Faithful, Not Flawless

After Easter

Jesus does not just save us from something. He sends us to something. The mission did not end on that mountain. You do not have to be flawless to be faithful. We are not called to make fans of Jesus. We are called to make disciples of Jesus. The same Jesus who says “Go” also says “I am with you.”

There is something about getting a package with your name on it. Most of us know that feeling. You hear something hit the porch. You get the notification on your phone. You open the door and there it is. A box. A package. Your name is on it. Now sometimes it is something small and forgettable. Sometimes it is something important. Sometimes it is something you ordered and have been waiting on for days. But no matter what it is, when your name is on it, you pay attention. Because when something has your name on it, it means it is meant for you. Now let me take that picture and bring it into the sermon. A lot of people treat the Great Commission like it was a package delivered to somebody else’s house.

We read Matthew 28 and think, “Well, that was for the disciples.” “That was for missionaries.” “That was for preachers.” “That was for church leaders.” “That was for somebody more bold than me, more trained than me, more spiritual than me.” But church, this morning I want to say it as plainly as I know how: This call has your name on it.

Jesus was not speaking words that would expire when the disciples died. He was not giving a mission only for one generation. He was not handing out a temporary assignment. He was giving the church its mission. And the church is still here. Which means the mission is still here. Which means this call has our name on it. When we come to Matthew 28, the disciples are standing on a mountain in Galilee. And I want you to feel the weight of that moment. This is after the cross. After the resurrection. After the fear. After the running. After the denial. After the doubt. These are not polished heroes standing there . These are wounded men. These are men who had seen their own weakness. Men who had failed loudly. Men who still did not fully know what came next.

And yet Jesus meets them there. That matters. Because some people think God only uses people who have it all together. Some people think the call of God belongs to the strong, the fearless, the impressive, the ones who always know what to say. But look at who Jesus is talking to. He is talking to people who had been scared. People who had doubted. People who had fallen apart. People who knew what it was to miss the moment. And those are the people He sends. That ought to encourage somebody this morning. Because maybe you walked in here thinking, “Surely God can use somebody else. But not me.” Not me with my past. Not me with my struggles. Not me with my fears. Not me with the things I regret. Not me with the questions I still carry. But Jesus stands before a group of imperfect disciples and says, “Go.”

And in doing that, He makes something very clear: You do not have to be flawless to be faithful. That is good news, because if perfection was required, none of us would go. The text says when they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. Isn’t that honest? Isn’t that human? They are looking at the risen Christ, and still some doubted. And Jesus does not dismiss them. He does not say, “Come back when you are more certain.” He does not say, “Come back when your faith feels stronger.” He does not say, “Come back when all your questions are answered.” He comes near. I love that. Jesus comes near.

That is what He does. He comes near to fearful people. He comes near to wounded people. He comes near to doubting people. He comes near to people who know they need Him. And then He says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” In other words, “You are not going in your name. You are going in Mine.” That changes everything. If this mission depends on us, we will fail. If it depends on our strength, we will quit. If it depends on our cleverness, we will come up short. But the mission does not rest on our authority. It rests on His. Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go…” So why do we go? We go because Jesus is Lord. We go because the risen Christ reigns. We go because the One who conquered death now sends His people into the world. We do not go because we feel ready. We go because He has authority. We do not go because we have mastered everything. We go because He is King. We do not go because we are naturally brave. We go because Jesus is alive.

Church, hear this clearly: Jesus does not just save us from something. He sends us to something. Yes, He saves us from sin. Yes, He saves us from judgment. Yes, He saves us from death and hopelessness and the emptiness of life without God. But He does not save us just so we can sit still and stay comfortable until heaven. He saves us, and then He sends us. He sends us into homes. He sends us into families. He sends us into workplaces. He sends us into neighborhoods. He sends us into conversations. He sends us into a world that is hurting and confused and desperate for hope. And what does He tell us to do? “Make disciples.”

