Sent By the Savior

Introduction

Worship tie-in (God’s love truly is amazing isn’t it! I’ve never been in a hurricane, but if you’ve ever seen pictures of someplace AFTER a hurricane, you know that EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT! THAT’S HOW GOD’S LOVE CHANGES US!)

Welcome

PRAY!

WHAT IS TODAY? WHY DO WE SEND OFF STUDENTS?

(We send off students because we are ALL SENT!)

Last week we finished the sermon on the mount and today we are going to be in Matthew 28 as we see how Jesus SENDS US!

THIS PASSAGE IS THE BASE OF OUR MISSION AND VISION

Our Mission is Connecting People with Jesus

Our vision is to see lives transformed by the power of the Gospel

Main Point: Wherever you go, spend your life making disciples!

Body

Matthew 28:16-17

Before we get tot he Great Commission, something else happens. Before the Great Commission, Jesus calls His Disciples together. We see that in Matthew 28:10

Matthew 28:10 CSB

10 Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Jesus tells the women at the tomb to send His “brothers” or disciples to meet Him in Galilee.

Jesus spent the majority of His ministry in Galilee. He sends the disciples to Galilee, specifically to a mountain that they know of.

Now, I want to be clear- this is a similar, but different event then what takes place in Acts 1.

I also want to be upfront- There is a reason that Matthew ends His Gospel with this. These words matter. These words are SIGNIFICANT AND FORM THE BASIC MISSION OF EVERY CHRISTIAN!

IF YOU ARE HERE THIS MORNING AND YOU KNOW JESUS, then these words SHAPE WHAT YOU ARE CALLED TO DO!

So let’s look at Matthew 28:16-17.

Matthew 28:16–17 CSB

16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.

As the disciples- notice, it’s only 11- Judas is dead- come together at the mountain.

They have traveled there to see Jesus and when they SEE JESUS, they worship Him! They see their risen Savior and they begin to WORSHIP!

But even as they worship, we see that “some doubted.”

When we think of doubting after the resurrection, we often think of it as only Thomas. After all, there’s always, “doubting Thomas.”

But Thomas isn’t the only one who doubts and is confused. This is unlike anything that ANY OF THE 11 DISCIPLES HAVE EVER SEEN! THEY SAW JESUS KILLED, THEY SAW THAT HE DIED AND NOW HE IS ALIVE!

Matthew purposefully uses a plural participle to talk about how the disciples WORSHIP and how they DOUBT. There’s MULTIPLE PEOPLE doubting- maybe even Matthew- and there’s ACTION TO DOUBTING!

See, DOUBT IS AN ACTIVE ATTITUDE!

When we hear the word doubt, so often we think, “It just happened. I went through a hard season and I started to doubt God. It isn’t really my fault, it just happened.”

But in reality, OUR DOUBT is active!

See, our doubt is fueled by an ACTION, or an INACTION that we take!

When we find ourselves doubting- whatever the reason- we really have two choices- either we can ignore it and hope that it just gets better on its own- maybe we are even tempted to try and force a “fix”, or we can DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT not on our own strength, but by RUNNING TO GOD!

And here’s the deal- simply put, that first option is going to lead us FURTHER INTO DOUBT!

The second option- running to God, getting help from people who can ENCOURAGE US is going to point us back to God and will bring us CLOSER TO GOD!

This passage shows us a good way to respond to doubt- in fact, I think it’s why the Holy Spirit leads Matthew to include this!

This passage reminds us that the disciples who have WITNESSED SO MANY THINGS AND HAVE HEARD JESUS PREACH MANY TIMES AND HAVE LIVED WITH JESUS- EVEN THEY HAD DOUBTS!

But, even as they doubt, even as they wrestle with confusion, even as they try to understand what is going on, they make a choice. The DISCIPLES make a choice to WORSHIP JESUS!

They don’t fully understand, they don’t really get it, but they worship God!

Listen, we will all doubt- and in the same way, we are responsible for how we RESPOND TO OUR DOUBTS! Doubt doesn’t disqualify you from salvation! Instead, we can take advantage of times where we are doubting and struggling to lean in CLOSER AND CLOSER TO GOD!

This is a fitting message on send-off Sunday. Students that we are sending off, doubts will come. Dry seasons WILL COME!

But how will you respond? Will you respond by feeding your faith, or will you respond by allowing your doubt to strangle your walk with God?

I can’t help but think of the Psalmist in Psalm 42-43, who says 3 times, Psalm 42:11

Psalm 42:11 CSB

11 Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.

When we face discouragement, we need to point ourselves BACK TO GOD- we need to PREACH THE GOSPEL TO OURSELVES THAT OUR HOPE SHOULD BE IN JESUS- rather than listening to what the world says and listening to the discouragement that the world offers us.

