Apprenticing Jesus Together: An Introduction

Introduction: Beginning with the End

Who is Matthew?

Who is the audience? This work is a MAJOR foundational document of the church. The cost of production, the lack of resources, limited literacy. This is SIGNIFICANT for us. So we are going to apply ourselves in this text for a while.

What are the major themes?

Read Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.””

The Context:

Jesus has been resurrected.

This is the LAST section of the Gospel of Matthew.

Going through the Text

Highlights:

Mountain of Galilee

Authority

The imperative: MAKE DISCIPLES (as you go); how: Baptizing and teaching to obey; who? All ethnicities.

The promise: Jesus with us!

The upsidedown nature of the Kingdom of God: Why doesn’t Jesus just stay? We can see that he can overcome death! Why not stay? Also, would the Rabbi ever stop being the Rabbi as long as they were living? Jesus inverts the Kingdom. This is the way God does things. God delegates. They have real creative partnership.

C.S. Lewis Can we believe that God ever really modifies His action in response to the suggestions of men? For infinite wisdom does not need telling what is best, and infinite goodness needs no urging to do it… For He seems to do nothing of Himself which He can possibly delegate to His creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye. He allows us to neglect what He would have us do, or to fail. Perhaps we do not fully realize the problem, so to call it, of enabling finite free wills to co-exist with Omnipotence. It seems to involve at every moment almost sort of a divine abdication. We are not mere recipients or spectators. We are either privileged to share in the game or compelled to collaborate in the work, ‘to wield our little tridents.’ Is this amazing process simply Creation going on before our eyes? This is how (no light matter) God makes something — indeed, makes gods — out of nothing.

It’s not just doing the task, its about making us into what we should be through our task, and that demands him leaving. The task and the character formation are intertwined. They aren’t the same thing, but they work together. So the doing and the being are ultimately not separable. Integration leads to transformation.

Up to this point, the themes here have been evident throughout the whole book. They will guide our study in the Gospel of Matthew. Major themes here: Discipleship and Disciple-Making, Gentile Mission, OT fulfillment

The Commission: What it means to follow Jesus:

Being with Jesus (in the past and now into the future)

Becoming like Jesus (making disciples just as he did)

Doing the things he would do if he were you (going to all people to convey the Good News!)

Main point: being a “Christian” essentially entails apprenticing Jesus together.

Conclusion: Overview of the Series

Timeline Plan

Binders

Weekly Prayers

Life Group participation

Leaning into discipleship. You may be in different places; seasoned believer, nominal, curious. What is the invitation?

Life Group Questions:

If you identify as a christian, how has following Jesus changed during your time following him?

What are you hoping to get our of this sermon series? What makes you excited? What makes you nervous?

Weekly Prayer: