Thank you for joining us at Key Life Fellowship for our Pulpit
Ministry Podcast. Each sermon on this podcast is
from our 11:00 AM Sunday service.
We are glad that you have joined us digitally, but would love to
see you in person on Sunday mornings at either 9:00 AM or
11:00 AM. Now let's open God's word and
ask Him to reveal His truths for our lives.
Turn to the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Matthew, and go ahead
and flip all the way to the end to Chapter 28 as we are
continuing our series that we began a couple of weeks ago when
we began to talk. About Christchurch, the dearest
place on earth and isn't it? Look around you.
This is the dearest place on earth, the body of believers, to
which Christ is the head. I wake up, as I told you last
week, every Sunday morning, excited about seeing each and
every one of you to receive those handshakes, those hugs to
have people just simply say this.
I love you and I'm praying for you this week.
What a blessing it is to know that we are a part of such a
wonderful, wonderful group of blood bought believers in
Christ. We are continuing to talk about
the dearest place on earth. As we began, we talked about in
the last few lessons, the basic attributes of the Church.
What should the true church look like?
But this week we're going to switch gears a little bit and
and. Leave the attributes of the
Church. And look at the biblical
assignment. Of the Church.
We're leaving the basic attributes, the characteristics
that we all ought to possess as individuals that make up the
whole, and the whole ought to possess those characteristics.
We looked at that in depth the last couple of weeks, but today
we're going to look at the biblical assignment of
Christchurch. What are we here to do?
How many people are confused about this?
Why? Why do we exist?
Do we exist because we just want to be a part of the club?
Do we exist because we got nothing better to do?
Nothing else to do? We exist because people are just
bored and want to get together. There's so much more to it than
that. We have an assignment, and Jesus
makes that assignment very clear in the two verses that we're
going to look at today. But before we get to that
assignment, what I want to tell you first is this.
And I want you to write this down because so many people in
our day are confused about this. So many socalled churches are
confused about this. I want us to look at before we
move into the biblical assignment of Christchurch, what
he commanded us and told us where we are to do while we are
left here on this earth. But have you ever wondered why
are we left here? We're left here for a purpose.
Because if we didn't have a purpose, the the moment that you
were saved, you would have just gone ahead and taken you home.
But you're left here with a purpose I don't want.
To tell you what that purpose is not, as the church write this
down, the Church's assignment is not to fix all of the social
social problems or social injustices in this fallen world.
This world is tainted by sin. In fact, Romans chapter 8 says
the very earth the world is groaning.
For redemption. That's not the church's job.
When Adam fell, the whole world fell into chaos.
And our job as the Church is not to fix the chaos of this world.
All of the social injustices and all of the things that so many
people spend all of their time doing in the name of the.
One day Jesus Christ will return and he will make sure that
everyone receives a justice. And everything is going to be
restored back to the Eden type state that it was in before the
fall of man. But until then, the earth is
going to become progressively worse.
There's nothing you can do about it.
This earth has a death sentence upon it, because when Adam fell
to sin, death entered in upon all men and upon this earth.
There's nothing you can do to rewind that or fix it.
Many people in the socalled church spend their whole lives
trying to fix social injustices. It's not our job as the church.
It's not our assignment. Jesus is going to make our
assignment very clear and concise and simple in just a
moment. But secondly, it's not to make
Pagan sinners feel accepted. Many people think that the duty
of the Church, the assignment of the church, is to make pagans
feel accepted, to to embrace all sorts of of immorality and
idolatry and paganism and just act as if it's okay.
It's not okay. In fact, the Church is called to
abstain and to avoid even the very appearance of evil.
How could the Church ever fall into the trap of thinking that
their job was to make every Pagan idolatrous Sinner
accepted? It's not our job.
It's not our duty when a person comes in.
It's not our job to make them feel comfortable on their way to
hell. It is our job to tell them the
truth that they are on their way to hell.
Yes, and that is a fact. Apart from Jesus Christ, we are
all condemned already. Unless God graciously intervenes
and saves their wretched soul, they will be judged for all
eternity. I know people get upset when you
talk that kind of biblical. Talk these days.
But our assignment is not to make people feel comfortable on
their way to hell and accept it. Because, you know, in this
world, the church can make those people feel accepted all that
they want, but they're never going to be accepted into God's
eternal Kingdom apart from Jesus Christ.
It's high time we let them know that.
So it's not to. Make the Pagan center feel
accepted. It's not to fix social problems
or injustices in this fallen world.
You know what else is not the assignment of the church that
we're seeing so often and so-called church circles today
in the culture that we live in. And that is to blend in with the
culture in a non offensive way, right?
Change the church into a rock concert so that the lost world
won't be offended. Right.
Cut all the lights, get a smoke machine, make it look like a
rock concert, and everybody's coming.
And they will. That's not the assignment of the
church. Make people feel like they're
out of a heavy metal concert. Make the people feel like
they're at something worldly just so that they'll stick
around a little while. That's not our assignment.
Not only that, our assignment is not to change the world into
being a better place. As I've already said, world in
the state that which she is in right now will never be a better
place. Not until Christ returns.
He destroys the earth as we know it by fire and he recreates it
back to what he intended for it to be.
Also, the church and her assignment is not to be
inclusive. Not to be inclusive.
I just the other day my wife was in a conversation with a lady at
the grocery store who was asking about church.
He had a Christian T-shirt on and the lady asked about shirt
church. You know, lady?
Let her know well, I go to this church because they include
everyone. Now we know what.
That means in today's society, don't we?
They include everyone. That means they're an all
inclusive church, and the lady began to tell her they accept
the L GB, TQ Plus community, as if my wife was going to somehow
be impressed with that type of immorality.
And she let her know real quickly, that way we were part
of this church because they're inclusive, right?
Because the church in today's messed up church culture, thinks
that we have to be inclusive. We have to include everyone and
everything, right? They had that conversation
shortly before her same sex partner showed up to reveal why
she was thankful that she had a church that was all inclusive.
Can I insert this at the risk of offending everyone?
The church is exclusive, not inclusive.
It is only for those who are in Christ who have been saved,
ushered out of darkness. I don't care what lifestyle of
darkness it was. You have come out of that
lifestyle of darkness. You have been ushered into
marvelous light, and that light is Christ.
It's exclusive. The church is exclusive to the
believers. If you're here today and you dub
yourself, please don't a seeker. You have no place in his church.
You're not seeking anything. In fact, the Bible is very
clear. There's none righteous.
No, not one. No one seeks after him.
Stop being deceived and deceiving yourselves.
You're not seeking God, you're seeking something else.
Because when a person is truly born again and saved it as God
who seeks them out of their sin, no one seeks him.
We seek self indulgence. We seek self fulfillment.
We seek. Pleasure for our flesh and sin.
So our duty is not to be inclusive as our assignment.
Nowhere does Jesus say go ye therefore and be all inclusive.
But no, it is an exclusive place.
