1 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,880 And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,200 earth has been given to me. Go therefore, and make disciples 3 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:16,720 of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of 4 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,680 the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I 5 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:25,800 have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always 6 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,760 to the end of the age. Good 7 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:41,000 morning, Resurrection Church, how we doing today? 8 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,200 So good to see you. My name is Russ. 9 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,080 If I've not gotten to meet you yet, we're honored that you're 10 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,840 here checking out church, joining us for a new series 11 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,040 today. This series is called Go. 12 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,920 It's our mission series. You're going to be meeting a lot 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:55,440 of our missionaries around the world. 14 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,760 Our point is not to have travel agents come in and tell you 15 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,200 about their trips, though. It's for you to realize the 16 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,720 scope and the scale of what Jesus is doing through his 17 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,400 bride, the church that he is redeemed by his blood all over 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,480 the earth. We are a sent people. 19 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,240 Our entire message is a message that is meant to cross political 20 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,120 lines, racial lines, economic lines. 21 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:21,560 It is meant to go to the worst of the worst and the best of the 22 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:22,880 best. It's meant to be proclaimed in 23 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,240 castles and it's meant to be proclaimed in the slums. 24 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,560 And we have been commissioned as the hands and feet of Jesus, 25 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,520 empowered by his Holy Spirit to carry that message to the 26 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,760 nation's. Now at Resurrection Church, we 27 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,400 have a mission that we exist for, and we believe it's the 28 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,360 church's mission in general. It's not unique to us, but it is 29 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,400 something that a Church of Jesus Christ is consumed with. 30 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,360 And that mission is given to us in the form of this thing called 31 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,040 the Great Commission. It's something that Jesus gives 32 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,040 us in the book of Matthew. What many of you may not know is 33 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,480 that though we build our mission statement out of the Commission 34 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,560 that's called great in Matthew chapter 28, is there's five 35 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,880 other commissioning statements that are made about the church 36 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,240 throughout Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the book of Acts. 37 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,720 All of them have some similarities to them. 38 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,880 But I think it's worthy for us to take some time before we look 39 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,960 at the Great Commission, which is central to the mission of our 40 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,880 church in Matthew 28 to read through these and make 2 quick 41 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,840 points about all of these commissioning statements for the 42 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,800 local church. The first commissioning 43 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,000 statement outside of Matthew chapter 28 that you'll find in 44 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,200 your Bible is Mark chapter 16, verse 15. 45 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,200 It says this. Jesus said to them, Go into all 46 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,960 the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 47 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,600 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does 48 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,120 not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany 49 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,600 those who go out in my name. They will cast out demons and 50 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,400 they will speak in tongues. They will pick up serpents with 51 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,360 their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not 52 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,480 hurt them, and they will lay hands on the sick and they will 53 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,760 recover. Luke goes on in Luke chapter 24 54 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:00,480 with another Commission for the church. 55 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,160 Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures. 56 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,240 Luke 2445 and Jesus said to them, verse 46. 57 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,840 Thus it is written that Christ should suffer on the third day, 58 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,400 rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of 59 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,680 sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning 60 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,360 from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these 61 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,200 things, and behold, I am sending the promise of my Father, That's 62 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,640 the Holy Spirit upon you. But stay in the city until you 63 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:31,000 are clothed with power by the Spirit. 64 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,640 On high. John chapter 20, verse 21. 65 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,640 Jesus said to them again, peace. Be with. 66 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:39,200 You. As the father has. 67 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,920 Sent me so I am sending you. And when he. 68 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,160 Had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive 69 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,720 the Holy Spirit. If you forgive. 70 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:51,600 The sins of any they are forgiven them and if you 71 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,120 withhold forgiveness of any, it is withheld. 72 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,200 Then in Acts chapter one, verse 8, the last commissioning 73 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,440 statement outside of Matthew 28, which we call the Great 74 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,600 Commission, we get this Acts 18, you will receive power. 75 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,280 When the holy. Spirit has come upon you, and 76 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,240 you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and 77 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,440 to the ends of the earth. There's two common threads 78 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:15,400 through every one of these things that should mark a 79 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,160 church. Number one is the presence and 80 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,800 the power that comes only through the Holy Spirit. 81 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,440 The Holy Spirit is essential to the life of the believer, David 82 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,640 Platt said. Perhaps the greatest travesty of 83 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,200 the American church is the attempt of the local American 84 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,240 church to do the work of God without the Spirit of God. 85 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,560 It is powerless if it is not by His Spirit. 86 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,760 Every great revival in our country's history has started 87 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,280 with a cry from the pulpit of revering the Holy Spirit. 88 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,520 Where there is great reverence for the Holy Spirit, there's a 89 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,560 powerful church and there's an empowered people. 90 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:52,560 Where there's an irreverence for the Holy Spirit, there's a 91 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,240 religious people and a powerless church. 92 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,560 You and I have been called to live under the leadership and 93 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,080 lordship moment by moment and minute by minute of the Holy 94 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,040 Spirit. It is by the Holy Spirit that we 95 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,280 fulfill the calling that God has on our lives. 96 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,080 It is by the Holy Spirit that we become the people that are the 97 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,960 image of Christ so that we can mirror that to the nations 98 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,760 around us. It is apart from the Holy Spirit 99 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,840 that we become nothing but a self-righteous people who are 100 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:24,560 nothing but a greater noise in a world that's already. 101 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,240 Noisy. Looking for true hope that can 102 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,360 only be found in the gospel. If we do not Revere the Holy 103 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,360 Spirit in this church, we will die. 104 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:36,320 If we are not led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, our words 105 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,320 will be meaningless chatter. But it is through the Holy 106 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,640 Spirit that God has promised that He will not only begin a 107 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,640 good work, but complete that good work in US and in our 108 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,600 church. It is only by the Holy. 109 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,960 Spirit that we have confidence that the Commission we've been 110 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,880 called to as the local church is something that Jesus will 111 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:56,200 fulfill. And we are. 112 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,440 Promised that fulfillment in Revelation Chapter 7 where we 113 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:03,160 read that and the end. Every tribe, every nation, and 114 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,680 every tongue will be gathered around the throne of God, 115 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:09,080 declaring in one voice that He is King and Lord forever and 116 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,040 ever. So what do we see as a common 117 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,520 thread for the local church? The local church is to be a 118 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,920 spirit filled church. What do we see as a common 119 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,040 thread through an? Effective follower of Jesus 120 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,040 there to be a spirit filled follower of Jesus if you are 121 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,840 living a powerless existence is probably because you are 122 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:27,160 grieving or have not surrendered to the. 123 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,960 Leadership and Lordship of the Holy Spirit in your life. 124 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,240 The second thread that we see is that the message of the gospel 125 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:40,560 must go to all nations. It's empowered by the Holy 126 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:42,320 Spirit, but it must go to all nations. 