The Great Commission

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.040 --> 00:00:15.189 Verses Eighteen to the end, I'm having received such a good word that we 2 00:00:15.310 --> 00:00:18.949 just sang of in Psalm Sixteen. All these pleasures, all of this benefit, 3 00:00:19.070 --> 00:00:23.739 all these ways in which God has blessed us in him through the resurrection. 4 00:00:24.780 --> 00:00:28.820 He calls us, like he called the women who first came the to 5 00:00:28.940 --> 00:00:34.060 the tomb, to then go and share those things, to not take the 6 00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:37.409 most important things that are in all the world and hold them to ourselves, 7 00:00:37.530 --> 00:00:43.090 but to share them with others, to invite others in, to draw others 8 00:00:43.210 --> 00:00:48.090 in, and in that the Lord gives us a command. He speaks to 9 00:00:48.210 --> 00:00:55.079 US and gives us a mission that we are called to follow. If you're 10 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:58.920 able, I'd like you to stand and we'll begin with prayer and then we'll 11 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:03.840 hear God's word here. Go ahead and stand and let's pray and hear the 12 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:07.909 word and ask the Lord that we might receive it together. Let's pray, 13 00:01:08.590 --> 00:01:11.989 our heavenly father, as we hear your word now, as you give to 14 00:01:12.069 --> 00:01:17.670 us yet again a reminder of the Great Commission, which the mission that you 15 00:01:17.750 --> 00:01:21.060 have sent your church on. It has that you would help us to hear 16 00:01:21.099 --> 00:01:25.939 it and to be bold and with all of the with all of the grace 17 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:29.060 that you have poured into our hearts, with all the knowledge that you have 18 00:01:29.219 --> 00:01:32.340 given us of the son. We asked that you would help us not to 19 00:01:32.500 --> 00:01:36.849 hold this for ourselves, on to hide the great light of God under a 20 00:01:37.010 --> 00:01:42.129 Bushel, but to share it and spread it. And so we asked that 21 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:45.969 you would speak to us now, that you would encourage and embolden our hearts, 22 00:01:46.049 --> 00:01:53.200 not only in the command itself, but in the one in whom we 23 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.920 trust. It is through him that we are changed, it is through him 24 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:01.750 that we are directed, it is through him that we can go and share 25 00:02:01.870 --> 00:02:05.549 these things, and so we asked that you would help us to hear his 26 00:02:05.709 --> 00:02:09.710 word as he speaks to US tonight. Will Holy Spirit be at work among 27 00:02:09.750 --> 00:02:15.150 your people? We pray this in Jesus name, on man. And so 28 00:02:15.349 --> 00:02:20.900 God's Word From Matthew, Chapter Twenty Eight, Verses Eighteen through twenty. and 29 00:02:21.060 --> 00:02:24.819 Jesus came and said to them, all authority in Heaven on earth has been 30 00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:30.810 given to me. Go there for and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 31 00:02:30.849 --> 00:02:35.169 them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy 32 00:02:35.210 --> 00:02:38.930 Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold, 33 00:02:39.689 --> 00:02:46.680 I am with you always to the end of the age. Men, he 34 00:02:46.800 --> 00:03:06.069 may be seated. One way to express the whole plan of salvation, the 35 00:03:06.110 --> 00:03:10.550 whole history of God's working. One way to express that is to think about 36 00:03:10.590 --> 00:03:15.939 it in this way, that God desires to be with his people, to 37 00:03:16.139 --> 00:03:22.139 make us and to make us unified with him, to have fellowship with him 38 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:25.659 and with one another. Even in Psalm Sixteen, at your right hand, 39 00:03:25.860 --> 00:03:30.610 our pleasures more right, God draws us close, he brings us close to 40 00:03:30.650 --> 00:03:36.330 him. It's a relationship that he blesses us with. When we receive our 41 00:03:36.330 --> 00:03:38.530 daily bread, when we receive much more than that, it's not just that 42 00:03:38.650 --> 00:03:44.919 we get those things, is that we receive them from our father who loves 43 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.639 us. We're not receiving, in the gifts of Christ, these sort of 44 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:53.039 mystery packages that show up on our doorstep and we don't know who they're from. 45 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:57.189 May Be thankful for them, a certainly thankful