INTRODUCTION
• PC VIDEO
• SLIDE #1
• Well, I hope none of us get called by God to build an Ark, that would be a tremendous undertaking! It would be scary, and people would make fun of you!
• Have you ever wanted to know God’s will for your life? I have had many people ask me that question through the years.
• I do not know all of God’s specific will for the lives of other people; however, I do know something that God wants ALL Christians to do. It can be intimidating, but the effort will be well worth it!
• The scope of building an Ark would be a bit unnerving, yet if we truly knew we were called of God to embark on such an undertaking, I would think there would be some excitement inside of us knowing we are doing something God wants us to do.
• We are not here to talk about building an Ark today, but we are going to examine a calling we have from God that is both scary for us, yet if we are faithful to the call, can change the lives of those in our sphere of influence.
• THAT IS EXCITING!
• We have some folks in our midst today take this calling so seriously they have dedicated their lives to fulfilling it in the mission field. We have some folks who are representatives for those who have answered the call.
• I want to encourage you to speak with them during the Mission’s Fair, these people who we support through our Faith Promise are doing the work we cannot easily do all around the world!
• The Ark was built to save mankind, we are called to do something to help save people, let’s turn to Matthew 28:18-20.
• SLIDE #2
• Matthew 28:18–20 (HCSB) — 18 Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. The call.
• Before we get deep into the call, I want to set the scene. According to verse 16, Jesus had told His remaining 11 disciples ahead of time to meet with Him in Galilee to a particular mountain.
• I want to bring your attention to verse 17
• SLIDE #4
• Matthew 28:17 (HCSB) When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted.
• I was always intrigued by verse 17, I used to have a hard time understanding it. I mean what MORE could Jesus do to quell the pangs of doubt? He performed miracles, He rose from the dead.
• He healed people, He rose from the dead.
• He had so many great teachings, HE rose from the dead!
• He fulfilled OT prophecy, He ROSE FROM THE DEAD!
• Get my point of confusion.
• When I deepened my study of this passage, a light finally turned on.
• For one, Jesus was coming to them in the distance.
• Second, there were more than the 11 Apostles on the scene. Word got out that Jesus was going to show up in Galilee
• When some of the folks caught a glimpse of Him, they worshipped Him; however, some doubted.
• To doubt means to have a divided conviction, to hesitate, it does not necessarily denote unbelief.
• So it was not the Apostles who doubted, as I always had assumed, but rather there were those in the crowd who was not sure it was Jesus they were seeing. Those who doubted probably doubted it was Jesus they were seeing approach them.
• Some could have doubted in a faith way also.
• It is very well possible that the present appearance to the eleven coincides with, or is part of, the appearance to “the five hundred brothers” (1 Cor. 15:6), the majority of whom were still alive when Paul wrote I Corinthians.
• This would account for the 500 who saw Him at one time, of which some were still alive when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians.
• I do not know about you, but that helps me clear up some of my astonishment that some doubted at this point.
• So Jesus begins His message to the crowd by offering the authority behind the call.
• All AUTHORITY had been given to Him in Heaven and on earth!
• Because of this- because of this authority we are called to make disciples!
• Jesus says that HE has the authority to commission this calling. Also the calling was NOT JUST for the Apostles, it was for all to embrace!
• In verse 19, we are called to make disciples of all nations!
• A disciple is a follower of, in this context, a follower of Jesus! The text tells us to be the CAUSE of another becoming a disciple.
• This implies involvement in the lives of those we are trying to reach.
• This is why disciple-making can be a slow process.
• We are called to do this in all nations! That phrase was a technical term denoting the GENTILE nations, but context includes the Jewish nation also.
• This is why Ben and Karen Pennington are our BOOTS ON THE GROUND in Southern Africa. They are involved in the lives of those in Southern Africa whom they seek to make disciples.
• This is why Tom and Theresa Elkins are our BOOTS ON THE GROUND in Mexico doing the same thing.
• This is why we support TCMI, they train the BOOT ON THE GROUND we help end out in Europe and other places around the globe.
