January 20, 2013, Make Disciples!

Scripture: Matthew 28: 20

¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - NLT

- So far this year, we can sum up the sermons of January 6 and 13th with two simple commands: "Stay Salty!" and "Shine!"

- And we have these two directions straight from an eyewitness to Jesus' teaching, Matthew.

- This morning we can sum up today's sermon with another simple command from the eyewitness Matthew: "Make Disciples!"

- We understand that it is the job of the church to make disciples and we know that in order to make disciples that we need to do evangelism.

- But let me begin this morning with a very basic question: What is evangelism?

- Well, I believe that very short, straightforward question has a straightforward answer.

- Evangelism is an invitation to become a student, obeying and passing on Jesus' teachings.

- I know this definition is simple, but experience teaches us that the most profound truths of life are often very simple, while sometimes also difficult, requiring endurance and perseverance to be accomplished.

- How do we know this definition is correct?

- Well, very simply, we know this definition is correct from reading the Great Commission.

- ¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - NLT

- Does anyone know what the key command is in this passage?

- I'll give you a hint. It's not "go" because the Greek actually has the feeling of "as you are going." 

- As you're going about your daily life, as you're going about your business, as you're going down the road, that's the general feeling of "go."
- So if the command isn't "go," then what is it?

- The key command is this: make disciples. Make disciples is the one word in the Greek, which presents the main idea of the passage as a command.

- So, Matthew is telling his readers, as an eyewitness, that Jesus commanded his disciples to make disciples.

- Making disciples, as Matthew understood it, was the bottom line for Jesus.

- Matthew put this at the very end of his gospel so that his readers would get it.

- His readers would immediately see that this is what Jesus expects of his church.

- Making disciples is to be the top priority for the church, as well as individual Christians.

- Now, what is a disciple?

- A disciple is someone who has accepted the invitation of Jesus to become a learner or student under him.

- The mission of the church is not to create converts, but to make disciples.

- Disciples are students of Jesus who learn to say and do the kinds of things he would have us say and do.

- Isn't that what the great commission says? "Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you."

- Disciple-making involves two key ingredients: "baptism in the threefold name" and "instruction in the practice of all [Jesus] commanded" (MSG)

- The qualities of a disciple of Jesus are made very plain in the Great Commission.

- The first quality is obedience.

- A disciple receives baptism as an act of faithful obedience while learning to obey everything Jesus commanded.

- The second quality of a disciple is becoming steeped in the person of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (We'll look deeper into baptism in the threefold name next week.)

- The third quality of a disciple is interacting with God and one another in student-teacher relationships.

- We are learning from our Lord and Teacher to become teachers and equippers of new disciples ourselves.

- The fact that we teach because we are called to teach implies that we must all see ourselves as learners or students of Jesus on this journey of becoming like him.

- What is it that we are to teach?

- We are to teach the wonderful message that in the person of Messiah Jesus, crucified, buried and risen, God has come near and his kingdom is available to all by faith in Jesus. That is, the gospel, the good news, the evangel.

- It is this good news, which is the basis for our evangelism. What is evangelism? Evangelism is an invitation to become a student, obeying and passing on Jesus' teachings.

- Somewhere along the way in the last 150 years the waters got muddied and our understanding got muddled and many church people started thinking that you don't have to be a disciple in order to be a Christian.

- Somehow we got to thinking that you can say yes to Jesus w/o saying yes to discipleship, becoming his disciple.

- Many of us church people started thinking that it's okay to leave the pursuit of discipleship to the professionals.

- Guess what? That's part of the reason why the church in North America is not experiencing the dramatic growth that much of the developing world is experiencing today.

- Too many of us have washed our hands of the responsibility of making disciples because we learned that we don't have to be disciples.

- The church has does not influence the world as it should because our authority to teach comes from our relationship with Jesus and the world can only see that relationship when we submit to him as his disciples.

- Our goal, as students of Jesus, is to learn from him and pass on how to obey everything he has commanded and we have this on his authority as the risen Lord whose rule extends to all nations for all eternity.

- "Every single person who is won to Christ must be anchored in Christ and taught how to live for Christ in day-to-day decisions." (Osborne 2010)

- To that end, Jesus leaves us with a simple and direct command: Make Disciples!

Prayer: - Lord Jesus, maybe some are here today who need to renew their commitment to learning how to be your disciples.

- maybe we all needed this reminder today that as your people all of us are called to be disciples who make disciples.

