Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
How many of you like being told what to do?
No one likes being told what to do.
We like to make our own plans and do what we want to do/what makes the most sense to us.
Have you ever been to the grocery store and had your mind set on a specific flavor of ice cream only to find out that the flavor that you wanted was out of stock?
During COVID we’ve experienced this on a regular basis as stores have been out of common things often.
If you go to the store for ice cream, is there just 1 option in the freezer section?
No - there are dozens and dozens of options!
Yet, if you only want 1 selection and they don’t have it, you’re likely upset because your options have been reduced.
Your choses have been restricted.
Humans don’t like having our choices being restricted, do we?
There have been numerous stories in recent months about people rebelling against rules and regulations simply because someone else has tried to tell them what to do.
Why do people not like being told what to do?
Psychology calls this response: Psychological reactance.
If you’re told to stop doing something, your brain might tell you to do that thing even more.
Let’s try this out this morning: Don’t think about an Elephant riding on a unicycle… What did your brain just do?
You thought of an elephant riding on a unicycle.
Why?
Because our brains like to rebel against what we’re told.
What about whenever we’re told to do something?
Say your mom tells you to go and clean your room.
What is your brain’s first response?
To literally do anything else! Say your boss tells you to get something done ASAP, what happens?
Your brain goes into overdrive on everything not named that assignment.
We’re wired to rebel.
This makes following others difficult at times - and sadly this spills into our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus tells us what we’re supposed to do as Christians.
We’re supposed to obey Him.
To trust in Him.
To follow Him where He leads.
Yet, this can be incredibly challenging at times.
Because following Jesus can be challenging, we need to be reminded often of our purpose.
Last week we studied that our purpose in life is to glorify God in everything that we do.
This week we’re going to look at a familiar text of Scripture in order to remind ourselves of what Jesus wants us to do.
He gives us a command.
Our natural instinct is to disobey, though.
As a result, we must listen to Jesus’ last words and pray that the Holy Spirit would assist us as we seek to obey our Savior.
Let’s read the Great Commission this morning out of Matthew 28 as we find this:
We Must Make Disciples
This is a popular passage of Scripture and we find in it Jesus’ last words to His disciples before He ascended back to glory.
In our world first and last words are important.
As a new parent, I’ll always remember that Gabriel’s first word was “dada”!
On the same line of thought, we know that last words are important too.
If you’ve ever been with a loved one whenever they’ve passed away, you always remember the last thing/s that they say.
These are Jesus’ last words.
They’re important.
The Great Commission is an important text and it’s an active command for all of us today - just as it was a command for Jesus’ followers 2000 years ago!
What does Jesus say?
He says that all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth.
What does this mean?
We read in the Old Testament book of Daniel about a vision that Daniel has about the coming “Son of Man” and Daniel writes
We love having authority in our lives.
We love being in control.
We like having the last word, if you will.
What we’re reminded of in the Bible, though, is that Jesus is the One with all the authority.
Jesus is the One who is in control!
Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
If you’re not a Christian this morning, I pray that you would begin to understand who Jesus is.
He is the only One who can save.
He has all the authority.
What does He have authority over?
Matthew 28:18 tells us that He has authority over everything.
We read in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus has authority over nature - He makes the storms cease.
He has authority over diseases - He heals the lame and the leper.
He has authority over sin - He forgives sin.
He has authority over death - He raises from the dead.
He has authority over our lives.
Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 16:24-25
If you want to follow Jesus, you have to die.
Why?
Because Jesus must come first.
Hear me, you and I don’t make Jesus Lord - He’s already the Lord of Lords.
You and I must submit to His Lordship, repent of our sins, and confess Him as Lord of our lives.
Because Jesus has all authority, we are called to obey Him.
Because all authority has been given to Jesus, He commands His followers to go and make disciples.
How many of you have ever been on a mission trip?
Mission trips are incredible as the Gospel is proclaimed, the love of Christ is on full display, and disciples are made.
Whenever we think of mission trips and sharing the Gospel, we often think of people coming forward to “pray the prayer” or something along those lines.
Conversion is vital - we are called in Acts 2 to repent and be baptized - but Jesus doesn’t tell us in the Great Commission to go and make converts.
He doesn’t tell us to go and have people raise their hand and say some words.
He says to go and make disciples.
At this point we have to ask what is a disciple?
We know that Jesus had 12 of them.
Are they the only disciples out there?
No. How many of you have ever job shadowed someone before?
You come into work and you watch what they do and, in time, you begin to do what they do.
This is a picture of discipleship as someone who is a mature Christian takes a younger Christian and disciples them.
What is a disciple?
Someone who is growing to be more like someone else.
In Christian Discipleship, the goal is that we all grow to be more like Jesus Christ!
This also means that regardless of how long you’ve been a Christian, you still have room to grow because no one has arrived at knowing everything.
In Matthew 28:18-20 there are many verbs but there is only 1 command.
The command from Jesus is exactly this: Make disciples!
Why does Jesus take the time to say this?
Why emphasize this action on the part of His followers?
Because this is important.
There is a fundamental problem facing many churches around the globe and it stems from a lack of discipleship.
How many of you are baseball fans or at least know the overall concept of baseball?
Your goal as a batter is to get a hit or walk so that you get on base.
The next person’s goal is to get you closer to home.
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