127 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,600 That means this is not a message for well put together people or 128 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,680 Christian people who are raised in Christian homes. 129 00:06:47,840 --> 00:06:51,040 This is a message that is to go to the ends of the earth. 130 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:56,440 You have, I have. We have been sent so that the 131 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,960 streets will be filled with the proclamation of the gospel. 132 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,760 Let me ask you a question. A question that I pondered in my 133 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:04,800 journal this week is the question that's been consuming 134 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,120 my mind. It's a kind of awkward question, 135 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,600 but think about it. Why do you have a mouth? 136 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:21,670 Why do you have a mouth? To speak, To breathe, To eat. 137 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:24,600 Right. There's a lot of reasons behind 138 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,840 this, and the Psalms speak a lot about the purpose of the mouth, 139 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,640 the danger of the mouth. A mouth can dis unify a church 140 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,720 and unify a church. A mouth can divide it and unify. 141 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:38,000 A mouth can shoot out arrows that condemn and can shoot out 142 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,680 words that uplift. A mouth is a powerful weapon, in 143 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:43,520 fact. Your mouth, perhaps, is one of 144 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,360 the greatest gifts. That you've been given, but it 145 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,400 still doesn't answer the question of this foundation. 146 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:53,200 As to why you have one, why do? You have a mouth, you see from 147 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,920 your creation, we believe you were given a mouse so that you 148 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:58,760 could vertically. Join in with the. 149 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,920 Heavenly Host, in praise to God. The only reason you have a mouth 150 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,240 is to give God His worth in your worship through your words. 151 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,680 Right now there is a reality that is happening over us that 152 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,040 you do not see, but it is nonetheless there above you. 153 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:19,120 There is a God who is seated in the heavens in authority, 154 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:24,040 reigning and ruling. And His rule and His reign are 155 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,040 not just authorities that are being exerted in heaven, but 156 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,160 they are overarching all of human history and time. 157 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:35,320 And as He sits in that authority, reigning and ruling, 158 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,640 there are a created people called angels that are consumed 159 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,520 with the presence of God. So consume that before the 160 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,720 foundations of the earth, there have been a group of Seraphim 161 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,720 angels that with two wings, they cover their feet with two wings, 162 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:52,320 they cover their face with two wings, they are flying and they 163 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,600 are crying out with such heartily praise that it shakes 164 00:08:55,680 --> 00:09:00,000 the heavens. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord. 165 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:01,880 And they're not tired of singing that song. 166 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:03,840 They're not tired of declaring that word. 167 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,200 It is the praise that is befitting the God whose presence 168 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,320 they are in. And they cannot get enough of 169 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:11,800 declaring His Holiness in His presence. 170 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:17,000 And you and I, as created people on earth have been invited as we 171 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,560 observe creation and we see the glory of the Creator behind it, 172 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:26,200 to join in with our mouths in that praise, to echo that same 173 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,240 song that we too, as a redeemed people by the blood of Jesus, 174 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:34,200 would sing with our mouths. A vertical praise in our lives 175 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,200 and in our words and in our deeds and in everything about us 176 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,600 by the Holy Spirit that He is holy and worthy and triumphant. 177 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,360 And and reigning and returning so that through our praise. 178 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,960 The gospel would be proclaimed. You see, your mouth has been 179 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,080 given to you so that you would. Worship God vertically but 180 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,240 horizontally so that you could proclaim His good news. 181 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,680 It's what you're here for. The only reason the believer 182 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:05,160 lives on this earth after giving their life to Jesus is to 183 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,160 proclaim His excellencies to the nations that have not heard. 184 00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:15,880 The only reason you're here? I mean, why are you here in 185 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:17,680 church? You know there's football on, 186 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:23,440 right? And it's going to be after 10 187 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:29,040 till you leave here. Why are you here? 188 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:37,840 To appease God by checking a box to show up Because you ought to 189 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:41,760 are to be equipped for the mission that you've been 190 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,160 redeemed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live. 191 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:52,320 If my words don't equip you to change your life and change your 192 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,920 community and see change take place in your family, then I 193 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,840 have failed you as a pastor and we are wasting time with the 194 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:06,000 subpar. Show the purpose of gathering 195 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,360 together so that you would be encouraged enough to be 196 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:13,880 courageous when you leave here. But if what we do here doesn't 197 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,240 matter there, then we are wasting our time. 198 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,760 So what's core at every commissioning statement? 199 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,760 What must happen if we are to be His people? 200 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:34,040 There must rise up within us a desperation for Jesus and a cry 201 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,080 that calls for reverence to the lordship and leadership of His 202 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:42,880 Spirit in our life that leads to us with our mouths proclaiming 203 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,360 to the nation's, the worship and the gospel of Jesus Christ. 204 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:55,280 It's what we're here for. Using our mouth for anything 205 00:11:55,280 --> 00:12:02,320 else is substandard usage. It's taking what was given to us 206 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,200 to give Him honor and glory and using it for something else. 207 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:13,160 Using our time, using our house, using our resources for anything 208 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,800 that's not for His gospel is to make a great error. 209 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:20,480 As a believer, there's nothing that Jesus doesn't rightly look 210 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:26,000 at and say mine in your life. Your time is His. 211 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,640 Your marriage is His. Your relationships and 212 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,200 influence, guess who they are? His. 213 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:38,720 It all belongs to Him. So this series is a series where 214 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,480 we are galvanizing and challenging you to remember the 215 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,200 calling that you've been called to. 216 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:48,880 Perhaps there's no better church in Revelation that describes the 217 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:53,520 American church than Ephesus. Ephesus was the church that 218 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,840 started out on fire. It was the church that 219 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:01,080 represented God greatly. But somewhere in all of the 220 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:05,000 access to knowledge and theology, somewhere in all of 221 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,360 their hearty defense of the faith, they forgot about what it 222 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:12,160 was really about, which was a growing adoration and affection 223 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,360 for Christ. Somewhere along the line, the 224 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,360 Church of Ephesus lost its desperation for Jesus. 