It is the place of the elect those were purchased by the
precious blood of Jesus Christ. I don't say that to be arrogant.
I say that to be biblically true.
This is. An assembly of blood bought
spirit filled Christ followers and no one else should feel at
home here, but blood bought spirit filled Christ.
So the assignment of the church is not to make everyone feel
included. In fact, if you go back to the
New Testament church, at times they were excluding people for
open immorality. They were removing them from
fellowship. They were disciplining them
because of their waywardness. I would say things like mark
them and have nothing to do with them because of their
immorality. That's the New Testament church.
The problem is, in America, we don't even know what a New
Testament church really is supposed to look like.
I'll give you a hint, go back to the New Testament and read it.
Stop throwing your opinions and your ideas out there and go look
at what the scripture says the church really is.
It's when we look at the assignment of the church, the
biblical assignment we must go back to when it was given.
When we go back to Matthew chapter 28, what we know as the
Great Commission, where Jesus is about to ascend into heaven
after he was here on this earth where he died, he was buried.
He rose again. He spent some days on the earth
teaching his disciples all the Old Testament scriptures that
pointed to him, teaching them things that even John said.
If I wrote them all down, there wouldn't, there wouldn't be
enough room in the world to hold all the books.
But now Jesus is about to ascend into heaven.
And he gives them their assignment.
Here's what I am leaving you here to do.
Look at this. If you would with me in Matthew
chapter 28, verse 19, we will look at 2 verses today and then
these two verses. Let me just go ahead and tell
you this, there is a lot there. Unfortunately, many times we
skip over it and miss the Nuggets of truth that are here.
We will not do that today. Verse 19 it says therefore.
Go and make disciples of all nations.
That, therefore, is because He has told them that I'm giving
you authority to go. Do this.
Therefore go and do it. Therefore go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you.
Always to the very end of the age.
Oh, there's so much there that we have to jump in quickly and
talk about this. But before we do, I want you to
see something here that that if you would pay close attention to
this, this will change these two verses to where you don't just
read over them and think that there's not a lot there.
You read them and say this is the last request in the
assignment given to the Church by Christ him cell and in this
text when he says make disciples.
In those two verses, that is the only direct command.
In this whole statement known as the Great Commission, it is in
the imperative mood. In the Greek language it says
make disciples. It's not optional.
It is the command. Now, what Jesus does with the
rest of these surrounding words and the rest of this text, He
uses present participles such as go.
Baptize, trust, teach. He uses those present
participles to show these disciples just how they are to
go and make disciples. He gives them the resources to
accomplish the assignment that He's given them right there in
this text. And that's what we're going to
look at today. He doesn't just say make
converts. Most of the time that I've spent
in a certain denomination, all they would do when you got to
the Great Commission was talk about making converts.
Then they have a bunch of little infant Christians running
around, tossed to and fro from every wind of doctrine, some of
them standing in pulpits delivering pep.
Talks each week. That's not the assignment of the
Church. The assignment of the church is
not go make converts to Christ, though.
That's a part of it. We're going to see that the
assignment of the church is make.
Disciples. That is the command here.
This is the imperative here. Make disciples.
I want you to focus on that in this whole lesson today.
There's one strict command here. Make disciples.
And so if you knew this as a follower of Christ, because we
know this, that if you love him, you're what obey him, you ought
to be asking the question immediately.
What do I have to do to make disciples?
So that I can be obedient to the command of the Lord to make.
Disciples, what must I? He includes it in this so
graciously, and I'm thankful for the way Jesus laid this out for
us, so that we don't settle for making converts focusing on only
the go part, but that we make disciples in accordance with His
will and obedience to His command.
He's simply telling them. To make disciples.
And here's how. And This is why this is so
important. John MacArthur rightfully calls
disciples of Christ, believing, learners and learning.
Believers. Isn't that what we are?
Believing, learning learners and learning believers?
That's what a disciple of Christ really is.
We're believers who continue to learn and we're learners who
continue to believe. And so when we look at that
basic definition of make disciples, we have to ask
ourselves, are we making believing learners and learning
believers? Because that is the biblical
assignment of the church. It's to make disciples.
And today what we're going to do is we're going to unfold exactly
how we are to do that. And why is that important?
Am I preaching this message because we are not a church who
makes disciples? No, I'm preaching this message
to say thankfully we are a church who makes disciples.
But I'm also aware of this. A church who forgets what their
assignment is will quickly run down the wrong path and end up
not making disciples. Did you know that?
At a horrible and astounding rate, churches across our
country in the last three years have began to padlock their
doors. No longer making disciples, they
have lost sight of what they are supposed to do, who they are,
and what Jesus. Has given them as their
assignment. People ask all the time.
Why do you think key line fellowship grows when other
churches don't? Because we're making.
Disciples. We're making disciples.
We're not just making converts, We're making disciples.
And you know what? When we make disciples, you know
what disciples do? They make more disciples.
And you know what happens to those disciples?
They make more disciples. That's what we see by design.
Because 2000 years ago when Jesus gives this assignment,
these men were obedient to this assignment.
I stand here before you today saying we too must be obedient
to this assignment. Why?
Because if the Lord tarried 2000 more years, and I hope that he
doesn't and it doesn't look like he could, that's all up to him.
But if he tarried 2000 more years.
I pray that we would make disciples, true disciples who
make true disciples. You make true disciples.
I pray that you dads would become a disciple maker in your
home. That you would disciple your
wife and you would disciple your children together.
That you would teach them the truth of the word of God.
Teach them the importance of what we're going to see today.
Any organization that calls themselves a church that isn't
making disciples is not a church at all.
They're a social group. They're a Country Club.
They're an organization. They're gathering.
But don't dare call them a church.
Why? Because the church will be on
assignment. And what is that assignment?
It is to make disciples. Let's learn how this morning as
the master teacher, the Lord Jesus teaches us and how we do
this. He says this in verse 19.
As we break this text down, he says, therefore go and make
disciples. Therefore go.
I want you to pay attention to this part because this is an
important part of making disciples.
There has to be a going if you're going to make disciples.
There must be a going. Go here is not, as I've already
said, a direct command. It's a present participle.
It is a given. Jesus isn't commanding them to
go. He's communicating to them that
I know that you're going to be going.
How does he know that? Because he knows us.
We go, go, go, go, go. Don't we?
Some of you have a hard time sitting in the church service.
Listen to me preach for 30 minutes or so.
Because you want to go, right? I'll give you a sermonette if
you want one, but it'll do neither one of us good.
You want to go? You want to move, You want to do
something, right. We understand that he's making.
An emphasis here to the fact that they are going to be going
right when you get done here, you're going, where are you
going? Come on.
You're going to lunch. I don't know where you're going,
right. You're the reason that when I
get there an hour and a half later, everything's already out.
He's talking about the fact that we're going to be going.
He's not giving a command here. He's given a given and as we
are. Going we have a responsibility.
