Missions and You
Missions and You (Matthew 28:18-20)
Chapter Outline:
I. Authority Given to Make Disciples
II. While Going through Life Make Disciples
A. Baptizing New Believers by means of evangelism
In New Testament times baptism was a seen almost as saving people. The reason was that there was so much persecution associated with baptism that if someone would not be baptized then the Christians community would not believe their salvation testimony. This is true today in some countries where there is great persecution. Baptism assumes evangelism to the point of salvation as proven by the persons baptism.
B. Teaching Them for the Purpose of Observance
Teaching with the purpose not to puff up with knowledge but applicational truth. Teaching that impacts and changes lives.
Interpretation:
The main point is to make disciples. We do that as we go through our make looking to actively baptize unsaved, which implies leading them to Christ and teaching them after that to application of the commandments of God by observing all things that Christ has taught us. The goal is to take someone who does not know Christ and explain the gospel. After salvation to teach and train until the person obeys Christ on his or her own without the need of your guidance. The disciple is also be doing the same so that as you grow so does the disciple and so on and so on.
Questions:
1. For who was this command?
2. How are we to disciple? Go, baptize and teach
3. What does “Commission” mean?
4. What is our “mission”?
5. What is the great commission? To make disciples! For what purpose? For observance.
6. Should we be involved in political activism or Christian evangelism? The Christians view of end times affects how they deal with this world. Should be part of it or salt and light but not part of it. What is the Christian’s God-given responsibility; political activism or Christian evangelism?
Notes:
Priorities can be determined by the use of time and money.
Message:
Introduction: The Need for Missions
Natural Revelation – quotes from Billy Gramm and Robert Schuller
Openness of God view – God does not really know the future so He cannot possible know who will be and who will not be saved.
ECT – no need to evangelize Catholics if Evangelicals already believe that Catholics are saved.
Conclusion is that there is no need to evanglize, either we are all saved or will be or get another chance. Therefore, morden Christianity teaches that there is no need for missions.
Question: then why has God left us on earth? For: fellowship? worship? knowing God? or for a mission?
Conclusion:
Making disciples and teaching to observe cannot be done by people who are only taken up space in a pew each week. We must be actively seeking out to apply this text to every moment of our lives. If Christians took this responsibility as seriously as then take their recreational life we would see a revival in our communities.
John 17:6-26:
vs 15-16: we are left in the world for a reason
v. 17: with the truth (the Bible)
v. 18: for the purpose of sanctification
vs. 20-26: and to further the message that the Father gave to the Son and the Son gave to believers.
Isaiah 6 – “here I am send me”
Romans 12:1-2 – living sacrifice
Everyone can find someone who knows less then them and someone who knows more then them. Even a new believer – knows Christ and that is more than an unbeliever knows. These are the two levels of discipleship that should be active in all believers’ lives.
Two reasons to make disciples:
1. The greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your with all you heart, soul and mind” and we show our “love by doing what [He] commands”. God commands us to make disciples.
2. The second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself” and who is your neighbor? The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us that our nieghbor is anyone in need. Can we say that we love our neighbor (anyone in need) if they need to know Christ and we do nothing or they know Christ but need to be baptized and we do nothing or they are baptized and we can teach them what they do not know and we do nothing.
If we disobey a clear command of God then we sin.