225 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,320 So whenever John writes to them on behalf of our Lord Jesus, he 226 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,080 says, remember your first love. Before I remove your lampstand 227 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:35,720 church, remember your first love. 228 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,600 Why is it that I'm so drawn to the hymn? 229 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:49,040 Prone to wander, Lord, I fear it. 230 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:54,920 Prone to leave the God I love? I mean, if there's an anthem of 231 00:13:54,920 --> 00:14:01,400 my life on Monday, it is to walk out of a Sunday encounter with 232 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:06,680 the Church of God in His presence through His Word and to 233 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:10,240 wander away from the very purpose that I looked into, 234 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:13,440 knowing that Jesus died to redeem and give me. 235 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:18,400 So then that gets us to this thing called the Great 236 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,160 Commission in Matthew chapter 28. 237 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,600 The thing that we are trying to build this church off of, the 238 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:25,760 thing that continues to give U.S. 239 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,360 Open seats. Because when you challenge 240 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,200 people to do more than plop, pray, and pay, people tend to go 241 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:39,760 to other churches that'll let them do it, where they can hide 242 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:45,440 off mission, but holding on to a claim of trusting Jesus with 243 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:49,760 their eternity. This is a great travesty. 244 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:52,720 And not to the fault of those churches. 245 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,760 No, to the fault of disobedient believers who desire comfort 246 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:04,200 over calling, who want to be a part of big impact, but not with 247 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:10,120 the big cost that comes with it. We want to be there whenever big 248 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,160 things happen, yet we don't want to take up our cross and get in 249 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:19,400 the field and labor. So Jesus has one planned meeting 250 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:21,520 after his ascension or after his resurrection. 251 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,920 Excuse me, before his ascension, one planned meeting. 252 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,440 And the way that we know it was a planned meeting is Jesus told 253 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,760 some women just before Matthew chapter 28. 254 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,040 So the last people at the cross were women. 255 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,760 The first people at the tomb were women and the people who 256 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,480 called the only meeting after Jesus resurrection were women. 257 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,600 Why is this important? Well, First Corinthians chapter 258 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:45,960 15 tells us that more than 500 people showed up. 259 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,200 Obviously if you want something to get out, you tell women. 260 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:55,920 Been practicing that one all week. 261 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,120 They were told to go get the 11 to have a meeting in Galilee 262 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:03,640 because Jesus was going to meet them there. 263 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:07,200 Every other meeting Jesus has outside of this meeting after 264 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,680 his resurrection is unplanned. They're sitting in an upper 265 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:11,160 room. Jesus walks in and says peace be 266 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,160 with you. They are scared. 267 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,520 Thomas says I won't believe unless I put my hands where your 268 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:18,880 nail marks are. Jesus appears, he puts his hands 269 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:20,600 there. Jesus stands by the shore 270 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,000 whenever they're fishing. Unplanned meeting. 271 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,480 Jesus shows up for many of us. Jesus doesn't give you warning 272 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:32,800 when He's going to get you. Usually it's unplanned. 273 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,560 You know why? Because if He set a date with 274 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,760 you, you would all of a sudden get a cough. 275 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,760 A bunch of my pastoral friends we joke about needing good 276 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:46,000 church weather. You know what good church 277 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,600 weather is hot enough to where you don't want to stay home, but 278 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,600 not cold enough to where you also want to stay home. 279 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:55,440 It's got to be the perfect temperature. 280 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,160 And in Bakersfield it's a big trick because it's got to be a 281 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:03,800 perfect temperature where you can't go to the coast, but you 282 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,720 don't want to stay home either. Then it's perfect church 283 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,240 weather. It usually comes out about four 284 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:13,599 Sundays a year. Then all of a sudden the weather 285 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:16,920 aligns for you to brave it here in Bakersfield and show up to 286 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,400 church. So we're like, I didn't know it 287 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,040 was going to be this one. This is called an unplanned 288 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,760 meeting. Well, Jesus. 289 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:30,120 So Jesus comes to his disciples in Matthew chapter 28 verse 16, 290 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,240 and it says this. Now the 11 disciples went to 291 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,400 Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 292 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,200 And when they saw him, there's two responses. 293 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:42,440 They worshipped him, but some doubted. 294 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:45,120 Now this is one of the most fascinating things. 295 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:49,280 I've spent lots of time in the past discussing this, but the 296 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,120 sight of the resurrected Savior brings 2 responses. 297 00:17:52,360 --> 00:17:57,400 Doubt in worship. Some see the resurrected Jesus 298 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:01,480 and they go how? And it's justifiable, right? 299 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,080 It's justifiable because we're told in Isaiah that he was. 300 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:09,320 Marred beyond recognition, most people didn't make it out of a 301 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:13,280 scourging alive. So from the neck down, it is 302 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:17,000 likely that there was little to no flesh left on Jesus's body 303 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,440 when he hung naked on the cross because he had been whipped with 304 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:22,840 the cat of nine tails or a flag run by a professional 305 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,200 executioner after having his hands stretched above his head 306 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,440 so that his ribs and his stomach. 307 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:30,560 Area will be exposed as a professional. 308 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,200 Executioner would have ripped the flesh off of his body. 309 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:37,960 If you had stayed to see. That which we know, the women 310 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,120 and John are the only ones that are still at the cross at the 311 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:42,400 end. All the other disciples have 312 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,680 retreated and run away. You would have seen him walk 313 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,040 down the Via Delarosa. Then he would have gotten to 314 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,280 Golgotha, the place the school where they would have plucked 315 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,320 his beard out and spit upon his face. 316 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:56,120 Then driving a crown of thorns into his head, they would have 317 00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:59,600 beaten him until the thorns pressed into his skull. 318 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:01,640 Swelling would have been to a cure. 319 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,080 His face would be swollen from the hair that would have been 320 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:05,920 pulled out. He literally would have been 321 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,760 unrecognizable from the hours before his crucifixion. 322 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:17,880 So the idea one that three days later that person is walking 323 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:21,720 around, talking to people, eating food, showing up in 324 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:26,320 places where there's locked doors, that this is a miracle to 325 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:30,480 say the. Least but even 40 days in, even 326 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:35,480 if you had survived and not truly died, which Jesus died. 327 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,600 On the cross, the idea that you would walk away or be walking 328 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,400 around is still a highly unlikely thing. 329 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:44,840 Some of. You. 330 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,640 Sprained your knee and you're still not walking around. 331 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:54,720 You go to Walmart and get in that little and like my knee, I 332 00:19:54,720 --> 00:20:03,680 got the right as you know. Jesus was scored, crucified, 333 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:10,280 buried and is walking. Around in 40 days, in three, and 334 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,840 then forty days after. Here's what's amazing. 335 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:16,440 Whether you come today to worship. 