And what is that responsibility? That responsibility is the
gospel. The gospel.
Because you can't make disciples without the gospel.
Isn't that square one? We have to share the gospel as
we go. You're going to leave here in
just a little while. You're going to go to lunch.
You can go to lunch and you can talk about how horrible the
sermon was. And when I walk in, stop
talking. I would probably agree with you.
Just let me in on the conversation or what you could
do is this. You can understand that Jesus is
teaching here. As you are going, you need to be
proactive in your attitude and sharing the gospel.
A proactive attitude and sharing the gospel.
What is that? It's a willingness to at any
place and anytime share the gospel.
That's what proactive means. It is a proactive attitude where
you say I'm going to do what Paul told Timothy and Second
Timothy chapter 4, verse 2, where he told him to preach the
word in season and out of season.
When it's popular, when it's not popular all the time, be ready
to share the gospel. So now life begins to look
different as you go from this place as you have been reminded
that you are what light and you were going out into.
Now you go out into the darkness, shining the light of
Jesus Christ because you were going anyways.
And when you go to that particular place, that
restaurant where you're going to eat, that home that you're going
to eat with friends, let there be a willingness to share the
gospel at all times, in season and out of season, when you
think. It will be accepted when you
think that it won't, when it's popular, when it's unpopular.
We as Christians have to be active in sharing the good news
of Jesus Christ. Why?
Because by design. Did you know it's by design.
And I didn't design it. I didn't make it up.
I just attempt to follow it. It is by God's design that we
have been entrusted with the method and the means to make
disciples. The first thing is to evangelize
the lost as we go. And that comes with a
willingness to at every turn all times share the glorious gospel
of Jesus Christ. Why?
Because he designed it this way that we get to preach the gospel
that we have received. Well, if the gospel means
something to you, if when you were saved you heard the gospel,
and in the gospel you know that God used that to rescue you from
judgment and wrath and hell, If you really understand that, how
can you keep someone else from hearing that message?
In fact, Romans chapter 10 tells us this is God's design for it
as we go. He says in verse 13 to chapter
10 for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
We love that verse. We leave it by itself all the
time. Don't.
For everyone who calls in the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Yes. Watch what he says next.
How then can they call on the 1:00 they have not believed in?
How can they call on the 1:00 they have not believed in?
How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
I know what you do now. You say, yeah, preaching, that's
your job. No, that's your job.
Go back and study Romans. He's riding to the entire church
and he's letting them know that as you are going, as the Lord
told us you would be, make sure that you are diligent and
preaching the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the
Sinner. He goes on to saying, how can
they preach unless they are sent?
He said, well, I'm not sent to preach every week.
Go preach that message. You're sent to preach.
Your pastor sends you out every week.
Go be the light in darkness. And when they ask what are you
to do, when they ask and they inquire about the hope that you
have, what do I tell you? Week after week after week,
share with them the glorious gospel because Rome is 116, says
it is the power of God unto salvation for all who.
Without Jesus there is no hope and there's only hope in Jesus.
And they must repented their sin by faith, trust in Jesus and
Jesus alone, and trusting in Christ and Christ alone.
They are then freed from the wrath, judgment of God and they
have been given eternal life. Oh, you have eternal life.
What person who really, truly understands eternal life would
withhold that from anyone else? Be they friend, be the enemy.
Share with them the good news. Preach to them the gospel.
And should be ingrained in our lives.
Proactive attitude and sharing the good news.
A lifestyle of looking for every opportunity to share that
glorious message that we have been entrusted with.
What a treasure, you know, Scripture says he's entrusted
that treasure and jars of clay were nothing.
But the message of the gospel that we carry around with us is
everything. Share that with others.
Be proactive in your attitude and sharing the gospel.
It will also be marked not only by proactivity in your attitude,
but also by a passionate appeal to those who were lost.
You will be passionate about seeing sinners saved.
In fact, you will seek them as you're going.
You go to that restaurant that we spoke of earlier.
You sit down at your table. You ask the waitress, and I hope
you do. I hope you don't treat them as
slaves. I hope you treat them as souls.
But as you ask that waitress, how's your day going?
Pay attention to what she says. She begins to complain and she
begins to tear up and tell you how horrible her life is right
now. Nothing seems to be going right.
You know what she needs? She needs an ear at that moment
in time to hear where she is so that you can then turn and share
the gospel with her. Because what the world's going
to do, the world's going to hear her.
The world's going to say, hey, why don't you come over tonight
we'll have a party and and we'll we'll get some booze and we'll
liquor it up and feel bad together.
We have the glorious message of the gospel and what we can do in
that situation. When she says my life's falling
apart, you can actually, kindly and gently speak to her about
the fact that you know what? You may feel like your life is
falling apart, but the reason that you feel that is because
your life is really no life at all.
There is no life apart from Christ because he is the way,
the truth, and the life. He's the true life.
And you began to share with the same individual about Jesus
Christ and what he did for you at the cross and how he rescued
you from your miserable state. Being just a wicked Sinner
scoundrel or for you females, a scoundret.
I think that's the female version of a scoundrel.
Just share with her how there is hope beyond this life, beyond
the agony that we face in this world, beyond just the daytoday
struggles. If you passionately share that
with her, share the message of Christ.
In doing this, you mirror Christ in the apostles.
Christ himself said in Luke chapter 19 verse 20 that he came
to seek and to save that which was lost.
I'm so thankful for the people in my life who sought that which
was lost and poured in the gospel to me, whether that was
was the preaching of the gospel from the pulpit, or the
preaching of the gospel from from dinner tables, or the
preaching of the gospel when we were driving in vehicles.
Wherever it was, I'm thankful for those obedient disciple
makers who, as they were going passionately, appeal to this
lost Sinner calling me to faith and.
Repentance and Christ and Christ alone.
And so as we look at this. Going as a part of making
disciples as you're going, be proactive in your attitude and
sharing the gospel. Be passionate in your appeal to
those who are lost. Approach every soul as if it is
your dearest loved one who will perish and spend an eternity in
hell. Because wouldn't you want that
someone to do that for your loved one who you love so much?
Of course you would. And then let that approach be a
practical approach. As we are going, there must be a
proactive attitude ensuring the gospel, passing an appeal to
those who are lost. But also a practical approach.
Approach this thing practically. Don't complicate it.
This is evangelism 101 Dash Easy.
Pay attention to it. Be practical in your approach.
It's just simple. Everywhere God sends me How many
of you believe in the providential hand of God?
Raise your hand. You believe that you were here
this morning. Not by coincidence, not by
accident. You were here this morning
because God providentially made sure that you were here.
How many of you believe that? If you don't believe that, I
would encourage you to study the scriptures.
You will find out very quickly that nothing happens that he
doesn't cause or allow. He's sovereign and in control of
everything. But if that be the case, let's
keep our end of it very practical and very simple.