- Help us, Lord, to make disciple-making our top priority, as we help one another to be salt and light and as we reach out into the world with words and works of compassion, meeting needs that will open doors for others to become new disciples.

- Our gracious God and Master, prepare us to love you and love others like Jesus loves so that we are ready to receive with thanksgiving those new disciples whom you have set apart, so that we may continue to please you obedient service and zealous love.

- Teach us anew how to make-disciples which make disciples who love like you love and live like you would have us live.

- Father, forgive us for when we have thought and acted like being a believer instead of a disciple was good enough.

- We see now that we need to follow you through every moment of everyday as students of Jesus.

- We commit once again to learning your ways, following the teaching of your Son, Jesus, and obeying the instruction of your Holy Spirit. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

January 13, 2013, Shine!

- Last week we looked at Matthew 5:13, the instruction of Jesus that his followers need to stay salty by spending time with him in the Word, then obeying him.

- This week we are faced with another question:

Why does Matthew share with his readers the teaching of Jesus that his followers are the light of the world?

- Let's think about the properties of light for a few moments.

- One of the things I think about when I think about light is the difference in how we see things during the day versus how we see things at night.

- At night, we have very little perception of color at all.  Everything is in various shades of gray or even black.  In fact, the darker the night, the less we are able to see.

- But during the day, as long as our eyes work the way the designer originally planned then we are able to see all the colors God intended for us to see.

- On a clear day, colors are bright, on a cloudy day, colors are not so bright.

- We could say the same things of a well lit room versus a dimly lit room, couldn't we?

- So it's fitting that The Message says that we are here "to bring out the God-colors of the world."

- I think it is really interesting and exciting that Jesus says that his disciples are the light of the world; that we "bring out the God-colors of the world."

- Bible scholars tell us that light represents the goodness of God. If we are the light of the world, then we need to represent the goodness of God, and that goodness can only be displayed, be made visible through good works.

- Jesus wants his disciples' good works to be visible to the community.

- You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill." 

- Light represents the visible goodness of God in the life of a disciple, good works. So let me ask this question...

- How's your visibility?

- "If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand."

- Not only are we to be light of the world, we are to be light for one another, since we are God's spiritual house.

- Obviously no one hides a lamp under a bucket, only a fool would do such a thing.

- How's your visibility in the house? How's your visibility outside the house?

- "Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." 

- The life of a follower of Jesus must shine with the goodness of God.

- We have a mission to the world to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus until the light of the gospel shines in every home.

- We are called to be active in the world, making a difference rather than hiding the Gospel's light under a measuring cup or a bucket.

- As we live lives of openness and generosity, we will inspire others to open up with God and he will receive all the glory.

- How's your visibility? Do we, as a church and as individuals, shine for all to see? Are we intentional about serving our community? Do we have a plan? Are we following and carrying out that plan to fulfill our role in carrying out God's mission? Or are we hit and miss, haphazard, doing the mission only when we feel like it?

- You can be sure that Jesus did not carry out his mission based on how he felt from one day to the next. Everything he did, he did according to the Father's plan and he did it intentionally and with conviction, through prayer and service to others.

- Let's go back to our original question: Why does Matthew share with his readers the teaching of Jesus that his followers are the light of the world?

- Matthew shared with his readers the teaching of Jesus that his followers are the light of the world because light represents the visible goodness of God in the life of a disciple, good works.

- Let your good works shine the gospel light for a God-glorifying, global impact.

- Something that shines is visible. What does visibility mean for the local church? 

- First, visibility means that we will be more involved by supporting community projects and attending community events.

-E.g., Attending Events hosted by community groups, i.e., Millville Elementary School, Beyond the Bell, the Legion, MYRCI, Village Council, GHLC

- Supporting Projects sponsored by community groups by participating in, as well as, organizing and hosting fundraisers to support projects

- Host fun events ourselves

- Second, visibility also means visible service to the community through meeting needs which will create opportunities to share the Gospel of Messiah Jesus.

- E.g.:

o   Collect Trash

o   Clean Sidewalks

o   Off-Site Workshops

o   Odd Jobs for seniors, widows, widowers, and the needy

o   Cleanup Parks

o   Friendship Trail Cleanup.

o   Community appreciation suppers, e.g., youth and families, fire department, teachers, seniors, Village Council

o   Collect for Food Bank

o   Volunteer at Food Bank (Woodstock)

o   Volunteer at Community Kitchen (Fredericton)

o   Free Babysitting for Christmas Shopping

o   Welcome Wagon

o   Community taxi to appointments

- I'm convinced that now is the time for us to be renewed in shining the light of Jesus for the glory of God. It's shine time!

