How does a person go about building a life worth living?
How do you build a good life?
How do you build a life that is a life of meaning, a life of purpose,
a life that is reasonably happy, but also a life that can bear the weight
of suffering and loss, a life that can hold up in the face of
its own finitude, a life that can hold up
to the challenges of life in the real world?
How do you build that kind of life?
And where do you look to learn how to do this well?
Our culture emphasizes that such a life should be authentic,
that we should build a life that feels true to us.
But beyond that, there's not a lot of guidance.
And if we're honest, no one, at least no one I know,
has the time or energy to develop a comprehensive and rigorous worldview.
We just don't have time or energy for that.
Where would we start?
And so what most people end up doing, if we're honest,
is sort of cobbling together a life out of this and that, right?
There might be this that we saw on Instagram,
or that that we heard in a particularly compelling podcast,
or this snippet that we got from a friend,
or this that these friends who seem to be doing a better job in their life than us,
and we copy them.
We sort of cobble together a life.
But a life built this way is fragile.
It tends to fall apart when things get tough.
A life built this way is also a life that feels meaningless,
because we know deep down we're making it up as we go along.
Matthew chapter 28, this passage that Hillary just read,
speaks directly into this question.
It shows us the kind of life that is on offer through the risen Christ
that we cannot find anywhere else.
It's a life built around three things.
A life built around a new center.
A life built around a new identity.
And then a life built around a new purpose.
So let's pray, and then we're going to open God's Word together.
If you have a Bible and you want to turn to chapter 28 of Matthew,
you can do that.
Let's pray together.
Lord, we thank You for Your Word,
and we thank You that it is not mere ink and paper,
that we are here in the presence of the living God.
We pray that as we open Your Word, Your Word would open us.
As we read Your Word, Your Word would read us.
Lord, and that as we come to understand Your written Word,
we would come face to face with the living Word, Jesus Christ.
And it's in His name that we pray.
Amen.
So what does it take to build a good life?
What is on offer through the risen Christ to the world?
The first thing is that we find in Jesus a new center.
After seeing Jesus crucified,
this happened previously in Matthew's Gospel.
After seeing Jesus crucified,
the disciples felt as though their lives were falling apart.
They felt as though their lives were meaningless.
They felt as though everything they thought they knew
had just come undone.
And they were trying to rebuild their lives as best they could.
But suffice it to say, they were profoundly disoriented.
But when they encounter the risen Jesus, everything changes.
He appears to them.
He says, meet me in Galilee.
Go there, wait, I'm coming.
So they go to Galilee.
They go to the mountain,
and they're waiting for Jesus on the mountain.
And when Jesus arrives,
it says some of them immediately fall prostrate on the ground,
and they worship Him.
And then it says others still doubted.
They still had their doubts.
Now we're going to come back to that.
The first thing Jesus says is this.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Now he's not just saying some authority.
He's saying all authority everywhere is now mine.
For those who know their Old Testaments,
this is a reference indirectly to Daniel chapter 7.
There's a prophecy that Daniel makes in the Old Testament
that the Son of Man,
a title that Jesus had used for Himself,
the Son of Man one day would be enthroned
as the ruler of the world.
And Jesus is saying,
that has been fulfilled in your hearing.
That was fulfilled through the resurrection.
I have become the King of the world.
In other words, at this moment,
Jesus is announcing His coronation
on this mountain to His disciples
as the King of heaven and earth.
So for those who say or argue
that there's nowhere where Jesus actually
announces that He is divine
or makes the claim that He is God,
you're going to have to figure out
how to make sense of this passage
because that seems to be exactly
what He's saying here.
And here's the thing that we want to wrestle
with this morning.
If all authority in heaven and on earth
belongs to Jesus,
that means that Jesus is the center
of reality itself.
It means that Jesus is the center
of everything.
And if that's true,
then any vision of life
that doesn't begin that way,
in other words,
any vision of life
that assumes we are at the center
is already doomed to fail
because it doesn't line up with reality.
It's already disconnected
from what is most true.
So there's a lot of wisdom
to be found in the world.
The ancient Greeks
had a lot of wisdom.
They talked about,
Aristotle talks about
the cultivation of virtue.