Everywhere I go, God sends me, and everywhere I find myself I
have a message and a mission. That message is the gospel, the
death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The fact that He atone for sinners on the cross 2000 years
ago. That He stood in the place of
wickedness, my wickedness, and He bore the wrath of God upon
his back that belonged upon my back.
And then what he did in that great exchange change we know as
grace. He then imputed his
righteousness to me, He bore my sin, imputed his righteousness
to me, and I am in right standing with God.
And He took the punishment for my sin.
And by trusting in Christ and Christ alone, I am completely
washed of all of my defilement, all of my wickedness.
I am granted a place at the table of God for all eternity,
and I will live in His presence forever because of what Jesus
Christ did for me at the cross. That's the message that we have.
And you're mad because you're going to be late to work now.
That's the message we should share everywhere we go.
Looking for the opportunity to share that message.
And when you break down on the side of the road with the.
Could God ever let this happen? And the triple-A man shows up
with his tools that you didn't have in your car?
Perhaps you didn't know how to change a flat, and instead of
seeing it as this big inconvenience, maybe you should
start seeing things. If you're a disciple maker
following the assignment of Christ, saying that you believe
in the providential hand and guidance of God, and do you
believe in that in all situations?
So when you have a flat on the side of the road, guess what?
God providentially allowed you to have a flat for what?
Joe, the mechanic who works for triple-A, who pulled up.
He gets out of his car. You know what?
Joe's lost and he's on his way to hell.
And he can never believe. He can never hear the truth
unless a preacher tell him. And there you are on the side of
the road. Oh, if you are truly
understanding Jesus assignment here as you were going
practically share the gospel before Joe leaves that day,
you're going to come to your senses and you're going to
realize that God left you on the side of the road, stranded.
Why? Because he loved Joe so much.
That he would even inconvenience you with a flat tire so that Joe
could hear the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved
right there on the side of the road.
Is that what Kirk? Does that happen?
Yes. You continue to share the
gospel. I will make you this guarantee
that will happen. That's my God's design.
How well they know. Let's the preacher tell them,
oh, we ought to be practical in that, looking for every
opportunity to share the gospel, realizing that every moment of
every day we are on a mission. And what is that mission?
The mission is to make disciples.
It starts with sharing the gospel with them.
Look for those opportunities, they are all around you all the
time. Be a part of Jesus assignment
making disciples as you were going, share the good news.
Share the good news of Jesus Christ because we know the world
has plenty of bad news. Share with them the good news
that there's hope beyond this life.
There's hope beyond this world. There's hope beyond the grave.
There's hope in Christ and Christ alone.
The second thing that we look at here in Jesus teaching us how to
make disciples and assigning us that task.
He says therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That's not some formula or serum
that you use to baptize. There's many people who argue
about it. Should we be baptized in Jesus
name? Should we be baptized in the
name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit?
Here's the thing, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are
always in agreeance. It doesn't matter what terms you
use. If you're baptized into Christ,
you're baptized into the Father. You're baptized into the Holy
Spirit. You're baptized into the Son.
If you're baptized in the name of Jesus, you're baptized into
the name of the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
They are one working together. They always have.
They always will. So let's not get caught up in
all of those silly discussions. What we realize is what Jesus is
saying here. The emphasis here is baptizing
them. Wait a second, Kirk.
We we always have approached baptism as if it's just some
secondary option. Not if you believe what Jesus is
teaching here. Jesus is saying this as you're
going make disciples, so as you're going share the gospel.
That's where it starts, right? It is the power of God unto
salvation for all who believe. Then he goes into baptizing them
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This is their first act of obedience.
You are actually pointing this new convert.
To obedience in Christ. Why?
So that they don't abuse, grace their whole Christian life.
You were showing them. Now that you are a Christian,
here's what Christians do. You know what a Christian does?
First, he or she publicly professes Christ.
And how do they do that? Baptism.
Go back all the way to Acts. Chapter 2, verse 41.
The day of Pentecost. Holy Spirit came upon those who
were there. Many were saved.
In fact, thousands. And it says this in verse 41.
Those who accepted his message were baptized and about 3000
were added to their number that day.
All 3000 who were added to their number were baptized.
Why? That is their public profession
of Christ. Now, in our time, no big deal.
We're going to see some people in just a moment, They're going
to publicly profess Christ and they're going to walk out the
door and their life is seemingly going to be the same.
I hope not internally, but in the culture that Jesus is
addressing here, he knew this. When they publicly professed
Christ, they're going to be disowned by their family
members. They're going to be disowned by
their friends that the Roman persecution was coming.
They were going to be tortured and even killed by the Romans
for openly, publicly professing Christ.
Now baptism just became a big deal, didn't it?
Why is baptism such a big deal? Because it is an introduction of
the Saint into the visible church.
The introduction of the Saint into.
The visible church. Through public profession of
Christ, We do this through baptism.
I say this boldly An unbaptized individual cannot be a member of
the local visible church. Why?
Because we have no idea if they're truly saved.
You ever seen anyone get saved? No, you haven't.
You seen people come forward. You never seen anyone saved.
Why? Because it's a transaction that
you can't see. In fact, John Chapter 3, Jesus
made this very clear. It's like the wind.
When when one is born of the Spirit, the wind comes in.
You don't see the wind. You see what the wind does or
what the wind causes. The first thing that the wind
ought to cause in the true disciple of Christ, it ought to
cause them to publicly profess Christ in baptism.
Why? Because that's what they're
commanded to do, that first act of obedience through that public
profession known as baptism. It is in that ordinance.
That person is saying I'm no longer of the world, I'm of the
blood bought Church of Jesus Christ.
I have left the world and I am now in the church.
They're offering themselves to be held accountable, to be
loved, to be encouraged, to be admonished, to be exhorted, to
be reproved by the church. It is in baptism that we
recognize that, because that is the only way that we can see if
a person was saved, they say to the world.
As we ask them, and they will be asking a moment, you announce
sin and Satan, and they say yes, they've turned, they've
repented. Who is Jesus Christ?
He's my Lord and Savior. It is a visible recognition of
an invisible thing. Your positional baptism is
invisible. Water baptism is visible.
And so we see not only is it an introduction of the Saint into
the visible church, it's an invisible reality expressed.
Water baptism is expressing the reality of positional baptism
that we have in Christ. We have been immersed in Christ,
right? That word.
Baptizo in the Greek, That's what it means.
Immersed. We have been immersed in Christ
through his death is burial in resurrection.
That is why when we baptize people, we don't sprinkle them.
They've not been sprinkled into Christ positionally.
They have been immersed into Christ.
And so we immersed them. As a symbol of that recognizing
the death of the burial and the resurrection of Christ, and that
belief in that being applied to that person who is professing
Christ publicly, it simply expresses this that we died with
Christ, we were buried with Christ, and we've been raised to
new life with Christ. In fact, Romans chapter 6 verse
three says this. Or do you not know that all of
us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
death? We were therefore buried with
him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may
live a new life. Our baptism is identifying with
Christ. If we're going to follow Christ
in the assignment of making disciples, we will encourage
those who profess Christ to publicly profess Him in baptism,
where that invisible reality is expressed in a visible way.
