Mission - The Mission of Jesus.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Welcome to the Village, my name is Steve. [0:02] I’m so glad that you’re here, so glad to see all of you. [0:07] A couple of weeks ago, first off, isn’t it weird how yesterday it was spring, [0:13] and this morning then it wasn’t? [0:16] My sinuses don’t appreciate that, so I may sound a little nasally today. [0:20] I hope you’ll forgive me.

[0:21] But if you have a Bible, go ahead and open to Matthew chapter 28. [0:25] We’re going to be talking about the mission of Jesus today. [0:28] Once again, my name is Steve, and I’m one of the pastors here. [0:31] Just so glad to see all of you. [0:32] Last week, just to kind of catch us up if maybe you weren’t here, [0:37] or to maybe remind you if you’ve already forgotten,

[0:40] which is I need reminders all the time. [0:44] Last week we finished a two-week kind of mini-series in through our core values, [0:50] talking about redemption, and what redemption is, and what redemption does for us, [0:55] and the life that God gives us through redemption. [0:58] And the thing that redeems us is this thing that throughout the centuries we have called the gospel. [1:03] So the first thing I want to talk about with you today is just what is the gospel.

[1:07] If we could just frame it really clearly for us, [1:11] just a simple definition to kind of jump into what it is that we’re talking about, [1:16] and what the mission of Jesus is and was, and what we are redeemed from. [1:21] We’re redeemed from sin, and we’re redeemed to a new life. [1:26] That’s what happens in redemption. [1:28] But what the gospel is, is the gospel is this great move of God to where He creates man,

[1:34] He creates human beings, and then we rebel against Him. [1:38] We sin against God. [1:40] And then our relationship is cut off, and we are then deservedly headed towards the wrath of God. [1:48] Because that’s what we deserve, because we’re His created beings, [1:52] and we go against the Creator, and when you go against the Creator, nothing good happens. [1:57] It’s like trying to use a lawnmower to cut your hair.

[2:00] A lawnmower wasn’t created to cut your hair, and if you try that, you might die. [2:04] That’s what sin and the life of humanity is like. [2:08] It’s us willfully going in a direction that’s just headed right off the cliff. [2:13] And instead of making us pay that penalty, what God does is God pours the penalty onto His own Son, [2:20] freeing us forever from the penalty of sin, freeing us from the bondage that sin put on us. [2:27] And when He pours it onto His Son who had become a human being and lived a life,

[2:33] the greatest miracle that’s ever happened is the incarnation. [2:36] God the Son actually stepping out of heaven, becoming a human being, [2:40] and living among us the created beings, the Creator becoming part of creation. [2:46] And He does this perfectly and obeys God completely. [2:50] And then 2 Corinthians chapter 5, which we’re really going to dive in next week, [2:55] He who knew no sin, Jesus had never sinned.

[2:59] He had been tempted throughout His life as we saw, and never given in. [3:04] He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God. [3:12] So the gospel is Jesus who’s the Son of God taking the penalty that we deserve for sin, [3:18] dying on the cross, our sin and the penalty for that sin, which is the wrath of God, [3:23] poured onto Him and then rising again on the third day in order for us to be able to live a newness of life. [3:30] And He gives us His death. We die on the cross with Him, our old sinful self,

[3:36] and then we get new life through His new life, Galatians 2.20, [3:41] which says, I’ve been crucified with Christ, yet I live. [3:44] Not I though, but Christ who lives in me. [3:47] In the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. [3:54] Jesus exchanges His righteousness for our sinfulness. [4:00] We get all of the benefits and we have to pay none of the penalty.

[4:07] That’s the gospel. That’s just kind of a simple framing of redemption and a simple framing of when I talk about the gospel today [4:14] and when I talk about the mission of Jesus, I want you to have that clear in your mind. [4:17] And then when we respond to this gospel message that I’m going to speak today, [4:21] we’re going to partake in communion like we do every week, which is somewhat odd given today’s church. [4:27] And it’s a little bit weird, but here’s the reason that we do that, [4:30] because I don’t want a week to ever go by where we don’t proclaim the gospel at the village.

[4:35] And every time we take communion, we proclaim the gospel. [4:39] Because what communion stands as, as the crackers that we have here or the bread, [4:44] it represents Jesus’s body, which Paul says and Jesus himself says is broken on our behalf or for our benefit. [4:54] It can be translated either way. [4:56] He willfully gives his body over. And as the gospel tells us, it was beaten and he was a broken man, [5:02] beaten so severely that he wasn’t even recognizable as a human being.

[5:07] It’s kind of like the end of a championship UFC fight where both people are bloodied and battered [5:13] and their faces are swollen. And last night I was watching one where a guy’s eye was completely swollen shut. [5:19] And when we see that, it’s like, man, that must hurt. [5:22] But from what the gospel tells us and what history reflects about the beatings that people would take right before crucifixion [5:28] and then what they would look like after they were crucified, [5:30] that’s nothing compared to the maiming that Jesus endured on our behalf.

[5:36] And he says, eat this, because it represents my body, which is willfully broken for you. [5:41] Jesus gave himself over for it. They didn’t take him. He gave himself. [5:46] And then the cup, which represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ, [5:51] which throughout the beating and then on the cross as his hands and feet were pierced and the Spirit was thrust in his side. [5:59] What we have here is it represents the shed blood, because throughout the history of God’s relationship with man, [6:07] anytime sin was present, blood had to be shed.

[6:12] Because God created us in such a way that blood is our life force. [6:16] And when we cut ourselves or when we see someone else hurt, terror overcomes us when we see blood. [6:24] Because then what that represents is we understand there’s trouble because life is leaving bodies. [6:31] Whenever we look at a car accident, if we see blood, we know this is a bad one. [6:38] Because blood is not supposed to leave the body, you understand, it’s supposed to stay in. [6:42] So anytime blood leaves the body, something’s not right.