for them, but it's 46 00:03:57.229 --> 00:04:01.629 more than that. Our Lord reveals himself to us, he draws him self 47 00:04:01.710 --> 00:04:08.189 close to us, and that's why Jesus came. So I Jesus became a 48 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:16.420 human being, he became a man to die for mankind and so that he 49 00:04:16.540 --> 00:04:19.980 could be with us always. Now here, he says, to the end 50 00:04:20.019 --> 00:04:24.180 of the age, and he of course he doesn't mean and not anymore after 51 00:04:24.259 --> 00:04:28.290 that. He means that through this age until he returns, he will not 52 00:04:28.329 --> 00:04:31.089 leave us. And when he returns, of course we will see him as 53 00:04:31.170 --> 00:04:34.290 he is, will be caught up with him in the air. We will 54 00:04:35.170 --> 00:04:43.439 be with him in the heavenly places forever. This is what life is like 55 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:50.279 in a post resurrection world. Sometimes we hear movies about the post apocalyptic world. 56 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:57.350 Right this is a famous trope, you know, zombies walking around and 57 00:04:57.670 --> 00:05:01.470 buildings bombed out, this sort of dystopian whatever way you take that world. 58 00:05:01.509 --> 00:05:14.100 Christians are never going to experience that because the Apocalypsis of Christ. The revelation 59 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:20.490 of Christ is the revelation of his favor. We live in a post resurrection 60 00:05:20.769 --> 00:05:26.810 world, a world in which the light of God is shining in the world, 61 00:05:27.610 --> 00:05:30.290 the world is never seen it in the history of the world. We 62 00:05:30.410 --> 00:05:34.879 live in this amazing time in which the grace of God is shining on through 63 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:41.920 the world and through his people to the ends of the Earth, in which 64 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:48.720 people who were once those who gave drink offerings in blood to false idols, 65 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:54.990 as Psalm Sixteen said, are now worshiping the one true living God and even 66 00:05:55.149 --> 00:06:00.910 going to new places to bring that news of him to the world, and 67 00:06:02.550 --> 00:06:09.660 that's why I wanted to draw attention to this passage tonight, because this is 68 00:06:09.779 --> 00:06:14.019 part of what it, the resurrection, is all about. It's about establishing 69 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:17.810 a world which is future, yes, but is also right now, and 70 00:06:17.970 --> 00:06:24.689 it's from that resurrection and from the Lord's commissioning his disciples in this way that 71 00:06:24.850 --> 00:06:29.410 we know why we're here, that we know what we're supposed to be as 72 00:06:29.449 --> 00:06:33.399 a church, what we're doing, what the purpose is for our lives as 73 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:42.279 a people who are called out of the world unto the Lord. One of 74 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:46.709 the things that we see revealed here in this passage is that Jesus has a 75 00:06:47.470 --> 00:06:53.230 purpose, and that purpose is the spreading of the Gospel to the nation's that 76 00:06:53.430 --> 00:06:59.350 purpose is the harvesting of the crop, and so we see Jesus coming to 77 00:06:59.470 --> 00:07:02.699 them with his authority. He says, all authority in Heaven on an earth 78 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:08.860 has been given to me. Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations. 79 00:07:10.939 --> 00:07:14.060 This is the mission that he sets us on. A mission in which 80 00:07:14.139 --> 00:07:17.970 we go and we teach people. We call people unto discipleship. We tell 81 00:07:17.970 --> 00:07:21.889 them about who Jesus is. Who He is is the son of God. 82 00:07:23.129 --> 00:07:27.410 Who He is is the one who became incarnate and human flesh, diet on 83 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:30.240 a cross to forgive us our sins, rose from the dead, victorious over 84 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:35.439 death, and will come again to gather all his people to himself. We 85 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:40.160 go and we tell people about this, we teach them that, we explain 86 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:45.389 those things and when they come to be disciples, we baptize them in Christ 87 00:07:45.670 --> 00:07:49.230 and we make them. God makes them and we Idet, we mark them 88 00:07:50.389 --> 00:07:57.910 with his sign and promise of baptism. And then we're not done. We 89 00:07:58.029 --> 00:08:03.699 continue teaching, continue discipling. We