Let me be very clear on this before we move on from this
topic. We are not regenerated due to
baptism. We are baptized due to
regeneration. Because we have been
regenerated, we now have a new hunger and a new thirst in us to
be obedient to Christ. And the first thing that Christ
commands is to be baptized. So the ritual of baptism is not
a work that saves you. That's very clear.
Throughout all of the New Testament, we are saved by grace
alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and not in any
work that we could ever do or that anyone could do for us and
so to. Reconcile the arguments that
have taken place throughout the ages about this particular
subject. It is because we have been saved
that we follow the Lord in believers baptism.
We don't follow the Lord in baptism so that we can be saved.
But I have a hard time believing that a true convert will not
publicly profess Christ in baptism, right?
Wouldn't there be a spiritual problem?
They're still existing. If someone said yes, I know
Jesus died for me. I know that he was buried for
me. I know that he rose again for
me. But I don't want to let everyone
else know that we got a problem there, don't we?
And here's the problem. The problem is the teachings of
Christ. When we go back to the teachings
of Christ, we find a problem with that.
What did Jesus teach? You said, if you're ashamed of
me on this earth, I'll be ashamed of you before my Father
who is in heaven. You can't rewrite that.
You can't make that say anything else.
That is exactly what Christ says.
And when we enter into the baptismal pool and we are
identifying with the death, the burial, the resurrection of
Jesus Christ, we are saying that we are different because of
Christ. And we are not ashamed of that.
And we are publicly professing that and obedience to what?
The Lord. Has commanded he has saved us
and we are identifying with Christ.
It's invisible reality expressed in a visible way.
It's also an identifying mark distinguishing the believer.
An identifying mark distinguishing the believer from
what, but from many things. Just as circumcision was an
identifying mark under the old Covenant to Israel, right?
Remember Abram? He was commanded, circumcised
his children. The generations followed after
with that why it was to set them apart, to distinguish them from
the rest of the Pagan world. And just as that sign of
circumcision was an outward expression of a God-given
covenant, baptism is the same thing.
It is that outward expression of an invisible.
God-given covenant through the work of Jesus Christ.
Baptism distinguishes you. Please know that if you're a
socalled believer here today, and you haven't been
distinguished through a public profession through baptism, you
need to be distinguished. You can't figure out why the
world doesn't think there's any difference between you and them.
You've not been distinguished yet.
Be obedient to Christ. Today be distinguished, said
identifying Mark. Or you going together in public
with the assembly of the Saints, and you openly say this.
I am now a new creation in Christ.
Hold me to that. I am identifying with Christ,
make sure that I look like that, and I live like that.
It's a distinguishing mark distinguishes the believer from
the unbeliever, the Pagan from the Christian, the world from
the Church. The Sinner from the Saint is
baptism that distinguishes us. It identifies us as being
cleansed not by the water of baptism.
This Carrie Underwood and error sang about baptismal
regeneration is the heresy. It has been for hundreds upon
hundreds of years. It's not the water that cleanses
you. Go read the rest of scripture.
It is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses you.
It is the water that symbolizes that cleansing.
Where would we be without the blood of Jesus?
That baptism identifies that we have been cleansed through the
washing of the water, through the Word, through the sacrifice
of Jesus Christ, through faith and acceptance of the truth of
the gospel. X-238-A verse that's many times
taken out of context and become the topic of much controversy,
even in the Church, which it shouldn't be.
It's beautifully laid out. This is, Peter replied.
Repent and be baptized. I love the order of that repent.
Depend is that turning from sin and self and turning to Christ.
It says and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ. Now these people who jump into
this baptized in Jesus Christ name, they don't understand
unity among the Trinity. They say see there it says Jesus
Christ. Well see there.
Matthew 28 says Father, Son, Holy Spirit, what's going on
here? When Jesus speaks, the Father
speaks. When the Father speaks Jesus
speaks. When the Spirit speaks, they all
three speak as one everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins and you will be, will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. I've heard people many times
take this and say, see, you're baptized for the forgiveness of
sin. Yeah.
And what you reveal there is that you don't really understand
the original language and you don't really even understand
English. What he's saying here is this.
Pay attention. Very closely, he says be
baptized everyone, repent, and be baptized everyone of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Now if we were to take that and we were to say okay for the
forgiveness of sins, I have to be baptized so that I can be
forgiven. There are many people in
Scripture who are in deep, deep trouble, aren't they?
Yes, Steve on the cross being one of them, and I know well,
that's an exception. There are no exceptions.
God doesn't make exceptions. There's a hole in your theology
there. Oh, here's what happens here.
He's saying this, if you will pay close attention.
He's saying to be baptized because of the forgiveness of
sins. Remember what happened first.
Repentance and faith. And in faith and repentance,
you're forgiven of all your sins and because of that be baptized.
Now, because you have been forgiven, show the world, Show
the Church publicly that you've been washed through the blood of
Jesus Christ, that you are forgiven.
We are baptized because of the forgiveness of sin.
You say, well, why would they use for?
Well, think about this for a moment.
I'm married to Brandy. I'm married to Brandy.
For I love her. Oh, you would think there was
nothing wrong with that if I didn't use the word, because you
would understand very quickly that the reason that I devoted
myself to her was because I love.
Her For I love her be baptized. For because of the forgiveness
of sin. Now when we interpret it
correctly, then everything else in all of Scripture lines up.
It is now grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and
not works that we do or that others do for us.
So we see that baptism is very important to making disciples.
Why? It's their first act of
obedience. The true church will point to
those who have been saved to identify with Christ publicly.
Why? So that the invisible becomes
visible, so that all will see in just a moment some are going to
be baptized. What they are saying is this and
this has been explained to them. They're saying I'm a new
creation in Christ Church. I publicly profess in Christ, as
many of you have, and I need you to hold me accountable.
I need you to lift me up in prayer.
I need you to be my family and my support on this earth as we
walk through darkness together, shining the light of Jesus
Christ. That's what baptism is.
It's important that in making disciples we point people to
baptism. And then he goes on and he says,
this verse 20 He says, and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you, and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. He tells his disciples, if
you're going to make disciples, you got to teach them right.
And this discipleship doesn't happen by proxy.
Discipleship doesn't happen by osmosis.
You can't just take your Bible and go lay your head on your
Bible at night while you sleep, and it's going to be somehow
transferred into your mind. So if we're going to follow the
Lord's assignment in making disciples, He includes teaching
them, teaching them. How do we teach them?
Through scriptural exposition, Expository teaching, strengthens
and matures. The Church doesn't make carnal
or worldly sense, I know that. It doesn't make sense how a man
can get up here and take the scriptures and and squeeze them
for everything that they have in them and that go out into your
ears, into your mind, into your heart, and then be used by God
to transform you. It is supernatural.
