What Happens Next?
Notes
Transcript
So now now that Easter has passed, and we have talked about the death of Jesus and we have celebrated his resurrection. I want to talk about what happens next because the resurrection is not where the story ends, but it’s where the story begins.
After Jesus is raised from the dead we know that He walks this earth for 40 more days and in those 40 days it is written that he stands before more than 500 people at one time. Then at the end of the 40 days he gives His disciples one last command. It’s not a command just for those disciples but for all followers of Jesus Christ. The command is found in Matthew 28:16-20
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.”
Jesus said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
What does this mean? ‘All authority’. It means that the resurrection is the ultimate validation of who Jesus is and His divine authority. Ephesians 1:20-23
that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
Jesus Christ, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, gives a command here in verse 19 to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,”
I have said it before but you cannot make disciples if you yourself aren’t a disciple. So what does it mean to be a disciple?
When we talk about being a disciple, we’re not just talking about believing in Jesus we’re talking about following him with your whole life.
A disciple of Christ lives out that discipleship in three ways;
following Christ with your mind
loving Christ with your heart
obeying Christ with your actions.
It’s your mind, your heart and your hands.
These aren’t three different ways, but there are three things that bring your walk with Jesus to completion. If you’re missing one of these things then you are not fully living for God.
Following Christ with your mind is where it starts, because it’s how you think, what you believe, and what you choose to focus on.
A lot of people think following Jesus is just about feelings or behavior, but it actually begins with an understanding of who he is and what is true. Because if your mind is off, your life will eventually follow.
Romans 12:2 says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Real change doesn’t start on the outside. It starts on the inside and overflows to the outside. You don’t have to clean your life up for Jesus you just call out to him and he will clean it up for you.
It’s also important to know THE TRUTH in a world full of lies. You’re constantly being told what to believe whether it’s through
social media
your friends
the culture
trends
You’ll hear phrases like “do what makes YOU happy” or “YOU define YOUR truth” but following Jesus means choosing His truth over all of that. John 8:31-32
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus says when you hold onto Him and His word you will know the truth and in His truth you will have freedom.
A disciple asks themselves:
What does God or the bible say about this?
Is this actually true or just what everyone else says?
Love God With Your Mind
Love God With Your Mind
You need to love God with your mind. Matthew 22:37
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This means:
Reading Scripture and thinking deeply about it
Asking questions to find the truth
Not settling for a surface level faith
What You Fill Your Mind With Matters
Your mind is like a filter; whatever you constantly take in,
whether it’s the friends you surround yourself with
the TV you watch
The music you listen to, all of these things will shape who you are and how you think.
If your mind is filled with lies, you’ll live confused, but if your mind is filled with the truth, it leads to life and peace.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Following Jesus Means Learning from Him
A disciple isn’t just someone who believes in Jesus, but it’s someone who is actively learning from Him and wanting to live as an example of Him. It’s someone who..
Reads their Bible
Locks in at church
Doesn’t just write down notes but actually applies it to their everyday life.
This is all important because what you believe shapes who you become.
A Heart That Puts Jesus First
A Heart That Puts Jesus First
Being a disciple isn’t just about what you know it’s about what you love. Jesus said in Matthew 15:8
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
God doesn’t just want your knowledge he wants your heart. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says: “Seek first the kingdom of God”
That means He isn’t just part of your life—He is first.
Before friends
Before relationships
Before sports, school, or popularity
Even before your own desires
When your heart belongs to Jesus, your life starts to look different.
Romans 12:2 says don’t conform to the world.
1 Peter 1:15–16 says to be holy—set apart.
Not weird and not for no reason—but different because your values have changed. You are no longer living for yourself but for the one who gave you life. In Luke 9:23, Jesus says: “Deny yourself… and follow me.”
That means:
It’s not about your kingdom—it’s about His
It’s not about being the center—it’s about making Him the center
Your Heart Follows What You Treasure
Your Heart Follows What You Treasure
Matthew 6:21 says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
So the real question is:
Not just Do you believe in Jesus?
But Do you love Him most?
Because when your heart changes, your life begins to change. But even that’s not the end…
Because you can know the truth and you can say you love Jesus…but if it never shows up in your life, something is missing.
That’s where the third piece comes in.
Living Out Your Faith Through Obedience
Living Out Your Faith Through Obedience
Following Jesus isn’t just about what you know or feel—it’s about what you do.
In James 1:22, it says: “Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says.”
In John 14:15, Jesus says: “If you love me, keep my commands.”
Obedience isn’t earning God’s love—it’s a response to it.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
That’s the heart of a disciple:
Choosing God’s way over your way
Trusting Him when it’s hard
Obedience shows up in real life:
Telling the truth
Standing up for others
Choosing purity
Spending time with God
Forgiving people
Those small moments shape who you become.
In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says to let your light shine. Your obedience:
Points people to Jesus
Shows your faith is real
Makes an impact
Real discipleship isn’t just about belief it’s about transformation. This transformation is shown through the second part of Jesus’s command in Matthew 28:19
“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Jesus tells his disciples to go and baptize.
Baptism doesn’t save us, but yet it’s still a command from Jesus for us to do. Even though we are saved by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
So what is baptism then?
Baptism means “to wash or dip” and demonstrates commitment to live for God. You are publicly declaring that you have been made a new creation in Jesus Christ and you have made Him the Lord of your life.
Baptism may not be necessary for salvation but it is necessary for obedience. Christ commanded all who belong to Him and receive His salvation to be baptized.
So why? Why does Jesus command this if it is not where our salvation is found?
After his resurrection, Jesus—having all authority—commanded baptism as a new sign for the new covenant, creating an ordinance that marks the boundary of the faith community.
Baptism shows everyone who we’re living for and that we are committing our lives to God and that when we are not living up to that commitment our brothers and sisters in Christ are to hold us accountable for how we are reflecting that.
To be baptized in God’s name means to belong to him—declaring to the world, “I am God’s. I am Christ’s”
So why do we do this? More importantly why should we have such an urgency for this?
Because in our last verse. Verse 20 Matthew 28:20
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus said so, He said to teach and he said to do so until the end of the age.
What does He mean by the end of the age?
Guy’s Jesus is coming back. The bible talks about Jesus’s second coming, that He will return to this earth one day, and on that day He will judge the world and every knee shall bow. The bible say’s He will come like a thief in the night and we will not know the day or the hour.
We are not promised tomorrow.
We need to make the most out of today and the time given to us.
Live for Him now, be a disciple now, go and make disciples now, and take on the waters of baptism now.
The story of salvation for humanity begins with Jesus’s death and resurrection but yours can start right now. Wether that means a commitment today or a recommitment to Him and His Commission.
This task and this order is for us and it is what we hope to live out in Oso Youth. Look to your left you’ll see it right there. We don’t just want to be disciples. We want to be disciples who make disciples.
Let’s be disciples and let’s make disciples.
