WEBVTT

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 The church fundamentally is not a place that we go to, right?

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 Sometimes that's how we use the term church,

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 that we say, hey, I'm going to the church,

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 or I'm going to, Harper was playing outside a while ago,

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 and she was doing these funny poses where she was pointing,

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 and she was pointing toward the building.

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 I was like, what are you pointing at?

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 And she's like, I'm pointing at the church.

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 She means the building, right?

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 So I know we use the term that way sometimes.

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 That's not a problem.

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 I'm just saying that fundamentally, the church is not a place that you go to.

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 It's not a building, right?

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 Neither is church something that you do.

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 That's the other way that we use the term often,

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 that I have church on Sunday, or I'm going to go to church on Sunday,

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 and we think of it more as a verb in that sense.

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 And again, that's not a wrong thing to say or think.

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 It's just fundamentally, that's not what the church is.

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 The church isn't a place that you go.

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 It's not a thing that you do.

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 The church first is a people to whom you belong.

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 It's people.

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 It's not just random people.

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 It's just not an assorted gathering of people that changes from week to week.

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 It is a specific people, a particular people,

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 and it is a group to which we all belong.

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 And I think that's important for us to understand.

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 Everything that we cover, the way that we're going to think about church,

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 the way we're going to think about what God desires for our church,

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 it has to start there.

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 We've got to understand what it is first.

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 Well, what really is this?

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 Is this an organization?

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 Or is it something different than that?

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 Would this be on par with a club or some type of subscription

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 that maybe we would have in other ways?

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 You know what I mean?

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 Like we would say, okay, the church is kind of like what I do at the country club.

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 Or maybe it's like the thing that I subscribe to, like a streaming service.

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 I pay my fee.

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 I visit at my convenience.

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 I follow the rules the best that they have, the terms and conditions.

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 But it's really not anything much more than that.

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 And, of course, that's not what the church is.

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 That's a very consumeristic way of viewing the church.

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 That's not what it is.

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 We look around this room.

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 We look at one another, and we see the church.

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 We see Lakeside Bible Church as we see one another.

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 And it's with that understanding that the rest of this really begins to flow,

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 and we can begin to understand what God wants for us.

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 And so understand that we use that term.

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 I'm not saying that it's wrong to use the term church for other things.

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 My point is that we often miss the foundational truth of what the church actually is.

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 It's a particular people saved by Jesus Christ to declare his gospel and display his glory.

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 That's who we are, right?

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 Together, corporately, corporately, that's who we are.

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 We are an embassy is a good illustration of that.

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 We've got the kingdom of God.

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 We're a little embassy of that kingdom situated right here in Cornelius.

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 But we're still a part of the same group.

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 We're defined in the same ways.

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 We're just a local representation of what the church actually is.

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 So no matter where you go in the New Testament,

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 no matter where you find it mentioned,

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 it's always a reference to a group of people.

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 And it's always a reference in the sense that this is a group of people

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 that you either belong to or you don't belong to.

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 Not just because you choose to belong or not belong,

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 but there are certain criteria that makes you a member, a partner,

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 of what brings you in to the church universally or locally or whatever it is.

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 And so we start to understand that.

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 Okay, what is the church?

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 The church is a particular people saved by Jesus.

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 Then we have to start to understand then,

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 okay, what are some important questions we need to start asking them?

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 If this is what the church is,

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 if there's really a group of people to which I belong,

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 okay, well, what exactly brings us together as a people?

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 What makes us this particular people?

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 There's only one answer for that.

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 It's the gospel, right?

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 It's Christ.

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 That's what binds us.

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 We talk about this a lot in our member meetings.

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 There's, for most of us, without our church here,

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 there is probably no way that we would have,

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 our paths would have ever crossed before, right?

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 We all have varied interests.

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 We all work different jobs.

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 None of us are really in the same field.

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 We're not really around each other.

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 We might would pass each other out and about around town

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 and not even realize who each other are.

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 There's not a lot of rhyme and reason

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 as to why we would be together and to be friends, right?

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 What is it that actually brings us together?

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 The gospel.

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 The gospel has united us.

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 And it's once we have seen that the gospel has united us

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 that we find we actually have some other things that are in common too,

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 but essentially what makes us a people is the gospel of Jesus.

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 Well, what are the things that identify us as the church?

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 If that's what the church is and the gospel is what unites us,

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 what actually identifies us as that?

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 Our worship does that, right?

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 Our worship.

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 I thought about it this afternoon.

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 I pulled in to the driveway real quick to go and change clothes

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 before coming back over here.

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 And I noticed as every Sunday,

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 my neighbor's car is parked right in the driveway where she always has it.

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 She doesn't go to church.

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 She's there every Sunday.

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 Worship is not a part of her life.

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 And when I see that,

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 I think,

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 okay,

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 my neighbor doesn't worship the Lord on Sunday.

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 She must not be a Christian.

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 Because what identifies us?

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 What is an identifying marker of who we are in Christ?

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 Our worship, right?

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 It doesn't make sense for someone who says that they're a Christian

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 who isn't committed to the regular worship of our Lord and Savior.

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 It just doesn't make sense.

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 I'm not saying it's impossible.

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 I'm just saying.

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 It's not likely.

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 It's an identifying marker.

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 It's not just our worship.

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 It's the ordinances, right?

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 The ordinances.

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 Baptism is what identifies us as a professing Christian.

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 It brings us into membership in the church, right?

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 In a local sense.

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 Communion is that regular rehearsing and identification with Christ and the gospel.

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 And as the church, those things are identifying markers, right?

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 The New Testament tells us that.

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 And so what unites us?

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 It's the gospel.

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 What identifies us?

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 Worship and ordinances.

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 What about this?

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 What is our purpose in a corporate sense?

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 Like why?

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 Why does the church exist?

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 Why is this even necessary?

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 Well, because we have a mission, right?

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 And that mission is really, it flows from what we're talking about tonight.

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 Making disciples.

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 Which is not just evangelism.

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 It's more than evangelism.

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 It is helping one another to grow as we follow Christ together.

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 That's the purpose that we have.

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 That's God's purpose for the church in the world.

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 What kind of relational responsibility do we have to one another?

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 That's an important question.

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 We get into all of those one another commands in the scripture then, right?

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 Just in the New Testament.

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 What is it?

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 50 or 60 of them that are unique one another commands.

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 That God commands us is to identify or be present in our relationships to one another.

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 Loving one another.

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 Encouraging one another.

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 Teaching one another.

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 Admonishing one another.

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 Guarding one another.

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 Disciplining one another.

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 We have a lot of responsibility, don't we?

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 It's not just this thing that we go to on Sundays.

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 That's not what it is.

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 It's so much bigger than that.

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 It's a people to whom we belong that we have been united with by the gospel.

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 That we are identified with through the regular practice of worship and the administration of the ordinances.

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 That we are on mission with as we take this same gospel to the world.

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 Help one another follow Christ.

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 And then as we interact with one another in regular life.

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 That's what the church is.

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 That's important.

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 And unless we view the church as a group of people to whom we belong.

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 We're always going to fall short.

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 We're always going to fall short of all of those things that we just said.

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 We might be believers.

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 But we'll still fall short of what God has instructed us to be.

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 And how we're to identify as his people.

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 So when we take these particular questions to the Bible.

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 We start to quickly learn what the essentials of a healthy, biblical, God glorifying church actually are.

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 And at this season in our life together as a church.

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 I think that the best thing for us to consider right now.

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 Is what it means to be a discipling church.

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 What it means to be a discipling church.

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 And I want to tell you why I came to this conclusion.

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 Why we're dealing with this particular essential.

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 In the summer we dealt with, and just in a single Sunday.

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 The essential of communion.

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 The reason we dealt with it then is because we needed to.

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 Because Jared needed to.

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 Was really the biggest part of it.

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 Jared needed to get his head right.

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 About communion.

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 And why we do it.

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 And what that means.

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 This starts there too.

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 Jared needs to get his head right about this.

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 It started a few months ago.

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 Many of you I had these conversations with.

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 Trying to think through.

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 Okay.

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 You know.

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 Most of what we do as a church right now is limited to Sunday morning.

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 Sometimes we do other things.

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 We have some fellowships.

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 We do some other outreach events from time to time.

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 Most of what we do really is Sunday morning.

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 And we need to be doing more.

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 If you don't feel like we're doing what the Lord desires for us to do in every possible way.

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 So just start having conversations with some of you about discipleship.

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 And maybe groups.

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 Or this program.

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 Or that program.

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 Or what can we do to be meeting together more regularly.

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 And those kinds of things.

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 Good questions.

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 But then I realized very quickly.

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 That what it was becoming for me.

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 Was just a way to feel better about the way I was administrating our church calendar.

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 That's really what it boiled down to more than anything else.

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 Because I didn't care.

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 I want everybody to grow.

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 That's my heart honestly.

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 I want everybody to grow in the word.

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 But there was a side to me that was trying to figure out.

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 Just a program that we could institute.

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 Or a way that we could put more things on the calendar.

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 So I would feel like I'm actually doing what I'm supposed to do.

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 And leading in the way that I'm supposed to lead.

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 And then I realized quickly.

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 I think through by God's grace.

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 That we needed to slow down.

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 And actually think for a second.

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 Before we start instituting programs of discipleship and discipling in our church.

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 We need to actually start to think a little bit about what it even means.

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 What does it even mean to be a disciple?

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 What does it mean to disciple others?

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 And is it really just about a program?

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 Or is there something more to this?

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 And so I took some time to try to think through those things.

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 And what we're going to go through in these next few weeks.

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 Is the overflow of some of my thoughts on that.

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 Okay?

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 Discipleship is a buzzword in the evangelical world.

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 Isn't it?

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 It should be.

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 It should be.

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 We need to talk about it.

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 We need to talk about it a lot.

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 But not everyone means the same thing when they talk about it.

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 For instance, as I've alluded to already.

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 Some people when they talk about discipleship.

