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2 episodes with great commission jesus
2 episodes with great commission jesus
2 episodes with great commission jesus
2 episodes with great commission jesus
"Promise & Power of the Holy Spirit"Acts 1:4-8Pastor Michael MorisiApril 6, 2025EASTER is Sunday, April 20th!We'd love to see you and your family come worship and celebrate our Risen Savior on Easter. We'll have two Sunday morning services at 9:00 and 10:30 AM. https://www.instagram.com/p/DHby1_3OHVo/KIDS SPACE WITH INDOOR PLAYGROUND:We have expanded with 3x more space for the babies, kids, and youth in your family. https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/reel/C8FqHIipr3u/Learn about this year's Kingdom Builder's project: https://www.oasischurch.online/kingdom-buildersHow should Christians respond to POLITICAL ISSUES? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak82aD16r04WHY WE UPDATED OUR VISION STATEMENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0WFhtL7h3ISERMON NOTES:- Promise & Power of the Holy Spirit- Acts 1:4-8- The Command to Wait- The Promise of the Holy Spirit- The Question of Restoration- The Promise of Power and the Great Commission- Jesus is Calling you to Walk in His ImageOasis Church exists to Worship God, Equip the believers, and Reach the lost.We are led by Pastor Nate Clarke and are located in Richmond, VA.Stay Connected:Website: https://oasischurch.online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OasisChurchRVA/
This week we looked at the Great Commission—Jesus' final words to His disciples before ascending into heaven. We saw how this wasn't just a new command but the fulfillment of a mission God started in the very beginning. If you would like to know more about MetaChurch and the movement of Jesus, we would like to invite you to visit us at www.metachurch.tv.Support the show
Introduction When reading through Romans and you get to chapter 8 it feels like an ending of a section. The next chapter seems like the start of another section. As such, these last few verses have a lot in common with the Great Commission in the last chapters of the gospel. In the Great Commission Jesus…
In the “Made For This” series, Tomara's message on Missional Intentionality serves as a reminder to live “on mission, on purpose”—boldly and consistently bringing God's love and purpose into every facet of life. At Northeast, Missional Intentionality means seeing every area—home, city, work (school), and church—as a mission field. Unleashing Love in All Areas of Life At the heart of Missional Intentionality is the call to “Unleash Love,” which reflects God's love in a sacrificial and persistent way. Northeast encourages believers to “walk the walk” of Christ-like love and “talk the talk” of faith when the time is right, using actions and words to make a genuine impact. Living "On Mission, On Purpose" * Definition: Living "on mission, on purpose" involves intentional actions aligned with God's purpose, where every interaction is an opportunity to share faith and demonstrate Christ's love. * Vision: Tomara emphasizes that God has placed each of us in our specific roles and settings to impact others. Living on mission means seeing each arena—home, city, work (school), and church—as a ministry field. * Encouragement: By loving others proactively and embodying Christian values, believers can be “a city on a hill,” visibly shining God's love. Key Scriptural Foundations 1. John 15:1-8 – Jesus as the Vine: This passage stresses the importance of believers “remaining in Him” to bear lasting fruit, drawing spiritual strength from their connection to Jesus. 2. Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission) – Jesus calls His followers to spread the gospel and make disciples. This proactive engagement is essential to living missional lives. Takeaways from Scripture: * Staying Connected: Believers are encouraged to regularly draw strength from Jesus through prayer and spiritual practices. * Sharing the Gospel: The Great Commission urges Christians to share their faith and invite others into the community of believers. Creating a Personal "Love the ‘Ville" Playbook To live with Missional Intentionality, Tomara invites us to create a “Love the ‘Ville” Playbook, a practical plan to live missionally across various spheres of life: 1. Identify one way to unleash love in each area—Home, City, Work (or School), and Church. 2. Record the plans in a journal or digital notes app. 3. Share your goals with a friend for accountability. 4. Pray over the playbook to seek guidance and focus. 5. Evaluate regularly to stay committed and intentional. By embracing Missional Intentionality, we align our everyday lives with God's purpose, transforming each moment into an opportunity to demonstrate sacrificial love, stay connected to Christ, and share the good news with those around us.
A @Christadelphians Video: Description: The belief in resurrection of Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death. The New and also the Old Testament writings prophesied that Jesus Christ would be raised from the dead. The disciples, having seen their risen Lord, preached His resurrection to all who would listen. There is also historical proof, from pagan writers of the time of Christ who testified to these things. Summary The resurrection of Jesus is crucial for Christian faith, as it confirms salvation and offers hope. Paul emphasizes its importance through various testimonies. Highlights ✝️ Resurrection's Importance: Paul states that if Christ is not raised, faith is meaningless.
What do you do when you need to level up your faith? In this message, Pastor Nate Nupanga and Rob Elder break down the Great Commission Jesus gave to the disciples and how we can experience the life Jesus told us to expect.
Ancient Landmark – the Great Commission Jesus commands His disciples to continue to go and make more disciples of the Kingdom of God. The authority belongs to Jesus and the good news is that He welcomes people from all nations to follow Him in His kingdom of heaven. And we have the privilege and empowerment … Continue reading Great Commission →
Episode 270 –Bible: Cornerstone and Context 2 – Infinite Salvation Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. 11 Timothy, Chapter 2, verses 5 and 6, New International Version ******** VK: Hello! Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m Victoria K. We’re so happy to have you with us today on Anchored by Truth as we continue with the series that we began in our last episode. We’re calling this series “The Bible: Cornerstone and Context.” Our goal on Anchored by Truth is to help people understand that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. And one powerful way for people to come to that awareness is for them to realize that the Bible is a pre-eminently reasonable book. Some people may come to the Bible and think that the various books and stories contained in the Bible were just sort of randomly assembled. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible is a unified revelation. To help us continue this invaluable discovery, today in the studio we have RD Fierro, an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, why did you decide to do a series you call “Cornerstone and Context?” RD: Well, I’d also like to welcome everyone joining us here today as we continue our new series. We’ve talked often on Anchored by Truth that in our day and age there is widespread Biblical ignorance in our culture. And surprisingly that Biblical ignorance extends even into our churches. If you talk to the average person sitting in a pew on Sunday morning and ask them whether they believe the Bible is the word of God the vast majority will say yes. But when you ask them to explain to you why they believe that you get a lot of blank stares. It’s not that they are not sincere in their belief. It’s that all too often they have only a cursory understanding of the faith they claim and even more cursory understanding of the Bible. That’s sad but it’s also perilous – because a Christian who can’t provide a reasoned explanation of what they believe and why they believe it is just chum to the cultural sharks who swarm in school buildings, the media, academia, corporate hallways, and government. Some surveys have said that as many as three-quarters of the kids raised in Christian homes lose their faith when the leave home. VK: What you’re saying is that our culture is no longer a safe place to be a Christian. While there are a lot of platitudes hurled around that talk about freedom of thought and expression, the truth is that the consistent target for denigration today is evangelical Christianity. Now we shouldn’t be surprised by this. Jesus told us that his people would be a target for the world and the devil. In what may be Jesus’ best-known discourse on the end times he said this: “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” That’s the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 9 through 11. RD: Yes. Note that in those verses Jesus warned that “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.” Since Jesus said that these people would “turn away” that means that for at least some time there would be people who were seemingly His followers, seemingly Christian, but they really weren’t. And the occasion for those people abandoning their false profession of faith was because of persecution. We all need to take Jesus’ warning to heart and make sure that we aren’t among the group that turns away. We need to make sure that we – and our families and friends – are firmly grounded in their faith. VK: … that they are “anchored by truth” in other words… RD: Yes - anchored by truth. That’s why we named this show what we did. People with a shallow faith are going to be swept away when waves of persecution come. We’re already seeing that all around us. The fastest growing religious group in America today is the so-called “nones.” These are the people who possess no religious faith. VK: But that’s really a deceptive label isn’t it. People may say they don’t believe in any religion but they are just lying to themselves. It’s just that they have substituted a false idol for faith in the One True God. And while in our society they are certainly free to do that they are not free to do that without consequences. Because God has been very clear that He will one day call all people to account. The Apostle Paul wrote “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” That’s 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 10. The consequence of people rejecting Christ in this life is that Christ will not recognize them as His people when they stand before Him at judgment. RD: Yes – and that’s actually what I wanted to talk more about today - salvation. I’d guess that if you asked a lot of Christians to explain exactly how Christ provides salvation to His people we would get a lot of blank stares. VK: Well, I think a lot of people would say something like “we’re saved by Christ’s death on the cross” or “we’re saved because Jesus took our sins away.” RD: I think they would and both of those statements are accurate. But they are incomplete in terms of the basis for our salvation. Both of those statements are essentially statements about the result of Christ’s atoning death – and it is a glorious result indeed. But a complete understanding and explanation of how Christ provided salvation to His people means going beyond just the result to the origin of the need for salvation and the process used to bring about the result. VK: In other words the cornerstone and context of our salvation. RD: In so many words yes. VK: Well, I think many people might say “I don’t need to know how I was saved. I just need to know that I am saved. RD: And that would be unfortunate