336 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,680 Him or doubt, you are all invited to the left being sent 337 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,040 and commissioned. Whether you came in today 338 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:27,520 worshipping God, giving Him His worth with your words, or you 339 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:30,440 came in today doubting God and looking for a reason to walk 340 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:32,840 away. You all are invited by the power 341 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,720 of His Holy Spirit and the example of His life and His 342 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,080 resurrection to walk out of here as they sent and changed and 343 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:43,400 commissioned people. God uses worshippers and God 344 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,800 uses doubters. Thank God He uses both. 345 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:54,920 Which then gets us to this incredible Commission, verse 18. 346 00:20:55,080 --> 00:21:01,240 And Jesus came and he said to them, all authority in heaven 347 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,320 and on earth has been given to me. 348 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,480 All authority. All authority that. 349 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:09,280 That is to say that he not only holds authority in what is to 350 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:12,160 come in the afterlife, but He holds authority in what is 351 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,160 happening within time in this life. 352 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,480 It's to say that what he says and decrees as a reality in time 353 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,400 is not going to be overruled in eternity. 354 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:25,680 Because he has authority in both places, both within time and 355 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,600 outside of time. So his word isn't good in some 356 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,360 seasons of time. His word isn't good within some 357 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:34,120 cultures or good news for some people groups. 358 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,120 His word is good news for all people. 359 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:42,520 Because he has all authority over all of time and in all of 360 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:43,560 eternity. Guess what? 361 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:48,400 He has all authority. So because he sits in authority 362 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:54,120 over eternity and over temporary time, you can trust that what he 363 00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:58,800 says to you and what he calls you to, he is going to 364 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:03,320 ultimately accomplish and do. You can trust that if He says 365 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:07,560 you are forgiven and redeemed by receiving through faith the work 366 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:11,680 of His Son on the cross, that His word is an authoritative 367 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:17,040 word, which means it is just for God to give you what He said He 368 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,800 would give you, being the chief authority over all time and over 369 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:24,280 all eternity. Now, many Christians in this 370 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:28,160 room live as if Jesus has authority over eternity, but you 371 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:29,880 act. As if he has no authority over 372 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:35,600 your time. And this is where the American 373 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:41,600 church has gone off the rails. We are filled with people who 374 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,600 profess the name of Jesus, who believe that on the last day he 375 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,680 is worthy of your praise and your confidence that his 376 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,760 salvation, his cross, his resurrection is sufficient for 377 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:54,960 you. Yet you can live your life as if 378 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:59,360 that authority doesn't demand allegiance in your daily living 379 00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:04,840 today. Why would you live banking 380 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:08,680 eternity on him whenever you don't bank the temporary on him? 381 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:15,840 It makes no sense to me. I trust you for the future, but 382 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,120 I'm going to sit in my worry and myself righteous greed in the 383 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:23,960 present because my plan and my purpose still seems to be more 384 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:29,000 befitting and good to me than this mysterious path called 385 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:33,120 faith. Some of y'all got to get over 386 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:34,000 that. You don't have to know 387 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,320 everything in order to be sent. Some of y'all got to get over 388 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,640 that Jesus isn't going to show you everything that he's going 389 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,200 to call you to or send you to or use you in. 390 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:50,240 And that's part of the fun like get over your A type. 391 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,120 Got to plan it out, got to have a detailed reason for everything 392 00:23:53,120 --> 00:23:56,200 self and allow the Spirit of God to do what he's going to do. 393 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:57,400 Here's your plan. You ready? 394 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:03,120 Plan one. Wake up and die to your 395 00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:08,360 preference, to yourself, to your agenda, to your perspective, to 396 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:11,800 what you think is possible, to what you believe to be your 397 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:16,800 reality because of your worry. Die to that. 398 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:19,320 Take up your cross and follow Him. 399 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,640 That's how you live. That's how you honor God. 400 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,640 That's how you fulfill the Great Commission. 401 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,840 It's you under the authority of God, taking Him at His authority 402 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,440 seriously, so that you can be in power with that authority to be 403 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,240 His messenger and agent of change today. 404 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,800 But many of you don't take Him at His Word and His authority 405 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,880 seriously. Therefore you trust. 406 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:51,240 Him for your eternity, but you rebel and grieve His spirit in 407 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:58,360 what is temporal time. All authority in heaven, men on 408 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:00,000 earth has been given to me. Go. 409 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,000 Therefore. Now what we're going to see over 410 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:06,320 these next few verses is the four essentials to an effective 411 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,720 mission. Christian, if you want to live 412 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,680 on mission, there's four things that the Commission says the 413 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,400 Spirit has empowered you to do that. 414 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,320 If you are in obedience to the Holy Spirit, they will happen in 415 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,640 your life. If you're in rebellion or 416 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,840 grieving the Spirit, guess what won't be happening? 417 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,200 These four things. So what are we going to give you 418 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,320 a good assessment on? We're going to give you a good 419 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,680 assessment on how effectively you are daily living out your 420 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,560 walk with Jesus. What are we going to get at the 421 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:42,520 end of it? An invitation to submit to His 422 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,920 Spirit to be what you're not. This is not a self help thing. 423 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,720 This is not a try harder thing. This is a die. 424 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:51,840 Get your cross and get out of here. 425 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:57,120 The problem is you're trying to help the situation and you're 426 00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:02,520 screwing it up more. Jesus is pretty clear in his 427 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,800 instruction. The laborers labor in vain if 428 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:10,080 God doesn't bless the work. So you can labor all you want, 429 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,640 but if it's not in surrender to the Spirit of God and by the 430 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:15,360 power of God, it will not be for the glory of God. 431 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:23,560 That's good. It's 4 words #1 go. 432 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:31,360 It's the entire series. Go, Therefore go therefore and 433 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:34,880 make disciples. So first word, go, go. 434 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:38,200 And where were to go? To all nations. 435 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,400 To all nations. This is about evangelism. 436 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,560 This is about you leaving your comfort. 437 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,880 This is about you huddling with Christian brothers and sisters 438 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:51,480 for the purpose of leaving to represent Christ somewhere else. 439 00:26:52,120 --> 00:26:54,640 This is not about you being a beast in church circles and a 440 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,960 coward in your neighborhood. It is about you being encouraged 441 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,800 in your Christian circle so that you can be courageous in your 442 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,440 normal living for the glory of God. 443 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,480 Isaiah 57 verse 14 says, and it will be said, build up, build 444 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,960 up, prepare the way, remove the obstacles from my people. 445 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,760 Unintentionally, the church has taken methods that were 446 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,960 effective at one time, and we've chosen to die on the hill of 447 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,520 method over the message getting to the nation's. 448 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,080 And as a result of it, what's happening is we are making it 449 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:26,760 more difficult for people to get to the cross of Christ because 450 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:28,920 they if they don't come through our method, we're refusing to 451 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:34,440 change right now. Through the way that you live 452 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:36,600 your life personally and through the way that we do church 453 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,800 corporately, we are either removing the obstacles for 454 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,240 people to come to faith in Christ or we are adding to the 455 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:46,560 problem. Now Jesus is still. 