WEBVTT 00:00:02.499 --> 00:00:06.940 Thanks Kathleen. I thought it was really fun. 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:10.919 I can't think of the last time I went to a baseball 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:14.740 game. We have a baseball team right here in town. 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:21.699 The slogans that you guys came up with, we were 00:00:21.699 --> 00:00:24.100 chatting about it a little bit ahead of time 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:28.059 because they are these like. Public service announcements 00:00:28.059 --> 00:00:29.839 that all you have to do is sort of give a little 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:31.980 start to it and then everybody else can pretty 00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:36.000 much pick it up I was asking the the group of 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.179 us that were here. I don't know about 30 minutes 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:42.500 beforehand About ones that they remember and 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:46.200 immediately Andy goes And then he was like, this 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:53.340 is your brain What's the rest? Any questions 00:00:53.340 --> 00:00:56.500 which was Like the drug, Kayla and I were just 00:00:56.500 --> 00:00:59.759 saying, the drug campaign in the 80s went hard, 00:00:59.859 --> 00:01:04.480 right? Like, just say no. That's all you have 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:07.040 to do is just say no. But then this is your brain. 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:09.420 Just for context, for those of you who are like, 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:12.079 what happened just now when you guys all just 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:14.939 said that? There was like a guy, all he did was 00:01:14.939 --> 00:01:17.219 come out with a frying pan. It was already heated 00:01:17.219 --> 00:01:20.640 up. He said, this is your brain, right? It was 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:22.459 like, oh, the egg was your brain. This is your 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:24.920 brain. And then he craps it and puts it into 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:27.400 the frying pan, and it goes, shh. He's like, 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:29.900 this is your brain on drugs. And he throws it 00:01:29.900 --> 00:01:34.920 on the counter. Any questions? Also, the other 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:37.599 one that I was thinking about was the milk campaign. 00:01:39.060 --> 00:01:45.099 Not a brand. Just milk. Just milk. Which was 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:47.519 like we thought it was because like vitamin D 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.540 is gonna make our bones stronger It was like 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:53.459 no the farmers just really needed the dairy industry 00:01:53.459 --> 00:01:57.480 to succeed and so They worked with the government 00:01:57.480 --> 00:01:59.060 and then they were all of a sudden we were like 00:01:59.060 --> 00:02:03.739 we all gotta drink milk That's what we got to 00:02:03.739 --> 00:02:05.920 do guys and then those folks who have like dairy 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:13.189 intolerances are like So anyway, these are some 00:02:13.189 --> 00:02:16.710 of the messaging campaigns. The question at first 00:02:16.710 --> 00:02:19.509 is kind of like, oh, gosh. And then all of a 00:02:19.509 --> 00:02:21.349 sudden once you get going, you're like, oh, I 00:02:21.349 --> 00:02:26.210 got these, so many of them. So we'll get into 00:02:26.210 --> 00:02:31.610 messaging in a little bit, but today is the series 00:02:31.610 --> 00:02:35.189 end. This is the last Sunday in a three -month 00:02:35.189 --> 00:02:37.270 series we've been doing on the Book of Matthew. 00:02:37.629 --> 00:02:41.090 I love it when we can get into a whole book and 00:02:41.090 --> 00:02:45.530 just spend time going right through it. We get 00:02:45.530 --> 00:02:49.689 a full picture, which is how I encourage us to 00:02:49.689 --> 00:02:52.990 engage with the Bible, reading full books, getting 00:02:52.990 --> 00:02:56.969 full context, getting a full sense of a whole 00:02:56.969 --> 00:03:02.509 picture. The Bible can feel very, well, fractured 00:03:02.509 --> 00:03:05.169 if we're finding the verses that make us feel 00:03:05.169 --> 00:03:08.009 good. or feel really nice for like whatever the 00:03:08.009 --> 00:03:10.930 moment needs. And there is a place for that, 00:03:10.930 --> 00:03:13.430 but if that's all we're doing, then the Bible's, 00:03:13.770 --> 00:03:15.930 it's not gonna become the living word of God 00:03:15.930 --> 00:03:18.849 in us. It's not gonna become something that helps 00:03:18.849 --> 00:03:22.069 shape our worldview and helps form how we interact 00:03:22.069 --> 00:03:24.469 with others and care for others and the compassion 00:03:24.469 --> 00:03:29.389 that we have or the way that we understand the 00:03:29.389 --> 00:03:32.590 bigger picture. And so getting to dig into the 00:03:32.590 --> 00:03:35.020 whole book has been really good. And y 'all, 00:03:35.219 --> 00:03:37.520 we've been on a journey. We have kind of crossed, 00:03:37.539 --> 00:03:41.240 I mean, like every bridge you can cross. So quick 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:44.139 summary, we began this series back in April with 00:03:44.139 --> 00:03:47.039 the start point of Jesus' public ministry in 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:50.020 Matthew 4, Jesus having just come out from his 00:03:50.020 --> 00:03:52.879 40 days in the wilderness. We went on to visit 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.699 the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and learned 00:03:55.699 --> 00:04:00.500 who the blessed were in God's upside down kingdom. 00:04:01.060 --> 00:04:04.219 Alex took us through passages in Matthew 6 and 00:04:04.219 --> 00:04:06.759 reminded us that our service to the kingdom is 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:09.860 not performative, but is to be humble. In the 00:04:09.860 --> 00:04:12.039 same chapter on another week, we talked about 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:15.240 investing in what matters in this life. Matthew 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:18.519 7 encouraged us that God is available to all. 