Why We Witness
Josh Cummings
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Transcript
Sermonic Outline
Intro
Mt. 28:16-18-
Daniel 7:13-14-
Phil. 2:4-11-
Rev. 5-ransomed people for God, worthy
Mt. 28:19-20-
What do I want them to think, say, do, or feel?
Think—Evangelism not about me, it’s about how great and glorious Jesus is!
Say—You are worthy, Jesus! Sing Worthy of It All
Do—share the gospel, disciple someone
Feel—Jesus is so glorious! He is worthy of my life!
Notes
Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, now the ascension
“On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.” - Apostles Creed
Part 1: The glory and worthiness of Jesus, Part 2: Connecting evangelism to the glory of Jesus “We make disciples because He is worthy!”
Text: Mt. 28:16-20 -
Galilee? Bethany?
What happened at the ascension?
Jesus physically ascended into heaven
Jesus was exalted/enthroned at the right hand of God the Father (King forever)
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples for ministry
-
Jesus is our High Priest, interceding for believers (Heb. 7:25, Rom. 8:34)
Jesus will return (on the clouds, to judge the world)
Sing Worthy Of It All
Scriptures
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.”
Therefore
All authority in the spiritual and the natural realm has been given to Jesus, so make disciples.
Making disciples
-Go
-everyone
-bring them to salvation (evangelism, baptism)
-teach them to obey Jesus (sanctification)
Jesus is with you—you don’t have to be afraid.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Incarnation, crucifixion, therefore exaltation.
Everything is unto Him.
Every knee should bow.
Why don’t we see this yet? We will when Jesus returns. For now, we proclaim His greatness.
Spiritual and natural
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Image of the invisible God
Firstborn of all creation—new creation has begun with the resurrection, many more will follow
By Jesus all things were created
All things were created FOR HIM.
He existed BEFORE anything else (co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit)
All things hold together—without Jesus, creation would not hold together.
Jesus is the head of the church (not the pope, not the president, not Pastor Kent)
He is the firstborn from the dead—every believer will receive a resurrection body like Jesus!
He is PREEMINENT
He is God in every way!
He has reconciled mankind to Himself by His blood that was she don the cross.
*Not specifically about the Ascension
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
with the clouds of heaven - Acts 1
Son of Man
Presented before God
Given dominion
Given glory
Given a kingdom
All people will serve Him
He will never stop being king
His kingdom will not be destroyed
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
God has made him master and anointed one (Messiah/Christ).
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
“Taken up”
What happened between the resurrection and the ascension? 40 days, appearing to the apostles and speaking about the Kingdom
“He was lifted up”
A cloud—Daniel 7, one of the Psalms?
Out of sight
Angels showed up
“taken up from you into heaven”
Will come again in the same way
When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
Jesus is seated at the right hand of God
Explain right hand
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
What shall be proclaimed in His name to all the nations? “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins”
Who is it for? All nations-everyone!
The disciples were witnesses
Jesus was preparing to send the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to empower them to preach the gospel
“carried up into heaven”
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
“Taken up into heaven”
“Sat down at the right hand of God” again
The Lord worked with them.
The Lord confirmed the message by miraculous signs.
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
“taken up in glory”
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Jesus is worthy to open the scroll (of God’s judgment)
Jesus ransomed people for God
Every nation
Worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing
Jesus is worthy of worship forever!