Not just converts. Not just church attenders. Not just people who pray a prayer and disappear. Not just people who know a few Bible verses. Make disciples. That means followers. Learners. People who are walking with Jesus, being changed by Jesus, learning to obey Jesus. And that is important, because a lot of churches are tempted to settle for less. We can settle for crowds. We can settle for activity. We can settle for religious routine. We can settle for people showing up without ever really surrendering. But Jesus did not say, “Go make admirers.” He did not say, “Go make fans.” He did not say, “Go collect names.” He said, “Make disciples.” We are not called to make fans of Jesus. We are called to make disciples of Jesus.

That means this mission is deeper than attendance. It is deeper than emotion. It is deeper than a moment. It means helping people know Christ, trust Christ, obey Christ, and follow Christ over the long haul. And that begins closer than we often think. Sometimes when we hear “Go,” we immediately think far away. And sometimes it does mean far away. But it always means somewhere. For some, “go” means across the street. For some, it means across the family room. For some, it means across the aisle to someone hurting in this church. For some, it means across the office to that coworker who is barely holding it together. For some, it means across the community to someone who has given up on church and maybe thinks Jesus gave up on them too. The mission field is not only overseas. It is right outside these doors. And sometimes it is sitting right beside us. Then Jesus says we are to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism matters because it is not just a church ritual. It is a witness.

It says, “I belong to Jesus now.” It says, “My old life does not own me anymore.” It says, “I have been claimed by grace.” It says, “I am part of the people of God.” And then Jesus says, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Notice He does not just say, “Teach them information.” There is information in the faith, yes. Truth matters. Doctrine matters. Scripture matters. But Jesus says to teach them to obey. That means discipleship is not just learning what Jesus said. It is learning how to live under what Jesus said. It is learning forgiveness. Learning holiness. Learning humility. Learning generosity. Learning courage. Learning love. Learning to walk with Christ in ordinary life. That means the church is not just a place where people gather for worship. It is a place where people learn to live like Jesus. And Trinity, that is part of our calling right now. Not just to open the doors. Not just to hold services. Not just to maintain what has been.

But to be a people who are making disciples. To be a people who are helping others follow Jesus. To be a people where grace is not just preached but practiced. To be a people where the Gospel is not just believed privately but carried publicly. Because the mission did not end on that mountain. It continues today. It continues in this church. It continues in this town. It continues in your life. And then Jesus gives one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” What a way to end it. He does not say, “Now go figure it out.” He does not say, “I hope this works.” He does not say, “Try your best and maybe I’ll step in if needed.” He says, “I am with you.” That is the promise under the command. The One who sends us goes with us. The One who calls us stays with us. The One who gives the mission gives His presence.

And that means you never witness alone. You never serve alone. You never suffer alone. You never obey alone. The same Jesus who stood on that mountain stands with His church now. So let me ask you this morning: what have you done with the package? Because this call has your name on it. Have you left it sitting on the porch? Have you assumed it belonged to somebody else? Have you admired it from a distance while never opening it? There are too many Christians who love being saved but do not want to be sent. Too many who want comfort without calling. Too many who want Jesus as Savior but resist Him as Lord. But church, salvation and sending belong together. Jesus restores us, and then He sends us. Jesus heals us, and then He uses us. Jesus meets us in our weakness, and then He calls us forward in His strength.

And maybe that is the surprise some of us need this morning. We keep waiting for God to do something big through somebody else. Some bold Christian. Some gifted speaker. Some missionary far away. Some person with a dramatic testimony. And all the while, Jesus has already placed the mission in the hands of His church. In our hands. The package is already here. The call has already been spoken. The command has already been given. The question is whether we will open it. Whether we will receive it. Whether we will obey it. Because the Great Commission is not a suggestion for a few. It is the calling of every believer.

And let me bring you back to where we started. There is something about seeing your name on a package. When your name is on it, you cannot honestly pretend it was meant for someone else. Church, when Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” He was speaking a word that would reach all the way to us. To Trinity. To this room. To this moment. To your life. This call has your name on it. So do not just admire it. Do not just agree with it. Do not just say amen to it. Open it. Receive it. Live it.

Because the mission did not end on that mountain. Because you do not have to be flawless to be faithful. Because Jesus does not just save us from something. He sends us to something. And because the same Jesus who says “Go” also says “I am with you.” That means you can speak. You can serve. You can invite. You can witness. You can love. You can help make disciples. Not because you are enough. But because He is. And the One who sends you will never leave you