We Are The Next Chapter – The Next Chapter

Devotional

Day 1: The Second Adam Restores What Was Lost

Jesus didn’t just fix Adam’s failure – He rewrote humanity’s story. When the second Adam declared “It is finished” on the cross, He restored mankind’s authority and relationship with God that the first Adam forfeited. This cosmic reset means believers now carry Christ’s victory into every broken place. The same power that resurrected Jesus fuels our mission to reclaim what sin stole. [10:07]

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!”
(2 Corinthians 5:17, NRSV)

Reflection: Where have you been living like the first Adam – defeated and disconnected – instead of walking in the victory of the second Adam? What “old thing” needs to surrender to Christ’s new creation today?

Day 2: Baptism’s Trinitarian Seal of Approval

Water baptism isn’t just a ritual – it’s heaven’s family photo. Just as Father, Son, and Spirit showed up at Jesus’ baptism, all three Persons affirm believers today. This triune welcome declares we’re fully known and fully loved. Baptism becomes our “public graduation” from death’s grip into divine belonging. [20:41]

“And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’”
(Matthew 3:16-17, NRSV)

Reflection: Does your view of baptism feel more like a religious checklist item or a tangible experience of the Trinity’s delight? How might living as “God’s beloved” change your interactions today?

Day 3: Ordinary People Carrying Extraordinary Authority

Christ’s authority works like a corporate credit card – we spend His limitless resources, not our own. The disciples had no seminary degrees, just obedience to Jesus’ “full access” account. Our qualifications don’t matter; our CEO’s authorization does. [15:13]

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7, NRSV)

Reflection: Where are you trying to “pay cash” through self-effort instead of swiping Christ’s authority? What situation needs you to stop explaining your credentials and start declaring His?

Day 4: Preaching Without Podiums

Gospel sharing isn’t preaching – it’s storytime. Hadley’s teenage evangelism proves Jesus wants witnesses, not lawyers. Our testimony isn’t about airtight arguments but contagious joy. Every converted life is a living parable waiting to be told. [30:02]

“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.”
(Psalm 107:2, NIV)

Reflection: When did someone’s raw, unpolished story most impact you? What chapter of your Jesus-story feels too messy to share – but might exactly mirror someone’s struggle?

Day 5: The Commission That Never Clocks Out

Christ’s “end of the age” promise turns every goodbye into “see you later.” His presence transforms goodbyes at airport terminals, hospital bedsides, and gravesites from endings into intermissions. We labor with the assurance that the final curtain call reunites all who said “Yes.” [25:53]

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:4, NRSV)

Reflection: What “ending” in your life feels most permanent? How might Christ’s promise of eternal presence reframe this loss as a comma rather than a period?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 28:18-20 opens with Jesus staking the ground: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” That claim becomes the hinge of everything that follows. Matthew’s Gospel sets the scene like a coronation, presenting Jesus as the Davidic King and true Messiah, so the authority line lands as a royal decree, not a suggestion. The storyline runs deeper still: Jesus stands as the second Adam, the One who restores what the first Adam forfeited. “It is finished” seals the mission, the resurrection vindicates His identity, and now the ascended King issues orders in His name.

The Great Commission makes sense because the King speaks first. Authority births assignment. Therefore, the “go” is not do-it-yourself hustle; it is delegated charge. Jesus sends sent-ones, not freelancers. The picture is like a high-trust envoy operating with the Founder’s signature, not personal clout. The vine gives life, the branches bear fruit, and the commission rides on connection to Him, not on money, talent, or networks.

The assignment lands in three clear moves. First, disciple-making: Jesus does not chase mere belief stats, because demons believe; He wants followers who obey. Nations sit in view, not just individuals. The aim reaches cities and systems, but the strategy is kingdom-down, not top-down force: gospel proclamation, lived witness, and patient teaching. Second, baptism in the triune Name: the Father, Son, and Spirit who hovered over creation and split the heavens at Jesus’ baptism now place their seal on new believers. Water marks allegiance, while Spirit baptism supplies the power to do what the words demand. Third, teaching obedience to everything Jesus commanded: the apostolic pattern forms the church’s ongoing life in Word, sacrament, healing, restoration, and Spirit-given gifts.