That's God's intended way, wasn't it?
Jesus himself and John 1717 who said Lord sanctify them by
truth. Your word is truth.
What is the truth of the Word of God?
When it is taught, when it is preached, it is the truth of the
Word of God that begins to set you apart from the world.
It is that exposition of Scripture.
That's why Paul reminded Timothy and Second Timothy chapter two.
He said do your best to present yourself good as one approved
presenting yourself to God. A Workman who does not need to
be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
One who correctly handles the word of truth.
You don't just pull something out of context to preach
whatever topical message you decide You want to preach that
Sunday. You know what you do.
You diligently study the scriptures and you exposit those
truths. You take Matthew 28 versus 19
and 20, and you look at everything that's there for the
believer and knowing what their assignment is, and that
assignment is to make disciples. How do you do that?
You teach, You teach. You teach the scripture verse by
verse, word by word, line by line.
What a sad state the socalled church is in when this consumer
driven culture. Has exchanged the expositing of
scripture for entertaining the sinners in the socalled church.
Oh, I don't want to go to that church because all they do, I've
heard it is teach the Bible. What do you expect them to do?
Well, I want to know how this affects my life.
And that you reveal your ignorance.
The life of the believer will be affected tremendously through
the exposition of the word of God.
When you see these truths and these truths come alive, your
mind is renewed through those truths, and you leave your
humanistic, practical, worldly way of thinking, and you begin
to exercise the mind of Christ, which you've been given.
Oh, we need to in the church. I'm thankful that we're part of
the church who's committed to the exposition of scripture.
Everything that we do in our Bible studies, men's studies,
ladies studies, the pulpit, enriched Bible studies that are
going on right now. Your children, the ministries
that they're in, you know what your children are not getting
right now? Flashy lights and jumpy games.
They're having the scriptures talk to them.
In their proper context, in the proper way, as they are written
to whom they are written to exactly what they mean according
to the word of God. And in that you're making
disciples. You're not making a bunch of
people who just want to jump around for Jesus a bunch of
hype. You know what happens to those
people that grow up and they become adults and they go into a
church where? There's a expository preaching
and they say, well, it's kind of boring.
I want to go back to the rock concert I used to go to when I
was in youth group. Well, you know what our students
are going to do here? 7th through 12th grade?
There's going to be a teacher, a man who stands before them, who
exposes the word of truth week in and week out, verse by verse
by verse, teaching them what it means, how to apply it to their
lives. Scriptural exposition is very
important in teaching, but also sound doctrine and theology.
I'll move quickly, I promise Sound doctrine and theology,
Titus, 19, Paul tells Titus And his pastoral pistol, he says.
He must hold talking about the elder or the overseer of the
Bishop, he said. He must hold firmly to the
trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can
encourage others by watch this sound doctrine and refute those
who oppose it. And Titus, chapter 2, verse one.
He says this again to Titus you must teach what is in accord
with sound doctrine. First Timothy chapter 4, verse
16, Another pastoral epistle riding to young Timothy.
He says watch your life and doctrine closely.
Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both
yourself and your hearers. This is for all those people who
refuse to be interested in doctrine and theology.
I just want Jesus. Why do we have to have doctrine
and theology? You can't separate Jesus and
theology. He is God, and the doctrines
that surround Christ are truth. That's why they are called sound
doctrines. And in the two pastoral epistles
that I have mentioned here today, Titus and First Timothy,
and both of those pastoral epistles, he encourages them to
dedicate and devote themselves to sound doctrine, sound
teaching, sound theology. Why is that important?
Weak theology makes weak disciples.
You want to be a weak disciple? Go to some place where they
water it down. It's not even milk.
It's water. Go there.
No produce weakness if they produce anything at all.
Learn sound doctrine. Be willing to endure sound
doctrine and theology. Why?
So that you can use it in making other disciples.
I told you, this is our assignment.
Make disciples. And if in order to make
disciples we have to exposite description, we have to be
dedicated to sound doctrine and theology, not only that solid
application. Teach others how to apply what
they have learned. True biblical teaching always
leads to holy living. You can write that down.
True biblical teaching leads to holy living.
Why? Because a good teacher is not
only going to tell you what, they're going to tell you how.
Here's how you do this. This is what Jesus is doing here
in this text. Make disciples.
Here's how you do it. Go as you're going.
Share the gospel, point them to follow the Lord in the public
profession known as baptism, and then teach them everything I've
commanded you. Continue to exposit the truth.
That I have given you. Show them those things in that
you will make disciples. Solid application requires that
we live in consistency with what we teach and what we preach.
That's why. New Testament is full of
instruction and warnings to those who would teach letting
them understand that you are going to be held to a higher
standard. It's important that you know
that and teaching you're held to a higher standard.
You have to live a life that is above reproach.
Blameless. Why?
Because you are actively showing others how you are to obediently
live out the things that scripture.
Teaches First Timothy chapter 4, verse 12.
He tells Timothy this Don't let anyone look down on you because
you are young, but set an example for the believers.
Watch what he says, what area in speech, what you say, how you
say it in life, where you go, what you do in love, how you
love others, in faith, how you trust God, and in purity,
holiness. He tells Timothy, hey, devote
your life to being an example of what you teach, good doctrine
and good theology if it's really good doctrine and good theology
always results in holy living, because you will see God more
clearly and you'll see how holy he is and you cannot then stand
unholiness in your life. In fact, First Corinthians
Chapter 9, verse 27, The Apostle Paul and using the analogy of
boxing, he says so he doesn't abuse his freedom that he's been
given. By grace, your faith in Jesus
Christ, he says, I beat my own body into subjection.
I discipline myself to the point that I am obedient.
Why? You know what his thinking was
So that I'm not disqualified. What did he mean by that?
So that when others look at me, they don't see that I practice
differently than what I preach. They don't look at me and say.
Hey man, what a quack. What a hoax.
He says one thing, but he lives another thing.
You're going to be effective in disciple making.
You have to give solid application.
And you give solid application by living it, not just teaching
or preaching it. In fact, parents, I want to give
you a freebie this morning. Don't tell your children how to
live. If you're not willing to live
that tell your children to live godly lives.
If you're not willing to live a godly life, you're going to
confuse them. If you're going to make
disciples, show them the application.
Here's what I taught you, and here's how we apply it in life.
Sit them down. Walk them through it.
This is Deuteronomy 6. When God gave the commands to
Moses, he told them to teach the people this, to impress them
upon their children. That means to emboss them into
their children. That comes with consistency,
That comes with time, that comes with effort.
It's you being constant in your walk with Christ.
Not not. We walk for cry with Christ for
a season and we jump back in the world.
And then we get tired of the world and we walk for Christ for
a moment, with Christ for a moment and in the church.
And then we jump back in the world again.
There's no consistency there. You know what's going to happen
to the next generation? They're not going to step into
Christ at all. Why?
Because you didn't tell them and teach them the truth.