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 What they really have in mind is a program that functions within the church's ministry.

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 Right?

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 It's almost a kind of an arm like a children's ministry would be.

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 Or a music ministry would be.

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 Or another outreach ministry would be.

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 It's kind of a subset of the church.

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 And it's something that people in the church, individuals can register to attend.

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 Or they can volunteer to teach.

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 It's more of a program.

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 It's a class.

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 It has different looks and styles.

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 But consistently across the board with that kind of mindset.

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 Discipling is for a specific amount of time.

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 And it involves a specific group of people within the church.

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 Right?

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 It's not so much about the church as a whole.

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 It's not so much about what is woven into the DNA of the church.

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 It's just another program.

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 Right?

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 I'm not saying discipleship programs are bad.

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 They're good.

00:12:32.100 --> 00:12:32.840
 We need them.

00:12:33.100 --> 00:12:34.500
 Hopefully we're going to have them here.

00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:35.500
 And that's not what I mean.

00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:37.779
 I just mean some people when they think of discipleship.

00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:38.940
 That's all they think about.

00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:42.940
 This thing over here that you can take the class if you want to take the class.

00:12:42.940 --> 00:12:44.140
 You can graduate, get the certificate.

00:12:44.460 --> 00:12:48.800
 Or you can be involved or to volunteer to teach it or whatever it is.

00:12:48.920 --> 00:12:50.540
 Some people that's really what they have in mind.

00:12:51.420 --> 00:13:02.740
 For others, discipleship is more about training an individual to be a good follower of a particular church tradition.

00:13:03.340 --> 00:13:05.500
 Does that make sense to what I mean by that?

00:13:06.040 --> 00:13:09.500
 It's less about, like I remember going through a class.

00:13:09.900 --> 00:13:11.400
 This may have been when I was in college.

00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:11.480
 It's a church.

00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.639
 And the form of discipleship.

00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.840
 It was a discipleship class that we went through at this church.

00:13:19.319 --> 00:13:21.819
 And it went through an acrostic for Baptist.

00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:25.860
 And each letter meant a different thing.

00:13:26.259 --> 00:13:27.240
 You know what I'm talking about, Kyle?

00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:28.299
 You probably went through some of these.

00:13:28.860 --> 00:13:31.740
 And it's not that those things aren't important.

00:13:32.139 --> 00:13:32.860
 They are important.

00:13:33.220 --> 00:13:34.100
 Of course, baptism.

00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:34.720
 It went through it.

00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:36.100
 Each one represented a different thing.

00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:37.939
 Individual, soul, liberty.

00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:38.920
 All that stuff is in there.

00:13:39.520 --> 00:13:40.920
 The perseverance of the saints.

00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:41.660
 All that kind of thing.

00:13:41.820 --> 00:13:42.140
 Ordinances.

00:13:43.620 --> 00:13:45.240
 And it's not that those things aren't important.

00:13:45.780 --> 00:13:52.860
 But what that church was doing was not really discipling me to follow Christ as much as they were discipling me to be a good follower of their tradition.

00:13:53.380 --> 00:13:54.440
 Now, I believe their tradition.

00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:56.740
 I'm happy about that.

00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:58.900
 But that's not really what discipleship is, right?

00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:05.200
 We're not exactly looking to train each other to be good followers of one tradition or another.

00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:09.560
 We want to help others follow Christ, right?

00:14:09.860 --> 00:14:14.260
 We want to help others follow Christ first, not just our church.

00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:17.140
 So let's start with a couple of simple definitions.

00:14:17.300 --> 00:14:18.580
 These aren't original to me.

00:14:18.580 --> 00:14:24.020
 I think I've found these in a Nine Marks catalog or something like that a while back.

00:14:24.280 --> 00:14:25.120
 They're not original to me.

00:14:25.180 --> 00:14:25.879
 They're very simple.

00:14:27.020 --> 00:14:30.400
 But let's, if you're taking notes, you might would be helped to write this down.

00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:32.800
 Here's what we mean by discipleship, okay?

00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:34.340
 Here's what we mean by discipleship.

00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.740
 It just means to follow Jesus, right?

00:14:38.259 --> 00:14:41.780
 It just means to follow Jesus, to be a disciple, right?

00:14:41.900 --> 00:14:43.140
 That's all we mean by that.

00:14:44.520 --> 00:14:47.040
 Discipleship is what Jesus said in Mark 8.

00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:52.120
 When a person comes to a point where they deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him,

00:14:52.219 --> 00:14:53.599
 it's the point of conversion.

00:14:54.019 --> 00:14:56.219
 You become a follower of Christ.

00:14:56.339 --> 00:14:57.839
 That is discipleship.

00:14:57.980 --> 00:14:59.959
 And it characterizes the rest of your life.

00:15:00.339 --> 00:15:03.819
 You spend the rest of your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

00:15:04.179 --> 00:15:06.399
 That's what we mean when we say discipleship.

00:15:06.439 --> 00:15:13.240
 We're talking about our personal efforts at following Christ and being a disciple of his.

00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:16.659
 Now, there's a second definition, which is discipling.

00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:22.539
 Discipling, which is really just a subset of discipleship, but it's the actionable part.

00:15:23.599 --> 00:15:25.799
 Discipleship is more like a noun.

00:15:26.059 --> 00:15:27.019
 This is who I am.

00:15:27.099 --> 00:15:28.139
 I'm a disciple of Christ.

00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:31.899
 Discipling is to help other people follow Christ.

00:15:32.059 --> 00:15:34.799
 To help other people follow Christ, okay?

00:15:35.199 --> 00:15:40.959
 What we're talking about in these next three Sundays or next three gatherings that we're together for this particular purpose

00:15:40.959 --> 00:15:46.639
 is we want to look at what it means to be a discipling church.

00:15:47.319 --> 00:15:50.819
 The very fact that we are a church shows that we are disciples.

00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:52.719
 We are followers of Christ.

00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:56.100
 But what does it actually mean for us to be a discipling church?

00:15:56.220 --> 00:16:00.680
 That we're going to help other people, others follow Christ.

00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:05.300
 So we see the story of the New Testament or the church in the New Testament

00:16:05.300 --> 00:16:09.660
 is a story of discipleship and discipling.

00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:14.040
 Being a follower of Jesus is what brings you into the church,

00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:15.759
 makes you a part of the church.

00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:24.460
 Helping other people follow Jesus is what a disciple does because he or she is a part of the church.

00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:28.939
 So some people would even frame this, and I like this thought,

00:16:28.939 --> 00:16:33.740
 they would frame this and describe it as mutual soul care.

00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:37.600
 Perhaps you've heard that term before, mutual soul care.

00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:39.740
 Discipling is certainly that.

00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:41.279
 It's not less than that.

00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.539
 But there is more to it than that.

00:16:43.539 --> 00:16:48.500
 Discipling isn't only about what we do with one another within the church.

00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:51.159
 There's an also external dimension to this.

00:16:51.500 --> 00:16:55.860
 Discipling also involves what we do with those outside of the church.

00:16:56.039 --> 00:16:59.639
 We are making disciples, helping people to follow Christ,

00:16:59.819 --> 00:17:02.459
 and that even begins with unbelievers.

00:17:03.539 --> 00:17:05.379
 And so the gospel is so fantastic,

00:17:06.059 --> 00:17:09.799
 the command to do this, so explicit,

00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:19.440
 that discipling is the natural and inevitable result of being a faithful Christian.

00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:21.000
 Let me say that again.

00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:24.119
 The gospel is so fantastic,

00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:28.480
 and the command to make disciples is so explicit

00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:35.720
 that it is the natural and inevitable result of just being a faithful Christian.

00:17:35.720 --> 00:17:42.240
 If you're a faithful Christian, you will inevitably find yourself helping other people be faithful Christians,

00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:45.779
 whether that's with a primary focus on evangelism,

00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:50.960
 or discipleship within the church, or within your home, whatever it is.

00:17:51.360 --> 00:17:53.440
 A faithful Christian will make disciples.

00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:54.860
 It's just natural.

00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:57.259
 Mark Dever says this.

00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:58.539
 I find this challenging.

00:17:58.539 --> 00:18:00.399
 He says,

00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:02.420
 If you're not helping others follow Jesus,

00:18:02.819 --> 00:18:07.740
 then I don't know what you mean when you say that you are following Jesus.

00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:10.799
 If you don't help others follow Jesus,

00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:15.539
 then I don't know what you mean when you say that you are following Jesus.

00:18:16.639 --> 00:18:17.899
 What does he mean by that?

00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:19.119
 You know what I just said?

00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:24.279
 Discipling is the natural and inevitable result of being a faithful Christian.

00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:29.319
 That to be a follower of Jesus is to trust him,

00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:31.359
 to learn from him,

00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:33.099
 to imitate him.

00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:40.920
 And Jesus himself is the supreme example of what it means to disciple others.

00:18:42.019 --> 00:18:43.000
 That's what he did.

00:18:43.059 --> 00:18:45.740
 We've been studying it for so long now in Mark's gospel

00:18:45.740 --> 00:18:50.960
 about how Jesus was focused on discipling others to follow him.

00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:55.740
 So an essential quality of a healthy biblical church

00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:58.740
 is that it is a discipling church.

00:18:59.539 --> 00:19:03.940
 And I want you to know that the ultimate goal of these three lessons

00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:10.120
 is not that they would produce a particular program in our church,

00:19:10.120 --> 00:19:13.079
 though I think that's going to happen and I hope that does happen.

00:19:13.420 --> 00:19:14.920
 But that's not the goal.

00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:21.500
 The goal is that we will begin to learn how to have a church culture

00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:25.160
 that is shaped by discipling.

00:19:26.100 --> 00:19:30.500
 That discipling one another and discipling others outside of the church

00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:35.960
 is so integral to the DNA of who Lakeside Bible Church is

00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:37.880
 and what Lakeside Bible Church does

00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:42.800
 that we can't think of our church without thinking about this process of discipling,

00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:47.759
 of having a mindset of following Christ and helping others to do the same.

