Bible Study - The Great Commission

(46) NW Bible Study - Bible Quiz #22 - The Great Commission - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNWW-mIgm-U

Transcript:
(00:01) so as we continue on now with the Bible literacy test question number 22 the great commission of the church let me just pause right now and remind you if you haven't if you weren't aware of this uh on the channel on the YouTube channel here you're going to see a tab under channel content which uh contains a link or a series of link right underneath the title you'll see United Church of God Tacoma And then underneath that you're going to see some headings home videos shorts live playlists and posts So under playlists this is where I'm storing all
(00:40) of these Bible literacy test uh Bible studies And I I did the same under a playlist for the Hebrews 6:es 1 and two And then if you go over to posts what you'll see is uh I have linked all the older Bible studies which I started actually in Portland And so all of the older ones that were done and recorded previously and stored under Portland I've linked all of those Bible studies under posts And then the last post I did links the test itself so that if you didn't have it and you wanted it you could easily get it that way So I wanted to make sure
(01:17) I pointed that out to you You'll find that under posts on the YouTube channel Now as we move into this subject of this evening question number 22 the great commission of the church Where do we find that well in in in you know the simple answer is you'll find that in both Matthew 26 and in Mark 16 I want to walk us through this tonight And as we do with each one of these things I want to answer the question to the best of my ability Why is this important and I think you'll find this evening that um I'm I'm very encouraged by this message
(01:52) because it really gave me confidence that Jesus Christ and the father have a plan They knew what they were doing and uh we can be confident that there's a great reason for everything that they do including the great commission that they gave to the church So just before Christ ascended to heaven he spoke some words to the disciples that literally shaped the entire future of the church He gathered them up That's obviously that's the 12 that he had prepared and he gave them very clear instructions It's not a a farewell
(02:28) speech and it's not some loose set of ideals but he gave them a directive a charge literally backed by the divine authority of the father This instruction has come to be known as the great commission Matthew chapter 28 is where we'll find this first Matthew chap 28 18- 20 Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them saying "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all
(03:16) things that I have commanded you And lo I am with you always even to the end of the age." You know what's really striking about this is how very focused it is It it doesn't list everything Christ ever taught It doesn't revisit all the parables or all the miracles or even any of the prophecies It really just centers on what must happen next It's the assignment given to the body that would become his church It defines the purpose of the church not just in belief but also in action But here's the key This commission is
(03:57) not handed out randomly It's not spoken like he didn't just cast the words off into the wind for anyone to pick up hoping that somebody would carry on with this wish that he had He delivered it to the apostles and by extension to the church that he would found the very body he said he would build So the great commission is not given to individuals as like isolated agents It was not a personal task list to be fulfilled in private life It's a mission entrusted to a collective spiritual body It's given to a spirit-led church
(04:40) under the living leadership of Jesus Christ himself Now that doesn't mean that individual members have no part to play That's not what I'm saying The body cannot function without its parts Every member has a role Every member has a responsibility Every member has a spiritual contribution But the but the command to go to preach to baptize and teach That's the framework of making disciples that belongs to the church guided by Jesus Christ and of course administered through the structure that he established So the question to me
(05:18) becomes what does that mean for us today in a world filled with lots of voices claiming authority or versions of the truth what did Christ actually say what is the real mission of the church and where do we as individual members fit within that mission so I want to go back to the words of Christ himself The words that launched a work that continues to this very day because understanding what the great commission truly is changes everything I want to begin with the reality that the commission rests on Christ's
(05:59) authority and is given by him to the church Now before he gave any instructions obviously he gave in he gave assurance He didn't begin the great commission with go Let's notice this He did not begin with go First he establishes that all authority has been given to him in verse 18 which we just read And Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth This is how he begins describing as he goes into and gives them their marching orders as the church He declares that
(06:42) the authority to do so has been given to him and him alone And it's not incidental It's intentional The command to make disciples baptize and teach is rooted in that critical truth uh truth that Jesus Christ holds absolute universal authority in both the spiritual and physical realms Without that there is no commission there is no church there is no work The Greek word that's used for authority carries the meaning of delegated power jurisdiction or the right to rule Theyer's Greek lexicon defines it as the power of rule or
(07:27) government The power of one who will uh whose will and commands must be obeyed by others In other words Christ isn't simply claiming influence He's claiming divine right to command and not just over the church but over the entire created order But where did this authority come from christ did not seize authority You know it's Satan is the one who tried to seize power for himself but not Jesus Christ To him it was granted by the father He had always existed with a divine glory of course but through his obedience in the flesh he was exalted to
(08:11) this position Over in Philippians chapter 2 over in Philippians chapter 2 Paul explains verses 9- 11 Philippians 2:9-11 where Paul says "Therefore God also has highly exalted him that's Christ and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
