MAKE DISCIPLES - IDENTITY: Matthew 28:18-20

all right our our text today is in Matthew chapter 28 starting with verse 18 so if you've got a Bible or you got a phone that you read read the Bible on go ahead and grab that if you don't have a Bible with you there's some right back here raise your hand if you won't wanna natal grab you one there's some stack back there for you you don't have a Bible take that one as a gift from from us to you or if you know a friend that wants a Bible or someone that you want to give a Bible to we've got a lot of them and we want to give them away to you to give to people we believe this is the Word of God this is not a word about God but this is the Word of God written and spoken through men but they're the words of God so that's why we love the word we and that's why we're gonna turn to Matthew 28 and we're gonna start with verse 18 and go through 19 and 20 over the next four weeks we're going to be asking this question what are we doing what are we doing ever think about that what are we doing as a church what are we doing as Christians what's our purpose what's our goal what's the vision what's the mission these are questions that we need to ask and we need to really be focused on certain things that God has revealed to us that he's created us to do that he saved us to do and that he sent us to do the vision the goal of this four week sermon series going through asking this question what are we doing the purpose of it is because we pastors of echo seea we want every one of you that's involved to have a clear vision in your mind of why ekklesia exists and what echo SI is seeking to do this means corporately and this also means individually if you are a Christian that's a part of the church we want you to know because we want you to be focused on these things because the scripture says we are to be focused on these things that makes sense what everyone was like all right what's your church about alright well here here's what we're about we're on mission to make disciples love cities and plant churches that's it that's that really encompasses the whole biblical theme of what the churches mission is so today we're answering this first will make disciples what are we doing our focus is to make disciples so turn with me Matthew 28 we're gonna read verses 18 through 20 and then we're gonna walk through it and unpack it Matthew 28:18 through 20 this is Jesus right before Jesus ascends back to heaven you've read if you've grown up in church you've read this these verses right most of us even if we don't memorize anything in the Bible we kind of have this memorized just because we've heard it so many times but Jesus comes and he's saying this to his disciples this is the do this this is what you should be doing what we should be doing says and Jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I am with you always to the end of the age this is the word of God it's the job of the church and it's the job of every Christian on the face of the planet to make disciples why because that's what Jesus said to do that's what Jesus said to do notice that Jesus says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me Jesus is setting us up so we know this is not a hey maybe think about doing this this is a I've got all authority Jesus is God who entered into human history who lived the sinless life who died on the cross bearing our sin and shame and the wrath of God that we've deserved because of our sin in three days later he was resurrected though he died he was resurrected raised to eternal life as the Conqueror of Satan as the Conqueror of sin as the Conqueror of death and Jesus says I've got all authority you feel that feel that weight of Jesus like look who's talking to you I've got all authority and with that authority this is what I'm saying go make disciples of all nations it's your mission it's my mission it's the mission of the church to make disciples I want us to see this and be clear on this this is you can sum all of this up by the mission of the church the first mission is to make disciples so I want to ask a few questions about what a disciple is things like that because we hear this make disciples as anyone heard that before go make disciples of all nations pretty much all of us can raise our hands we've heard that verse I want to ask three questions as it pertains to what Jesus says that we go and make disciples I want to ask what is a disciple that's pretty good to know we need to know what he's telling us to go and make what is a disciple why do people need to become disciples and number three how will people become disciples what is a disciple why do people need to become disciples and how will they become disciples all right number one what is a disciple it's important for us to understand that a disciple is the same thing in the Bible it's the same thing as a Christian same thing as a believer they're synonymous they mean the same thing when you see go make disciples he's saying essentially and are the language that we use we just call people Christians right we call people in Christ Christians or believers we don't use the word cyfle as much but for Jesus disciple means the same thing as Christian means the same thing as believer it's not talking about some second-tier people some people wrongly teach that you become a Christian when you trust in Jesus and you have your sins forgiven and they become a part of the family of God and you're just a Christian then and then you need to work and achieve to the level of disciple then you're a disciple for Jesus they mean the same thing a disciple as a Christian a Christian as a disciple it's a believer there the scripture talks about these three things but not as like different levels