Steve Gentry
[0:00] Alright, go ahead and have a seat. [0:02] Welcome to Village Church. [0:03] If this is your first time here, my name is Steve. [0:05] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:07] And as always, I’m thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:11] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them up to Matthew chapter 28.
[0:15] We’re going to be starting in verse 18 this morning with our message. [0:19] This is week two of our series on our core values as a church. [0:23] So if you are kind of newer to Village Church, this is a really good time to be here [0:29] because you kind of get to see who we are, see what we value, what we believe, [0:34] what it is that we’re chasing after, what it is that we believe Christianity is [0:39] and what you need to make your pursuits about.
[0:43] Because it’s kind of not only is this the core values that we have corporately, [0:47] but we also use these kind of to describe what it is that you should be chasing with your life. [0:54] What it is that you should be seeking to make your life about. [0:57] So we talked last week about how this kind of represents the point A to point B [1:02] of becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus. [1:06] Last week we started with point A of redemption, and that is where following Jesus begins.
[1:13] You cannot live out any other value until you have been redeemed by Jesus, [1:19] until he has saved you from your sin and made you complete in his Son, Jesus Christ. [1:25] And so we must be redeemed from our sin and you cannot do that. [1:31] We kind of unpacked how one issue that many have within the Christian life [1:36] is that you seek to do all of the things that Christians do without redemption, [1:44] without actually being redeemed by Jesus, without actually having your life changed by Jesus.
[1:50] And that is frivolous. [1:52] It is a moot point to seek to follow Jesus without being redeemed by Jesus. [1:59] But in Jesus, the good news is that through the cross and through the resurrection, [2:04] that Jesus offers complete forgiveness of sins. [2:07] He offers a new life in him to live as God designed us. [2:11] So once you have been redeemed, you are free to follow Jesus without guilt.
[2:17] You are free to follow Jesus without shame. [2:19] You are free to follow Jesus with the trust that your sin has actually been dealt with, [2:26] that all that you have done to mar and corrupt your relationship with God [2:32] has been completely removed, placed on Jesus, dealt with forever, [2:37] and it never has to be dealt with again. [2:40] Not by you or anyone else.
[2:43] You are free to live the way that God has designed you to live. [2:51] But redemption leads us to the second core value that you were redeemed to live a life of mission. [2:59] Redemption has a purpose. [3:01] Many misunderstand redemption as being something that’s completely static. [3:06] Yes, redemption is complete. [3:08] It is eternal.
[3:09] It is unchanging in how it deals with your sin and reconciles you to God, [3:14] but it becomes a force of life change for you. [3:19] It does not find you in your sin, wipe the slate away, [3:23] and just leave you to be as you are right there. [3:27] Instead, redemption kind of calls you to the purposes of God [3:31] so that you can begin to build again the way that God has designed for you
[3:37] to live under submission to Him. [3:41] Too often Christian caricatures that are sometimes a little too spot on [3:45] for us to be comfortable are true because so often we act as though [3:50] Christianity is just about having your sins forgiven, [3:53] just about getting heaven, and then in this life there’s really kind of nothing more to do. [4:00] But instead Christianity is far different than that.
[4:03] Jesus does call us to live this new life, this new redemption out in our lives. [4:10] And for our purposes what we call that here in Village Church is mission. [4:15] The mission of Jesus is something that you are called to live out by God [4:19] and is what you were saved to live for. [4:23] And the greatest place that we can find in scriptures really are from the very words [4:28] of Jesus himself as to how do we define what this mission that I’m called to live in my life is.
[4:35] And as in Matthew chapter 28, I’m going to start reading in verse 18, [4:40] it says that Jesus came and said to them, and this kind of sets it up for us to understand [4:45] that something has happened and Jesus is working. [4:47] So this takes place after the cross of Jesus. [4:50] This takes place after the resurrection of Jesus. [4:52] Jesus has died for sin, He’s risen from the dead,
[4:55] and then He spent a few weeks walking and talking and living among His disciples, [5:01] appearing to different people. [5:03] Paul writes later in the New Testament that He appeared to over 500 people after His resurrection. [5:10] And so Jesus actually showed Himself after His resurrection. [5:13] At this point, He’s about to ascend up into heaven and then wait for the second coming [5:19] when He will return to get His church.
[5:22] And here’s what He chooses as His last words to His followers on this earth. [5:28] This is all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [5:33] Go therefore, make disciples of all nations, [5:36] baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [5:40] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. [5:45] And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
[5:50] Pray with me.
