As you Go

We’re starting a series called Family Meeting

Ultimately, the church is a family.

What are family meetings in the Green house

Chore list on my brother’s fridge.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to have a series of discussions. We’re going to be looking at things we need to do, as a family, in order for this family to function correctly.

One of the main things the church HAS to do, in fact, the thing that we have to be known for, is spreading the Gospel, making disciples, in short, Evangelism.

It is the key thing that the Church does, This is one of the last things Jesus told His disciples when He was on earth.

In fact we’re going to break that down tonight. So open your Bibles to Matthew 28:16-20

It is the responsibility of every believer to be an evangelist

You may say, I don’t have the gift of evangelism. Eph. 4:11 says “11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers,”

So, you may not have that gift, but that doesn’t exclude you from the call. Not everybody can SING well, but we’re told to sing!! Not everybody can show hospitality well, but we’re all told to be hospitable…..

We simply cannot rely on everyone else around us to do the work of evangelism for us. WE have to be actively sharing our faith

You are going in divine authority (vs. 18)

Matthew 28:18

In very real terms, Jesus was declaring war on hell in this moment. Sometimes, we forget about the fact that evangelism is warfare. We forget about the fact that when we take the Gospel with us, when we live it out, when we preach the Gospel in such a way that someone responds to it…and commits to following Christ, we have struck a blow against an ancient enemy.

Colossians 2:15 states that on the cross, Jesus 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him." By paying the spiritual debt of humanity's sins, He stripped evil forces of their legal right to hold people in bondage.

And THAT authority is the authority you go OUT in……

Something amazing is waiting on you - when you have that first realization that you have helped pull somebody out of hell….and have been a part of bringing them into heaven…..

Does the devil worry about you?

David Boggs - “you were up on the banks, but you were never in the creek”

You are actively pushing back the darkness - you are pulling someone out of hell.

Hell lost another one. We sing that song. That’s what you’re DOING when you’re walking into those places - you’re walking in the authority of Christ.

But you’re not just going in divine authority

You are going in divine appointment (vs. 19)

Matthew 28:19

We focus on that first part, the Go part. In fact we have a team in Belgium right now, who are GOING to ministry the Gospel.

I’m going to be part of a team that is going to GO to Malaysia

Going is a HUGE part of that verse. But it’s not the main, active verb. The main active verb in that is MAKE!

The face that Jesus says, MAKE DISCIPLES!!! That’s the main thrust of that verse.

In fact, when you take a look at the grammar of how that sentence breaks down, GO actually sounds a lot more like, “and as you’re *going*......”

See, Jesus knew what was up. He knew that not EVERYONE was going to stay in Jerusalem. He knew that many people would be leaving - He knew persecution was on its way, and He knew some people would be running from it.

He also knew that some people would be staying, and would be going about their lives like normal, for as long as possible.

But if they stayed…or if they left….they had divine appointments. In other words, God was going to put people in their paths who needed to hear about Jesus.

Some of you in here - maybe you’ve lived here all your life, maybe you haven’t! Maybe you’re going to stay here for the rest of your life - maybe you won’t! Some of y’all might leave, and come back - some of y’all might stay……and eventually leave for somewhere else.

Some of y’all might change schools. Some of y’all might switch it up -

The going part….it doesn’t matter as much as the MAKING DISCIPLES part does!!!

Pray that God would open your eyes to divine appointments.

Something amazing happens when you pray, expectantly, for God to put people in your path. He does it. He opens your eyes to the need of people around you.

Elyott with the 3d Glasses

So yes, you’re going in divine authority, you’re going with a divine appointment, but

You are going in divine obedience. (vs. 20)

Matthew 28:20

Discipleship is when we pass on what we’ve learned to someone else. When we’ve spent time in the Word with them, and have explained what Jesus has shown us, when we’ve helped teach someone how to follow Christ.

Christina - lady had been discipling her for 25 years.

Discipling someone is just teaching them how to love Jesus. How to spend time with Him. How to find God in His Word.

You’re not a disciple until you’re making disciples.

Let me prove it to you. Who was the first disciple maker. Okay. And what does it mean to be a disciple, we follow someone, right? Well…..was Jesus following anyone? Was He obeying anyone?

John 5:19 says that Jesus didn’t do anything on His own, but only what He saw the Father doing….that He was following the Father…….

So Jesus came, to follow after God….and to make disciples, right? And we’re following Jesus, right?! So what’s our job….our job is to follow after God….and make disciples…..

Keith Roe - i learned it from your Dad