The promise bookends the charge: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That promise runs past the original Eleven and stretches across the church age to every disciple Jesus saves. Real conversion moves a life; staying put is not an option when the King says go. The everyday field sits close: a living room, a cubicle, a neighbor’s porch, a school hallway. Credentials do not carry the day; testimony does. Believers can share the story, baptize new disciples, open Scripture together, and watch Jesus write the next chapter through ordinary obedience under extraordinary authority.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus’ authority grounds the mission [11:03] Authority is not a preface; it is the engine. The King’s “all authority” makes the command non-optional and non-anxious. Fear shrinks when the sender outranks the assignment. Obedience becomes confidence when the crown is already on His head. [11:03]
2. Sent ones don’t self-authorize [15:41] Calling operates like a commission, not a personal brand. The name above every name is the credential that opens doors and hearts. Ministry moves best when it travels light of ego and heavy with authorization. [15:41]
3. Disciple nations, not just count converts [17:19] Jesus targets followers who learn to obey, not spectators who nod at truths. Nations change when stories are told, Scriptures are opened, and habits are retrained by grace. The gospel penetrates culture quietly, then reshapes it thoroughly. [17:19]
4. Baptism bears the Triune seal and power [20:41] Water says publicly what grace has done privately, and heaven answers with “beloved son…beloved daughter.” The Spirit’s filling is not a bonus feature but mission fuel. The Name into which believers go down is the Presence by which they rise to serve. [20:41]
5. Every believer is sent today [26:34] “I am with you…to the end” stretches the mandate into this week’s calendar. The story in a mouth is stronger than the doubt in a mind. A neighbor’s porch can be holy ground when Jesus owns the moment and the messenger. [26:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:23] - We Are the Next Chapter
[01:51] - Matthew 28:18-20 Read
[02:34] - Promise: I Am With You
[04:12] - Authority Claimed by Jesus
[07:26] - King and Second Adam Frame
[10:07] - Mission Finished, Resurrection
[11:28] - Therefore: Go and Make
[12:28] - Sent Ones, Not Self-Made
[16:32] - Disciples, Not Just Converts
[18:45] - Trinitarian Baptism Explained
[21:49] - Filled With the Spirit’s Power
[23:55] - Jesus Is Sending You Now
[30:39] - Across the Street Mission
[32:51] - Prayer of Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Observation Questions

How does Jesus connect His authority in verse 18 to the command to “go and make disciples” in verse 19?
What three specific actions does Jesus include in the Great Commission (vv. 19-20)?
The sermon emphasized that Jesus’ promise “I am with you always” bookends the passage. How does this promise contrast with the idea of “staying put” in our faith? [26:34]

Interpretation Questions

Why is it significant that Jesus frames His command with “all authority” rather than starting with the call to “go”? How does this shape our motivation for mission?
The sermon described baptism as bearing the “Triune seal.” What does it mean for baptism to publicly mark allegiance to God while relying on the Spirit’s power? [20:41]
Jesus says to make disciples of “nations” rather than just individuals. How might this expand our understanding of influencing communities or systems with the gospel?

Application Questions

Where in your daily life (e.g., work, neighborhood, family) do you feel hesitant to share your faith? How does Jesus’ promise of authority and presence address that fear?
The sermon mentioned a 14-year-old leading friends to Christ. Who is one person in your circle you could intentionally disciple by sharing your story or opening Scripture together? [30:02]
Baptism signifies public allegiance to Christ. If you’ve been baptized, how does that act shape your identity today? If not, what holds you back from taking this step?
Jesus’ command includes “teaching them to obey.” What habit or area of your life needs re-training by grace to align with His commands?
The phrase “sent ones don’t self-authorize” challenges us to rely on Jesus’ authority. What practical step can you take this week to depend less on your own strength and more on His power? [15:41]
How could your small group support one another in seeing everyday spaces (e.g., cubicles, porches) as “holy ground” for gospel conversations? [30:39]

Sermon Clips

36s

“We're not staying where we are. You see, you can't love Jesus and stay where you are. You can't know him and say the same. When you get saved, when you get truly saved, it messes you up. You're not the same person. Like if I sat down to talk with you today, you might say, John Michael, man, if you would've known me ten years ago, I was an alcoholic. I was angry at the world. I I wasn't being faithful to my family. I was out drinking every weekend, but man, Jesus saved my life, and I've never been the same.”

37s

“Jesus looks at the disciples and says, you all don't have any authority in and of yourselves, but I do. And because I do and you're connected with me, you have full authority to go and take my kingdom all over the world. That's what I want you to do. It's not your money. It's not your power. It's not your talent or your ability or your connections. It's only because you're connected to me, the vine, the creator of the universe, the savior of the world. Now because of that, I'm sending you out.”

36s

“When Christ was baptized in the water by his cousin, John the Baptist, what happened? It says that the heavens split open. Imagine this if you can for a moment. The heavens split open, and the father spoke and said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. You've got the father, you've got the son in the water, and then it says, and the holy spirit descended like a dove onto Christ. And many Bible scholars and theologians believe that Christ was water baptized and spirit baptized in the same moment. They're two separate things, but they happen simultaneously, which is amazing.”

56s

“Jesus is sending yeah. I'm talking to you. I know how messed up your family is. Well, I don't, but God does. God knows the mistakes you've made and will make. God knows that the world may not call you qualified, and that's okay. He called you anyway, so don't worry about them. If Jesus has saved you, Matthew 28 is all for you. It's for you. Just as Christ sent the original 11 and then all the consequent the the the followers of Jesus who would come because these 11 left, consequently, and they were sent out, you're included in Matthew 28. Jesus was prophesying about you and about me. That's amazing.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Journey Church This sermon · AI assistant

What does Christ's universal authority require of believers?

How should disciples make followers of all nations?

How does Spirit baptism empower disciple-making today?

We Are The Next Chapter – The Next Chapter – Journey Church