that we achieve I don't want you to view go and make disciples like oh we got to go and make super people that that's not the goal is to like have the second tier of Christianity some of you maybe feel like well I think they're Christian but man they're not a disciple if they're not a disciple they're not a Christian if they're not a Christian you tracking with me I want you to understand this because a disciple is someone who has received a new identity from Jesus a disciple is someone who has received a new identity from Jesus a disciple is not someone who has achieved great works for Jesus it's someone who has simply received a new identity so Jesus Jesus says it like like this in mark chapter 8 verse 35 super confusing unless you really study what he's saying and really looking at the Greek and the original it helps you understand but so what he says mark 8:35 for whoever would save his life will lose it whatever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it for profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life there's a few different words in the New Testament in the Greek that it was originally written in that they translated in English they just say life one is BIOS which we get our word biology from which means physical life right biology BIOS physical life and then there's another word that sometimes translated life and it's the word psyche where we get our term psychology the word that Jesus is using here and Jesus says it's not BIOS he's not saving whoever would save his physical life will lose it but whoever loses his physical life will say but he's not saying that it's the word psyche and that word means your worth your identity who you truly are so bios physical psyche is more like your identity your worth your status and so Jesus is saying for whoever would try to find his worth essentially saying whoever would try to find his worth through achieving will lose it but whoever loses it whoever gives up and stops trying to find his Worth and his identity in achieving things whatever loses it for my sake and for the Gospels he will find it Jesus is saying this hear me the identity the worse the status that the whole world is trying to achieve has already been accomplished in him the worse that we longed for we want to be worthy we want to have status we want to have an identity that's deeply rooted in something Jesus is saying you need to stop trying to achieve it you need to give up lose your old self and find your true self in me so Jesus the same whoever would try to achieve it's gonna lose it whatever gives up and receives an identity from me he will save it he will find it notice that he says what is it profit a man what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his identity forfeit his worth forfeit his psyche the problem with the world is that the whole whole world is trying to gain the whole world to build up their own identity this is called idolatry an idol is anything other than Jesus Christ that we're looking to that we're serving so that we can have wealth or we can have worth or we can have status an idol is oftentimes good things that we pervert and turn it into a god thing an idol for many is let's just take my my job being a pastor being a preacher being a minister for many people that becomes an idol because we are looking to being a pastor and preaching and having a faithful church and having a big church as something that we get our worst and our identity and our psyche from but that's not the identity we are created to have and that's idolatry when we're looking to anything or anyone other than Jesus to give us worth and to give us status and give us an identity what are you looking to to give you worse is it your kids is it your grandkids is it your job is that how moral and how much of a good person you are is it your church attendance is it maybe your generosity is it things that you can accumulate and stuff that you can get is that how other people perceive you is that is that what you're looking to to get worse to get status to get an identity Jesus is saying if you're trying to get it through that you're forfeiting the identity that you need things are good and they're to be used in such a way to worship God and to glorify God the problem with idolatry is that we take good gifts like family like a job like being a pastor we take them and we twist them and we look to them as ultimate things that I'm gonna get my worth from a disciple of someone who has stopped looking to anything else other than Jesus and the finished work of Jesus to give us an identity to give us security to give us worth that's what it means to be a disciple forever would save his life will lose it whatever loses his life for my sake and for the Gospels will save it what does it profit you to gain the whole world and forfeit your worth to forfeit your identity forfeit your life a disciples someone we say it again who's received not achieved received not achieved the Apostle John says it like this he gets a little more specific in the beginning of John chapter 1 he says but to all who did receive see that word who all who did receive Jesus who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man but of God so John and all throughout the scripture it gets explicit we a disciples someone who's received a new identity from Jesus through faith in Jesus you see this who all all who did receive Jesus and he gets specific this is what it means to receive a new identity to receive Jesus who believed in his name who believed in Jesus who trusted in Jesus who he is resurrected once crucified sinless Savior God Jesus all who did believe in his name Jesus gave the right to become children of God so this verse gets really explicit we've said ok