for a number of reasons but let’s just mention one for today. Studying scripture is not optional for God’s people. In Paul’s epistle to the Philippians he told them to “work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling.” That’s Philippians, chapter 2, verse 12. Now Paul is not telling the Philippians to be afraid of the work. He is telling them that they must be diligent about being obedient to his admonitions and the commands of scripture because expects His people to do their best. We should be afraid of not doing our best for Jesus because as Paul pointed out earlier Jesus gave up a heavenly throne to provide our salvation. In other words, God and Jesus gave us the greatest blessing possible – eternal salvation – but to do that God had to send His only begotten Son to die for us. It’s incumbent on us then to express our gratitude by at least taking the trouble to understand what God did for us. In addition to the instruction God gave to the Philippians Paul also gave his follower Timothy, and us, an express command to study scripture. VK: You’re thinking of 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 15. In the Amplified Bible that verse says, “Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” RD: Right. God commands us to study God’s word, the Bible. And if we do that we will be able to explain not only the result of our salvation but why it was necessary in the first place. And, even more wonderfully, we will be able to explain the true elegance of the plan of redemption. VK: And one thing that can help everyone with developing a complete understanding of how and why Jesus saved us is by returning to the grand story that the Bible tells. In our last episode of Anchored by Truth we mentioned that the Bible is a single book about a single plan centered on a single man. The plan was God’s plan to redeem a people for Himself. The man who is the center of God’s plan of redemption, and all of history for that matter, is Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus is the cornerstone of the Bible and History. And the grand saga that the Bible relates is a saga of creation, fall, and redemption. RD: So, one thing that we can immediately see by returning to the big story, the grand saga, is the origin of the need for Jesus to die an atoning death on the cross – the fall of man that occurred in the Garden of Eden. If Adam and Eve had obeyed God’s command to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil man would never have fallen. So, the origin of the need for the sacrifice of God’s only Son lies in the fall of man that is reported in chapter 3 of the book of Genesis. VK: If man had not fallen, sin would not have entered the created order. And therefore man would not have to have been redeemed from the consequences of sin. But once man fell, God had to do something to save His elect because if God had done nothing everyone would have been lost. RD: Correct. So, let’s work our way through the chain of salvation step by step. In chapter 1 of Genesis we hear the overall story of creation. Then in chapter 2 we get more detailed information about how created the pinnacle of creation, man and woman. At the end of chapter 2 everything is good – in fact very good – within the created order. VK: Sadly, all that changed in the opening verses of chapter 3 of Genesis – because in the first verse of chapter 3 we start to hear about the serpent. The serpent is really the devil in disguise. We learn about that from chapter 12 of the book of Revelation. RD: So, obviously the devil already existed at that time. And the devil had already rebelled against God and most likely already led a third of the angels into following him. So, in chapter 3 of Genesis we find out that Adam and Eve are now going to be tested to see whether they will be obedient to God or whether they are going to succumb to temptation. And from the fact that Satan presents an initial temptation for Eve to doubt God that she resists we learn that she could have resisted subsequent temptations if she had simply done what she did at first – which was to repeat God’s truth back to Satan when he tempted her. VK: And we also learn from this encounter that temptation is not sin. We can be tempted and still not sin. I think this confuses a lot of people. They think that just because they are experiencing temptation that they have sinned. But just encountering temptation is not necessarily sinful. Now it may be our sin that leads us to rush into places where we will encounter temptation more readily, but we can also encounter temptation even if we haven’t done that. Temptation is all around us – unfortunately. But just because we are tempted does not mean we have sinned. One of Satan’s favorite tricks is to discourage us by convincing us we sinned when all we really experienced was temptation. RD: I agree. At any rate Eve did ultimately succumb to Satan’s temptations and Adam followed right along with her. That lapse, that first sin changed everything – not just for mankind but for all of creation. So, at that point man was lost. Man had incurred an infinite debt. VK: Man is finite creature. All creatures are finite. But God is infinite. So, the consequences of man’s rebellion were infinite because man had offended a Being of infinite proportions and attributes. Even in our society we recognize that the consequences of our action are dependent on not just the offender but the offended. Lie to your neighbor and that may or not be a crime. Lie on a loan application and it is likely a criminal offense. Betray a friend and you’re a false friend. Betray your country and its treason. The severity of an action is dependent on both sides of the transaction. RD: Yes. So, after Adam and Eve rebelled, sinned, in the Garden of Eden they and all of their children would have been eternally condemned had God not immediately began a plan of redemption. But He did. God immediately announced that Satan’s dark plan for the downfall of man would one day result in Satan’s eternal death. God said that one of Eve’s descendants, the “seed of the woman” as the King James Version puts it, would crush Satan’s head. Crushing the head of a serpent is a fatal blow. But defeating Satan wouldn’t come without cost. The serpent would strike the heel of the One who would crush his head – a painful but not fatal blow. VK: So, immediately, even before the Bible’s account of the first sin has ended we already have 3 elements that help us begin to understand how Jesus accomplished our salvation. Element number 1 is that the coming hero would be the “seed of a woman” but not of a man. Element number 2 is that whoever this hero is going to be it is going to be a man. Most versions that translate Genesis, chapter 3, verse 15 use the pronoun “he” to talk about the person who is going to crush Satan’s head. And third we can understand that for the curse of sin to be reversed it is going to take a Person of infinite value. As we have said the debt Adam and Eve incurred in the Garden was an infinite debt. And a finite man cannot pay an infinite debt no matter how hard he tries or how long he works. RD: Right. So, even just knowing the beginning of the grand story is of immense value to understanding how Jesus saved us by his sacrificial death on the cross. We leave the third chapter of the first book of the Bible with three criteria that are going to be true of the coming Messiah. And more criteria will be added as the plan of redemption proceeds. Redemptive history began in the Garden of Eden began there but it most certainly didn’t end there. From chapters 6 through 9 of Genesis we find out that the coming Messiah would be descendant of Noah – because only Noah, his 3 sons, and their wives were the only people who survived the worldwide flood. In chapter 12 of Genesis we find out that the Savior will be a descendent of the patriarch Abraham because God tells Abraham that all the peoples on earth will be blessed through him. And in chapter 14 of Genesis we first hear of the mysterious figure “Melchizedek.” We find out in Psalm 110, verse 4 that this figure Melchizedek is a figure who presages the kind of priest that the Messiah will be. VK: And we find out that Jesus fulfilled this priestly role by three separate references in the book of Hebrews. Those verses are Hebrews, chapter 5, verse 6, and chapter 7 verses17 and 21. And in scripture a three-fold repetition of something is significant, isn’t it. RD: Yes. There aren’t many three-fold repetitions of words or phrases in scripture they are always used by God as a form of emphasis. In the case of the Messiah God was telling the Jews that the Messiah would be not only be a priest but also a king. He was also telling them that the Messiah would not be from the priestly tribe of Levi. And God continued to add criteria and attributes throughout the Old Testament that would allow the Jews and the world to know Jesus was the Messiah when Jesus arrived in the world. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, enter Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt, be crucified between two thieves, buried in a rich man’s tomb, but rise again to sit at the right hand of God. All of these signs of the Messiah, and others, were given to the Jews in their scriptures were fulfilled in Jesus’ life. VK: And the point is that because we know that God’s grand plan and the big story of the Bible is all about creation, fall, and redemption we can trace a consistent path through the Old Testament. Immediately after the fall God told Adam and Eve that a Deliverer would come and God immediately gave them distinctive criteria that would mark the Messiah. So, by getting a firm grasp on the larger context in which all the various events, stories, and prophecies of the Old Testament are set we can see the progress of redemptive history. When God gives a new criteria that will mark the life of the Messiah, like being born of a virgin, we can look and see if we have evidence that that criteria was fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Context keeps the lights on for our pathway. So, by keeping the larger context in mind we can better organize our study to ensure we get the most out of time with scripture. RD: Yep. So, now let’s start to put all these ideas together and see God’s perfect elegance in both establishing the plan of salvation and then shepherding it to completion. God warned Adam and Eve that if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they would die. VK: In other words, the consequence of disobedience was death. Or as the Apostle Paul said in Romans, chapter 6, verse 23 “the wages of sin is death.” RD: Yep. Well, Adam and Eve did eat from the forbidden tree and they experienced death. Not only did they die but everyone who would descend from them would also die. The curse of death, the sting of death, would have been an eternal part of the created order if God had not intervened. VK: And God had to intervene – because man had incurred an infinite debt to God. And as we have said a finite man cannot pay an infinite debt. The only Infinite Being that exists is God. So, God had to figure out how to pay that infinite debt if any people were ever to be saved. Man’s sin estranged man from God. Restoration required reconciliation. But man couldn’t do what was necessary for reconciliation. Only God could. And God did. RD: And this is where our opening scripture fills in a key thought. In our opening scripture from 1 Timothy Paul tells Timothy that “there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” A mediator must be capable of representing both sides of a transaction. So, the mediator between God and man had to be able to represent both God and man. VK: Which is why the 2nd Person of the Trinitarian Godhead had to take