This Is Us - Celebration Sunday - 9am Sanctuary Covenant Church

Devotional

Day 1: Milestones Marked by Worthwhile Beauty

Celebrating baptisms, dedications, and new members isn’t just church routine—it’s a visible testament to God’s active grace. These moments are both "worthwhile and beautiful," echoing Jesus’ command to make disciples. Like parents dedicating a child or believers going public in baptism, each step declares faith’s tangible impact. Such celebrations remind us that discipleship isn’t abstract but lived out in community. They anchor us to the joy of God’s faithfulness in real lives. Today, consider how your own story intersects with these collective acts of obedience. [46:09]

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:16-20, ESV)

Reflection: What milestone in your faith journey feels most “worthwhile and beautiful” to revisit? How could celebrating someone else’s step of obedience strengthen your own trust in God?

Day 2: Commissioned Under Heaven’s Authority

Jesus’ declaration, “All authority has been given to me,” isn’t a footnote—it’s the foundation for every act of invitation. His resurrection power dismantles excuses, reminding believers that sharing faith isn’t about personal charisma but divine backing. The disciples worshiped even as some doubted, yet Jesus still entrusted them with His mission. His authority covers our uncertainty, turning ordinary moments into opportunities for witness. When fear whispers inadequacy, His words echo louder: “I am with you always.” [53:50]

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

Reflection: Where have you hesitated to invite others into faith because you felt unqualified? How might Jesus’ authority, not your own, change your approach this week?

Day 3: Discipleship in the Daily Going

Evangelism isn’t a scheduled event but the overflow of “as you are going.” Jesus’ command meets us in school drop-offs, work emails, and grocery store lines. Making disciples happens not despite mundane routines but through them. The call to baptize and teach isn’t reserved for experts but for ordinary people trusting a resurrected Savior. Every interaction becomes a chance to reflect His grace. [54:35]

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.
(Matthew 28:19-20a, ESV)

Reflection: What mundane part of your daily routine could become a intentional space for reflecting Christ? Who in your orbit needs to see His love through your ordinary faithfulness?

Day 4: Testimonies That Can’t Stay Silent

“I couldn’t keep it to myself”—the pastor’s words mirror the fire Jeremiah felt. Testimonies aren’t about dramatic plots but honest accounts of grace. Whether “boring” or sensational, every story of redemption matters. Sharing how Jesus met you in crisis, doubt, or ordinary Tuesday mornings dismantles the lie that faith is irrelevant. Your testimony isn’t a speech but a living invitation. [01:00:52]

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.
(1 Peter 3:15, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your story feels too ordinary to share? How could framing it as “evidence of hope” shift your willingness to speak?

Day 5: The God Who Still Does It All Again

Celebration Sunday isn’t nostalgia—it’s proof God’s power didn’t retire. The same Jesus who split graves open still transforms lives today. Baptisms and dedications aren’t mere rituals but present-tense miracles. When we pray for students or welcome new members, we declare He’s active here, now. His promise—“I am making all things new”—isn’t past tense. The question isn’t “Can He?” but “Who will tell them He can?” [01:01:55]

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
(Revelation 21:5, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you stopped expecting God to move in your circles? How might celebrating His current work renew your courage to invite others?

Sermon Summary

Celebration Sunday gives the church a chance to stop and say, look what God is doing. Baptisms, baby dedication, new members, and prayers over students and school staff are all real people taking real steps of faith. These moments are worthwhile and beautiful because they show the fruit of discipleship right in front of the church.

The Sanctuary Five names the kind of people God is forming: people who connect, grow, serve, give, and invite. Invitation means praying for and intentionally connecting with unbelievers, inviting them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. God’s grace never makes believers selfish and stingy, because those who have received grace also become partners with God in sharing that grace.

Matthew 28 grounds that calling in the authority of the risen Christ. Jesus does not come as just some good teacher giving advice. Jesus comes as the One who has overcome death, hell, and the grave, declaring that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. His authority makes the command clear: as believers are going through everyday life, they are to make disciples.

Evangelism belongs to all of God’s people, not just a certain kind of person. Jesus does not require a big event, a bullhorn, or a perfect speech. Everyday life becomes the place of invitation: families, jobs, neighborhoods, apartments, schools, friendships, and all the places where people need to know that God sees them and loves them.

Baptism marks a beginning, not an ending. Jesus commands His people to baptize and then teach disciples to obey everything He commanded. A life submitted to Christ touches the way children are raised, money is handled, friendships are carried, and hurt is answered. Baptism without a life being shaped by Jesus is just getting wet.

Christ’s promise meets every excuse and every fear. Jesus knows people may feel unqualified, rejected, or strange, but He says, “I am with you always.” The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in those He sends, and the drawing of hearts belongs to Jesus, not to human effort.

God’s saving work gives the church something worth celebrating and something worth telling. Every testimony, whether dramatic or quiet, tells of a God who found, saved, healed, delivered, and is still doing it right now. Celebration becomes honest when God’s work in other lives reminds believers of what He has done and is still working out in their own.