[5:53] Father, you have redeemed us from our sin through the work of Jesus. [5:59] And if we trust in you, if we believe in you, that is an eternal redemption. [6:05] You have made a way for us to know you, a way for us to be known by you [6:10] and not be under your wrath, but instead be under your favor. [6:14] Lord, may we be people who are faithful to that. [6:18] May you begin even today to build in us a trust in you that would lead us
[6:24] to live for your purpose, that would lead us to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ. [6:31] Speak to us, Father. [6:33] It’s in the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
[6:37] The first thing I want us to understand this morning out of this text is that [6:41] redemption frees us to a life of mission. [6:45] Redemption frees us to a life of mission. [6:49] You know, when Jesus saves you, he means to change your life. [6:55] And without change, there is no redemption. [6:58] I think this much was clear from our time together last week,
[7:02] and if you weren’t with us, go listen to the podcast because that is the value [7:06] that leads us into the rest of our values. [7:09] And that change that redemption brings to us goes to the foundation [7:14] of why you do everything that you do. [7:17] The new purpose brings a new motivation of discipleship. [7:22] This text that we’re referring to here, this is Jesus’s treatise as to what we are to live for.
[7:28] It’s referred to as the Great Commission or for our purpose here at Village Church. [7:33] The mission of Jesus is what Jesus is talking about. [7:36] He’s saying now that he’s leaving, now that he’s accomplished all that he came to accomplish [7:40] and he’s ascending up into heaven, what is it that we are now to make our lives [7:45] about in light of the finished work of redemption? [7:49] And Jesus is very clear.
[7:52] He is not mysterious in this passage at all. [7:56] So often we act as though God’s purpose for our lives is somehow mysterious [8:01] and kind of foggy and hard for us to understand, [8:05] and so we will spend weeks and months and sometimes years kind of [8:09] communicating in such a way with ourselves, sometimes communicating with other people. [8:12] I’m just not sure what God’s will for my life is.
[8:17] I’m just not sure what God has called me to do with my life. [8:22] I’ve got good news for you this morning. [8:24] I want to clear that up for you because I think Jesus has been very clear with us [8:30] about what his will for our lives are. [8:32] I do not think he wants us fretting over a mystery, [8:35] but more than that, I believe that the reason that we act as though there is so much mystery
[8:42] behind his will for those that he has been redeemed, [8:44] because we are trepid, we are afraid to actually live out the very vision that Jesus has for our lives [8:52] because of the cost that comes along with it. [8:57] Jesus is clear as to what his will for his followers is. [9:01] He leaves no mystery, and he puts it very simply, very bluntly, [9:06] as to what you are to make your mission about in light of who he is and what he has done.
[9:15] And understand this morning that the mission that Jesus gives us [9:20] is not that much different than the mission that he had in this world. [9:25] The way that we are to seek to live look a lot like the way that he sought to live. [9:33] In Luke chapter 19, here’s what Jesus says about his mission. [9:36] He says, For the Son of Man, or he’s saying, What I came to do is to seek and to save the lost. [9:44] So if you want to simplify what the mission of Jesus is for your life,
[9:48] it is to seek and to save the lost. [9:52] There are people in this world, there are people in your life who do not know Jesus, [9:58] that need to know Jesus, and if you know Jesus, you seek them and you find them [10:04] so that they are no longer lost. [10:08] And in his mission address in Matthew 28, he tells us to do the things that he did. [10:17] With one key difference.
[10:20] If you ever wondered what is the difference between the mission that Jesus gave me [10:23] and the mission that he himself lived, the difference is that he came to make the way of redemption. [10:32] And we go to tell that the way of redemption has been made. [10:38] And I want to be clear on that, so I want you to understand that. [10:41] And so I want to say it one more time, that Jesus came to make the way of redemption, [10:47] and we go to tell that the way of redemption has been made.
[10:53] And that is a very important difference, because it is the difference between telling someone good news [10:58] and telling someone bad news. [11:01] You are not the one who works redemption. [11:06] That’s good news. [11:08] That’s comforting news. [11:10] Because you would not work it as good as Jesus has already worked it.
[11:17] You have nothing to add to the work of redemption. [11:21] You would somehow muddy it and make it worse, given the opportunity. [11:25] I would too. [11:28] Jesus has perfected it. [11:30] Jesus has made it complete. [11:32] His grace is completely sufficient, because he, the one who knew no sin,
[11:38] has come so that we might become the righteousness of God. [11:42] He has perfected it. [11:44] He has been completely the substitute. [11:46] So he has made the way of redemption. [11:48] And so when he looks to us, and he says, now that you are redeemed, [11:52] now that you have trusted in salvation, now that I have made you my redeemed people,
[11:58] go make disciples. [12:00] How? [12:01] By telling them what Jesus has done. [12:04] What has he done in your life? [12:05] Well, he’s redeemed you.