456 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:48,360 Harvesting. It's just we aren't sharing in 457 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:51,360 it and we're going, where did the young people go? 458 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:59,960 You know where they went. They went mimicking your method. 459 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,800 Your preference was your God. And because your preference is 460 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,760 more important than your message, they decided that their 461 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,760 preference was to be served too. So guess where they're at? 462 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:14,600 Living in their preference. You know what they prefer not to 463 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:15,760 hear? A message that caused them to 464 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:17,160 take up the cross and follow them. 465 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,920 You know what they prefer? Not going to a church where they 466 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,880 have to leave, be a repenter and acknowledge their need for a 467 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:24,400 Savior. You know what they've done? 468 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:26,520 They've begun to worship their preference. 469 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:29,040 So they're not in our church, and they're not coming back 470 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:30,520 because we had a harvest festival. 471 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,040 They're not coming back because we have good Bible programming. 472 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,200 You know what they're going to come back for? 473 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:44,560 Because a move of God is taking place in the words of a great 474 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:46,880 soul song. Ain't nothing like the real 475 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:48,560 thing, baby. And when it comes to the Holy 476 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:51,120 Spirit, you know when the Spirit's at work and you know 477 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:52,400 when the Spirit's left the building. 478 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:56,560 And when a generation leaves, guess what it's probably in 479 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:58,840 response to? It's not in response to, here's 480 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:00,800 my favorite argument from the older generation. 481 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:03,440 Well, they left because it's just such a hard hearted 482 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,240 generation and we're in the end times. 483 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,840 And it says that people aren't going to listen to sound 484 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:12,680 doctrine and we're just sounding our doctrine. 485 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:16,080 No, you're malpractice in your practice of your doctrine. 486 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,320 And that malpractice is speaking to the emptiness of your church. 487 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:30,960 You have to go to where? All nations, all people, many 488 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:32,840 people don't want to go to the Middle East because there's 489 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:34,600 Muslims there and they kill Christians. 490 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,680 You kidding me? There's people. 491 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,600 I just, I just sat with the team that came back from Beirut in 492 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:48,480 Lebanon. And the harvest in the Middle 493 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:53,840 East right now is rich and the American church is scarcely 494 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:54,840 there. You know who is there? 495 00:29:55,520 --> 00:30:01,000 The Church of China, Chinese people go anywhere that love 496 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,560 Jesus. They'll live in the slums. 497 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,640 They don't care. They don't need running water in 498 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,000 their home or indoor plumbing to carry the gospel message. 499 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,040 They don't care. They are out sending us. 500 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,440 You know why? They have a first love. 501 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,720 And there's a high cost of following Jesus in China. 502 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,200 So the high cost of following Jesus in the Middle East is just 503 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:27,000 like, well, different zip codes, same battle your privilege has 504 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:28,720 gotten in your way of your effectiveness. 505 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,160 Some of you got to get over this idea that you have some kind of 506 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:37,440 right to some kind of better life than what you have. 507 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:41,160 That God owes you a raise that God owes you being able to get 508 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:45,120 out of debt that God owes you like this abundant bigger house 509 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,320 that you think He can somehow claim and believe. 510 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,520 Let me just be very clear. God is not in the business of 511 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:52,000 trying to give you bigger and better. 512 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,000 God is in the business of trying to get you to get sent so that 513 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,680 you can make a difference for eternity. 514 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,360 At the end of your life, your kids will not remember the big 515 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,400 house they lived in. What they will remember, it's 516 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:05,480 the faith you modeled or the faith that you contradicted by 517 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:09,560 the life that you lived. Right now, my family is 518 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:10,800 consumed. We're trying to figure out how 519 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:11,520 to go. So you know what? 520 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,160 We're not doing everything that's happening in the church. 521 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,800 We're not doing everything that we offer because I don't have 522 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,120 margin in my life to live on mission, reaching my lost 523 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:23,320 neighbor if I'm here every day of the week. 524 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:26,520 So on Wednesday nights, you know what my family's doing. 525 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,960 Me and Luke go to the park and we shoot basketball with high 526 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,360 school kids. He gets the rebounds and he 527 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,840 remembers every kids name. It's a strange gift God has 528 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:36,360 given him. He knows every kids name. 529 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:38,240 He meets you one time, he remembers your name. 530 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,720 I can't remember my own children's name from time to 531 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,760 time. Didn't know if I should confess 532 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:46,600 that, but I feel like I'm in a safe circle. 533 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,920 So he remembers everybody's name. 534 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,600 So he runs up and calls out their names and they're kind of 535 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,080 like oh. But then I go and shoot with 536 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:55,280 them and I'll work on their jump shots. 537 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,280 And while we're working on jumpers we begin to talk about 538 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:58,360 stories. And guess what's been going to 539 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:00,760 happen at the park? They began to ask questions 540 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:04,200 like, well, what do you do? Well, I was a college basketball 541 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:09,600 player and I wanted to be in the NBA and be a basketball coach. 542 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,520 And what ended up happening is I met this guy named Jesus, and he 543 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,400 changed my life. And we start down the path of 544 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:16,840 these conversations with teenagers. 545 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:18,240 Why? Because I want to teach my son 546 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:21,720 what it looks like to live a life that's going across the 547 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:22,840 street. There's two little girls. 548 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,800 Her parents have been going through a lot of difficulty. 549 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,320 Their great grandma's been heavily involved in kind of 550 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,120 raising them. And every single day they're at 551 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,680 our house or our kids are at their house. 552 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,120 You know why? Because we're making margin to 553 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:34,400 go. We invited them to vacation 554 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:35,600 Bible school. Guess what they said? 555 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,680 No. We invited them to come to 556 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,200 invest with us. Guess what they said? 557 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:43,120 No. We invited them to come to our 558 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:44,280 house. Guess what they said? 559 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,760 Yes. More than likely they'll come to 560 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:49,680 your grill before they'll come to your Bible meeting. 561 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:56,200 So fire up the grill in the name of Jesus, set the table and 562 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:58,760 serve your neighbor. And know that when you're doing 563 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:00,880 that, you're being more Christian than the Christian 564 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,760 that's at church four or five or six days out of the week who 565 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:06,400 doesn't even know their neighbor's name. 566 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,280 So we have to ask them our questions, church. 