The Great Commission (Capshaw Students)

Introduction - My name is Ethan McCreary. I am married to my wife Lexi, we had a beautiful 11 month old girl, Heidi Moon…and we got one more on the way that will be here in August. I’m a church planter, pastor of a church in Huntsville called The Well. Before I was there, I was a student pastor in a small town called Muscle Shoals. And so I love this place.

I want to say thanks to your student pastor, Brandon, he is a crazy man haha. Me and him are peers at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary…and so I have spent much time with him learning and growing in ministry.

Tonight I’m going to challenge you to do something that most student ministries do not do. This is not the easy thing to do. Its not the most popular thing to do. It’s not going to make you the largest student ministry in town. Its not going to do any of those things.

The challenge I’m about to give you is based on a great need in your generation....The research is clear, 80-90% of high school graduates leave the local church and do not return upon graduation of high school. So right now, staistically,....there is a handful of you that will be in this same type of envirionment.

After working for several years with hundreds and hundreds of students, I believe this one of the most important things to ensure the longevity and effectiveness of a young believer so as yourself, the defining characteristic and what I’m challenging you to is....discipleship. DISCIPLESHIP.

Tonight, I’m going to challenge you to make disciples. I believe is not what God asks of you, I believe its what he commands of you. So this is not a matter of preference, this is a matter of obedience.

We will answer this with three questions... What is our mission? What do we do on our mission? How do we accomplish our mission?

Let’s read Matthew 28.

Context of the Great Commission

- Jesus’ last words.

- Jesus ascension.

Body

I. We are called to go and reach the lost. - The essence of our mission. What is our mission?

1. Matthew 28:16-20

2. What is a disciple? A fully-devoted follower of Jesus who is committing to investing into others.

II. We are called to teach the new believers. - The how of our mission. What do we do on our mission?

1. Matthew 28:20

2. Salvation is the starting line, not the finish line.

III. We are called to go to the lost around the world. - The power behind our mission. How do we accomplish our mission?

1. Acts 1:8 ; Romans 15:20

2. Paul had a passion for those that had never heard the name of Jesus?

Conclusion

Will you answer God’s call to make disciples? Will you answer God’s call to go and take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth?

- So two things need to happen right here…#1…later on this year, you guys will begin resuming d-groups, or discipleship groups. The best thing you could do right now is to text your student pastor and say bro, put me in one of those things, and lets go.

Second, you commit to that thing and grow. Grow, grow, grow so you can pass the torch.

WHY DO THIS?

Zach Coffey Story

ADDITION VS MULTIPLICATION....Statistics: If you reached 30 people a year...By year 30, you would have reached 900 people. Isn’t that crazy? But if you made disciples who made disciples who made disciples…by year 30, you would have multiplied 1,073,741,824 believers. That is 1/7 of the world population.