[12:08] The mission starts with the change of life for you, the follower of Jesus. [12:14] But it never becomes your mission.
[12:19] Oftentimes we talk to one another about, what’s your personal mission statement? [12:23] If you are in the business world for a long time, that was a big deal. [12:26] What’s your personal mission statement? [12:29] If you ask me, I’m just going to recite Matthew 28, because I’m not that creative, [12:34] and I think he’s already done a pretty good job of it. [12:38] Because the reality is, is that this is Jesus’ mission.
[12:42] It’s not yours. [12:44] And so when we try to own Jesus’ mission, and make it about me, [12:49] make it about, you need to see what God has done to me. [12:52] You need to see what I’m doing for God. [12:55] You need to see how much I do for God. [12:57] You need to see how obedient I am to God.
[13:00] You need to see how radical I’m being for God. [13:03] You need to be like me. [13:06] Friend, you are a poor substitute for the Son of God. [13:12] And so our lives as redeemed followers of Jesus must become about [13:18] getting attention off of ourselves, and pointing all of the attention to Jesus. [13:24] To the extent where when the good is noticed about us,
[13:29] when the change is noticed about us, we say, [13:32] it is not of my doing, but instead it is all the work of Jesus inside of me.
[13:40] He is the Redeemer. [13:42] I am simply the conduit through which he’s choosing to work. [13:47] Friends, it is not about you. [13:49] It is all about Jesus, and this is great news.
[13:55] And he gives us two very important things in this passage that serve as promises. [14:01] Because Jesus could have very easily and very justly just looked at his disciples and said, [14:07] go, make disciples. [14:09] Why? [14:10] Because I said so, jerk.
[14:13] Jesus could have very easily done that, because he doesn’t owe us anything. [14:17] He doesn’t owe us any explanation. [14:19] He’s God. [14:20] What he says goes. [14:23] But instead, he begins this pronouncement with a statement that’s a promise, [14:28] and he ends this pronouncement, this imperative, this command with a statement and promise.
[14:34] The first one that he states is about his authority. [14:37] Note what he says. [14:39] He says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [14:45] And so one of our trepidations for living the mission of Jesus is what it will cost you in this world. [14:55] And it will cost you things. [14:57] It will cost you time.
[14:59] It will sometimes cost you a reputation where this world is concerned. [15:03] It will cost you things. [15:05] But Jesus comes and he says, well, what are you basing your life on anyway? [15:09] How are you viewing who’s authoritative over your life? [15:13] So if your possessions are greater for you than Jesus, there may be trepidation in living the mission of Jesus to make disciples above all things. [15:24] If you think it will cost your possessions, if your relationships, whether they be family or friends, are more important to you than the mission of Jesus,
[15:34] then when Jesus comes in and he says, go make disciples, if I think it’s going to cost me my family, [15:39] if I think it’s going to cost me a reputation with my friends, I will be trepid. [15:43] I will be worried. [15:44] I will be fearful of obeying Jesus in those things. [15:49] But Jesus comes in and he says, do not listen to the other voices in the world that will tell you that you exist for another purpose, because there are many, are there not?
[16:02] I mean, there are many things in this world that beckon you and call you and say, base your life on this. [16:08] Base your life on that. [16:10] Base your life on a host of identities and a host of things and a host of sentiments that will actually draw you away from the authority of Jesus. [16:20] And Jesus comes in and he says, do not listen to those other voices. [16:25] All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [16:28] So if he tells you to do something with your life, it is emerging out of a place that has greater authority and greater power than anything else in your life should have over you.
[16:44] And the disciples did not look to him and say, why do you think you have so much authority?
[16:51] At least it’s not recorded here. [16:52] And I think there’s a good reason for that, because the disciples had witnessed a few weeks earlier, a guy get killed on a cross by professional executioners, get put in a tomb pretty dead. [17:06] And then a few days later, hey, isn’t that Jesus?
[17:12] That’s not normal.
[17:16] And so when Jesus comes and he says, I have all authority in heaven on earth, they’re like, he rose from the dead, so he might be on to something. [17:24] He may actually have that authority.
[17:30] Jesus comes and he says, before I give you the imperative of what your life is to be based on, I want you to understand the authority from which the imperative comes. [17:39] And it is a declaration of whose power you are under, but it is also a promise.
[17:47] But there is nothing so great that you will lose in obeying Jesus’s commands that will cost you the world, because the world is Jesus’s.
[17:59] And so whatever you may lose in following him is worth losing.
[18:09] Because all authority in heaven on earth is given to him. [18:14] But there’s a second thing there, and it’s what Jesus ends the passage with.