The Stoics talk about
the value of self-mastery.
There's a lot of modern wisdom
to be gleaned, right?
Tim Ferriss can help us
optimize our habits, right?
Andrew Huberman can help us
use science to improve
our quality of life
and our bodies and minds.
Or Brene Brown can urge us
to embrace vulnerability.
All valuable,
all worth considering,
all worth maybe incorporating.
There's value in these ideas,
but listen,
they all share the same limit
because all of these realities,
all of these visions of life
assume that I should be
at the center of my life.
And that's the problem.
And that's the limit.
Scripture actually says
that this is how things
originally went wrong
in the world,
that human beings
became convinced
at some point along the way
that life would be better
if we were at the center
instead of God.
And that's when things
began to fall apart.
All right,
so think of the solar system.
How do massive planets
move with such precision
and beauty and order?
Why aren't they constantly
crashing into each other
or flying out into space?
And the answer is
because they all share
the same center.
They're all held in place
by the one thing
that has the gravity
and the power to do it,
and that's the sun.
So our lives are very much
like the solar system.
There are all kinds of things
floating around in my life
and in your life, right?
Our loves are floating around out here.
Our desires are floating around.
Our fears are over here
and they're floating around.
Our ambitions,
our duties,
our obligations,
our relationships,
all of these things
are floating around.
That's what makes up
the stuff of our lives.
when we try to sit
at the center of all that
and when we try to hold
all of it in balance
and all of it,
get it all moving together
and flowing in harmony
and peace,
we find very quickly
it doesn't work.
Nobody I know,
despite all of our efforts
in all of the podcasts,
has that kind of life.
the reality is
our lives are disordered
because we were never really
meant to be at the center.
We lack the gravity.
We lack the authority
to hold it all together
the way it should fit.
And so what we find
is that sometimes
things hurl off into space.
They just get neglected
altogether.
Much more often,
at least if you're anything like me,
you find things crashing
into one another.
And our life is actually
made up of a lot of things
clashing with other things
and bringing disorder.
So our ambitions
might crash
into our sense of self-worth.
And you find
that you're a workaholic,
that you can't even
take a day off,
that you work seven days a week
because your ambitions
have crashed
into your sense of self-worth.
Our fears may crash
into our relationships.
And when that happens,
we either become
highly self-protective
and disconnected.
Or we become
overly needy
because our fears
are crashing
into our relationships.
Or our need for approval
crashes into our values.
And we find that we let people
walk all over us.
And we become people pleasers.
Or our desires
and urges
crash into our ethics.
And we become immoral
or maybe even hypocritical.
So things are crashing
into each other
all the time.
Our lives don't work
when we're at the center
of them.
Jesus is the only one.
And this is part
of what he's claiming here.
He's the only one
with the gravity.
He's the only one
with enough authority
to bring order
to the solar system
of your life
and your soul.
In order to build
the kind of life
we were created to live,
the first thing
we need to realize
is that everything
in our life
all of this stuff
belongs to Jesus.
It's his.
Right?
So your family,
your kids,
your money,
your body,
your ambitions,
your suffering,
your politics,
your future,
your past.
This moment
all belongs to him.
It's all his
to do whatever
he wants
with it.
The invitation here
is to put him
at the center,
allow him
to occupy the place,
the throne
at the center
of our lives.
Everything then
begins to fall
into place.
This is how life
was meant to work.
We need a kind of
Copernican revolution
of the heart.
We need Jesus
to displace us
at the center
of our lives.
However,
right,
it's not as simple
as saying,
okay,
from this moment forward
I'm going to do that
because we can say that
but then there's
the reality
of actually living
that out
and we find
all kinds of resistance
in ourselves
when we try
to actually
live that way
and if we were
to simply resolve
to start living
that way
then this would
be no different
than any of the other
podcasts
we listen to
throughout the week.
Just another way
to optimize
and improve.
So in order
to actually have
this Copernican revolution
we need a new identity.
We need a new identity
and this is the second thing
we see in this passage.
If we follow Jesus' words
he says,
all authority
has been given to me
therefore
go and make disciples
of all nations.
