Sermon Tone Analysis

*Want to be more like Jesus - There’s an app for that*

*Disciples disciple!*

*I was driving south on Otterbein Avenue.

I had just crossed Walnut Street and was making my way towards Schrock Road.

Blendon Middle School was on my right and Jaycee’s Pool was on my left.

I saw two people, a Mom and her maybe 10 year old son, about ready to cross the street.

They had parked in the school parking lot and I assume were making their way into the Jaycee’s Pool, so I stopped my car and motioned for them to cross.

They were about ½ way across the street when this 10 year old boy looked back at me and gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up!  His thumbs up, was his acknowledgement to me – that what I did was good!  /“Way to go man!  Thanks for stopping for my Mom and myself!”

When was the last time you received a “thumbs up?”  “Great MEAL, honey!”

You practiced hard, awesome!”  “Great job on that last project – you hung in there!

Way to go!”  What you said in that meeting was what we all needed to hear!/  Do you find yourself being more of a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” kind of person?

Did you hear about the snake that hitched a ride under the hood of this families car?  Watch this – Snake on the Windshield.

Did you hear the criticism?

How many here would have stopped?

Sometimes criticism is ridiculous, but other times criticism is warranted.

Especially if it’s constructive!

For instance – do you think Jesus would give WCC a thumb’s up when it comes to accomplishing his purpose for his church?

(What do you think?)

Maybe we need to be reminded of the one huge purpose Jesus commands his church to accomplish!  Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 28:16.

Do you need a Bible?

I also want to ask you to do something for me.

Tear off this communication form and put your first and last name.

We want to do a better job in knowing who’s really here and who’s not.

Check out this sign – alligator!

Family, we are concerned about you - we want you to grow.

Matthew 28:16 introduces the section of scripture we call the Great Commission.

The Great Commission is repeated in some form in Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20 and even in Acts 1:8.

Hold Matthew 28 and now turn to Acts 1:8.

(READ)  As if seeing Jesus come back from the dead wasn’t freaky enough – Jesus does this!  (Verse 9)  Jesus just floats up into heaven!

Can you imagine being there!

I mean right there!

These eyewitnesses are gawking.

Let’s keep reading.

Find verse 10.  (Read 10-11)

*            Hey boys and girls, you’ve got a job to do!  What’s the job?

Go back to Matthew 28:16.

(Read 16-20)   Focus your attention on verses 19 & 20.

The original language shows us that Jesus gives one main command in these two verses.

Commands are almost always verbs!  Did you receive a 5 Core Values bookmark last weekend?

If you didn’t, we have plenty more sitting on the stage.

One side has our core values – the other side has our mission and vision all driven by Jesus himself.

Notice our Mission – Make Disciples!

Now where did we get that?

Matthew 28:19!

Jesus’ main command is make - make what?

Make disciples.

Now how in the world is the church supposed to do that?

School is starting back up again, right?

Do you recall what a participle is?  /A participle is “/*/a word formed from a verb and used as an adjective.”*[i]*/

Going is a participle of go.

Present participles end in “ing” and past end in “ed”!  *Go back to verse 19.*  Circle these words.

Go – literally it reads – “as you are going” – baptizing and teaching!

Jesus tells us the purpose of the church is to make disciples and we accomplish that by going, baptizing and teaching!

*Going could be across the room, across the street or across the ocean*!

Dereck Mushayamunda called me last Thursday and asked me to firm a date in 2012 for another trip to Zimbabwe.

Some of you would love to go, but can’t.

But some of you can go!

Do you want to see God work – do you want to see God work though you!  GO!  Go on a mission trip.

Go to Africa or Haiti or Honduras or downtown Columbus, but GO! 

*            That’s how the disciple making process starts!

But there’s more.

Baptizing and teaching also describe the process of making disciples!

Dr.

Mark Moore writes, /“Baptizing and teaching are the marks of conversion and cultivation, the pilgrimage of every believer!”/*/*[ii]*/*

I’m curious?

Have you been baptized?

If you have not, why not?

Why not today?

If you were baptized as a baby – understand that’s what was done for you.

You had no say in it!

Now you can say emphatically, I believe!

Baptism is the culmination of conversion.

It’s a baby step, but ONE HUGE baby step.

How can a person say, /“I’m a disciple of Jesus, and yet not be baptized.”

/ Not according to Jesus!

But to be baptized is well, easy.

But teaching – obeying all the commands that Jesus taught – that’s not so easy!

Can you tell me what all these products have in common?

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, chewing gum, chocolate chip cookies, Kleenex, potato chips, popsicles and post-it-notes!  Again – what do all these products have in common?

They are all happy accidents!***[iii]***

11 year old Frank Epperson left a container of fruit-flavored soda with a stick in it outside on his porch, and it froze overnight.

He woke up the next morning to an icy treat!* *[iv]**   Happy accidents are products that were forgotten, abused - heat left on too long or not long enough.

Or the product was originally designed for another use – as in post-it-notes.

But all of these are happy accidents.

Is there anyone here who wants to become more like Jesus?

Well, there’s an app for that!

You are the app.

If you want to be like Christ it will not be the result of a happy accident.

You must be intentional!*

*Go back to that bookmark I gave you last weekend.

Last week we looked at Core Value #1 – Authentic worship nurtures a vital relationship with God.

Disciples worship!

Now look at Core Value #4:  Spiritual growth leading to maturity must be intentional.

Disciples disciple!

Better yet, disciples are taught so they can teach others.

Not until I went to the wailing wall in Jerusalem did I understand the relationship between a rabbi and his disciples.

I saw a rabbi teach his 8 to 12 disciples.

/A disciple is a student.

A disciple is a pupil.

A disciple is a learner.