567 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,320 And that is, if Jesus were here, where would he be hanging out 568 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,200 with the majority of his time? And the majority of his time 569 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:18,960 would probably be looking like a woman in a well in Oildale more 570 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:23,640 than it would look like a church in the Northwest on a Tuesday or 571 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,400 Wednesday or Thursday or Friday or Saturday for their 5th or 6th 572 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,760 or 7th program of the week. Jesus would be in the ecclesia, 573 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,720 but he would be about sending the ecclesia to the least. 574 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,000 Let me make sure you get the attention. 575 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:35,720 So you're not like, we don't need that church. 576 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,560 Don't you throw out his bride and don't you throw a punch at 577 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:45,120 her because he who defends her is a lot stronger than you. 578 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:46,760 And if you can't take the husband, you shouldn't be 579 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:52,600 talking about the bride. I'm just having fun today. 580 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,000 We got to go. You got to go, not me like you, 581 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:04,320 you got to go like the homeless should be served by you. 582 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:08,960 You're the answer to the homeless epidemic, the 583 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:12,120 impoverished, the poor in spirit, the hurting, the broken, 584 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:14,159 the oppressed. You're the solution. 585 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:17,800 Empowered by the Holy Spirit, you are the solution. 586 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:22,320 Stop looking at government and church pastors to give you every 587 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,960 solution that the Spirit of God has empowered you to live out 588 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:27,880 and do here. Let me give you a blessing. 589 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:31,679 You are a chosen race. You are a chosen people. 590 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:36,000 You are a royal priesthood. I now Ding thee by the Spirit of 591 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:40,840 God. Pastors, go, go. 592 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:44,159 You don't need my approval. What am I going to do? 593 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,360 Oh, that, that does sound like a Holy Spirit. 594 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,120 Good idea. I think God will want you to do 595 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,360 that. Well, now you must be really 596 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:53,800 empowered to do it because fallible Russ up here said go 597 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:55,639 for it. Are you kidding me? 598 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:59,560 If the spirit is igniting a passion in your heart to go and 599 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:01,600 do it. If the Spirit is calling you out 600 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:04,120 to courageously. Act Act. 601 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:09,440 Do it? Go in What? 602 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,080 What's the next word? Make make what? 603 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,880 Make converts? No, no, no, no. 604 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,480 Make church members? No, that's not it either. 605 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:21,680 Not called to make converts. Not called to make make 606 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:26,200 Christians. No Make disciples. 607 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,680 Now it would probably behoove us to have a working definition of 608 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,000 what a disciple is. We used many different 609 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,840 definitions before, but a disciple who someone is someone 610 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:42,080 who is daily operating under the rule of Jesus Christ in their 611 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:44,200 life. A disciple is someone who is 612 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,320 daily operating under the rule of Jesus Christ. 613 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,800 It's a simple way of putting it. It's basically saying that I 614 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,760 live as if He is alive and living and reigning and ruling 615 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,120 and returning over my life moment by moment, minute by 616 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:59,120 minute, in my living. To live as if God isn't 617 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:03,400 reigning, ruling and returning over my life and desiring to 618 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,560 call and Commission me by His Spirit to go and be His hands 619 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:07,920 and feet is to live as a practical atheist. 620 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:09,920 You can put the word Christian on it, but you're living as an 621 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:15,040 atheist and to never make a disciple in your life is to at 622 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:18,120 best be an extremely unfaithful Christian who never got a sight 623 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,520 of the actual purpose for what you were left on this earth to 624 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:22,720 do. You are not a mature follower of 625 00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:23,840 Jesus until you've made a disciple. 626 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:26,840 No matter how much theology you know, if you've not made a 627 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:30,320 disciple, you are not mature. You're immature and wisdom will 628 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:33,520 only make you arrogant, not effective. 629 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:39,400 If you are not about making disciples, How do you make a 630 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,280 disciple? Well, that's not very easy, is 631 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:43,400 it? You know why it's not very easy? 632 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,920 Because it requires you looking weak. 633 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,800 I don't know how else to put it. Paul says. 634 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:54,240 I boast in my weaknesses for Christ. 635 00:36:54,240 --> 00:36:58,280 Power is being perfected in it. So there's four things I wrote 636 00:36:58,280 --> 00:36:59,640 down. I'm going to talk about them. 637 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,960 Four things I wrote down. The keys to making a disciple. 638 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:08,400 It must be audible, number one, it must be visible #2. 639 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:20,600 It must be mimicable #3 and it must be approachable #4 it must 640 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:26,880 be audible, it must be visible. It must be mimicable and it must 641 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:28,600 be approachable. Otherwise you can't make a 642 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:30,480 disciple. It must be audible. 643 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,400 Why? Because we are in the business 644 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:38,120 of proclaiming Christ, goodness, message, and glory to the 645 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,400 nation's. It's what we're here to do. 646 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:42,240 How a lot of you have heard What? 647 00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:45,400 I'm just going to let my actions speak for my words. 648 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:47,960 What you were saying is that you are a coward. 649 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,560 You're afraid of allowing Jesus to be the dividing line between 650 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:59,000 you and your community. I am not ashamed of the Gospel 651 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:03,760 of Jesus Christ. I take the warning that Jesus 652 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:07,400 gives us very seriously that if you deny me before men, I will 653 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:13,320 deny you before my Father. Your words speak to your God. 654 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:17,720 If all you ever do is talk about your football team and you never 655 00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:20,880 talk about your Savior, then we've already identified the God 656 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:24,440 problem in your life. If all you talk about is the 657 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:27,320 government, then we've already identified the God in your life. 658 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,640 If all you talk about is your own finances and getting out of 659 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:34,480 your own stuff, then we've identified the God of your life. 660 00:38:34,720 --> 00:38:41,440 Your words speak to your Savior so by the prayer that we see 661 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:43,520 prayed over and over again in many churches that comes out of 662 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:44,960 the Psalms. It's made the words of my mouth 663 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,840 and the meditation and thoughts of all of our hearts be holy and 664 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:56,680 pleasing to you to God. Your disciple making begins with 665 00:38:56,760 --> 00:39:00,800 audibly talking through the gospel of Jesus Christ with 666 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:03,120 other people. What is the the gospel? 667 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:11,320 Well, we read it in in the synopsis form and John chapter 668 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:16,040 20. Nope, we found it. 669 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,880 Oh, Luke, Luke cites it. Luke 2445. 670 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,320 Here's the gospel. Thus it is written, Christ 671 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:23,880 should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. 672 00:39:25,720 --> 00:39:28,280 How's that good news? There's a lot of explanation 673 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:29,960 that goes into that. But what's the core message of 674 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:33,440 the gospel? Jesus died for your sins. 675 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:38,520 First Corinthians 15 as it was written in the Scriptures, He 676 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,520 was buried as it was written in the Scriptures, and he rose on 677 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,080 the third day of victory as it was recorded for us in the 678 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:46,760 Scriptures, to which there are now witnesses. 679 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,320 And all of the earth. If you don't believe me, go back 680 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,560 to Jerusalem. Paul says it's around 500 who 681 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:56,960 saw him risen from the dead, many of which are still walking 682 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:01,760 around alive. So I put such a emphasis. 