00:19:48.419 --> 00:19:49.980
 So in the next two lessons, next week,

00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:53.000
 we're going to talk about the ministry of discipling.

00:19:53.339 --> 00:19:55.119
 We're going to go to Ephesians 4, Lord willing,

00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:58.440
 and we're going to look at the responsibility of every believer,

00:19:58.919 --> 00:20:02.319
 every Christian to be a faithful minister of the gospel

00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.419
 in evangelism, but especially to one another.

00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:06.539
 It's not just a pastoral responsibility.

00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:09.039
 It's all of our responsibility.

00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:11.159
 We're going to look at that more specifically next week.

00:20:11.160 --> 00:20:14.519
 In the last week, the 28th, we're going to look at methods.

00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:16.080
 We're going to get really practical.

00:20:16.320 --> 00:20:18.880
 How can we actually do this in our homes, in our neighborhoods,

00:20:19.120 --> 00:20:21.000
 in our church, so on and so forth.

00:20:21.140 --> 00:20:22.640
 But before we can get to those things,

00:20:22.779 --> 00:20:25.080
 we have to start here at the very basics,

00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:27.400
 which is the mandate for discipling.

00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:29.519
 The mandate for discipling.

00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:31.120
 So you're in Matthew 28.

00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:31.880
 Let's read it together.

00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:35.960
 Matthew 28, verse 16.

00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:39.579
 Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee,

00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:42.420
 to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:45.559
 And when they saw him, they worshiped him,

00:20:46.100 --> 00:20:47.240
 but some doubted.

00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:49.720
 Jesus came and said to them,

00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:53.980
 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

00:20:54.900 --> 00:20:58.539
 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:01.460
 baptizing them in the name of the Father,

00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:04.500
 and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:08.920
 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:13.380
 And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.

00:21:14.579 --> 00:21:16.420
 Well, it makes sense for us to begin here, right?

00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:19.660
 The Great Commission, as we know this passage to be,

00:21:20.299 --> 00:21:25.559
 perfectly summarizes what a discipling church does.

00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:29.679
 But its significance really lies first

00:21:29.679 --> 00:21:32.119
 in the fact that making disciples

00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:36.079
 is the explicit command of Jesus.

00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:38.399
 He said it plainly.

00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:40.619
 Because of my authority,

00:21:41.159 --> 00:21:45.359
 go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.

00:21:45.919 --> 00:21:47.619
 There's no other way to read that.

00:21:47.899 --> 00:21:50.000
 It's the explicit command of the Lord.

00:21:51.059 --> 00:21:52.319
 And here in this passage,

00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:58.259
 Jesus is removing all possibility of indifference to discipling.

00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:01.200
 He places every disciple of his

00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:05.259
 in a position of either obedience or disobedience,

00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:07.619
 which is why it's so important

00:22:07.619 --> 00:22:11.339
 that we think about a culture of discipling

00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:13.460
 being the goal of this series,

00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:15.220
 being the goal of our church,

00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:17.819
 over and above merely a program.

00:22:17.819 --> 00:22:21.599
 Every Christian must be engaged

00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:24.179
 in helping others follow Jesus.

00:22:24.379 --> 00:22:28.500
 Or they're living in disobedience to Jesus Christ.

00:22:28.919 --> 00:22:30.480
 He plainly said it.

00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:33.159
 Make disciples of all nations.

00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:35.779
 And we can look at many other places in the New Testament.

00:22:35.879 --> 00:22:36.460
 We're not going to do that.

00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:37.960
 But we look at many other places

00:22:37.960 --> 00:22:39.980
 where this is an explicit command.

00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:42.519
 Some people have tried to diminish

00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:44.140
 the significance of this passage,

00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:48.980
 saying that since this was given just to the 11,

00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:51.140
 that it only applies to them,

00:22:51.140 --> 00:22:53.860
 that it was a command for the apostles.

00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:57.559
 It's maybe just an encouragement for the rest of us.

00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:00.019
 But that argument just doesn't make sense.

00:23:00.420 --> 00:23:01.279
 It's unsound.

00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:06.599
 Certainly, Jesus' command to teach disciples

00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:08.259
 everything that he commanded

00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:11.119
 includes the Great Commission itself, right?

00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:14.759
 Certainly, his desire was that these apostles

00:23:14.759 --> 00:23:16.319
 wouldn't only share the gospel,

00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:17.899
 but they would train those people

00:23:17.899 --> 00:23:19.559
 to share the gospel as well

00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:23.059
 and continue to perpetuate discipleship

00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:26.160
 and discipling as people came to Christ.

00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:28.619
 The very nature of discipling

00:23:28.619 --> 00:23:31.899
 is that it continually replicates itself.

00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:33.279
 That's what it does.

00:23:33.899 --> 00:23:35.079
 That's what Jesus means.

00:23:35.259 --> 00:23:36.539
 This wasn't just for the apostles.

00:23:36.939 --> 00:23:38.199
 This is for all of us.

00:23:38.659 --> 00:23:40.779
 All of us need to take this seriously.

00:23:41.919 --> 00:23:44.159
 They had a specific role to play in the church,

00:23:44.239 --> 00:23:45.259
 no doubt about that.

00:23:45.699 --> 00:23:48.939
 But they were really just the setting into motion

00:23:48.939 --> 00:23:49.939
 at the start of the church

00:23:49.939 --> 00:23:51.679
 what all of us are to be faithful to do.

00:23:52.819 --> 00:23:54.119
 And there's one more note I want to make

00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:56.159
 before we jump into four quick points.

00:23:57.259 --> 00:23:57.919
 And it's this.

00:23:58.619 --> 00:24:00.459
 I want you to notice the indicative

00:24:00.459 --> 00:24:02.759
 that precedes the imperative.

00:24:03.239 --> 00:24:03.639
 You know what I mean?

00:24:03.659 --> 00:24:04.799
 There's a statement of fact

00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:05.919
 that precedes the command.

00:24:06.179 --> 00:24:07.079
 Look at verse 18.

00:24:07.179 --> 00:24:08.259
 That's where the indicative is.

00:24:08.619 --> 00:24:09.799
 What does Jesus say first?

00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.699
 All authority in heaven and on earth

00:24:12.699 --> 00:24:14.019
 has been given to me.

00:24:14.879 --> 00:24:16.839
 And it's because of that indicative

00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:19.379
 that Jesus then immediately says,

00:24:19.899 --> 00:24:24.099
 therefore, go and make disciples.

00:24:24.099 --> 00:24:28.179
 So before he ever commands them,

00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:30.799
 he reminds them of his supreme authority.

00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:34.319
 So then our obedience to the great commission,

00:24:34.659 --> 00:24:37.659
 it's not just about growing our church.

00:24:37.660 --> 00:24:40.120
 That's a good thing.

00:24:40.500 --> 00:24:41.620
 That's a good goal.

00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:43.920
 We want growth in our church, right?

00:24:44.040 --> 00:24:45.820
 We want to see people following Christ.

00:24:46.220 --> 00:24:47.940
 But it's not first about that.

00:24:48.779 --> 00:24:50.880
 It's first about looking at the authority

00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:52.880
 that Jesus Christ has in our lives

00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:55.220
 and saying, I'm going to obey the master.

00:24:55.800 --> 00:24:56.779
 You know, obey the Lord.

00:24:56.779 --> 00:25:00.079
 All authority on heaven and earth belongs to him.

00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:02.420
 Because of that, he says, go.

00:25:03.480 --> 00:25:05.859
 And our response as faithful disciples is to obey,

00:25:06.460 --> 00:25:07.980
 to obey what he's commanded.

00:25:09.139 --> 00:25:11.519
 But then surely there's a connection here

00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:13.700
 between Jesus's statement

00:25:13.700 --> 00:25:17.339
 that all authority on heaven and earth belongs to him.

00:25:17.819 --> 00:25:20.940
 And therefore we are to go to all nations.

00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:23.339
 Surely Jesus meant for there to be a link

00:25:23.339 --> 00:25:24.359
 in those two statements.

00:25:25.019 --> 00:25:26.519
 That's an encouragement to us.

00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:30.819
 We can confidently take the gospel around the world

00:25:30.819 --> 00:25:32.960
 with the expectation

00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:37.839
 that Jesus will produce more disciples through us.

00:25:38.299 --> 00:25:42.039
 So the indicative not only produces the imperative,

00:25:42.259 --> 00:25:43.899
 it motivates it.

00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:44.819
 It motivates it.

00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:47.119
 Not only do we go because we want to obey Jesus,

00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:50.079
 we go because Jesus has promised his authority

00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:51.160
 over all people.

00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:52.920
 Therefore, as we go,

00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:56.680
 he will produce disciples through us among all people.

00:25:57.339 --> 00:25:58.160
 That's fantastic.

00:25:58.660 --> 00:25:59.619
 That's amazing.

00:26:00.379 --> 00:26:01.039
 We get so worried.

00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:01.920
 Sometimes we don't do this

00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:03.019
 because we're maybe fearful.

00:26:03.139 --> 00:26:04.139
 I know that's one of my reasons

00:26:04.139 --> 00:26:07.740
 that I'm less faithful to do this than I should be.

00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:08.680
 Maybe we get fearful

00:26:08.680 --> 00:26:10.180
 or maybe we just get discouraged

00:26:10.180 --> 00:26:12.379
 because we don't see the fruitfulness

00:26:12.379 --> 00:26:14.440
 the way that we wish that we saw the fruitfulness.

00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:15.759
 But Jesus says,

00:26:16.339 --> 00:26:18.539
 go and I'll provide this.

00:26:18.740 --> 00:26:20.139
 All authority belongs to me.

00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:21.319
 I will save them.

00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:22.639
 I will call them.

00:26:23.620 --> 00:26:25.060
 So let's look at four quick things here.

00:26:25.220 --> 00:26:27.480
 First, discipling is intentional.