And that doesn’t just apply to students getting sent off- today is Mother’s Day- Mother’s, are you discouraged at all? Are you weary and tired? REMIND YOUR SOUL WHERE ITS HOPE IS!

IN YOUR DOUBT PUT YOUR EYES ON THE CROSS!

Here are 3 practical ways to do that:

Music- what do you listen to?

Reading Scripture- what do you put in your mind?

Being WITH other believers!- who do you spend time with?

We can all learn from the disciples in Matthew 28:16-17 and we can ACTIVELY CHOOSE AS THEY DO TO WORSHIP JESUS AT ALL TIMES, EVEN WHEN HARDSHIP DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!

This passage isn’t just about the disciples doubting though! This passage contains so much more, so look at verse 18 with me.

Matthew 28:18

Matthew 28:18 CSB

18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

As the disciples worship Jesus, Jesus starts to walk towards them and He begins to speak.

This statement is really important- Jesus says that ALL AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HIM!

How much authority? ALL AUTHORITY!

That word- All- comes from the Greek word panta, which means ANY, ALL, EVERY KIND OF!

JESUS IS SAYING THAT HE HAS COMPLETE AUTHORITY- HE HAS A MONOPOLY ON AUTHORITY WE COULD SAY!

And where is His authority at?

It’s in HEAVEN AND EARTH- let me simplify it like this Cornerstone- JESUS HAS COMPLETE AUTHORITY EVERYWHERE!

There is no place where Jesus does not have authority!

YOU CAN NEVER OUTRUN THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS!

And the kind of authority- TOTAL AUTHORITY- matters also.

Last week in Matthew 7:28-29 we saw that Jesus taught with authority, but Jesus is reminding His disciples that He doesn’t just have authority to teach.

It’s a summarizing statement.

They’ve seen Jesus’s authority in so many ways- here’s a few:

Jesus’s teaching

Jesus’s Miracles

Jesus’s Healing of the sick

Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead

Jesus CALMING THE STORM- having authority over weather

Jesus RESURRECTING!

TRULY JESUS HAS ALL AUTHORITY and HE MAKES THAT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TO THE DISCIPLES!

He’s making completely clear to them that HE HAS ALL AUTHORITY!

And that matters because Jesus is about to give them AND US a set of 5 commands- and Jesus is saying- “I can give you these commands because of WHO I AM! I CAN GIVE YOU THESE COMMANDS BECAUSE I HAVE ALL AUTHORITY!”

Before we get to these 5 commands that Jesus gives, I just want to make a quick note- I have mentioned this before, but this passage is an important reminder that we live under a new covenant!

See, at creation, Adam and Eve are given 5 commands by God. 5 things to do- we find those in Genesis 1.

And now RIGHT AFTER the resurrection of Jesus we are given 5(!) new commands!

These 5 NEW COMMANDs direct us AND remind us of our NEW LIFE THAT JESUS HAS PAID THE PRICE FOR!

Matthew 28:19-20

In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus gives us these five new commands. Let’s look at them together.

Matthew 28:19–20 CSB

19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The first command is GO!

GO, THEREFORE!

When we hear this, if we are honest, our first thought is- great, so where do I need to go?

Then, our second thought is something like this- “I can’t go all that far! I have a family, I have a job, I have a doctor’s appointment next Tuesday! So how am I supposed to obey the Great Commission?”

But that isn’t a good understanding of what Jesus says.

In Greek, the meaning becomes more clear- it’s not “YOU NOW NEED TO GO FAR AWAY,” the meaning is, “AS YOU GO!”

AS YOU GO, do these things!

As you go where? As you ANYWHERE THAT YOU ARE GOING ON A DAILY BASIS!

As you go to work! As you go to school! As you go to your summer job! As you go to your home! As you pick your kids up from home! As you go to visit family! As you go on vacation! As you go to the store! As you go to dinner! As you go to lunch TODAY! AS YOU GO ANYWHERE!

The first command is AS YOU GO!

But how is that a command?

Here’s how- As we GO, we need to be prepared!

We need to be prepared as we go to all of these different places. We need to be prepared and alert as we go to work, to school, etc.

We need to be prepared to BRING THE GOSPEL! WE NEED TO BE ALERT TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS!

We need to be saying- “As I go, I’m GOING TO PAY ATTENTION! I’M GOING TO BE ALERT FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO BE A LIGHT!”

AS I GO, I’m GOING TO OBEY JESUS! I’M GOING TO MAKE THAT THE #1 priority of my life- no matter where I go, no matter where God takes me, I’m going to OBEY AS I GO!

Here’s the second command- “make disciples of all nations.”

AS WE GO, we do what? WE MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS!

Now, there’s a few questions we should answer about this- What is a disciple, how do you make a disciple, and how do you reach all nations?

Let’s start with the first one- A disciple is a follower of Jesus.

This is the most simple explanation of a disciple that I can give.

