. The man jumped up from the chair and ran out of the barber shop screaming still lathered up.
. While we need to witness, maybe we should consider how we do it don’t we?
. A 9-year-old boy swam the precarious waters between Alcatraz island and the San Francisco shoreline right after hurricane Katrina, raising $30,000 in donations for Hurricane Katrina victims.
Johnny Wilson, a fourth grader from Hillsborough, called the swim in the 53-degree San Francisco Bay "tiring" but said he kept telling himself, "I’m almost there, I’m almost there."
"The beginning was the hardest because I was all cold," said the boy, who had practiced swimming in San Francisco Bay to get used to the chilly, choppy water. The waters also are known for sharks.
His classmates were waiting on shore, cheering as he made it to Aquatic Park. "Go, Johnny! Go, Johnny!" the group chanted. Johnny finished the 1.4-mile swim from the infamous prison island in under two hours. He was accompanied by two adult swimmers. Two kayakers followed and a Coast Guard helicopter monitored from above.
. That’s commitment for a cause!
. That young boy was on a mission wasn’t he.
. This morning I want to introduce our mission statement to you.
. As a church and a Christian we have a mission folks.
. As most of you know we have been having meetings once a month on Saturdays. These meetings have been open and everyone in the church has been invited.
. This group of people has done a remarkable job over the past four months.
. They not only have developed a Mission statement but a Vision statement and have identified and defined six core values that are important to us as a church.
. I will share all of this with you in two weeks during our Family meeting.
. Today I want to look at our Mission statement.
. Our mission is to encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus.
. Folks that’s our mission.
. Simple isn’t it? We can do this can’t we?
. You know what, while we spent a lot of time wording this statement just the way we wanted it, we had an example to go by.
. You see Jesus gave us, the church and individual Christians this mission just before He ascended into Heaven.
. What we as a group did was to personalize this mission for our church.
. Our scripture this morning was the foundation or basis for our mission statement.
. Any church that doesn’t have the Great commission or great mission as I like to call it as their basis, then they have a misunderstanding of what God has called us as Christians and corporately as a church body to do.
. We are to make and teach Jesus commands to disciples. Make followers of Jesus Christ.
. We are to be the light of the world. Jesus tells us that in Matthew chapter 5:14-16.
. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.15No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly kFather.
. I had them play that song this morning, “ Learning to be the light.”
. That’s what were called to be. The light
. That’s our mission. To encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus.
. Lets look at our scripture. Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, jbaptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.20Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
.The first thing I want to look at is this concept of authority. We all have problems sometimes with authority don’t we?
. A mild-mannered man was tired of his wife always bossing him around, so he went to a psychiatrist. The doctor told him he had to develop self-esteem and gave him a booklet on assertiveness training, which the man read on his way home.
When he walked through the door and his wife came to greet him he told her, “From now on I’m the man of this house and my word is law. When I come home from work, I want my dinner on the table.
Now go upstairs and lay out some clothes on the bed, because I’m going out with the boys tonight. Then draw my bath. When I get out of the tub, guess who’s going to dress me and comb my hair?”
“The undertaker,” she replied.
. Jesus has and is our authority.
. He tells us to do this but we also are working under His authority.
. When policeman and government officials tell us to do something, they can do this because they have the authority to do so.
. Jesus says I have ALL authority.
. I give you the job and the duty to do this because I have the authority.
. You are working under my authority.
. Now we get into the great Commission and our mission statement.
. Verse 19 says: 19Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, jbaptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
. Jesus says therefore since you are now working under and with my Authority, Go.
. This could be one of the most misunderstood words in the Bible.
. You guys know I don’t talk a lot about Greek syntax and Greek and Hebrew interpretations but here I must digress for just a minute.
. The literal Greek here is Going. So instead of therefore go which really implies a special trip which is where we get the idea that only missionaries who go are the one to evangelize the world and are responsible for making disciples.
. Jesus says therefore going make disciples.
. With all the Greek syntax and sentence compilation, this sentence literally reads:
. Therefore as you are going, make disciples.
. Wow, what a difference.
. Now Jesus isn’t talking about a mission trip, He is talking about every day.