receives a new identity now we figure out what it means to receive he says through their faith and we also figure out what he says is the identity that we do receive look what he says he gave the right to become children of God Jesus teaches us to pray and he says that Christians those who - are dependent on Jesus to take away their sin by his work on the cross to give them his righteousness through his sinless life those who are truly in Christ and trusting in Jesus receive a new identity as a child of God that's not sentimentality that's a fact God doesn't just call you a child we don't just call ourselves children of God we actually are children of God if we're in Christ God is our Father who loves us who cares for us who doesn't threaten to throw us out of his family unless we're really good we look at a father on the earth let's say a good father no matter what his kid does if he's truly a part of his family that father does not threaten to throw his kid out of the family unless he does everything the way that he says he should do oh you didn't do this you're no longer my son those are bad fathers that do that good fathers love their kids and say you're a child and nothing you can do can change that maybe some of you had dads like that I did I was nuts some of you knew me when I was younger I was nuts and Amen awesome but Mike something happened in my life and this just I feel like I should tell you this for just a minute so I was doing some crazy crazy crazy stuff that my parents found out about and it was really tough but the one thing they never did was say you're not a part of my family anymore they said we're not giving up on you as we love you no matter what you do no matter how stupid you are you're still my son God the father's like that if you're in Christ he doesn't threaten to throw you out of his family he has welcomed you in his family not because you were good enough but because Jesus was good enough in your place and so on the work of Jesus we get to come into the family of God a disciple is someone who's received the new identity a new status a new worth as child of God when we get this all the other sayings that the world says to achieve your identity through this all the other things that were tempted to achieve an identity and Worth and status through they become so small in comparison it's like well I could be a CEO of this company or it could be a child of the Creator God I think go I'll go with the ladder I'll go with child of God a disciple someone who receives a new identity and it does lead to new activity we're not saved and we're not be we don't become children of God because we're good enough and because our activities good and we change and we first to do better it's purely by grace but God brings us into his family gives us a new identity and then that in turn that leads to a new activity you see the difference we change after God changes us Christians live differently than the rest of the world but that's not the starting point the starting point is God gives us grace adopts us into his family that's evidenced by us believing on Jesus are you a child of God you can know you are because you've stopped trying to achieve an identity through idols through the world but you've received an identity through faith in the work of Jesus that's how you know you're a child of God dependent and defined by what Jesus has done for you this is the crazy news of the gospel the entire world says achieve the gospel says believe just receive it there's nothing for you to achieve the highest status the highest worth is to be a disciple is to be a son to be a child of God and there's nothing left for you to do but to give up and trust in Jesus and the work of Jesus in your place that's what it means to be a disciple so when Jesus tells us to go and make disciples he's not saying go and get people to act differently that comes later that comes that's the fruit of being brought into the family of God through the work of Christ us to go and make disciples is to go and tell people the good news of the gospel the good news of what Jesus has done in his life his death is resurrection for for us to free us from our sin to make us righteous and then were to call people to make disciples is to be intentional and say turn from trying to find your identity and anything else turn to Jesus receive Jesus through faith that's what it means to go and make disciples so that's what a disciple is do you have a good idea new identity child of God through faith in Jesus second question why do people need to become disciples why do people need to become disciples notice the urgency that Jesus says I've got all authority in heaven and on earth go go make disciples of all nations where nations here means all people groups it certainly means like America South America Africa Asia means that it means continents and means countries it means all this but really the point that it's getting into is every nook and cranny of every nation in the world all people groups all languages Jesus says go they need to become disciples we need to understand the seriousness of why the people that we work with why the people that we live next to why the people in our family why the whole world people we haven't met we need to understand the seriousness of why they need to become disciples why they need to become Christians why they need to receive a new identity from Jesus I read you a few verses and friends this is heavy this is heavy this is why people need to become disciples this is the truth of the word of God and I want us to really understand this in Romans 1:18 the Apostle Paul says for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth in Romans 2:5 Paul promises sinners are storing up