By your life. True Church will be constantly
teaching those who have been saved.
They'll be teaching them the full counsel of the word of God,
that not only are we to learn and to know these truths and
these principles, but we are to apply them actively in our daily
lives. Last thing you say, Last thing I
thought we were done. Yeah.
This is the one that so many times we miss.
He is therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. Watch what Jesus says next, and
surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.
Surely I'm with you. Always to the very end of the
age. What is Jesus teaching here?
What is He showing us? He's showing us that in making
disciples we must trust and teach others the trust in the
promises of God. Surely I am with you always.
We must first trust and to teach others to trust in the promise
and the presence of the Lord. Right.
The Lord is just giving them this big task.
What did he say? Carry on what I've started.
Did they have big shoes to fill? You bet.
And he's saying carry on what I've started as you're going.
Carry on when I've started. Remember when I was baptized And
there you witness my baptism right?
The Spirit descending like a dove.
The Father speaking from heaven. This is my Son who I am well
pleased. The three working in one accord.
Wow, that's Trinitarian, isn't it?
He said. Baptize these disciples.
Name the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, letting them know that
we're still working in one accord.
And then teach them everything that I have commanded you.
Continue to expose it the truths from the Scriptures and teach
them. But also remind them to trust in
my faithfulness. Jesus said, you have a big task
ahead of you, heavy task, but I'm not leaving you by yourself.
I'm so thankful that in this life and what I do, what we do
as believers and sharing the gospel, we are never alone, he
says. I'm there with you.
I must trust in that. I must teach others to trust in
that right? The new believer who struggles
for the first time as a new believer.
I don't know what's happening. I was.
I was saved. I was baptizing.
It seems like nothing's getting better.
He's there with you. He's going to carry you through
this. He's never going to leave you.
Who's never going to part from you.
He's never going to forsake you. Hasn't left you as an orphan.
Trust. Keep trusting.
He has not ever, and he will not ever abandon any of his
children. You want to make disciples?
Teach people to trust in that. Trust in that young believer
person who was just baptized last week.
Trust in that God is with you when you go back to school
students, because I know some of you have just recently been
baptized. Last week we baptized many.
When you go back to school and things are dark and things are
difficult, remember this trust in Christ.
He's there with you. He's not abandoned you.
He's walking the halls with you. Trust in the promise of his
presence. How is he always present?
Well, it's a mystery that we can't even hardly wrap our brain
around. But He's present through the
power of the Holy Spirit, living in those of us who are truly
believers. In fact, John chapter 14.
When we were back in the Gospel of John, we learned this verse
15 If you love me, you will obey what I command, Jesus said, and
I will ask the Father and he will give you another counselor.
He's talking about the Holy Spirit to be with you forever,
the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him
because it neither sees him nor knows Him.
But you know Him, for He lives with you.
Watch us and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans.
I will come to you before long. The world will not see me
anymore, but you will see me because I live.
You also will live. On that day you will realize
that I am in my father, and you are in me, and I am in you all
working as one. There again, what is he saying
in the near picture for them? He's saying I'm going to rise
from the grave, but the bigger picture was this.
He's going to indwell them through his Holy Spirit forever.
He's going to live in the true believer.
In fact, Romans tells us that if you're in Christ, the Spirit
lives in you. The Spirit doesn't live in you.
You're not in Christ. That's for all the people who
want to try to say that the Holy Spirit is second blessing.
If you got the Holy Spirit, let me just help you out.
You got saved, then you receive the Holy Spirit of salvation
according to the word of God. We need to remind people of the
power of the Holy Spirit. I know that's when those of us
who believe what we believe theologically, we kind of get
weird and go, oh, if we talk about the Holy Spirit too much,
people are going to think we're charismatic and don't dare call
him the Holy Ghost, because that's when things just get
really weird. Scripture calls him both.
We can't just forget about the power of the Holy Spirit that
lives in us. We have to teach young
believers, as we're making disciples, to trust in the power
of the Holy Spirit that indwells them.
He is the promise that counselor that Jesus gives in John 14
verse 26. But the Counselor, the Holy
Spirit and the Father will send in my name, will teach you all
things and remind you of everything I have said to you.
He is that Counselor and that Teacher who lives and abides in
us. Don't forsake the Holy Spirit
just because you're afraid of being charismatic.
Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the word of
God and you'll never be charismatic.
You'll only be charismatic in the true sense of the Word,
which means gifted. You operate in the gifts of the
Spirit, bringing glory to God. The power of the Holy Spirit
must be trusted. Going to make disciples.
Teach people to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why? Because they need to make more
disciples. Don't think.
Aren't you thankful that others have trusted in the power of the
Holy Spirit to make disciples throughout the ages?
Right. Because Jesus said in Acts
chapter one. What did he say?
Verse eight. He said, But but you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.
And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Samaria into the ends of the earth.
I am thankful that they were obedient to that.
Because the apostles who have long been in the presence of God
in heaven, they are still making disciples through their message.
Because they were obedient to Christ, both the Lord delay
another 2000 years. May the people of key life
fellowship still be making disciples 2000 years from now.
How do we do that? Just as we've seen today.
We go, we share the good news to point others to obedience and
identifying with Christ through public profession.
We then teach them everything that the Lord has commanded.
And then we continue to teach them by teaching them to trust,
trust in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is the Holy Spirit who will give you the power to be my
witness. I've heard it time and time
again that young. Believer who goes in an
evangelism class to learn how to show their faith that I just
thought that I can talk to people and they go out on the
streets. It's like this person has now
been a. Totally possessed by the Apostle
Paul. They're they're shucking the
corn and sharing the gospel, and people are turning their hearts
and faith to Jesus Christ. And you're going, what got into
them? The power of the Holy Spirit.
We taught them to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit.
You're not going to have the words to say, but he's going to
give you the words to say. Open your mouth and watch.
Because whatever you shake when you open the lid, whatever's in
there's coming out. When you open that lid, the
gospel's going to come out. The truth of the scripture is
going to come out and people are going to be saved.
Why? It's it's God's design and
making disciples. He didn't mess up.
It's a perfect design. Trust in it, Trust in the Holy
Spirit and empowering you to do it.
Not only that, when we look at the topic of trusting as part of
making disciples, we've seen the promise and presence of the
Lord. We must remind people of that to
trust in that. The power of the Holy Spirit.
Trust in that. But also the preordained plan of
God. The preordained plan of God.
Where do you get that in this text?
Pay attention to what Jesus says here.
He goes on and he tells him this.
He says that I'm with you always.
And then he says this to the very end of the age.
What was he talking about? He's talking about the end of
the church age. Did you know this?
Contrary to popular belief, Jesus is coming back.
And he's letting his followers know this, that as you are
waiting for my return, as you are waiting for his return, you
have an assignment. That assignment is to make
disciples. And in making disciples, we must
trust in the preordained plan of God to the very end of the age
that at one time in the future my prayers is in the near future
the consummation of all things surrounding the age of the
church will end, and Christ will return for His Bride.