In first century Judaism, discipleship was how rabbi’s trained people. The disciples would LIVE WITH THEIR TEACHER, FOLLOW THEIR TEACHER AND GROW TO BE LIKE THEIR TEACHER!

It was like an apprenticeship.

For a CHRISTIAN, a disciple is someone who follows Jesus! But beyond that basic definition, we should also note that a disciple is going to ACTUALLY FOLLOW JESUS, not just say that they do.

Second, how do we make a disciple?

Like I mentioned just now, disciples followed, listened, learned from and grew to be like thier teacher.

So as CHRISTIANS, if we are seeking to make disciples- something we should all be doing- then we are wanting to help people grow to be CLOSER TO JESUS!

And I want to be clear- THIS STARTS WITH SHARING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS!

First we share the Gospel- first we help someone come to know Jesus, THEN, we start walking with someone to help point them to Jesus.

That’s a really important thing- this is part of how discipleship is different then mentorship- we aren’t helping someone be like us, or be “their best self,” instead, we are seeking to help someone BE LIKE JESUS!

I think Paul summarizes how we make disciples so well in 1 Corinthians 11:1.

1 Corinthians 11:1 CSB

1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.

It’s not- IMITATE ME TO BE LIKE ME, or IMITATE ME TO BE YOUR BEST SELF; it’s IMITATE ME AS I IMITATE CHRIST!

And here’s the final question- How do we make disciples of all nations?

It’s simple- we start by making a disciple of an individual.

We start by helping ONE PERSON AS WE GO AND BY THEM GOING AND DOING THE SAME!

Look at Paul’s ministry- Timothy and so many others who carried on the work of ministry even without Paul!

For us to make disciples of ALL NATIONS, WE HAVE TO MAKE DISCIPLES HERE FIRST!

AND, we have to be open-handed to go wherever God calls us. Sometimes God will bring you somewhere to GO AND MAKE A DISCIPLE!

I have no doubt in my mind that God brought me to Wyoming so that I could BE DISCIPLED and then MAKE DISCIPLES!

And friends, we need to be willing to GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES!

There’s three more commands that Jesus gives.

These three are pretty straightforward.

First, we are to BAPTIZE PEOPLE- THIS IS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SAVED; AFTER THEY HAVE REPENTED OF SIN AND BELIEVED as we see the early church model.

As people get saved, as we are helping them follow Jesus, part of that is BAPTISM- which is ultimately a reflection of what Jesus does in Matthew 3- Matthew 3:13-17

Matthew 3:13–17 CSB

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized. 16 When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”

Here’s the fourth command- we need to TEACH PEOPLE WHAT JESUS COMMANDED!

As we make a disciple, how do we point them to Jesus?

We do so by TEACHING THEM WHAT JESUS TAUGHT AND COMMANDED!

We don’t just teach our opinions; we TEACH JESUS AND HIS COMMANDS!

And how do we find those? We BRING PEOPLE TO THE WORD OF GDO!

You don’t need an advanced degree to make a disciple- you don’t need a big degree- none of Jesus’s disciples had that- but what you do need to do is PRAY AND BRING PEOPLE TO THE WORD OF GOD!

Friends, Discipleship is really simple which I love. It’s straight-forward- It’s fundamentally built around us BRINGING PEOPLE TO GOD’S WORD!

PRACTICAL- THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL SHOULD BE DOING! (Parents, grandparents with kids, with friends, etc.)

And then we see the 5th command.

The fifth command is a REMINDER- but don’t overlook how SIGNIFICANT this command is. THIS IS AN ACTIVE COMMAND- it requires ACTION FROM US!

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Some other translations- like the ESV- translate this, “BEHOLD!”

In other words, STOP AND HEAR THE WORDS THAT JESUS IS SAYING!

And what is Jesus saying? He’s saying- NO MATTER WHAT YOU FACE, NO MATTER WHAT PERSECUTION or STRIFE, no matter what challenge or turmoil, REMEMBER, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS!

And how is Jesus with us always? Jesus is with us always through the HOLY SPIRIT!

Listen, it can be easy for us to get discouraged in life and to stop running after Jesus. And we may still know Jesus and love Jesus, but the fire in our hearts dims a bit.

Our fire goes from wild and out of control to more of an ember.

BUT REMEMBER- in the midst of EVERYTHING, GOD IS WITH YOU ALWAYS!

And because of that, let me encourage you- no matter how removed you feel from God, no matter how distant you feel, DO NOT STOP RUNNING AFTER JESUS!

AND DO NOT STOP LIVING OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION THAT JESUS HAS GIVEN US!

Let me PLEAD WITH YOU- RUN WITH PASSION EVERY DAY, NO MATTER WHAT YOU FACE!

And now I want to take a few minutes to talk about what that looks like for us to do.

