Sermon for May 18, 2008

“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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age”

      During Sunday School, a first grade class was asked to draw a picture of anything or anyone they chose during a 15 minute "DRAWING TIME." After a minute or two, one girl looked over  the  shoulder  of  her  friend  and eagerly asked, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DRAW?"
       Her friend answered excitedly, "I'M DRAWING A PICTURE OF GOD."  Her friend replied,  "What  do  you  mean that you are drawing a picture of God‑ NOBODY KNOWS WHAT GOD LOOKS LIKE!"  Her  little  friend   shook her   head  and  answered  with determination,  "THEY  WILL  WHEN   I  GET  THROUGH  WITH  MY DRAWING!"
       We don't know what the  little  girl finally drew on her paper, but we have to  be impressed with her DETERMINATION to have the people in her class know what God looks like!  Come to think of it, Isn't that the purpose of every Christian in his or her life‑ TO SHOW  PEOPLE  AROUND  US WHAT GOD IS LIKE‑ WE HAVE A JOB TO DO!  I  read  a definition of a Christian which  stated‑ "A CHRISTIAN IS A PERSON WHO MAKES IT EASY FOR OTHERS TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST  AS  THEIR SAVIOR!" (REPEAT)  How well does that definition hold true in our life?
       One  of the main reasons why God has put us here on earth is to show people by what we say and do, what God's Love  is  and means in their life. We are to give them  the  facts‑  that  God  is  the Creator and Savior, Holy  and  perfect;  and  that  He  is  loving, kind, merciful and  forgiving  through  His  Son  Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Our Redeemer.
       WE HAVE A JOB TO DO‑  Go‑  Make Disciples! in essence TO BRING CHRIST TO PEOPLE AND  NOT  BRING PEOPLE TO CHRIST.  Now that may sound confusing, but it is our job to Share the Good News of Jesus Christ with other  people and then the power of the Holy Spirit takes  over.   We  may have to keep reminding the  people,  because   they   may   forget   and  need  some encouragement along the way. 
       I read a story in the newspaper  which asked the question, “WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY?  78% said that they knew about  heaven; but only 29% thought their chances were EXCELLENT for them to get there.
60% of the people believe there is a hell- and only 2% of them thought they would go there.  SUMMARY- If 71% of people aren’t sure if they will go to heaven and only 2% think they will live forever in Hell, obviously many people don’t know where they are going to spend eternity!        WE HAVE A JOB TO DO- to “REACH OUT AND SHARE CHRIST’S LOVE  WITH ALL PEOPLE THROUGH  THE SAVING MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST IN GOD’S WORD! We  are  to be "FAITHFUL",  and "JUST DO IT" as Jesus Christ accomplishes his purpose of giving people saving faith for eternal life in heaven.
       Our JOB‑ which at  times  seems like Mission Impossible, whether not we  are  willing  to  accept  it  or  not‑  is to "GO‑MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE AND TEACH".   That is why we have a church and why we  worship together on Sundays.  As Matthew 28  (THE GREAT  COMMISSION  PASSAGE  TELLS  US)  "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing  them  in the name of the Father and of the Son and  of  the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have  commanded  you!"  This is the Gospel itself, PUT INTO WORDS FOR US TO PUT INTO ACTION!
       WE HAVE A JOB TO  DO‑  GO  AND  MAKE DISCIPLES!  And God has given us His Church  to  help  us accomplish that task!  We who gather here together to worship and to be strengthened in our Christian faith REJOICE WHEN OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN in the name of Jesus Christ.   We  REJOICE  WHEN  FELLOW SINNERS ARE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE  TRIUNE  GOD, GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY  SPIRIT for the forgiveness of their sins.  We REJOICE WHEN WE ARE TAUGHT THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL that Jesus Christ died and  rose  for all people.  We REJOICE when we receive our Lord's Body  and blood in, with and under the bread and the wine for  the  forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our faith and the promise of eternal life in heaven.
       WE HAVE A JOB TO DO!  This is an IMPOSSIBLE job to do by ourself, so Jesus  Christ  took  care  of  that  challenge by sending the Holy Spirit to  work  through God's Word, Baptism and the Lord's Supper to  enable  people to become Christians and believers in Jesus Christ as  their Savior in a visible way.  It is not by my own reason or strength that  I become a Christian, but the Holy Ghost has called me  by  the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified (Made me  holy and forgiven before God) and kept me in the one true faith.
       Jesus Christ places the awesome power of the Holy Spirit behind our text to accomplish  His  goal, that all people be  saved and come to the  knowledge  of  the truth and live with Him forever in heaven.  In  Matthew 28 Jesus answers the WHO, WHAT,  WHERE,  WHEN  AND  HOW  questions  for  our  job  as a Christian which is to  share  the  Good News of Jesus Christ, the Gospel Message of eternal life with the whole world.
       WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN THIS  JOB?   Every Christian has this GOD‑GIVEN job and assignment to do, our earthly homework from God.  It has been said that  every Christian knows at least 7 or 8 people who have never been baptized or taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE?  STOP AND PRAY EACH DAY- ASK GOD IN PRAYER TO HELP YOU SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST WITH THEM! God has  given each of us different talents, things that we do well  that  He  can use to help share God's Love and the message  of  Jesus  Christ with others.  What is your talent and gift and how can God use it to “REACH OUT AND SHARE CHRIST’S LOVE WITH OTHERS!”
         My job as your pastor is  to PRAY FOR YOU, to help you to use your gift, to teach and to train you from God's Word and then for you to "GO OUT AND DO GOD'S WORK"  as we become more “FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST” AND SERVE HIM during  the week.  Just think, if each of us here  takes  1 hour  a  week to tell someone else about Jesus, that is over 200  hours  of work that I would not be able to physically do even  if I tried because there are only 168 hours in a week for me just like everyone else.  I can't be in all the same places you are during the week and God has given you the opportunities to share CHRIST’S  Love in your own way, by what you say and do! I promise  to help you in whatever way I can and to pray that God blesses all of our efforts!
       Jesus also answers  the  "WHAT"  question  for the Great Commission.  "WHAT  ARE  WE  TO  DO?"   We  are  to "GO‑ MAKE DISCIPLES"  We who have come here to hear God's Word, to sing our favorite hymns are to "GO!   We who have been forgiven of our sins through Jesus  Christ's life, death and resurrection for us are to "GO!"  We  who have the promise of eternal life in heaven because  of  our  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  as our personal Savior are to "GO!"   GO‑GO‑GO! in the name of Jesus and with God's power in our life.
       God also tells us  "WHERE"  to  do  this job!"  Wherever there are people who do not  believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, who have not  been  baptized,  who  do not know about Jesus Christ, THAT IS THE  PLACE  THAT  WE ARE TO GO.  Making Disciples is the Number  1 challenge confronting God's Church and the challenge deserves and  demands  our very best effort from  everyone,  Parents   and   children,  grandparents  and grandchildren, young and old alike.  In the mind of God there is  "NO  DISTINCTION  BETWEEN   HOME   MISSIONS  AND  FOREIGN MISSIONS.  WHEREVER THERE IS  A  LOST  SOUL, THERE IS MISSION WORK TO BE DONE.  In fact, the United States has been identified as the 3rd largest Mission field in the world behind China and India because of the number of people in the United States who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior! This mission work often  is  done  on a one to one basis as we share what  Jesus  Christ  means  to  us personally in our life as a Christian.  If every person brought a person to church and Sunday School and Bible Class we would have over 400 people in our worship services and Bible Class and Sunday School next week.
       My prayer and vision for EPIPHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH is that the Worship Attendance Numbers and the Bible Class and Sunday School Attendance Numbers will grow and BE EQUAL in number!  Each of us need to do our part by attending BOTH WORSHIP SERVICES AND SUNDAY SCHOOL AND BIBLE CLASSES as we continue to be prepared and strengthened in our Christian faith for our job as Christians to “REACH OUT AND SHARE CHRIST’S LOVE!”
       Jesus also tells us in Matthew  28:  19 "WHEN" to do our job and that is "NOW!"  It  is a "PRESENT IMPERATIVE" for the English  grammar  and  Greek  majors,  of  TOP  PRIORITY, not something we are to postpone  until  we  are older or when we feel like it or when the mood  strikes  us.  We are to "DO IT NOW"‑ each  day  of  our  life.  Each  of  our  jobs "GO‑MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE AND TEACH" are  verbs  of action‑ of doing something on an ongoing basis.  We are to KEEP ON GOING, KEEP ON MAKING DISCIPLES, KEEP ON BAPTIZING, KEEP ON TEACHING".
       God also encourages us in our  job as a Christian on the "HOW" making disciples.  As Christians we are to BAPTIZE" and to "TEACH" God's Word.  in  our text "TEACHING AND BAPTIZING" are tied together. That is  why  we  are never too old or too young to attend Sunday  School  and  Bible class.  Even if we have done it in the past,  God  tells  us to keep on doing it today!  And I thank God  that  we have faithful and dedicated teachers and leaders in  our  Sunday  School.   It is truly a blessing that we  have  excellent  Sunday School teachers for each class who make  the  commitment  to touch children's and young  people's  and  Adult's   lives  with  God's  Word.   I encourage you to keep  them  in  your  prayers and say "Thank you" to them whenever you can.
       WHAT IS OUR JOB  THEN  AS  CHRISTIANS TODAY?  It involves each of us as  individual  Christians  as  well as members of God's Family of Faith‑ the Body of Believers‑ His Church!  We can give a CLEAR WITNESS of  the  love of God in Jesus Christ and what  it  means  to  us  by  faithfully  attending Sunday School, Bible Class and church.   We  do  this by making it a TOP PRIORITY in our life, the  best  way to start each week.  We pass on to each new  generation of people the pure message of the Good News of Jesus  Christ  as the only way to eternal life in heaven and proof of God's love for all people.
       WE HAVE A JOB TO DO!- To  every  lost  soul,  Jesus  Says,  "COME  TO  ME  for forgiveness and eternal life!" TO EVERY CHRISTIAN JESUS SAYS, "GO FOR ME!"