The
Commands of Christ – Part 2:
Repent,
Follow Me, Rejoice & Let Your Light Shine
HOFC
- Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church
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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 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.”
SERMON SERIES
Part 3 – Honor God’s
Law, be reconciled, do not lust and keep your word
Part 4 – Go the
second mile, love your enemies, be perfect and practice disciplines in secret
Part 5 – Lay up
treasures in heaven, seek God’s Kingdom, judge not, but do not cast pearls
Part 7 – Pray for laborers, be wise as serpents, fear
not, and hear God’s voice
Part 8 – Take my yoke, honor your parents, beware of
leaven, and deny yourself
Part 9 – Despise not little ones, go to offenders,
beware of covetousness and forgive offenders
Part 10 – Honor marriage, be a servant, be a house of
prayer and ask in faith
Part 11 – Bring in the poor, render to Caesar, love
the Lord and love your neighbor
Part 12 – Await my return, take communion, be born
again and keep my commands
Part 13 – Watch and pray, feed my sheep, baptize my
disciples
Part 14 – Receive God’s power and make disciples
TODAY’S SERMON
Part 2 – Repent, follow Me, rejoice and let your light
shine
SCRIPTURE READING
Jesus is giving this
command, to Preach, Baptize and Teach, to everyone who is a follower of Christ
Jesus. Then to the disciples, and today
to His disciples.
I. REPENT
a. Repentance in the Old Testament
i.
Ezekiel 18:20-24 “The
one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt
of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The
righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of
the wicked will be charged against them.
21 “But
if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and
keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will
surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be
remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they
will live. 23 Do
I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the
Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their
ways and live?
24 “But
if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and
does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None
of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of
the unfaithfulness they are
guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.”
1. What was righteousness in the Old
Testament?
a.
Righteousness is not a behavior that is in accordance with an ethical, legal,
psychological, religious, or spiritual norm; neither is it conduct that is
dictated by human or divine nature. It is not an action appropriate to the
attainment of a specific goal; neither is it a ministry to one’s fellow man.
b.
So, it is nothing you “do”, not a work
c.
When God or man fulfills the conditions
imposed upon him by the relationship, he is, in OT terms, righteous.
d.
Example: Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
e.
Abraham fulfilled the condition imposed upon
him by the relationship with God, and that is he was to believe (put faith in)
the Lord.
f.
Keeping the Lord’s decrees, doing what is
just and right in relationships with God and man was credited to them as
righteousness, and no sins (offenses) would be remembered by God. However, turn
away from righteousness, and none of your righteousness will be remembered by
God, verse
24 says “because of
unfaithfulness you become guilty and will die”.
2. God’s
requirements in the Old Testament have not changed with the new, God wants us
to be righteous in our relationship with Him and with others.
3. When
Jesus was asked in Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This
is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the
second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All
the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
ii.
So what was repentance in the Old
Testament? Vs 21 “But if a
wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps
all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely
live; they will not die. “
iii.
Repent literally means to “turn away from”, “go in the opposite direction”
b. Repentance in the New Testament
i.
Luke 24:44-47 “Jesus said to them, “This is what
I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that
is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the
Psalms.”
45 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…”
c. Why repentance is a must
i.
Jesus
tells us in Luke 24:47 “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins
will be preached…”
ii.
You CANNOT live in sin and be forgiven!
iii.
Repentance
must
take place so there can be
forgiveness of your sins
iv.
Without repentance, there is no
forgiveness!
v.
Luke 17:1-3 “Jesus said to his disciples: “Things
that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through
whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be
thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one
of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch
yourselves.
“If your brother or sister sins
against you, rebuke them; and if
they repent, forgive them.”
vi.
Without repentance, there is no
forgiveness, we must repent of sin.
II. FOLLOW
ME
a. Follow Jesus’ teaching
i.
Do not follow yourself
1. Proverbs
14:12
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
ii.
Do not follow man
1. Psalm
146:3 “Do
not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”
iii.
Do not follow trends, fads, crazes, new
teachings
1. Colossians
2:8 “See
to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according
to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not
according to Christ.”
iv.
Do not follow what you “want” to hear
1. 2
Timothy 4:3
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number
of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
v.
Rather, follow Jesus’ teachings, not the
teachings, traditions or commands of men
b. Follow Jesus example
i.
1 Peter 2:21-25 “To this you were
called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an
example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He
committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When
they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered,
he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges
justly. 24 “He
himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die
to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been
healed.” 25 For
“you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the
Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
c. Follow Jesus as your Good Shepherd
i.
Matthew 28:20b “I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
ii.
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good
shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
iii.
Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul; He guides me in
the paths of righteousness For His name's sake”
III. REJOICE
a. In good times
i.
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I
will say, Rejoice.”
b. In bad times
i.
Romans 5:3 “More
than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces
endurance…”
c. In all things
i.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always, pray at all times,
be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life
in union with Christ Jesus.”
IV. LET
YOUR LIGHT SHINE
a. Your light is
i.
Matthew 4:16-17 “people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
17 From
that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven has come near.”
ii.
John 8:12 “When
Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
iii.
The light that people see is ON those
living in the land of the shadow of death.
1. Us,
disciples, living in this world.
2. And
the light that is ON us? Jesus.
3. When
we follow Him we have the light of life.
b. Your light does
i.
First, it draws others to yourself
ii.
Then, you direct them to the Lord
through preaching the Gospel
c. Your light is not your own
Without
Jesus, there is no light
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 disciples, while they
are preaching, baptizing and teaching, He will be with us to the end of this
age!
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