Application

Why Do I Go?

GOSPEL! WHERE DO YOU START? YOU START WITH KNOWING JESUS!

Gospel from Ephesians 2:8-10 (Don’t directly talk about the 3 circles, but allude to it as needed). (Reference how even as all seasons change and as our life situation changes, we MUST START IN THE SAME PLACE- WE MUST START WITH JESUS!)

Ephesians 2:8–10 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Galatians 2:20 CSB

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Why do I go?

I go because of what JESUS HAS DONE FOR ME!

I GO BECAUSE OF THE PRICE THAT JESUS PAID FOR ME! I GO BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR ME!

And now I want to walk us through 5 applications in two points- one for each of Jesus’s commands.

Where do I Go? BE REAL! (I’m not perfect either)

The first and hardest part if we are honest is GOING! So, where do we go?

Like we established earlier, we GO ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE! NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE GOING, WE ARE CALLED TO GO!

It doesn’t matter if we are going to the store, or overseas on a missions trip, EVERYWHERE THAT WE GO, WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION!

I want to specifically speak to our graduates for a minute as we celebrate with you today.

Next year, you will be doing something different. You may still live in the same place, but you will factually be doing something different. You may be in classes, or you might be working next year, but no matter what, next year will be different,

And although different can be hard, different is also exciting.

Here’s a reason that different is exciting. Different is exciting because it offers us a NEW GROUP OF PEOPLE TO GO TO!

As you start this new season you have a NEW GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN BRING JESUS TO!

And if you’re not graduating today, please hear me on this- we have a responsibility to bring JESUS TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE EVERY DAY!

You get new coworkers, or new neighbors! We need to BRING JESUS TO THEM!

Parents, you have kids! Make sure you are BRINGING JESUS TO THEM, not just hoping that they figure it out!

SMART APPLICATION:

Who’s YOUR ONE!

SMART APPLICATION- I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TODAY TO BE PRAYING FOR ONE PERSON THAT YOU KNOW ON A DAILY BASIS TO COME TO KNOW THE LORD (AND TAKE ACTION ABOUT IT!) (And let me challenge- if you are moving- then pray for this- pray for God to give you 1 person in that new place. 1 Person in your new home that you can REACH WITH THE GOSPEL AND DISCIPLE!)

How Do I Go?

Make disciples of all nations

We go with a Disciplemaking ATTITUDE/ EXPECTING TO MAKE DISCIPLES SND SEE GOD WORK

Baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit

we go BRINGING THE GOSPELS TO NON- BELIEVERS-

All around us are non-believers- like I just challenged, WHO’S 1 PERSON THAT YOU CAN BRING THE GOSPEL TO!

Vision casting moment- what if this summer and fall we were celebrating BAPTISM AFTER BAPTISM BECAUSE WE WERE FAITHFULLY AND PRAYERFULLY REACHING OUR NEIGHBORS?

Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you

(For all of us: who is in your sphere to teach, or to HELP WALK LIKE JESUS- that is the meaning of discipleship)

(Parents- disciple your children.)

(Students- as you go home this summer or into the next season of life

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age

How do we go?

We go remembering Jesus like Joshua 4 and remembering God! We live Luke that, not like the judges Israelites who forgot God so often! We remember God by being in scripture/prayer, by looking at His faithfulness to us, BY MAKING DISCIPLES (making disciples HELPS US GROW! If you aren’t making disciples, you are missing one of the greatest opportunities for growth!)

SMART APPLICATION:

ROCKS EXAMPLE!

(YOU NEED A SYSTEM TO REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE! YOU NEED A NOTE, YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT REMINDS YOU OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE- Hope and I use a notebook. HOW DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE?)

BECAUSE AS WE REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE WE WILL BE REMINDED THAT GOD IS WITH US!

Send off section

Gathering our graduates together at the front (7 of them, Tessa, teaugen, Caleb, Tim, Kenneth, Justin, Aaron

Pass the microphone to the students- have them share what they are doing next year.

Verses:

Colossians 3:23–24 CSB

23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.

LET ME CHALLENGE YOU- WHATEVER GOD HAS YOU DOING NEXT- whether you’re about to start a job, or college, or grad school or something else- WORK AT IT NOT FOR MAN’S APPROVAL BUT FOR GOD!

God has INCREDIBLE PLANS FOR YOU! LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO TRUST THEM AND TO RUN AFTER THEM!

I want to challenge you as you go to live like what we see in Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:13–16 CSB

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Call everyone up to pray and to lay hands

Send off challenge: Can I challenge you- BE PRAYING FOR OUR SENIORS TOO! PICK A SENIOR AND PRAY FOR THEM EACH DAY! COMMIT TO PRAYING FOR THEM AS WE SEND THEM IN TO WHAT GOD HAS FOR THEM NEXT!

Great Commission

DISMISS!