Good morning everyone…it is so great to be here and have the opportunity to worship together. I tell you it is a blessing for me to get to come up here every week and share the Gospel with you in various ways. Just last night we had a group of men up here and we were able to talk about being a Biblical man and what that entails, it was such a great time. Then today we are going to have our quarterly meeting where we will discuss the various aspects of church business. I just love the church family here…Anyway, right now I want to invite the kids to go back to their class and get to enjoy learning the Scriptures in a way that makes sense to you. I want to apologize for last week as I forgot to meet with you after class, so I will meet with you after class today and have you tell me something you learned in class today. I so enjoy getting to hear about your class from you all. Then of course I want to welcome all who are joining us online today. Whether you are joining us live, or later, we are honored that you have chosen to join us as a part of our extended spiritual family.

Hey, we are in a series right now were we are talking about discovering our purpose. We are talking about this both in terms of discovering your purpose individually, as well as collectively as a church. See this year we are starting the process of discovering our purpose. Of course our over-arching purpose is to glorify God, but the question is…how do we do that, how do we glorify God personally, and how do we glorify God corporately…thats really an important question that we really need to be asking ourselves regularly. Now, I want to start off by reminding us of a passage in 1 Corinthians. Go ahead and grab your Bibles and turn over there to take a look at a passage. Now, this passage I want to encourage you to underline, or highlight, or in some way mark that this passage is important for your personal growth and desire to glorify God. This passage is important because it marks, or should mark your desire to glorify God. Take a look with me at

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

See, this passage right here tells me that whatever I do, it should be done according to the glory of God…not glory of self, or glory of others, but glory of God…

The next question then is how do we do that. Well that is a question that we could spend years unpacking and looking at various aspects of life, family, work, neighbors, ministry and everything in between. However, what I want to do today is start to understand a bit more about what we are doing together, and maybe a little about what you are doing, or should be doing individually. As I have talked about before in this series, we have a goal this year of discovering our purpose as a church, and so with that in mind I would like to take time this morning focused on…

Discovering Our Collective Mission

In other words, what is it that we should be focused on collectively as a church. What is it that we are truly attempting to accomplish as a church? See if we don’t know what we are trying to accomplish as a church, then we will never accomplish anything, and that is not wise stewardship of our resources. More than that though, if we don’t know what we are doing, and why we are doing it, then we risk losing our unity as a church family. You see, when we have a purpose, a mission collectively then everything we do is to accomplish that mission. That means that the bathroom remodel that we are working on is a part of that mission. Those that are teaching kids classes are a part of that mission. Those that are working behind the scenes and helping to clean, or straighten, or decorate, or whatever it is that you personally do in order to serve here at LRBC is all in an attempt to accomplish the mission, the purpose of LRBC. That is why it’s important to know what we are doing together so that we can actually work together to accomplish that mission.

You know there is a story about a time when JFK went to NASA in the 60’s. Actually it was 1962 and during his visit he noticed a janitor carrying a broom. He walked over to him and said “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy (that was JFK was called growing up). What are you doing?” The janitor responded, “Well Mr. President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.”

What is amazing is that in that one sentence that man had connected the actions of what he was doing, pushing a broom, to the main purpose of all of NASA at that time. You see, that person knew that by providing a safe and clean work environment he was helping the engineers do the work they needed to do. He was a part of that grand mission together with everyone else. That man knew that each person had a role to play in accomplishing the goal of putting a man on the moon. That is why it is important to know what our mission is as a church…That is why we are spending this year discovering our purpose together.

Now, in order to understand out purpose we have talked about needing to understand our values, and aligning our values with God’s Direction. We have also talked about how we have placed a high value on Scripture, and really to be more specific, Scripture guides everything we do. Well, if that is true, then we need to spend a little more time in Scripture looking at what God says about our purpose and our mission. This morning we are going to be in Matthew, so you can go ahead and grab your Bibles and turn over to Matthew. That is the first book of the New Testament. We are going to look at a conversation that Jesus had with his disciples when Jesus was preparing to leave and return to the heavenly places with God the Father. Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to leave the Holy Spirit, but he also gives them a pretty specific mission and purpose. See, in this passage today Jesus gives us our guiding purpose as a church. There is much more that we can and should be doing, however, all that we should be doing is folded up into this one final command that Jesus gave the disciples. Turn over to

Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So what makes this passage so important and so central to who we are as a church, and as Christians? Well, let me tell you a little context here. See, this is a conversation that Jesus has with his most central followers. There are eleven men here who have been following Jesus for the last three years. These men have just gone through the arrest, torture, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. This is a pretty intense and emotionally draining time for these men. Well, Jesus pulls them together to talk to them again at a place that he has had many conversations with them, as well as many others. Now there is something that I want to point out before we go to far into this passage together.