[6:47] And so Jesus shed his blood and it says his blood was shed for the remission of our sins. [6:53] Life left his body willfully because he took sin onto himself and the penalty of sin is death. [7:01] So life leaves his body when he takes sin away from us. [7:05] He expiates, the theological word is, or just takes away our sin, places it on himself, and then he sheds his blood. [7:14] And when we take his broken body and when we take his shed blood and when we take it and we eat it and drink it, [7:21] what that represents, the analogy that God has given us there is the gospel.

[7:27] Our sin causes his brokenness and his shed blood, which is death, and then we take that life into ours.

[7:38] And that’s what’s called imputation, the great exchange. [7:43] Our sin is taken by him, his righteousness is given to us. [7:48] This is an analogy. You’re not actually eating human flesh. [7:54] Actually the first century Christians were called cannibals because they would talk about communion [7:58] and they would talk about the body and blood of Christ and people are like, they’re eating flesh and drinking blood. [8:05] Somebody went and actually collected blood at the cross. What a bunch of weirdos.

[8:09] This is an analogy. This is an actual body and blood, so don’t get scared. [8:13] And this doesn’t save you. What it does is you proclaiming to the world and especially to the church around you, [8:20] I believe that Jesus took my sin and I believe that he gives me his righteousness. [8:29] And see when we do this, it’s more than just us doing some religious exercise. [8:33] It’s actually part of our gospel witness to each other and then to the world. [8:38] There’s no way to make communion unoffensive.

[8:42] There’s no way to cover the gospel when you’re doing this. [8:47] And this is why Paul tells us if anyone eats and drinks unworthily, he tells us in 1 Corinthians 11.

[8:56] That’s why he tells us, he says, if anyone eats and drinks unworthily or in an unbelieving manner, [9:02] if you don’t believe in the gospel, don’t partake of the Lord’s Supper. [9:07] Because it means nothing to you and you’re actually blaspheming the name of God if you don’t believe it.

[9:15] But if you do believe, God says, come to my table. [9:18] It’s wide open for you if you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[9:24] So that’s just a framing of the gospel, but let’s jump headlong into Matthew chapter 28 today. [9:30] If you have your Bibles, if I could real quick have the graphic for the cycle put on the screen, [9:38] if you can do that real quickly while I’m going into the passage. [9:41] Understand that in Matthew chapter 28, what we have right here is Jesus has died. [9:47] He’s risen from the dead. He’s been on earth for about 40 days. [9:52] And he’s about to ascend up into heaven where he currently is, waiting to return to redeem his church completely.

[9:58] In the last two weeks we talked about redemption. The fact that redemption is based on the resurrection. [10:05] And then last week we talked about the reality of redemption in our lives. [10:11] That God takes our sin and gives us a new life. [10:14] And that we must live a new life if we are believers. [10:18] What I want to talk about today though is begin talking about mission. [10:21] So what we’re doing today is we’re moving from redemption to mission.

[10:25] But understand this first, that if you have not been redeemed, you cannot live the mission of Jesus. [10:31] There’s a reason that we kind of put this in a cyclical way, because redemption is where it all starts. [10:37] And until you’ve been redeemed by the message of the gospel that I just told you, [10:40] you cannot move on to mission because the mission of Jesus is foolishness to you. [10:45] It means nothing. And let me tell you right now, living the mission of Jesus cannot save you. [10:51] You cannot be saved by saying, I want to live the mission.

[10:54] Because our salvation is not caught up in what we do, but rather it’s caught up in what Jesus did and what he continues to do. [11:03] As he intercedes on our behalf in front of God the Father and says, don’t look at their sin Father, look at my righteousness. [11:09] Because I’ve given it to them. [11:11] And so once we’ve been redeemed, last week we went through Romans chapter 5 and 6. [11:17] Where it gives us this cycle of redemption and says, once we have been redeemed, once our sin has been taken away, [11:24] we not only partake in the death of Jesus for our sin, but we also take part in the resurrection of Jesus to give us a new life.

[11:32] And what happens in between redemption and mission, and it’s instantaneous, but it takes a lifetime to work out, [11:39] is we go from redeemed to redeeming, and that’s when we begin to live the mission of Jesus. [11:44] So understand that redemption brings about a transformation in our lives and gives us a new life that makes living the mission of Jesus possible.

[11:56] And when I use words like missional and mission of Jesus, what I’m talking about is what a redeemed life actually looks like. [12:04] What a life that has been transformed by the truth of the gospel actually looks like. [12:10] So without any further words, let’s go to Matthew chapter 28.

[12:15] Matthew chapter 28, starting in verse 16.

[12:19] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them, and when they saw him, they worshiped him. [12:31] But some doubted. Some doubted. [12:36] First thing I want you to pay attention to is the fact that redemption leads to mission. [12:43] It is a necessary journey that we take. [12:48] Our salvation is not caught up in us being missional, but rather our salvation produces a life of mission. [12:56] We don’t obey God so that he will love us. We obey God because he loves us.

[13:03] There’s a huge difference in that gap. [13:06] But what I want you to see in this text is understand the eleven disciples have gone to Galilee and they’ve gone to the top of a mountain. [13:11] In verse 10, Jesus tells his disciples, he says, bring the brothers to Galilee and I will see them there. [13:19] So now the eleven disciples, and probably many more according to verse 10 from what we see there, [13:24] when Jesus says the brothers in scriptures, he’s not just talking about the eleven, [13:28] which the eleven disciples were the twelve disciples minus one because Judas had betrayed Christ and he had hanged himself by this point.