Disciples are
one way of thinking
about a disciple
is a disciple of Jesus
is someone who lives
with King Jesus
at the center
of their lives.
It's someone
who has put Christ
at the center
of their lives
or is seeking
to do that.
Right?
But notice how
disciples are made.
This is very important.
Two things happen
in order to make
a disciple.
Jesus says
go and make disciples
number one
baptizing them
in the name
of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit
and then
teaching them
to obey everything
I have commanded you.
Baptism
gives us
a new identity.
Then the teaching
gives us
a new way to live.
But notice
before we can be taught
a new way of life
we have to be baptized
into a new identity.
The new identity
comes before
the new way of life
and that is
extremely important.
It's one of the things
that makes Christianity
entirely unique
when compared
to other religions
and worldviews.
The claim is
that before we can
change how we live
we need to change
who we are.
That's what baptism does.
Right?
For those who were here
last week
we saw two young women
baptized up here.
Claire and Sunny.
It was so hard
not to call them
Sunny and Claire.
Sunny and Cher.
So I reversed it
and on purpose
I said Claire and Sunny.
Claire and Sunny
were up here
because I didn't
trust myself
and they were baptized.
And if you were here
and you saw them
baptized
you saw them kneel here
you saw us
pour the water
over them.
When that happened
it wasn't just
a ritual.
Right?
It wasn't just
a kind of
teaching aid
or visual device.
Something happened
fundamentally in them.
each of those women
became
in a way
someone new.
Because if you remember
the words we said
we baptized
each of those women
into the name
of the Father
and the Son
and the Holy Spirit.
Notice by the way
it's not names.
Three.
It's the name.
The name of a God
who is Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
They were baptized
into that name.
And what that means
is that they were
joined into
and took on
the identity
of that being.
Their old self died
there was a new self
that emerged
that is joined
into
the essence
of God Himself.
Right?
So they emerge
as someone
who has been adopted
by God the Father.
Who has been
united
to God the Son.
Who has been
filled by God
the Holy Spirit.
God the Son
Listen,
unlike all other
forms of identity
in our society
that we have
to construct
ourselves
this is not
an identity
that we can construct.
It's an identity
that can only
be received
by grace
through faith.
It's a gift
made possible
by the death
and resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
And once we have
that new identity
once we are
then sharing
in the life
of God.
Right?
Once we are
sharing in the
dance of the Trinity.
Right?
There's this lovely
image of the Trinity
the three persons
of the Trinity
and the word
that theologians
use is perichoresis
and there's this
idea of this
perichoretic dance
that has been
happening for all
of eternity
the mutual indwelling
of the Father
and the Son
and the Spirit.
Right?
This eternal dance
of three persons.
And in baptism
we see someone
who's invited
to dance.
they join
into that dance
they join
into that life
they join
into that love
and only then
can we begin
to learn
a new way
of life
and we can begin
to learn
a new way
of living
where we join
with Christ
in the renewal
of all things.
Identity
and then behavior.
And you know
listen
there are a lot
of people
in this city
those of you
who live here
you know
there are a lot
of people
in the city
a lot of people
in the world
trying to bring
renewal to our society.
Most everybody agrees
that things are not great
and most everybody agrees
that we need
some kind of change
and a lot of those efforts
are really wonderful
don't get me wrong
go out there
and do some good
in the world
right?
We're not going
to argue with that
but most of these
approaches
are outside in.
There are a lot
of people here
working on
getting better policies
great
some of you
are working on that
great
more education
for everybody
absolutely
some people
really care
about moral reform
let's get back
to the way
things were
the good old days
somebody really
want better programs
and more access
right?
For more people
all of that is good
but the truth is
we cannot change
society
unless we can
change ourselves
unless we can
change ourselves
it's like that
well-known
and somewhat
apocryphal story
about G.K. Chesterton
where the newspaper
put out the question
what's wrong
with the world
and invited submissions
and Chesterton
famously responds
actually with a
longer response
if you look at it
but the summary
of the response
is this
what's wrong
with the world?