on a human nature. This is the miracle of the incarnation. Biologically speaking Jesus was born of Mary but the baby in Mary’s womb had actually resulted from the Holy Spirit coming “on her” as most translations put it. Now we don’t understand exactly how the Holy Spirit did but an infinite God who created the entire universe and all life in the universe wouldn’t have any trouble creating a baby in a virgin’s womb. So, Jesus was the Son of a human mother but in a very real sense He was also the Son of a Divine Father. RD: Yep. Because God brought Jesus into the created order the way He did Jesus came equipped to be the mediator to reconcile man to God. VK: What remained was for Jesus to live a “spotless” life because a Perfect God can only accept a perfect sacrifice. And Jesus did live a sinless life, a perfect life before God. This fulfilled the Covenant Works which Adam and Eve had violated in the Garden. RD: Yep. And that sinless Jesus died unjustly on a Roman cross fulfilling the mandated consequence that death be the wage paid for sin. VK: But Jesus had no sin of His own. He did not need to pay the price for His own sin. That meant that He could pay for our sins. And since Jesus is fully God as well as fully man his sacrificial death had infinite value. And all of this had been clearly set forth in the Old Testament as the way that God would redeem His people. Most of the Jews of Jesus day, including the religious elites did not understand it. A few did but not many. So, in the New Testament the writers began to unpack the Old Testament prophecies in sufficient details to make it clear. Sounds like the religious elites could have done well to understand the cornerstone and context. RD: Quite possibly. We are fortunate in a way that the elites in 1st century Israel were not. We have the New Testament as well as the Old. We now understand exactly how Jesus fulfilled the role of being a priest forever according to Melchizedek because an inspired writer has spelled it out for us. And we understand that there will be two comings of the Messiah. The first coming was as the suffering Servant, the sacrificial Lamb. The second coming will be as the Conquering Lion. We can see clearly the meaning of ideas and themes that they could only perceive dimly. That’s a huge blessing. But it is no blessing at all if we neglect to use the scriptures that God has provided. But when we do we see that far from our Christian faith being a “leap in the dark” what we are actually doing is placing our faith in the abundant evidence that God has supplied. And if we understand the evidence we can explain it to others. That’s how we fulfill the Great Commission Jesus gave in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations. VK: Well, our thought-provoking journey into the cornerstone and context of the Bible continues. It should be a great encouragement to everyone to know that God never expected us to turn off our brains while we follow our hearts in response to His outreach of love. Hopefully, listeners will let others know about this series. It really can be a valuable resource to the skeptic and the believer alike. This sounds like a great time to pray. Today let’s listen to a prayer for the celebration of the day that our Lord rose out the earth by His own power. In doing so He conquered death for all who would place their trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we can boldly ask “O grave where is your victory? O death where is your sting?” And the answer we receive is that they are gone and we will live eternally in the light of God’s blessed radiance. ---- PRAYER FOR EASTER VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quotes from the New Living Translation) 1 Samuel, Chapter 17, verses 5 through 7, New Living Translation https://www.baslibrary.org/biblical-archaeology-review/8/4/1 https://patternsofevidence.com/2018/10/26/david-battles-goliath/)
Arch Book series continues
"In My name they will...lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mk 16:17-18NKJVHere is an often overlooked part of the Great Commission Jesus gave us: "In My name they will….. lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Research has revealed that touch has the power to fight viruses, reduce stress, enhance sleep, and assist us in recovering more quickly from injury. One study found that a thirty-minute massage three times a week lowers stress by 34 percent. The power of touch, even on a human level, is an astonishing thing. But when you add the power of God, it opens the way for something supernatural. "And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him" (Ac 28:8 NKJV). Laying hands on the sick or on those called to ministry was a regular practice in the New Testament church. And you don't have to be an ordained minister to do it. Jesus said, "These signs will follow those who believe" (Mk 16:17 NKJV). If you are a believer who has placed your trust in Christ, you're qualified. Could God do it without us? Of course. But He has given us the privilege of being conduits for His power.By laying hands on someone, you do two things: You identify, and you impart. Who knows how many miraculous moments we have sacrificed because we haven't acted in a bold biblical way by praying for someone who is sick, commissioning someone who is called, or encouraging someone who simply needs a hand on their shoulder.Support the Show.Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!
Hear Larry Walker preach from Matthew 28:1-20. Larry preached this sermon at Liberti River Wards on April 7, 2024.
Jesus' command for us to “go and make disciples of all nations” might seem daunting - how do we begin these conversations? What resources do we need to make disciples? How do we know that people will even listen to what we have to say?Our struggles to follow Jesus' commands might stem from our flawed perspectives and practices - how did Jesus envision us spreading His gospel? Join Pastor Nick Osborne as he uncovers Jesus' strategies in Luke 10, reminding us how to rely on the Holy Spirit, not our own actions, to shine God's light.ABOUT THIS SERIESBefore we can do as Jesus does, we first need to see as Jesus sees. Our spiritual vision reflects our spiritual health and our closeness to Jesus - how is your spiritual eyesight today?-Next Steps
As Christians, we're all called and sent out by God for a special mission just as Ezekiel was. The biggest difference between you and Ezekiel is that you have the Holy Spirit living within you, and he didn't! Today, Pastor Ken will be challenging you to obey the Great Commission Jesus gave to all His followers, and to no longer be entangled with the affairs of this world. One of the biggest reasons Christians don't preach the Gospel and make disciples is that they are too focused on their temporal lives on Earth.
Jesus has not only beaten death and fulfilled all the promises he said he would, but he is telling us that our greatest purpose in life is the way we pass along our faith to others, and how we baptize and disciple them. This is the commission of the church. We are wrapping up our Jesus 101 series this week by looking closely at Jesus' resurrection and what it means for us. Want more from Nicole? Sign up for Nicole's free newsletter: nicoleunice.com/realtalk WHAT DOES IT SAY? This week we are diving deep into Matthew 28 – the Resurrection and the events that immediately followed for his disciples and the women who followed him to the cross and beyond. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? “Women were filled with joy” - The marker of belief is joy. When you are getting close to the goodness of God, you will experience joy. Joy is a hallmark of the Christian faith. The good news of the gospel, when understood, always brings joy. “Clasped his feet and worshipped him”- This is huge for our theological understanding! Jesus accepts worship of himself. It's very clear in the Jewish tradition that God is one God, and you cannot worship anything or anyone other than God (1st Commandment). For a Jewish teacher to receive personal worship would have been completely offensive to their faith and a violation of the law. This is one more piece of evidence that Jesus is not a mere prophet or mystic, but is the Son of God – fully God and also fully man. The Great Commission - Jesus allows worship but also tells them not to hold onto him (John 21) but to go and tell others about him. In setting the disciples' purpose, he sets our purpose as well. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME? 1. Want to do a diagnostic test on your faith, ask yourself: Am I experiencing joy today? If the answer is no, ask God to remove what might be blocking you from experiencing the joy of the gospel. You can have pain and sadness and still have joy. This deep joy is knowing that everything Jesus says about himself is true. 2. Jesus has commissioned you into the kingdom of God, so you can invite others into the Kingdom. I.e., 1 Peter 3:15: “Always give a reason for the hope that you have.” This is our greatest purpose in life – how we pass along our faith. Our faith is not a private endeavor. Are you living in the joy of your salvation, are you speaking about that joy? 3. We have to pray and seek God's wisdom to know how to apply what God has spoken into the specific lives of those he has called us to. If you are interacting with a life, God has called you to that person. In the way you pray for and interact with that person, God has a purpose. God-willing, if you are living out that joyful good news, you are going to have opportunities to share the reason for the joy that you have. RESOURCES: Nicole's Book: Help My Bible Is Alive! Ask Nicole a Bible study question: nicole@nicoleunice.com FOLLOW NICOLE: Website: https://nicoleunice.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleuniceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week BibleWorm finishes our exploration of Matthew's Gospel with the Great Commission Jesus gives to his disciples in Matthew 28:16-20. We discuss the role of doubt in the life of faith, noticing that Jesus addresses both those who worship him and those who hesitate, seeming to make no distinction between them. We talk about the disciple's commission to baptize and teach the nations, inaugurating people into an alternative way of life to that on offer from the Empire as given by God in the Torah and by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. And we wrestle with the concept of Jesus's authority over the earth, which sounds an awful lot like the claims the Empire makes to justify its power over the people. What might it look like to envision an alternative form of authority grounded not in power over others but in the liberating power of life for all?
Talkin' 'Bout My Generation We continue our discussion of Matthew 5 as it relates to the followers of Jesus as a community. Ours sins are not just personal issues, but they affect others around us. Jesus emphasizes that it is not enough to adhere to the commandments externally, but obedience includes our attitudes, motivations and imagination. In the Great Commission Jesus tells His disciples to go and teach the nations to obey everything he has commanded. We must not water down His teaching in order to make discipleship less costly. Jesus' challenge will surely animate many in our generation who are bored, discontented and find no purpose in life. Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 119:1-8 Matthew 5:20-37 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ This sermon is also available on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/christchurchjerusalem Listen to this sermon and more on our podcast. Search for Christ Church Jerusalem in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.