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Key Takeaways

1. Invitation belongs to every believer Jesus gives the call to make disciples to everyone who calls Him Lord and Savior. Evangelism is not reserved for the loud, the polished, or the specially gifted. Everyday faithfulness becomes an invitation when Christ shapes life in a way that points others toward His grace. [54:35]
2. Baptism begins the discipleship journey Jesus joins baptism with teaching disciples to obey all He commanded. Baptism publicly identifies a person with Christ, but obedience shows that identification taking root in daily life. A faith that never reaches finances, relationships, forgiveness, and family life has not yet taken Jesus’ lordship seriously. [55:59]
3. Christ goes with those He sends Jesus does not send His people out alone to carry a burden they cannot handle. His presence answers the fear of rejection, awkwardness, and personal inadequacy. Christ does the drawing, and faithful witnesses are simply called to tell the truth about His grace. [57:05]
4. Every testimony carries God’s grace God’s goodness is not measured by how dramatic a person’s story sounds. A quiet testimony of being raised in faith carries the same witness to God’s keeping power as a testimony of rescue from deep darkness. God remains in the saving business, and every honest account of His work can point someone toward Jesus.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:38] - Celebration Sunday
[45:35] - Worthwhile and Beautiful Milestones
[47:40] - The Sanctuary Five
[49:04] - What It Means to Invite
[50:34] - The Great Commission
[53:35] - Jesus Has All Authority
[54:35] - Making Disciples in Everyday Life
[55:23] - Baptism and Obedience
[57:05] - Jesus Is With You Always
[58:32] - Something Worth Celebrating
[60:00] - Something Worth Telling
[62:34] - Celebrating Baptisms and Dedications
[64:19] - God Is Still Saving

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“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.’” [51:24]

Matthew 28:16-17
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.” [51:08]

Isaiah 40:8
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” [52:08]

Observation questions

In Matthew 28:16-17, what two different responses did the disciples have when they saw the risen Jesus? Why is it meaningful that both worship and doubt are mentioned?
What does Jesus say has been given to Him before He tells His followers to make disciples? [53:35]
According to Matthew 28:18-20, what are the three actions involved in making disciples: going, baptizing, and teaching?
What everyday places and relationships are named as places where believers can live as witnesses for Jesus? [54:58]

Interpretation questions

Jesus gives the command to make disciples after declaring that all authority belongs to Him. How does Christ’s authority change the way believers understand this command—not as a suggestion, but as a calling?
The disciples worshiped Jesus, yet some doubted. What does this show about who Jesus sends, and how might it encourage believers who do not feel fully prepared to speak about their faith?
Jesus connects baptism with teaching people to obey everything He commanded. What would it look like for a believer’s baptism to become the beginning of a changed life rather than simply a public moment? [55:45]
Jesus promises, “I am with you always.” How does His presence address the fear that someone may reject, misunderstand, or think a believer is strange for sharing the gospel? [57:03]

Application questions

Who is one person in your family, workplace, school, neighborhood, or circle of friends who may need to know that Jesus sees them and loves them? What would it look like to pray for that person by name this week? [49:22]
Sharing faith does not require a big event, a bullhorn, or a perfect speech. What ordinary part of your weekly life could become a more intentional place of invitation? [54:46]
What fear most often keeps you from telling someone about Jesus—feeling unqualified, fear of rejection, concern about being awkward, or something else? How does Jesus’ promise to be with you speak into that fear? [56:44]
Baptism is a beginning, not an ending. In what area of life do you sense Jesus calling you to greater obedience right now: family, finances, friendships, forgiveness, speech, or how you respond when someone hurts you? [56:12]
Every believer has a testimony, whether it seems dramatic or quiet. What is one specific way God has found you, kept you, healed you, provided for you, or is still changing you that you could share with someone? [01:00:14]
Celebrating God’s work in someone else’s life can remind believers of His work in their own lives. When have you recently seen God at work in another person, and what did it stir up in your own faith? [59:14]

Sermon Clips

41s

#LiveLikeJesus

“If you are baptized but are not walking in the way of Jesus, you just got wet. He says, baptize them and then teach them to live according to my way. And that's the job for all of us, regardless of how long you've been following Jesus, to make sure that the ways of Jesus are impacting and influencing the way you live your life. How you raise your children, how you handle your finances, how you handle your friendships, how you respond when people do you dirty.”

54s

#EmpoweredToShare

“I have all authority. So as you're going, invite others, share the good news of grace, baptize them, teach them to live in my way. And Jesus knew how we were. He knew the excuses that we would make. Lord, I've never done this before. Lord, they're they're not gonna listen to me. Lord, they're gonna think I'm strange, and they will. But he says, I am with you always. He's not just sending you out there on your own. He says that I, the same Jesus who has gone to the cross, suffered, bled, and died, and been resurrected, I'm with you. In other words, he's saying the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, that same power resides in you as you go to share your faith with others.”

49s

#InvitationalPeople

“We also invite. We are invitational people. And here's what I mean, church, when I say that we invite. I say that here at sanctuary, we are invitational people. We pray for and connect intentionally with unbelievers, inviting them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. That's what we mean when we say we invite. We pray for and we intentionally connect with unbelievers, inviting them into relationship with Jesus Christ. We don't keep the goodness to ourselves. We're not selfish and stingy in that way. If God's been good to us, why would we not share the good news of what he's done with others?”

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This Is Us - Celebration Sunday - 9am Sanctuary Covenant Church - 8.30.26