00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:30.380
 Discipling is intentional.

00:26:30.580 --> 00:26:32.060
 Look at the first phrase in verse 19.

00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:38.160
 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.

00:26:38.980 --> 00:26:41.120
 The first thing I want you to consider here

00:26:41.120 --> 00:26:45.380
 is that no one ever makes disciples on accident.

00:26:45.380 --> 00:26:48.160
 No one makes disciples on accident.

00:26:48.760 --> 00:26:49.620
 This doesn't happen.

00:26:50.580 --> 00:26:55.200
 It takes initiative, intentionality to make disciples,

00:26:55.780 --> 00:26:58.060
 which I think is why Jesus at the very beginning

00:26:58.060 --> 00:26:59.500
 emphasizes this,

00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:04.100
 go, action, go, be intentional,

00:27:04.560 --> 00:27:06.880
 initiate this in your life.

00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:10.440
 So the great commission then combats

00:27:10.440 --> 00:27:14.780
 a missional laziness and lethargy

00:27:14.780 --> 00:27:17.520
 that exists in so many Christians.

00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:21.240
 So there's one sense in which the go here

00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:24.340
 is essentially Jesus's way of saying,

00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:26.240
 hey, get off the couch,

00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:28.000
 get out in the world,

00:27:28.520 --> 00:27:29.860
 make some friends,

00:27:30.360 --> 00:27:31.500
 share the gospel,

00:27:32.140 --> 00:27:34.840
 help another believer follow Christ.

00:27:34.839 --> 00:27:37.819
 And consider the perspective of the disciples here.

00:27:38.279 --> 00:27:39.879
 This is post-resurrection.

00:27:40.399 --> 00:27:42.500
 This is not yet the ascension of Christ.

00:27:42.659 --> 00:27:44.359
 They're in Galilee, not the Mount of Olives.

00:27:44.819 --> 00:27:46.519
 Remember, Jesus had told the apostles,

00:27:46.959 --> 00:27:48.359
 after I raised,

00:27:48.699 --> 00:27:51.439
 go to Galilee and wait for me there.

00:27:51.699 --> 00:27:52.579
 And that's what they did.

00:27:53.459 --> 00:27:54.720
 And while they were there,

00:27:54.919 --> 00:27:56.980
 they were so overwhelmed and excited

00:27:56.980 --> 00:27:59.359
 by all that had happened in Jesus's atonement

00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:00.179
 and in his resurrection

00:28:00.179 --> 00:28:01.859
 that they just couldn't help

00:28:01.859 --> 00:28:03.659
 but tell everybody about it.

00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:06.279
 No, that's not what they did.

00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:09.660
 They went back discouraged is what they did.

00:28:10.600 --> 00:28:12.240
 In fact, many of them were like Peter

00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:14.640
 that were so discouraged by their own failure

00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:17.400
 that they had all but given up

00:28:17.400 --> 00:28:19.680
 on what the Lord had actually called them to do.

00:28:20.300 --> 00:28:23.120
 Remember Peter at the end of John's gospel?

00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:25.120
 He grabs a couple of the other fellows

00:28:25.120 --> 00:28:26.400
 and he just says, let's go fishing.

00:28:27.120 --> 00:28:29.460
 And it's not that he's abandoning Christ.

00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:32.440
 It's not that he doesn't want to follow Christ.

00:28:32.519 --> 00:28:35.559
 He's discouraged because he failed miserably

00:28:35.559 --> 00:28:38.340
 in denying Christ right before his crucifixion.

00:28:38.539 --> 00:28:40.120
 And he's down about that.

00:28:40.420 --> 00:28:43.740
 He has reached a missional lethargy.

00:28:45.259 --> 00:28:47.360
 Laziness perhaps would fit this

00:28:47.360 --> 00:28:49.680
 to where he wasn't doing what God

00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:51.120
 had actually called him to do.

00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:51.799
 Why?

00:28:52.920 --> 00:28:53.980
 He wasn't going.

00:28:53.980 --> 00:28:54.960
 So what does Jesus do?

00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:57.799
 He comes and he says, go, go and tell,

00:28:58.180 --> 00:29:02.380
 go and tell all that you have seen and heard.

00:29:02.980 --> 00:29:05.140
 And I think many of us can identify with that.

00:29:06.259 --> 00:29:09.620
 Our lack of intentionality in discipling others

00:29:09.620 --> 00:29:13.799
 can often be boiled down to spiritual lethargy.

00:29:13.799 --> 00:29:19.180
 And what we need to do is listen to Jesus's call to go.

00:29:20.379 --> 00:29:22.559
 I love that old hymn we sing,

00:29:22.779 --> 00:29:24.819
 that old missional hymn.

00:29:24.899 --> 00:29:25.339
 I can't remember.

00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:26.119
 Facing a task.

00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:26.799
 Facing a task.

00:29:26.859 --> 00:29:27.200
 I'm finished.

00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:29.659
 I think it's the last verse.

00:29:31.079 --> 00:29:32.720
 O Father who sustained them,

00:29:33.139 --> 00:29:34.720
 O Spirit who inspired,

00:29:35.779 --> 00:29:38.019
 Savior whose love constrained them

00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:40.019
 to toil with zeal untired.

00:29:40.159 --> 00:29:40.740
 And then it says,

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:43.180
 From cowardice defend us.

00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:45.620
 From lethargy awake.

00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:48.640
 Forth on thine errands send us

00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:50.380
 to labor for thy sake.

00:29:51.440 --> 00:29:53.339
 That's an important verse of that hymn.

00:29:53.859 --> 00:29:55.039
 We need to be awakened to that.

00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:57.019
 That's part of what Jesus has in mind there

00:29:57.019 --> 00:29:57.500
 with the go.

00:29:57.759 --> 00:29:58.720
 It's intentionality.

00:29:58.839 --> 00:29:59.259
 It's initiative.

00:29:59.420 --> 00:30:01.259
 But there's a second consideration here

00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:04.180
 that isn't the same as lethargy or laziness.

00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:06.480
 For some of us,

00:30:07.019 --> 00:30:09.279
 the problem is missional indifference.

00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:12.119
 It's not so much laziness.

00:30:12.339 --> 00:30:13.240
 It's not a lethargy.

00:30:13.339 --> 00:30:14.940
 It's just kind of indifference.

00:30:16.059 --> 00:30:18.359
 It's not always that we don't care

00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:21.200
 about helping other people follow Jesus.

00:30:22.099 --> 00:30:24.680
 It's that we don't care enough

00:30:24.680 --> 00:30:27.639
 to change the structures of our lives

00:30:27.639 --> 00:30:29.039
 to actually do it.

00:30:31.299 --> 00:30:33.039
 And this one hits hard for me.

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:35.740
 Because to take the initiative

00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:38.099
 and intentionality of actually making disciples

00:30:38.099 --> 00:30:38.940
 takes time.

00:30:39.899 --> 00:30:41.139
 It takes effort.

00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:42.220
 Study.

00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:44.920
 A lot of times you're going to be carrying a burden

00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:47.539
 that doesn't actually belong to you first.

00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:49.839
 You're helping a brother or sister in Christ

00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:50.579
 carry a burden.

00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:53.440
 Or you're carrying the burden of a lost soul

00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:56.180
 that you're trying to pray for the Lord

00:30:56.180 --> 00:30:57.720
 to open their heart to the gospel.

00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:00.180
 And it takes time and energy and study

00:31:00.180 --> 00:31:01.259
 and faithfulness and prayer

00:31:01.259 --> 00:31:02.240
 and all of those things.

00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:03.279
 All of those things.

00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:04.920
 And let's just be honest.

00:31:05.180 --> 00:31:05.779
 We're busy.

00:31:06.759 --> 00:31:07.440
 We're busy.

00:31:08.200 --> 00:31:09.319
 We've got a lot going on

00:31:09.319 --> 00:31:11.720
 between our jobs and our kids

00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:13.400
 and our hobbies and all the things.

00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.120
 It's not that we don't want people

00:31:15.120 --> 00:31:15.880
 to follow Christ.

00:31:16.140 --> 00:31:17.980
 We just don't care enough about that

00:31:17.980 --> 00:31:20.640
 to actually change the structures of our life

00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:22.480
 to help people follow Christ.

00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:24.740
 always hoping that somebody else

00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:26.059
 with less going on can do it.

00:31:26.660 --> 00:31:28.460
 Somebody else with less going on

00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:30.839
 can step up to the plate in these matters.

00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:32.400
 But that's not what the Lord commands.

00:31:33.299 --> 00:31:35.019
 He commands for all of us.

00:31:36.579 --> 00:31:38.519
 It's not unreasonable to translate

00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:41.700
 this particular participle go

00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:43.400
 to as you go.

00:31:43.880 --> 00:31:46.519
 The assumption is that you are going

00:31:46.519 --> 00:31:48.640
 in the sense of you are going about your life.

00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:51.240
 And Jesus is saying is as you're going

00:31:51.240 --> 00:31:54.120
 intentionally take the initiative

00:31:54.120 --> 00:31:55.779
 to make disciples.

00:31:56.299 --> 00:31:58.880
 Whether you're at home or at work

00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:00.160
 or on the soccer field

00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:01.599
 or in the grocery store

00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:03.039
 or on the golf course

00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:04.039
 or at church,

00:32:04.120 --> 00:32:05.220
 wherever you are,

00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:06.440
 whatever you're doing,

00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:08.700
 have a mind that is intentionally

00:32:08.700 --> 00:32:09.779
 looking for ways

00:32:09.779 --> 00:32:13.259
 to help other people follow Jesus.

00:32:14.120 --> 00:32:16.180
 But it takes initiative to do that.

00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:18.440
 Intentionality to do that.

00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:19.759
 It doesn't happen by accident.

00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:23.039
 And if we're waiting for it to be convenient,

00:32:23.379 --> 00:32:25.980
 we'll never help anybody follow Christ.

00:32:26.500 --> 00:32:28.119
 It will never be convenient.