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:21.720 Matthew 12 gave us time to reflect on the impact 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:24.829 our words have. In Matthew 14, we heard the story 00:04:24.829 --> 00:04:28.089 of Jesus calling Peter out on the water, Jesus 00:04:28.089 --> 00:04:30.610 knowing that if Peter kept his eyes on him, he 00:04:30.610 --> 00:04:33.509 could meet him there. Matthew 16 reminded us 00:04:33.509 --> 00:04:35.550 that following Christ will cost us something. 00:04:36.189 --> 00:04:38.290 In Matthew 18, we stepped inside the parable 00:04:38.290 --> 00:04:40.949 of the unmerciful servant and learned about grace. 00:04:41.589 --> 00:04:44.149 Matthew 23 takes us into the beginning of Holy 00:04:44.149 --> 00:04:47.589 Week and Jesus encountering those who would not 00:04:47.589 --> 00:04:50.569 observe justice and mercy. We moved ahead to 00:04:50.569 --> 00:04:53.149 chapter 25 to understand that caring for the 00:04:53.149 --> 00:04:56.230 least of these is not an option. And in chapter 00:04:56.230 --> 00:04:59.649 27, we find ourselves front row to the preparation 00:04:59.649 --> 00:05:04.529 of and onto Christ's crucifixion. And though 00:05:04.529 --> 00:05:07.370 we don't focus on it because we are a different 00:05:07.370 --> 00:05:10.009 audience than the original and intended one, 00:05:10.730 --> 00:05:12.889 what would have been present in all of these 00:05:12.889 --> 00:05:16.170 passages throughout the whole gospel, is the 00:05:16.170 --> 00:05:19.129 writer would have been sticking to a very specific 00:05:19.129 --> 00:05:22.290 messaging. We've talked about this. We've reviewed 00:05:22.290 --> 00:05:26.430 this a few times. This book is largely to a Jewish 00:05:26.430 --> 00:05:30.709 audience. The book emphasizes that Jewish tradition 00:05:30.709 --> 00:05:33.790 should not be lost in an increasingly gentile 00:05:33.790 --> 00:05:37.329 church and presents Jesus as the Jewish messiah 00:05:37.329 --> 00:05:39.389 who fulfills prophecies written in the Jewish 00:05:39.389 --> 00:05:43.399 scriptures. However, It is also a book that consistently 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:45.500 conveys to its readers that Christ's message 00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:49.319 of love is one that goes beyond the law that 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:51.740 the Jewish religious leaders love to not only 00:05:51.740 --> 00:05:56.540 cling to but rule over others with. And it was 00:05:56.540 --> 00:05:59.180 written for people who would have grown up hearing 00:05:59.180 --> 00:06:01.959 the stories or come into communities of people 00:06:01.959 --> 00:06:04.480 that potentially had firsthand accounts. But 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:08.120 there were now many who would have been second 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:11.660 and maybe even third generation followers of 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:14.959 Christ. And the firsthand account folks were 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:19.399 thinning out. And it was written for a church 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:23.600 that was getting more and more spread out at 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:27.500 a rapid, rapid pace. And it reached as far as 00:06:27.500 --> 00:06:30.040 Rome and Carthage across the Mediterranean from 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:33.740 it. And potentially even as far east as India. 00:06:34.110 --> 00:06:37.470 If you think about the Roman Empire, the groundwork 00:06:37.470 --> 00:06:39.810 that was laid before it was Alexander the Great's 00:06:39.810 --> 00:06:44.129 conquest. And it went as far west as Rome, as 00:06:44.129 --> 00:06:48.870 Carthage, even close to Spain, and definitely 00:06:48.870 --> 00:06:53.129 hit the western side of India. And so that was 00:06:53.129 --> 00:06:56.069 the infrastructure in place for the spreading 00:06:56.069 --> 00:06:59.829 of this message. The message, the movement having 00:06:59.829 --> 00:07:02.310 followed well -established trade routes in the 00:07:02.310 --> 00:07:05.319 well -developed empire, This would be like, just 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:07.819 to give you a sense of scope, traveling from 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:11.379 Washington D .C. to New Mexico or Nebraska or 00:07:11.379 --> 00:07:14.079 going in the other direction imagining Jerusalem 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:17.519 was L .A. and Mumbai in India would be a city 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.800 on the east coast of the U .S. So what I'm saying 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:25.279 is it reached far at a time when a movement that 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:29.800 began in a small rural area of Palestine really 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:32.339 shouldn't have amounted to much more than a local 00:07:32.339 --> 00:07:35.740 fandom. And the government certainly worked very 00:07:35.740 --> 00:07:41.100 hard to keep it that way. And so, as far as movements 00:07:41.100 --> 00:07:45.639 go, you're sort of in and even almost beyond 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:48.199 them before you're realizing there's something 00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:52.779 here to hold onto. You don't always know, and 00:07:52.779 --> 00:07:55.100 quite frequently you don't know, until you're 00:07:55.100 --> 00:07:58.220 far down the line that something important is 00:07:58.220 --> 00:08:02.259 happening. and something to maintain and manage. 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:05.740 And so Matthew had to get very specific things 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:09.339 distributed to very specific people before time 00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:13.620 ran out to do it. And you know how quickly a 00:08:13.620 --> 00:08:16.720 message can change from its original, right? 