. As you interact with people on a daily basis.
. The person at the corner gas station.
. The person at work
. The person you just happen to speak to in the grocery store or wal-mart.
. This one will really floor you.
. Your friends and relatives.
. There were two guys that grew up together in a small rural town. They loved to hunt and fish together. As they grew into manhood they went off to college in separate parts of the country. After college they both moved back into the town they grew up in and re-established that friendship. One of them had been Born again during this separation.
. Their friendship grew and they spent a lot of time together over the next ten years. The one that wasn’t saved knew that his friend worshipped God because he never would go fishing or hunting on Sunday. He said that Sunday was the day he went to church.
. One day they were out fishing and the friend that wasn’t saved looked at his friend and said, “you really don’t care much for me do you”. His friend said I don’t know what you are talking about. I love you like a brother. I would die for you.
. The other friend said that as a Christian, don’t you believe that anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus and follow Him will spend an eternity in Hell.
. His friend said then why haven’t you, in all these years told me about Jesus. If you say you love me, why wouldn’t you tell me about the way to Heaven.
. Folks he had good news. He had the way to eternal life but he hadn’t shared it with his friend.
. If you really care about someone, tell them about Jesus.
. As you are going through life share with everyone that you have an opportunity to share with.
. Our mission statement says that we will encourage and develop those we meet.
. That means everyone. As we are going through life, meeting people, we will encourage them by telling them about Jesus Christ and what he has done for us and can do for them.
. We are to tell them about Jesus.
. That’s how we make disciples. We bring them into a relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ.
. We tell them about Jesus and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.
. We are to encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus.
. That’s our Job.
. That’s what we are commanded to do.
. So many want to just invite people to church and let the preacher do it. After all, isn’t that his job?
. Yes it is but it is also yours. You can’t depend on the big guns to do this by themselves.
. Billy Graham tells a story about waiting on others. A friend of his was preaching in an open air crusade in Nova Scotia. Billy was supposed to speak the next nigh and he got there a day early. He went to the revival incognito and sat on the grass at the rear of the crowd. Because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one recognized him.
Directly in front of him sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to be listening intently to my presentation. When I invited people to come forward as an open sign of commitment, Billy decided to do a little personal evangelism. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, "Would you like to accept Christ? I’ll be glad to walk down with you if you want to." The old man looked him up and down, thought it over for a moment, and then said, "Naw, I think I’ll just wait till the big gun comes tomorrow night."
. Folks you can’t just depend on the Big guns.
. Jesus didn’t say Pastors, as you are going through your life, make disciples.
. Jesus was speaking to us all.
.He says to make these disciples as we go and teach them all the commands that He has given them. That’s how we are to develop these new disciples into committed followers of Him.
. Teach them all that I have commanded.
. Believe it or not, many Christians don’t know what those commandments are.
. If you ask they will say the Ten Commandments or that he teaches us to be nice to each other.
. Jesus said that there are two commandments that encompassed everything.
. Those two commandments are found in Matthew 22:37-40.
. The religious leaders wanted to know what the most important command of the ten commandments was.
. This is what Jesus said: Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’38This is the first and greatest commandment.39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
. Everything hinges on these two commandments.
. Love God, love your neighbor.
. Love God and love each other.
. That is the foundation of Jesus commands.
.We are to make disciples by telling them about Jesus and teaching them the commands to love God and love each other.
. There was a line in that song we played just before the sermon that went like this.
.When a heart is cold as ice, you can’t melt it with advice, no one wants to listen to, a list of things they shouldn’t do, so I build a city on a hill and light a candle on a sill. All I want to do is love on everyone.
. It goes on to say that you gave me something I want everyone to see … Learning to be the light.
. Folks that’s what this mission statement says.
. . Our mission is to encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus.
. We have to learn to be the light of Jesus in this dark world.
. That is our mission.
. Encourage and develop those we meet into followers of Jesus.
. We can have no other mission if we are to be true and faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
. Will you commit to this mission statement this day.
. Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
SOURCES:
The Holy Bible NLT
Commitment to Witness, Steve Shepherd
The Great Commission, Don Jones
