SERMON AT CRESTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH ON OCTOBER 24TH, 2021

Text: Matthew 28:16–20, CSB

Topic: Christ Commands You to Make Disciples

Proposition: I want beloved believers in Crestwood Baptist Church to make disciples of all nations in the power and authority of Jesus Christ, in obedience to Jesus’ instructions, and with the assurance of Jesus’ unwavering promise.

Arriving in the United States of America, I realized the nation has the nations and religions of the world. In Louisville and Crestwood alone (ca. 1.26 million people), we have many nations and religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Baha’i faith, neopaganism, New Religious Movements (NRMs/Cults), and the Unaffiliated Religious groups.

There are beautiful things and places in Louisville/Crestwood. Still, it will amaze you to know that as you drive around the city of Louisville/Crestwood, you see spiritual lostness, blindness, oppression, and moral or cultural decadence. Examples: 1. Wild Parties. 2. Drunkenness. 3. Crime (In some places, physical fight. People are stabbed to death, while others are killed through gunshots and drug overdose). People are following their ways and what seems right in their own eyes.

These are the group of people Jesus came for them. He came seeking the spiritually lost, the spiritually blind, and the spiritually oppressed.

Hear Jesus’ words to Zacchaeus in Luke 19:10:

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.

Hear Jesus’ manifesto:

One day Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him and unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is on Me because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him.” Luke 4:16–20, CSB. Cf. Isa. 61:1-2

The only way Jesus can fulfill His manifesto is through the course of the cross. He was Crushed for the spiritually lost, poor, blind, and oppressed (even in Louisville/Crestwood). He died and was buried, but death could not hold Him down. On the third day, God raised Him from the dead according to the Scripture. See Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 53.

Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 28:16–20 is (2-3 weeks) after His resurrection, which reveals His appearance to His disciples on a mountain in Galilee. The actions of the disciples show the attitude of a disciple of Christ.

A disciple of Jesus is a student of Jesus who worships Him. He sometimes struggles with doubt, just as Christians today struggle with sinful nature.

The point to note is that a disciple of Jesus prostrates/worships Jesus alone. You cannot be a student/follower of Jesus and the devil (Matt. 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other…”).

The command in the text is to Jesus’ disciples to make other disciples for Him. Jesus is saying, I have given you something (the gospel). It is only that thing (the gospel) that you can give out. This is just like the saying that “you can’t give what you don’t have.”

There are three (3) things to observe in making Disciples.

A. Make Disciples in the power and authority of Christ - v. 18

see Acts 1:8; Col. 1:28-29; Eph. 3:20; Jn. 12:49, ESV

Making disciples in the power and authority of Jesus produces Jesus’ kind of result. (Results: Conviction of sin, repentance, forgiveness, justification, sanctification, and glorification).

To make disciples in His power and authority is to acknowledge His Lordship, Sovereignty and point the person to Christ alone as the sovereign Lord of the universe. It presents a high view of Christ, proclaiming Christ is the Son of the living God. He died and God raised Him from the grave according to the Scripture.

Beloved, Jesus wants you to make disciples in His power and authority alone, not any other power and authority.

B. Make Disciples in Obedience to Jesus’ Instructions - v. 19–20a

see Jn. 14:21; 1 Jn. 5:3; see examples in Deut. 6:4–9; Ps. 78:6–8.

The main verb in the text is “make disciples,” but it is not an isolated verb. There are other important details in the command.

- Clearly, there are four (4) instructions.

1. Go to the Nations

“Go” in the text is essential to us because Jesus says to His disciples in one of His Great Commission passages, John 20:21:

“As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.”

The text does not suggest Jesus’ exact way of coming, but His manifesto as seen in Lk. 4:18–19 – … Proclaim good news to the poor, captives, blind, and oppressed. And proclaim the second advent of Christ.

Hear Paul’s words to us in Romans 10:13–15a, 17:

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”.... So, faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.”

In Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer says,

“God’s way of saving men is to send out His servants to tell them the gospel, and the Church has been charged to go into all the world for that very purpose” [18]. He further says, “Evangelism is man’s work, but the giving of the faith is God’s” [21]

- Example of Norfolk: The Lord gives me a burden for the nations represented in Norfolk. We have Middle East people, Latin American people, East Africans, and South Asians. We have different religions in that neighborhood. The question is, how can they hear the gospel? Someone must go and intentionally engage the people. Through the help of KBC, I have been adopted as a Church Planter, and I am working with Alex Tenenbaum, who lives in the neighborhood, to start a church in Norfolk. I am so grateful that Crestwood is willing to supervise. We want to have a healthy church that will be a beacon of light to those lost in darkness. We want to care for the spiritual and physical well-being of the people. This effort will take Bible study, evangelism and discipleship, and prayers.

2. Make Disciples of “All Nations” (Panta ta ethne).

Panta ta ethne refers to non-Jews/gentiles/lost people/unbelievers. This is the biblical context of the 3 Greek words, even though we find other texts referring to nations or ethnic groups (ethnos). As we get to other biblical texts, we see Panta ta ethne referring to the nations of the world. See Revelation 15:4 - “Panta ta ethne shall come and worship thee….”

Therefore, “Go and make disciples of all nations/unbelievers (panta ta ethne), baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In Let the Nations be Glad, John Piper says,

The goal of our missions is that people from all nations come to worship the one true God.

3. Baptize Disciples

Verse 19b expresses Trinitarianism. The instruction to baptize in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is to convey to the public the triune nature of our God. This will address the issue of Unitarianism in the church.

Baptism will be the evidence of obedience to Jesus’ instruction by both the discipler and the disciple. Baptism will be the public evidence of our confession.

“Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe He died for the forgiveness of your sins? Do you believe He rose from the grave? Based on your confession, I baptize you in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

4. Teach Disciples

Teach them God’s commandments - Deut. 6:4-9 (The Great Shema); Matt. 22:36-40 (The Greatest Commandment):

Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

We should teach them to understand that they are Christ’s ambassadors. They have the Ministry of Reconciliation and are compelled by the love of Christ to reconcile the lost/enemies/rebels of God back to Him with the message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20).

My job/responsibility and yours is to proclaim the message of reconciliation to those under the eternal wrath of God in Norfolk/Crestwood/everywhere. And, whoever receives and believes the message of Christ will experience forgiveness. “God made Him who did not know sin to be sin for the lost/rebels/enemies of God so that in Christ Jesus the lost/rebels/enemies of God might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Then, we will baptize the new believer in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

We will teach the new believer to Love God and his neighbors. “To make everyone know Christ, enjoy Christ, and share Christ with all nations.” - Crestwood Mission

C. Make Disciples with the Assurance of Jesus’ Unwavering Promise - v. 20.

“I will be with you to the ends of age.”

1. Jesus’ unwavering promise gives us the impetus to make disciples. See Isa. 41:10. The Lord says, “Fear not, for I am with you … I will strengthen, help, and uphold you.”

- Be bold in making disciples because of Jesus’ unwavering promise.

- When you are discouraged in making disciples, remember Jesus’ unwavering promise.

2. You might be nervous/afraid to knock on doors, or you don’t know what to say. Remember Jesus’ unwavering promise and depend on the Holy Spirit to help you. See Timothy K. Beougher, Overcoming Walls to Witnessing.

Note: If Christ presence is with you, you have the power of the Holy Spirit so, don’t be timid. 2 Timothy 1:7 says,

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”

- The assurance of the unwavering promise of Jesus makes me do the following:

a. Prayer walks in Norfolk Community without fear.

b. Share Gospel tracks/Bibles without fear.

c. Organize open door programs (cookout & soccer) without fear.

d. Go to their house and invite them to mine without fear.

e. To organize monthly prayer meetings without fear.

f. To organize weekly Bible study without fear.

g. To plan for a church to be planted without fear.

- The bad news – You might be in church this morning and Jesus’ unwavering promise does not apply to you because you don’t have a relationship with Him. This is terrible news.

- Let me tell you the good news. The unwavering promise of Jesus Christ can apply to you today. You might be asking, how? When you recognize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Jesus Christ is the Savior.

- You repent to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38a).

-You believe in Jesus’ atoning work on the cross and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:12, ESV).

- You will be saved.

- For Scripture says,

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved - Romans 10:9.

- Bible says you will receive the Holy Spirit, who will live in you (Acts 2:38b).

- At this point, the unwavering promise of Jesus, “I will be with you,” will apply to you.

- Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6; Hebrews 13:5).

- Are you ready to respond to Jesus? He loves you so much and wants to be with you, even now.