(08:53) " It is to God's glory that we treat his son this way It was to his glory that he exalted the son by giving him this authority So it's Christ then who turns and uses that authority not to rule over his disciples like a tyrant but to commission them as his representatives And that's where the church comes in He delegates this commission not to individual believers scattered you know across time and place but to a spiritual body his church built on a foundation he had already laid Let's go back to an earlier conversation
(09:34) between Christ and his disciples one that speaks directly to how this authority was passed forward Matthew chapter 16 Let's go back to Matthew chapter 16 verses 18 and 19 where in talking with Peter he says in verse 18 and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven And whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven And whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven This is one of the most misused
(10:27) and misunderstood passages in the Bible but it's also one of the most important That's because Christ is declaring right here that his church will be built not by man's invention or political force but by divine decree When Christ says to Peter you are Peter The Greek the Greek word here is pro and that means a stone or a small rock Then he says and on this rock now that's a different word He says on this rock I will build my church But that word rock is a different word It's Petra It means a massive immovable
(11:07) bedrock He's not saying that the church is built on Peter the small rock the man He's saying it's built on the truth Peter just confessed that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God Notice back in verses 15 and 16 just slightly earlier here in chapter 16 verses 15 and 16 where Christ said to them "But who do you say that I am?" Now Simon Peter answered and said "You are the Christ the son of the living God the rock the Petra You are that massive immovable bedrock.
(11:47) " And Christ was saying to him "It is on me on that bedrock that the church will be built." Even early commentators understood this distinction So the pulpit commentary for example notes quote "Peter is the small stone The great foundation is Christ himself the truth of who he is the eternal rock of ages." Albert Barnes notes emphasizes quote the word rock here refers not to Peter but to the truth which he had confessed So Christ is the true rock And of course Paul confirms this without any ambiguity over in 1 Corinthians chapter
(12:32) 10 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 4 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse4 Now look the framework of this Let me just back up and make a statement here Moreover brethren let's begin in verse one Moreover brethren I do not want you to be unaware that our fathers were under the cloud and passed through the sea This is obviously talking about the last day of unleavened bread which we just went through when God had parted the Red Sea and instructed the Israelites to cross over gave them dry land to walk over And
(13:16) he had placed himself that is Christ as the word placed himself between Israel and Egypt and followed them across the Red Sea as they walked to the other side So you have two things going on here simultaneously We have that same pillar of cloud and fire which led them from Egypt to the Red Sea and then moved behind them as the armies of Pharaoh caught up to them to protect them Christ is the word moved behind them and then followed them through the Red Sea to the other side Now notice it says here in verse two all were baptized
(13:59) into Moses in the cloud and in the sea all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them Now you can take that either literally as following them through the Red Sea or as the word is better interpreted it the word followed means accompanied And that makes just as good sense in this very same context For they drank of that spiritual rock that accompanied them And that rock was Christ The bedrock is Christ So what role did Peter and the
(14:41) apostles actually play that's a good question Notice that they were given keys That's not ownership of the kingdom but it is authority to unlock access to it Keys represent responsibility and stewardship and authorized access Christ entrusted these to his apostles as the founding leaders of what would become the church That church empowered by the Holy Spirit would carry forward the very work Christ began They're not self-appointed individuals They were commissioned by the one who holds all authority in heaven and earth
(15:24) This is why the apostles never went rogue They didn't teach on their own initiative They didn't start private ministries or freelance the gospel They functioned as one body under the governance of Jesus Christ in harmony They worked together over in Ephesians over in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 19 and 20 It says "Now therefore," Ephesians 2:1 19 "Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus
(16:13) Christ himself being the chief cornerstone So the church like a building is built on a foundation and that foundation was laid by Christ through the men he chose trained and of course empowered Now Christ himself declares that he's the chief cornerstone of that building and in ancient construction a building was first the foundation of a building was laid by the cornerstone Christ is saying that this entire foundation begins with me the cornerstone the chief cornerstone And that the foundation then is of the prophets and the
(16:51) apostles And so this is how the church began That's why the great commission must be understood as a church directive not a personal mission The authority to baptize to teach doctrine and to make disciples in Christ's name is given to the body led and administered through ordained leadership What of course the scripture calls elders or overseers or ministers Titus chapter 1 Paul talking to Titus 1 verse 5 Paul says regarding the qualification of elders He says "For this reason I left you inrete that you should set in order the things that are
(17:39) lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you." So here we see authority Paul over Titus says to Titus that you are to ordain or appoint elders in every city as I commanded you That's authority within the church And we don't have a record of Titus telling Paul "Sorry not interested in obeying.