wrath for themselves on the day of wrath when God's righteousness is righteous judgment will be revealed the Apostle John says it like this in John 3:36 whoever believes in the son that's Jesus whoever believes in the son has eternal life and whoever does not obey the son shall not see life but the wrath of God remains on him why do people need to become disciples because those who are not disciples those who are not dependent on Jesus and defined by the work of Jesus in their place or in the path of the wrath of God sin is a real problem the problem with the world the problem with everything three letters sin sin has infected and affected everyone and everything because of your sin because of my sin we've been separated disconnected from our Creator from the relationship that we were built that we were created to have we forfeited that through our sin and God is good and God is just and God is holy and he is pure and so he has burning wrath and anger for those who he's created to be a certain way and they have said no I will be my own king I will do what I want to do I will not honor you I will not obey you I will not serve you I will not look to you I will look to me that's in that's all that's what we're saying when we sin that's what it's communicating it's cosmic treason the wages of sin is everybody knows that but do we understand it people need to become disciples of Jesus because Jesus is the one who takes our sin away Jesus is the one who gives us a new and new identity forgiven sinless righteous child of God because people who don't turn to Jesus and faith people that don't receive a new identity from Jesus they're in the path of the wrath of God so the way that our identity can change we saw we can receive a new identity from Jesus how's that possible because on the cross Jesus switched places with us on the cross Jesus switched places with us Jesus took on your identity of sinner of rebel of one that's in the path of the wrath of God Jesus took that on himself switched places with us and on the cross Jesus was dying the death we should have died and that we deserve to die then bearing the wrath and the judgment and the anger for sin that you and I deserve Jesus bore that Jesus took the cup of divine wrath swallowed it turned it over slammed it on the table and said it is finished Jesus became as though he was an enemy so that you and I could become children of God Jesus took on our identity of sinner died on the cross in our place for our sins so that you and I could receive a new identity of Saint this is the crazy awesome good news of the gospel Martin Luther the great reformer he called this the great exchange and oh what a great exchange it is Jesus takes all of my sin all of my shame all of my guilt puts it on himself dies in my place for my sins and then Jesus takes all of his sinlessness all of his righteousness all of his purity all of his holiness and puts it on me that's a good exchange that's a great exchange that's the exchange of the gospel and we need to receive this new identity we need to trust Jesus the whole world needs to trust Jesus because without him we are in the path of the wrath of God sin is a real problem hell is a long time it's terrible and Jesus is a real Savior Jesus is a real Savior his work on the cross is sufficient heaven is a really long time to spend with Jesus and eternal joy amen this is the contrast we've got to see this the call to go make disciples is to go and be used by God in such a way that people were in the path of the wrath of God trust Jesus and become a part of the family of God it's so serious because people have got to hear the gospel people got to hear this good news that's why we invite them to community group that's why we invite them to come worship that's why we invite them into our lives that's why we go to people and not just invite them to come but we go to them love them learn their story pray for them tell them the good news about what Jesus has done and called them to trust Jesus the reason we do that is because without Jesus this is our end we get what we deserve but in Jesus we get the opposite of what we deserve we deserve wrath we get blessing we deserve hell we get heaven with Jesus why do people need to become disciples because without Jesus we have the wrath of God that remains on us third question how how is all of this going to happen we're told to go and we see why we need to go we see why people need to become Christians become disciples how are we going to do this if you look at the end of there's four different gospel accounts we have Matthew Mark Luke and John it's communicating the life death burial resurrection of Jesus we look at the end of Matthew as we have we see go make disciples and you can look at the end of Mark and you can look at the end of Luke and they tell you another thing that Jesus said around this exact same time it's not like they all got it way different it's that Matthew included what Jesus said here because he's like this is what we really need him to remember mark included what he said here he's like this is what we really need to remember Luke said something a little bit different recorded what Jesus said this is all what Jesus said so when we compile all of those and we look what Jesus said at this great Commission this is what we see how are people going to become disciples you see by our intentionality by you and me being intentional this doesn't happen just by chance or like oh my gosh like 40 people came to Jesus it's like did you tell them the Gospels like no it just happened that doesn't happen they have we have to hear the gospel we have to hear the good news of the gospel or read about it or watch a sermon or have dinner with a friend and hear the