are disciples both before and after we come 90 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:07.819 to Christ, learning and growing and following him and not just in a small 91 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:13.050 way, but in every way, seeking to know Jesus in every way we 92 00:08:13.170 --> 00:08:18.769 can, seeking to know everything about his character, everything about his person, 93 00:08:18.649 --> 00:08:26.089 everything about his work, everything about what he wants. He becomes our husband, 94 00:08:26.129 --> 00:08:28.959 as the bride of Christ. We Fall in love with him and we 95 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.080 want to know everything about him. Tell us about yourself. What do you 96 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:35.519 like? What do you not like. What do you want? Where are 97 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:45.629 we going? This is the mission that God gives to his people, mission 98 00:08:45.710 --> 00:08:50.629 to the church, and it's an important mission indeed. All of us have 99 00:08:50.029 --> 00:08:54.750 who believe in the Lord Jesus, and even now, those of you who 100 00:08:54.750 --> 00:09:01.019 may not believe but are hearing this word, you know it. You at 101 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:05.019 the Gospel has come to you and it needs to continue to go out. 102 00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:13.450 Do you know that they are about two thousand households within a half mile of 103 00:09:13.570 --> 00:09:20.009 just this church? That's according to the post office, a rough count. 104 00:09:20.529 --> 00:09:28.600 What about two thousand within a half mile of just this place? There's not 105 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:33.639 that many churches. There's not that many. There's a lot right here on 106 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:39.350 this campus, but certainly not enough to meet the needs of two thousand people. 107 00:09:41.190 --> 00:09:46.870 And what of a half mile beyond that? Beyond that and beyond that, 108 00:09:48.950 --> 00:09:56.419 harvest is ripe. There is good work to be done. God's mission 109 00:09:56.620 --> 00:10:01.820 in this world, we might say, is to save the elect so that 110 00:10:01.860 --> 00:10:07.450 they might glorify him and enjoy him forever. That's God's mission in this world. 111 00:10:07.529 --> 00:10:13.850 That's what God is doing in this world as the church. He calls 112 00:10:13.929 --> 00:10:18.370 us to be a part of that, to be a part of the thing 113 00:10:18.529 --> 00:10:22.200 that he's doing. In particular, he calls us to gather and tend to 114 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:30.240 his sheep through the proclamation of the Gospel and to help the church or and 115 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:35.629 to be the church that fulfills that mission. The Holy Spirit equips every single 116 00:10:37.110 --> 00:10:43.789 member in the church with various gifts and services and workings to do that work, 117 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:48.990 to fulfill that mission, not everyone doing the same thing, but all 118 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:54.179 doing it together for the common good, the good of fulfilling this mission, 119 00:10:54.820 --> 00:11:00.659 the good of fulfilling God's mission. Every single one of us has a part 120 00:11:00.779 --> 00:11:03.610 to play. Every single one of us. This command comes to as the 121 00:11:03.730 --> 00:11:09.809 body of Christ, because the gifts are so varied, in the services are 122 00:11:09.850 --> 00:11:15.049 so varied. Of the Holy Spirit's gifts are so diverse. I couldn't begin 123 00:11:15.250 --> 00:11:20.279 to list all of the ways in which one could possibly participate in this mission. 124 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:26.000 But you must ask yourself health how am I? Am I part of 125 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:30.840 the body of Christ that is fulfilling this command? Am I part of the 126 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:35.789 body of Christ that is going and discipling and baptizing people in the name of 127 00:11:35.870 --> 00:11:41.629 the father and the son and of the Holy Spirit? This is our mission, 128 00:11:41.789 --> 00:11:46.909 it is great, it is important and God calls us to it. 129 00:11:50.379 --> 00:11:54.659 But where does a heart for that come from? Where does a heart that 130 00:11:54.860 --> 00:12:01.049 feels the urgency of souls being lost come from? Where does a heart that 131 00:12:01.210 --> 00:12:07.370 desires to obey and doesn't just say another time and for somebody else and not 132 00:12:07.570 --> 00:12:11.210 for me? Where does that come from? Where