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:18.779 Did anyone grow up playing the game telephone? 00:08:19.980 --> 00:08:23.839 I need six to eight volunteers. I'm not kidding, 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:26.620 come on up. I wanna show how this goes, yeah. 00:08:26.819 --> 00:08:34.679 Adley Wallace, need a few more. Bradley. Kayla. 00:08:35.659 --> 00:08:37.080 She doesn't even go to church here, guys, if 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.639 she's volunteering. Aw, look at this. Okay, this 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:45.019 is good. All right, so I need to not have my 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:47.179 mic on. Jake, can you mute my mic for a second? 00:09:25.769 --> 00:09:28.250 Okay, not bad. Where can I find the squirrel? 00:09:28.330 --> 00:09:31.629 That's what it was. So it didn't change too badly. 00:09:31.730 --> 00:09:34.389 Thank you guys. But that's the idea of telephone, 00:09:34.429 --> 00:09:40.570 right? There's sort of like a message that you're 00:09:40.570 --> 00:09:44.669 like, what? I don't quite, I don't know if I 00:09:44.669 --> 00:09:47.649 have all of that. And so when it gets passed 00:09:47.649 --> 00:09:49.730 on to the next person, you might not remember 00:09:49.730 --> 00:09:52.710 every detail or the syllable may not come across 00:09:52.710 --> 00:09:55.269 as clearly as you had hoped. And eventually, 00:09:55.289 --> 00:09:57.750 by the time it gets down the line, you're like, 00:09:57.809 --> 00:10:02.370 that's not what I said. That was a weird interpretation. 00:10:03.389 --> 00:10:05.830 And so this is, I mean, imagine this is like 00:10:05.830 --> 00:10:10.389 a very micro scale, right, of how a message that 00:10:10.389 --> 00:10:15.750 needs to go over a large range of space can potentially 00:10:15.750 --> 00:10:23.009 change. So that is a challenge. Messages have 00:10:23.009 --> 00:10:26.769 a way of getting out of hand quickly, right? 00:10:27.809 --> 00:10:31.149 Also, this is just like a story because it's 00:10:31.149 --> 00:10:34.049 really funny. You know when you're young, you 00:10:34.049 --> 00:10:36.730 think lyrics of songs are something and then 00:10:36.730 --> 00:10:39.250 they're definitely, you grow up and then you're 00:10:39.250 --> 00:10:43.750 like, that's not it. One of my favorite ones 00:10:43.750 --> 00:10:49.450 is there's a Barbra Streisand song that a friend 00:10:49.450 --> 00:10:54.000 of mine and Cindy and Greg's If you grew up in 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.139 the 70s and 80s, you knew the song The Way We 00:10:56.139 --> 00:10:59.360 Were. And so there's a line that goes, scattered 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:04.080 pictures can be beautiful and yet. And until 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:08.399 college, a friend of ours thought it was, cats 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:16.039 in pictures. And it is, I hope I never, ever 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:21.200 forget it. Like, when I am, If my mind leaves 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.200 me at some point in my life, I hope that that 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:27.399 stays in there somewhere. I really need it to. 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:31.679 But hearing things and carrying things, we just 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.759 aren't always great at capturing exactly what 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:39.120 that message was. And so as I said, messages, 00:11:40.340 --> 00:11:48.169 they can just get out of hand quickly. Honestly, 00:11:48.169 --> 00:11:51.009 if we had done the telephone game in the room, 00:11:51.009 --> 00:11:52.889 like started over here and just sent it right 00:11:52.889 --> 00:11:57.389 on across, it would have gotten chaotic. But 00:11:57.389 --> 00:11:59.549 also it would have been really fascinating to 00:11:59.549 --> 00:12:02.889 track how and where those changes occurred. Like 00:12:02.889 --> 00:12:05.730 even if we sent like two different streams going, 00:12:05.809 --> 00:12:08.210 like the front row and the back row, we would 00:12:08.210 --> 00:12:10.250 have gotten something very different by the time 00:12:10.250 --> 00:12:13.289 we got over here. And I think that that is, that's 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:16.600 a, way to think through, like this message going 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:20.200 from Jerusalem, and going east, and going west, 00:12:20.340 --> 00:12:22.940 and going southwest, and going southeast, sorry 00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:25.679 that's the reverse for you guys, this is northeast, 00:12:26.139 --> 00:12:30.460 this is north, southwest, or southeast. So thinking 00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:35.759 through how messages change, this was fraught 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:40.360 from the start, I think. And so I've been talking 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.019 a lot about Matthew's messaging here and the 00:12:43.019 --> 00:12:48.820 challenge he had in making sure, like, OK, we've 00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:54.539 got to capture this message now. It has to happen. 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:58.159 And this is the moment. We've got to have it. 00:12:58.259 --> 00:13:01.799 But even by then, you're really fighting against 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:06.059 time. And it's. you're talking like 25 to 60 00:13:06.059 --> 00:13:08.700 years of separation from the events of Jesus. 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:12.759 And so already you wonder how much of the message 00:13:12.759 --> 00:13:15.139 did we, I mean, do we have everything? I believe 00:13:15.139 --> 00:13:18.679 that we have what we need, but it is now that 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:23.240 we finally come to the messaging here in Matthew 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:28.759 28, we have come to the end of the gospel. We've 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:30.820 come to the end of what Matthew needs to tell 00:13:30.820 --> 00:13:36.289 us. I think we can also safely say that we have 00:13:36.289 --> 00:13:40.009 come in a very real way to the beginning as well. 00:13:41.330 --> 00:13:44.070 So we're gonna read Matthew 28, 16 through 20. 