We Already Are [Matthew 28]

Sermon Notes (Mars Hill Bible Church)

• Lord, we submit our agendas–not our will, but Your will be done.
• For Jesus, power and authority were not to be exercised over but to be served under.
• He doesn’t come with the sword, but He comes with a towel (John 13).
• Jesus is not about forcing His way onto others.
• His excusia is an upside down kind of authority that comes from giving voice to those who have no voice, not trying to make your voice louder.
• The assumption of Jesus is that we’re already going places, and in our going we should “make disciples of all nations”.
• The fundamental posture of a talmeed is humility.
• I wouldn’t be a disciple if I had it all nailed down.
• The ethnos are people who aren’t like you.
• If you’re only around Christians… then you can’t make disciples.
• the ministry of muttering (Luke 15:2)   
• Do sinners want to hang out with you and Pharisees mutter against you? Then you’re like Jesus.
• Our maker is a relational being, a community of love.
• Immerse them in a Trinitarian community (Matthew 28:19).
• The question is not: When do you start teaching them about Jesus?–you’ve already been teaching them. The question is: What have you been teaching them?
• The Gospel of Jesus is not just something to be spoken.
• Central to being a disciple is you don’t have fear. What’s there to fear? He’s with you (vs. 20).
• A disciple of Jesus is somebody who is done pretending that everything is alright.
• They’re fully in tune with their brokenness.
• When Christians will only partner with other Christians, they’re telling people about Jesus.

Can’t get no satisfaction

Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. (1 Samuel 12:20-22)

The people of Israel asked for a king because they wanted to be like the other nations. They felt left out, like they were missing out on something great. I have done the very same thing. I thought that if I had sex I would gain something important–fill in a gap somewhere. How wrong I was…

Why is it that we have a natural inclination to pursue things that will not satisfy us? And even after having the experience and realizing that it didn’t satisfy, we keep going after it in hopes that next time will be different. It never is.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in rich food. (Isaiah 55:2)

A Plea

God, please teach me to be satisfied in you
          When my heart is breaking
Every time I feel like I’m gathering dust in a corner
         Brush me off and let your hands linger on my pages
Jesus, I need you to love me
          Because I’m too dirty for anyone else to love
I’ve given myself away for no price at all
          But please buy me back with everything you have