does the wisdom come from 133 00:12:11.289 --> 00:12:16.519 that knows how to grow and how to employ the gifts that the spirit has 134 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:20.159 given us? Where does that come from? Well, these all come from 135 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:26.039 God. They come from our Lord and our Savior, and that's why we 136 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:28.840 can't just rush out on ahead of the Lord. We have to follow his 137 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:35.309 lead, and that first and foremost means trusting him. In other words, 138 00:12:35.590 --> 00:12:39.789 before we go and proclaim this news, let's make sure we know the news. 139 00:12:41.950 --> 00:12:43.899 That doesn't mean we falls it around him, just study until we go, 140 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:48.019 but it means it needs to be in our hearts. It's not that 141 00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:54.860 complicated, right, Mary and the other Mary. They see Jesus risen from 142 00:12:54.860 --> 00:12:58.289 the dead, they go tell people Jesus has risen from the dead. or 143 00:12:58.409 --> 00:13:01.769 The woman at the will. How did he know these things? He said 144 00:13:01.850 --> 00:13:05.370 these things that no one could know, and she goes and she tells other 145 00:13:05.450 --> 00:13:13.120 people. Sometimes I think we overthink it and it doesn't need to be that 146 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:18.200 way. And sure there will be hard hearts, even like ours were hard, 147 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.480 and there will be people who don't want to come. There will people 148 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:24.879 who don't want to go. And the Lord doesn't tell us. All Authority 149 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:28.389 in Heaven on earth has been given to you. Now Force people into the 150 00:13:28.429 --> 00:13:31.149 Kingdom. He says, All Authority in Heaven on earth has been given to 151 00:13:31.269 --> 00:13:37.190 me. Now Trust me, just trust me, as you have for your 152 00:13:37.309 --> 00:13:43.740 salvation and now also for the mission in which I've called you to be on. 153 00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:50.940 And so let's trust him, and let's trust him who has revealed himself 154 00:13:52.419 --> 00:14:00.450 to us. I want to finish by looking at just a few things, 155 00:14:00.610 --> 00:14:05.289 then, and from this passage alone, in which Jesus tells us about himself, 156 00:14:07.049 --> 00:14:13.120 things we can trust him for. The first one is that he's intentional. 157 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:18.519 Jesus as our Lord, as our king, is this great emperor of 158 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:22.639 all the universe. He is not an absent, minded, forgetful guy. 159 00:14:24.509 --> 00:14:30.190 He is the Lord of the universe who intends all things according to his perfect 160 00:14:30.230 --> 00:14:35.590 plan. He plans at all and our lives right now is Christians in this 161 00:14:35.950 --> 00:14:43.500 post resurrection world, have meaning and importance and value and significance. In other 162 00:14:43.539 --> 00:14:48.700 words, Jesus has not sent us out on a fool's errand now he has 163 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:54.769 told us to count the cost of discipleship. He's told us that it will 164 00:14:54.769 --> 00:14:58.970 be hard, but he's also told us that it will be worth it. 165 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:03.529 Jesus says in Matthew Sixteen, Twenty four, whoever wants to be my disciple 166 00:15:03.570 --> 00:15:11.039 must deny themselves and take up their cross being a disciple of Jesus. We 167 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:16.240 tell this ourself and obedience to this command, and we tell those whom we 168 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:22.190 are seeking to make disciples. Being a disciple of Jesus is not the comfy 169 00:15:22.269 --> 00:15:31.230 road. It just isn't. Christians have frequently had to give up valuable relationships, 170 00:15:31.149 --> 00:15:37.899 power, money, fame, favorite dreams and sometimes even their own lives. 