00:13:44.190 --> 00:13:46.250 Here at the house we have a tradition of standing 00:13:46.250 --> 00:13:49.090 if you are able, but giving the scriptures our 00:13:49.090 --> 00:13:54.850 full attention. So Matthew 28, 16 through 20. 00:13:55.169 --> 00:13:57.809 If you're in the New Testament, it's the first 00:13:57.809 --> 00:14:00.629 book and it's gonna be the very end of it before 00:14:00.629 --> 00:14:07.000 you move on to... So Matthew 28, 16 through 20, 00:14:07.100 --> 00:14:08.879 there are Bibles on the table. You can also use 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:14.259 your phone. It's not a very long verse. And I'm 00:14:14.259 --> 00:14:16.720 reading from the New Revised Standard version, 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:21.120 updated edition. It says, now the 11 disciples 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:24.539 went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus 00:14:24.539 --> 00:14:28.100 had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped 00:14:28.100 --> 00:14:32.240 him or fell down before him. But they doubted. 00:14:32.509 --> 00:14:36.230 And Jesus came and said to them, all authority 00:14:36.230 --> 00:14:39.029 in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 00:14:39.730 --> 00:14:42.570 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 00:14:43.289 --> 00:14:45.470 baptizing them in the name of the Father and 00:14:45.470 --> 00:14:48.610 the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them 00:14:48.610 --> 00:14:51.509 to observe everything that I have commanded you. 00:14:51.669 --> 00:14:55.370 And remember, I am with you always to the very 00:14:55.370 --> 00:15:00.740 end of the age. God, I pray that these words 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:05.080 settle deeply into our hearts. That they become 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:08.860 not just truth to whole, but truth that leads 00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:13.820 us, encourages us, challenges us, and sends us 00:15:13.820 --> 00:15:18.879 forward. That we would open our ears, that our 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:20.440 ears would be open, that our hearts would be 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:22.320 open, that our eyes would be open to what it 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:27.590 is that you have for us. And that. As individuals 00:15:27.590 --> 00:15:30.110 and as a community, we would respond with open 00:15:30.110 --> 00:15:34.230 hearts. I pray this in your name. Amen. Maybe 00:15:34.230 --> 00:15:40.129 seated. So if you've been around the church, 00:15:40.289 --> 00:15:43.789 not just this church, but the church for a while, 00:15:43.850 --> 00:15:47.629 you might know this passage as the Great Commission, 00:15:48.370 --> 00:15:52.289 which is a 19th century tack on for a passage 00:15:52.289 --> 00:15:56.299 that became. fuel for the modern global missions 00:15:56.299 --> 00:15:59.700 movement and sent people from local churches 00:15:59.700 --> 00:16:04.100 in order to fulfill the Great Commission But 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:07.759 let's be clear. It is not that it is part that 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:13.120 but it is not only that This call is for all 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:19.080 people who follow Jesus We're gonna go backwards 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:23.820 through this verse But I just want to say it's 00:16:23.820 --> 00:16:27.200 kind of risky business to, on Jesus' part, to 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.919 simply just say go and tell. Because surely he 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:33.379 must have known how convoluted that message could 00:16:33.379 --> 00:16:36.600 get in a short period of time. Surely he must 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:38.820 have known somewhere far ahead in the 20th century, 00:16:38.820 --> 00:16:41.279 and I did say 20th century, I am referring to 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.919 the mid to late 1900s, someone would invent the 00:16:44.919 --> 00:16:46.980 game telephone to illustrate this perfectly. 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:52.269 And yet, he entrusted this message. not to people 00:16:52.269 --> 00:16:55.330 who would organize themselves really well and 00:16:55.330 --> 00:16:57.929 have a highly detailed org chart and take really 00:16:57.929 --> 00:17:00.429 good notes in the moment and get them distributed 00:17:00.429 --> 00:17:03.610 to all related personnel by the end of the workday. 00:17:04.930 --> 00:17:08.690 He entrusted this message to scrappy people and 00:17:08.690 --> 00:17:12.230 rough people and the meek and those who were 00:17:12.230 --> 00:17:17.049 going through some stuff. And he told them, bring 00:17:17.049 --> 00:17:21.470 others along. Tell them, what you know about 00:17:21.470 --> 00:17:25.829 me. Help them on the way. Talk about hope and 00:17:25.829 --> 00:17:29.990 justice and mercy and faith. Help them when words 00:17:29.990 --> 00:17:33.329 land hard and they injure and care for each other 00:17:33.329 --> 00:17:36.309 when you're not doing well. Practice forgiveness 00:17:36.309 --> 00:17:39.130 and turn from the things that are hurting others. 00:17:39.289 --> 00:17:42.930 And when they go out from where you are, tell 00:17:42.930 --> 00:17:45.910 them to keep the message going so that others 00:17:45.910 --> 00:17:52.140 may know. And that could be a little irresponsible, 00:17:53.099 --> 00:17:56.160 to just send people off with good news and hope 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:58.740 that it won't turn into something fluffy and 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:02.599 feel goody, or on the other end, ferocetical, 00:18:02.859 --> 00:18:05.240 where it's like, this is how you have to live. 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:08.960 He didn't just give them a message and send them 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:14.359 on their way. At the end, it says, and remember, 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:18.599 I am with you always to the very end of the age. 