We are the Church to...

What is the overall purpose of the church? We have looked at what it means to be in the church. What it means to be the the church. and reasons we are the church.

But what are actions of the church?

The church was not designed or instituted to be stationary but rather called to be a the catalyst to change to world. But what has happened over the centuries of the church is that instead of being active every day of the week it has been reduced to only about 3 hours per week. The church was never designed to be active for only a couple hours out of the week and the church was never designed to be active through just a couple of people either. The church as an entire body is called to work together, serve together, do life together, to grow people in Christ.

We are the church to Follow the Great Commission!

Tonight we will be reading from Matthew 28 and looking into the overall goal for the church.

Matthew 28:16–20 NLT

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 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. 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.”

What has happened before the Great Commission was every spoken? Jesus was walking and talking and living with his disciples. The disciples of Christ were learning under the creator of the entire world. For three years the disciples had been walking and talking with Jesus and then Jesus died. The person that they had seen change the world around them. The person they had devoted everything they had to follow and the person they had seen raise people from the dead is now dead. They were completely lost as to what to do with their life because they had no one to instruct them to do things anymore. The two Marys went to the grave of Jesus to see the tomb.

BUT THEN Jesus had risen from the dead!

This verified all that they had already known about Jesus. Jesus truly is the Son of God. The angel that was by the tomb instructed them to tell the disciples to go towards Galilee in order to see him.

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him--but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,

Jesus defeated death and just now told the disciples the plan for the church. The plan for the church is the Great Commission.

1. We are the church to make disciples!

We are the church so that we can replicate Christ. What does it mean to make a disciple? Also what does it mean to even be a disciple? What is a disciple?

A disciple is a follower of Christ. That means anyone who is saved is a disciple of Christ. That means disciples are called to replicate themselves for others to replicate themselves. We are called to be a church that is full of disciples not just “church members”. If people took this part of the Great Commission seriously there would not be enough room in all of the church in the world to fit all of the disciples.

To make disciples a person must first be a disciple who is growing in Christ.

The main command in the Great Commission is to make disciples. We as Christians are called to make disciple

Disciples making other disciples is God’s plan for the entire world to hear the Gospel of Christ. There is not a second option for the church to spread. The church spreads to all people through disciples making other disciples. The problem with disciples making disciples is that People typically think that disciple making strictly falls on the shoulders of pastors.

That is a complete lie! Jesus did not command pastors to make disciples but rather he commanded the disciples to make disciples who make disciples.

We are the church because we are disciples and that means our job as a disciple is to make other disciples.

NOTICE: This verse does not say “Go therefore and make converts of Christianity” but make disciples!

A disciple starts at conversion but the disciple making process is not complete until they are able to make disciples themselves.

The question comes how many disciples have you replicated since you became a disciple?

Are you doing your part in the Great Commission?

2. We are the Church to baptize new believers

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.

We are called to share the Gospel with people in order that they accept Christ as their Savior. The church mission is to evangelize to the lost world. Evangelism is the process of sharing the Gospel with people who do not know Christ.

This is the first part of making disciples. To become a disciple a person must first come to Christ in salvation. This is one of the most neglected aspects of the church today. One of the last commands that Jesus spoke to the disciples is a command that we rarely do.

Today’s church typically think of this part of the Great commission as being strictly placed on the pastors of the church. The church is called to evangelize to the lost and dying world. The Church is called to share the Gospel with people who do not know the Gospel. Whenever we think of this statement typically we think of going to a foreign country or a hostile area where the Gospel has never been preached. That is evangelism but evangelism doesn’t just have to be in a foreign country. Evangelism starts with people reaching people surrounding them for the Gospel.

Parents the first person you should evangelizing to is your children!

Students the first person you should be evangelizing to is your parents if they do not know Christ!

Then branch out and start evangelizing to people that are next to you at school or work.

The problem most people have with evangelizing to people is that they fear rejection and that is a common fear. But evangelism is not them rejecting you but actually them rejecting God.

3. We are the church to teach others

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."

The Great Commission calls us to teach others all that Christ has commanded us. This is the second part of disciple making.

I have heard it said that Salvation is the easy part of becoming a Christian but Discipleship is going to cost you your life.

Discipleship is a never ending process while you are still alive. What is the best way to teach others to be a disciple? By living out your life that models Christ.

What does that even mean?

The best representation of being a disciple is from Paul:

1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT

1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

This is a pretty bold statement that Paul writes to the church of Corinth. He is basically telling them that if they want to be like Christ then they need to just follow his example. Paul taught people to be a disciple through living out the life of a disciple himself.

This is an issue that is so common within the Christian life due to so many people claiming to be a follower of Christ but acting completely different from the way Christ would act. Hypocrisy has driven many people away from becoming a true disciple of Christ.

Whenever you look at how Jesus taught the disciples he would first be friend them and then began doing life together with the person. Jesus did wait until he was at church to train someone to become a disciple but he would rather train the disciples daily.

Jesus last command to his disciples was to train other to be like them and for them to be like Christ.

We are called to represent Christ and through that we are teaching others to become like Christ.

The last part of the great commission is what brings us peace and joy and comfort and that is that Jesus is with us through the end of the age.

As disciples of Christ our goal should be to win people for Christ regardless of what the people look, talk, or act like. The Great Comission starts locally and expands around the world. This is the way that Christ commands his word to be proclaimed through out the World.

Then once a person is saved we should then begin discipling that person until they can share Christ with others.