[13:35] And it’s pretty hard for a dead guy to go up to a mountaintop. [13:39] Judas did not resurrect, only Jesus did. [13:42] So we have the eleven disciples plus possibly many other. [13:45] We know that in Acts chapter 1 it says 120 people gathered in the upper room praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit, [13:54] as Jesus tells them to in Matthew chapter 28. [13:56] But in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul actually says that Jesus had revealed himself or had shown himself in his resurrected body to over 500 people at one time.

[14:09] So we don’t know exactly when that occurred, but there’s a great chance that this is the moment when Jesus reveals himself to over 500 people. [14:17] So the disciples, once Jesus had revealed himself to them, because you understand, after the crucifixion, [14:23] they went into hiding because they were really, really big cowards. [14:27] And they go into hiding and they’re hiding in all these places and then they hear that Jesus risen from the dead. [14:32] And then we have all these times when Jesus passes through walls and he shows up where they are and he’s like, [14:36] Hey guys, what’s up? I rose from the dead. Just so you know, I’m not dead anymore.

[14:40] And so what happens in this is he tells them, he says, Gather the people that were my followers while I was alive for the first time. [14:47] Now I’m alive for the second time. Gather them and go up to Galilee. I want to talk to you. [14:51] And so the disciples, they rally the troops, they go to the top of this mountain, and it says that then Jesus comes towards them. [15:00] They see Jesus. This is kind of reminiscent when Jesus was walking on water in the middle of a storm. [15:05] And the disciples are freaking out and then all of a sudden they see Jesus taking a leisurely stroll across water. [15:11] The disciples are always amazed when they see Jesus coming towards them.

[15:15] But it says, Some worshiped, but some doubted.

[15:22] And here’s a really weird part of scripture for me, and it’s kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around. [15:27] Jesus had been seen to be on the cross by all these people. [15:31] They didn’t crucify you off in valleys far away back in the day. [15:36] Rome made crucifixion a public display so that you wouldn’t go against Rome. [15:42] And the road between Jerusalem and Rome is said to have been riddled with crosses. [15:47] And so on top of Golgotha, understand that Jesus was in public view.

[15:50] So these people who are up on this mountain had seen Jesus crucified, and there is no escape from crucifixion. [15:55] They wait until you’re dead. [15:56] So they saw Jesus dead, and now 40 days later they’re seeing Jesus walk towards them alive in a physical body. [16:07] And it says, Some doubted.

[16:11] It’s amazing to me that we can see every absolute proof of resurrection, yet there be doubt. [16:19] And here’s the big factor of going from redemption to mission. [16:22] And I don’t think I’m overstepping the bounds of what the scriptures talking about here. [16:27] But in this doubt that they had, what is possible is that it’s similar to our doubt. [16:32] To where they’re going with the disciples because they absolutely believe in the redemption of Jesus. [16:38] And their hope is caught up in the fact that Jesus is God.

[16:41] Because you don’t rise from the dead under your own power unless you’re some type of deity.

[16:48] Every other person that rose from the dead was risen from the dead by the power of God, but did not claim to be God. [16:54] Even Lazarus. Jesus stands before the tomb and says, Lazarus, come forth. [16:59] That’s under the power of Jesus, Lazarus comes forth. [17:02] Nobody stood in front of the tomb and said, Jesus, come forth. He just came forth on his own. [17:07] So Jesus rises from the dead, and now they’re coming to see him, and they’re like, man, this is going to be good. [17:12] We’re going to get lots of good benefits.

[17:15] And we do the exact same thing when we look at redemption. [17:19] And we say, there are some great benefits in redemption. [17:23] I don’t have to pay for my sins anymore. [17:26] I know something’s wrong in my life because I’m desperately unhappy. [17:30] Everything that I’m filling my life with isn’t giving me this full heart of love and joy that I desperately desire. [17:38] And I want redemption. I want redemption from that.

[17:42] I don’t want to have to pay for my sins. I don’t want this emptiness anymore. [17:46] But then in the face of an actual resurrected Savior, when Jesus is actually risen from the dead, [17:52] that means that he also is God and can make commands on your life. [17:58] And so doubt typically comes in when we look at the reality of what redemption says must be true of our lives.

[18:07] When redemption must move past me looking at the benefits. [18:12] When redemption must go past me saying, I think Jesus is God, to knowing that Jesus is God.

[18:20] When redemption has to move past this exploratory faith that many of us have, [18:26] to where we look at the mission of Jesus and say, I want to sit and ponder that for a while. [18:31] When they actually saw Jesus coming towards them, my theory is that then they realized, [18:36] my faith has to become a reality at this point and I have to stop sitting and pondering whether or not Jesus is God [18:44] and accept, yes, Jesus is God and that has some outrageous implications for my life.

[18:53] If Jesus is God, everything changes.

[18:59] I’m not allowed any longer to think that my life doesn’t matter.

[19:05] If Jesus is God, life matters. [19:10] You say, why? Because he said so. And he’s God.

[19:17] So when redemption has to go past itself and to where we can’t just sit idly by on the sidelines any longer, [19:26] and Jesus is going to begin to say, you’re redeemed from your sin, I’m giving you a new life, [19:31] here’s what that new life looks like and it’s going to be a little bit different than the life that you’ve been setting up for so many years. [19:37] That’s when a lot of us say, whoa, slow down. I have a job, Jesus. [19:44] I have a family, Jesus. I have bills to pay. [19:48] And you can’t start making commands because I have to live a life of balance.

[19:55] But let’s track a little further.