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:27.740 He sent them off with him himself. And so, Bradley, 00:18:27.779 --> 00:18:31.279 when you move in a few weeks, keep the message 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:35.460 with you. Keep what you experienced here and 00:18:35.460 --> 00:18:39.140 take it with you to share. And Liam, when you 00:18:39.140 --> 00:18:42.339 go to school in this fall, take the message with 00:18:42.339 --> 00:18:47.970 you. It also has been shared and entrusted to 00:18:47.970 --> 00:18:50.910 you to share with others. Take it with you where 00:18:50.910 --> 00:18:54.450 you go. For those who still have vacations this 00:18:54.450 --> 00:18:58.390 summer, Jesus goes with you, take the message 00:18:58.390 --> 00:19:03.069 with you, share it, invite people to the message. 00:19:03.849 --> 00:19:08.990 Jesus is with you. We all go together with him. 00:19:10.710 --> 00:19:16.579 Jesus sent them off with himself. because the 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:20.200 key reality of why this message is so much more 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:22.900 than just good vibes and immaculate energy is 00:19:22.900 --> 00:19:27.900 because it is rooted in a living Christ. It is 00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:31.259 not a message of fandom where we all still get 00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:33.660 together to obsess over and steep in the writings 00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:36.000 of Mary Shelley, though I would be here for that. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.720 It is a transforming message of life and hope 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:45.250 for all who hear it. to all that it has been 00:19:45.250 --> 00:19:51.049 extended to. And it is sustained not by us, but 00:19:51.049 --> 00:19:53.990 by the living Christ who sent us and lives within 00:19:53.990 --> 00:20:02.769 that message. Which is greatly encouraging. These 00:20:02.769 --> 00:20:06.650 decades after Jesus' resurrection were potent, 00:20:07.569 --> 00:20:11.930 they were dense, but they were fragile. So many 00:20:11.930 --> 00:20:14.519 things. could have snuffed this message out. 00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:19.220 So many things tried. There were plenty of other 00:20:19.220 --> 00:20:24.039 compelling ideas at the very least. For example, 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:27.920 there is a single sentence tucked in at the end 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:31.000 of the paragraph previous to this one at the 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:36.220 end of verses 11 through 15 in chapter 28. And 00:20:36.220 --> 00:20:39.380 I want to note here that I think it is like really, 00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:41.480 really, really important to keep at the forefront 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:44.220 of our minds, though it's already been implied, 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:49.700 the book of Matthew is not an account of things 00:20:49.700 --> 00:20:55.680 happening in real time, right? We do often read 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:58.500 scripture as though we're dropping into the events 00:20:58.500 --> 00:21:00.660 as they unfold, almost like we're watching a 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:04.420 movie. We are not. We are dropping into events 00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:08.750 as they are remembered. And in this case, As 00:21:08.750 --> 00:21:12.730 I said, anywhere from 25 to even maybe 60 years 00:21:12.730 --> 00:21:17.089 after the event. And so for this passage, we're 00:21:17.089 --> 00:21:21.329 dropping back into when the resurrected Jesus 00:21:21.329 --> 00:21:27.450 shows up, we're remembering that, so that preceding 00:21:27.450 --> 00:21:29.630 this, the Mary's head to the tomb, this is where 00:21:29.630 --> 00:21:35.410 we are, understandably assuming to find a not 00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:39.799 living Jesus. That would be reasonable. There 00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:42.640 was an earthquake, which was not uncommon for 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:45.539 the area, except that it ended up coming complete 00:21:45.539 --> 00:21:48.599 with an angel messenger. The one you seek is 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:52.460 not here. His appearance, it says, was like lightning, 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:55.220 and his clothing white as snow, and the guards 00:21:55.220 --> 00:21:57.339 that were there shook and fell to the ground, 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:01.259 whereas the woman kept their chill. So picking 00:22:01.259 --> 00:22:04.720 up at verse 11. Presumably after the guards have 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.880 picked themselves back up again and dusted themselves 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:11.000 off, it goes on to say, some of the guards went 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:14.019 into the city and told the chief priests everything 00:22:14.019 --> 00:22:17.339 that had happened. After the priests had assembled 00:22:17.339 --> 00:22:20.299 with the elders, they devised a plan to give 00:22:20.299 --> 00:22:23.740 a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:28.059 them, you must say, his disciples came by at 00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:30.279 night and stole him away while we were asleep. 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:34.240 If this comes to the governor's ears, we will 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:37.380 satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So they 00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:39.940 took the money and did as they were directed, 00:22:40.299 --> 00:22:42.799 in spite of what they saw, in spite of what they 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:46.779 knew. And the last sentence in this section says, 00:22:47.420 --> 00:22:51.079 and this story is still told among the Judeans 00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:57.259 to this day. The Judeans are the Jews. And so 00:22:57.259 --> 00:23:01.720 it is part of the competing messaging. Keep the 00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:04.819 Jews believing this is a hoax. Perpetuate the 00:23:04.819 --> 00:23:07.460 message that this was all a sham. Jesus resurrected, 00:23:07.700 --> 00:23:10.500 never happened. This was advantageous to the 00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:13.079 authorities in Jerusalem to perpetuate this message. 