Sermons Preached In Moody Texas

Moody First United Methodist Church

Matthew 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Diana had an interesting experience this week. The pastor of a local Chinese congregation came to her office. He was a graduate of Truitt Seminary. This Chinese pastor shared plans to return to China as a missionary when his children are older.

Long before he was born-80 years ago-American missionaries went to China. This man’s grandmother heard the good news of a Savior named Jesus. She believed and became a disciple of Jesus Christ. This woman’s son came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and finally his son became the pastor of a Chinese church in America.

He spoke with excitement about America and its opportunities. He is extremely grateful for the American missionaries that brought Christianity into his life. He is thankful that the missionary took seriously the idea of making disciples of ALL NATIONS. He is so grateful that he and his wife hope to offer Christ to others in China. He has taken very seriously the idea of making disciples of ALL NATIONS.

These verses in Matthew 28 are some of the best known verses in scripture. Almost as well known as John 3:16. We call these verses the “Great Commission.” These are our “marching orders.”

This very important text gives us a hint at its significance when it tells us that the disciples are going to a mountain. It doesn’t say which mountain. That’s not important. They are going to a mountain. Important things take place on mountains. The scriptures are full of such important happenings. In the New Testament alone there is the sermon on the mount, the transfiguration, one of the temptations, and Jesus used mountains as a prayer retreat. Richard Donovan suggests the significance of the mountain is more theological than geographical, signaling the importance of this commissioning.(1)

Pay attention, people, this is an important lesson!

The clues don’t stop with “the mountain location.” Matthew says, “they worshiped him” when they saw him. “They worshiped him.” Jewish men don’t worship men. Jewish men don’t worship carved images of men. The Jewish people were particularly careful not to leave the impression of worshiping anything or anyone other than the one and only God….This one they are meeting on the mountain is far more than their earthly leader.

If that is not enough, Jesus assures them before commissioning them that his authority is over all heaven and earth. Jesus says, “I have the authority to do what I am about to do.” Jesus says, “I have the authority to commission you.”

Authority comes from different places. I have the authority given by the church and the state to marry people. I have been given authority by the church to baptize and serve Holy Communion. Police officers have the authority to arrest people given to them by the government. Our state and national representatives have the authority to make laws that is granted by the voters and the constitution.

Jesus had the authority to commission the disciples and all those disciples who followed. He has commissioned us to make disciples. So what does it mean, “to make disciples,” “to make followers of Jesus?”

This morning, I want to approach this important idea of making disciples from the approach used by Rick Warren and the Saddleback Community Church. In his book, The Purpose Driven Church, Warren shares what he calls his “Circle of Commitment.” This is actually 5 concentric rings, like a target. He suggests that the goal of the church is to move people from the outer circle representing low commitment to the inner circle representing high commitment. Helping people move to the center of this target I would call discipleship.

On the outer ring is the community. These are people in our community with no church home. The next ring toward the center he calls the Crowd. The crowd are those who are regular attenders of worship. They consist of both believers and non-believers.

After people become regular attenders, the goal of discipleship is to help them become the Congregation. These are the official members of the Saddleback Church. For that church only people who are regular attenders and who have profess Jesus as Savior can be members. He says they are also committed to the purpose of fellowship. It is a commitment to each other, the Body of Christ.

As people are discipled to the next ring, they move from “The Congregation” to “The Committed.” The committed are those people who covenant to a commitment of three spiritual disciplines: 1) having a daily quiet time, 2) tithing ten percent of their income, 3) being active in a small group.

The “bullseye” of Warren’s “Circle of Commitment” he calls “The Core.” These are the people who have the deepest commitment. These are the people who are committed to ministering to others. They are the leaders and teachers.(2)

The Saddleback model offers a perspective on what it is to make disciples. Making disciples is far more than introducing someone to Jesus. Making disciples is a process of helping others to be more and more deeply committed to Jesus Christ.

Sound tough…Don’t forget. Jesus closed this commission by saying, “I am with you always.”

Remember the first miracle recorded in John’s gospel. Jesus went with his mother to a wedding in Cana in Galilee. It was nearly an embracing moment when they ran out of wine. You remember the story, Jesus’ mother looked at him as if to say, “Do something.” Near by were 6 stone jars used for ritual washing. They could hold 20-30 gallons of water, but they were empty. They were empty. Remember, Jesus told the servants to fill them with water. Well, you know the rest of the story. He turned the water into wine, and the party continued.

I heard Doyle Allen share that story once. Doyle is now the Director of Connectional Ministries for our Annual Conference. When Doyle told that story, he focused on the empty jars. The jars were empty. Jesus started with empty jars. Jesus used empty jars. Then he said, “Empty…plenty of empty vessels around the church.”

The Jesus that transformed water into wine can transform “The Community” into “The Crowd;” “The Crowd” into “The Congregation;” “The Congregation” into “The Committed;” and “The Committed” into “The Core.” The Jesus that transformed water into wine sends missionaries to people who do not know Jesus so that they can become missionaries introducing others to Jesus. Jesus can do that! Jesus can do that, but he needs empty vessels. We call them disciples.

1. Richard Donovan, “SermonWriter for Trinity A”, e-mail service.

2. Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan Publishing, 1995, 131-4.

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