The Commands of Christ – Part 12:
Await my return, take communion, be born again and keep my commands
HOFC - Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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 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 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
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. AWAIT MY RETURN
a. The day and hour are unknown
i. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” – Matthew 24:36-44
b. If ANYONE claims to know the day and hour…run
i. If they say they do know, then they are saying they are God
c. What we DO know
i. Vs 44 “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
ii. How do we do this?
1. Live for Him daily
2. Do what Jesus tells us to do in Matthew, “Preach the gospel to everyone, baptize and teach them to obey all that He commands”
II. TAKE COMMUNION
a. The Symbolism of Bread and Wine
i. “he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” – Luke 22:19-20
b. The meaning of Communion is symbolic, not literal
i. Nowhere in scripture does it say this bread will become my flesh, and this wine will become my blood.
ii. Jesus DOES say, “This is my body given for you”
1. When is Jesus’ body given for us? The cross!
2. Was that loaf of bread on the cross? No
3. The bread symbolized
a. Jesus as the bread of life, manna from heaven
b. The bread was matza having no leaven/yeast, which was symbolic of sin
c. The bread was being broken symbolizing Jesus’ life being broken from His body, He would die on the cross FOR us
iii. Jesus also says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”
1. Is our covenant with God a cup? No
2. Are we vampires needing to drink blood to live forever? No
3. The Cup symbolizes the Jewish tradition of marriage
a. Scripture calls Jesus the Groom
b. Scripture calls followers of Christ (the church) the bride
c. Drinking from the cup was a symbol in Jewish marriage that a marriage contract (covenant) was being accepted by the bride
4. Jesus said, “in my blood, poured out for you.”
a. Pouring the wine into the cup symbolized His blood being poured out for us, His life leaving His body, for us.
5. Jesus said, “the New Covenant in my blood”
a. This marriage contract (new covenant) was made possible BECAUSE HIS BLOOD WAS POURED OUT
b. Because He died on the cross for our sins!
c. COMMUNION IS SYMBOLIC
i. If you believe the bread becomes Jesus’ literal flesh, and the wine becomes His literal blood…you do not understand communion at all
ii. It is an outward symbolic expression of a difficult spiritual truth symbolized to the Jews in a way they would understand, marriage.
iii. This is why Jesus taught in parables, this is why Jesus says things like, “It is like…”, etc…
iv. Remember, Jesus used symbolism throughout His ministry…
1. “I am the door. If anyone knocks…”
a. Is He a literal door?
b. Do we have to walk up to Him and knock on Him?
c. NO…because it is symbolic.
III. BE BORN AGAIN
a. Born of the Flesh & Born of the Spirit
i. “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” – John 3:5-7
b. How are we born of the Flesh and Spirit?
i. If you are here today, we were born of the flesh
ii. To be born of the spirit is a little more involved;
1. Accept Jesus Christ is Lord
2. Believe He died on the cross for sins and rose again
3. Confess your sin and repent
4. Follow Christ
c. How do you follow Christ?
i. Accept the Gospel
ii. Get baptized
iii. Obey all He commands
IV. KEEP MY COMMANDS
a. If you love me
i. “If you love me, keep my commands.” – John 14:15
ii. Jesus doesn’t say If you love me you’ll;
1. Make sure others are doing what they're supposed to be doing
2. Attack sinners for acting like sinners
3. Be sure to point out splinters while ignoring your plank
4. Get saved, then do nothing until Judgment Day
b. Loving Jesus is not feelings or emotions
i. I Corinthians 13 tells us “real” biblical love is our actions towards others, NOT feelings, and emotions
c. REAL Biblical Love will ALWAYS create feelings and emotions
i. However, feelings and emotions will not always create real biblical love
ii. This is why there are such things as;
1. Puppy love
2. Crushes
3. “the hots”
4. Spring Fever
5. Summer loves
6. Teen romances that last a season
7. Lust
iii. These are feelings and emotions that people try to turn into real love, instead of allowing real love to turn into feelings and emotions
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!
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