171 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:46.139 But don't make a mistake, it's totally worth it. Every Christian can 172 00:15:46.259 --> 00:15:50.210 say with Paul, as he says in Philippians three eight. Indeed, I 173 00:15:50.490 --> 00:15:58.570 count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, Jesus, 174 00:15:58.690 --> 00:16:02.529 my Lord. For his sake, I've suffered the loss of all things and 175 00:16:02.690 --> 00:16:07.240 count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. Take it, 176 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:11.240 pick anything you want. In my life. Paul says anything any lists some 177 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:18.710 things that are kind of amazing. He says, I could care less for 178 00:16:18.830 --> 00:16:26.149 the sake and the worth of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord. It's all 179 00:16:26.230 --> 00:16:30.669 worth it. The Lord is intentional in what he does and he sets us 180 00:16:30.710 --> 00:16:33.899 on a mission. That is not a fool's errand it is meaningful. It 181 00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:41.379 is a plan and it is worth it. We can trust him. We 182 00:16:41.500 --> 00:16:47.570 also know from this passage that Jesus loving, patient and kind and forbearing. 183 00:16:48.529 --> 00:16:52.450 How do we know? Because he says to his disciples, go therefore and 184 00:16:52.570 --> 00:16:57.889 make disciples of all nations. If Jesus wanted to enter into his glory and 185 00:16:59.090 --> 00:17:03.159 vanquish every enemy, he certainly would have a right to do that, but 186 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:07.880 he doesn't do that. Instead, in this post resurrection time, what does 187 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:14.160 Jesus do? He continues that ministry, except at a greater scale, of 188 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:19.430 what he did in his time on earth, raising people from the dead, 189 00:17:21.029 --> 00:17:27.349 healing the brokenhearted, forgiving sins. These things Jesus began when he became incarnate 190 00:17:27.430 --> 00:17:36.779 and he continues in his incarnation even now, even today. Jesus didn't vanquish 191 00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:42.619 every foe, but died for many of the ungodly and calls us to him 192 00:17:44.059 --> 00:17:48.529 to trust him. He is being patient, he is being kind. The 193 00:17:48.730 --> 00:17:52.650 message we go with is a message of love, and the power in which 194 00:17:52.650 --> 00:18:00.200 we go is a power of love. His power in us. And speaking 195 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.960 of power, this is a third thing. We can trust Jesus for. 196 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:07.839 We are reminded of his authority. He is the one, he says. 197 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:12.950 All Authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. He gives 198 00:18:12.990 --> 00:18:18.230 us this command, he says, teaching them to observe all I have commanded 199 00:18:18.309 --> 00:18:21.349 you, and behold, I am with you to the end of the age. 200 00:18:25.390 --> 00:18:30.299 How is it that Jesus came to have rule over heaven and earth? 201 00:18:32.099 --> 00:18:34.900 Well, it's, of course, true that he is divine. He is 202 00:18:34.980 --> 00:18:40.539 the maker of Heaven and earth. Through him all things were made, but 203 00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:44.730 when it comes to our Lord, it's more than that. He has rule 204 00:18:44.890 --> 00:18:51.130 overhaul heaven and earth. Also, as man, he did what Adam failed 205 00:18:51.170 --> 00:18:56.079 to do, that under shepherd, that Vice Regent that Adam was called to 206 00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:00.200 be, in ruling and having dominion over all creation. That's what Adam was 207 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:03.400 supposed to do. That's what Adam failed to do, but that's what Christ 208 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:11.230 did. He stands supreme over us, not only as God but also as 209 00:19:11.470 --> 00:19:21.269 man, and from that power he rules as the son of God. He 210 00:19:21.430 --> 00:19:26.740 rules, he rules waves and nations, he rules time and matter, he 211 00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:37.019 commands armies and clouds and mountains and hearts. We can trust him when we 212 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:42.329 are persecuted for making disciples, when people kind of laugh at us for making 213 00:19:42.410 --> 00:19:47.849 disciples, when we baptize people, when we teach them everything that the Lord 214 00:19:47.930 --> 00:19:52.319 says, including things that are uncomfortable or not real good cultural fits, when 215 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:56.559 we teach everything, when we share everything, when we point them to our 216 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:03.680 everything, we can know that he is behind us. Him All is mighty 217 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:10.670 angels. We don't need to be afraid. We don't need to be afraid. 