good news of Jesus this is what Jesus says mark 16 15 and 16 he said to them go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation whoever believes and is baptized will be saved whatever does not believe will be condemned Luke 24:46 through 47 he says and he said to them thus it is written that the Christ that's Jesus should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead that's his resurrection he's saying it was promised in the Old Testament it was written that I would come and suffer and that I would rise from the dead verse 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem people are going to become disciples of Jesus by us being intentional and making sure they hear the good news of the gospel people are going to become disciples because they need to hear the good news and we've got to tell them it's not all on us but it's our job to do what Jesus has told us to do our job is go and tell the good news and encourage exhort tell people you need to turn to Jesus you need to trust Jesus it's our job not to just say hey there's the good news see yeah it's our job to say here's the good news you got a decision to make you need to trust Jesus I beg you to trust Jesus answer questions talk to him pray for him but it's our job to push for a trusting in Jesus we need to let them know it's not just hearing the gospel that saves you but it's believing trusting in the good news of the gospel we have to be intentional a few ways to be intentional I mean I mentioned it these to you very quickly I'm not much for giving self help tips you guys know that but I'm trying to just help and I'll mention these briefly and we can talk about them in community groups throughout the week pray that's number one pray pray that God would give you the words to say that you could just talk to people about Jesus you could have the courage and boldness to talk to them and pray that their eyes would be open that their ears would be open that their hearts would be open that God would change them as you tell the good news of the gospel pray for yourself and for others that God would save people number two talk to people about Jesus it's not like you're having your you know you're at work and you know somebody doesn't know Jesus you know man they need to meet Jesus they need hear the gospel and you go okay um can we stop work for a few minutes and you guys sit down I've seen my pastor do this we do this every Sunday so sit down and chairs in front of me I'm gonna stand on a chair and I'm gonna preach a sermon to you like don't think you're nuts if that works go for it I don't think that's gonna work so just just talk to people about Jesus find a road that leads to Jesus if you find that's like I'm having trouble finding a road that leads to Jesus invite somebody out to lunch ask him to hear their story get to know him tell them your story tell them how valuable Jesus's tell them what Jesus has done and just find a way to talk to them about Jesus number three use the church use the church invite people to come worship and to sit under preaching hear the word of God for claiming hear the gospel for claims use it invite people in the community group so they can get to know other Christians in a personal way and they can get to know people and they're gonna hear the gospel it's a great thing to do use the church number four and just invite people into your life have people over for dinner making disciples of all nations is not just going up to random people it's like hey you hear this okay see you later I don't want anything to do with you just talk to people love people invite them into your life number five see all of life as a mission field the place that you work out place that you play you do your activities your neighborhood your job Jesus has put each of us where we are so that we would make disciples in those places you're in your job so that you could love people and reach out to them with the good news of the gospel so they may meet Jesus receive a new identity see all of life as a mission field make disciples of all nations doesn't just mean go overseas it means go into your neighborhood go into your job hold up the truth of Jesus number six give away Bibles and books how many of you have learned a ton about Jesus from reading the just reading the truth of the word of God oh yeah almost everybody or from reading other books that are about Jesus about the Word of God we grow in huge ways through that there's guys that are way better teachers than me that have written books and put out sermons things like that well let's give Bibles to people let's give books to people we've got a bookstore here that we buy the books and we need off to you for half the price so that you can get them and so you can also buy them and give them to people we have stacks of Bibles so that you can take if you took every one of those Bibles that will be the best thing that could happen today take them all well buy more well just keep buying more take them give them to people give them books take a bunch of copies of 50 reasons why Jesus came to die short book it's not intimidating awesome truths about Jesus so when you tell them about Jesus you can give them books say you can read more here I want to keep talking about this give away Bibles and books number seven pray for people in person on the spot the best way to really show people that we love them we care about them an atheist will let you pray for them so man I just figured out I got cancer can I pray for you about that I guess so people that don't give a rip about who God is who Jesus is they'll welcome you to pray for them show people that you care I mean stop right then don't just say hey I'll pray for you about that stop put your hand on the