FHBC Sermon Notes

Matthew 28:16-20 - We are this very day On Mission. We have our own in Romania this very moment. We have gone with them. But what is the mission?
When something is important, we often will hear someone repeat a reminder of the task.  Five different times in the gospel Jesus gives the mission to his disciples after his resurrection.

Remember this, Jesus is on mission. He has ascended into heaven, and he is at work, but also, we have OUR MISSION.  We have the great commission, the mission, the task.

1. Matthew 28:16-20
2. Matthew 16:14-18
3. Luke 24:44-49
4. John 20:19-21
5. Acts 1:6-9

Two Preliminary Observations

1. Worship precedes mission.
We see this response over and over. Before anyone is sent, we see all the people ever sent were worshiping first. It is why we must define worship so well. Worship can mean "to ascribe worth".  If we are not first overcome by the presence of God, how can we have the strength to go anywhere and do anything. Being overcome by God is what diminishes what we attempt and raises us in the power that God has given us. "Strength will rise as we wait upon the LORD."

2. The responsibility for missions ultimately rests with God, not the church.
Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send more workers into the harvest field. The Holy Spirit set apart Paul and Barnabus. Missions is not the church's idea, it is God. It is HIS mission, not ours, and for that reason alone we know that it will and cannot fail.

Both of these truths should give us peace. Peace to be overcome with the greatness of OUR LORD, so strong that we THEN MUST go forth and pronounce without fear. But sometimes our mind is not so. Sometimes we make missions the first this we seek. This is not effective. If are not overcome with the glory of God, then we are on "our mission" not God's. 

So overwhelmed with GOD'S AWESOMENESS then our mission is:

1. The task of mission is to Make Disciples of Jesus Christ from All Nations.

Some Questions
What is a disciple? - A disciple is a student, a learner. In Jewish society, the disciple was someone that went with the teacher, living in his home often, who would learn, walk with him, and then go out.  This is exactly what the apostles did. Their ultimate goal was to imitate Jesus.  That is what a disciple is here. Note though, God privdes his enduring, mpowering, sustaining presence to do the divinthey are not disciples of ourselves, but of Jesus Christ. Because of who Jesus is, to be his disciple is no ordinary thing. His disciples have a costly price: they will suffer, they will sacrifice, and in the end receive eternal life.

Who is making the disciples? - We are. We the church, the family of God, the disciples of Jesus.

How do we go about making disciples? - By bearing witness to Christ.  We bear witness that Christ was condemned, died on the cross and was raised on the third day that we may we forgiven our sins.  It is the good news, that the sins that we have committed have been placed on the cross, and because he has taken our sins, we have the opportunity for a new life.  A new life as the children of God if we will but receive this message with repentance.

And this is where it stops, for we can not turn someone into a Christian. We are the mouth-pieces of the gospel, but it is the sacrifice of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that will transform them.  No man can be forced to believe, but all have the chance in the blood of Jesus if only they will receive it.

But... if they receive it, we are to do something. If the miracle of transformation is before us, then we celebrate and we continue with the command.  WE BAPTIZE THEM. We are showing the world and ourselves what the power of God in Christ is capable of. We are identified with Jesus.

And... there is more. That new life imparts a new way of living. We are to teach these disciples all that Jesus has commanded us. We are to do what he has taught us to do and so we also teach others. This new life is lived out as the body of Christ, together in love.

Where do we make disciples? - In all the world. We are to go all nations. We are to work here locally. But how do we do this, we may ask? We are but a little church? No we are the church of Jesus Christ, throughout history and beyond geography. But our responsibility is here as well. We must be connected to the church, in more than just fund raising. We must be sending our own.

When do we make disciples? - We do it "as we go".  We do we stop? Jesus' words indicate that we continue until the end of the age. Until Jesus comes back we continue until we drop or he comes again.

A Concluding Observation
1. God provides his enduring, empowering, sustaining presence to do the divine task through us.

How do we do such an enormous task.  We do it through Him!  The great promise Jesus leaves us with is that he is with us. He has left us his Holy Spirit. He will succeed. Amen!