(18:04) " We have authority We have order And we have divine backing of Jesus Christ So when Christ said "Go therefore," he wasn't speaking to anyone and everyone He was speaking to the ones who stood in his name to those whom he had authorized to act on his behalf The commission rests on Christ's authority And that authority is expressed through the church he built It's done through the leadership that he established And the mission is the one that he empowered And that matters because it means the work we're part of today
(18:42) that's not man's invention It's not an idea of man This is Christ's work So what is the church commissioned to do well as we read it's given the commission to do three things essentially That is to preach to baptize and to teach God's way of life So he didn't leave them guessing hey listen there's a I'm I'm forming a church and you guys are going to be foundational members and I want you to just go figure things out He gave them a mission and the first part of that mission was to preach the gospel Let's notice in
(19:23) Mark chapter 16 and verse 15 Mark chapter 16 and verse1 15 where Christ says to them go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature the creation of God every man woman and child that will of course hear it So this is the first responsibility go and preach The Greek word here means to proclaim as a herald to declare with authority as like a a royal messenger would speak on behalf of a king It's not a quiet personal testimony This is a public commanding proclamation But what is the message what are they supposed to
(20:19) proclaim it's the gospel the good news of the kingdom of God Not just that God loves us not just that Christ died but that a kingdom is coming a reign of peace and righteousness under Jesus Christ and that mankind is being invited to become part of God's divine family Earlier Mark 1 14 and 15 notice Christ himself says what the mission is to preach Mark 1:es 14 and 15 This is when Christ himself begins the ministry and it says here in verse 14 "Now after John was put in prison Jesus came to Galilee preaching our job
(21:10) is to preach." What was Christ preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God saying "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand Repent and believe the gospel This is the mandate for the church to preach the gospel That's what we are to preach And as we see from the very beginning Christ defined the gospel message as the kingdom of God This is not a gospel about Christ It's the gospel Christ himself preached a message about the coming reign of God the need for repentance and the opportunity to be part of that kingdom All explained right
(22:00) here in Mark 1:es 14 and 15 All the elements are there And this message has to be preached to every creature meaning all people It's not just for Israel and it's not just for believers It's not passed It's not passed on secretly It's for the world but not to convert the world Now Christ said it would be preached as a witness Matthew 24:14 Let's just briefly notice that this gospel is preached as a witness to the world Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness
(22:49) to all the nations and then the end will come So preaching is the first step It's a warning message It's a testimony that God's truth is there and that God wants that truth to go out to the world The second element then is to baptize disciples So when the people hear the truth and respond to the call of God remember it is God who calls No individual can come to God unless the father draws him So if that happens then something else has to happen They have to be baptized Again we're talking about the great commission
(23:31) to the church Matthew 28:19 says the second element is baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit So this isn't a ritual It's not something that we we do by wrote It's not a just a symbol that we take lightly The Greek word here means to immerse Baptize means to immerse submerge to completely wash It pictures obviously death to the old self and the beginning of a new life in Jesus Christ It's a covenant a spiritual contract made through repentance and sealed by the laying on of hands and the receiving
(24:12) of the Holy Spirit But look we have to understand this that baptism itself is also not a personal ministry It's a church's responsibility to do When Philip preached in Samaria the people believed and were baptized and you can read about that in the book of Acts But he while he submersed them in water none of them received the Holy Spirit until Peter and John apostles from Jerusalem with authority went and laid hands on them that they might receive the Holy Spirit You can read about that in Acts 8 14-17 So there's order there's oversight
(24:58) there is structure all within the church Christ built The authority to baptize comes from Christ through his church That's why Paul reminded the Corinthians not to glorify the ones who baptized them because it's not the man who matters It's the church Christ built that has the job to do This is a part of their commission Now notice after Peter preaches the gospel right at the very first right at the outset at the very beginning of the church's creation and foundation we see in Acts chapter 2 that it is validated that that the
