Sunday, April 21, 2019

The Commands of Christ – Part 14: Receive God’s power and make disciples


The Commands of Christ – Part 14:
Receive God’s power and make disciples
HOFC - Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org, or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on facebook at House of Faith Church

SERMON INTRODUCTION
Matthew 28:18-20
 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nationsbaptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”



SERMON SERIES
Part 14 – Receive God’s power and make disciples


TODAY’S SERMON
Receive God’s power and make disciples
SCRIPTURE READING
Jesus is giving this command, to Preach, Baptize and then Teach, to everyone who is a follower of Christ Jesus.  He spoke this to the disciples then, and today to His disciples, who are Followers of Christ Jesus.

  
       I.            RECEIVE GOD’S POWER
a.      The power of God
                                                             i.      Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” – Luke 24:45-49


b.     Important points in the verses
                                                             i.      He opened their minds so they could understand scriptures
1.      Without the Lord, the scriptures stay closed to our minds

                                                          ii.      He explained all that was written in a sentence
1.      This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

                                                       iii.      He explained their part in the big plan
1.      You are witnesses of these things.49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
                                                        iv.      They could NOT serve the Lord until they received God’s Holy Spirit


c.      How do you receive God’s power?
                                                             i.      When you have salvation, you receive God’s Holy Spirit and all the power and benefits that come with Him
1.      Understanding of scriptures
2.      Fruit of the Spirit (to draw others to Christ)
3.      Spiritual Gifts (for building and strengthening God’s Church)
4.      Whole Armor of God (for Spiritual Battle)

   II.            MAKE DISCIPLES
a.      The Great Commission
                                                             i.      Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20


b.     For those who are His followers
                                                             i.      If you are “saved” you are to e a follower of Christ

c.      How do you become a follower of Christ?
                                                             i.      Being born again!


III.            BEING A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST
a.      You must be born again
                                                             i.      Born again is not a physical rebirth, but a spiritual one.

                                                          ii.      It refers to a change of heart, from indifference and hostility toward God to a love for Him and a desire to live for Him.


b.     How are we “Born Again”?
                                                             i.      First, we must understand our sinful human nature
1.      Jesus said our problem begins in our hearts…sin
2.      We fail to do what is right
3.      Whether we realize it or not we try to fix this problem ourselves, and we will never find peace because there is nothing we can do to resolve this issue with sin.
4.      Unless we have Jesus in our lives and the eternal hope of being with Him forever.

                                                          ii.      Nicodemus asked Jesus, “What must I do to be born again?” – John 3:7
1.      Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” – John 3:3

                                                       iii.      To be born again
1.      We must ADMIT our sin
a.      Confess we cannot live up to God’s perfect standard on our own.
2.      We must ASK FOR FORGIVENESS
a.      Forgiveness for our sin
                                                                                                                                      i.      Jesus says, “Ask and you will receive.”
3.      We must REPENT of sin
a.      Meaning turning away from it, stop doing it, stop living in it
4.      Finally, we SUBMIT to the Lord
a.      Asking Jesus to be active in our lives

                                                        iv.      This is when God’s Spirit enters our hearts to guide us, lead us to be more like Him. That is when we are born again!

                                                           v.      God Himself puts it this way: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). From then on, He gives us a new purpose and new goals for living. We no longer live for ourselves but for Him (II Corinthians 5:15).


c.      How can we be sure we are saved?
                                                             i.      To those who doubt or sometimes feel like they are missing something, missing the joy of the Christian faith, questioning whether or not they are actually Christians, you can be sure you are saved.

                                                          ii.      Faith always implies an object—that is, when we believe, we must believe something. That something I call the “fact.” 
                                                       iii.      Now let me give you three words that will help you understand the Christian life: fact, faith and feeling. They come in this order, and the order is essential. In this order, you will have the joy and confidence of one who can say, “I know whom I have believed” (II Timothy 1:12).

1.      FACT - You are saved through personal faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as defined in the Scriptures. The Gospel refers to the news of Christ’s death and resurrection in order to pay the penalty for our sins and provide a way to eternal life. The work of Christ is a fact, His cross is a fact, His tomb is a fact and His resurrection is a fact.


2.      FAITH - Faith is rationally impossible where there is nothing to believe. Faith must have an object. The object of Christian faith is Christ. Faith means more than agreeing with the claims of Christ; faith involves the will—a decision to believe in Christ. If you say with your mind and your heart, “Yes, I believe in Christ and receive what He has done for me”—that He died for my sins—then you have eternal life. Faith, then, means surrender and commitment to the claims of Christ. It means acknowledging sin and turning to Christ. We do not know Christ through the five physical senses, but we know Him through the “sixth sense” that God has given every man and woman—the ability to believe.


