Broken and Grateful // Matt Braun

Devotional

Day 1: When They Saw Him, They Worshiped

The disciples stood on a Galilean mountainside, face-to-face with the resurrected Jesus. Their response wasn’t interrogation or skepticism but visceral worship—a surrender to the undeniable reality of death conquered. Matthew’s account reveals both adoration and lingering doubt, a tension many carry today. Worship here isn’t a polished performance but the raw response of hearts encountering the One who holds all authority. Even amid questions, their posture shifted from confusion to awe. What does it look like to worship when certainty feels just out of reach? [02:45]

“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:17, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life does doubt coexist with worship? How might embracing both lead you to a deeper encounter with Jesus?

Day 2: All Authority in Heaven and Earth

Jesus’ declaration of universal authority wasn’t a power grab but an invitation to trust. He’d just proven His power over death; now He claimed dominion over every fear, political system, and cultural divide. This authority isn’t oppressive—it’s the foundation for mission. Like the disciples, we’re sent not into chaos but into a world where the resurrected King has already secured victory. Our task isn’t to conquer but to align. [04:18]

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels most resistant to Jesus’ authority? How might surrendering it change your capacity to love others?

Day 3: Fumbly Words and the Spirit’s Fire

Peter stumbled through his message to Cornelius, mixing cultural biases with half-understood grace. Yet the Holy Spirit ignited hearts mid-sentence, proving God works through imperfect obedience. Our call isn’t to eloquence but availability—to show up in uncomfortable spaces and trust God to bridge the gap between our limitations and His power. [15:45]

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” (Acts 10:44, ESV)

Reflection: When has God used your imperfect efforts to impact others? How does this free you to engage hard conversations today?

Day 4: Removing Barriers, Not Raising Them

James’ verdict—“don’t make it difficult”—revolutionized the early church. He slashed religious hoops, refusing to let tradition overshadow grace. Like modern churches debating cultural litmus tests, the challenge remains: Will we demand conformity to secondary issues or clear the path to Jesus? True accessibility honors people’s dignity without diluting truth. [19:36]

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” (Acts 15:19, ESV)

Reflection: What unnecessary barriers might others perceive in your faith community? How can you help dismantle them?

Day 5: Ambassadors of the New Jerusalem

John’s vision of God dwelling with His people—no more tears, death, or pain—isn’t just future hope but present mission. We represent this coming reality today. Every act of love, every refusal to fear, every choice to forgive becomes a signpost pointing to the King who makes all things new. [33:04]

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people… He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How does your daily life reflect the “new Jerusalem” to those still living in the “old order”? What one adjustment would make you a clearer ambassador?

Sermon Summary

Matthew shows the disciples heading to Galilee scared, then stunned into worship when the risen Jesus appears; some still doubt, and Matthew lets that be on the page. Jesus then stakes the claim that changes everything: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The command flows from that authority, not from a committee: go make disciples of all nations, baptize them into the triune name, and “teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” The center of gravity is his teaching, read as the lens for all Scripture. Forgiveness ahead of apology, love for enemies, generous hands that won’t be owned by stuff, and a Father sprinting toward prodigals set the tone for the whole new-covenant way.

Luke then shows how the first crew stalled in Jerusalem until persecution scattered ordinary Jewish Christians all over. In the meantime, they tried mixing and matching covenants, keeping Moses and temple rules alongside Jesus, as though Jesus were anybody’s equal. But at Passover Jesus had already lifted the cup and named a new covenant in his blood. Read “biblical” through Jesus, and the loopholes close. Peter has to learn this the hard way: a vision sends him to an “unclean” Gentile house, his mouth says out loud what he should have kept inside, and the Spirit mercifully interrupts his clumsy sermon by falling on Cornelius and his friends. Jesus’ mission outruns insider comfort.

Back in Jerusalem, James stands and renders a verdict that still steadies the church: do not make it difficult for Gentiles turning to God. Drop the add-ons. Let people stumble over Jesus, not over “little surgeries,” diet rules, or the temple model. The drift toward insiders is real, but the Shepherd still leaves the ninety-nine for the one. The culture war reflex also warps the mission; when political affiliation becomes the litmus test of orthodoxy, the mission field turns into a battlefield. Jesus already told his people what to do with “those people”: love enemies and pray for persecutors. Fear shouts from headlines, but the King keeps saying, “Do not fear,” and keeps placing living hope before the church: a new Jerusalem, tears wiped, death undone, everything made new.