(25:41) very next step Acts chapter 2 let me get over here to Acts in the wrong chapters All right Acts chapter 2:es 37 and 38 after his This is the very first sermon given in the church Peter has that honor It says "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles men and brethren what shall we do you've preached and we've heard You did what God said to do You preach the gospel Now the second step is to baptize So Peter says to them "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
(26:28) Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." So preaching according to the commission Christ gave to his church should lead to bapti to baptism for those God is calling But of course baptism isn't the end It's the beginning because once God has placed those converted brand new members of his church in his church he wants them taught Matthew chap 28 20 again I'll just refer you back to that where it says teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you the three
(27:15) elements of the commission then to preach the gospel to baptize those whom God is calling and who are converted and then to teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you This is the final step and it's often overlooked but it is absolutely critical Christ did not say to the individuals that it's your job to teach the to to yeah to teach the God's newly converted He gave that job to his church and he said to teach obedience The Greek word translated observe means to guard to keep to hold fast It means to live out what Christ
(27:56) commanded Not just believe it but to walk in it This is the long work of spiritual transformation New disciples must learn how to follow God's law how to bear spiritual fruit how to put off the old man and be renewed daily And of course this kind of growth doesn't happen by accident It doesn't happen overnight It's a process and it requires teaching It requires example and it requires the ongoing shephering that Christ provides through his ministry That's why Paul said Christ gave apostles and prophets evangelists and
(28:37) pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry Ephesians chapter 4 let's read that Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 and 12 verse 11 And he that is Christ himself gave some in the church to be apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers Why for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ This is what God intended That's why he has a ministry That ministry serves in the church to fulfill the commission of the church as a body not as
(29:26) individuals So teaching isn't like a side job It's the third pillar of this commission And so without it baptism has no point Preaching has no I mean what's the point of preaching if there is no teaching those whom God has called so what exactly is the great commission it's the church's God-given mandate to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God with authority to baptize those whom God calls with understanding and order and to teach them how to live in faithful obedience to all Christ has commanded It's not like some kind of
(30:03) rotating set of tasks that you can just kind of pick and choose from It's not something the church can do like half-heartedly even or even sporadically It's the central purpose of the church's existence in this age We're not here to entertain the world or even each other really We're not here to build movements or gather crowds We are here to carry out the work Jesus Christ assigned faithfully fully and in his name And when we understand that this commission belongs to the body of Christ not just to individuals acting alone we
(30:40) begin to see why the church matters so much Why its structure its governance and its spiritual integrity are essential Because of this work this calling is not ours It is his God did not commission individuals to do the work he assigned to the church But that doesn't mean that he didn't give individuals an assignment This is one of the great and important distinctions in the great commission That is understanding who it was given to He didn't entrust the preaching of the gospel the baptizing of converts or the instruction and doctrine
(31:20) to individuals acting on their own He gave that commission to his church an organized spiritual body under his authority functioning through his appointed ministry We see clearly in 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul describes the church as a body made up of many members each having different roles but all directed by one spirit 1 Corinthians chapter 12 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 28 And God has appointed these in the church First apostles second prophets third teachers and after that miracles then gifts of healings helps
(32:12) administrations varieties of tongues Are all apostles are all prophets are all teachers are all workers of miracles do all have gifts of healing do all speak with tongues do all interpret of course the answer is no The word appointed here is the Greek word which means to set in place to assign to designate with authority Paul's not speaking of talents or preferences He's describing divine placement That is God determining who does what within his church So if you don't have these assignments then what i mean that's a good