00:32:29.059 --> 00:32:30.740
 The best things never are.

00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:33.879
 Even in our homes with our kids.

00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:38.759
 You'll never help your kids follow Christ.

00:32:38.859 --> 00:32:40.180
 I'll never help my kids follow Christ

00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:41.460
 unless I do it on purpose.

00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:43.220
 Unless I do it on my purpose.

00:32:44.460 --> 00:32:47.319
 Dad didn't accidentally talk about the Lord

00:32:47.319 --> 00:32:48.559
 when we're driving down the road

00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:49.599
 or on the golf course.

00:32:50.259 --> 00:32:51.440
 He didn't do that on accident.

00:32:52.639 --> 00:32:53.779
 He did it on purpose.

00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:56.240
 You don't read your Bible

00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:57.559
 to your kids on accident.

00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:00.240
 You don't pray with your kids on accident.

00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:02.759
 It takes intentionality.

00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:06.440
 This also needs to be intentional

00:33:06.440 --> 00:33:07.679
 within our church fellowship.

00:33:08.179 --> 00:33:08.460
 Right?

00:33:08.460 --> 00:33:12.960
 Think about your attendance to church this morning.

00:33:13.079 --> 00:33:14.840
 All of you are here except Marty and Faye.

00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:16.200
 Marty just wasn't feeling good.

00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:16.759
 But think about it.

00:33:16.759 --> 00:33:17.319
 If you would have been here,

00:33:17.420 --> 00:33:18.360
 think about this.

00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:20.299
 When did you get here?

00:33:21.740 --> 00:33:22.880
 How late did you stay?

00:33:24.779 --> 00:33:25.740
 Where did you sit?

00:33:26.160 --> 00:33:26.799
 Think about it.

00:33:26.819 --> 00:33:27.600
 Just put your place,

00:33:27.740 --> 00:33:29.940
 put yourself back in your own shoes from this morning.

00:33:30.100 --> 00:33:30.600
 Or maybe,

00:33:30.700 --> 00:33:31.779
 or any Sunday for that matter.

00:33:32.019 --> 00:33:32.940
 Where did you sit?

00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:34.380
 Where did you park?

00:33:34.940 --> 00:33:35.840
 Who did you bring?

00:33:36.740 --> 00:33:38.100
 Who did you speak to?

00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:40.960
 What was the nature of those conversations?

00:33:41.700 --> 00:33:43.060
 Think about it now for a moment.

00:33:44.620 --> 00:33:46.320
 Now how much of those things,

00:33:46.420 --> 00:33:47.840
 the answers that you have for that,

00:33:48.360 --> 00:33:50.580
 was motivated intentionally

00:33:50.580 --> 00:33:51.920
 by your desire

00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:54.220
 to help somebody else in our church family

00:33:54.220 --> 00:33:55.440
 for five minutes?

00:33:55.760 --> 00:33:56.600
 For five minutes.

00:33:57.460 --> 00:33:59.220
 Follow Jesus more faithfully.

00:33:59.220 --> 00:34:04.680
 I don't know that I can say

00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:05.519
 that I did that this morning.

00:34:05.620 --> 00:34:05.860
 I mean,

00:34:06.059 --> 00:34:06.700
 it's unfair.

00:34:06.819 --> 00:34:08.039
 I came to preach this morning.

00:34:08.300 --> 00:34:09.380
 That's cheating, right?

00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:10.679
 But outside of the sermon.

00:34:11.599 --> 00:34:12.139
 I don't know.

00:34:12.300 --> 00:34:13.139
 I don't know that

00:34:13.139 --> 00:34:14.139
 there was any of you

00:34:14.139 --> 00:34:15.440
 that I had first and foremost

00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:16.039
 in my mind

00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:17.039
 when we were having a conversation

00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:17.639
 this morning.

00:34:17.800 --> 00:34:19.619
 How can I help them love Jesus more?

00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:20.760
 How can I help them

00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:22.099
 follow Jesus better today?

00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:25.220
 When we come to church,

00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:26.599
 come early,

00:34:27.220 --> 00:34:28.340
 not just to hang out.

00:34:28.340 --> 00:34:29.860
 Like I typically do.

00:34:30.180 --> 00:34:31.780
 Come early

00:34:31.780 --> 00:34:32.940
 to encourage somebody

00:34:32.940 --> 00:34:33.539
 in their faith.

00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:35.019
 Stay late

00:34:35.019 --> 00:34:35.780
 to encourage somebody

00:34:35.780 --> 00:34:36.380
 in their faith.

00:34:37.200 --> 00:34:38.240
 Bring somebody with you

00:34:38.240 --> 00:34:39.059
 to hear the gospel.

00:34:39.900 --> 00:34:41.059
 Go talk to somebody

00:34:41.059 --> 00:34:41.539
 that maybe

00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:42.840
 you don't often talk to.

00:34:43.200 --> 00:34:44.640
 Sit with somebody different.

00:34:45.079 --> 00:34:45.860
 Sit in a different place.

00:34:46.220 --> 00:34:47.760
 Look for intentional ways

00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:48.620
 to help one another

00:34:48.620 --> 00:34:50.039
 follow Christ.

00:34:51.620 --> 00:34:53.019
 And I know what you may be thinking.

00:34:54.840 --> 00:34:55.360
 Jared,

00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:58.059
 this all sounds so radical.

00:34:58.340 --> 00:35:00.820
 It sounds like

00:35:00.820 --> 00:35:03.480
 Jesus expects us

00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:04.680
 to abandon our lives

00:35:04.680 --> 00:35:05.260
 for this.

00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:06.700
 Yeah.

00:35:07.640 --> 00:35:08.079
 Yeah.

00:35:09.100 --> 00:35:09.740
 That's right.

00:35:10.680 --> 00:35:11.620
 That's what he wants.

00:35:12.740 --> 00:35:13.800
 Discipling takes initiative.

00:35:13.900 --> 00:35:14.240
 The next three

00:35:14.240 --> 00:35:14.720
 will be faster.

00:35:14.840 --> 00:35:15.320
 Okay, number two.

00:35:15.700 --> 00:35:17.820
 Discipling includes evangelism.

00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:19.980
 It includes evangelism.

00:35:20.300 --> 00:35:21.539
 Look again at verse 19.

00:35:22.260 --> 00:35:23.120
 Baptizing them

00:35:23.120 --> 00:35:24.320
 in the name of the Father

00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:25.840
 and of the Son

00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:27.140
 and of the Holy Spirit.

00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:29.139
 Now it may be helpful here

00:35:29.139 --> 00:35:30.619
 to understand a little bit more

00:35:30.619 --> 00:35:32.019
 about the grammatical structure

00:35:32.019 --> 00:35:32.699
 of these verses.

00:35:33.059 --> 00:35:34.599
 Now there's only one imperative

00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:35.400
 in these verses

00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:37.000
 and it's the phrase

00:35:37.000 --> 00:35:38.279
 make disciples.

00:35:38.579 --> 00:35:39.519
 That's the imperative

00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:40.379
 statement here.

00:35:41.259 --> 00:35:41.759
 Go,

00:35:42.460 --> 00:35:43.339
 baptize,

00:35:43.739 --> 00:35:44.099
 teach.

00:35:44.239 --> 00:35:45.579
 The other verbal ideas

00:35:45.579 --> 00:35:45.980
 in this,

00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:47.019
 in the Great Commission,

00:35:47.279 --> 00:35:48.339
 they're not actually

00:35:48.339 --> 00:35:49.359
 imperatives.

00:35:49.480 --> 00:35:50.400
 They're participles.

00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:52.280
 So Jesus says,

00:35:52.639 --> 00:35:53.220
 big thing,

00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:53.880
 big thing,

00:35:54.059 --> 00:35:54.940
 make disciples.

00:35:55.320 --> 00:35:56.200
 And then he says,

00:35:56.519 --> 00:35:57.059
 make disciples

00:35:57.059 --> 00:35:58.960
 by going,

00:35:59.559 --> 00:36:00.200
 baptizing,

00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:00.980
 teaching.

00:36:01.200 --> 00:36:02.440
 Those three things

00:36:02.440 --> 00:36:03.360
 are the way

00:36:03.360 --> 00:36:04.039
 that Jesus

00:36:04.039 --> 00:36:05.420
 intends for us

00:36:05.420 --> 00:36:07.000
 to make disciples.

00:36:07.240 --> 00:36:07.980
 And here at the end

00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:08.800
 of verse 19,

00:36:08.940 --> 00:36:10.559
 he says that one part

00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:12.099
 of fulfilling

00:36:12.099 --> 00:36:12.800
 this command

00:36:12.800 --> 00:36:13.960
 of making disciples

00:36:13.960 --> 00:36:16.200
 is by baptizing people

00:36:16.200 --> 00:36:17.559
 in the name of the Father

00:36:17.559 --> 00:36:18.079
 and the Son

00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:18.780
 and the Spirit.

00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:20.480
 And we understand

00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:21.640
 we're Baptists,

00:36:22.080 --> 00:36:22.720
 but we understand

00:36:22.720 --> 00:36:23.380
 that doesn't mean

00:36:23.380 --> 00:36:23.920
 that baptism

00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:24.960
 saves a person.

00:36:26.200 --> 00:36:27.000
 We understand

00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:28.320
 baptism is a public

00:36:28.320 --> 00:36:28.960
 identification

00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:29.840
 with Christ.

00:36:30.040 --> 00:36:31.860
 It's a stated declaration

00:36:31.860 --> 00:36:32.900
 that a person

00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:33.480
 is saved

00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:34.320
 and now following

00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:35.519
 as a faithful disciple.

00:36:36.440 --> 00:36:37.360
 But though it has

00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:38.620
 no saving power,

00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:41.040
 baptism in the New Testament

00:36:41.040 --> 00:36:43.040
 is very closely

00:36:43.040 --> 00:36:44.500
 related to conversion.