In vs 16 there we just read that the disciples were present, but that some doubted. What does that mean? Did some of the disciples doubt that Jesus was in fact right before them? No, This phrase that says some doubted, has more of a sense of some were hesitant. They were hesitant likely because of all they have been through recently. Basically, here is how we should understand what is going on here. We have the eleven disciples, and some of them worshipped immediately, while other were unsure how to respond in the presence of the divine that has asked them to join him. They were still in shock and confused about everything that was going on. This isn’t a doubt of who Jesus is, but a question of, how do we respond? I think if we are honest we all feel like that at times don’t we? With that said, let’s take a little time and

Unpack the Great Commission

See it’s one thing to read Scripture, it’s another thing to seek to understand the importance of that Scripture. So, this morning I’d like to take a couple of minutes and unpack this passage for us a little bit. So first of all, let’s seek to

Understand the Authority of Jesus (vs 18)

This is really important for us to realize. You see, prior to the resurrection Jesus had authority. However, do you remember a time when Jesus was in the wilderness and Satan attempted to entice Jesus to worship him. Remember that Satan promised Jesus authority over the whole Earth. Well, the authority that Jesus has now is far more than anything that Satan could have given to him. More than that though is the fact that Jesus’ authority gives him the right to give these men their marching orders, but he also has the ability to help them accomplish these orders. See, that is important for us to realize Jesus has given us a mission, and the means to fulfill that mission. This is why it is so important for us both individually and corporately to submit to Jesus’ authority in all areas of our lives. You see, there is a real spiritual authority that Jesus has, but he also has very real physical authority. All authority has been given to the Son from the Father. Authority to impact the physical and the spiritual. Authority to impact your eternity, and also your present circumstances. When we submit to Jesus’ authority in every aspect of life, we are submitting to the one who actually hold authority.

That’s not all we see through this passage though. We also see

The Calling to Go and Make Disciples (vs 19a)

I love this passage so much. I think we should all love this passage because it really does give us a very clear directions in what we should be doing as individuals, and what we should be doing as a church. You see, the main mission that we read here is to make disciples. However there has been much confusion over the years. See, those that have an eye primarily on missions work would claim that the directive to “go”, meaning that one should constantly be leaving and going to a new place. While there is a need for many people to leave their homes and to travel to new places in order to share the Gospel, that is neither the meaning, or the intent of this passage. See, if the primary task is to make disciples, the question is, how do you do that if you are only traveling to new places? What is a disciple? A disciple is a student, which implies a more long term relationship, not simply sharing the Gospel and moving on. If this is the primary task that Jesus is calling these men to, then it means that they are called to teach others about Jesus, not simply telling about Jesus. You see, making a disciple is all about nurturing new believers as well as teaching mature believers. That is what Jesus is telling the disciples, and that is the primary mission that is given to all of the church, including LRBC. That means that as a church we should be actively engaging others, sharing the Gospel, and helping all beleivers mature in their faith. Let’s keep going here becuase part of this mission is to

Baptize New Believers (vs 19b)

This is such an important aspect of what Jesus told the disciples that day. We were blessed just a couple of weeks ago to be able to participate in the baptism of a young believer. It was such a great experience that even sparked a little conversation of other young beleivers. See baptism is not the end result of coming to faith. Baptism is not the single desired outcome of responding to the Gospel. However, baptism is a public showing of your faith to everyone around. There is a reason that family and friends are frequently invited to baptisms, that is because it is such an encouragement to see the the public act of following Jesus in faith. That is what baptism is, Baptism is a physical expression of a spiritual reality. That’s why believers baptism is so important. That is why I was “re-baptized” as a believer when I realized I had never been baptized as a believer. You see, Baptism before coming to faith is just a bath, there is no spiritual significance to that. This is why Jesus tells us to baptize in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit because when we do this we are declaring allegiance and submission to the fullness of God as three in one, something that is very important. This is a part of what Jesus has called us to do. Frankly if we are not baptizing into the faith, then we are leaving out a very significant portion of the mission Jesus has called us to. More than that though, is your own baptism experience? Have you been baptised as a believer, or did you take a bath at some point in your life? See, you and I being baptized is an important part of our own faith, but it is also an important part of our mission for us to be baptizing others. This morning I want to invite you to consider your own spiritual life and if you have taken that step as a believer? If not…please connect with me or one of the Elders so that we can discuss this with you as soon as possible…

Let’s keep going though as we look at this passage and see what Christ is calling us to as a church. There is another part that is incredibly important. Let’s take a look at how we are supposed to be

Teaching to Obey and Walk in God's Ways (vs 20)