And what a glorious day that is going to be.
We have to trust that. We have to teach others to trust
that. That this time on earth as the
Church, is just a moment in the large redemptive plan of God.
But the whole time that you were here, as the church in this
world, suffering as you may, struggling as you may, facing
trials as you may, you have this promise.
And God's plan is bigger than all this.
And the Christ is with you until he comes to rescue you and your
face to face with him for all eternity, wiping every tear from
your eye, taking every sorrow away from you, eliminating death
once and for all. I'm going through a difficult
time. You must trust and teach others
to trust in the preordained plan of God.
That's part of making disciples to teach them trust God.
You don't. Keep trusting may be difficult,
but you're not deserted. Oh.
Isn't that what the Apostle Paul said?
We're perplexed, hard pressed, beat down, but never forsaken.
Oh, what promise? Never forsaken.
He's always there with us and he will be with us in this entire
age, known as the age of the Church.
That is that span of time. We don't know what it is.
So far. It's been roughly 2000 years
from the ascension of Christ into the return of Christ, and
we are in that in between time. And what are we doing that in
between time? Right?
When you turn on the news and everything's falling apart,
rejoice. Why?
Because Christ is with you, and he will always be with you, and
he will return and he will rescue you just as he promised
and make disciples point others to that.
We don't even hear about the return of Christ being preached
in the pulpits or taught in any classes anymore.
We get to it. We all Let's just don't talk
about this. It's kind of controversial.
Is it really? Christ is coming back.
I don't care what side of the eschatological calendar you lay
on where you land. Christ is coming back.
True believers will all agree on that.
At some point in time. He's coming back.
Let's rejoice in the fact that when this age is over, Christ
will return and point others to trust in that.
You want to make disciples. Give them hope.
Beyond this life. Who is the hope beyond this
life? Christ and his return.
We're making disciples. We'll be teaching people to
trust in that. The preordained plan of God,
that he's already worked everything out in accordance
with his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Why don't you grow when you hear those things?
I clip with this. This is a letter that I
received. Don't even know who I received
it from. Thankful for it sits on my desk
every day to remind me stay the course and teaching the word of
God and to making disciples. It says this dear Kurt, the Lord
has put you very heavy on my heart the last few days.
I'm not sure why, but I'm sure there are no coincidences.
Me too, When it comes to the sovereign hand of God.
Think that's a growing, maturing believer?
You bet it is. They're no coincidence When it
comes to the sovereign hand of God, I believe it has put you on
my heart so I may provide some encouragement to you.
I've contemplated not writing this note to you.
So glad that the Spirit won. But if I know the good I ought
to do and do not do it, it is sin for me.
Think that's a growing, maturing believer?
Disciple. Yeah.
They understood. If I don't encourage you, the
Spirit has prompted me to encourage you.
I'm in sin, so I'd like to be obedient to the Lord and
spurring you on as my pastor. Thank you so much.
I'm not the slightest clue the amount of pressure you are under
week to week. I can only imagine the enemy's
attempts at having a field day with you because of your
faithfulness and declaring thus saith the Lord week in and week
out. I will never in my life know the
weight of standing behind the pulpit, but I thank you for
bearing that weight for this flock.
As one of your sheep, I want to thank you for sticking your neck
out and saying what needs to be said.
The pulpit should be the creator of anxious hearts.
I know I'm saved, but I would be lying if I said I haven't left
on a Sunday or many with a heavy heart burden to look more like
Christ. You think this is a growing,
maturing believer wanting to look more like Christ?
The word of God. You have been so bold and
preaching cuts to my very soul. Mine too, and I thank you for
your faithfulness, and that I know you don't preach for the
applause of men for the Amen, but I thank you anyway for
fearlessly preaching the word of God.
The Lord has definitely used you to grow me in my walk with him,
and I am thankful to God. He brought me to key life
fellowship. My soul now craves the deeper
truth of Scripture. When all the church growth
experts tell you that in order to make disciples you you got to
get away from the Bible a little bit, me let it be a little more
entertaining. Let it be more appealing to
their flesh. That's the world's tactics.
This believer here is saying no. Because of the dedication to
preaching the truth of the Word of God, I've grown deeper in my
walk. I don't want milk alone like I
once did. I know there's absolutely
nothing good within Kirk Hall. You're 100% right about that,
but rather Christ in you. Yes, he's the only good in me.
I can't help but be filled with a burning thankfulness to God
and his goodness and using you for this king, his Kingdom.
I know it is far from easy or glamorous, but please do not
grow weary. Keep your spiritual fervor.
Keep preaching Christ and him crucified.
Keep calling sin out for what it is.
Us sheep need good shepherds like you to constantly point us
to the Good Shepherd. You are in our prayers Solely
Dale Gloria then. If you didn't think that this
was a growing and maturing Christian, they then quote
Spurgeon to prove it. They wrote at the bottom.
Never was a man blamed in heaven for preaching Christ too much,
Ch Spurgeon. Don't say those things to
highlight Kirk Hall, because Kirk Hall is not worth
highlighting as this person already notated.
Thank you so much, whoever you are.
Say those things because we are a church who is faithful and
making disciples who get it, you say.
Well, Kirk, if you're a church who's faithful and making
disciples, you get it. Why are you preaching us this
message? So that we don't forget, So that
we don't forget. We as humans are prone to forget
what brought us to where we are so quickly.
May we be ever diligent, see the assignment that Christ has given
us, and may be forever. Go make disciples, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything that Christ has
commanded us. While we trust He will never
leave us and never forsake us until he returns to rescue us,
let's pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus, we
thank you so much for your word because it is truth.
And I pray for the soul who's here today who is not a disciple
of Christ. They have never surrendered
their life to Christ. I pray today that they heard the
gospel as it was proclaimed in this message that Lord, you
would draw them to receive Christ as Lord and Savior today,
saving them and washing them and cleansing them and God.
I pray for each believer here today that they would examine
their life in light of this. They would simply ask that
question. Am I obeying the assignment, the
biblical assignment that Christ has left for the members of this
church to accomplish? Am I making disciples?
But I pray that you convict hearts.
I pray that you break and that you mold, and that you humble.
Because I know in that the balm of Gilead Christ will then be
applied into their lives. That you will heal them.
That you will raise them up strong disciple makers for your
glory. That the next generation will
hear about Christ and will receive the gospel and the
teachings that you taught. As your Word is proclaimed, as
your Holy Spirit is trusted and your will be done, we give you
all the glory for it. In Jesus name, Amen.
Thank you for listening to the Key Life Fellowship Pulpit
Ministry Podcast. If you would like to talk with
one of our pastors, please e-mail us at
info@keylifefellowship.org or call us at 281-689-1604.
You can also visit our website at www.keylifefellowship.com.
We hope and pray you have a blessed week and remember you
are light. In the buildings.