00:36:45.580 --> 00:36:45.880
 In fact,

00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:46.620
 there are times

00:36:46.620 --> 00:36:47.460
 when the New Testament

00:36:47.460 --> 00:36:48.600
 authors actually

00:36:48.599 --> 00:36:49.819
 used the word baptism

00:36:49.819 --> 00:36:51.880
 to refer to conversion.

00:36:52.099 --> 00:36:53.519
 Not that it's the baptism

00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:55.179
 that produced salvation,

00:36:55.179 --> 00:36:57.239
 but it's so closely linked

00:36:57.239 --> 00:36:58.339
 to the early church,

00:36:58.619 --> 00:36:59.839
 baptism and conversion,

00:37:00.019 --> 00:37:00.960
 that they didn't separate

00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:01.799
 those two things.

00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:03.319
 So when Jesus says here

00:37:03.319 --> 00:37:04.039
 that one of the ways

00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:05.119
 to make disciples

00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:06.659
 is to baptize them

00:37:06.659 --> 00:37:07.519
 in the name of the Father,

00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:08.360
 Son, and the Holy Spirit,

00:37:08.539 --> 00:37:09.900
 he's not talking about baptism

00:37:09.900 --> 00:37:10.940
 for baptism's sake.

00:37:11.059 --> 00:37:11.719
 He's talking about

00:37:11.719 --> 00:37:12.940
 faithful evangelism.

00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:14.019
 He's talking about

00:37:14.019 --> 00:37:15.059
 taking his gospel

00:37:15.059 --> 00:37:16.259
 and sharing it

00:37:16.259 --> 00:37:17.000
 with other people

00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:17.860
 in order that

00:37:17.860 --> 00:37:19.079
 you may call them

00:37:19.079 --> 00:37:19.780
 to believe.

00:37:20.199 --> 00:37:21.420
 Call them as he did

00:37:21.420 --> 00:37:22.380
 to turn away

00:37:22.380 --> 00:37:23.179
 from their sin

00:37:23.179 --> 00:37:24.400
 to follow him

00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:26.119
 as a faithful disciple.

00:37:26.980 --> 00:37:27.159
 Listen,

00:37:27.219 --> 00:37:27.880
 we can't help people

00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:28.619
 follow Jesus

00:37:28.619 --> 00:37:29.380
 more faithfully

00:37:29.380 --> 00:37:30.739
 if they're not his disciples

00:37:30.739 --> 00:37:31.599
 to begin with.

00:37:32.460 --> 00:37:34.119
 The work of discipling

00:37:34.119 --> 00:37:36.719
 starts with evangelism.

00:37:37.500 --> 00:37:38.380
 And though the Bible

00:37:38.380 --> 00:37:40.239
 speaks of evangelists

00:37:40.239 --> 00:37:41.420
 who are uniquely gifted

00:37:41.420 --> 00:37:43.039
 at sharing the gospel

00:37:43.039 --> 00:37:44.099
 with unbelievers,

00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:46.380
 nowhere in the New Testament

00:37:46.380 --> 00:37:48.579
 are other believers

00:37:48.579 --> 00:37:50.260
 exempted from the responsibility.

00:37:51.400 --> 00:37:51.860
 In fact,

00:37:52.820 --> 00:37:53.920
 faithful evangelism

00:37:53.920 --> 00:37:54.659
 is assumed

00:37:54.659 --> 00:37:56.579
 everywhere in the New Testament.

00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:58.200
 Somebody tried to tell me

00:37:58.200 --> 00:37:59.380
 a year or so ago

00:37:59.380 --> 00:38:01.280
 after I preached a message on,

00:38:02.220 --> 00:38:02.980
 remember when

00:38:02.980 --> 00:38:07.039
 the four friends

00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:08.800
 lowered their crippled friend

00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:09.880
 down through the roof

00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:10.599
 in Peter's house

00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:11.440
 and preached a message

00:38:11.440 --> 00:38:12.680
 on evangelism from that.

00:38:12.740 --> 00:38:13.640
 And somebody told me

00:38:13.640 --> 00:38:14.500
 afterwards that

00:38:14.500 --> 00:38:15.460
 they thought that

00:38:15.460 --> 00:38:17.260
 I did not preach

00:38:17.260 --> 00:38:17.880
 that text right.

00:38:18.019 --> 00:38:19.360
 They said the New Testament

00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:20.380
 doesn't actually command

00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:21.480
 that we evangelize.

00:38:22.140 --> 00:38:22.900
 And so for me

00:38:22.900 --> 00:38:24.559
 to exhort our church

00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:26.039
 to evangelize

00:38:26.039 --> 00:38:27.880
 was to be inconsistent

00:38:27.880 --> 00:38:28.820
 with the New Testament.

00:38:29.599 --> 00:38:30.800
 And I think that's foolish.

00:38:31.860 --> 00:38:32.460
 I think it's foolish.

00:38:33.180 --> 00:38:34.320
 These New Testament authors,

00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:36.079
 they didn't have to exhort

00:38:36.079 --> 00:38:36.800
 the early church

00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:37.660
 to evangelize.

00:38:37.659 --> 00:38:39.899
 They were just doing it.

00:38:40.599 --> 00:38:42.019
 In almost every letter

00:38:42.019 --> 00:38:42.739
 that Paul wrote,

00:38:42.799 --> 00:38:43.359
 what does he say?

00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:44.920
 I thank God

00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:46.079
 for your faith

00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:46.719
 that is known

00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:47.559
 around the world.

00:38:48.099 --> 00:38:49.079
 Their faith can't be known

00:38:49.079 --> 00:38:49.719
 around the world

00:38:49.719 --> 00:38:51.079
 if they keep it to themselves

00:38:51.079 --> 00:38:51.980
 and never share it

00:38:51.980 --> 00:38:52.839
 with anyone else.

00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:55.299
 Peter writes and says,

00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:56.679
 endure faithfully,

00:38:56.879 --> 00:38:58.920
 persevere in persecution

00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:00.920
 for the sake of the gospel.

00:39:01.179 --> 00:39:02.039
 Well, how can anybody

00:39:02.039 --> 00:39:02.799
 be persecuted

00:39:02.799 --> 00:39:03.639
 for the gospel

00:39:03.639 --> 00:39:04.799
 if no one knows

00:39:04.799 --> 00:39:05.460
 you're a believer?

00:39:05.460 --> 00:39:07.539
 Of course they were telling people.

00:39:07.860 --> 00:39:09.559
 Of course they were evangelizing.

00:39:10.220 --> 00:39:11.159
 The church in Jerusalem

00:39:11.159 --> 00:39:12.320
 was growing daily

00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:14.220
 such as should be saved.

00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:15.559
 It wasn't just the apostles.

00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:18.039
 The gospel message

00:39:18.039 --> 00:39:18.699
 was on the lips

00:39:18.699 --> 00:39:19.519
 of every believer

00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:20.960
 in Jerusalem

00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:22.900
 and the church was growing.

00:39:23.880 --> 00:39:25.320
 Wasn't evangelism

00:39:25.320 --> 00:39:26.880
 a part of Jesus' promise

00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:28.480
 to Peter and Andrew

00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:29.679
 and James and John

00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:30.340
 when he called them

00:39:30.340 --> 00:39:31.000
 to follow him?

00:39:31.320 --> 00:39:32.119
 What did he say?

00:39:32.460 --> 00:39:33.400
 Follow me,

00:39:33.400 --> 00:39:35.019
 I'll make you fishers

00:39:35.019 --> 00:39:36.380
 of men.

00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:37.960
 Of course,

00:39:38.119 --> 00:39:39.760
 it's assumed everywhere

00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:40.760
 in the New Testament.

00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:42.900
 We have to be faithfully

00:39:42.900 --> 00:39:44.760
 evangelizing the lost.

00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:46.019
 It's a part of making disciples.

00:39:46.380 --> 00:39:46.860
 Number three,

00:39:47.260 --> 00:39:49.740
 discipling requires teaching.

00:39:50.420 --> 00:39:52.000
 Discipling requires teaching.

00:39:52.240 --> 00:39:53.099
 Look at verse 20.

00:39:53.579 --> 00:39:54.760
 Teaching them to observe

00:39:54.760 --> 00:39:57.700
 all that I have commanded you.

00:39:57.699 --> 00:40:00.239
 There's some people

00:40:00.239 --> 00:40:03.819
 who think that evangelism

00:40:03.819 --> 00:40:06.059
 is the whole of making disciples,

00:40:06.219 --> 00:40:06.759
 but it's not.

00:40:07.719 --> 00:40:09.179
 Jesus didn't just stop

00:40:09.179 --> 00:40:10.219
 at baptizing them.

00:40:10.699 --> 00:40:12.239
 He takes it a step further

00:40:12.239 --> 00:40:14.639
 that once they're following Christ,

00:40:15.439 --> 00:40:16.879
 help them be faithful to that.

00:40:17.219 --> 00:40:17.879
 Teach them everything

00:40:17.879 --> 00:40:18.739
 I've taught you.

00:40:19.859 --> 00:40:21.819
 And we know how this goes, right?

00:40:22.399 --> 00:40:23.379
 We've been Christians

00:40:23.379 --> 00:40:24.319
 long enough to know

00:40:24.319 --> 00:40:26.279
 that we're in constant need

00:40:26.280 --> 00:40:27.140
 of discipling.

00:40:27.860 --> 00:40:29.340
 We're in constant need

00:40:29.340 --> 00:40:30.220
 of instruction,

00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:32.660
 constantly needing someone

00:40:32.660 --> 00:40:33.900
 to model for us

00:40:33.900 --> 00:40:34.960
 the truths of the scripture.

00:40:35.400 --> 00:40:36.760
 And we need to be constantly

00:40:36.760 --> 00:40:37.840
 doing that for others,

00:40:38.300 --> 00:40:38.940
 teaching them,

00:40:39.700 --> 00:40:40.560
 modeling for them,

00:40:41.320 --> 00:40:42.360
 encouraging them.

