Matthew 28:16-20
According to Matthew, the Great Commission is not about proclaiming the gospel around the world. That is part of the larger picture, but here Jesus sends the Church into the whole world to "make disciples."

In Matthew 10, the mission of The Twelve was merely to proclaim the gospel to the towns in the region of Galilee. If a town would not listen, they simply moved on to the next one. The strategy and method of the Great Commission is very different. Now, Christians are called by Lord Jesus to be Christian everywhere we go. At times this will involve sharing the facts of the gospel of Jesus. At all times it involves demonstrating the rule of God in our lives as we conform to Jesus rather than to the nations and world in which we live.

In this way, being disciples is how Jesus through us will make disciples who will also follow him.

Recording notes: Due to technical difficulties, only the last portion of the sermon was recorded. So, the description above offers more of an introduction than usual, so that the recording makes sense (hopefully!). Also, there is a one minute portion of the sermon recording where we watched a YouTube video. When that time comes, simply click on the picture above to play the video. You will want to pause the audio of the sermon while you do that.

1 Corinthians 13:5
We must serve Jesus diligently in our job for his kingdom. Yet, if we do that without love then we fail to meet his calling. We will not be welcomed into Heaven in the end. How do we make sure that we incorporate love in the way we serve Jesus? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 identifies fifteen virtues that all are a part of godly love. The common root of them all is that attitude that says, "I am here for you."

Acts 2:42-47
​Guest speaker, Chris Watts, of Dewey, Oklahoma encourages us to follow the example of the first Christians. Chris identifies five areas that are needed for Christians to make disciples in the community in which we live.

Matthew 17:1-8
The event of the transfiguration of Jesus showed Peter, James, and John who Jesus is. Followers of Jesus trust the testimony of those three disciples. As we learn to worship God in the way of Jesus, God provides the strength and comfort to live faithfully to Jesus's way.

Matthew 16:1-4
Jesus teaches that evidence of what God is doing in our time in history is as plain as a brilliant red sunset. But that does not mean that those signs are easy to understand. The experts in religion in Jesus's day were baffled by the signs of the kingdom of God that stared them in the face. Expert Bible knowledge is necessary, but there is much more to it than that. Disciples are expected to learn how to listen to God as he leads his Church through each season of history.

Matthew 13:51-52
Jesus concludes a series of parables about the kingdom of God with a parable about understanding his teaching about the kingdom of God. Those who understand, according to Jesus, are able to bring out new things along with the old things in the collection of Christian wisdom.

Matthew 13:47-50
Everyone is good for something. The key is to remember that "good" must be according to God's purposes. That is how we will be judged after all is sa​id and done.

Matthew 13:44-46
Jesus tells a parable about hidden treasure and another about an extraordinary pearl. Both stories highlight the joy of discovering what a person never dreamed of finding. Jesus says this is what it's like to find the Kingdom of God. Both stories also include the tell-tale sign that a person has truly found the kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:31-33
Jesus's double parable about how God's kingdom grows reassures disciples that God is always in charge of his historic project. Our responsibility is to be faithful to the kingdom "seed" as God has given it to us.

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43
In the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus teaches that God plans to leave the wicked in his world until the righteous have fully matured. The Parable promises divine resources for Christians to stand tall to the glory of God.