In that lane, generosity isn’t a side-topic; it fuels the go. God has always funded his ekklesia through his people. Jesus promises his presence as the church obeys his words, and he promises resilience too: the gates of Hades won’t hold against what he is building.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus’ authority reframes everything Jesus does not borrow authority; he gives the Great Commission out of his own. That means his words set the filter for how Scripture is read and how mission is lived. When Jesus is the lens, the center stays clear and the edges lose their power to distract. Authority in his hands is freedom in theirs. [04:18]
2. Obedience to Jesus’ actual words “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded” keeps discipleship practical and concrete. Forgive first, love enemies, practice open-handed generosity, run toward prodigals like the Father. Formation grows where commands become muscle memory, not just notes in a journal. [06:04]
3. The Spirit outruns insider drift Peter fumbles his way into a Gentile living room, but the Spirit lands anyway. God refuses to let insider anxiety throttle an outward gospel. Expect the Spirit to break plans, cross thresholds, and write grace into rooms religious habit would avoid. [15:45]
4. Make it easy to turn to God James’ judgment resets the default: remove obstacles, not add them. People should “stumble over Jesus,” not over culture, diet, or “little surgeries.” Gospel clarity grows when non-essentials are trimmed and essentials shine. [19:51]
5. Generosity fuels an outward mission Mission takes people, prayer, and also resources. There is no backroom money tree; God funds his church through his church. Giving becomes worship when it aims at the one who isn’t here yet and keeps the doors wide for grace. [38:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:50] - Grateful for this ekklesia
[02:45] - Worship and honest doubt
[04:18] - All authority belongs to Jesus
[04:50] - Go make disciples of all nations
[06:04] - Teach to obey Jesus’ words
[08:20] - Comfort in Jerusalem, then scattering
[09:22] - Mixing covenants vs new covenant
[12:27] - Peter’s vision and Gentile welcome
[15:45] - The Spirit outruns Peter
[19:51] - James: do not make it difficult
[22:27] - Let people stumble over Jesus
[25:30] - Politics as false orthodoxy
[31:13] - New creation hope and presence
[38:23] - Funding the mission joyfully

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

Acts 15:19 (ESV)
"Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God."

Observation questions

What does Jesus claim about his authority before giving the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18)?
What three actions does Jesus command his disciples to take in Matthew 28:19-20?
What specific instruction does James give about Gentiles turning to God in Acts 15:19?

Interpretation questions

Why might mixing old covenant practices (like dietary laws or circumcision) with Jesus’ new covenant create confusion for early believers?
How does Peter’s fumbling interaction with Cornelius (Acts 10) show that God’s mission advances despite human imperfection? [15:45]
What does it mean practically to “let people stumble over Jesus” rather than secondary issues like cultural preferences or traditions? [19:51]

Application questions

Where have you seen churches or individuals create unnecessary barriers (e.g., political litmus tests, cultural rules) for people seeking God? How could you help remove those obstacles? [25:30]
Jesus commands teaching others to obey his words—not just know them. What’s one area of his teaching (forgiveness, generosity, loving enemies) that you need to turn from theory to “muscle memory” this week? [06:04]
The early church initially stayed in Jerusalem until persecution scattered them. Are there areas in your life where comfort keeps you from “going”? What step could you take to engage someone outside your usual circle? [08:20]
Generosity fuels mission. How can you intentionally align your resources (time, money, skills) to support Jesus’ global mission rather than just maintain existing programs? [38:23]
When have you been tempted to treat political or cultural alignment as a test of faith? How can you love those you disagree with while staying rooted in Jesus’ commands?

Sermon Clips

33s

“Here's just an incredible principle that I was taught years ago. I didn't come up with it. If you're a leader, if you decide that you need an enemy in order to lead or get your agenda going, you're a bad leader. You do not I do not need an enemy to accomplish things. Yet, the church has just decided, enemy, enemy, enemy. Oh, you're like us. You can be part of us. Jesus never lived that way. Maybe to lean in a little stronger, if you need an enemy in order to further your agenda, it's not the agenda of the king.”

44s

“and having an enemy that we have to be against, and, you know, flipping on the news and being so fearful that it turns us into something ugly for you guys and for our church. I would just tell you, not here and not you, that you would resist going, this is about us and instead lean into what it was about for Jesus that the whole world needs to know. Remember what he said? All authority all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. My words, my direction stands above everything else, and everything you read, everything we sing is filtered through Jesus and his teachings. It gives us incredible clarity.”

49s

“And depression won't own us, and anxiety doesn't have to be a part of our lives maybe like the way it has been in the past, and there is hope. There will be a day where the old order of things has passed away, and it's starting today. That's what John was saying. And in the future, it will become crystal clear. He who is seated on the throne said, am making everything new. Can you imagine the fact that we get to be the ambassadors that tell people there's a brand new thing where you're at the center of God's love? We we get to be ambassadors to people, and we actually get to tell them who God loves, people that think that they could never be loved by God. No. No. No. You're the reason Jesus came. You're the reason he gave his life.”

42s

“You you know what breaks my heart? That the focus of the church naturally gravitates towards insiders. That's what was happening in the early church with the whole surgery temple. All of our instinct is to think about who's already here. The people that know where to park, the people that know where to sit, the people that know where to take their kids, and how to interact and get a cup of coffee, and they have friends here already, and it's naturally a thing for us to gravitate towards. Let's let's think about us, our four no more. That breaks my heart. What happened with James in the early church, he said, no. We're not doing that.”

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