In the Great Commission Jesus commanded His church to go into all the world, preaching the Gospel He taught us. That Gospel is a precious message of grace & mercy, but it’s also a warning of judgment for those who reject it. God’s people have always battled temptation to soften the Gospel’s warnings of judgement, just focusing on mercy. The church is under constant pressure to truncate the Gospel, just make it about grace & mercy. That’s because the world doesn’t want to hear what the Gospel says are the consequences for those who reject it. The world will tolerate our proclamation of God’s mercy, but it hates any proclamation about God’s wrath. “I thought God is a God of love? We are all God’s children! I don’t want anything to do with that kind of God” But we can’t be silent about judgement! It’s what convinces us we need the grace & mercy, we love so much! Today’s passage gives us insight into how followers of Jesus should handle this dilemma.
from Matthew 28:16-20
So should the preaching of a church be primarily for seeking and reaching non-Christians? Many churches today say that they exist to reach, and while we should reach the lost, what if the Bible describes a different main directive for preaching? Start of Show Notes - (1.) Bibliology - Scripture is sufficient to tell us how to do church (2 Tim 3:16-17) (2.) Ecclesiology - Christ is head of the church (Ephesians 5) (3.) The Great Commission - Jesus commands us what we are to include in the preaching and teaching of the church (Matt 28:18-20) (4.) Preaching the full counsel of God - Full Bible preaching may make people leave (John 6:66-67) (5.) The Gathering is for Believers - Primarily, Pastors are to teach and edify believers. Reaching the lost is still an important goal, but it is secondary to this (Cor 14) (6.) The Church really exists to... - Glorify God. Evangelism is just one of the many ways the church is called to glorify God (1 Cor 10:31) (7.) Scripture gives us models - The preaching of our churches should model after the preaching in the Bible, such as from Romans or Corinthians, is the content serious, mature and designed to grow the believers of the church (The Pastoral Epistles, 1&2 Tim, Titus) (8.) Don't hold back! - Pastors are told explicitly to preach the full counsel of God (Acts 20:20, 20:26-27) (9.) We're in perilous times - Pastors need to be aware of these times (2 Tim 3:1) and to protect the church from many things, such as wolves (Acts 20:28-31) or other things that will try to infiltrate the church. (10.) For Non-Christians who do visit - They need exposure to actual Christianity, not a watered down version. (Old Testament scriptures especially, or other difficult passages) (11.) Honest methodology - We do not want to have a tame version when they first hear or are young in the faith, and later showing them that actually this is what Christianity really is - like a bait and switch (2 Cor 4:1-3) (12.) Should we be nuanced and winsome focused? - Jesus and most of his disciples were killed for what they preached. The Bible and Jesus should be the models for our preaching style, no matter the current culture. (13.) Soteriology - God changes our hearts when we are saved and gives the believer a love of the truth (2 Thess 2:10) so the church should not cater to the likes and dislikes of people. (14.) A Church that isn't growing in knowledge is susceptible - Biblical ignorance can harm the church (John 21:15-16) and it also fails to expose visiting non-Christians to real Christianity. End of Show Notes - If this podcast has been helpful in your walk, please consider sharing it with a friend, God bless! cornerstonejoppa.org (www.cornerstonejoppa.org)
The Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew 28 should be a constant reminder for us to support mission work, especially if we’re not the ones going. On today's MoneyWise Live, Rob West will talk about some ways you can support the missionaries you know. Then he’ll answer your calls on various financial topics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew 28 should be a constant reminder for us to support mission work, especially if we're not the ones going. Rob West will talk about some ways you can support the missionaries you know. Click here to visit our website to find a financial coach or a Certified Kingdom Advisor in your area. MoneyWise is made possible by your prayers and financial support. To give, click here now. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1372/29
The Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew 28 should be a constant reminder for us to support mission work, especially if we're not the ones going. Rob West will talk about some ways you can support the missionaries you know. Click here to visit our website to find a financial coach or a Certified Kingdom Advisor in your area. MoneyWise is made possible by your prayers and financial support. To give, click here now. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1372/29
We continue our Find & Follow series with a focus on the central part of the Great Commission: Jesus' command to go and make disciples.
We continue our Find & Follow series with a focus on the central part of the Great Commission: Jesus' command to go and make disciples.
What if our neighbor lived next door to Jesus? How might he impact their lives just by being near them? Could we do the same? Norm Pond kicks off our new series, Jesus Next Door.
May 22, 2022 – In the Great Commission Jesus says his final recorded words to the disciples. These final verses include 4 BIG ALL's. We will look at these together and see the ways that ALL means ALL! The post All Means All appeared first on Grace United Methodist Church.
When Peter introduces the idea of suffering and it sometimes being God’s will for the Christian, he immediately draws our attention to the suffering of Jesus [v.18]. The only way an unrighteous person is brought to God as righteous is through Christ’s suffering. In Christ, Christians have died to sin and made alive in the Spirit. In the challenging verses here, Peter seems to be focusing on the safe passage of a few (eight) faithful people through water. This might have been the picture that came to Peter’s mind because, compared to the whole population of the Roman empire and the world, the church in that day felt like a tiny group of people (8). No matter the scale of judgment that’s coming (a worldwide flood, persecution, or opposition), God can and will save His people, even in incredible ways. Peter’s great assurance to Christians is the same great assurance that Jesus left Christians in the Great Commission - Jesus rules over all.
When Peter introduces the idea of suffering and it sometimes being God’s will for the Christian, he immediately draws our attention to the suffering of Jesus [v.18]. The only way an unrighteous person is brought to God as righteous is through Christ’s suffering. In Christ, Christians have died to sin and made alive in the Spirit. In the challenging verses here, Peter seems to be focusing on the safe passage of a few (eight) faithful people through water. This might have been the picture that came to Peter’s mind because, compared to the whole population of the Roman empire and the world, the church in that day felt like a tiny group of people (8). No matter the scale of judgment that’s coming (a worldwide flood, persecution, or opposition), God can and will save His people, even in incredible ways. Peter’s great assurance to Christians is the same great assurance that Jesus left Christians in the Great Commission - Jesus rules over all.
Jesus is alive, yes, but that's not where He stopped--Jesus is on mission, and He asks us to join Him in His mission of seeking the lost that He would save them! Tune in as we wrap up our "Jesus Is..." series and see how laser-focused Jesus was on His mission!
My guest Jake Embleton and I discuss the upcoming SouthwestMission ConneXion Conference at Scottsdale Bible Church on November 5th and 6th. The "why" of the conference is to understand clearly “What's Our Role in the Great Commission?” – Highlighting that everyone who is a follower of Jesus has a role to grasp, based on each person's abilities, gifting's and calling – to fulfill the Great Commission Jesus left us, His Church, to do. Guest: Jake Embleton See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is the first episode of "Who is the true disciple of Christ Jesus?" To this important question, let's study from the Great Commission Jesus gave to us.
Hello and welcome to the show today! You will remember that last week we talked about God's raising a woman by the name of Tabitha from the dead. And he does this through Peter, who is following the leadership of the Holy Spirit speaking both to him but also through the believers around him. Now the healing of the lame man Aeneas (immediately prior) had been a great miracle. The raising of Tabitha had been a greater miracle. And now in our passage today we come to the greatest miracle, as the way of salvation becomes opened to a gentile by the name of Cornelius. The Most Important Chapter— Now I don't think I'm overstating things a bit when I say that for us, this is the most important chapter in the book of Acts. In fact, I would go so far to say that no other chapter of scripture (outside of those chapters that tell us of the redeeming work of Jesus) is more directly relevant to us than this one. There are very few (if any) of you tuned in today who would be a part of the family of God if it were not for what happened in this chapter, because in it we have God revealing to (or I should say “making more clear to”) Peter that we (Gentiles) are also part of His salvation plan. Jesus is not just for the Jew, but for the Gentile as well. And you will remember that Jesus had told Peter that he would be given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, which meant that Peter would be the one to open up the way of salvation for every major people group. He opened the door of faith to the Jews in Acts 2; for the Samaritans in Acts 8, and now God was telling him to use his keys for the third and last time to open up the way for Gentiles also to be brought into the Church (see Gal. 3:27-28; Eph. 2:11-22). After 10 Years— Now it may surprise you to know the length of time that has transpired between Acts chapter 2 and our chapter today. [This event {actually} took place about ten years after Pentecost.] And that is surprising because we wonder why it took the apostles so long to try to reach the Gentiles. In John 3:16 Jesus had clearly said that God loved the whole world and had sent His Son for whosoever would believe in Him. And in the Great Commission Jesus had given to His disciples, He so clearly said… Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)— 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Door 3— So we see that clearly there was no mistaking what Jesus had told them to do. And yet we see they had not yet broken into that third phase of outreach. Now God is patient; and no doubt things are moving according to His timetable. But it is fascinating to me how (for some reason) that had not yet clicked in the minds of these Jewish Christians, especially when it seems (at least in hindsight) so clear. It makes me wonder at the things I don't yet understand simply because my own worldview constrains me from really hearing the things Jesus is saying. Do I approach scripture with a theological lens through which I have already (whether intentionally or intentionally) what God can say to me and what He couldn't possibly be saying? Something to think about. But we see here that (in the mind of God), the time has come for Peter to use his keys for a third time to open the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). And in this incredible drama that plays out, there are four major “acts” (you might say). In verses 1-22 you have The Preparation, in verses 23-33 you have The Explanation, in verses 34-43 you have The Proclamation, and in verses 44-48 you have The Vindication. And today we will be looking at the first of these acts: The Preparation. Go ahead and look with me, starting at… Acts 10:1 (NKJV)— 1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, A Certain Man— Now there's Luke's key phrase “a certain man” again, signaling to us that Cornelius is a non-believer, just like Aeneas had been. And this “certain man” was a centurion. And of course a centurion is Roman officer who commands 100 soldiers. And he is stationed