Embracing the Great Commission: Hope and Discipleship

Summary

In today's message, we embarked on a journey through the Great Commission, focusing on the profound call to make disciples of all nations. This call is not just a task but a response to the transformative power of the gospel in our lives. Before we can effectively make disciples, we must revisit the core of our faith—understanding who we are in Christ and what He has done for us. The analogy of the caveman discovering sunlight serves as a powerful reminder of the light and hope we have found in Jesus, compelling us to share it with others still in darkness.

Reflecting on personal experiences, including the recent passing of my granddad, I am reminded of the eternal hope we have in Christ. This hope is not just an add-on to our faith but the very essence of it. The assurance of eternal life should not be overlooked or minimized, as it is the foundation of our peace and joy, even amidst suffering and grief.

We explored the challenging words of Jesus in Matthew 10, where He speaks of bringing not peace but a sword. This sword represents the separation between believers and non-believers, a necessary division that allows us to be in the presence of God. It is a call to prioritize our love and allegiance to Christ above all else, even our closest relationships. This separation, though difficult, is a testament to our faith and the transformative power of the gospel.

Taking up our cross and following Jesus means living a life that visibly reflects our commitment to Him. It is a call to die to our old selves and embrace the new life we have in Christ. This journey is not without suffering, but it is through this suffering that we share in the experience of Christ and find hope in the promise of eternal life.

As we navigate the challenges of this world, let us be known for our unwavering hope and joy in the promise of eternity. Let us carry the message of the gospel with boldness, knowing that it is the truth that sets us free and offers life to those who are lost.

Key Takeaways:

- The Great Commission is a call to share the transformative power of the gospel, rooted in our understanding of who we are in Christ and what He has done for us. This mission begins with revisiting the core of our faith and the hope we have in Jesus. [01:08]

- The assurance of eternal life is not a mere add-on to our faith but the foundation of our peace and joy. It is a profound truth that should shape our perspective on life and death, offering comfort and hope even in times of grief. [04:24]

- Jesus' words about bringing a sword, not peace, highlight the necessary separation between believers and non-believers. This division calls us to prioritize our love and allegiance to Christ above all else, even our closest relationships. [13:06]

- Taking up our cross and following Jesus means visibly reflecting our commitment to Him. It involves dying to our old selves and embracing the new life we have in Christ, even if it means enduring suffering and persecution. [25:48]

- Our hope and joy in eternal life should define us as Christians, especially in a world filled with suffering and uncertainty. This hope is not just for ourselves but a message we are called to share with others, offering them the same assurance and peace. [31:14]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:08] - Introduction to the Great Commission
- [02:55] - Personal Reflections and Gratitude
- [04:24] - The Assurance of Eternal Life
- [09:06] - Understanding Jesus' Mission
- [09:53] - The Identity of Christ
- [12:28] - The Sword of Separation
- [13:06] - The Purpose of the Sword
- [15:17] - Experiencing Separation as Believers
- [17:00] - Sharing in Christ's Suffering
- [19:22] - The Call to Greater Love
- [21:43] - Unity Through Separation
- [22:31] - The Narrow Path to Eternal Life
- [25:48] - Taking Up Our Cross
- [31:14] - Living with Hope and Joy in Eternal Life

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Great Commission and Our Call to Discipleship

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 28:18-20
- John 11:25-26
- Matthew 10:34-39

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Jesus command His followers to do in the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20? How does this passage emphasize the authority of Jesus? [01:08]

2. In John 11:25-26, Jesus makes a profound statement about life and death. What does He promise to those who believe in Him, and how does this relate to the assurance of eternal life mentioned in the sermon? [04:24]

3. According to Matthew 10:34-39, what does Jesus mean when He says He came to bring a sword, not peace? How does this concept of separation manifest in the life of a believer? [13:06]

4. How does the analogy of the caveman discovering sunlight illustrate the transformative power of the gospel in our lives? [02:55]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the assurance of eternal life shape a believer's perspective on suffering and grief, as discussed in the sermon? [04:24]

2. What does it mean to prioritize love and allegiance to Christ above all else, even our closest relationships, as described in Matthew 10:37? How might this look in practical terms? [19:22]

3. The sermon mentions taking up our cross and following Jesus. What does this entail, and how does it relate to dying to our old selves and embracing new life in Christ? [25:48]

4. How can the hope and joy in eternal life define a Christian's response to the challenges and uncertainties of the world? [31:14]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your understanding of the Great Commission. How can you actively participate in making disciples in your community or workplace this week? [01:08]

2. Consider a recent time of grief or suffering in your life. How did the assurance of eternal life provide comfort or hope during that period? How can you remind yourself of this assurance in future challenges? [04:24]