[20:00] Verse 18, Jesus begins teaching them, which is really cool. [20:05] You’re on a mountain. You actually see a guy who you know died and he’s there. [20:11] And then he’s like, well, I’m going to talk to you for a little while about some things. [20:15] And I don’t know if he’s like hovering, if he’s like beginning his ascension. [20:18] I want to think he is. That’s what I want to think. [20:22] I want to see Jesus on the side of a mountain. They’re in Galilee.

[20:25] They’re going up on this mountain. And then all of a sudden, Jesus is walking towards them. [20:28] And then all of a sudden, he’s not walking anymore. He’s like on a hoverboard. [20:31] It’s like, and he begins to preach to them. Now, if that happened, all doubt would be gone. [20:37] I’ll be like, whatever you say. You’re hovering, David Blaine.

[20:44] Wikipedia that you’ll get it tomorrow.

[20:51] Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [21:02] These next few verses are called the Great Commission. [21:06] They have been for a very long time. But typically we go from verse 19 to 20 and just go into the command. [21:14] But what I want you to understand, verses 19 and 20 are meaningless without verse 18. [21:19] Absolutely meaningless. We can just forget about 19 and 20 if verse 18 is not true. [21:24] Because what verse 18 means when Jesus says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

[21:32] What he is doing is he is making a great pronouncement about his deity, the fact that he is God, onto people. [21:40] He’s saying, I have procured redemption for mankind through my death and resurrection. [21:46] Understand that that means something. I have just proven to you and revealed myself as the God who has all authority in heaven and on earth. [21:56] This is something that did not become true after the crucifixion. [22:00] This is something that was always true. Colossians tells us that Jesus was there from the beginning of creation. [22:06] And he has sat over above all of creation. For all time this has been true.

[22:11] John chapter 1 says, in the beginning was the word, Logos, the revelation of God. [22:17] Jesus while he was on earth said, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. [22:21] Because I am the Logos. I am the revelation of God. I have always been and I will always be. [22:28] In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. [22:32] And the word was from the beginning with God.

[22:37] Jesus is God and here what he says is, look guys, I have shown you literally, tangibly. [22:45] I have given you all the proof that you need. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

[22:51] Here is why that is so important. Because it proves a very important key that everything is spiritual.

[22:59] Everything. I did not make this up. Some of you are like, man, that is pretty groovy. [23:04] I did not make this up. I do not think anybody made it up except for God. [23:08] But here is the key. A guy named Rob Bell, a pastor up in Michigan, he coined this phrase that everything is spiritual. [23:15] And the first time I ever heard him, there are some squirrely things that he says, but the first time I ever heard him talk, he said this and it blew me away. [23:24] Because what he does is he uncovers this reality from Hebrew culture that has not translated into our culture. [23:29] We totally change things. Has anybody ever come to you, this is a very churchy thing to do.

[23:33] Has anybody ever come up to you and said, how is your spiritual life?

[23:38] Has anybody, one time, oh, I went to a church that I used to work at. [23:42] I remember somebody came up to me and said, how are you doing, Steve? [23:44] And my response to that is, I am doing pretty good. I live in the U.S. [23:47] When I say I am doing good, I mean I am doing good. If I have the flu, I will tell you. [23:52] If you ask me how I am doing and I am not doing good, I am going to be like, look, I am having a bad day. [23:57] I am sick. But I told her, I am doing good. I am having a good day.

[24:02] She said, no. How are you doing spiritually? [24:06] And my first response was, what does she know?

[24:12] Gosh. So immediately when people do stuff like that, it is like, what have I done in the past 48 hours? [24:17] Where have I been? What did you see? [24:21] But when people, and I am sure if you spend any time in church, someone is going to ask you that question. [24:26] Because what we have done in our culture is we have made two compartments in our lives. [24:31] First compartment, life. Everybody lives. [24:34] Work, family, house, kids, TV, bills, everything. That is life.

[24:40] Then we have spiritual life over here. [24:43] Spiritual life is that quiet time that you say you have. [24:50] That prayer time that you say you have. That Bible study that you say you do. [24:54] The time you spend in church. Your walk and talk with Jesus. [24:59] Those times when you pretend to really care about people and love people. [25:05] All that stuff, that is spiritual.

[25:10] But when you leave this building, which is an elementary school by the way. [25:15] I don’t know if you noticed. Technically I guess it is not a spiritual building. [25:19] If you leave this building, once you get home, spirituality is over. [25:22] It has got the TV on and ignore each other.

[25:27] Alright. You know you are going to do that this afternoon. [25:30] I am a NASCAR fan. There is a race in Texas. I am not married for those few hours.

[25:35] Anything my wife says to me for that four hour period, I can’t be held accountable for that later. [25:41] I have no idea what she said. But see, that is not spiritual. [25:45] That is a race. I am not spiritual about that. [25:48] There was a 96 inning baseball game last night. If any of you saw it. [25:53] That was not spiritual. That was a baseball game. [25:58] God did not create baseball. We did.

[26:02] See, so we have these categories between things that are spiritual and things that are not spiritual. [26:07] So what we say when we say things like that is, I believe that Jesus has authority over heaven. [26:15] Because heaven is a very spiritual place. I don’t know if you have been there. But it is pretty spiritual. [26:19] God is there. Apparently there are angels flying around. [26:25] It is a very spiritual place. So God can have that. [26:29] But he can’t have every aspect of my life.

[26:33] Because you see, he redeems the spiritual side of things. [26:36] But then, brother let me tell you, you don’t know what the real world is like. [26:40] It ain’t all tip toeing through the tulips like you pastors do.

[26:46] Alright. I know. I know what people think. [26:50] Alright. So you are not shocking me.