218 00:20:11.589 --> 00:20:18.069 And finally, he is our leader. He is with US always to 219 00:20:18.109 --> 00:20:22.859 the end of the age. Jesus is not some kind of gutless commander who 220 00:20:22.099 --> 00:20:26.180 throws out a command and then high tales at the other direction, that sort 221 00:20:26.180 --> 00:20:33.259 of hopes for the best, as men are common to do or known to 222 00:20:33.380 --> 00:20:37.369 do. No, Jesus gives the command and he says, I will be 223 00:20:37.769 --> 00:20:44.250 right there with you every single step of the way. I will not leave 224 00:20:44.289 --> 00:20:47.130 you, I will not forsake you, I will be with you always. 225 00:20:47.210 --> 00:20:49.519 Behold, I am with you, always to the end of the age. 226 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:56.880 We are led by God himself, and perhaps this ought to be one of 227 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.920 our primary reasons for going. It's not just a good idea or an important 228 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:07.630 idea. That's the only idea. It's the only thing to do to go 229 00:21:07.990 --> 00:21:15.829 with God, to be with God, to follow where he leads. And 230 00:21:15.990 --> 00:21:19.859 do you know that you can trust him for that? He's not like men, 231 00:21:21.940 --> 00:21:26.380 sinful men who despise those whom they are called to serve hurt those they 232 00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:30.779 are called to serve. No, our Lord always leads us perfectly in every 233 00:21:30.819 --> 00:21:33.529 way. That's why he prays. God is the head of the church. 234 00:21:34.809 --> 00:21:37.890 That's why we follow him, that's why we listen to his word, that's 235 00:21:37.890 --> 00:21:49.039 why we share him with others. So how do we respond? Well, 236 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:53.279 we respond by knowing that, first of all, if we are not engaged 237 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:59.119 in this mission, we're on the wrong road, because he's going somewhere and 238 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:02.549 we need to be with him. We need to be with him, we 239 00:22:02.589 --> 00:22:03.950 need to be close with him, we need to be listening to him, 240 00:22:03.950 --> 00:22:08.750 following him. This is what Christ is doing, this is where our savior 241 00:22:08.829 --> 00:22:15.069 is leading us. This also means that if we're doing this in our own 242 00:22:15.109 --> 00:22:19.059 way and not trusting our commander, we're also doing it all in the wrong 243 00:22:19.140 --> 00:22:26.779 way. Imagine trying to be trying to light up a dark room by polishing 244 00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:33.329 a piece of leather really hard. It's just not going to work. That's 245 00:22:33.329 --> 00:22:36.650 what we do when we try to do things in our own way. We 246 00:22:37.089 --> 00:22:40.490 Rot and we rather will have it. Try It's not going to work. 247 00:22:41.250 --> 00:22:48.559 But if we act like even the small list sliver of a mirror shining the 248 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:56.599 sun, no problem. God's light is so bright that if it catches even 249 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:02.190 the the smallest bit of faith, it can reflect and light up a great 250 00:23:02.269 --> 00:23:06.549 deal. He can do marvelous works, and he does all the time, 251 00:23:07.750 --> 00:23:14.779 all the time through our weakness. He knows that we're weak, he knows 252 00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:18.819 that we struggle, he knows that we have a hard time in this world 253 00:23:18.380 --> 00:23:22.380 that were tossed to and fro by various doctrines that are not his, that 254 00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:26.980 they are all kinds of temptations of the evil one. He knows these things, 255 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:33.529 beloved, and that's why we take comfort not from the command but from 256 00:23:33.529 --> 00:23:38.329 the commander, from the one who loved us before this world began and has 257 00:23:38.450 --> 00:23:42.640 shared his word with us through others, so that we may continue to share 258 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:48.640 that in this world. And so let us stay focused on our mission. 259 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:52.240 When we think about who we are as a church, when we think about 260 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:56.509 our individual lives in this world, let us remember why we are here, 261 00:23:57.789 --> 00:24:03.190 what he has called us to do, the hope that we are reaching and 262 00:24:03.390 --> 00:24:08.509 moving towards in his name, by his power and under his love. Let's 263 00:24:08.549 --> pray