We Are One

25 Year Anniversary

October 29, 2017

Matthew 28:16-20

Ephesians 4:1-7

If you were leaving someone and wouldn’t see them for a long time, would you not tell them some things you would like them to do? Maybe you encourage them to do certain things and at the same time you warn them not to do certain things.

I believe Jesus did this throughout His ministry, but especially after the resurrection. He told the disciples something which we call “The Great Commission.” Jesus never used those words, He never said, “OK guys, what I’m going to tell you is really, really, super important, so make sure you write this down in the scrolls.” There’s much of what Jesus said that didn’t get written down, but these words . . . the Great Commission are written in each of the Gospels and in the book of Acts.

In Matthew 28, we read ~

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

17 And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted.

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

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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As we celebrate 25 yeas in this building, we need to be reminded again and again of why we moved onto this site. I want to point out a couple of things in this passage and in Luke 24.

As much as we celebrate this move, as Kevin said, there were doubters. Especially those who were working for the church. They didn’t believe this was possible. Did you notice verse 17. Let’s look at it again.

17 And when they saw Him they worshiped Him

Isn’t that great! Some saw Jesus and worshiped Him. They celebrated, they praised, they shouted, they whooped it up! It was great and powerful worship . . . by some! But not by all!

Oops, that’s not the entire verse. Notice how that verse ended. . .

17 And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted.

Whoa!! Who was there? Was it 5,000 people? Or 120? NO!!! It was only the 11. It was the closest of the closest followers of Jesus. Some of them got it, they were thrilled and excited. Others were saying, NO WAY! That’s not Jesus, they were the doubters.

It happens everywhere. There are always going to be doubters! Some people are slow to believe in anything. They join in only when they have 100% certainty. That’s not only the world we live in, but that’s part of the church as well.

Yet, in spite of this, in spite of the experts saying you can’t do this, we did it! You did it! The building was built, it was paid off and then you went ahead and said, we need more room. I’m not sure that people were saying you can’t do this, since you already proved it once.

So, the Family Life Center was built, we added on, then we believed we could pay that building off early. We had a drive to pay off the remaining debt . . . and we did that! I love that attitude. It’s like telling someone, “you can’t do that!” And they say, “Oh yeah, watch me!”

That’s the attitude and belief the church is supposed to have. And when I say the church, I’m talking about the people of the church. That’s you and me! If we don’t believe, if we don’t have that faith, if we don’t have hope in something bigger and better and beyond ourselves, than we are really to be pitied.

We have nothing to hold onto. If we hold onto ourselves, we are always going to be disappointed. We realize we’re not as strong, or as healthy, or as resilient on our own. But when we add Christ - - and when we really believe in Him, when we trust that His Spirit dwells within us, because of our faith, then nothing can destroy us, and we can do as Paul told the Ephesian church - - when we trust in Christ ~

20 He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. – Ephesians 3:20

Now that power at work within us is the power of the Holy Spirit which we have because of our faith in Jesus. Notice also . . . when we do something extraordinary . . . it’s because HE is able to do far more. Not we, not you, not I . . . BUT JESUS is able to do far more than we can ever imagine.