[26:55] But here is the key. Jesus doesn’t say all authority in heaven has been given to me. [27:00] Jesus says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [27:03] In Hebrew culture, you did not walk up to anybody and say how was your spiritual life. [27:07] There wasn’t a Hebrew word for spiritual.

[27:10] It didn’t exist in their vernacular. [27:14] In Hebrew culture, and this is the culture that Jesus lived in, [27:17] when you walked up to somebody and said how was your life, the spiritual side was just implied. [27:22] Because to Jesus and all the people in the culture that he lived in, everything was spiritual.

[27:28] Everything was spiritual.

[27:31] That is what Jesus is talking about when he says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [27:34] He says everything is spiritual.

[27:38] Everything you do in your life is spiritual. [27:40] Every choice you make is spiritual. [27:42] Every argument I have with my wife is a spiritual argument. [27:45] Every time you go to work, that is a spiritual discipline.

[27:52] Everything is spiritual.

[27:55] Stop believing the lie that there are two compartments in your life. [27:57] And some of us have way more. [28:00] Because most of us have secrets. [28:02] In between those two compartments we have these doors that have secret codes that only we are allowed in.

[28:09] I’m in my happy place, honey, leave me alone.

[28:13] Everybody has all these compartments in their lives. [28:16] And we compartmentalize and we try to contextualize everything and say now I’m spiritual, but in 15 minutes I’m not.

[28:26] No. [28:27] That is a lie that denies redemption. [28:30] Because when you say parts of my life aren’t spiritual, what you are saying is parts of my life aren’t redeemed.

[28:37] And the stuff that Jesus redeemed is the sinful stuff. [28:42] But I don’t need redemption from all this other stuff. [28:44] So Jesus you stay over there, I’m good over here. [28:46] Knock that wall down and understand that Jesus redeems your entire life.

[28:52] Jesus redeems everything. [28:53] He redeems your family. [28:54] He redeems your career. [28:55] He redeems your children. [28:57] He redeems everything. [28:59] Anything that you focus on in your life is either redeemed or unredeemed by God.

[29:04] And if you believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ that I talked about earlier, everything has been redeemed. [29:10] So stop living a life that denies that. [29:14] Stop pretending that there are certain aspects of your life that are, you know, that’s all, don’t mess with that part, that’s off base, that’s mine. [29:22] No it’s not. [29:24] My definition of all authority typically includes all authority.

[29:30] And when you say there are certain parts that God can’t have, you’re saying, well then Jesus there are certain parts you don’t have authority over. [29:37] So that’s not all authority, that’s some authority.

[29:41] Everything is spiritual. [29:45] Understand that nothing has changed, we have. [29:47] Because what has happened to Christianity over the past 50 years or so, it’s probably much longer than that, [29:52] but most of us don’t have memories that go before World War II. [29:56] We don’t really pay attention to junior high history anyway. [30:00] So World War II and beyond, let’s just focus on that.

[30:03] What has happened is we’ve created this thing called the American Dream and we want to live and die for the American Dream. [30:10] And that’s what causes this compartmentalization in our lives. [30:14] What has happened is that we want to live and die and kill other people if they say that my quality of life has to change. [30:22] And what we’ve done is we’ve stopped focusing that on other countries and we’ve started focusing it on God. [30:29] And we say, God you can redeem this part of my life, this part of my life, this part of my life, this part of my life. [30:33] But when you start messing with my quality of life, my house, my cars, my dogs, my TVs, my jobs.

[30:43] When you start claiming authority over all that, well, whoa.

[30:49] There has to be a line for redemption to stop, right?

[30:54] And this is where you get into an issue of do you believe this or do you not believe this?

[31:00] And I’m not telling you to go home and put a for sale sign up and give it to the poor. [31:04] What I’m saying is realize that Jesus has authority over that. [31:08] Let me tell you, he may lead you to do that. [31:12] He may not.

[31:15] But you’ll never know until you say Jesus you have authority over my house. [31:20] Jesus you have authority over my car. [31:22] Jesus you truly have all authority. [31:26] You have authority over my job.

[31:29] You have authority over absolutely everything. [31:32] That’s where we have to start.

[31:35] The implications come later. [31:38] Because here’s the key. [31:40] Because we want to talk about mission. [31:41] And Jesus is about to give this thing called mission. [31:45] A life of mission requires submission.

[31:51] You have to submit to Jesus’ authority and only then can redemption begin to really take root. [31:56] And can you begin to live a life of mission.

[32:00] It’s when you submit and say Jesus, yes, you have all authority.

[32:04] Because that’s the gospel. Is it not?

[32:10] If we give him the authority to take our sin, we have to give him authority to give us a life.

[32:17] Matthew chapter 28, let’s go to verse 19.

[32:21] Go therefore. [32:23] Which is what he’s saying. We never see therefore. [32:25] He’s jumping off what he just said. [32:26] He says I’m God. I have all authority. [32:29] Because this is true, go. [32:31] Get out of here.

[32:34] Go and make disciples of all nations. [32:37] Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. [32:42] Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. [32:45] And behold, I’m with you always to the end of the age.

[32:50] If Jesus is God and Jesus has all authority. [32:55] You have to admit that that’s going to bring some changes in your life. [32:59] Because if everything that’s true of your life right now, holistically speaking. [33:04] When we drop that wall that compartmentalizes your life to the spiritual and unspiritual. [33:08] If Jesus has authority over the holistic life that you are living.

[33:15] And you go from not believing the gospel to believing the gospel. [33:21] Is that not going to begin to make changes in your life? [33:25] So the question you must then ask when you look at your life. [33:29] And you must say, is there anything going on in my life. [33:34] That if the gospel were not in my life. [33:38] I wouldn’t be doing it.

