Sermon: Living With A Purpose

Most of us want our days to count for more than mowing grass that grows right back. We long for a purpose that lasts. Jesus gives that purpose. Following Him isn’t picking a religious product off the shelf; it’s stepping into His kingdom, enlisting in His rescue mission, and putting our hand in the pile for the souls of men and women. In Matthew 28, we see what He asks of us so our lives carry eternal weight.

First, availability. The disciples heard what Jesus wanted because they showed up where He told them to be. They didn’t have the whole plan; they simply made themselves present and willing. The greatest ability really is availability—saying, “Here I am,” even when it pulls us out of comfort.

Second, submission. When they saw Jesus, they worshiped—and some doubted. Into that mixture, He said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” We don’t negotiate terms with a King. Salvation is not fire insurance plus later lordship; it’s surrender to the One who knows more than we do and loves us enough to rule us for our good.

Third, obedience. The single command is “make disciples.” Going, baptizing, and teaching describe how we do it—as we are going, wherever we live, work, shop, and play. Baptism isn’t just water; it’s immersion into a people. No one grows well as a lone Christian. We bring new believers into Christ’s body and teach them to obey everything He commanded so disciples multiply disciples.

We protest, “I’m shy; I don’t know enough.” But this isn’t optional for a follower of Jesus. The good news is that we never go alone. He promises, “I am with you always.” So let’s keep it simple: make ourselves available, submit to His authority, and obey His command to make disciples—one person at a time. Imagine if we pursued the spiritually lost with the same urgency and shared effort a community uses to find a lost dog. People’s eternities are at stake. This is the purpose we were made for.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Availability precedes every other ability. Showing up where Jesus appoints positions us to hear, receive, and be sent. We don’t need the full blueprint before we say yes; we need a willing presence that says, “Here I am.” God does His best work through people who are simply there for Him to use. [11:23]
• 2. Bow to the One with all authority. Worship turns to obedience when we accept Jesus’ absolute claim over heaven and earth. Doubt can coexist with worship, but it cannot rule our decisions. Submission means He sets the agenda; we stop editing His commands to fit our comfort. [19:29]
• 3. Make disciples as you are going. “Go, baptize, teach” orbits one command: make disciples. This happens in the ordinary flow of life—conversations, meals, workplaces—and it continues as we connect people to the church and teach them to obey. True success is spiritual reproduction, not mere decisions. [30:23]
• 4. His presence empowers faithful obedience. Jesus’ final promise is not a pep talk but a presence: “I am with you always.” The Spirit steadies our fears, supplies words, and opens doors we could never pry open. Our confidence is not in our skill but in His nearness. [38:41]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:40] - When we don’t know what we need
• [01:27] - A family with a purpose “system”
• [02:16] - Floating through life vs. living on mission
• [03:23] - God’s plan and eternal significance
• [05:30] - Christianity is not a product
• [06:30] - Joining a kingdom, army, and rescue
• [08:01] - What God needs first: availability
• [09:45] - Meet Me in Galilee: they heard because they were there
• [16:51] - Availability requires submission to authority
• [19:29] - “All authority has been given to Me”
• [28:50] - The Great Commission in focus
• [30:23] - “As you are going”: everyday disciple-making
• [32:26] - Baptism and belonging to a church
• [34:39] - Why Jesus came: seeking and saving the lost
• [38:41] - “I am with you always”: our confidence
• [40:16] - The lost dog and a searching community
• [43:25] - Availability, submission, obedience: the call to respond

1. Matthew 28:16 says the disciples went to “the mountain which Jesus had appointed.” How does that detail shape our understanding of availability—why is showing up critical to hearing Jesus’ commission? (See sermon: “They heard because they were there.” [11:23])
2. Verse 18 is Jesus’ claim of authority. What concrete changes in a disciple’s life does this claim require when it is accepted? (See sermon emphasis on submission: “All authority has been given to me…” [19:29])
3. Verses 19–20 list going, baptizing, teaching around the single command to “make disciples.” What differences do you observe between the central command (make disciples) and the three actions listed? How do those actions fit together in everyday life? (See sermon: “as you are going” [30:23])
4. Verse 20 ends with a promise: “I am with you always.” What immediate practical comforts or responsibilities flow from that promise for someone who must witness to others? (See sermon: “And lo, I am with you always…” [38:41])

1. How does the preacher’s assertion that “availability precedes every other ability” interpret the Galilee scene—what assumption about discipleship underlies that claim? (See sermon: “The greatest ability is availability.” [11:23])
2. The preacher insists salvation is not optional lordship but surrender — “Savior and Lord or none.” How should this statement shape a new believer’s priorities when personal plans conflict with Jesus’ commands? (See sermon: “Savior and Lord or none.” [24:36])
3. The sermon highlights that “go” in the Great Commission is framed as “as you are going.” How does reading “go” as ordinary, daily life (work, home, shopping) change the church’s mission strategy compared with only organized mission trips? (See sermon: “as you are going” [30:23])
4. The preacher used the lost-dog story to illustrate communal effort. What does that parable imply about how a local church should mobilize for evangelism and care? What elements of the story are meant to be copied? (See sermon: lost-dog illustration [40:16])

1. The pastor challenged each person to “reach one” (Vision 2020 idea). Name one person in your relational circle you will target this year. What is the first concrete step you will take with that person this week? (See sermon: “each one to reach one.” [36:10])
2. Availability: what is one specific way you will demonstrate “Here I am” this month? (Examples: attend an outreach training, join a team, accept an invitation to share your testimony, set a regular time to pray for a neighbor). Write the step and when you will do it. (See sermon: “Here I am, Lord.” [13:13])
3. Submission: identify a current choice or habit you are reluctant to surrender to Jesus’ authority (work schedule, relationship, entertainment, money, etc.). What is one practical change you will make this week to submit that area to Him? (See sermon: “we don't retain the right to rule our own lives.” [23:34])
4. Obedience/disciple-making: who will you intentionally invite into spiritual conversation or invite to church in the next 14 days? What will you say or ask to move that relationship toward Christ? (See sermon: “Make disciples…as you are going.” [36:58])
5. Confidence in witness: when fear or shyness keeps you from sharing the gospel, what short prayer or sentence will you use to ask Jesus for help in the moment? Practice drafting that sentence now. (See sermon: “I am with you always” as the source of help. [38:41])
6. Church mobilization: the lost-dog story showed neighbors mobilizing quickly. What one small, concrete step can this group take in the next month to mobilize for gospel work (phone chain, neighborhood prayer walk, assigned visitation team)? Who will commit to lead that step? (See sermon: community mobilized in the search [41:59])