00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:18.259 But what I'm saying is, Matthew's relating events 00:23:18.259 --> 00:23:21.720 to us in remembrance, but he just takes a quick 00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:24.680 aside and says to his audience, by the way, this 00:23:24.680 --> 00:23:27.640 is still a message that's occurring. 60 years 00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:31.349 later, potentially. He all of a sudden just sort 00:23:31.349 --> 00:23:34.309 of like steps out of the story and reminds them, 00:23:34.829 --> 00:23:37.390 we still have this message in front of us. This 00:23:37.390 --> 00:23:43.289 is still happening. And Matthew is saying, but 00:23:43.289 --> 00:23:47.589 don't take it in. Don't believe it. Don't let 00:23:47.589 --> 00:23:52.930 it change what you know to be true. And I think 00:23:52.930 --> 00:23:55.049 what it comes down to for these OGs at the time 00:23:55.049 --> 00:23:57.430 is like we can't let this message fade. I think 00:23:57.430 --> 00:23:59.069 that that's what they were watching happening. 00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:03.160 They were watching this message get integrated 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:05.799 and convoluted and changed, and they were like, 00:24:06.599 --> 00:24:11.859 we can't let that happen. We need to address 00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:14.700 this. We may not be ahead of it, but we can at 00:24:14.700 --> 00:24:18.519 least maybe staunch some of it. We can't let 00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:21.559 it drop out of sight. We can't let history or 00:24:21.559 --> 00:24:25.960 competing ideas overwrite this. And so this is 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:27.880 where the final message in this book is really 00:24:27.880 --> 00:24:31.859 important, because now that the church, at this 00:24:31.859 --> 00:24:37.559 time of reading, is entirely decentralized, used 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:41.000 to be Jerusalem. That's where you knew your center 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:45.759 of spiritual worship was. So while the Jerusalem 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:48.299 church still held a foundational place of honor 00:24:48.299 --> 00:24:51.690 in the early decades, Other regional epicenters 00:24:51.690 --> 00:24:54.569 quickly developed in cities like Antioch, where 00:24:54.569 --> 00:24:57.329 this gospel was likely written. It's in southern 00:24:57.329 --> 00:25:03.130 Turkey and the border of Syria. Ephesus. Alexandria 00:25:03.130 --> 00:25:08.069 and the northern coast of Egypt, where tradition 00:25:08.069 --> 00:25:10.630 holds that Mark founded the church and led there. 00:25:11.450 --> 00:25:14.210 And eventually Rome, which operated, these all 00:25:14.210 --> 00:25:18.299 operated independently. People needed to know 00:25:18.299 --> 00:25:22.000 how to go forward and what to do when Jesus had 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:25.160 not yet come back like how they thought he would. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:28.740 You know, right after Jesus ascended into heaven, 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:32.559 the idea was, we're just gonna hang tight. And 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:36.140 he's coming back soon. He's coming back real 00:25:36.140 --> 00:25:40.200 soon. And then the groceries have to get bought. 00:25:40.980 --> 00:25:43.759 And the kids gotta go to school. And Jesus hasn't 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:48.220 come back yet. We got to figure out how to live. 00:25:48.539 --> 00:25:50.619 In fact, we got to figure out how to do this 00:25:50.619 --> 00:25:53.680 thing decades and decades out. What was it, he 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:56.420 said? What was it we're trying to remember? What 00:25:56.420 --> 00:26:00.400 do we hold to? What are our tenets? What are 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:04.119 our core? What is it about Jesus that we need 00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:11.720 to hold tightly to? People needed to know how 00:26:11.720 --> 00:26:14.710 to go forward and what to do. when Jesus had 00:26:14.710 --> 00:26:17.690 not yet come back, like how he thought he would, 00:26:20.910 --> 00:26:24.930 goes on to say, baptizing them in the name of 00:26:24.930 --> 00:26:30.289 the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. For 00:26:30.289 --> 00:26:33.930 all new followers of Jesus, this is interesting 00:26:33.930 --> 00:26:36.029 because again, if this is a Jewish audience, 00:26:37.349 --> 00:26:41.130 the thing that identifies you, like specifically 00:26:41.130 --> 00:26:46.200 if you're male, covenant with Abraham and God 00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:51.000 was circumcision. And what Matthew is saying 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:56.319 is nothing about that. He's saying, you can go 00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:58.200 and baptize people in the name of the Father 00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:00.900 and the Son and the Holy Spirit. They would have 00:27:00.900 --> 00:27:04.619 understood that only special people did this. 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:09.420 Only special people had disciples, learned or 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:12.779 sometimes crazy, like John the Baptist, who lived 00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:17.539 out in the Forreston ate a lot of honey. Only 00:27:17.539 --> 00:27:20.640 a certain people had disciples, not regular people. 00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:25.819 And here, Matthew was saying, you are gonna go. 