• This is why we support Boise Bible College; they are training people to go all over the world to carry out the call of Jesus!
• Carenet is important because you cannot reach those who have been terminated in the womb. HHH gives relief to the troops who protect our freedoms!
• We are called to reach ALL THE nations, this is what we have a missions ministry!
• The call of EVERY Christian is to be the reason or the cause of another becoming a disciple of Jesus!
• Jesus tells us as we go we are to be the cause of others becoming disciples!
• Now let us look at…
• SLIDE #5
II. The procedure.
• How do we complete or follow the instruction of this wonderful
• Look at verses 19-20 with me again.
• SLIDE #6
• Matthew 28:19–20 (HCSB) —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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
• This is something for Bible nerds like me.
• I have underlined three words.
• They all look like verbs; a verb is an action word. A verb is a word, is a word that in grammar conveys an action, an occurrence, or a state of being
• Now here is what we see from the original text. The only verb of the three phrases underlined is MAKE DISCIPLES.
• Baptizing and TEACHING are circumstantial PARTICIPLES. WHAT?
• This means that BAPTIZING and TEACHING are the means by which one MAKES DISCIPLES. These words afre the
• SO the ACTION is to MAKE DISCIPLES, the PROCEDURE is to do so by baptizing and teaching.
• Jesus tells us that we make disciples by baptizing and teaching, not be saying a sinner’s prayer. If what one is doing to make disciples does not include BAPTIZING and TEACHING, they are not making disciples the way Jesus told us to.
• Not only are we to baptize them, we are to do so in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• This is another finer point of the text, being baptized into the NAME does not just mean BY THE AUTHORITY OF”, but rather it denotes one being brought into subjection by the act to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In consequence of that subjection, one receives forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and you are a new Creation! (2 Cor 5:17)!
• SLIDE #7
• Galatians 3:27 (HCSB) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment.
• This is why this verse speaks of being baptized INTO Christ!
• We are also told to make a disciple requires that we teach them.
• Baptism does not end it. We have to teach them to observe ALL that He commanded.
• This is why disciple making can be a life-long process, there is so much to learn and so much to teach!
• There needs to be some initial teaching to help others understand their need for Jesus.
• Then there needs to be teaching is meant to help ground people in the faith, to help them to overcome what the word throws at them.
• I like what the College Press Commentary says about teaching!
• It is the responsibility of the church to lead new believers into an awareness of what life in the kingdom entails.
• Observe that Jesus does not give his followers the luxury of selecting portions of Jesus’ teachings which please them, while neglecting the rest (cf. 5:19).
• Life in the kingdom necessitates hearing and doing everything that Jesus has commanded.
• Jesus’ teachings are all-encompassing and speak to the total person concerning how to live in a manner pleasing to God.
• And now lest us look at…
• SLIDE #8
III. The promise.
• We are not alone.
• In verse 20, Jesus says He will be with un until the end of the age.
• This means that Jesus is partnering with us to accomplish the task at hand.
• I would imagine all the missions we support can attest to how Jesus has partnered with them in their endeavor to reach the areas they are for Him.
• MIKE CURTICE with bibles behind the iron curtain.
• Jesus is with us, helping us, strengthening us, directing us.
• Jesus says He will be with us to the end of the age!
• Notice the end of the last age was marked by His coming to earth!
• SLIDE #9
• Hebrews 9:26 (HCSB) Otherwise, He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
• His second coming will mark the end of this age and usher us into eternity!
CONCLUSION
• Jesus called us to go to all the nations, not just Sierra Vista.
• We support our missionaries who do the job of going to regions we would have a hard time doing.
• I hope that for our mission organizations, you will do a couple of things. First pray for them.
• Next, join in our Faith Promise by being willing to support the program financially above your normal giving. Trust God to bless your efforts, whether it is a dollar or a million.
• I want us to be thankful for the work our mission organizations do for God; however, today we are called to reach the area in which we live, Sierra Vista.
• I hope you will all commit to partner with Jesus to reach others, that one day you will see people that you helped cause to become disciples of Jesus!
• Are you ready to answer the call! The phone is ringing!