(32:56) question Well here's the truth We have to realize that God did not give each individual the commission that he gave the body of individuals but he did give each individual a calling a personal spiritual assignment that contributes to the mission of the church And that assignment is serious It begins with being a light to the world Being a light to the world This is the first most visible way individuals support the church's mission by being a light to the world And Christ of course made this clear back in Matthew chapter 5 and verse
(33:40) 16 Matthew chapter 5 In verse 16 here we are in the sermon on the mount where Christ says as he instructs on how to live as a convert a New Testament Christian he says "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven." See the word shine means radiate to beam forth light It's that's not about drawing attention to ourselves It's about reflecting God's way of life in such a way that others see it and then glorify God That means that how we conduct ourselves that matters Our words they
(34:30) matter Our priorities our choices our reactions they all matter And they all become part of how the church through its members become witnesses to the world of the gospel message Albert Barnes on this verse comments that saying Christians are to be as lights in the world They are to be examples of what God's truth produces Isn't that beautiful because that's really what we are We're examples living out the gospel in our lives that the world may see that gospel in real time That living God's way of life produces
(35:13) peace and joy and happiness and people that thrive in obedience to God This doesn't replace the gospel message but it does confirm its power We don't preach the gospel from pulpit but we prove the gospel by the way we live As individuals the second thing that we do is have an answer We need to be ready with personal testimony for what we believe Now that's not leading We don't take our Bibles around with us and smack people with it uh begging for them to ask us a question We're to be ready with an answer When someone asks us of
(35:59) like they're looking at us as the lights that we're supposed to be we should hope that as lights in this world someone might ask us what has led us to live the life that we do And when that question comes we need to be ready with an answer 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15 is where this is described 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15 where Peter says to us "But sanctify the Lord your God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you and do that with meekness and fear." That's
(36:46) what he is saying here The word defense is the Greek word apo apologia Apologia I think it's apologia or apologia Anyway it's the bas it's the reason we get the the the phrase apology And it means a reasoned reply It's an explanation It's the same word used when Paul stood before Roman authorities and explained his faith But Peter adds something really critical here He says to do this with meekness and fear This is not arrogance Of course meekness is inner strength under calm It's not aggression We speak as those who are submitted to the truth
(37:34) pointing back to the church that taught us and to the word of God that grounds us This isn't personal evangelism This is not a personal ministry This is faithful witness the overflow of a life built on truth that is a light to the world The third thing that we do as individuals is in our prayers in our giving and in our encouragement Prayer giving and encouragement Every believer carries a responsibility to support the gospel work through prayer generosity and encouragement You know the more skeptical I've heard this over the years
(38:18) claim that the only purpose for the members of the church is to pay and pray You may if you're old enough you probably heard that It's obviously a very cynical view and reveals more of a wounded heart really than a spirit-led partner in the work In his letter to the Philippians Paul praises the brethren for their role in helping the gospel go forward Not by preaching it but by standing behind it And how important this is as he expresses his gratitude for this Philippians 4 Philippians 4 15 and 16 Paul says now here uh Philippians 4 15
(39:12) and 16 he says now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only For even in Thessal Thessa Lonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities This is wonderful praise And Paul is saying you by your willingness to stand behind the work made it possible for me to do things by sending financial aid when I needed it These are everyday members of the church They're not apostles They're not evangelists They're not preachers
(39:54) They're not ministers But they enabled the work through their support So in that way they're not just donors The cynic would say they are but they're not They're co- lababorers And so are we today Paul even said that their support would be credited to their spiritual account because God sees it God honors it And God still honors it today And that support includes prayer 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 And this is super important And I've asked you repeatedly to do this for the ministry because it is a daunting task
(40:35) to care for God's children our brothers and sisters to shepherd effectively and with love and mercy and compassion and empathy 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse one where Paul begs "Finally brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified just as it is with you.