3. Identify a relationship in your life where your faith has caused tension or separation. How can you navigate this relationship while maintaining your allegiance to Christ? [13:06]

4. Think about an area of your life where you need to "take up your cross" and follow Jesus more closely. What specific steps can you take to die to your old self and embrace the new life in Christ? [25:48]

5. How can you cultivate a mindset of hope and joy in eternal life amidst the uncertainties and sufferings of the world? What practices or habits can help reinforce this perspective? [31:14]

6. Reflect on the analogy of the caveman discovering sunlight. How can you share the light and hope of the gospel with someone who is still in darkness? Identify one person you can reach out to this week. [02:55]

7. In what ways can you ensure that your love for Christ surpasses all other affections in your life? What changes might you need to make to align your priorities with this call? [19:22]

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Great Commission
The Great Commission is a profound call to share the transformative power of the gospel with all nations. This mission begins with a deep understanding of who we are in Christ and what He has done for us. Before we can effectively make disciples, we must revisit the core of our faith, recognizing the light and hope we have found in Jesus. Like a caveman discovering sunlight, we are compelled to share this newfound light with others still in darkness. This call is not just a task but a response to the transformative power of the gospel in our lives. [01:08]

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: Who in your life is still in darkness, and how can you share the light of Christ with them this week?

Day 2: The Foundation of Eternal Hope
The assurance of eternal life is not a mere add-on to our faith but the foundation of our peace and joy. This profound truth should shape our perspective on life and death, offering comfort and hope even in times of grief. Reflecting on personal experiences, such as the loss of a loved one, reminds us of the eternal hope we have in Christ. This hope is the essence of our faith, providing us with peace and joy amidst suffering and grief. It is a truth that should not be overlooked or minimized, as it is the foundation of our Christian life. [04:24]

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Reflection: How does the assurance of eternal life change your perspective on current challenges or grief you are facing?

Day 3: The Sword of Separation
Jesus' words about bringing a sword, not peace, highlight the necessary separation between believers and non-believers. This division calls us to prioritize our love and allegiance to Christ above all else, even our closest relationships. The sword represents the separation that allows us to be in the presence of God, a testament to our faith and the transformative power of the gospel. This separation, though difficult, is a call to prioritize our relationship with Christ, even if it means experiencing division in our earthly relationships. [13:06]

Matthew 10:34-36 (ESV): "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household."

Reflection: Are there relationships in your life where you need to prioritize your allegiance to Christ? How can you lovingly navigate these situations?

Day 4: Taking Up Our Cross
Taking up our cross and following Jesus means visibly reflecting our commitment to Him. It involves dying to our old selves and embracing the new life we have in Christ, even if it means enduring suffering and persecution. This journey is not without challenges, but it is through this suffering that we share in the experience of Christ and find hope in the promise of eternal life. Our commitment to Christ should be evident in our daily lives, as we live out our faith with boldness and courage. [25:48]

Luke 9:23-24 (ESV): "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'"

Reflection: What old habits or attitudes do you need to die to in order to fully embrace your new life in Christ?

Day 5: Living with Hope and Joy
Our hope and joy in eternal life should define us as Christians, especially in a world filled with suffering and uncertainty. This hope is not just for ourselves but a message we are called to share with others, offering them the same assurance and peace. As we navigate the challenges of this world, let us be known for our unwavering hope and joy in the promise of eternity. Let us carry the message of the gospel with boldness, knowing that it is the truth that sets us free and offers life to those who are lost. [31:14]

Romans 15:13 (ESV): "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Reflection: How can you intentionally share the hope and joy of eternal life with someone who is struggling this week?