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:31.759 Jesus has told us, it's us. He's relaying. Jesus 00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:35.720 has said, you will now go and baptize in the 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:41.519 name of the Father and Son and the Spirit. I 00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:43.920 would also like to mention I find this very interesting. 00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:47.559 This isn't just the first time this specific 00:27:47.559 --> 00:27:50.319 statement is given, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:53.519 as far as how you baptize. It is the only time. 00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:59.380 It is the only time in scripture that it is said, 00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:02.700 baptize in the name of the Father and the Son 00:28:02.700 --> 00:28:06.880 and the Holy Spirit. Not even Peter or Paul give 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:10.500 this full statement. Both of them talk about 00:28:10.650 --> 00:28:12.869 being baptized, but they say just in the name 00:28:12.869 --> 00:28:17.170 of Jesus. Matthew is doing something unique here. 00:28:17.910 --> 00:28:20.670 Matthew is highlighting that this is the way, 00:28:21.390 --> 00:28:24.329 because not only is this Jesus the resurrected 00:28:24.329 --> 00:28:26.750 Messiah that the Hebrew scriptures talked about, 00:28:26.890 --> 00:28:30.750 again, he's always trying to speak to a Jewish 00:28:30.750 --> 00:28:35.410 audience that may not have fully grasped this. 00:28:37.809 --> 00:28:41.109 Not only is this the Jesus that, is the resurrected 00:28:41.109 --> 00:28:42.710 Messiah that the Hebrew scriptures talked about, 00:28:42.869 --> 00:28:47.690 but that Jesus is equal to the Father, and the 00:28:47.690 --> 00:28:51.470 Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son. His 00:28:51.470 --> 00:28:54.549 audience needed to hear this as loudly as it 00:28:54.549 --> 00:28:59.089 could be said. This was unique. This was very 00:28:59.089 --> 00:29:07.369 specific. The thing about this message is, or 00:29:07.369 --> 00:29:10.349 this passage is most of us, if we've been around 00:29:10.349 --> 00:29:13.309 the church for a minute, have heard this passage. 00:29:13.490 --> 00:29:17.470 It is not, you could probably quote it, you learned 00:29:17.470 --> 00:29:22.630 it at some point. It's very straightforward and 00:29:22.630 --> 00:29:27.470 it is very simple. But having heard what we have 00:29:27.470 --> 00:29:31.529 heard these last few months, we have now been, 00:29:32.069 --> 00:29:35.509 I would say, differently equipped, we have been 00:29:35.509 --> 00:29:38.509 built up, we have been challenged, we have been 00:29:38.670 --> 00:29:43.150 reminded and we've been redirected. And we end 00:29:43.150 --> 00:29:49.150 up here saying we are to make disciples. Us. 00:29:50.789 --> 00:29:57.049 Not just the pastors or the elders, but we do 00:29:57.049 --> 00:30:03.329 this. And I'm encouraged that it like, sure, 00:30:03.549 --> 00:30:05.950 I went through special training to become a pastor. 00:30:06.069 --> 00:30:08.569 That is what I did. but you don't have to go 00:30:08.569 --> 00:30:11.069 to special training to be a follower of Jesus. 00:30:13.170 --> 00:30:17.369 None of us do. We just get to follow Jesus. And 00:30:17.369 --> 00:30:19.769 we just get to learn about him and tell others 00:30:19.769 --> 00:30:25.450 what we know and share and then teach them along. 00:30:25.769 --> 00:30:28.509 I've taught piano lessons for 25 years, but I 00:30:28.509 --> 00:30:31.029 love it when I try to encourage my students to 00:30:31.029 --> 00:30:34.099 also teach lessons. And over the years, a number 00:30:34.099 --> 00:30:35.720 of them have. But I've told them, you just have 00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:39.259 to know one more thing than they know. Just one 00:30:39.259 --> 00:30:42.559 more, right? Just each week, just know one more 00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:45.480 thing than they know, and that's great. But I 00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:47.579 think that's how it goes, too. When you disciple 00:30:47.579 --> 00:30:49.740 somebody, that's like, you know, the rabbinical 00:30:49.740 --> 00:30:53.579 tradition is, like, you have somebody who has 00:30:53.579 --> 00:30:55.319 some knowledge, and then you have people that 00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:59.190 follow along. And I'm not saying come up with 00:30:59.190 --> 00:31:01.069 a fan base, guys. This is not what I'm looking 00:31:01.069 --> 00:31:03.829 at. But I'm saying that's the idea. Just know 00:31:03.829 --> 00:31:06.930 a little bit more along the journey. If you have 00:31:06.930 --> 00:31:08.910 a little life experience, if you've known Jesus 00:31:08.910 --> 00:31:12.650 for a little bit of time, just share them. Share 00:31:12.650 --> 00:31:16.089 what you know with others, and then lead them 00:31:16.089 --> 00:31:22.450 along. God is with you. Jesus walks with you. 00:31:22.789 --> 00:31:25.470 This is not you, again, making your own fan club. 00:31:25.819 --> 00:31:29.700 This is you sharing about the Jesus you walk 00:31:29.700 --> 00:31:32.420 with, who is with you always to the very end 00:31:32.420 --> 00:31:36.480 of the age, and sharing that Jesus with somebody 00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:39.920 else. And then you walk along together. And then 00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:41.960 you share what you know. And eventually somebody 00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:44.259 else is sharing what they know with you. And 00:31:44.259 --> 00:31:46.000 then you're like, oh, I'll come along with you. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:48.940 That's how this works in the kingdom. And I love 00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:52.779 that aspect of it. It is very ordinary people 00:31:52.779 --> 00:32:00.059 based. What a good word for us. That Jesus is 00:32:00.059 --> 00:32:02.480 with us to the very end of the age. We're not 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.920 doing this by ourselves. We're not meant to. 00:32:05.440 --> 00:32:07.759 Heaven forbid we should. Heaven forbid we do, 00:32:07.859 --> 00:32:12.259 right? But again, this message, this thing that 00:32:12.259 --> 00:32:16.019 Jesus leaves us with, it is clear and understandable 00:32:16.019 --> 00:32:21.539 in every era, in every context. There's a lot 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:23.319 of stuff in scripture that you're like, Well, 00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:25.220 because we didn't live then, we don't know the 00:32:25.220 --> 00:32:27.640 context of it. We don't get, and that is true. 00:32:28.019 --> 00:32:30.720 I do encourage a lot of contextual understanding. 