[33:41] In other words, if Jesus isn’t God. [33:43] What effect would that actually have on the way you live day in and day out?

[33:47] If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. [33:51] What effect would that have on the way you live day in and day out? [33:55] Would it change anything?

[33:59] Because when Jesus says all authority has been given to me. [34:03] In heaven and on earth. [34:04] The thing that he’s about to say next. [34:06] Because if you consider when and where he is when he’s saying this. [34:10] That is very important. [34:12] This is the last sermon Jesus preaches on this earth.

[34:18] Jesus has one final thing to say to the people who are following him. [34:24] And this is what he chooses to say. [34:26] Does that not prove that this is pretty important?

[34:32] Because he didn’t stand there and say. [34:37] I’m God, therefore. [34:40] Remember those commandments? [34:42] I was serious about those.

[34:45] Does he say that? [34:46] No.

[34:50] Does he stand there and say. [34:51] I’m God, I have all authority.

[34:56] There you go. [34:58] And get that Father of the Year award.

[35:02] Does he say I’m God, I’ve got all authority. [35:05] Go make some terrible music and call it Christian.

[35:10] No. [35:11] By the way, Christian music. [35:13] Don’t get me wrong. [35:14] I’ve got nothing against it. [35:15] I like it. [35:15] Some of it.

[35:17] Some of it’s great. [35:18] But music cannot accept Jesus into its heart.

[35:25] Music cannot get up and follow. [35:28] So calling it Christian, that seems to be a bit ironic.

[35:33] And I know some of you just tuned me out and you’re like, well, he has nothing good to say. [35:37] I’m just saying, think about it.

[35:40] Think about this. [35:41] Did Jesus say all authority has been given to me to spend 15 minutes a day reading the Bible and praying?

[35:49] Because on some of us, that’s the only proof we have of our Christianity.

[35:55] Did he say all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. [36:01] Don’t go to the movies. [36:02] Don’t drink beer. [36:04] Don’t smoke. [36:05] Don’t be promiscuous in your sexual life. [36:07] And we’re good.

[36:10] No, didn’t say that. [36:12] And you’re like, well, so should we do that stuff? [36:15] I don’t know what I’m saying.

[36:18] Let’s be serious here. [36:19] All right. [36:20] No, understand what I want. [36:21] My point was saying that is that’s what most of us use as our proof of knowing Jesus.

[36:31] I’ve pointed to all the things that most churches for the past 50 years have used to tell us. [36:36] These are the examples of what makes you a follower of Jesus. [36:40] Don’t do. [36:43] And then do. [36:44] Do.

[36:47] I can’t help myself sometimes.

[36:52] It’s like those silly infantile things that are still fun. [36:55] [36:56] But I can’t. [36:57] Hey, what can I say?

[36:59] What does he say to his church? [37:04] Because this is the first church. [37:05] What does he say to them? [37:08] He says, go make disciples.

[37:12] He says, submit to my authority. [37:15] And then this is what my authority is going to cause. [37:19] And here’s the big key. [37:21] If you want to know what Christianity is all about, understand that without mission, people fail.

[37:30] Because you can read your Bible cover to cover and not give a flip about the mission that Jesus just told us about. [37:42] You can spend two hours a day in prayer and not care about making disciples. [37:48] You can spend all the time not watching R rated movies that you want to and not care about the mission of Jesus. [37:55] You can come to this elementary school every Sunday and not care about the mission of Jesus. [38:01] You can do all of these Christian activities. [38:05] You can watch fire proof in every Kirk Cameron movie ever made a hundred times over and not care about the mission of Jesus.

[38:13] You can be Father of the Year in this world’s mind and not care about the mission of Jesus. [38:17] You can vote for George Bush six hundred times and not care about the mission of Jesus. [38:24] Jesus is not a white middle class Republican who goes home and mows his grass once a week, [38:29] has coffee with his neighbor once a week, never watches an R rated movie, never hears a cuss word, [38:35] and then he’s, oh Jesus is a great Christian.

[38:40] We’ve built this huge Christian bubble in America that needs to be popped. [38:44] Because you can do all these Christian things.

[38:49] And never make one disciple.

[38:57] You can live the most moral life possible and never make one disciple.

[39:05] You can do it. [39:08] But what does Jesus say? Our life needs to be all doubt. [39:11] Jesus says he has dinner at the house of a tax collector. [39:16] They hated tax collectors because they were all thieves. [39:18] They just were.

[39:21] Then was Zacchaeus. [39:23] He was a wee little man.

[39:26] If you went to children’s church, you know where I’m coming from. [39:29] It’s an oldie but a goodie. [39:30] Climbs up a sycamore tree.

[39:34] Hey Zacchaeus, come down from there.

[39:40] Who I think Jesus is in that song is so weird because he’s just like this jolly guy. [39:46] Come down from there, silly little man. [39:49] You’re a short one, aren’t you? [39:51] It’s like Will Ferrell in Elf when he has that confrontation with the little man. [39:58] You’re an angry elf.

[40:02] I wonder what Zacchaeus thinks from heaven when we sing about him. [40:06] And all we really want to care about is how short he was. [40:09] It’s like I’m not so short anymore, I’m in heaven. [40:12] Leave me alone.

[40:18] I totally ruined myself there. [40:22] But Jesus goes and has dinner with this guy that everybody in Jericho hates. [40:27] Because he’s the tax collector. [40:29] And he robs from them. Legally. [40:32] Wee. [40:33] Legally, he robs from them.

[40:35] And Jesus goes and has dinner with him. [40:36] And it changes Zacchaeus’s life completely. [40:39] He’s redeemed totally. [40:40] He becomes missional in like 50 seconds. [40:43] Returns everything he’s ever stolen. [40:45] Tells people all about Jesus.