00:40:42.680 --> 00:40:44.240
 It's a part of making disciples.

00:40:44.720 --> 00:40:45.680
 We're going to flesh that out

00:40:45.680 --> 00:40:46.420
 in greater detail

00:40:46.420 --> 00:40:48.160
 over the next two lessons,

00:40:48.340 --> 00:40:49.320
 so I'm going to leave it there

00:40:49.320 --> 00:40:49.760
 for now,

00:40:49.900 --> 00:40:50.660
 except to say

00:40:50.660 --> 00:40:53.200
 this is a part of our responsibility

00:40:53.200 --> 00:40:54.440
 to one another.

00:40:54.440 --> 00:40:56.240
 When we talk about

00:40:56.240 --> 00:40:57.019
 church membership

00:40:57.019 --> 00:40:58.139
 or church partnership,

00:40:58.300 --> 00:40:59.400
 I want to change it.

00:40:59.420 --> 00:41:00.720
 I want to stop calling it

00:41:00.720 --> 00:41:01.559
 church membership.

00:41:01.679 --> 00:41:02.679
 We'll get into that another day.

00:41:03.099 --> 00:41:03.240
 Well,

00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:04.980
 church membership

00:41:04.980 --> 00:41:06.380
 is discipleship, right?

00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:07.880
 To submit yourself

00:41:07.880 --> 00:41:09.400
 to a local church

00:41:09.400 --> 00:41:10.260
 is to submit

00:41:10.260 --> 00:41:11.360
 to the discipleship

00:41:11.360 --> 00:41:12.059
 of a local church

00:41:12.059 --> 00:41:13.000
 and to engage

00:41:13.000 --> 00:41:13.780
 in discipleship

00:41:13.780 --> 00:41:14.780
 with that local church.

00:41:14.820 --> 00:41:16.260
 It's really what it is.

00:41:16.900 --> 00:41:17.860
 We have a responsibility

00:41:17.860 --> 00:41:19.240
 to one another in this.

00:41:20.460 --> 00:41:21.579
 We have a responsibility

00:41:21.579 --> 00:41:22.799
 to help one another

00:41:22.799 --> 00:41:24.119
 follow Christ

00:41:24.119 --> 00:41:25.079
 faithfully,

00:41:25.259 --> 00:41:26.840
 to constantly teach

00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:27.340
 one another,

00:41:28.019 --> 00:41:29.000
 encourage one another,

00:41:29.639 --> 00:41:30.739
 admonish one another,

00:41:31.480 --> 00:41:32.219
 help one another.

00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:34.599
 We get to Hebrews 10.

00:41:34.719 --> 00:41:34.980
 Remember,

00:41:36.579 --> 00:41:37.380
 the writer of Hebrews

00:41:37.380 --> 00:41:38.199
 encourages us

00:41:38.199 --> 00:41:38.920
 to not forsake

00:41:38.920 --> 00:41:39.440
 the gathering

00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:40.360
 of the church, right?

00:41:40.420 --> 00:41:41.079
 Don't forsake

00:41:41.079 --> 00:41:41.519
 the gathering

00:41:41.519 --> 00:41:42.319
 of God's people.

00:41:43.539 --> 00:41:44.019
 Encourage

00:41:44.019 --> 00:41:44.659
 and exhort

00:41:44.659 --> 00:41:45.159
 to love

00:41:45.159 --> 00:41:45.679
 all those things

00:41:45.679 --> 00:41:46.059
 that happens

00:41:46.059 --> 00:41:46.639
 at the gathering.

00:41:46.639 --> 00:41:48.559
 That immediately follows

00:41:48.559 --> 00:41:49.960
 the third warning

00:41:49.960 --> 00:41:50.799
 of apostasy

00:41:50.799 --> 00:41:51.980
 in the book of Hebrews.

00:41:53.059 --> 00:41:54.139
 And I think part

00:41:54.139 --> 00:41:55.659
 of what the writer

00:41:55.659 --> 00:41:57.059
 has to say there

00:41:57.059 --> 00:41:58.279
 is that our

00:41:58.279 --> 00:42:00.219
 intentional discipling

00:42:00.219 --> 00:42:01.460
 within the local church

00:42:01.460 --> 00:42:02.779
 is one way

00:42:02.779 --> 00:42:03.480
 that we avoid

00:42:03.480 --> 00:42:04.559
 apostatizing,

00:42:05.339 --> 00:42:06.980
 that we protect

00:42:06.980 --> 00:42:07.400
 ourselves

00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:08.299
 against the warnings

00:42:08.299 --> 00:42:09.159
 of falling away

00:42:09.159 --> 00:42:09.699
 from Christ

00:42:09.699 --> 00:42:11.279
 by constantly

00:42:11.279 --> 00:42:12.519
 being together

00:42:12.519 --> 00:42:13.559
 as a people.

00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:14.539
 We have a responsibility

00:42:14.539 --> 00:42:15.000
 to that.

00:42:15.239 --> 00:42:15.539
 Finally,

00:42:15.539 --> 00:42:17.360
 discipling is empowered

00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:18.539
 by Christ.

00:42:19.219 --> 00:42:20.320
 Discipling is empowered

00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:21.099
 by Christ.

00:42:21.500 --> 00:42:22.380
 The end of verse 20,

00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:23.420
 Behold,

00:42:23.619 --> 00:42:25.139
 I am with you always

00:42:25.139 --> 00:42:26.759
 even to the end

00:42:26.759 --> 00:42:27.360
 of the age.

00:42:28.500 --> 00:42:29.019
 So I love how

00:42:29.019 --> 00:42:30.139
 this mandate ends.

00:42:31.759 --> 00:42:32.599
 Notice how long

00:42:32.599 --> 00:42:33.400
 he says he will be

00:42:33.400 --> 00:42:33.920
 with us.

00:42:34.779 --> 00:42:35.579
 To the end

00:42:35.579 --> 00:42:36.099
 of the age.

00:42:36.719 --> 00:42:37.519
 How long is that?

00:42:37.820 --> 00:42:38.779
 Until he comes back

00:42:38.779 --> 00:42:40.099
 and we get to be

00:42:40.099 --> 00:42:40.500
 with him.

00:42:41.719 --> 00:42:41.800
 Right?

00:42:43.639 --> 00:42:44.440
 The promise

00:42:44.440 --> 00:42:45.400
 of Christ's presence

00:42:45.400 --> 00:42:45.960
 and power

00:42:45.960 --> 00:42:46.920
 and making disciples

00:42:46.920 --> 00:42:48.260
 is just applicable

00:42:48.260 --> 00:42:49.280
 to us as it was

00:42:49.280 --> 00:42:50.440
 to those apostles

00:42:50.440 --> 00:42:51.260
 in Galilee.

00:42:52.820 --> 00:42:53.639
 But it also

00:42:53.639 --> 00:42:54.440
 reminds us

00:42:54.440 --> 00:42:55.320
 that fruitfulness

00:42:55.320 --> 00:42:56.260
 in discipling

00:42:56.260 --> 00:42:57.800
 only comes

00:42:57.800 --> 00:42:58.440
 by the grace

00:42:58.440 --> 00:42:59.039
 of Jesus.

00:43:00.940 --> 00:43:01.980
 We can devise

00:43:01.980 --> 00:43:02.740
 all manner

00:43:02.740 --> 00:43:03.599
 of programs

00:43:03.599 --> 00:43:04.639
 and we're going

00:43:04.639 --> 00:43:05.220
 to do that.

00:43:05.860 --> 00:43:06.900
 But we got to remember

00:43:06.900 --> 00:43:07.980
 that there's no power

00:43:07.980 --> 00:43:09.019
 in our strategies.

00:43:09.619 --> 00:43:10.559
 There's no power

00:43:10.559 --> 00:43:11.300
 in our strategies.

00:43:11.300 --> 00:43:13.120
 If anybody's

00:43:13.120 --> 00:43:13.440
 going to come

00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:14.060
 to know Christ

00:43:14.060 --> 00:43:14.580
 it's going to be

00:43:14.580 --> 00:43:15.420
 because of the grace

00:43:15.420 --> 00:43:15.900
 of Jesus

00:43:15.900 --> 00:43:16.900
 that worked through us.

00:43:17.580 --> 00:43:18.440
 If anybody's

00:43:18.440 --> 00:43:18.720
 going to be

00:43:18.720 --> 00:43:19.720
 discipled in Christ

00:43:19.720 --> 00:43:20.280
 it's going to be

00:43:20.280 --> 00:43:21.100
 because of the grace

00:43:21.100 --> 00:43:21.539
 of Jesus

00:43:21.539 --> 00:43:22.280
 working through

00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:22.820
 his word

00:43:22.820 --> 00:43:23.840
 through his

00:43:23.840 --> 00:43:24.720
 people.

00:43:25.920 --> 00:43:26.700
 If we lean

00:43:26.700 --> 00:43:27.120
 on our own

00:43:27.120 --> 00:43:28.519
 devices for success

00:43:28.519 --> 00:43:29.960
 what we'll end up

00:43:29.960 --> 00:43:30.580
 doing is filling

00:43:30.580 --> 00:43:31.060
 our church

00:43:31.060 --> 00:43:31.680
 full of people

00:43:31.680 --> 00:43:32.460
 that aren't

00:43:32.460 --> 00:43:33.019
 actually true

00:43:33.019 --> 00:43:33.519
 disciples.

00:43:33.519 --> 00:43:36.019
 but if we

00:43:36.019 --> 00:43:36.860
 cast ourselves

00:43:36.860 --> 00:43:37.519
 on the power

00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:38.019
 and grace

00:43:38.019 --> 00:43:38.599
 of the Lord

00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:39.980
 he'll do

00:43:39.980 --> 00:43:40.360
 his work

00:43:40.360 --> 00:43:40.980
 through us

00:43:40.980 --> 00:43:41.900
 no matter

00:43:41.900 --> 00:43:42.340
 what our

00:43:42.340 --> 00:43:43.039
 chosen method

00:43:43.039 --> 00:43:43.519
 may be

00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:44.860
 or what the

00:43:44.860 --> 00:43:45.719
 strategy is

00:43:45.719 --> 00:43:46.139
 that we

00:43:46.139 --> 00:43:46.940
 devise.