in Caesarea, which was then [sometimes called Palestinian Caesarea, {and} was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 32 miles north of Joppa.] It was [The largest and most important port city on the Mediterranean in Palestine], [boasted of many beautiful public buildings.], and [served as the capital of the Roman province of Judea.] This would be [the first city to have Gentile Christians and a non-Jewish church.] Now Cornelius was probably not going to be in Caesarea too much longer. It is very likely that he would soon be returning to Rome. And when we think about that (and how God of course foresaw that) we can begin to see how God orchestrated the circumstances leading up to his conversion because He wanted to use Cornelius as a key stepping-stone to further the spread of the Gospel into the empire's capital city. Now we know a few things about this man Cornelius. It says that Cornelius was (verse 2)… Acts 10:2 (NKJV)— 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. Truth's Funeral— So here we have a Roman who is worshipping the God of Israel. How he came to do so, we are not told. But Rome of course had a whole Pantheon of gods to choose from (if you wanted to choose). And this was because the people Rome would conquer were often deeply committed to their gods. And so in order to help integrate people into Roman society and culture, they would simply absorb into their Pantheon the gods of those nations they conquered. It was a way to keep everybody happy. And that is what we have done in the United States today. We have absorbed all the false of gods of the world, allowed idolatry to thrive, and call it multiculturalism. Now we think we are helping people by doing this; that we're being tolerant and accepting. But what is ending up happening to us here in the United States is exactly what had happened to Rome. When all things (particularly religions) are true, then nothing is really true anymore. And I want you to remember that. When all things are true, then nothing is true anymore. Remember what Pilate had asked Jesus in John 18. It says… John 18:37-38a (NKJV)— 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”… Seeking Hope In Judaism— Now that's a pretty scary thing to hear your leader say, isn't it? But you see, Pilate (in the interest of what could have been called tolerant multiculturalism) had distanced himself from the one true God; and in doing that he lost the very concept of absolute truth that is necessary to even come to God. And Cornelius knows this. He knows the religious bankruptcy of his culture and has become tired of the myths and empty religious rituals of Rome and has therefore turned to Judaism in the hopes that in that belief system he might find salvation. And really he [was as close to Judaism as he could get without becoming a proselyte. There were many “God fearers” like him in the ancient world (Acts 13:16), and they proved to be a ready field for spiritual harvest.] And note how he is already demonstrating the fruit of a heart that is genuinely seeking God. It says that he was (verse 2)… Acts 10:2 (NKJV)— 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. Close To Salvation— Now here we see demonstrated clearly just how close somebody can be to the salvation and not have it. I mean Cornelius had a lot together spiritually; and you can find a lot of similarities between him and the centurion that Jesus had encountered back in Luke 7:1-10. He is being faithful to lead his household in the fear of God, he is giving generously to the needy, and he is praying to God (the text says “always”). And keep in mind that he [was not permitted to offer sacrifices in the temple, so {what he did was} he presented his prayers to God as his sacrifices (Ps. 141:1–2).] Psalm 141:1-2 (NKJV)— 1 Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. 2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. A Model Religious Person— So that is what he's doing. And [In every way, he was a model of religious respectability—and yet he was not a saved man.] But he was different from many other religious people both in his day and ours because he knew that his religious devotion was not enough to save him. Whereas people so often try to earn their way to heaven through good works and sometimes even character, Cornelius knew that that wasn't enough; and so we find him praying fervently before God, asking Him to reveal to him the path to salvation. Like John Wesley— One author wrote that: [In many respects, John Wesley was like Cornelius. He was a religious man, a church member, a minister, and the son of a minister. He belonged to a “religious club” at Oxford, the purpose of which was the perfecting of the Christian life. Wesley served as a foreign missionary, but even as he preached to others, he had no assurance of his own personal salvation. On May 24, 1738, Wesley reluctantly attended a small meeting in London where someone was reading aloud from Martin Luther's commentary on Romans. “About a quarter before nine,” Wesley wrote in his journal, “while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed, I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” The result was the great Wesleyan revival that not only swept many into the kingdom, but also helped transform British society through Christian social action.] Those Who Haven't Heard— Now sometimes people ask the question (and it is a valid one); “What will happen to the unsaved men and women who have never heard about Jesus? And that's an important question; one that we often grapple with in relation to the justice of God. But note here that while Cornelius wasn't a believer, he was still seeking God and living a God-pleasing and God-seeking life as best he knew how; demonstrating both reverence for God and generosity towards others. And scripture promises that God will make Himself known to people who are actively seeking Him like that. It says in… Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)— 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. James 4:8a (NKJV)— 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Well here we see God keeping He promise. He uses some pretty extraordinary means to reach Cornelius and make Himself known to him (which we will see later in this chapter) because Cornelius is already seeking (in everything) to draw near to God. And that is the message of hope I want to leave you with today. If you have a heart that is earnestly seeking God, He will make Himself known to you. Jeremiah 29:13-14a (NKJV)— 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord,… So I encourage you today, seek the Lord. No matter what you are going through, what questions you might have, or where you are on your spiritual journey. God will not leave you in the dark. If you are seeking Him, He will reveal Himself and His truth to you, just as we see He will do for Cornelius. So seek Him today. Amen.
Unless I am sure I am doing more at home to send the gospel abroad than I can do abroad, I am bound to go.-A. B. Simpson In Matthew's rendering of the Great Commission Jesus puts legs on the Great Commandment. Love of God… Continue Reading "Bound To Go"
The Great Commission is an invitation to us from God. It is not an invitation for us to be the stars of the show, but rather an invitation for us to join the work that God is already doing on the earth. Over the next few weeks, as we discover more about the Great Commission (Jesus' call to go and make disciples), we will look at a Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and an invitation to a Great Collaboration. But all of that starts here with God's command to love our neighbors and an understanding of who our neighbor is. I'm New • https://beaverton.cc/sunday/join-us-in-person/im-new • Find opportunities to engage and grow! I've accepted Jesus • https://beaverton.cc/follow-christ • Let us know you made this decision, and we'll help you discover what's next! Get Baptized • https://beaverton.cc/baptisms • If you have accepted Jesus but have never had the opportunity to celebrate your new life in Him through water baptism, this is your next step! Let us pray with you • https://beaverton.cc/prayer • Fill out a quick form to let us know how we can be praying for you. Sermon Notes - May 16, 2021 Luke: The Great Commission (Acts 1:6-14) - Jon Furman Acts 1:6 (NLT) So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” Acts 1:7 (NLT) He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. Acts 1:8-9 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. Acts 1:10-11 (NLT) As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Acts 1:12-14 (NLT) Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. Application Points: Grow your Greatest Concern into your Strongest Concern Remember Your Role Fearlessness Faces Forward
The Great Commission is an invitation to us from God. It is not an invitation for us to be the stars of the show, but rather an invitation for us to join the work that God is already doing on the earth. Over the next few weeks, as we discover more about the Great Commission (Jesus' call to go and make disciples), we will look at a Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and an invitation to a Great Collaboration. But all of that starts here with God's command to love our neighbors and an understanding of who our neighbor is. I'm New • https://beaverton.cc/sunday/join-us-in-person/im-new • Find opportunities to engage and grow! I've accepted Jesus • https://beaverton.cc/follow-christ • Let us know you made this decision, and we'll help you discover what's next! Let us pray with you • https://beaverton.cc/prayer • Fill out a quick form to let us know how we can be praying for you. Sermon Notes - May 9, 2021 Luke: The Great Commandment (Luke 10:25-29)- Grant Hickman Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You must love the LORD your God with all of your heart, and all your soul, and all your strength. Luke 10:25-27 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Luke 10:28-29 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29 (MSG) Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor'? Where are your loopholes?
Continuing her series on church expansion, Romey Ritter shares personal experiences and helpful applications of the Great Commission Jesus gave us to go and make disciples.
Dear God I'm Grateful For The Great Commission . As Christians, many of us often question our purpose or calling in life. We spend our whole lives trying to figure out why we were put on this earth, but neglect referring to the word of Gods where the Lord simply reveals the purpose of humanity. . Although sometimes interchangeable, our purpose is our reason for existence and our calling is the outlet in which we fulfill the purpose. The Great Commission mentioned in the book of Matthew is our purpose and our physical and spiritual gifts are the tools of worship we can use to fulfill our calling. . Here is the Great Commission: “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” - Matthew 28:18-20 NLT . Therefore, as followers our Christ, let us spread the Gospel or the Good News about Jesus Christ with all people in all nations. Knowing that Jesus is always with us, let us use our gifts to worship and give all glory to God through our actions, speech, and thoughts, while fulfilling the The Great Commission and making new disciples or followers of Jesus Christ. . #DearGodImGrateful #Linkinbio #IronWifey #DGIG #TheGreatCommission #Purpose #Calling #Ironwifeymagazine #ironwifeypodcastnetwork #christianpodcast #podcastersofinstagram #podcast STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH ALL THINGS IRONWIFEY: Instagram: @deargodimgrateful | @ironwifey_ | @ironwifeymagazine Twitter: @ironwifey_ Facebook: IronWifey IronWifey Magazine & Podcasts: https://www.ironwifeymagazine.com ( https://www.ironwifeymagazine.com/ ) Please Rate & Review, Like , Comment, & Subscribe! FEATURED MUSIC: Track: SkyHigh — Enine [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/q-lf6x9cVXw Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/skyhigh
In this series we are talking about returning to and reengaging basic spiritual disciplines. One spiritual discipline we overlook and may not categorize as a spiritual discipline is personal evangelism. In the Great Commission Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. With the practice of this spiritual discipline we obey Jesus, we reach the lost and we build our faith and confidence in Christ and His Word.
