On Mission

Matt 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matt 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe! We are starting this new series looking at lessons from Jesus which teach us what it means to be on mission for Him.

I want us to start understanding how to brag on God, to be able to represent the body of Christ to our community, participate in and be grateful for our Church and be welcoming agents of grace to others.

Being on mission with God means following Jesus’ final command to us to go and share His message.

Matthew 28:19-20 we know it as the Great Commission, this is call for us to take Jesus’ message and share it with the world.

If you look closely at Jesus’s command it is filled with verbs: Go, make, baptize, teach, observe.

These are not spectator-type instructions. Jesus asked us to go, modeled how to do it, and then commissioned us to carry on His message.

I want you to look at the entire chapter in Matthew 28. As you read this chapter there is a word that is used 4 times: “Behold”

Matt 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

Matt 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Matt 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

Matt 28:11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

This chapter open with the story of Jesus’ resurrection with in the first eleven verses the resurrection is told. The officials had paid the guards to cover it up. And It includes the women doing the opposite of the guards, they were sharing the message of the resurrection with the disciples.

So testifying about the resurrection was going on, and then the chapter end with Jesus’ final instructions.

But the word behold stand out: Behold is a word that to bring attention to the words which immediately follow it.

It tells the listener to listen closely, and it to highlight the important of the next statement.

Today, we would use the word to say Listen up or if you are going to do or remember one thing it should be this

Cody could you put a horn sound, like one before making announcement?

Matthew 28:20 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.

Now this is what I want you to see, in many translation of this verse there’s a behold here, where you see the Lo. or it will say remember, Don’t forget.

So, there really a fifth “behold”, pay attention, listen up.

And we are to pay attention to the words following, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen

The words before here Jesus was telling His disciples to go and make disciples in other words, Evangelism.

Evangelism is not just preaching the gospel, and it is not limited to sermons preached from a pulpit by a pastor or altar calls giving by traveling evangelists.

True evangelism includes any conversation in which the truth of the gospel is spoken in a small group bible studies, home church meetings, Sunday church services and one and one conversations.

Most of us want to let others know about our church, and we’d even like to be able to tell people about our faith in Christ…yet we’re hesitant, reluctant.

We’re afraid of how they might react, afraid we might do a poor job, afraid that we might look like we’re members of some cult.

So how do we communicate on a spiritual level?

First of all, go in the power of the Holy Spirit. If we really believe that God empowers us, that He uses us, in spite of our limitations, even when we don’t have all the “right words”, then we can relax.

We’re simply His instruments. The Holy Spirit draws people to Himself using our witness.

We don’t do the saving—God does. The power of God behind us is greater than the task before us.

Let the spiritual needs of others cause us to overcome our fear. Are you afraid they’ll reject you or reject Christ?

If you saw someone driving towards a bridge that was unsafe, you’d surely warn them regardless of whether they thought you were a nut or not!

Next, pray for opportunities. You’ll get them; then take them!

You might be surprised—a co-worker might ask your opinion about some tragedy in the news, some ethical dilemma in government, something a religious leader has said, and you’ve being handed a chance to respond with your faith position, your spiritual insight.

Someone might say, “Hey—you go to church—what do you think of this?”

Mark 1:18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

Mark 1:19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Mark 1:20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Mark 1:21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,

Mark 1:22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus was not behind a pulpit, but was out in the community.