Embracing True Discipleship: The Great Commission

1. "We are closing our collection of talks entitled, It Is Not About You. It's Not About You, Part Three. Next week, I'm excited. We did this last year, and we're going to do it again this year. Last year, I preached a collection of talks entitled, Goosebumps, and we went through scary stories in the Bible. Are there scary stories in the Bible? Yes, it is in there, and so we went through that, and this year, we just felt that we needed to do it again, so we're doing Goosebumps, Part Two. We're going to look at four different scary stories in the Bible, and I'm going to preach that, through the month of October, and hopefully explain some things that you might read, and you'll be like, what in the world is that?" [05:49] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "When Jesus calls us to be disciples and Jesus calls us to make disciples, this is the type of relationship that he's calling us to. This is what he's calling and beckoning us to become and to be like. But I don't think that many of us reflect this. Come on. Can we give him a round of applause? Thank you guys so much. The truth is, once again, I want to preach this text in its entirety. I want to preach this text. I want to preach this text from the beginning to the end. And I want to skip and peruse nothing but give it to you straight. And I want to come before you today and I want to tell you, hey, follower of Jesus, believer in Jesus, we are called to make disciples. Let's go and make disciples." [15:05] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "You know that nowhere in the Bible does Jesus say go and make converts? Do you know that nowhere in the Bible does Jesus say fill pews and fill seats? Do you know that nowhere in the Bible does Jesus say add multiple services and glory in your attendance? He doesn't say any of that. Jesus actually came and he flipped the system upside down. He said you like the crowds but I'm going to take 12 and I'm going to influence them so they can go change the crowds. That's what Jesus did. And that's what he calls us to. He calls us to discipleship. Are you a disciple? When you think of your spiritual life, when you think of your journey, what do you consider yourself? Do you consider yourself a Christian? Do you say hey I'm a Christian? Hey I'm a follower? Or do you say hey I'm a disciple of Jesus?" [17:40] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "The first thing that Jesus says. Is the disciple considers. The cost of following Jesus. Before doing so. Let's go to Luke chapter 14. Verse 28 through 30. The Bible says this. So don't follow me. Without considering what it will cost you. For who would construct a house. Before sitting down to estimate the cost. To complete it. Otherwise he may lay the foundation. And not be able to finish it. The neighbors will ridicule him. Saying what? Look at him. He started to build. But couldn't complete it. This is Jesus. He's saying look. I am the way. I am the truth. And I am the life. I am the one that can take your sins. And separate as far as from the east. As from the west. And make it no more. I am the doorway. That leads you into eternity." [21:50] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "A disciple gives up their life. To follow Jesus. Listen to what Luke. Chapter 13. Verse 44. Says. Put that up on the screen. For me. So. You cannot become. My disciple. Without giving up. Everything you own. Let's get the other translation. Out of the message. Simply put. If you're not willing. To take. What is dearest to you. Whether your plans. Kiss it. Goodbye. The truth is. You can't be. My. Disciple. So. Count the cost. Have you been baptized. And are you willing. To give up your life. Lay down your life. Carry your cross. And follow me. Are you willing. To lay down. Your wants. Your desires. Your hopes. Your dreams. Your ambitions. Your ideologies. Your thought process. Your relationships. Are you willing. To give up. Everything you own." [25:05] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "A disciple abides in the teachings of Jesus. John 8, 31, he says, to the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, if you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Another word instead of hold in the King James is if you abide. Another translation for abide or definition would be remain, if you remain in my teachings. How many of you read the word of God outside of your two-second devotion on your phone? How many of you actually read the Bible? The living word of God. How many of you will leave today and tomorrow you will crack that thing open and you will spend time reading it, trying to gain understanding, trying to remain in and trying to hold on? A majority of you won't. That's just the truth. A majority of you will not read the word of God." [29:50] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "A disciple loves their fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. Listen to what John says. A new command I give you. A new one. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. And by this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. This is great. Isn't it funny to me that the Bible doesn't... It doesn't say, when you go to your Christian concert, people will know that you're a follower of Jesus. When you go to gospel night at the fair, people, you will know you're a follower of Jesus. When you wear that t-shirt, people are going to know that you're a follower of Jesus. When you put that sticker on your car, people are going to know you're... It doesn't say any of that boo-boo. It says, but if you want people who don't know me to know me, you have to love each other well." [32:34] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "A disciple is committed to the mission of Jesus. Matthew 4 19 says this. Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people. That's the mission. God, I don't know where my purpose is. I just want to know. What should I do? What should you do? Go reach people for Jesus. That's the mission. Go make disciples. That's what he calls us to. To invest into other people. Man, there's a bunch of young believers in this church who are dying and starving for somebody that would just teach them the way. For someone that would just invest into them, but they couldn't find any. There's some of you in here with a plethora of knowledge and wisdom and experience that God wants to use. And he wants to make flow like a river that gives life. To these young believers. But you're keeping it to yourself." [35:22] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "You know that I, as the lead pastor of this incredible church, I have one job in a sense. And scripture says that my job is to equip the saints. Do you know who the saints are? You. The ones who say yes to Jesus. I'm to equip you in Jesus. And do you know what it says after that? That I am to equip the saints for the works of the church. Some translations say for the building of the church. So what does that mean? It means that the gospel message and this leadership idea is decentralized. Meaning that the full weight is not on me to reach and disciple people. It's on you. That you have this obligation as the church, as this is my church. I am to help build and equip and build this thing up to where it's needed." [43:40] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "Imagine what it would look like at the collective church if we made this decision. This conscious effort to say, man, I don't want to just be a fan. I want to be a disciple. I don't want to just simply attend church. I want to be the church. I don't want to just sit with all of this. I want to invest into someone. If you're thinking to yourselves, you can go ahead and stand to your feet as I get ready to close. That's just the bathroom crew. Or not the bathroom. The baptism crew. Maybe we need a bathroom crew. Maybe you're just thinking, this wasn't even my sermon, where do I get started? This is how it starts. If you wanted to ever get discipled, you have to be in a place in a community. But there's, just like me, just ask, hey, Trey. Man, were you invested in me? Hey, Brad. Hey, Matt. And here's the thing. It's not always a pastor. We always have it in our mind, oh, the pastor has to be the one. No. The pastor is the one investing into you so that you can go and pastor others and shepherd others and disciple others." [45:43] (68 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)