Pastor Tim wraps up our series Go looking at the crucial promise of the Great Commission: Jesus goes with us.
It seems that many christians don't understand what discipleship is or what it should look like. We dive into Matthew and look at the Great Commission Jesus gave us, and we also discuss how Jesus discipled his disciples. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-struggles-we-grow-from/support
In the Great Commission Jesus gave the command and ministry of disciple making to every believer. It is not the job of the "church" or of programs. We are called to walk in intentional relationships with people toward transformation.
Danii and Fr Rob Galea discuss the Sunday Gospel reading, Matthew 28:16-20, and discuss the Great Commission Jesus gave to his apostles on the mountain, and how we can live out that commission in the 21st century.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/frgministry)
In this podcast, Gabe sits down with and interviews Ken and Martha Tuck. Ken and Martha Tuck are the directors of Love In Action Ministries here in Dothan, Alabama. "Love In Action International Ministries spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion in our hometown of Dothan, Ala., and other parts of the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:35-40, that we are to take care of the poor. In verse 40 He says, "I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me." We also believe in carrying out the Great Commission Jesus gives all of His followers in Matthew 28:18-20. Therefore, we go to the nations reaching the lost and unreached people groups with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples who make more disciples. Mision of LIA: To proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion and fulfilling the Great Commission by making disciples who make disciples." You can give to LIA by clicking here: https://loveinactionministries.com/ Recorded live at Dothan Messianic Fellowship. www.dothanmessianicfellowship.com
In the Great Commission Jesus invites us into Baptism, and this signifies five crucial things for us. Matthew 28:16-20.
The Great Commission Update with Greg Kelley from World Mission. What is the 1040 Window? On today's episode of the Great Commission Update, Greg Kelley CEO of World Mission and Rusty Humphries discuss the 10/40 Window and why it is so vital to completing Jesus final words. Who lives there, why is it important and what is the church doing. Owning the Great Commission (Jesus final words) is vital for every follower of Jesus to embrace. Today we also learn more of how the Treasure from World Mission is touching this part of the world! To help and learn more got to www.WorldMission.cc Our Mission World Mission delivers the Word of God in audio format to oral learners living in unreached people groups. We believe that it is our responsibility as Christians to follow the Great Commission, “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” (Matthew 28:19-20). While it is always our desire to reach everyone, anywhere, we specifically focus our efforts on reaching the Unreached; those throughout the world who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel and accept Jesus Christ. Core Values Prayerfully led by the Word of God and following the Holy Spirit's leading, our ultimate objective is to fulfill the Great Commission by seeing the lost develop a meaningful relationship with Christ. We strive to be focused and disciplined; fulfilling our mission will always receive the best of our time, energy and resources. We seek to always maintain positive attitudes, building team members up and never speaking thoughtless words about one another. We believe the gospel is most effectively presented in a holistic context and that national leaders led by the Holy Spirit are the most effective ground laborers to implement our mission and engage unreached peoples. We welcome volunteers who are led to serve at World Mission and will provide a positive environment for them to use their gifts.
Join Ryan in this episode of "A Better Way" as he interviews Rich Marshall about his journey as one of the early pioneers of the “Marketplace Ministry” movement. Rich tells us his story of leaving years of being a full-time Pastor of a church after ordaining, empowering and releasing over 200 members of the business community in his church to embrace their call to full-time ministry in the context of their existing companies and businesses. Rich goes on to share how starting his own business gave him access and influence to many more people, businesses, lives, and hearts for the Gospel than he ever could have reached as a full-time Pastor. In the end, it's all about the Great Commission Jesus gave us to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth by discipling nations in our respective sphere of influence. You can connect with Rich Marshall at his website, https://www.godisworking.com/, or at GodTV: https://www.god.tv/vod/work/. Be sure to pick up copies of his books, God@Work and God@Rest for life-changing impact! If you like what you hear, leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn, feel free to drop us a line at https://abetterwaypodcast.com
On this episode of the Great Commission update we discussed the Muslim faith and specifically Ramadan. This is their holiest month of the year. It falls every year during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. During this time strict fasting is observed from sunrise to sunset. There are 2 billion Muslims in the world today who use this time to focus on their prayer, charity and overall abstaining from worldly pleasures. Christians need to be aware of the Muslim lifestyle so that we can effectively pray for them. In the Great Commission Jesus called us to make disciples of all nations . This certainly includes the hundreds of millions of Muslims, many who have never heard the gospel message. World Mission is committed to telling all Muslims about the love of Jesus. We do this by distributing our solar powered audio Bibles (Treasures), doing acts of compassion and showing them unconditional love. God changes the heart. For more info go to www.WorldMission.cc
We know WHY we should be in the church. But HOW do we do church? Simply put, we do church by carrying out the Great Commission Jesus gave us. Church is the family of God, under the authority of God, living out the word of God, on the mission of God. (Sep 16, 2018)
Sermon on John 21:1-14, for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, about Jesus' third recorded appearance to the disciples, where He met them on the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias) and they experienced a miraculous catch of fish. Sermon Talking Points Read past sermons at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.blogspot.com Listen to audio at: http://thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com 1. What reasons might the disciples have had for going back to an old, familiar activity? 2. As the episode unfolds, what “trademark” or “signature action” gave Jesus away, before they first recognized Him and came ashore? Luke 5:1-11. What commission had He given them on that day when He first called them to be His disciples? 3. How would this sort of déjà vu episode give them encouragement as they were preparing to set out on the Great Commission Jesus prepared them for? (cf. Matthew 28:16-20. Did the Great Commission happen close to this fishing scene in Galilee??) 4. How does the call of discipleship and the good news of Jesus' resurrection, call us to “forsake old, familiar ways for ventures bold and new” and “send us on ways where faith transcends timidity”? (LSB 856 “O Christ, Who Called the Twelve”) How can we venture boldly for Christ? 5. How does the fact that the great haul of fish was “The Lord's Catch”—not theirs, assure us that the Lord will also provide the “catch” when we go out as “fishers of men?” Matthew 13:47-50; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 3:5; John 6:44; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 6. Read the first lesson for today, Acts 9:1-22. How was Saul (later Paul), an unexpected “big catch” in God's fishing net? How did Ananias first react? What would Paul become? Acts 9:15-16. How does this again illustrate God's power? 7. How, like Peter, should we have the same exuberance and eagerness to seek out the presence of Jesus? And where has He promised His presence among us? Matthew 28:20; 26:26-29
Earth is out of step with Heaven I'd like to ask that you open to Matthew chapter 11. We'll be concentrating this morning on verses 25 through 27 in particular. This entire section of Scripture, Matthew 11:20-30 is a masterpiece really of theology and of the deep fruits of God and we began to touch on them some last week with a consideration of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. In this text today we see Jesus our Savior rejoicing over divine sovereignty and in this matter we find that the Earth is out of step with heaven. Recently I read a story about one of my favorite composers George Frederick Handel and how he composed Handel's Messiah, probably his greatest work. He was 57 years old at the time, he was in despair, drifting in life, wasn't really a success at that point. He was close to poverty, frequently went without food. He had lost his thread to some degree and didn't know where to turn. He was a naturalized citizen of England, and was away from his home area of Germany and just trying to make his way in the world. One night in 1741, he went for a walk out on the streets of London. He just walked all night and was in despair, came back to his room and there was a package at his door. He brought it in and it turned out to be from Charles Jennings. He was the man who wrote his libretto, the words that he would put music to. And as he began to read it, he thought about it and was so fatigued from his night of walking that he kind of collapsed on the bed, but he couldn't shake the Scriptures that were in his mind from this libretto. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. For unto us a child is born. Glory to God in the highest and hallelujah, hallelujah." It started to stir him up and started to move inside him. He couldn't shake it and so he got up out of bed and he began to work. He worked for 21 consecutive days without resting, scarcely eating, nobody came and went, he just worked until the Messiah was completed. Finally at the end, some of his friends who were very concerned about him were there at the door knocking and one of them was admitted entrance. The composer was sitting at his piano sheets of music all over the floor. He wasn't a very neat person but there was the music everywhere and there were streams of tears flowing down his cheeks, and he said, "I do believe I have seen all of heaven before me and the great God Himself." The hallelujah chorus, the most famous part of that entire piece of music, was focused on the climax of the Book of Revelation. Revelation 19: 6 which says, "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters, and like the loud peals of thunder shouting hallelujah! For the Lord God almighty reigns." It's not just hallelujah. There's a reason for the praise. Why are the angels praising God at that point? Why are they thrilled? It's because God Almighty sits on His throne, because He reigns, and in the libretto another text from Revelation, Revelation 11:15, "The kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He will reign forever and ever." There is praise in heaven over the prospect of God sitting down on a throne and ruling on earth the way He rules in heaven. I can't wait for that to happen. Even as I was thinking about these texts this morning, I was stirred myself in my spirit. I don't have Handel's musical talent so I can't write the way he did. But my desire this morning is simple. I want you to rejoice in His sovereignty as much as the angels do in Revelation 19. I would like you to rejoice in sovereignty as much as your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ does in Matthew 11:25. I want you to delight in it, and yet, it is not natural for us to think of it that way. Actually, naturally, we come against the sovereignty of God and have to be transformed. "We have to repent and enter the kingdom of heaven", said Jesus. It's not naturally our state. I've read this quote before from Charles Spurgeon concerning this doctrine. It bears reading again. Spurgeon said this, "There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God's sovereignty." Is that not true? Think about the events of our times. Were it not for a God who sat on His throne and ruled over all things there would be little but despair as we face the prospect of yet another war. As General Sherman said, "War is all hell." Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, we believe that sovereignty has ordained our afflictions, that sovereignty overrules us and that sovereignty will sanctify us all. There is nothing for which the children of God ought more earnestly to contend than the doctrine of their Master over all creation, the kingship of God over all the works of His own hands, the throne of God and His right to sit upon that throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by “worldlings”, as the truth of the doctrine of the sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne. They will allow Him to be in His workshop to fashion worlds and make stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonry to dispense His alms and bestow bounties. They will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever moving ocean. But when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash their teeth. We proclaim an enthroned God, and His right to do as He wills with His own. To dispose of His creatures as He thinks well, without consulting them in the matter. Then it is that we are his and execrated. And then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God they love but it is God upon the throne that we love to preach and it is God upon His throne that we trust. In all of my life, I've never found a truth, as delightful as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That Christ would give His life for me, that through His blood, I would have complete forgiveness of sins and that when I die, I'm going to heaven. Second to that, I found no doctrine as delightful as the sovereignty of God. I have moved on in my Christian life, to the point where I really can scarcely see a distinction between the two. I hesitate to even say second because I attribute the first to the second. It's a delightful thing. But it's not our natural state, is it? Naturally we tend to be allergic to the doctrine. Jonathan Edwards, a great exponent of the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, had the same experience. He said, "From my childhood up my mind had been full of objections against the doctrine of God's sovereignty. It used to appear like a horrible doctrine to me. But I remember the time very well when I seemed to be convinced and fully satisfied as to the sovereignty of God, and there has been a wonderful alteration in my mind in respect to the doctrine of God's sovereignty, from that day to this. So that I scarce ever have found so much as the rising of an objection against it in the most absolute sense. I have often since had not only a conviction, but a delightful conviction. The doctrine has often appeared exceeding, pleasant, bright and sweet. Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God. But my first conviction was not so." Earth is out of step with heaven on this matter. We are out of step with our Savior Jesus Christ. May God grant in the speaking of my words and the moving of your hearts through the Spirit a change in that, if such a change needs to happen. And does it? I think so. In all of our cases, we still hesitate a little bit. We hold back at the sovereignty of God. Yet I've seen this whole text, Matthew 11:20-30, as an integrated whole in which this issue is brought to the fore. In the end Christ is inviting us to find rest in it. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. And I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me." Christ's yoke is a submission to His kingship. You bow your neck, and you put it under Christ's yoke and you'll find rest for your souls. In Isaiah 1, if you resist and rebel you'll be devoured by the sword. Those are the choices that we have, and so we yield to the sovereignty of God, and find delightful rest. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart. I'm not a raging tyrant, but a gentle loving Savior. And you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." That's what we're working on today. That we might come to the point where we find as much delight in this doctrine of God sovereignty as Christ did. The section that we're looking at today is part of a larger study on the sovereignty of God. We began looking last week at three points of these things. I have listed out 10 points of sovereignty that I find in this text. We will deal with four of them today, we have already dealt with three. There are 10 points: First Divine Power. We see in Christ's miracles a display of kingly power. He would couple His miracle working with the proclamation, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." There's a combination of the display of His miracles and His kingly power, His divine power. Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed because they did not repent. Secondly, we saw last time, Divine Perception. The supernatural knowledge that Christ has of what Tyre and Sidon and Sodom would have done, if they had had the same miraculous display that Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum received. This wasn't merely theory or a flight of fancy on His part, but He knows all things. He knows what was, what is and what will be. He also knows what might have been had some other things occurred. He knows all of these things. This is Divine Perception, a supernatural knowledge that only He could have. And then thirdly, we saw last week, Divine Prerogative. As a king, you have prerogatives, you have the ability to choose one course, and not the other. That's what makes you a king. He has the prerogative to do those same miracles that He did, in Chorazin, Capernaum, Bethsaida, in Tyre and Sidon if He wanted to. But He chose not to. That is His Divine Prerogative. We've seen those three things already. Christ Praises God’s Sovereignty Now we begin with the fourth, Divine Praise. It's really quite striking. In verse 25, it says, “At that time, Jesus answered and said. . . .” Why is this important to me? Because it's a double emphasis on the context of Jesus's praise. "At that time." At what time? At the time when he's thinking about Tyre and Sidon and Sodom and Capernaum and Chorazin, Bethsaida, these cities. At that time when He's thinking about the failure to repent of the cities in which His miracles had been performed. At that time, Jesus answered. What do we mean by answered? Well, He's responding to the stimulus, He's responding to the situation, He's responding to the rejection. So, Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum are rejecting Him, they are not repenting, they're indifferent to Him. How does He respond? He praises God. We are out of step with our Savior; we would do something else I think. What causes heaven to rejoice? What causes Christ to rejoice causes us to become grumbly and irritable and out of sorts and puzzled and scratch our heads and have a hard time. Christ just looks up to His father and says, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth." He's praising Him, and He could have done many other things. He could have praised God for other things at that moment, He could have praised God for example for His patience and not destroying Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. He could have praised God for His mercy and grace in giving those cities such miracles. He could have praised God for His love in sending them rain and sunshine, and many physical blessings, He could have done that. He could have praised God for His mercy to those who did repent in other places. Or He could have chosen at that moment to plead for these cities, to pray for them. Or to weep over them as Jesus did over Jerusalem. He could do all of these things, but instead He praises God for His sovereignty. It's a strange thing, and I don't think we would have done it, but that's my point, we wouldn't have and so we must repent, we must change, we must look again at our Savior and our king and praise Him for His power. Divine Position The next thing we see is Divine Position and we find this in the titles that He ascribes to God, "I praise you," He says, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth," stop there. These are two titles that he gives to God. First, He calls Him, Father, then He calls Him Lord of heaven and earth. Let's take the second first. The essence of paganism, and of polytheism is of jurisdictions given to the Gods, much like a federal office. You go in there and you bring a certain document to an office and you're in the wrong place, and you're told to go to another. Well, polytheism basically works that way. There's the God of war, and there's the God of the oceans and then there's the God of the mountains and of the valleys. Or it may work along political lines. There's the God of Moab and the God of Ammon, the God of Edom and the God of Judah. And they each have their jurisdictions, for example, the Moabite's God was Chemosh. The concept was whatever God, the God of the Moabites, Chemosh gave to his people, that's what they received, whenever they went out to battle, Chemosh would go with them. If they won, it was Chemosh that gave them the victory; if they were defeated, it was Chemosh that had given them over to the defeat. Jephthah in Judges 11:24, speaking to Moabites says, "Will you not take what your god, Chemosh gives you? Likewise whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess.” Oh shameful understanding of Jephthah. "Well, we get Yahweh and whatever he gives and you get Chemosh, and whatever he gives." If the Moabites went out and fought and lost it was because Chemosh had given them up. Numbers 21:29 says, "Woe to you O Moab, you were destroyed, O people of Chemosh. He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captures to Sihon king of the Amorites." Now, Chemosh would never hurt his people too much because without the people, there's no Chemosh anymore. Case in point, have you ever met a Moabite? Have you gone to school with a Moabite? Do you have any living in your neighborhood? Is there an outreach to Moabites that we can give money to? What happened to Moabites? They are gone as a people. Second question, what happened to Chemosh? If you look in the yellow pages will you find a temple that Chemosh that you can go worship at this morning? Chemosh is gone, the Moabites are gone.You see the God of Israel is different. He chose Israel out of all of these nations to be His treasured possession, but He will go on whether they're extinct or not, and they know it. Therefore, He commands them to be holy or He will judge them and they know that He is not just a tribal deity but He is Lord of Heaven and Earth; He rules over all things. Therefore the Old Testament prophets in their oracles frequently would make pronouncements about Moab and about Ammon and Edom, and Syria, and Egypt, and all the world because God rules the world. When Jonah was taken on the boat by a bunch of Gentiles and they find out that he doesn't worship one of those tribal deities, he worships the Lord who made heaven and earth, they became very afraid because of God's reputation. He is Lord of heaven and earth. At one point, he specifically sends a messenger to say, "I'm going to give you the victory in the battle because of what your enemies are saying." 