- Let your good works shine the gospel light for a God-glorifying, global impact.

Date: January 6, 2013, Title: Stay Salty! Scripture: Matthew 5:13

 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage." – The Message

- Why do we use salt today? Salt has many uses: it lowers the boiling point & the freezing point of water, which makes it indispensable in cooking (& in making homemade ice cream), as well as helping to keep ice off the roads.

- If you've ever made pickles of any type, then you'll know that pickles need to be soaked & stored in pickle juice or brine, which contains a high concentration of salt.

- Why do we add salt when we are canning & pickling fish, meats & vegetables?

- We add salt because it is a preservative; it kills dangerous & unwanted germs & extends shelf-life so that these foods can be eaten at a later date.

- When we are sitting down to a meal we often sprinkle a little salt on it because it brings out the flavors.

- The main uses of salt in the first century A.D. were also in food, to preserve it & to enhance its flavor.

- Eugene Peterson in the Message translates the words of Jesus, saying, "You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God- flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."

- According to Matthew, why did Jesus instruct his disciples to stay salty?

- Jesus instructed his disciples to stay salty because salt which loses its taste is of no benefit to the world.

- Much of the salt we use today is refined, so it's 100% salt, sodium chloride, but in Jesus' day that was not the case.

- Household salt & commercial salt used to preserve fish around the Sea of Galilee was not refined like ours & contained all the various trace minerals that you would naturally find in it because it was most often taken from the salt beds around the Dead Sea.

- So over time with humidity & use when you got down to the bottom of your container of salt what you would have left would not be salty, &, therefore, useless & it would be foolish to keep it.

- Just like salt loses its flavor, disciples of Jesus that lose their God-flavor are not able bring out the God-flavor of the world as enemies of corruption & injustice, & keepers of wholesomeness & purity.

- "You are," says the voice of Jesus, "the salt of the earth."

- Salt that loses its flavor is not only useless, Matthew actually wrote foolish, much like the five foolish virgins who didn't take enough oil with them, so the Christian must not allow him/herself to become useless to God's mission because that is utter foolishness.

- Jesus has a very strong warning for us that we must not allow the power of the gospel in our lives to become diluted by the world or we shall be fit for nothing but the trash heap.

- That brings me back to the title of this morning's message, which is a simple direction: Stay salty!

- If I could paraphrase the words of Jesus with one simple sentence, I would say this: You are the salt of the earth, so stay salty.

- That brings up another question: how do we stay salty?

- Pickles stay salty because they are saturated in pickle juice.

- Ham stays salty because it is saturated with brine.

- Christians stay salty when they are saturated in God's Word with Jesus.

- Stay salty by spending time with Jesus in the Word, then obeying his teaching.

- Quite often we think, "I'm a mature adult; I won't be influenced by the world," when nothing could be further from the truth.

- The Scriptures tell us a true story about human nature. We are warned over and over again to be on our guard against the devil & his schemes because he masquerades as an angel of light, & we are reminded again & again that we are to look to God as the source of our life & for guidance & direction.

- It's time we all got honest with ourselves. When we don't spend enough time in God's Word with Jesus, then we are opening up our lives to be watered down & diluted by the influences of the world.

- If you take pickles out of pickle juice & soak them in water, then what happens? Their flavor is diluted.

- If you buy a ham at the grocery store & it is too salty. What do you do? You soak it in a pot of water overnight to dilute it because water leaches out the salt.

- Friends, the one thing we must not do is water-down & dilute the power of the gospel in our lives by spending too much time in the world & not enough time in the Word.

- Dear people, I believe God has a new vision for Millville Baptist Church & the first part of that vision requires us to be devoted to spending time in the Word with Jesus so that we stay salty.

- I believe that: Our mission is to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus in and for our community until the light of Christ shines in every home.

- If we are going to carry on with God's mission, then we must stay salty.

- God's vision for us is a reflection of the values that this church holds dear.

- I believe God's vision is that: As a church, each member will be involved in ministries that reach out to each other, our families and community with commitment, compassion, and teamwork as we strive to meet needs and grow through evangelism and discipleship.

- If God's vision is going to be accomplished, we need to stay salty.

- Stay salty by spending time with Jesus in the Word, then obeying his teaching.