Jesus Is King!!!
Catching Fire • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart, that I might not sin against God. Amen!
Scripture Reference: Luke 24:44-48 / Matthew 28:18-20
Context
Context
We are continuing through our series… “Catching Fire!”
We have been following the life of Jesus from the moment of Resurrection up to Pentecost!
All that Jesus has been doing during this time has been purposed towards casting out any doubt that the disciples may have had that He was the Son of God, the prophesied Messiah, and that He was alive.
That is why He showed Himself to the women, to the two men on the road to Emmaus, and even to the rest of the disciples in the upper room. He has done everything within His power to prove to them that He was indeed the Savior that they have been waiting on their whole lives. And once that understanding was made clear, all doubts have been cast out. All barriers that stood in the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit are gone.
So now, Jesus takes this moment to do some final teaching. His time left with them is limited.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And you are witnesses of these things.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Let’s Pray!!
Content
Content
Remember what Jesus is doing. He is performing all of the necessary tasks to ensure that His disciples are free of any doubt. They must believe fully that He is Christ and that He is alive.
This is exactly what the Scriptures are for. They are here for us to know God. They are here so that we might believe fully in God.
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Before than can be growth, there must be life. Before there can be surrender, there must be a cause.
They don’t know it yet, but these faithful few are about to embark on the most amazing journey of their lives. They are going to receive power from on high, perform many miracles, travel the world, and see many lives changed for eternity. But before this can happen, they must fully and totally surrender themselves to Jesus.
Nothing has changed. Today, our role as followers of Christ is just as important, just as dangerous, just as taxing as theirs was. We are living in the same world. We are fighting the same enemy. The stakes are exactly the same. Life and death hang in the balance.
We know how things turned out for them. They gave themselves… all of themselves… to Jesus. They were transformed by His presence into something completely new. They took the Gospel out to the known world. And because of what they did, the world was forever changed. Salvation came not only to individuals, or even to families, but to entire communities.
And it was true salvation. Not the kind of salvation that was based purely upon a prayer and living a moral lifestyle, but the kind of salvation that led to constant repentance and transformation; the kind of salvation that broke addictions and shattered strongholds; the kind of salvation that compelled them to go out and share their faith with others; the kind of salvation that led to true freedom in Christ!!!
It was a life of true abandonment. Let me ask you this… how much of impact do you think the first-century church would have had on the world if they lived out their Christian lives like we do today? Christianity would have been lost within a generation… Just like we are losing ground today.
We must get back to genuine faith… Faith that is unashamed; Faith that moves and operates by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, not by sight; Faith that refuses to let sin abound in our hearts but rather hates it with a passion; Faith that is willing to go to whatever lengths necessary, make whatever sacrifices is necessary, so that Jesus can take His rightful place as King of kings and Lord of Lords within the hearts of Americans. We need Jesus back on the throne, and this easy believism that we have been raised with and taught is not going to cut it.
It is going to take sacrifice, devotion, abandonment, dedication, a strong will, and an even stronger heart, but it must be done.
But before we can get to the point of surrendering ourselves in that way… we must believe fully in Christ.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Jesus says:
“I know you are struggling to believe. I know you are asking yourself a million questions right now.”
How is it possible for God to take on human flesh?
Why would God take on human flesh… even for us?
How can a man be healed so quickly and rise from the dead?
Is it really possible that the Messiah came in our time?
Is it really possible that God would send a Messiah at all?
Is Jesus really calling us to stand for Him, to preach for Him, to minister for Him?
Am I even worthy to do so? What difference can I make in the Kingdom of God?
I know you are struggling… but I am here!!!
And He opens their understanding to all the Scriptures: the Law of Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms concerning Himself.
***Close your eyes for a minute and think back***
(Walk through the feelings and emotions… the transformation that took place in us when our eyes were opened)
Don’t you want others to experience that for themselves?
It’s just like these two men from Emmaus. They have already experienced this exact thing when Jesus came to them earlier. They have already heard all of this before. They have already had this realization that Jesus is indeed the Messiah God spoke of. Now they get to sit there and watch as everyone else comes into that same realization that they have already had.
It’s amazing to see others come into this realization that Jesus is the Way, the truth, and the life. It is amazing to watch the transformation take place in their lives. It is amazing to see them surrender their faults, their failures, their weaknesses to Christ. It is amazing to watch God take someone who is terrified of public speaking and make them a preacher. It is amazing to watch God take someone who has no confidence in themselves become a Sunday School teacher. It is amazing to watch God take someone who has never travelled outside of the county and make them a missionary.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
Once this enlightenment came upon them all, Jesus says these amazing words, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary…”
In order for sins to be forgiven… In order for mankind to be restored to God… In order for mankind to get to heaven… In order for grace to be extended to all men and experienced by all men… I had to come… I had to suffer… I had to die… I had to rise again.
This was always the plan. I am the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I do love you. I am real. I see you. And I need you for what happens next.
Jesus is about to hand out His final mission to the disciples. He is about to give them their final assignment. This assignment will not take a day, a week, a month, or even a year. It will take them the rest of their lives. It is an assignment that is personal and universal all at the same time.