Quotes

1. "We're starting this new series today called Go Beyond. And I'm excited to be able to start it off. And so we're going to be sitting in the Great Commission in this series. And these are some of the most well known verses in all the Bible. So if you have your Bibles, Matthew 28, verses 18 to 20. I'm going to go ahead and read them. They'll be on the screen if you don't have it. But here we go." [00:01:08] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "I'm just coming from a place today of of gratefulness for this church and gratefulness to the gospel that something like this could could serve me on a day like this and so if you're wondering what I'm going to speak on and it's why should we make disciples but it's helping us revisit who we are and what Jesus did and and what Jesus did and what the gospel in plain sight is and when I was preparing for this I was thinking of an analogy it's one of my favorite ones if you've heard of the caveman analogy it's this moment where I think of a bunch of cavemen and all they've ever known is to live in a cave they don't even know that sunlight exists and so all they've lived in is darkness that they don't even know is darkness they just think this is what exists and then what if one of those cavemen got out of this cave and and and witnessed sunlight what do you think their response would be? it would be to go back in and tell the rest of them look at this light that I found look at this hope that I've now received that there's something better outside of this cave and so I'm strictly just speaking of the light that I found that exists outside of the darkness and serves me in all seasons of life so I want you to hear I know that this room is a very full room and people are in a lot of trouble a lot of different seasons of life in this room if you're joyful today don't let me be a killjoy I'm thankful that you're joyful if you're grieving like me you're amongst friends if you're doubting if you're questioning if you're worried or stressed you're in the best place you could be because you're going to hear the gospel that attends to all those seasons of life and I'm going to talk about the light that I found" [00:04:24] (116 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "I feel like as Christians really quickly we we have the aspect of eternal life that we receive when we have salvation we we make that just like a a cool add -on right it's it's become like a a small detail that things that we witness in the world is more important and our everyday is more important I don't think it's a a case of what's more important I just think that I lost plain sight of that the absolute joy and comfort that it is that if you're in Christ Jesus you'll live even though you die and I'm thankful that that's the truth for my granddad today I'm thankful that he loved Jesus and I'm thankful that he raised up my dad the way he did I'm thankful that through that my parents raised us the way they did and I'm thankful that they raised me up but but but but but for the believer in the room I think you just need to revisit what it is that you have eternal life that that is an absurd thing to try and skip over or to forget about but it's the hope that I have and the reason that I'm going to share this gospel today is because there's people out there who don't have this hope there's people who don't have the peace that I have within this within this mess." [00:07:04] (93 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Jesus here is saying, I have come, meaning he's now in the world, and he's come from a place where we have not been. So Jesus here has proven that he is the truth, that he is the truth, and he's come from somewhere else. Listen to me, because I came from somewhere else, and it's somewhere you haven't been. And it's in eternity. It's at the right hand of God. And so Jesus, all throughout the scripture, if you just slow down reading your Bibles, does so many snippets of just showing that I'm not just this man. I'm not just this random person or a good person that you should follow. Jesus is pointing to his identity in this. He's the only person in all of history and all of the rest of the future will ever be able to say, I have come to this earth. You didn't come to this earth. You were created here. Jesus was not created." [00:09:53] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "If you've ever heard doctrine or the gospel ever explained that Jesus was just a human in right relationship with God, that's not true. Jesus was fully God. Fully man. He lived a perfect, blameless, matchless life because he's God. Because he was the sacrificial lamb of God. This wasn't just a good person that had good morals that we should see as a role model. This was a Jesus who could have stayed in heaven but yet humbled himself to a baby and lived a life that we live and can empathize with any of our weaknesses yet he still didn't sin." [00:10:58] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "What if we started to see us being mocked, us being persecuted, feeling separation or a sense of tension with someone else because of that separation of beliefs? What if you started to view that instead of something that you should be angry at and mad at and something that you could see that you can share with your Savior? What if you're able to see suffering as something that I have in relation to what Jesus had, even though it's nowhere near the same amount? That suffering could be something I share with God instead of something to avoid." [00:17:11] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "If you're looking for a really great marital vice, don't come to me. No, but what I've found in that short time of me being married is that within my marriage, within the bickering, within the fighting, within the coming against each other, and sometimes even feeling at war with each other, that sometimes even within that, there's complete peace between us. Why? Because we both know our greater affection, greater love, and greater allegiance is to the same God. That even within mess, there's unity. There's unity there, because there's been a sword that's separated, and we're both on the same side." [00:21:49] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "You know, I'm thankful that it's a narrow road. I'm thankful that the way to eternal life is not this broad spectrum of how to get there. If you've been told that all religions lead to the same God, that's a lie. I believe wholeheartedly that there's one way. One truth. One life. And it's Jesus, and I'm thankful there's only one way. Why? Because now I can lead others to that way." [00:22:25] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "What I get from this is that as a Christian, people should see evidence in your life that you love him. You know it's not enough to profess. You know you're saved by grace alone, but a grace that saves is never alone. It's backed up with evidence that you love him, that you follow him. People should see that the cross you carry is the one of following Jesus." [00:25:04] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "I want you guys to see as Christians that this gospel that we're preaching to the world, is not a guarantee of peace. It's not a guarantee of no hardship in life. It's not a guarantee of no suffering. I'm up here speaking from a sense of grief and of pain and of suffering. But I know that that cross that I chose to carry because I know what Jesus did for me means suffering sometimes. But it means suffering, it means pain, it means grief. And knowing that I can do that and endure it because I have hope in eternal life." [00:26:07] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Chatbot

Transcript

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