Sunday, July 17, 2016

The Great Commission

• 9th Sunday After Pentecost
Matthew 28:11-20, the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew
and Ephesians 1:3-14, Paul is really excited about the power of God in Christ
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• After 2.5 years we come to the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew series.
We begin with the guards and the chief priests – PRIESTS, mind you – who PAY the guards to spread a lie. The same priests that paid a man to betray Jesus and then manipulated a crowd and a court to have Jesus killed… the same priests that were moral enough not to take "blood money." But we’ll not dwell on that.
• We have gone through somewhere between 80 and 90 sermons on Matthew.
Last week we talked about what was “good news”, and about the Matthean themes I suggested of discipleship and fruit. I’d add forgiveness to that, and the character of Jesus the genuine, Jesus the exposer of false teachers, Jesus the advocate of the abused.
Simply put, Jesus IS the presence of God.
• The Gospel of Matthew opens and closes with the expressed presence of God.
Opens with genealogy of Jesus, beginning with Abraham (because rooted in Jewish identity) and through David and through the Babylonian exile… showing what? Presence of God through good times and bad, through generations.
Then the angel to Joseph that Jesus will save the people from sins, there’s forgiveness in him, and he’ll be called Immanuel, God with us. Oh, and God may do things in unexpected ways. Trust God.
• Ephesians 1:10 God planned to bring all things together in Christ.
And we who place our hope in Jesus are honored by God.
The Good News of Jesus Christ is forgiveness
and God’s presence, presence always
.
• And Jesus expects and authorizes and commissions us to do as he did.
Not because we’re deserving – we’re selfish rebels – but because of who God is and who God calls us to be.
19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

• Hymn 389 Freely, Freely

Ephesians 1:3-14        (Common English Bible)
3 Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. 4 God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. 5 God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan 6 and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. 7 We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, 8 which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding. 9 God revealed his hidden design to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. 12 We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ. 13 You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory.  X

*Matthew 28:11-20        (Common English Bible)
11 Now as the women were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 They met with the elders and decided to give a large sum of money to the soldiers. 13 They told them, “Say that Jesus’ disciples came at night and stole his body while you were sleeping. 14 And if the governor hears about this, we will take care of it with him so you will have nothing to worry about.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. And this report has spread throughout all Judea to this very day.
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”  X

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