[18:21] Is that he promises his presence. [18:25] Note that he claims authority, gives an imperative, and then bookends it with the promise, I will always be with you to the end of the age. [18:39] His authority is not about making all of this happen for him without him. [18:46] Redemption is the work of Jesus, and so is his mission. [18:50] You see, when Jesus’s authority is trusted, redemption is received, the mission emerges out of your reconciled relationship with God. [18:59] Every step of it, every moment of it is done with the knowledge that Jesus, who tends to be faithful to his promises, said he would be with me every step of the way.
[19:15] So everywhere that I go in this life, I have the presence of the completely authoritative God with me in that moment. [19:26] And so in every moment, if I have been redeemed, I am either being obedient or disobedient in his presence.
[19:37] And that is a precious promise, specifically when you’re being obedient, because you know that there’s power behind that obedience. [19:46] You know that there’s purpose behind that obedience. [19:50] You know that there’s substance behind that obedience, because there will be many, many fearful moments in the mission. [20:03] When you don’t know how it’s going to turn out. [20:06] When you don’t know what’s coming around the corner. [20:09] When you don’t know what’s headed your way.
[20:11] But in every one of those moments, you have two promises to hold onto. [20:16] Number one, that Jesus has all of the authority, so nothing’s happening outside of his authority. [20:21] That’s a precious promise, and anyone who says otherwise is a liar.
[20:26] But secondly, that he is with you every step of the way. [20:32] So he doesn’t just make a promise of authority and then go off and do something else. [20:36] No, Jesus makes a promise of authority in your life, and then he sits down and he says, where are we going?
[20:44] I’m with you. [20:46] You can’t leave my presence. [20:48] You can’t go so far that I’m not with you. [20:50] He is the God who saves, then he is the God who endures in that salvation. [20:59] It is always all about Jesus. [21:02] But number two, this morning, I want to be crystal clear, because we could make a lot of pronouncements and speak of these great words of grandeur to complicate this.
[21:10] But I want us to simple it in the most simple English I can. [21:13] Number two, the mission is about making disciples. [21:17] The mission is about making disciples.
[21:21] That’s it. [21:22] Who’s Jesus is imperative in this passage? [21:25] His imperative, even if you go to the original language, is focused on the making of disciples. [21:31] And so in light of his authority and a lot of his promise to be with us the entire time, he makes one imperative the whole time that every other thing is based off of. [21:41] And that is that when you live this life, you go with the purpose of making disciples.
[21:52] And so what does that look like? [21:55] Well, the mission of Jesus begins with telling people the good news of Jesus. [22:00] It is more than that. [22:02] But friend, don’t misunderstand. [22:04] It is not less than that. [22:06] Because you cannot receive good news, and it is the best news until you have heard the good news.
[22:14] Here’s the point A of redemption is what the mission is all about. [22:18] Here’s what the apostle Paul says in Romans, Chapter 10. [22:22] He says, How will they call on him and whom they have not believed? [22:25] And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? [22:27] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [22:31] I mean, he follows a really simple frame of logic.
[22:34] If you want someone to believe something, you should probably tell them what they’re supposed to believe, [22:40] because if you don’t tell them, then they’ll never hear it. [22:44] If they never hear it, they can’t believe it, and they can’t hear or believe until you tell.
[22:51] So making disciples, guess what? [22:54] That’s about telling people what they need to be made into.
[22:59] They need to be redeemed by Jesus. [23:02] You see, for the gospel of Jesus is news to be told because it is something that has already been accomplished by someone else.
[23:16] I was watching the Olympics last night. I love the Olympics. [23:20] The Olympics is just great. [23:23] Apparently, no one gets paid, so I don’t understand that part, [23:25] because I would not go through what they go through without making bank. [23:32] And I think they do get something on the backside. [23:35] But I’m watching last night these swimmers, and I was really jealous because swimming is hard.
[23:42] I’ve tried it, and they had to call lifeguards.
[23:47] But I mean, these women were swimming, and it was, I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s where they do all these different strokes in a row, [23:55] and it’s one, I would get so confused and do the wrong one at the wrong time. [24:00] But this one lady was like a dolphin, and she was from Hungary, and she’s just swimming and swimming. [24:08] And it’s as if everyone else was a loser, and she’s like, who taught you guys? [24:13] She’s so far ahead of everybody. [24:15] And then she’s doing one stroke, then another stroke, and everybody’s like, well, I don’t think she’s going to beat the world record pace,
[24:20] because last year this person was swimming so much faster. [24:23] And then, of course, she beat the world record pace, and they were all stupid. [24:26] And so she just swam so fast, and her husband’s on the sidelines, the officer’s coach. [24:31] He’s going crazy, and he’s just so excited. [24:34] And she jumps out of the water, and she took her cap off, and I’m like, how do they fit so much hair under those caps? [24:39] I don’t know how they do that.