I am
we cannot change
society
if we can't
change ourselves
Christ's renewal
has to begin
in us
before it can
flow
through us
so if you're here
and you're not a Christian
some of you are here
and you're not sure
what you believe
and you're in the right place
but I want to make clear
what we're saying
what this means
is that Jesus
is not inviting you
to merely clean yourself up
and become a church person
he's not inviting you
merely to clean yourself up
and become more moral
or more religious
he's offering
a new identity
an identity
that you will never
be able to achieve
that you will never
be able to construct
that you would never
be able to secure
for yourself
it's on offer
for free
through faith
and once we take hold
of that new identity
and become a disciple
then we gain a new purpose
but before we go there
I want to pause
for a second
and I want to tackle
or engage
a possible objection
that people might be thinking
okay
some people might be hearing
all of this
and be skeptical
because at the very beginning
we said that Jesus
announced himself
as king of heaven and earth
he's king of everything
and so an objection
that we might hear
well if Jesus is really
in the throne of the world
then why are things
still so messed up
why is the world
such a mess
why is my life
such a mess
if Jesus is king
it sure doesn't look
like Jesus is king
you know I read
a health report
on DC
maybe some of you
saw this
I think it just came out
where they found
that people who live
east of the Anacostia river
on average
have a lifespan
that is 30 years shorter
than people who live
west of the park
I'm going to say that again
if you live
east of the river
your lifespan on average
is going to be
30 years shorter
than people who live
west of Rock Creek Park
that's crazy
I don't know about you
but when I read that
I had to read it
several times
to make sure
I was reading it correctly
that's not okay
that's not a world
that seems like
Jesus is king
because there are
so many issues
related to justice
right
that are
that are contributing
to that difference
in lifespan
so many issues
that
that need to be
tackled
right
it doesn't seem
like Jesus is king
here's my response
here's the response
of N.T. Wright
the renowned Bible scholar
to this as well
so maybe
that'll have more credibility
you're right
it doesn't seem
like Jesus
is in charge
the claim
is actually not
that everything
is already healed
the claim
is that the risen Jesus
is at work now
taking the world
from where it was
which is under the rule
under the false king
of death
and corruption
and greed
and evil
and every kind
of wickedness
and gradually
bringing the world
under his rule
of life
giving love
and you say
well where
and how
is Jesus
doing this
through you
through us
through his followers
through people
that he has commissioned
that my friends
is the new purpose
that Jesus gives people
once they become
his disciples
to join with him
in the renewal
of all things
this is the new purpose
and I know
that's a staggering idea
it's also a crucial reminder
of why we exist
as a church
a church
is not just
a social club
not just a service provider
we're not just another
form of support group
with prayer
and singing
a church
is the people
sent by the risen king
to call others
into the life
and the way
of his kingdom
so everything we do
everything we do
our worship
evangelism
pastoral care
children's ministry
youth group
adult education
small groups
hospitality
mercy ministry
it's all part
of this larger purpose
all of that
serves the purpose
of making disciples
who live out
the ways
of the kingdom
and help
bring
renewal
to every corner
of the world
so the purpose
of our church
the reason
that we're even here
is not simply
to provide
religious goods
and services
for people
who already believe
that's part of it
the purpose
of the church
is to make disciples
of all nations
Jesus says
and by the way
because he says
all nations
our purpose
our identity
as a church
can never be allowed
to become tribal
the gospel
is not the
possession
of one nation
or one race
or one class
or one culture
or one political party
if Jesus is lord
of all nations
then the church
has to be for
all nations
moreover
the church
can never be allowed
to become
a private religious club
for the already convinced
we can never allow
ourselves
to become
a chaplaincy
for people
who already know
how to behave
because the church
fundamentally
does not exist
with all due respect
only to meet
our needs
our primary purpose
I would argue
is not to meet
your needs
my needs
it's for the sake
of the people
outside the walls
it's for the sake
of the people
who are not a part
of our church
that's our primary orientation
so everything we do
is not only about
us growing
in our faith
but about seeing
others come to faith
right
folding others in
inviting them
to the dance
of the trinity
that's our purpose
so
if we pull
all of this together