shoulder if that's not awkward something pray for them pray for God to give them eyes to see the beauty and worth of Jesus pray for their needs so just a few ways I want to encourage you to be intentional so there's two things and this how are people going to become disciples us being intentional number two the Holy Spirit's life-giving grace that's what it says in Ephesians two four and five Paul has just talked about the sinfulness of man that we are by nature children of Wrath following after the course of the world following after Satan and demons following after whatever our flesh wants to do they're dead in our sin so Paul was just said before this and then he says but what's that word God but God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses he made us alive together with Christ by grace you've been saved through faith friends savings faith is a sovereign gift of God so people we're gonna be able to make disciples because when we go and proclaim the Gospel the Holy Spirit makes people alive in Christ the Apostle Peter is talking riding rather to a church and says you were born again you received a new identity and new life through the good news that was preached to you we see in the scripture that when the gospel is proclaimed God makes people alive the Holy Spirit comes and changes people's hearts opens people's eyes to the truth of Jesus to the beauty of Jesus so we see it's both us being intentional and it's God causing life to come to people that's how he does it he didn't have to do it like that he could just go mmm alive but he uses us to be a part of what he's doing to redeem a people for himself he uses us sends us go and tell the gospel to everyone and he makes sure that we know and it's I Who am going to save them I'm going to open their eyes I'm going to cause them to come alive in Jesus if you're alive in Christ right now if you're alive if your eyes are open to the beauty of Jesus it's because the Holy Spirit at one point came to you and took your dead heart and made it start pumping and beating and loving God and loving the things of God by grace you've been saved through faith it's when the Holy Spirit makes us alive in Christ and we hear the good news of the gospel the reaction is trust Jesus he causes new births to happen and as a baby a baby's born and then what do they do mom's they cry a baby is born and they go well right this is the cry make them alive or reveal that they are alive that make them alive or does it reveal their alive it reveals their alive so it is when we when we trust Jesus the Holy Spirit through the preaching through the telling of the gospel comes into people who are dead in their sin do not want God to not want Jesus makes them alive in Christ and they trust Jesus our hope to go and make disciples how it's going to happen is us being intentional and remembering and realizing that it doesn't depend on us but it depends on God that gives life to the dead freedom to slaves resurrection to those who have died this is how we we can go out and tell the gospel because we go it ultimately doesn't depend on me it depends on God making them alive do you feel that weight just come off when you realize that let's go I then I can just talk to people about Jesus and pray for God to change them yeah yeah this is where we end are you a disciple are you a disciple have you received a new identity from Jesus through faith in Jesus or are you still trying to achieve your own worth achieved your own identity achieve your own status through idols through your works I pray that you would become if you're not a disciple you would become one you'd give up you trust Jesus you'd follow Jesus you'd receive the new identity that he purchased for you when he traded places with you on the cross if you are a disciple praise God if you are a Christian if you are a believer your sins forgiven all of them all the ones you have committed will commit today and will commit for the rest of your life forgiven because of Christ and his death for you your righteousness freely given to you from Jesus he lived the sinless life so that you could be counted sinless your future secure if Jesus has began a good work in you he will bring it to completion when he comes back to make all things new and heaven meets earth and we live with him forever no more sin all the righteousness of Jesus and a secure future this is the good news of the gospel amen pray with me father God we love you so much we're so thankful that you are a God of holiness of justice and you're God of grace and mercy I ask you to make people who have not yet been made alive in Christ please make them alive by grace I thank you for the opportunity to preach the word I thank you for this church I thank you that you've made me a disciple by grace asked that you give us a burning hot passion to go make disciples to go and tell people the gospel and encourage them to trust Jesus give us a burning hot passion so when when we think of the question what am i doing it always comes to making disciples for your glory I want that so you ask we ask you to grow us in grace we ask you to grow us in Christ we sing now to you for your glory for your Majesty for your greatness because of the good news of the gospel it's in the name of Jesus we pray amen you

Channel: Ekklesia Muskogee

Views: 4,992

Rating: 4.6923075 out of 5

Keywords: Jesus, Mission, Disciple, Disciples, Identity, Christian, Believer, Make Disciples, Great Commission, Authority, Evangelism, Good News, Gospel, Child of God, Matthew 28, Preaching, Sermon, Preacher, Preach, Ekklesia, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Church

Id: x_icltArvU0

Length: 46min 12sec (2772 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 20 2014