[24:40] That’s a special talent someone has. [24:42] And so she jumps out of the water, she wins the gold medal. [24:45] I mean, it was just this epic thing.
[24:49] That’s what news is. [24:51] I didn’t do it. [24:54] I told you about it. [24:56] I wasn’t even there. [24:58] I was watching it on TV last night.
[25:03] You see, when you get so confused as to what method of evangelism should I use with this person at this time, [25:10] what’s the most effective tool that I could use with this person at this time? [25:13] And there are so many different tools and so many different strategies that are wonderful. [25:17] But so often we go there before we even begin by saying, what is the foundation of evangelism, of good news? [25:27] It is simply about telling people about what Jesus has done.
[25:36] And before you get all psyched out about strategies so that you’re tongue-tied and you don’t know what to say [25:41] because you’re afraid you’re going to say it the wrong way, [25:45] friend, do you want to know the best evangelism strategy I have ever personally used?
[25:53] Tell people about Jesus.
[25:57] Class over.
[26:03] That’s it. [26:05] What has Jesus done? [26:06] I don’t care what you’ve done.
[26:09] I want to know what Jesus has done. [26:12] So if you want to tell people about Jesus, do you know what the best way to do that is? [26:19] It is to tell them about Jesus.
[26:26] So often we overcomplicate this so that we are so fearful. [26:30] But the reality is, is that if we would just know the story of Jesus, we would have the best tool ever. [26:36] So that leads us to where it means to make disciples is that has an assumption that has a presupposition in it. [26:44] In that in order to make disciples, you need to be a disciple because you make what you are.
[26:54] If I were to tell you, guys, I am an expert at training marathoners. [27:01] I know everything there is about running a marathon. [27:03] I have run many myself. [27:06] I ran one yesterday. [27:08] Some of you judgmental people out there are looking at me and you’re like, I don’t know. [27:17] Steve, you know, you run a marathon.
[27:21] Well, that’s that hurts. [27:24] Number one. [27:26] But you are right. [27:27] I don’t know anything about running marathons. [27:30] I’ve never run a marathon. [27:32] I can’t tell you how to run a marathon because I’m not a marathoner.
[27:37] You see, it’s a lot easier to make something. [27:41] If you were being something, you know, what you do for a living is something that I hope that you are seeking to excel in. [27:51] And so when they bring a new person on staff, you might have the privilege and opportunity. [27:55] If you know what I’m going to teach this person the ropes, I’ve been doing this for many years. [27:59] I know what I’m doing. [28:01] And so you’re going to kind of apprentice under me.
[28:02] I’m going to tell you how to you want to know why you can do that? [28:05] Because you’ve been doing that. [28:08] You know what it is you do. [28:10] You know how to do something. [28:12] We’ve got a crowd here of people who are very knowledgeable about a host of things all the way from, you know, [28:21] professional educators to professional businessmen and women to people who know how to do things with their hands.
[28:27] Because that always confuses me. [28:29] You build something. [28:30] If you give me a bucket of screws, a hammer and a bunch of wood, I will just literally nail them together. [28:39] And it will just be a stack that you’re not going to get a part. [28:42] But there are some of you that could make a house out of that. [28:45] And you could teach me how to do that.
[28:47] Don’t. I don’t really want to know. [28:48] But you could.
[28:52] And so you can make people what you are. [28:55] The reality is, is I think sometimes our trepidation on making disciples of Jesus is that we’re afraid that it will be seen that we aren’t disciples of Jesus.
[29:05] Because you can make what you are.
[29:11] So how do you do it? [29:12] How do you be made into a disciple so that you can make disciples? [29:15] Well, being a disciple follows the path of what Jesus says you do in order to make disciples. [29:19] See, when he uses the example of baptism, he’s talking about that moment of redemption. [29:24] That’s the symbol there. [29:25] That’s what baptism is all about.
[29:27] It is about being lowered into the water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, because you are being saturated into the life of God. [29:35] Then you’re brought up, washed clean of your sins so that you can begin to walk a new life in Jesus, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. [29:47] So there’s two things in that path of discipleship. [29:50] There’s teaching. [29:52] All that Jesus has commanded. [29:54] That’s the word.
[29:56] That’s what we read in the scriptures. [29:58] That’s what we talk about in the church. [30:00] That’s what we learn as we’re walking. [30:02] There are things in the word of God that you need to learn so that you can follow Jesus. [30:09] But there’s a second thing there as well.