683 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:06,920 On you proclaiming audibly the witness of what you've seen God 684 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:08,480 do. You may not understand 685 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,240 everything about God, but you if you have a relationship with 686 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:13,360 Jesus. Have had an encounter with him 687 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:18,360 and as a result it should bring an audible message of what he's 688 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:19,840 done. It should be audible #2 it 689 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:22,720 should be visible. It should be seen. 690 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,160 It's why I'm taking Lucas to the park with me and we're shooting 691 00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:28,600 hoops and not just swinging and staying to our own selves over 692 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,000 on the side. It's why we're praying nightly 693 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:32,600 about the family across the street. 694 00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:34,960 It's why my wife and I, for three plus years, have been 695 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:38,760 investing in a couple that we are constantly trying to make 696 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:42,200 margin in our life for so that we can share the gospel with 697 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:43,960 them. We want them to visibly get 698 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:47,360 close enough. Our kids, our church. 699 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:51,880 So that they can see the gospel at work, we want them to see 700 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:53,320 our. Weaknesses I'm not covering. 701 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:54,880 Up my stuff. That's why I say I'm the lead 702 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:58,000 repenter of my family and I'm the lead repenter of this 703 00:40:58,000 --> 00:40:59,560 church. What does that mean? 704 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:04,760 When I am wrong, which I will get it wrong a lot, Ask those 705 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:07,440 that are very close to me get it wrong a lot. 706 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:12,480 When I am wrong, I am the first to humble myself because I no 707 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:16,200 longer live in shame. Jesus bore my shame. 708 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:20,280 He bore your shame so that you, in your failure, can hold your 709 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,920 head high, knowing that your worth has not been subtracted 710 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:25,680 from you because of your mistakes. 711 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:35,680 I live redeemed, sanctified, freed from my past, freed from 712 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,400 my sin. He not only paid for what I've 713 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:42,840 done, He's delivered me from the person that I've been, so I 714 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:45,680 walk. With my head high and humble 715 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:49,560 before Him, walking in the light so that when the darkness rises 716 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:51,520 in me, it is immediately illuminated. 717 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,280 And it is turned from in repentance so that I can receive 718 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:57,400 the healing that only comes through receiving the grace and 719 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:01,360 the mercy of Christ. So it's got to be visible. 720 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:03,920 It's got to be audible. It's got to be mimicable. 721 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:07,680 I've got to allow you to see what God is doing in my life so 722 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:09,440 that you can see what it looks like in your life. 723 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:11,640 And this is what discipleship looks like. 724 00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:15,200 I pull you in close enough to see the dysfunctions of my 725 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:20,880 attempts to pursue Jesus. You know what happens whenever I 726 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:23,880 pull you in close enough to see my life and my pursuit of Jesus? 727 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:29,200 You know what happens to me. I pay attention to the way that 728 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:32,760 I'm pursuing Jesus. I pay attention to the words 729 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:35,560 that I speak. When you know someone's close 730 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:40,240 enough to see, you start taking into regard the holiness and the 731 00:42:40,240 --> 00:42:43,720 power of God in your life, and what happens is you begin to 732 00:42:43,720 --> 00:42:48,720 walk a little bit more carefully than you would if you were to 733 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:54,240 not think anyone was watching. Look, the generation behind us 734 00:42:54,240 --> 00:42:59,680 will mimic us. They will mimic us in rebellion 735 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,440 or in trying to be just like what we have done. 736 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:10,520 I do not want another generation to rise up in our church. 737 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:14,840 I'm talking about your kids who feel like they have to go 738 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:18,560 outside of the church to find the real God of the universe 739 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:23,680 because of the inauthenticity with which we practiced our 740 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:26,560 faith within it. It's got to be audible, it's got 741 00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:29,840 to be visible, it's got to be mimicable #4 it finally, it has 742 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:32,680 to be approachable, has to be approachable. 743 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:37,120 Jesus removed the obstacles for people to come to Him. 744 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,440 I want everyone to know in my neighborhood, if you need, if 745 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:43,360 you need prayer, if you need someone to meet with you, if you 746 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:45,640 need someone to talk about and answer your questions about God, 747 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:49,880 I'm here. We had new neighbors that moved 748 00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:51,400 in. Three houses on our block went 749 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:52,480 for sale. None of you bought it. 750 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:57,520 I don't take it personally, but none of you want to move by me. 751 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:02,360 But I made sure that I went to introduce myself to all of them 752 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:05,120 and I'm like, I don't know if I walked over. 753 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:06,720 Here's my opening line if you need one. 754 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:09,280 I was like in the South. I think I'm supposed to bring 755 00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:11,240 you a pie or something, but I'm your neighbor. 756 00:44:11,240 --> 00:44:14,280 I just want to say, hey, we're over here. 757 00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:16,280 We're the chambers. You have kids. 758 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:18,000 We have kids. We love for your kids to play 759 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:20,480 with our kids. We sit in the front yard some 760 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:21,840 evenings. We love to talk to you. 761 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:24,920 And I'm a pastor and there's ever anything I can pray for you 762 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:26,160 about. I'd love to pray for you. 763 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:33,960 Now, clearly that shook the wife because her look, I was like, I 764 00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:37,560 didn't know you would be here when we bought this house. 765 00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:43,080 I mean, she looks like she's a Hot Topic employee that's not 766 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:45,120 just trying to mimic the lifestyle, but she's fully 767 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:46,560 engulfed in it. You know what I'm talking about? 768 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:55,360 Like, I don't smile ever. My favorite color is black, and 769 00:44:55,360 --> 00:45:00,640 I like to wear it every day of the week with black makeup to 770 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:03,200 let you know that inside I feel black. 771 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:08,080 I feel like there's a hole of blackness. 772 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:12,200 Nothing's in there, so don't come and stare at it. 773 00:45:13,320 --> 00:45:16,920 And I'm like. Hey, come play in our front 774 00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:24,000 yard, I'll bake you a pie. I love Jesus, I don't. 775 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:30,600 Care if initially if they're afraid, I want them to know that 776 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:34,240 I'm removing every obstacle I can for them to come over, that 777 00:45:34,240 --> 00:45:38,160 my door is the door they can knock on, that my life is a life 778 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:40,480 that they can inconvenience when their life is going through 779 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:46,160 turmoil. Do your neighbors know that 780 00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:53,540 you're available? And that's that? 781 00:45:53,540 --> 00:45:59,820 Again, do your neighbors know that you are available? 782 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:08,600 See, a lot of us aren't being approached because the way that 783 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,800 we're living is demonstrating, communicating to our neighbors 784 00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:14,320 that we just simply aren't available. 785 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:19,760 We don't have time. I have time to talk to you. 786 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,360 I don't have time to hear about your problems. 787 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:26,480 Now, the other day, I was crammed for time and I have a 788 00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:30,120 neighbor who pastors a smaller church in the middle of nowhere. 789 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:33,600 And he was going through it. His mother's on her last leg. 790 00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:35,800 He's a single guy. He lives by himself. 791 00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:38,880 The church is way out of town, so he doesn't have any week 792 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,080 during the week community with them that he pastors. 793 00:46:41,760 --> 00:46:46,400 And he was in this dark moment and he comes out and he's like, 794 00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:49,720 how are you doing? And I'm trying to blow him off. 795 00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:54,000 And he looks at me and says, hey, can I, can I say something 796 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:55,600 to you? I said, yeah. 797 00:46:55,600 --> 00:46:59,040 He said, man, I, I'm, I need prayer. 798 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:10,160 My mom's dying, the church I'm at, it's dying, my health, it's 799 00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:13,360 not good either. I'm discouraged. 