every Christian
I would say
should be asking
those of us
who are here
Christians
how am I helping
somebody
take the next step
toward Jesus
who am I helping
in my life
who am I
helping to take
that next step
where Jesus
becomes a little
more central
to their life
right
where their life
comes a little
more under
his rule
where their identity
becomes a little
more formed
and defined
by their unity
with him
right
so who are you
praying for
we should all
have people
in our lives
that we're
praying for
who are you
encouraging
who are you
welcoming
who are you
walking alongside
who are you
inviting
you know
for Father's Day
coming up
we're doing
a cookout
and this is
like Mother's Day
something that we
want to reach out
to the community
and invite them
to come
and as long
as the
meat lasts
we're going to be
cooking and slinging
burgers and dogs
and it's going to
happen out in the
courtyard
and so we'll do it
until we run out
and whoever comes
gets food
and it's free
and so this would
be a great opportunity
for families
particularly men
that you know
it's not just for
people with biological
children
it's for every form
of fatherhood
just like mothers
and everybody in this
room
every man in this
room can in some
way
we've all had
fathers
we all
can serve
as spiritual
fathers
right
to others in the
community
and so it's for
guys in your life
that you think
might be encouraged
you should invite
them
that would be a
great step
we actually have
Sharon has printed
beautiful invitations
you can take one
you can give it to
somebody
say you should come
it'll be fun
you'll get a burger
come to worship
with us
and then stay for
the cookout
so that would be a
great thing you could
do right now
now this doesn't
mean that every
Christian has to
become a missionary
or an expert
apologist
or a Bible
scholar
but it does mean
that every Christian
is called to
participate in the
disciple making
life of the
church
we all have a
role to play
and this church
is full
of people
who are being
discipled
who need
others to pour
into their
lives
right
so let's
bring this
back to where
we started
how should
someone go
about building
a life worth
living
this feels
particularly relevant
this time of
year when there's
a lot of people
graduating
and thinking
about what's
next
how should
someone go
about building
a life worth
living
here's what
Jesus offers
he gives us
a new center
it's bad news
and good news
on the one hand
we're not the
center of the
universe
I'm sorry
our desires
are not
sovereign
I'm sorry
on the other
hand guess what
your fears
are not ultimate
your failures
are not final
because Jesus
is king
number two
he gives us
a new identity
he doesn't tell
us how to shape
up and get our
act together
so that we can
fit in
he pours his
love and grace
into our lives
now as we
are
he gives us
a new identity
as people who
share in the
life of God
who share in
the dance of
the Trinity
and then he
sends us out
and he gives us
a new purpose
to make disciples
and join with him
in the renewal
of all things
and if this
purpose sounds
too big for us
as we look around
it's because it is
it's way too big
for us
it's way too
big
it's way too
much
right
remember who
Jesus is speaking
to here
it's the last
point
even after
everything these
people have been
through together
Matthew tells us
that when Jesus
arrives
some get it
and they worship
and others
still doubt
and you'd be
so tempted
to say are you
kidding me
you saw this
guy die
and I was
standing right
in front of
you
and you're
like I'm
not so sure
even the fact
that there are
only 11
disciples
right
there's a
pang when you
read that
number 11
there should
have been
12
so already
before the
movement even
got off the
ground
they've had
deception
and betrayal
by one of
their own
surely these
are not the
kind of people
that Jesus
would use
to go out
and change
the world
are they
right
the answer
is on their
own
no
they could
never pull
this off
on their
own
but Jesus
doesn't send
them out
alone
and Jesus
doesn't send
us out
alone
he says
and surely
I am with
you always
to the end
of the age
we don't go
alone
we go with
him
and we follow
him
so ultimately
friends our
confidence does
not rest
in us
it rests
in him
the one who
is here with
us right now
let's pray
Lord we thank
you for your
word
we thank you
for your
spirit
Lord we thank
you
father for
your love
and we thank
you Jesus
and we pray
that as we
come together
and confess
our faith
as we pray
as we confess
our sin
and hear your
grace spoken
into our lives
as we come
around your
table
to receive
your body
and blood
we pray
Lord
that these
ideas
would not
remain merely
ideas
that your
word would
become flesh
in our
hearts
that we
in your
great mercy
would be
displaced
that you
would become
our center
and that we
would be
redefined by
you
and inspired
by you
to live out
the purpose
you've given
us
we pray this
in Jesus
holy name
amen