[30:15] Observe. [30:17] See, he puts an emphasis on the term observe all that I have commanded you. [30:24] You see, making disciples happens by people observing someone else living out the mission of Jesus. [30:32] Disciples make disciples. [30:36] So you make what you are. [30:38] So you need to learn the word of God.
[30:41] You need to learn what it is to follow Jesus. [30:44] You need to grow in that. [30:46] Then you need to be connected to other believers so you can observe them in obeying Jesus. [30:52] You can observe them in living the mission of Jesus so that people can observe you.
[31:02] Being a disciple of Jesus.
[31:07] You see, friends, I think some of you are hesitant to make disciples because of what they may observe about you. [31:13] Friends, you need to be a disciple so that you can make disciples.
[31:23] Because if you aren’t being a disciple, what will you make?
[31:31] So how can you do that? [31:33] Well, friends, in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, I think the apostle Paul helps us greatly. [31:38] I believe the second half of that chapter is Paul’s commentary on the Great Commission. [31:45] On what Jesus told us. [31:47] He starts in verse 17. [31:48] He says, therefore, and that is pointing back to what he’s already said.
[31:52] He says, if the gospel of Jesus is true, if anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation. [31:58] The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. [32:01] All this is from God, who through Christ, reconciled us to himself, gave us the ministry of reconciliation. [32:10] That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. [32:16] And entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [32:19] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
[32:23] We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [32:29] And so he begins with the change. [32:32] He begins with the new creation. [32:35] Why does redemption change you? [32:37] Because Jesus comes in, completely transforms your life, and you walk in a new creation lifestyle. [32:45] And he says, the new has come.
[32:47] Who did it? [32:48] You didn’t. [32:49] All of this is from God. [32:51] Christ has come. [32:52] He has reconciled you. [32:55] Therefore, you are reconciled to God.
[32:57] But note what he does. [32:58] He then turns it and he says, and in that reconciliation, you’ve been given a message and a ministry of reconciliation.
[33:10] You see, too many of you are trying to be a disciple under your own power.
[33:18] You say, I don’t think I’m a disciple. [33:21] I think I’m redeemed, but I don’t think I’m a disciple. [33:24] That doesn’t exist.
[33:28] My relationship with God just isn’t where it needs to be. [33:32] So before I can make disciples, I need my relationship with God to be better than it is. [33:38] You’ll never have it. [33:41] It’ll never be there.
[33:45] Because your relationship with God isn’t something that you get. [33:49] It’s something that you’re given. [33:51] It isn’t something that you achieve after earning your keep in God’s kingdom. [33:57] And so now, magically, you can make disciples. [34:00] No, it is a grace of God. [34:03] Your relationship with God is not being reconciled.
[34:08] It is reconciled. [34:11] Your relationship with God is something that you need to look at as already achieved by Jesus. [34:21] I’m not trying to earn my discipleship. [34:25] I am a disciple. [34:27] Why? [34:28] Because Jesus has broken down the wall of hostility, made peace between me and God.
[34:34] And he said, I am reconciled. [34:36] Therefore, by the grace of God, I am a disciple of Jesus. [34:42] No one can ever do it for me other than Jesus. [34:45] I can’t do it for myself. [34:47] I don’t need to achieve it. [34:49] It’s true by the grace of God.
[34:54] And so when you begin to look at your discipleship under the terms of reconciliation, [35:01] only then do you have something to offer someone else. [35:04] Because it’s about Jesus and it’s not about you. [35:07] It’s not narcissistic anymore. [35:10] It’s not self-centered anymore. [35:12] It’s not self-absorbed anymore.
[35:15] Do not make your discipleship an act of narcissism like you do so many other things.
[35:26] Stop waiting around until you think people have something worth looking at in your life. [35:31] You’ll never be worth looking at. [35:33] And that’s good.
[35:36] Only Jesus is worth looking at, friends. [35:40] It is about your changed life on display for the sake of changing other people’s lives. [35:47] We are changed people, changing people through the power of the Gospel of Jesus. [35:55] Are you reconciled with God?
[35:59] How does that affect your life? [36:02] Has it? [36:04] If it hasn’t given way to a new creation existence, then friends, truthfully, are you a disciple of Christ?
[36:12] If you are redeemed by Jesus, then the answer is yes, you are a disciple. [36:19] But you cannot be redeemed without change. [36:23] Friend, there are, of course, struggles. [36:25] There are, of course, tensions. [36:26] There will, of course, be the fight with sin. [36:29] But here’s the reality.
[36:30] There will be a fight. [36:32] Without a new purpose of mission in your life, there is no redemption.