00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:33.500 I encourage us to ask questions when the Bible 00:32:33.500 --> 00:32:35.960 says something that we're like, I don't get it. 00:32:36.460 --> 00:32:39.900 But this message in particular is very straightforward. 00:32:40.980 --> 00:32:43.799 I think you could drop into any era in time, 00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:47.400 any context, and I think it could make sense, 00:32:47.420 --> 00:32:51.140 because it is that simple. And that is the last 00:32:51.140 --> 00:32:54.220 thing Jesus left us with. is this really simple 00:32:54.220 --> 00:32:58.420 message of sharing. Just share him. Just tell 00:32:58.420 --> 00:33:03.440 others. Just let others know. Baptize them in 00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:05.000 the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:08.099 Spirit. Let them know that I am with them too 00:33:08.099 --> 00:33:13.059 until the very end of the age. What a joyful 00:33:13.059 --> 00:33:22.059 idea. I love that. So as we wrap this up, I don't 00:33:22.059 --> 00:33:24.660 know. think about what that means for you. I 00:33:24.660 --> 00:33:27.119 think for some that can feel like a very like, 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:31.019 oh gosh, you know, the idea of like this spiritual 00:33:31.019 --> 00:33:33.359 life and helping others along feels very like 00:33:33.359 --> 00:33:37.079 somebody else does that, that's not me. But I 00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:40.000 think we've all certainly, we can all think of 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:42.359 opportunities that have come our way in which 00:33:42.359 --> 00:33:46.880 sharing was in front of us to do. Whether you 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:49.940 did it or not is, I don't know, but like the 00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:51.950 opportunities have certainly been there. And 00:33:51.950 --> 00:33:54.690 I just want to encourage you to take heart, because 00:33:54.690 --> 00:33:59.069 Jesus is with you. Jesus is with you. You just 00:33:59.069 --> 00:34:02.369 get to talk about somebody you love, somebody 00:34:02.369 --> 00:34:05.509 who's been good to you, somebody who's cared 00:34:05.509 --> 00:34:08.650 for you. You can share about the way God's provided 00:34:08.650 --> 00:34:12.730 for you or the way God's transformed you. There's 00:34:12.730 --> 00:34:15.429 so much we get to say. There's so much we get 00:34:15.429 --> 00:34:21.550 to share. And I rarely find when any of that 00:34:21.550 --> 00:34:24.329 stuff is done with genuine love towards another 00:34:24.329 --> 00:34:29.070 person, it is rarely met with hostility and grumpiness 00:34:29.070 --> 00:34:32.349 when people are hearing. I think people like 00:34:32.349 --> 00:34:35.230 hearing people talk about something they love. 00:34:38.829 --> 00:34:40.909 And so the more you learn about Jesus and the 00:34:40.909 --> 00:34:43.550 more you spend time with the Lord, I think that 00:34:43.550 --> 00:34:46.449 that is something that comes out of us joyfully. 00:34:49.070 --> 00:34:51.949 Let's take a moment to pray. We'll have an opportunity 00:34:51.949 --> 00:34:54.429 during communion here in a moment to even think 00:34:54.429 --> 00:34:57.230 further on these things, just in the quietness 00:34:57.230 --> 00:35:01.849 of reflection, but let's pray together. Jesus, 00:35:01.869 --> 00:35:03.809 thank you for your words that you shared with 00:35:03.809 --> 00:35:08.130 us. I'm grateful that the last thing you said 00:35:08.130 --> 00:35:11.849 was not complicated. It was very straightforward. 00:35:13.329 --> 00:35:17.070 It was encouraging to know that you were with 00:35:17.070 --> 00:35:23.099 us always. That's a great joy. Help us take heart 00:35:23.099 --> 00:35:26.219 in that and be encouraged and lifted up and bolstered 00:35:26.219 --> 00:35:34.340 by that. Help us be mindful too of what it might 00:35:34.340 --> 00:35:38.559 mean to live in a way that recognizes that others 00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:41.239 might be interested in coming along as well on 00:35:41.239 --> 00:35:46.739 the journey. And how to be open to others learning 00:35:46.739 --> 00:35:50.050 about you through us. and what that could look 00:35:50.050 --> 00:35:56.750 like. It would be really special, Lord, to see 00:35:56.750 --> 00:36:02.230 if this community alone grew simply because we 00:36:02.230 --> 00:36:06.070 as a community understood, I just really love 00:36:06.070 --> 00:36:10.989 Jesus and I just wanna talk about what I love 00:36:10.989 --> 00:36:13.949 and who I love and the way God is always with 00:36:13.949 --> 00:36:20.090 me. So for some of us, we may need new boldness 00:36:20.090 --> 00:36:23.250 or bravery and courage, and I pray that you provide 00:36:23.250 --> 00:36:26.570 that. I believe you will. You are with us always. 00:36:28.550 --> 00:36:33.349 Some of us, our hearts need to be more open and 00:36:33.349 --> 00:36:41.949 loving others big and more. But you are with 00:36:41.949 --> 00:36:47.340 us always. If we are people who are, we just 00:36:47.340 --> 00:36:53.579 tend to be quiet. Give us the words when we need 00:36:53.579 --> 00:37:03.260 them, knowing that you are with us always. I 00:37:03.260 --> 00:37:07.360 pray that your kingdom would be known and the 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:09.400 love that you have for others would be known 00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:13.099 from the way you transform our hearts and our 00:37:13.099 --> 00:37:16.039 minds and our whole selves. would be something 00:37:16.039 --> 00:37:23.559 that we would be joyful about sharing. So yeah, 00:37:23.599 --> 00:37:25.440 we ask for your help with these things, God. 00:37:26.739 --> 00:37:27.079 Amen.