Called, Convinced, Commissioned
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The title of the sermon is “Called, Convinced, Commissioned,” and the wording there could even be re-arranged if you want. It could be Called, Commissioned, Convinced, or even Convinced, Called, Commissioned. The order is not what is important here. What is important is our living a life in obedience to the Scripture.
Whether you consider it or not, all of you are called to be Jesus’ disciple. That is why you’re here this morning.
In Matthew 4:19 we read about the calling of the first disciples:
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
We’re told in verse 20 of that same chapter that immediately they left their nets and followed Jesus. Jesus was calling them to a purpose - a purpose that he eventually puts on all of us, and that’s where we get to our first reading for this morning.
Let’s ask God to open our eyes to the Word this morning.
[PRAYER}
Let’s read it together.
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.”
This is the word of our Lord!
Thanks be to God!
Now I know you were all paying really close attention when you were reading that, let’s take a closer look and refresh all of our memories.
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
Look at the faith of these men! It’s so bold, it’s so unbridled, so totally committed…right!
They went tot he mountain that Jesus had directed them, and when they saw him, they worshiped him...
And then…we find that odd statement…that one we don’t expect.
First we come across that word “but” which means that what follows is going to contradict what came before. They worshiped him, but...
“some doubted.”
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.
Do you ever doubt? Do you ever wonder if your prayers will be answered? Do you ever wonder if you’re up for a certain job?
I love the fact that the Scriptures do not wash away this feeling we all have as if it never happened. We tend to think of the biblical characters, especially the disciples as these disciple superheroes that were right up there next to God. One of the unique things about the Bible is that its characters, it’s heroes like the disciples, like David, like Moses, and Paul, are flawed. They’re not perfect. They’re human! They’re like us!
How often do we exclaim, “I can’t,” without ever trying. Imagine if you said, “I can’t” and never went any further - before you knew how to walk, drive, draw, write a sentence, solve a math problem...
When I’m teaching and one of my students says, “I can’t” I remind them that’s why they’re in my class. My job is to assist them until they can; they’re job is to try!
Remember the father who brought his son with the unclean spirit to Jesus in Mark 9? A desperate father brings his son to Jesus and says that he has a spirit that makes him mute, throws him into the fire and the water attempting to destroy him, he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. As the spirit sees Jesus, we are told, it throws the boy to the ground. Jesus asks, “How long has he been like this?” Since he was a boy, the father says.
And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
If…If… It can be such a poisonous word to our faith. There’s a popular song out on Christian radio right now in which the chorus reminds us over and over again, “Fear is a liar.” Fear makes us say, “If”. We hedge our bets.
Lois Brasfield - What can I do?
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.
They worshiped him, but some doubted.
Let’s continue with vs. 18:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
How much authority does Jesus have?
ALL authority - not some. He’s not a subordinate wannabe, he is the supreme authority in heaven and on earth.
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.”
The supreme authority of heaven and earth tells the disciples, “Go!”
“Go therefore” - Jesus is saying, “SinceI have all authority Go!” But we could take the “Therefore” even further back than that. Anytime you see a “Therefore” in the Bible, you should ask what is it “there for?” Therefore can mean, because. In this case...
Because, I have come to this world,
because I have called you,
because I love the world,
because I have healed the sick,
because I have cast out demons
because I have raised the dead,
because I have died for your sins,
because you have born witness to not only my death but now my resurrection,
because you have seen my risen body,
because I have all authority…Go.
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,
Go and make disciples of all nations -
Don’t worry about their religion, their ethnic back ground, their gender, their socio-economic status, where they stand in the eyes of the law… all nations.
And that final command.
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
How do we teach them to observe what Jesus commanded?
You cannot lead where you do not go.
If we do not obey Jesus, we cannot encourage anyone else to. How are you following Jesus? Are you stepping out in faith or are you hiding it under a bushel. Are you letting your light shine bright? Or is it just a fad.
When was the last time you shared your faith story with someone that was not a church person?
In the final words of Matthew we read:
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
“i am with you always.”
Think about that. The Supreme authority in heaven and on earth promises to be with you always, always, always, always, forever, and ever, amen.
James exhorts us:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Reading God’s word in your own Bible reading we’re reminded of who we are in relationship to God, coming to church we’re reminded of who we are according to God’s word, and so it’s a lot like looking in a mirror. But then we go into our work week - do we forget who we are? Do we forget that we are Christ bearers? That we carry a light within us that the world desperately needs?
I opened with this verse from Matthew 4:19
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Not who it is that makes the disciples fishers of men. It’s not by their own power. Too often we say, “I can’t” rather than “I’ll try.” And when we do try it, we try it on our own power. It’s not us who make disciples, it’s not us who call people to Jesus. Let God do that - but we are called to be faithful in sharing that light as we’ve been commanded.
Story by Josh McDowell: “Thank you, God Bless you and too-da-loo.”
Each one of us is called - that’s why we’re here.
My hope is that you are convinced to belief and continue to ask God to help you with your unbelief.
Know that you are commissioned to make disciples - every one of you. No excuses.