[40:46] He’s redeemed. [40:48] And everybody’s like, what in the world? [40:49] And what the Pharisees, the religious people come to Jesus and they’re like, [40:52] we saw you have dinner with that sinner. [40:55] I heard he had a beer too.

[40:59] What were you thinking, Jesus?

[41:03] And Jesus looks at them. [41:05] I mean, he’s God. He has to be disgusted. [41:08] And he just looks at them and he gives them his mission in one sense. [41:11] He says, I have come to seek and to save that which was lost.

[41:19] Saying, yeah, I had dinner with him because he’s lost.

[41:23] And it’s pretty hard to redeem someone I don’t talk to.

[41:29] The Pharisees are disgusted because he’s willing to step outside of his moral compass. [41:34] Outside of the bubble. [41:35] And have something to do with people that aren’t religious.

[41:44] Understand what he’s saying here. [41:45] Jesus is saying redemption’s complete. [41:47] My mission is accomplished. [41:49] I’ve saved you. [41:50] I’ve redeemed you. [41:51] I’ve done everything possible to redeem you.

[41:55] And guess what? It worked. [41:57] I’ve got all authority. [41:59] You don’t have to fear my deity. [42:02] Rather, you can partner with it. [42:04] You can be united with it. [42:06] You can go from spiritually dead to spiritually alive now.

[42:11] You don’t have to fear me anymore. [42:13] Hebrews chapter 4 says we can come boldly before the throne of God. [42:17] Get grace and mercy in a time of need. [42:18] All these amazing benefits. [42:20] And he says, what you do with it though, because everything is spiritual. [42:24] And it always has been, but before you were spiritually dead.

[42:27] But now you’re spiritually alive. [42:28] And here’s what you do with that spiritual life. [42:30] You go and you seek and save the lost.

[42:35] That’s what he means when he says go make disciples. [42:38] That’s what he means when he says, when Paul says in Galatians. [42:41] When he says the law is totally fulfilled in loving your neighbor as yourself.

[42:47] You see, all scripture jumps off of other scriptures. [42:50] It’s all one big story that’s about Jesus. [42:53] It all leads up to Jesus. [42:54] It all goes away from Jesus. [42:56] And Jesus says, I’m the climax of scripture because it’s all about me. [42:59] And here’s what you do with it.

[43:01] You go, you make disciples. [43:02] Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. [43:07] Because baptism, what is baptism? [43:08] Baptism is another proclamation to the world. [43:11] Here, in his table, we have a proclamation of his death and the imputation. [43:16] In the waters of baptism, what do you have there?

[43:19] You have a proclamation of his death and his resurrection. [43:25] To the world.

[43:31] And he says, you go and you take my redemption to people who don’t know about it. [43:39] Because they need to know about it. [43:42] And then you baptize them because that represents redemption. [43:46] And then he says, then teach them to obey all that I’ve commanded you. [43:53] Because you see, when I talk about all these things, I’m not talking about the Bible. [43:56]

[43:56] I’m talking about the things that all these sacred cows basically that we have about what church life should look like. [44:02] And what a religious life should look like. [44:04] And all the things that don’t complete the mission of Jesus. [44:08] And then you begin saying, well you’re just about going and telling people about Jesus and living sinfully, aren’t you?

[44:14] No, you’ve missed the entire point. [44:16] Here’s what I mean. [44:18] You can do all of these quote unquote Christian things. [44:21] And never be about the mission. [44:23] But you can’t live the mission without all, well some, not all, some of the quote unquote Christian things. [44:31] Think about it.

[44:32] If you’re going to go make disciples, which means take the redemption of Jesus to the world, how could you possibly, how can you possibly live a life of sin? [44:41] How can you not read the scriptures and be missional?

[44:46] This is the story of the mission. [44:48] You can’t ignore this and be missional. [44:49] You can’t not pray and really believe the mission. [44:53] And you’re like, what do you mean? [44:55] Because who does the mission depend on? [44:56] God.

[44:56] Who has authority? [44:57] God. [44:58] Who does he say to talk to and ask for the mission and ask for people to be redeemed?

[45:04] Prayer.

[45:06] The mission will dramatically change the way you read the Bible and the way you pray. [45:09] I promise. [45:10] Because when you start reading the Bible and praying with the lens of the mission of Jesus, seeking and saving the lost, redemption, taking root in people’s lives, [45:17] this comes alive to you and prayer stops being a time when you say, God, I have an ingrown toenail. [45:23] I pray you’d heal it. [45:25] And it starts being God bring people in my life so I can talk about the mission with them.

[45:31] That’s what prayer is about, guys.

[45:35] What about discipleship? [45:36] Are we just supposed to be all about evangelism? [45:38] They go hand in hand, baby. [45:40] Go make disciples. [45:42] Teach them all that I have commanded you. [45:48] Lastly, understand this.

[45:52] Life must be planned through the mission of Jesus. [45:56] Here’s where our career, here’s where our family, here’s where our money, here’s where our houses, here’s where everything is put in play because we want those things to be off base to everybody but us. [46:09] Nobody’s worse about that than me. [46:11] Trust me, I promise you, I dislike people more than you do. [46:16] All right? [46:16] If you know me, you know that’s true.

[46:20] But I’ve been redeemed from that attitude. [46:22] People are more than an obstacle to me now. [46:25] All right? [46:27] That’s everybody’s obstacle, especially in the suburbs. [46:29] Go to Starbucks and see how many people are doing this while they’re in line. [46:33] Nobody talk to me.

[46:35] Just trying to get my coffee and get home. [46:38] Back to my fort.