3.      FEELING - Feeling is the last of the three words, and it must remain last in your thinking.  I believe that earnest and honest seekers for the salvation of God have unrest and uncertainty when they think they must have some kind of emotion to make conversion a true experience. If you are seeking salvation as it is presented through the Scriptures, you will want to know what kind of experience the Bible says you should have.

a.      I have read carefully through the New Testament to see just what kind of experience you are entitled to. I have looked to see what the nature of the experience of conversion is, and I have found that the New Testament reveals only one: the experience of faith.

b.     Believing is an experience as real as any experience, yet multitudes are looking for something more—some electric sensation that will bring a thrill to their physical bodies, or some other spectacular event. Many have been told to look for such spiritual thrills, but the Bible says that a man is “justified by faith” (Romans 3:28), and not by feeling. A person is saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not by bodily sensations and religious ecstasy.


c.      To have a guilty conscience cleansed and to be free from its constant accusation is an experience, but it is not the cleansing of the conscience that saves you. It is faith in Christ that saves. A cleansed conscience is the effect of a right relationship with God. – Hebrews 9:14

d.     Joy is a feeling as well. So is inward peace. Love for others is a feeling. Concern for the lost is a feeling. But these feelings are not conversion. Again, the only experience you can look for and expect is the experience of believing in Jesus Christ.


e.      Finally, someone might say, “I believe the historic facts of the Gospel, but nothing has changed for me. I don’t think I’m saved.” Perhaps you are not, for the faith that saves has one distinguishing quality: Saving faith is a faith that produces obedience. It is a faith that brings about a way of life. Some have successfully imitated this way of life for a time, but for those who trust Christ for salvation, that faith brings about a desire to live out that inward experience of faith. It is a power that results in godly living.

CONCLUSION
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus promises His us, while we are obeying His commands to preach, baptize and teaching others to obey His commands, He will be with us to the end of this age!

Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?   

Want to hear the audio to this sermon?   



Sunday, April 14, 2019

The Commands of Christ – Part 13: Watch and pray, feed my sheep, baptize my disciples


The Commands of Christ – Part 13:
Watch and pray, feed my sheep, baptize my disciples
HOFC - Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org, or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on facebook at House of Faith Church

SERMON INTRODUCTION
Matthew 28:18-20
 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nationsbaptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”



SERMON SERIES
Part 13 – Watch and pray, feed my sheep, baptize my disciples
Part 14 – Receive God’s power and make disciples


TODAY’S SERMON
Await my return, take communion, be born again and keep my commands

SCRIPTURE READING
Jesus is giving this command, to Preach, Baptize and then Teach, to everyone who is a follower of Christ Jesus.  He spoke this to the disciples then, and today to His disciples, who are Followers of Christ Jesus.




       I.            WATCH AND PRAY
a.      Stop falling asleep
                                                             i.      Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”  Matthew 26:36-46

b.     Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping
                                                             i.      The Lord finds the disciples sleeping every time He leaves and comes back.
                                                          ii.      The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

c.      We may be found sleeping when the hour comes
                                                             i.      Look, the hour has come, Rise and let us go, here comes the betrayer.

                                                          ii.      The Lord knows the flesh is weak, but calls on us to reply on the Spirit, which is willing.

                                                       iii.      We must allow the Spirit of God to do a work in us, and through us.
1.      The Whole armor of God is from the Spirit
2.      Understanding God’s Word, is from the Spirit
3.      Spiritual gifts for the church (members) are from the Spirit
4.      Spiritual fruit produced in our lives is “super naturally” occurring fruit produced by having the Holy Spirit
5.      The strength to obey comes from the Holy Spirit

                                                        iv.      Everything we need and are called to be is by the Holy Spirit of God.

                                                           v.      And what is all of this for????? Feeding His sheep!

   II.            FEED MY SHEEP
a.      Do you love me more?
                                                             i.      When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”  John 21:15


b.     Do you love me?
                                                             i.      Jesus askes Peter, do you love me?


                                                          ii.      Three times!
1.      Do you love me more than these?
2.      Yes Lord, he said, you know that I love you.
3.      Feed my lambs
4.      Jesus asked again, do you love me?
5.      Yes Lord, you know I love you.
6.      Take care of my sheep
7.      The third time Jesus asked, do you love me?
8.      This time Peter was hurt (feelings) he answered, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you.


c.      What is the problem here?
Peter thinks love is a feeling, or emotion, he reveals this when he answers Jesus with “you KNOW, you know, you know, you know” four times mentioning Jesus knows.
But each time Peter mentions KNOW, Jesus replies, THEN “action”
Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, FOLLOW ME.
ALL ACTIONS. Feed, take care of, follow.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
Jesus’ commands are commands of “action”

III.            BAPTIZE MY DISCIPLES
a.      Baptize my disciples
                                                             i.      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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19


b.     Who are we to baptize?
                                                             i.      Disciples
                                                          ii.      Who is a disciple?
1.      Someone who follows Jesus and lives by His discipline and instruction.
                                                       iii.      Not infants.
                                                        iv.      Not kids who do not understand being a follower of Christ.
                                                           v.      Not adults who have not learned of Christ, salvation and His disciplines.
                                                        vi.      Not someone who hasn’t made a commitment to following Christ.
                                                     vii.      ONLY Disciples are to be baptized.


c.      What happens next?
                                                             i.      The Holy Spirit begins a work
                                                          ii.      Jesus will continue this work for the rest of your life
                                                       iii.      And you will receive the benefits of the Holy Spirit
                                                        iv.      And a foretaste of the coming perfection you will receive on Judgment Day

CONCLUSION
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus promises His us, while we are obeying His commands to preach, baptize and teaching others to obey His commands, He will be with us to the end of this age!

Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?   

Want to hear the audio to this sermon?   



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