1 Kings 20:28, "The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord says, “Because the Arabians think the Lord is a god of the hills and no a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into you hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’” “I’m not a God of the hills only or of the valleys only. I am a God of the hills, and the valleys and everything else besides. I am not a tribal or localized deity." Jeremiah 23:23-24, “‘Am I only a God nearby, declares the Lord, ‘And not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’declares the Lord.” This is the God that we worship. This is the God that our Savior, Jesus Christ lifted His face to and praised, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth who rules over all things". God created Heaven and Earth. God has the right to sit down on the throne and rule heaven and earth, and He does. He rules over individual nations, even Gentile ones.God chose Israel out of that nation to be His people, His treasured possession, and from Israel, He brings salvation to the world, "For salvation is from the Jews." Christ at this moment, in verse 25, is delighting in and rejoicing in the sovereignty of His father over heaven and earth, over all things. He rules over them and can do with them whatever He chooses, because He is king, He is Lord of heaven and earth. This very sovereignty over all of the earth is what gives the Gospel its success. In the Great Commission Jesus came to His disciples and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciples of all nations." Do you see the connection? Because God rules over the whole world, we are commanded to go and make disciples of all nations. If God were not Lord of heaven and earth, the gospel could not and would not conquer the world, but it will in the end. There will be people from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, because of the sovereignty of our God. What about the first title? "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth." This shows the relational aspect of God's sovereignty. It shows that He is not some austere tyrant King, but rather a heavenly father. It's an endearing title, a title of authority definitely, but a display of God's loving relational rule. He desires not just to be Lord of heaven and earth, but to be father. And so, Jesus praises Him, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth." Divine Preference Then we see Divine Preference, concealing to some and revealing to others, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because. . . .” That's very important. Why are you praising Christ? "Because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children." That's striking isn't it? I praise you that you conceal, and I praise you that you reveal. This is the praise of our Savior, Jesus Christ. God can choose to deal differently with some than He does with others, and He does. To some in this case, He conceals, and to some others, He reveals. And Christ praises God for it. He delights in it. He rejoices in it. First of all, He praises God for concealing, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned." This is shocking. We tend to think of ourselves as, or tend to think of God as, a God who would reveal Himself to everyone, who shows Himself openly all the time to anybody. The whole time He's revealing, opening, demonstrating, imploring sinners to come and to sit at the banquet feast and to enjoy a full revelation of His nature and His glory. We would never think He would conceal Himself. It doesn't seem to be the God that we know or the God that we worship. From whom does He conceal? He says, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have concealed or hidden these things from the wise and learned." This is rather striking to us as well. What's wrong with wisdom? What's wrong with learning? As a matter of fact, there's a whole book of the Bible, Proverbs, devoted to the blessings of wisdom. There's nothing wrong with wisdom, but there's a kind of wisdom and learning that Christ is singling out here. It's an arrogant human wisdom separated from God, in which humans are seeking of themelves and from themselves to learn these things, these Gospel truths. Why did philosophers in Greece, like Plato and Aristotle and Socrates, not discover God? Because He had concealed Himself from them. Scientists, like Archimedes, did not discover God, because He had concealed himself from them. Mighty potentates, like Alexander the Great and the Roman emperors and all the other conquerors of that region of the world, had never discovered God through sheer power, because He had concealed Himself from them. It says in 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know him. God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." God has made the wisdom of the world foolishness, and He has ordained that through those means no one will discover Him. It does not matter how intelligent they are. It doesn't matter how much they inquire. They will never find Him, because God delights to conceal Himself from arrogant people. Isaiah 45:15 says, "Truly, you are a God who hides himself, oh God and Savior of Israel." That's a striking verse, isn't it? "You are a God who hides himself." Man will never find God if He does not reveal Himself, and God does not always choose to reveal Himself. Christ praises God for concealing Himself, first and foremost. Secondly, Christ praises God for revealing Himself, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, not just because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, but because you have revealed them to little children." It delights Christ that His Father conceals Himself, but it also delights Him that He reveals Himself, and to whom? To little children. If you're willing to repent. If you're willing to turn, to humble yourself, to turn away from your own wisdom and your own power and strength and achievement, He will show you everything. He will reveal Himself fully to you. You will see Him face-to-face. You will see His glory. You will be part of that prayer that Christ prayed in John 17, "Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am, to see my glory." We will see His glory if we humble ourselves and become like little children. Mathew 18:3-4, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. Unless you repent and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Jesus also said, "Blessed are the spiritual beggars, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." In Mathew 23, Jesus says, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted, for the Lord gives grace to the humble, but he opposes the proud." This is a major and a consistent theme in Scripture. Number one, God cannot be found if He does not will Himself to be found. It doesn't matter how hard you try, you will not find God unless He reveals Himself. Secondly, God actively hides Himself from the wise and learned, they chase rabbit trails and they will never find Him. Thirdly, God actively reveals Himself to the humble, to those who are like little children. Do you see then the benefit of this kind of preaching. It humbles us, doesn't it? It makes us like little children, it slays our pride so that we can bow our neck to the yoke of Jesus Christ, and He will reveal Himself fully and completely to us. Who are the little children? — Humble Jews, outcasts, like tax collectors and sinners, He reveals Himself to them. and even to Gentiles who know nothing, who were rejected, and outcast by the Jews. He will reveal Himself to them, as they trust in Him, and believe in Him. Divine Pleasure And then seventh, we see Divine Pleasure, all things done according to God's pleasure. He says in Matthew 11:26, "Yes father, for this was your good pleasure." What Christ delights in, God delights in. There's no dis-harmony between Father and Son. It's not wrong for Christ to delight in His Father's sovereignty because His Father delights in His own sovereignty. He says, "Yes father, this was your good pleasure." God was pleased to conceal and pleased to reveal. He's not disgruntled, irritable, out of sorts, frustrated with His rule of the universe, it's not going badly for Him. Every mighty potentate has a bad day or even a bad year. The seven fat cattle are swallowed up by the seven skinny cattle, even if you're Pharaoh, King of Egypt, but for God, it's never that way. He rules over all things according to His pleasure. Our God is in heaven and he does whatever pleases Him. Psalm 135:6 says, "The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, and the seas, and all their depths." Now what pleases God, is it automatically delightful to us? Are there not some surprising aspects of what pleases God? Does He not delight in some things we would not naturally delight in? For example, He speaks to Israel, and He says, "He was delighted to make Israel prosper in their land, in the promised land, if they would only obey his commands but he's also delighted to crush them and destroy them if they won't." In Deuteronomy 28:63, "It shall come about that as the Lord delighted over you to prosper you and multiply you, so the Lord also will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it." That's not our way but that is God's way. He was delighted also to make Christ suffer on the cross. Isaiah 53:10, it says, "The Lord was pleased to crush him and cause him to suffer, and if he would render himself as a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand." God's good pleasure flowers in Christ's hand like a garden. God delights in concealing from the wise and revealing to little children. Now, let me explain what I mean. I don't believe God finds any pleasure intrinsically in crushing Israel and expelling them from the land. I don't think He finds any masochistic delight in watching His Son suffer on the cross nor does He have any delight in concealing himself from arrogant people, but rather in the big picture, He sees the new Heaven and the new Earth, the home of righteousness where all sin is crushed and destroyed, where the devil and all of the rebels are removed and Heaven and Earth is one under His rule. That's a delightful thing and in that He delights. Just as Jesus said, "He endured the cross despising its shame for the joy on the other side, the joy set before Him, that's the pleasure of God. What God delights in, if you're a Christian, means salvation for you. It was the pleasure of God to choose you before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:5, "He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will." It brought Him delight, He said, "Little flock, don't be afraid, it is God's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." And it is also His pleasure now that you're saved, to sanctify you, to help you to grow. It says in Philippians 2:13, "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good pleasure." Application This is the delightful thing. How can we apply this? This understanding of the sovereignty of God, of God's divine power and of His divine pleasure, prerogative and all of these things that He has shown us. There is no end to those things we can be anxious about in this world. Did you know that? There's no end to anxiety, no end to concern, to current events, to problems. How about in the future? You look ahead in your life, there's no end to what your imagination can tell you will happen to you or your loved ones, to your bodies, to your souls, no end to the anxieties. If you do not accept this doctrine of God's sovereignty, it leaves you without a rudder on a sea of anxiety and fear and God would not have it so. He wants His people at rest and at peace with Him, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. I will give you peace if you trust in my sovereignty, rest in it." Be confident in the rule of God. Secondly, be humbled by this doctrine. God is not asking our opinion concerning the rulership of the universe, He does not poll us, He does not need our insights. When you are praying, you're not giving Him advice as to a course of action that He should take that He hadn't considered thoroughly. That's not what's going on there. This is a humbling doctrine, and it makes us like little children, doesn't it? It humbles us, and makes us low and meek so that we can receive the full revelation of His nature and His character, be humbled. Thirdly, repent and live in the kingdom. "Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is here." The time has come for you to throw away your weapons of rebellion and allow Him to be king, because that's what He is. Let Him rule therefore over every area and every aspect of your life. Let Him rule over you and let Him rule over the world and realize that it's a good thing. Repent therefore and live in the kingdom. How practical is this? Are there any areas of rebellion in your life? Anything that you know is out of sorts with the will of God, anything you know that's not in harmony with the word of God, Then repent from those things and take delight in His kingdom. How did Jesus apply this teaching? Verse 28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Come to Christ, come to Him now, if you've never trusted in Christ, come to Him today and keep coming, find rest for your souls.
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