[46:41] I swear, if it was legal, some of us would put cannons in our windows to keep you from talking to us. [46:46] All right? [46:47] And I would be first in line. [46:50] Somebody come in the door, honey.

[46:55] It would backfire and hit me, though. [46:57] I promise. [46:58] I’d wire something wrong. [47:00] But here’s the key. [47:01] This missional life, I think most of us in this culture, because we’re so churched, [47:10] this mission that we’re all familiar with, go make disciples, baptize, teach.

[47:17] It doesn’t happen by accident. [47:19] Because one way of reading this is go, okay, so what I do is I plan my life, all right, [47:25] everything I want, and while I’m walking down that path, I make disciples. [47:30] I bless. [47:33] All right? [47:34] It’s not what the Greek says there.

[47:37] When Jesus says all authority, the word go jumps off of that authority.

[47:43] And what Jesus is saying is live your life through the mission. [47:50] Plan by the mission, for the mission, and with the mission. [47:54] That means every decision you make once you’ve been redeemed has to be a decision, [48:00] either for or against the mission of Jesus.

[48:05] And that’s why it’s so hard. [48:06] That’s why Jesus said, narrow is the road that leads to me. [48:09] Because you have to make some really tough decisions. [48:12] All right? [48:13] That means your life is no longer defined by your job or your family. [48:18] Your life is now defined by the mission, and it radically affects your job and your family.

[48:23] Now, when you say stuff like that, the water starts to get muddy because some of you hear me saying, [48:31] you need to quit your job and be a preacher. [48:33] All right? [48:33] It’s not necessarily what I’m saying. [48:34] Unless you’re like a bank robber or something, it’s pretty hard to live missionally as a bank robber [48:40] because you can’t really witness while you’re pointing guns at people.

[48:42] All right? [48:43] But here’s what I’m saying. [48:45] Jesus wants to redeem your job because your job’s about more than you then. [48:51] It’s not necessarily about quitting your job. [48:52] It could be for some of you. [48:54] But for some of you, it just means going to work and seeing the people that you work with

[48:58] as more than just people to compete with.

[49:03] It turns them from competition into human beings that Jesus radically loves and radically wants to redeem. [49:09] And that your job is you do the best job you can because that affects how your boss sees you [49:15] and your testimony with your boss. [49:16] So you do the best job you can. [49:18] And while you’re doing it, you build amazing relationships with the people that come into your path [49:22] for the purpose of redeeming them.

[49:26] That means for those of us that are fathers, we’re not defined by our fatherhood. [49:32] That’s a really hard one to swallow.

[49:35] Our fatherhood is defined by the mission. [49:38] That’s what that means.

[49:40] That means for me to be a good father to my son, I have to live a missional life. [49:46] Because every choice I make is either for or against the mission of Jesus. [49:51] Every choice I make is either for redemption or against redemption. [49:54] And that’s where sin really comes into play too.

[49:58] It’s pretty hard to show people redemption while you’re willfully walking in a lifestyle of sin. [50:04] And Scripture tells us all about sin.

[50:07] But that’s what Jesus died to save us from.

[50:11] So how do you live a missional life? [50:13] First, you live intentionally.

[50:17] You walk out this door and say to yourself, have I been redeemed? [50:22] Number two, what is redemption causing me? [50:25] Number three, what do I need to do to be more missional? [50:27] Because all of us need to ask ourselves that question every day. [50:30] Live intentionally. [50:32] Base your relationships on the Gospel.

[50:36] Stop basing it on what you have in common with people. [50:40] In fact, you have similar interests. [50:41] Now does that help? Absolutely. [50:44] I have a really, really tough time being in a relationship with guys who love sowing.

[50:52] We just don’t have much in common. [50:55] Eh.

[50:57] But here’s what I mean. [50:58] The relationships that you are building, are they based on selfishness and self-centeredness? [51:04] And what those people can gain you? [51:05] Or are they based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ? [51:08] The fact that he wants to redeem them, has redeemed them, and you can help disciple each other? [51:13] Or is it just based on stupid lifestyle stuff like you’re both fans of Project Runway?

[51:19] It’s not wrong with Project Runway, but you can redeem that taste that you have for this life for the Gospel.

[51:26] Finally, live with a vision of what God wants to do with your life. [51:31] And do not compromise on the mission of Jesus in your life. [51:34] That might mean taking a job that pays less. [51:39] That might mean working less hours so you can spend more time devoting your life to the mission of Jesus. [51:45] It may also mean stop being so lazy at work, do a better job. [51:49] Because they’re not going to believe in the mission of Jesus if you’re the laziest guy on the job site.

[51:55] I mean, honestly, who cares about the Gospel in your life when you’re holding everybody back?

[52:02] But it means living life in such a way that as many people as possible are redeemed by the life that God puts in you as possible. [52:14] That’s what it means. A living vision of the Gospel.

[52:20] And now, let’s go to a time where we reflect on the Gospel. [52:25] We proclaim the Gospel to each other. [52:28] And then when we leave here, let’s live the Gospel.

[52:34] And next week we’re going to take this even further and we’re going to make it a little more practical.

[52:39] But Matthew 28, 16-20.

[52:44] It’s the Gospel realized in our lives. [52:48] Father, we come before you. [52:52] We want to praise you. [52:54] We want to thank you. [52:57] God, you’ve redeemed us.

[53:01] We rebelled against you willfully. [53:03] We’ve sinned against you. [53:05] And instead of punishing us for it, you lay the penalty on your son. [53:11] And you redeem us through his work so that we can have a life where you live through us that gives hope to the entire world. [53:22] Lord, help us become that hope. [53:24] Help us love.

[53:25] In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.