Jim Thomas, Senior Pastor
Matthew 28:16-20
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom
- The person of Christ (Matthew 1-4)
- The principles of Christ (Matthew 5-7)
- The power of Christ (Matthew 8-28)
- The parables of Christ (Matthew 13-25)
- The passion of Christ (Matthew 21-28)
“The whole Bible is implied in the Great Commission! It is a truly comprehensive statement and a colossal vista with which Matthew ends his Gospel.”
– Christopher J.H. Wright, The Great Story and the Great Commission: Participating in the Biblical Drama of Mission
The biblical concept of “mission” involves several things:
- the authority of the one who sends
- the obedience of the one(s) being sent
- the mission task to be engaged in
- the enabling power to accomplish the task
- the divine plan and purpose within the framework of God’s covenantal working of judgment and/or redemption
“We are sent into the world, like Jesus, to serve. For this is the natural expression of our love for our neighbours. We love. We go. We serve.”
– John Stott, Christian Mission in the Modern World
“If we have been entrusted with the good news that God is restoring all of human life, how do we live in a culture with a very different story to tell?”
– Michael Goheen, The Church and its Vocation
What traits characterize those churches that respond to the Great Commission of King Jesus?
TVC’s Four W’s of the Church:
- Worship
- Witness
- Word
- With-ness
“The essence of worship is the inner experience of treasuring the true beauty and worth of God. And the outward forms of worship are the acts that show how much we treasure the beauty and worth of God. Therefore God created all of life as worship because He has told us, ‘whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God’ (1 Corinthians 10:31). Do everything you do in a way that expresses your treasuring of God.”
– John Piper
“If you give a man the gospel, wrap it in a sandwich. And if you give a man a sandwich, wrap it in the gospel.”
– C.H. Spurgeon
“What God has done in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus is no private affair for a few. It is God’s decisive action for His whole family and for His whole creation. It is for all the nations. We cannot be silent when such a tremendous secret has been entrusted to us. We have to tell the world.”
– Lesslie Newbigin
“The greatest single secret of spiritual development lies in personal, humble, believing, obedient response to the Word of God. It is as God speaks to us through His Word that His warnings can bring us to conviction of sin, His promises to assurance of forgiveness, and His commands to amendment of life. We live and grow by His Word.
– John Stott, Confess Your Sins: The Way of Reconciliation
“In a life with God, His guidance, provision and protection are important, as Jacob and the psalmist knew, but in all such experiences the center and source is God‘s presence ‘with’ us. To discover that God is ‘with’ us is probably the most important discovery anyone can make, for, once made, it colors all of life’s experiences.”
– Richard Bauckham, Who is God?
What are some of the primary reasons Christians don’t share their faith? Why are some of us so timid about sharing our faith? Here is Pastor Jim’s top ten observations:
- Lack of conviction re: what’s at stake, eternal destiny
- Lack of actual love for others
- Don’t want to seem “pushy”
- Fear of personal rejection
- Don’t know how to start the conversation. How about we listen to understand them and learn where they are at before we speak?
- Mistaken notion that it will be offensive if I share
- We underestimate the power of the Gospel of grace
- We overestimate how well our “life” might testify. Raise your hand if your life is holy enough that it would be simply impossible for others to miss Jesus in you.
- You believe the results and outcome of sharing your faith is up to you vs the Holy Spirit
- You are actively living in sin, contrary to what you say you believe, and you know others won’t be able to miss the contrast.
Behind every person’s thoughts about your faith as you witness will be this basic question: Does the God you want me to believe in really LOVE me, broken sinner tho I am? This is where the Christian faith is really good news because Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!