[36:40] Number three this morning, the mission of Jesus must be the driving force of your life. [36:48] Redemption must be the driving force of your life. [36:54] We can make our life about a great many things, and we often do. [37:01] All of us are probably making our lives about a lot of different things, and that’s part of the problem. [37:10] So the question that you need to confront yourself with today is what is the driving force of your life?
[37:19] What is it that’s pushing you or pulling you in whatever direction you’re going on in your life?
[37:29] What are your hopes wrapped up in? [37:32] What are your goals motivated by?
[37:37] Because redemption too often has been reduced to a spiritual reality in our lives. [37:45] We’ll often ask people, how’s your spiritual life? [37:48] I hate that question. [37:49] Don’t ask me that, by the way. [37:52] Because that’s like saying, Steve, how’s your life life?
[37:56] It’s redundant. [37:58] My spiritual life is all of my life. [38:01] If I’ve got a headache, that’s part of my spiritual life too. [38:03] It’s all spiritual. [38:06] When Jesus says all authority has been given to me, he doesn’t mean over your quiet time.
[38:15] He doesn’t mean on Sunday morning.
[38:20] He doesn’t mean that once a month you show up to community group.
[38:27] Jesus says all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. [38:33] Therefore, every part of my life is about my discipleship. [38:42] All of it. [38:44] From the way I raise my kids, to the way I educate myself, to the way I work a job. [38:49] It is all about the reign of Jesus in my life. [38:55] When the Apostle Paul speaks of a new creation and Jesus speaks of having all of this authority,
[39:01] he is not simply talking about an exterior, mystical thing.
[39:08] It’s everything in your life. [39:10] Every part of it. [39:12] Everything is connected.
[39:15] We may struggle to admit this, but so often we do act like there are parts of our life that happen outside of Jesus’ authority.
[39:27] You really do need to ask yourself every once in a while,
[39:32] What has changed in my life because of redemption?
[39:37] What has changed in my life?
[39:42] What has changed in my career?
[39:53] What has changed in my education?
[39:56] What has changed in my education? [39:58] What has changed in my education? [40:00] [40:00] [40:00] [40:00]
[40:00] [40:00] [40:00] [40:00] [40:00] [40:00]
[40:00] [40:00] [40:00] [40:00] [40:00] [40:00]
[40:00] [40:00] [40:00] all of these things. [40:02] Let us not be those who reduce our spiritual lives to being something outside of society, [40:10] disconnected, untouching the things that I do in my everyday life. [40:17] What we often do, friends, is we attempt to add Jesus to an already crowded life, and
[40:24] then we seek to plan the mission of Jesus around a life planned without his involvement.
[40:32] Friend, instead of planning mission around your life, you need to plan life around the [40:38] mission of Jesus.
[40:41] Your life needs to actually be about Jesus. [40:44] And what you often do is, is that you go up to the buffet of life, and you have your [40:48] plate at the golden corral of life, and you’re just adding this, adding that, you’re like, [40:53] that’s going to hurt later, but I’m going to add it anyway. [40:56] And so you just build your plate bigger, and bigger is all you can eat, so you can put [40:59] as much as you want to on your plate.
[41:00] And then at the end of the tray, you say, oh, but I’ll take a side of Jesus. [41:05] And so you put Jesus on that already crowded plate, and you’re just walking back to your [41:10] table, and you’re like, oh, God, I pray that it doesn’t fall. [41:13] It’s like playing a game of mystical jenga.
[41:16] That is not how God meant for you to live your life.
[41:23] You don’t add Jesus on top, because when you add Jesus on top of an already crowded life, [41:30] all that will happen is that you will be more exhausted than you already are, and you will [41:35] grow to resent what Jesus is doing in your life, and you will say, my life would be a [41:41] lot easier without this Jesus stuff, because the truth is that it probably would be.
[41:50] But that’s not how Jesus meant for us to live.
[41:55] Friends, all authority combined with the presence of Jesus creates a life for Jesus. [42:02] Here’s what the apostle Paul said about his life in Acts chapter 20. [42:08] He said, I do not account my life of any value nor is precious to myself.
[42:14] For most of us, the opposite is true. [42:17] We account our lives of having great value and being very precious to ourselves, so [42:24] much so that there’s not much room for the mission of Jesus. [42:29] And Paul says, if only I may finish my course in the ministry that I received from the Lord [42:36] Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. [42:43] You see, that is the ministry of reconciliation.
[42:46] Wherever and whenever Paul did everything that he did, he saw it as an opportunity to [42:54] be an ambassador for Christ for the purpose of making disciples. [42:58] And Paul literally viewed his life, he says, without the disciple making aspect, what life [43:05] is there? [43:07] He says, it’s not good, it’s not precious. [43:10] Only if I can make disciples of Jesus.