00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:47.259
 It's going to

00:43:47.259 --> 00:43:47.659
 look different

00:43:47.659 --> 00:43:48.280
 in every church

00:43:48.280 --> 00:43:48.780
 isn't it?

00:43:49.599 --> 00:43:50.259
 God uses

00:43:50.259 --> 00:43:50.759
 his word

00:43:50.759 --> 00:43:51.920
 he does it

00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:52.679
 by his spirit

00:43:52.679 --> 00:43:53.920
 and he promises

00:43:53.920 --> 00:43:55.179
 us his grace

00:43:55.179 --> 00:43:55.780
 and his power.

00:43:55.960 --> 00:43:56.719
 I am with you

00:43:56.719 --> 00:43:57.940
 so go and do it

00:43:57.940 --> 00:43:59.000
 I will be with you.

00:44:00.059 --> 00:44:00.840
 So let's just

00:44:00.840 --> 00:44:01.280
 do a quick

00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:02.280
 honest evaluation.

00:44:03.519 --> 00:44:04.320
 First personally

00:44:04.320 --> 00:44:07.659
 how are we

00:44:07.659 --> 00:44:08.139
 doing at

00:44:08.139 --> 00:44:08.719
 obeying the

00:44:08.719 --> 00:44:09.199
 mandate?

00:44:10.619 --> 00:44:11.559
 Are we

00:44:11.559 --> 00:44:12.039
 intentionally

00:44:12.039 --> 00:44:12.960
 making disciples?

00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:15.239
 Are we

00:44:15.239 --> 00:44:16.000
 evangelizing

00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:16.599
 the lost?

00:44:17.719 --> 00:44:18.380
 Are we

00:44:18.380 --> 00:44:19.360
 teaching others

00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:20.280
 our kids

00:44:20.280 --> 00:44:21.539
 our friends

00:44:21.539 --> 00:44:22.500
 others in the

00:44:22.500 --> 00:44:22.880
 church

00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:23.940
 to follow

00:44:23.940 --> 00:44:24.860
 Christ faithfully?

00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:27.920
 We should

00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:28.659
 probably also

00:44:28.659 --> 00:44:29.400
 consider this

00:44:29.400 --> 00:44:29.900
 corporately

00:44:29.900 --> 00:44:30.199
 right?

00:44:31.099 --> 00:44:31.780
 We zoom out

00:44:31.780 --> 00:44:32.559
 for a minute

00:44:32.559 --> 00:44:33.300
 away from our

00:44:33.300 --> 00:44:34.060
 individual lives

00:44:34.060 --> 00:44:34.360
 and just

00:44:34.360 --> 00:44:34.840
 think about

00:44:34.840 --> 00:44:35.640
 our church

00:44:35.640 --> 00:44:36.019
 life and

00:44:36.019 --> 00:44:36.360
 our own

00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:37.019
 evaluation

00:44:37.019 --> 00:44:37.840
 of what our

00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:38.160
 church is

00:44:38.160 --> 00:44:38.600
 doing right

00:44:38.600 --> 00:44:39.320
 now collectively.

00:44:40.700 --> 00:44:41.340
 Are we

00:44:41.340 --> 00:44:42.240
 making disciples?

00:44:44.480 --> 00:44:45.160
 Are we

00:44:45.160 --> 00:44:45.920
 evangelizing

00:44:45.920 --> 00:44:46.539
 the lost?

00:44:48.580 --> 00:44:49.240
 Are we

00:44:49.240 --> 00:44:49.680
 mutually

00:44:49.680 --> 00:44:50.400
 caring for

00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:51.019
 one another's

00:44:51.019 --> 00:44:51.340
 souls?

00:44:52.240 --> 00:44:52.920
 Are we

00:44:52.920 --> 00:44:53.539
 developing

00:44:53.539 --> 00:44:54.620
 strategies to

00:44:54.620 --> 00:44:55.200
 make that

00:44:55.200 --> 00:44:55.940
 possible and

00:44:55.940 --> 00:44:56.400
 to make it

00:44:56.400 --> 00:44:57.000
 more evident

00:44:57.000 --> 00:44:57.340
 in our

00:44:57.340 --> 00:44:57.800
 church?

00:44:58.800 --> 00:44:59.640
 I think we

00:44:59.640 --> 00:45:00.019
 could all do

00:45:00.019 --> 00:45:00.480
 a little better

00:45:00.480 --> 00:45:01.260
 work on that.

00:45:01.600 --> 00:45:01.900
 In fact

00:45:01.900 --> 00:45:02.280
 there's

00:45:02.280 --> 00:45:02.500
 probably

00:45:02.500 --> 00:45:02.720
 never

00:45:02.720 --> 00:45:02.920
 going to

00:45:02.920 --> 00:45:03.160
 be a

00:45:03.160 --> 00:45:03.340
 time

00:45:03.340 --> 00:45:03.579
 where I

00:45:03.579 --> 00:45:03.880
 would say

00:45:03.880 --> 00:45:04.200
 otherwise

00:45:04.200 --> 00:45:06.039
 because we

00:45:06.039 --> 00:45:06.720
 always need

00:45:06.720 --> 00:45:07.280
 to do more.

00:45:07.860 --> 00:45:08.559
 We always

00:45:08.559 --> 00:45:09.039
 need to be

00:45:09.039 --> 00:45:09.619
 more faithful

00:45:09.619 --> 00:45:11.039
 and there may

00:45:11.039 --> 00:45:11.579
 be an area

00:45:11.579 --> 00:45:11.960
 that you're

00:45:11.960 --> 00:45:12.519
 really faithful

00:45:12.519 --> 00:45:13.039
 right now

00:45:13.039 --> 00:45:13.380
 that maybe

00:45:13.380 --> 00:45:13.920
 five years

00:45:13.920 --> 00:45:14.260
 from now

00:45:14.260 --> 00:45:14.660
 you're less

00:45:14.660 --> 00:45:15.260
 faithful in

00:45:15.260 --> 00:45:16.380
 and you're

00:45:16.380 --> 00:45:16.660
 going to need

00:45:16.660 --> 00:45:17.059
 the person

00:45:17.059 --> 00:45:17.639
 sitting next

00:45:17.639 --> 00:45:17.920
 to you to

00:45:17.920 --> 00:45:18.340
 come up to

00:45:18.340 --> 00:45:18.539
 you and

00:45:18.539 --> 00:45:18.980
 encourage you

00:45:18.980 --> 00:45:19.480
 a little bit.

00:45:20.200 --> 00:45:20.639
 Say hey

00:45:20.639 --> 00:45:21.300
 you remember

00:45:21.300 --> 00:45:21.820
 a few years

00:45:21.820 --> 00:45:22.380
 ago you were

00:45:22.380 --> 00:45:22.960
 at that class

00:45:22.960 --> 00:45:23.360
 on Sunday

00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:25.460
 night and this

00:45:25.460 --> 00:45:25.920
 was true in

00:45:25.920 --> 00:45:26.220
 your life.

00:45:26.280 --> 00:45:26.720
 It's not true

00:45:26.720 --> 00:45:27.019
 anymore.

00:45:27.139 --> 00:45:27.500
 I just want

00:45:27.500 --> 00:45:27.960
 to encourage

00:45:27.960 --> 00:45:28.139
 you.

00:45:28.760 --> 00:45:29.220
 Be faithful.

00:45:29.559 --> 00:45:29.880
 We're going to

00:45:29.880 --> 00:45:30.220
 need that

00:45:30.220 --> 00:45:30.579
 for the rest

00:45:30.579 --> 00:45:30.780
 of our

00:45:30.780 --> 00:45:31.180
 lives aren't

00:45:31.180 --> 00:45:31.380
 we?

00:45:32.380 --> 00:45:32.920
 And I think

00:45:32.920 --> 00:45:33.240
 that's what

00:45:33.240 --> 00:45:33.920
 Jesus commands

00:45:33.920 --> 00:45:34.440
 us to do.

00:45:35.160 --> 00:45:35.539
 So what does

00:45:35.539 --> 00:45:35.980
 it mean to be

00:45:35.980 --> 00:45:36.519
 a discipling

00:45:36.519 --> 00:45:36.800
 church?

00:45:37.559 --> 00:45:38.079
 It means

00:45:38.079 --> 00:45:38.740
 first that we

00:45:38.740 --> 00:45:40.119
 care that our

00:45:40.119 --> 00:45:40.880
 church is made

00:45:40.880 --> 00:45:41.420
 up of true

00:45:41.420 --> 00:45:41.880
 disciples.

00:45:42.400 --> 00:45:43.119
 We preach the

00:45:43.119 --> 00:45:43.840
 true gospel

00:45:43.840 --> 00:45:44.780
 right?

00:45:45.220 --> 00:45:46.000
 We care about

00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:46.720
 church membership

00:45:46.720 --> 00:45:47.240
 and ordinance

00:45:47.240 --> 00:45:47.920
 all those things

00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:48.940
 but it also

00:45:48.940 --> 00:45:49.539
 means that we

00:45:49.539 --> 00:45:50.300
 are intentionally

00:45:50.300 --> 00:45:52.480
 initiating in

00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:53.160
 our own lives

00:45:53.160 --> 00:45:54.160
 ways to help

00:45:54.160 --> 00:45:54.599
 other people

00:45:54.599 --> 00:45:55.380
 follow Christ

00:45:55.380 --> 00:45:56.300
 first in

00:45:56.300 --> 00:45:57.420
 evangelism and

00:45:57.420 --> 00:45:57.840
 then in our

00:45:57.840 --> 00:45:58.740
 responsibility to

00:45:58.740 --> 00:45:59.180
 one another.