See this is the part that historically is seen as happening within the church, and for good reason, we are doing it every single week. As an organization every single week there is Biblical instruction happening within these walls. We have studies for adults, that are both challenging and encouraging. We have kids classes that are teaching your kids what Scripture is and why its important. There is so much learning going on that is just amazing. So why would I feel the need to bring this up? Well, part of learning is having a teacher. This passage here does not talk about learning all that Jesus has commanded, but teaching all that he has commanded. So, my question to you is, who are you teaching. See we are called as beleivers to teach new believers everything that Jesus has commanded…including the thing that he is commanding right now…This is called discipleship. Discipleship is teaching and mentoring others in their faith, and all Christians are called to do that, not just church staff…That means that you are wise if you are actively involved in being taught and mentored, and you are called to actively be involved in teaching and mentoring others lives,. The thing is, it’s hard to teach others if you are unwilling to learn from others. In other words, if you are someone who believes you already have learned enough that you don’t really need to learn from anyone else…you’re wrong…When you stop learning, you stop growing…are you ready to stop growing in the Lord? Now, what is amazing is that you can both be actively learning from others, while also actively teaching. That is what is so beautiful about how our minds work. I don’t have to learn it all before I can start teaching someone, which means that you may be here this morning and have never thought about teaching a class because you don’t already know everything that might come up. Well, folks if the qualification of teaching others was making sure you already know everything, I would defiantly not be standing up here this morning. See, you don’t how to know everything, you just have to be willing to teach what you do know. There are kids classes that desperately need teachers to step up and help serve as assistants, or lead teachers, or substitute teachers. There is a need for adult small groups to open up and help others grow. The bottom line is, are you willing to be a part of Christ’s mission here at LRBC?

Now all of this information leads us to attempt to answer the question,

What is LRBC’s mission?

That is what we are going to take 2024 to more fully understand. We have a team that we have built with the help of the Elders to attempt to determine what it is that God is calling us to as a church. We know that at the very least a very big portion of what God is calling us to is found right in the passage that we just read. We know that God’s purpose for LRBC is wrapped up in what is called the Great Commission. The question that we have to ask is how is that expressed here in Northern Illinois. See, the way that we seek to follow the Great Commission is far different that a church in Rockford, or a church in Chicago. The way that we seek to follow Jesus’ command here is different than any other church. The way that we seek to follow the Great Commission is even different than the way that we have done it in the past. See, here’s the deal…and I’ve said this before, The methods of sharing the Gospel and discipling others must always be willing to change…the content however can never change. In other words, the Gospel is the Gospel, whether I use flannel graphs or video to share that Gospel doesn’t matter. That is the most important thing that I can share with you this morning as we seek to follow Christ’s directions for us as a church. Now we have to do the hard work of discovering what it is that God is calling us to do more specifically…who’s with me on that journey? I hope that you are open to discussing what it is that we are doing and how we can move into the future as a church that is focused on following Christ with everything that we are and everything that we do.

Here’s the thing though…some stuff may change, we talked about that when I first came to LRBC, remember…Some stuff may change, and some stuff has to change in order to reach this generation that is coming up right now. Gen Z. is the generation that has, more than any other, sought to have meaning and purpose in their lives. How can we as a church respond to that and how can we as a church show those who are not a part of a church that the ultimate purpose that they are seeking is found in Christ.

This morning I am going to ask for a couple of things from every single person here. In a moment the band is going to come up and lead us in a moment of worship as we close out the service. I’m going to ask us to do something first though. Im going to ask you to spend a moment in prayer asking what your part is on this mission that God is leading us to as a church. I want you to spend a moment in prayer and so Ive asked the Sherry to come and play a song while you are praying, and then invite you to join in and worship along with your spiritual family here this morning. However, while you are praying and paying attention to the Lord, there was a card on everyone’s chair this morning. I’m going to ask everyone to look at how you can participate in the mission God is calling LRBC to. See, there are MANY ways to connect and participate in the mission that God is calling us to here at LRBC…how are you able to participate? Now, if you are here this morning and you are wondering what all of this even means, what does it mean to seek to follow Jesus and what it means to have a relationship with the Lord, then I want to ask you to reach out today so that you can have those questions answered. See, here’s the bottom line that we al need to agree to. Each and every one of us here this morning has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We deserve eternal separation from God and eternal torment, but Jesus came down and made a way for you and I to escape what we deserve and partake in what we haven’t. That way is the death and resurrection of the real and living Jesus Christ. How do we participate in that? Easy, admit that you need a savior, believe that Jesus died for your sins, and submit to the Lordship of Jesus in your life…its that easy, and it’s that hard. But you aren’t alone because we have an amazing church family here at LRBC that is ready and willing to walk that journey with you…you just have to reach out and let someone know that you are ready to take that next step on your journey to faith…This is important through. Attending church, writing a check, helping others isn’t what puts you into relationship with Jesus…confession and submission is what it takes.

Let’s pray (pray that God leads us as a church to discover what he is calling us to this year. pray that God will lead each one of us as we each seek to glorify him with our lives)