[43:14] And that is what Jesus is calling us to when he says, go make disciples. [43:21] Friends, is that the view that you take into your life?
[43:25] Is that what you take to your family? [43:27] Is that what you take to your job? [43:28] Is that what you take to your hobbies? [43:30] Or do those things just serve as an ends with no purpose greater than you in building [43:35] your mission?
[43:38] Or do you want to live the mission of Jesus?
[43:43] See, the truth in this is seen not on Sunday morning, not in a Bible study, not in a group [43:51] that you form. [43:52] You see, that’s what we want. [43:53] We just want to pile those things on so that we have things we’re doing for Jesus.
[44:00] That’s why I always fight you when you want them. [44:03] Like, I’m not going to let you add one more thing, because it’s just an excuse to not [44:06] make the rest of your life about Jesus.
[44:10] The truth is seen tomorrow morning, nine o’clock, whatever job you have, wherever you are, why [44:17] are you there?
[44:23] Why?
[44:25] For you? [44:27] For a paycheck?
[44:30] Just trying to burn it till five so you can actually go home? [44:34] Or are you there because of the mission of Jesus?
[44:40] See, I don’t care what you do for a living. [44:42] I care why you do it for a living. [44:46] Why are you where you are? [44:49] Who are you influencing? [44:52] Who is influencing you? [44:55] Are you everywhere that you are for the purpose of being and making disciples of Jesus?
[45:05] What is motivating you to live? [45:08] Because Jesus says, I’ve redeemed you. [45:11] Now live.
[45:16] He says, go. [45:18] Tell people of what I’ve done. [45:19] Show them what to do with what I’ve done. [45:25] Be everywhere, all over the world, in every occupation, at every capacity for the purpose [45:34] of being and making disciples. [45:37] Husband, love your wife to make her a disciple.
[45:41] Husbands, fathers, mothers, wives, raise your children to be disciples.
[45:52] I wish we had more missional opportunities around here.
[45:58] So what you do there is you want to do these little token things. [46:01] You want to go to a soup kitchen. [46:03] You want to go clean up a park. [46:04] You want to do all these things. [46:05] You want to sit at Starbucks reading your Bible and then be like, well, they’re not [46:08] asking me why I’m reading my Bible, so that’s their problem.
[46:12] That’s what the mission of Jesus is. [46:14] Those are starts. [46:16] Those are not bad things. [46:18] But the motivation behind them can be detrimental to your life if you’re just doing them to [46:22] check them off a list. [46:24] You are who you really are for the mission of Jesus in the regular stuff of life that
[46:30] you have to do no matter what.
[46:34] That’s where the rubber of discipleship meets the road of discipleship. [46:39] Tomorrow morning you have a choice.
[46:42] You’re either going to live the mission of Jesus or you’re not going to live the mission [46:45] of Jesus, and that’s on you.
[46:50] See, we can’t hope to move on to the how of mission if we don’t get the why, if we don’t [46:59] get the who. [47:01] So next week we’re going to talk about specifics. [47:05] How do we do things for the mission? [47:08] But it would be detrimental to you if that’s where we started, because then you just have [47:13] more things to check off of your fake list.
[47:18] You need to make your life about the mission before you try to live something that you [47:26] are not.
[47:29] We need to trust Jesus. [47:31] We need to trust the motivation of redemption so that there can actually be a mission.
[47:44] Friends, trust Jesus and walk into a life of mission. [47:52] As the band comes up, as we go through our core values, there are some of you that this [48:00] is just going to serve as a reminder. [48:03] I’m thankful for that. [48:04] And there are some of you that you’re hearing this for the first time, and you’re like, [48:09] I don’t know what to do with that.
[48:12] And I would say it always starts at redemption in every moment, because we are quick to forget. [48:20] And so every week we come face to face with redemption in Jesus. [48:26] The bread of the table represents the broken body of Jesus. [48:29] The cup represents his shed blood. [48:32] Jesus’s body was broken and his blood was shed for the forgiveness of your sins. [48:38] And when you eat and when you drink, what you’re proclaiming to everyone in the church,
[48:43] everyone in this room is, I believe that Jesus has redeemed me. [48:48] And I believe that he is in my life changing me. [48:53] If you’re a Christian today, in just a moment I’m going to call you to the front. [48:56] There’s also tables in the back. [48:58] And proclaim your faith in Jesus. [49:01] But when you do that, understand that you’re proclaiming, I am a disciple of Christ.
[49:11] And then I want you to walk out those doors and I want you to go and make disciples of [49:17] Christ. [49:18] Because you’re free to live as you were designed. [49:24] When you’re ready, come.