(41:02) " He's not asking people to go out and preach to procilitize but he is asking everyone to pray It's not a last resort It's it's the front line of the work And so when we pray for God to open doors to strengthen the ministry to prepare the hearts of those that God is calling to bless the message that they hear we are part of the work And of course the last thing that we do as members of the body not responsible for the work that the church was commissioned to but members with responsibilities is that we have a responsibility for personal spiritual
(41:44) growth and overcoming Paul pleads with the Ephesians to walk worthy of their calling Over in Ephesians chapter 4 over in Ephesians chapter 4 verse one Paul says "I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you." Oh that's a really deep word of imploring beseeching begging pleading with you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called A church cannot be strong if the in if the individuals who make up the body are weak Christ is preparing his bride That is a people who are overcoming sin growing in godly character and being
(42:36) transformed into his image I mentioned this here over the last couple of sermons this idea that God wants a uh a bride for his son that is equally yolked We don't start off equally yolked with Christ Christ is far ahead of us in who's carrying the load But God wants us to become equally yolked with his son And that requires work on our part to grow and to change to transform our lives to become like his son And that is the job we are to do When we're faithful when we're repentant when we're obedient and striving to
(43:17) mature we strengthen the body We make it possible for the church to preach to baptize and to teach with greater effect because the church is not a building literally It's not a logo It's the people God has called together So while we're not individually commissioned to fill the great commission on our own we are absolutely called to be a part of it through our example our prayers our support and our growth We're not the ones who carry the gospel to the world but we are the ones who make that carrying possible
(44:01) And one day of course when Christ returns he will not just reward those who preached the gospel He will reward everyone who served faithfully in their role all of the first fruits Which means in the body of Christ there isn't any useless parts There is no calling that's too small and there's no labor that's in vain Finally brethren Christ supports and strengthens the work of his church It's not just a command It's a partnership with our savior He didn't hand off the mission to his church and then just walk away He remains fully
(44:44) engaged guiding empowering and sustaining the work through the Holy Spirit and the word which he gives to us And of course his continual presence with his people through his Holy Spirit that's support That's not symbolic It's real It's active It's actually vital for his church to flourish That church is called to proclaim a message that challenges the world It teaches a way of life that runs against the grain of human nature to endure through resistance persecution and spiritual warfare None of that can be done by human strength
(45:21) alone That's why Christ told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high They were not to rush out on their own They were to be clothed with spiritual strength the very power of God working in them Luke chapter 24 and verse 29 Luke 24 and verse 49 where Christ is recorded saying "Behold I send the promise of my father upon you but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
(46:08) " What a beautiful way of seeing and understanding the gift of the Holy Spirit to those apostles that would form the foundation of the church That church that was given a commission by Jesus Christ The word endued means to be clothed or wrapped with power They're not possessed of their own might They're equipped by God himself And of course that promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 And that same spirit still works in the church today Christ also strengthens the church through the gifts he gives to each and
(46:49) every one of us Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4 as we read earlier that Christ himself gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers But why did he do that it said for the equipping of the saints and the building up of the body But those roles are not only an expression of Christ's supports He is the head of the church He's intimately aware of its needs its challenges and its future He did not leave us alone to do this work by ourselves He remains with his church empowering it by the Holy Spirit directing the church through
(47:32) his word and sustaining it with his presence His promise still stands Hebrews chapter 13 notice what it says in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5 where he promises his church Hebrews 13:5 "Let your conduct be without covetousness Be content with such things as you have for he himself has said I will never leave you nor forsake you.
(48:10) " So we may boldly say "The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do to me." Christ is going to help his church accomplish the commission that it was given The great commission is not a side project of the church It's the central reason for our existence in this age Jesus Christ having been given all authority in heaven and on earth gave his church a mandate to preach the gospel to baptize those who respond and to teach them to live by every word of God That commission was not given to individuals working independently It was entrusted to the body he himself
(48:54) established structured and leads today That body the church carries out the work But each of us as members of that body has a role to play We're not commissioned separately or individually or independently but we are called personally We're called to live faithfully to grow spiritually to support the work actively and to be a light that confirms the power of the gospel that we proclaim Christ has not changed the mission He's not shifted the goal He's still preparing a people We're still proclaiming the gospel of the
(49:38) kingdom He's still with us in the work That's why as a church we hold fast to the commission we've been given The mission of the United Church of God is and let me quote to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God in all the world Make disciples of all nations and care for those disciples You know what our vision is let me quote that A church led by God's spirit joined and knit together by what every member supplies with all doing their part in the work of the ministry A church that is preparing for the return
(50:22) of Jesus Christ This is the heartbeat of the great commission restated in terms that we can measure ourselves against today So the question we should ask ourself is simple Are we doing our part are we living in a way that strengthens the body supports the mission and reflects the hope we proclaim because the time is short the message is urgent and the work is not yet finished