800 00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:17,280 I need, will you pray for me during your prayer time? 801 00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:20,800 By that point in time, I got in the memo from the Lord like, 802 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:24,560 hey, bucko, be available. And I'm like, no, no, no, I'm 803 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:25,880 not going to pray for you during my prayer time. 804 00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:28,280 Prayer time's right now and we're in the we're in the 805 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:31,680 driveway with all the parents that are dropping their kids off 806 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:33,080 at the elementary school down the street. 807 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:36,960 And I'm laying my hands on him and I am praying over him in his 808 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:41,000 driveway because I want to be approachable. 809 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:45,840 I want to be a Great Commission fulfiller. 810 00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:50,960 If you're going to fulfill the Great Commission, you have to 811 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:53,400 go. You have to make disciples #3 812 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:55,720 you have to be identified publicly with them. 813 00:47:55,720 --> 00:47:57,200 Which means you've got to be baptized. 814 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:00,800 Just because you were sprinkled as a baby does not mean that you 815 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:02,160 have gone through believers baptism. 816 00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:04,760 Believers baptism is you publicly identifying with the 817 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:08,120 death, burial, and resurrection after you come to the belief 818 00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:11,960 that you need that accounted to you. 819 00:48:12,720 --> 00:48:14,280 So it's not your parents decision. 820 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:17,760 You're not raised up in it. I was sprinkled as a baby. 821 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,760 They got me wet. But it was their commitment, not 822 00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:23,600 mine that was made that day. It was their commitment that 823 00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:25,320 they were going to raise me to know the Lord through their 824 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:28,320 example and not in spite of it. Does this make sense? 825 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:32,160 What we must understand, what we must do is get back to a place 826 00:48:32,160 --> 00:48:35,400 of recognizing that we have to publicly profess Jesus, and that 827 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:37,760 begins with doing it His way. If you've never been baptized, 828 00:48:37,760 --> 00:48:40,240 guess what you should do? You should get baptized. 829 00:48:41,320 --> 00:48:43,480 I don't care if people thought you were a Christian for years, 830 00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:48,160 Like if you've never been baptized since personally making 831 00:48:48,160 --> 00:48:50,760 the decision to entrust your livelihood, your future, your 832 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:56,160 past, and your present to God, then you should be baptized #4 833 00:48:56,160 --> 00:48:59,960 the last thing that is a part of it, baptism is a part of it #4 834 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:03,400 is we must go and teach. That is to say that replication 835 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:06,440 is the is the, is the sign that a disciple has been made. 836 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:09,120 It's the Son that a disciple has been made. 837 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:12,120 Now many of us live our whole life professing Jesus and we 838 00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:14,520 don't have any clue if we actually made a single disciple. 839 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,120 That is because perhaps we've not been taught. 840 00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:23,720 So some things that I think we must do because here's what I 841 00:49:23,720 --> 00:49:26,080 want you to understand. The Great Commission is not an 842 00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:29,480 idea that God hopes the church will fulfill. 843 00:49:29,720 --> 00:49:32,080 The Great Commission is something that the Spirit of God 844 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:34,920 will accomplish with the Church of God, and we know it because 845 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:37,080 Revelation 7 speaks of the day when it's done. 846 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:41,360 So many of us are complacent when it comes to this mission 847 00:49:41,360 --> 00:49:44,080 because we're like, Oh well, there's just so many lost people 848 00:49:44,200 --> 00:49:46,280 and there's just people just don't seem to be attracted to 849 00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:48,160 spiritual things. No, no, no, they're spiritual 850 00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:49,640 people. They're just worshipping 851 00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:52,600 creation over the creator. And you've been put in their 852 00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:55,440 lives so they could, they could see someone who's worshipping 853 00:49:55,440 --> 00:50:00,080 the creator of creation and stop worshipping matter. 854 00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:03,040 I think there's three things we have to do to become a great 855 00:50:03,040 --> 00:50:05,200 commissioned church. Number one, we must eliminate 856 00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:10,400 the sacred and secular divide. That is to say, God is not 857 00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:14,480 housed by our buildings and He's not housed by our meetings. 858 00:50:14,760 --> 00:50:18,480 Acts 17 when Paul was before the Areopagus, he says God is not 859 00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:25,200 contained in the temples of man. So if we build big temples, it 860 00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:28,160 means nothing to the neighborhood if the people who 861 00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:31,280 come in it aren't equipped to go out and share the message that 862 00:50:31,280 --> 00:50:35,960 it professes. God's temple is your life. 863 00:50:36,920 --> 00:50:40,920 He put His Spirit in you. That means everywhere you go, 864 00:50:40,920 --> 00:50:43,400 you've walked into a place where the Spirit of God is working 865 00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:46,640 because the Spirit of God is at work in and through you. 866 00:50:47,240 --> 00:50:51,920 So stop compartmentalizing Jesus and where and when He can work 867 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:53,960 and lead in your life. That's one. 868 00:50:54,200 --> 00:51:00,880 Number two, we must get rid of the idea that there's this thing 869 00:51:00,880 --> 00:51:04,800 called professional vocational pastors and everybody else 870 00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:10,880 accept your calling that first Peter has called you to first 871 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:13,160 Peter 29. You are a chosen race, a royal 872 00:51:13,160 --> 00:51:15,680 priesthood, a royal nation, a people for his own possession, 873 00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:19,760 that you, you may proclaim the effluencies of him who called 874 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:21,760 you out of the darkness into this marvelous light. 875 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:24,360 Leave this place as pastors today. 876 00:51:26,480 --> 00:51:28,480 People will look at you weird if you show up at Mills tomorrow 877 00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:30,080 morning. Like hey, just want you guys to 878 00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:32,400 know became Pastor Dave overnight because some of you 879 00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:34,240 are Christian but you still swear a lot and you've got to 880 00:51:34,240 --> 00:51:38,960 work on that. OK, but you are a royal 881 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:41,360 priesthood. Then why do we have vocational 882 00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:49,520 pastors to equip you? That's why I have a job that 883 00:51:49,520 --> 00:51:54,240 pays me full time to be mimicable, approachable, 884 00:51:54,360 --> 00:51:57,800 audible, and visible in my relationship with Jesus. 885 00:51:58,360 --> 00:52:01,160 So that you can mimic me as I mimic him. 886 00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:06,360 So that you can learn from my repentance and learn of the 887 00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:08,920 trustworthiness of the grace and mercy of God. 888 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:12,800 That that's why I'm here. It's to equip the Saints for 889 00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:15,240 works of service. If what I have just done, 890 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:22,840 preaching over my time and not apologizing about it, has not 891 00:52:22,840 --> 00:52:26,080 equipped you to walk out of here as a missionary for God, then 892 00:52:26,120 --> 00:52:29,280 all I have done is taken more of your time and we're 30 minutes 893 00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:33,200 into your football game. But if you leave here knowing 894 00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:37,720 who you are in Christ, then we have become something that makes 895 00:52:37,720 --> 00:52:42,800 Satan tremble because he can take out a pastor and he can 896 00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:46,040 take out a few of us with cancer, but he cannot take down 897 00:52:46,040 --> 00:52:49,520 the Church of Jesus Christ. And when you know who you are, 898 00:52:51,120 --> 00:52:54,880 it becomes unstoppable. It becomes a movement that 899 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:59,000 cannot be contained and it spreads like wildfire through 900 00:52:59,000 --> 00:53:02,920 the streets. When you know who you are, then 901 00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:06,440 you go out empowered by the Spirit walking as the redeemed 902 00:53:06,440 --> 00:53:09,040 people of God. And you live out a life that 903 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:13,080 denies your preference and takes up your cross daily and pursues 904 00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:15,840 His glory. And His revival comes to earth 905 00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:19,160 because His harvest folks, is still plentiful. 906 00:53:19,240 --> 00:53:22,720 But you are the laborers that we've been looking for in the 907 00:53:22,720 --> 00:53:26,680 field, and it is time for you to get off of the bench and get 908 00:53:26,680 --> 00:53:31,640 into the game. Stop watching me live out my 909 00:53:31,640 --> 00:53:36,280 faith and with me come alongside me, shoulder to shoulder, and 910 00:53:36,280 --> 00:53:38,200 shield to shield. And lest with the light of 911 00:53:38,200 --> 00:53:41,960 Christ, push back the darkness that is in our city, so that his 912 00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:46,880 name and his renown and His glory and His worship will rise 913 00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:50,480 from this place into the heavens where the angels worship Him. 914 00:53:50,640 --> 00:53:54,720 So that we can celebrate on this day, that day that is to come, 915 00:53:54,840 --> 00:53:57,800 where faith will be made sight and will join in with the 916 00:53:57,800 --> 00:54:03,480 heavenly host proclaiming holy, holy, holy is the Lord, Lord for 917 00:54:03,480 --> 00:54:06,760 all eternity. May His glory reign over you, 918 00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:11,920 and may it start. Today, in this place as this 919 00:54:11,920 --> 00:54:12,320 people.