Empowered to Disciple: The Great Commission Unveiled
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Sermon Clips
"Now, you may answer that question by being a good Shorter Catechism person, 'Our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,' and that's true of us individually, but it is also true of the church corporately. Our mission, our aim, our purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." [00:02:26]
"There is a mandate here that Christianity is meant to change the world. Let me give you two examples by way of an introduction. Think of the uncertain world of the second century. The second century because by that time everyone who knew Jesus personally had died, and now Christians were surviving on the writings and memories of first century Christians." [00:03:13]
"The staggering thing about the second century is just how much the church thrived in the midst of severe setback and persecution and opposition. In A.D. 165, the middle of the second century, a hundred years after the end of the Acts of the Apostles, a plague devastated the Roman Empire. It ran rampant for fifteen years, and an estimated five million people died in the course of that fifteen years in the empire." [00:03:52]
"Now in that context, Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.' The first thing I want us to see here is a massive claim, a massive claim. And it's a massive claim to divine sovereignty. 'All authority is given to me.' He is pantokrator. He answers to no one. He holds the universe in the palms of His hands." [00:09:35]
"He has authority over them all. He has authority over everything at all times and in all places. His authority is totally unrelenting. Everyone and everything, angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, the twenty-four elders, the church triumphant, men, women, children, creatures of the land, creatures of the sea, creatures of the air, Satan and all of his dominion, and Jesus says, 'All authority in heaven and earth is given to me.'" [00:10:33]
"Now, of course, making disciples involves preaching the gospel. It involves proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ. It involves telling sinners that 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.' Yes, you go and you preach justification that you can be right with God, in a right relationship with God by faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from your works." [00:17:00]
"Firstly, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Interesting, isn't it. That right in the mandate that Jesus gives to the church, their marching orders, their mission orders, He mentions baptism. Now, baptism is a church ordinance. Baptism cannot be performed outside of the local church. It has to be done in a certain way and in a certain manner and in a certain context." [00:18:12]
"True disciples say, 'Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation day and night.' They are discipled, meaning they are taught. Meaning they are instructed in Scripture, in doctrine, in piety, in obedience, demonstrating their commitment to the Word of God, showing that they are followers of Jesus, and they have His law within their hearts." [00:26:11]
"Well, there's a massive claim, and there's a massive command, and there's a massive comfort in this Great Commission. And the comfort is, 'Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' That's beautiful, isn't it? The charge is huge and monumental, to go into all the world and make disciples. Go into parts of the world where it might cause great difficulty, might cost you your life." [00:29:49]
"Well, for all of what's going on in this crazy time in 2021, that's not where we are, and we should be thankful. And we should think more and more of our brothers and sisters for whom this promise is a monumental comfort, a massive comfort. 'Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' He is Emmanuel, God with us, God among His people." [00:31:39]
"Now, sometimes when I hear Christians in 2021 – pandemic, Washington, Afghanistan, whatever it is – the world is falling, the sea is boiling, everything is coming to an end. My dear friend, listen to Jesus. 'I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.' He builds His church. He always has built His church in enemy occupied territory." [00:37:00]
"Oswald Smith famously said that, 'Any church that is not seriously involved in helping to fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited the right to exist.' That's strong. That's very strong. Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its right to exist." [00:38:47]
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"There is a mandate here that Christianity is meant to change the world. Let me give you two examples by way of an introduction. Think of the uncertain world of the second century. The second century because by that time everyone who knew Jesus personally had died, and now Christians were surviving on the writings and memories of first century Christians." [00:03:13]
"The staggering thing about the second century is just how much the church thrived in the midst of severe setback and persecution and opposition. In A.D. 165, the middle of the second century, a hundred years after the end of the Acts of the Apostles, a plague devastated the Roman Empire. It ran rampant for fifteen years, and an estimated five million people died in the course of that fifteen years in the empire." [00:03:52]
"Now in that context, Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.' The first thing I want us to see here is a massive claim, a massive claim. And it's a massive claim to divine sovereignty. 'All authority is given to me.' He is pantokrator. He answers to no one. He holds the universe in the palms of His hands." [00:09:35]
"He has authority over them all. He has authority over everything at all times and in all places. His authority is totally unrelenting. Everyone and everything, angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, the twenty-four elders, the church triumphant, men, women, children, creatures of the land, creatures of the sea, creatures of the air, Satan and all of his dominion, and Jesus says, 'All authority in heaven and earth is given to me.'" [00:10:33]
"Now, of course, making disciples involves preaching the gospel. It involves proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ. It involves telling sinners that 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.' Yes, you go and you preach justification that you can be right with God, in a right relationship with God by faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from your works." [00:17:00]
"Firstly, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Interesting, isn't it. That right in the mandate that Jesus gives to the church, their marching orders, their mission orders, He mentions baptism. Now, baptism is a church ordinance. Baptism cannot be performed outside of the local church. It has to be done in a certain way and in a certain manner and in a certain context." [00:18:12]
"True disciples say, 'Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation day and night.' They are discipled, meaning they are taught. Meaning they are instructed in Scripture, in doctrine, in piety, in obedience, demonstrating their commitment to the Word of God, showing that they are followers of Jesus, and they have His law within their hearts." [00:26:11]
"Well, there's a massive claim, and there's a massive command, and there's a massive comfort in this Great Commission. And the comfort is, 'Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' That's beautiful, isn't it? The charge is huge and monumental, to go into all the world and make disciples. Go into parts of the world where it might cause great difficulty, might cost you your life." [00:29:49]
"Well, for all of what's going on in this crazy time in 2021, that's not where we are, and we should be thankful. And we should think more and more of our brothers and sisters for whom this promise is a monumental comfort, a massive comfort. 'Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' He is Emmanuel, God with us, God among His people." [00:31:39]
"Now, sometimes when I hear Christians in 2021 – pandemic, Washington, Afghanistan, whatever it is – the world is falling, the sea is boiling, everything is coming to an end. My dear friend, listen to Jesus. 'I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.' He builds His church. He always has built His church in enemy occupied territory." [00:37:00]
"Oswald Smith famously said that, 'Any church that is not seriously involved in helping to fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited the right to exist.' That's strong. That's very strong. Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its right to exist." [00:38:47]
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