Because of what Jesus did, Matthew 28:18 becomes a reality:
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Jesus has been given, or granted, authority over all of heaven and earth. It is His name that is above every name. He is now, and forever will be, the ultimate authority over all of creation.
The world needs to hear this truth. They need to know who is in charge, but also how He got there. They need to know what sacrifices were made for them. They need to know how valuable they are and the price that was paid for their freedom. They need to know.
And that is where we come in. That is our purpose. That is why we are here. We are here to make Christ known.
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
The word must go out. The name of Jesus Christ must be proclaimed. The Gospel must be preached. The world needs to know that Jesus is King!!!
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…
43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;
18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
You and I have been commissioned by God to make Him known unto the world. That is why we exist. To know God and make Him known.
If your Bible is like mine, there is a heading above each of these sections of Scripture, the one in Luke and the one here in Matthew, and it says, “The Great Commission.”
A preacher once said, “Jesus’s final words are to be our first work.” This is our commissioning. This is our purpose laid out on paper.
Before we get to that, we need to see one more thing first.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
20 … and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Watch this:
Because of what Jesus did, He has been given all authority. But we have to understand what this means.
There are two words in Scripture that speak of authority:
Dunamis - speaks of sheer power
Exousia - speaks of authority
The best illustration I have ever heard of this is a sports team.
***Explain the difference.
Jesus has both, but here it uses the word “Exousia”.
So Jesus has all authority, but then He sends us out in that authority. Notice what it says at the beginning of verse of 19, “Go therefore...” Therefore is a transition word. Because of what I just said, therefore, I say this.
So He tells us to “Go”, but He ties our going with His authority. But it is more than just a command. It is not Him saying, “I’m the boss and I say go… so you go.” What He is saying is, “I have the authority. I am sending you out in my name… and lo, I am with you always.”
In other words, we are sent from His authority, but we are also sent out in His authority. So when we Go, and when we baptize, and when we teach, we are not doing so in our ability, but in His authority.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
We go in His name. We go in His power. We go in His authority. He is able to do what you and I cannot. He is able to cultivate the soils of others hearts. He is able to make the seed of the Word of God fall onto good ground. He is able to water that seed so that it will grow. He is able to lead others unto repentance. He is able to speak truth into situations that you and I know nothing of. And when they come to a place of repentance, He is able to save them and transform them.
Our part is simply to be faithful to what He has called us to do. He will take care of all things spiritual.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus gives us three commands:
Go...make disciples of all nations. (Evangelism)
Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Baptism)
Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (Discipleship)
Listen to me… please listen to me. According to Jesus Christ, this is what the Christian life looks like. We are to go, baptize, and teach.
We have been inadvertently raised to believe that the main goal of the Christian life is to be internally focused. We are supposed to read every “self-help” book that we can get our hands on; We are to stay away from evil so that we do not fall into sin, which means avoid non-Christians like the plague; We are to isolate ourselves from everything ungodly in the world.
Is this how Jesus did it? He was called the friend of sinners because He went to the outcast, the poor, the social pariah, the weird, and the unwanted. He met them where they were and He spoke truth into their lives. He showed them that their life had more value than money, intimate relationships, power, position, or even a reputation. They were created for more than that. They were created with divine purpose. They were created to make an eternal impact on the world around them, and they were missing out on that because they were focused on all the wrong things of life.
He was patient with those who tried to understand. He was compassionate towards those who were struggling to understand. He welcomed anyone and everyone into the kingdom who believed in Him and repented of sin.
This is the life that you and I have been called to. We are to Go, baptize, and teach.
Why? Because Jesus is King. Jesus is the name that everyone needs to hear. He is Son of God, the firstborn among many. He is the One who bore our punishment, gave His life, and conquered sin on our behalf. He is the One who loves us conditionally.
But listen to me… He loves all unconditionally. He loves those sinners just as much as He loves us. He wants to save those sinners, just like He saved us.
“Go make disciples” - this is simply sharing our faith with others. In the theological realm, we call this evangelism, which is a fancy word that simply means share the Gospel. We are to share our faith with others. That is not hard. It is a simple conversation. That’s it.
When those people respond to the Gospel, we are to baptize them. We are to help them make their public declaration of faith unto the world.
And then we begin teaching them the words of Christ. We patiently walk alongside them as they learn and grow in their faith. We show them what it means to be a Christian. We hold them accountable and lovingly point them to Christ in all things.
As they are learning and growing… guess what? They too begin their own journey of obedience by sharing their faith with others.
It is a cycle of multiplication. 1 becomes 2. 2 becomes 4. 4 becomes 8. And so on. Do you know that if every single person in the world would multiply by just one each year, we could see the whole world saved in 33 years. Think about that. If each Christian in the world could lead one other person to Christ each year, and that person joined by also reaching another person the next year. In 33 years, the whole world would be saved.
It is time we spent less time in solitude and more time in servitude. Let us serve the Almighty by doing what He has called us all to do. Let us become passionate about sharing our faith with others, seeing them baptized, and walking alongside them in the faith.
Commitment
Commitment
