Matthew 28:16-21: REACH
There are lots of things going on the world today. The question I have for you this morning is – how is the Church supposed to respond? What are you as a Christian supposed to do? The anniversary of 9/11 is this week, and that anniversary reminds us that our world can be a very scary place to live. There are all kinds of terrorists out there, and as a result, there is a sense of fear and uncertainty. How is the Church supposed to respond? The government responds by tightening security, reorganizing certain agencies. Television networks respond by having 9/11 specials and including news updates about terrorism. Those are all good things. But what is the Church supposed to do? How is the Church supposed to respond?
The economy is struggling right now, for all kinds of reasons. United Airlines is fighting to stay out of bankruptcy. A huge freight company that’s been around for 75 years is very close to laying off 15,000 workers. A drought in the Southeast is destroying farmers and businesses. People are struggling financially – more fear, more uncertainty. Different agencies are responding in different ways. But how about the Church? How is the Church supposed to respond?
This morning, Jesus tells you how to respond, what he wants you as an individual Christian to do, and what he wants you to do as a member of his Church. He tells you what your role is in the world, why you are here, and how you can respond not only to terrorism and recession, but to every problem in this world. You can sum up what Jesus tells you to do with one word, and that one word is “reach.” Jesus wants you and me to reach – to reach out to people that we know, to people that we don’t know, to people who live around us, and to people who live far away. Jesus wants you and me to reach – that’s how we respond.
And as we study the Scriptures this morning, we find out that Jesus wants us to reach out with a specific purpose. He wants us to do more than simply pat people on the back and say, “Everything will be OK.” He wants us to do more than just hug people when they’re down. Jesus wants us to reach out with a specific purpose. This morning, we’re going to see what that specific purpose is. We’re also going to find out that there are certain tools Jesus wants us to use as we reach out. And finally, we’re going to see what our real source of confidence is as we take on this task. Reach – that is our response to the things that are going on in the world, and that is the theme for our sermon this morning.
This is the first of our four-part sermon series entitled, “God’s mission for your life and for your church.” Each of the four sermons has one word for its title. The four titles are: reach, teach, worship, and equip. They sum up our church’s mission statement, which is based on what we have learned from the Bible. This morning, we see that Jesus wants us to reach with a purpose. May God send his Holy Spirit into your hearts as you ponder what his will is for you as an individual Christian, and as a member of his Church.
Jesus spoke these words at the very end of his ministry, after he had died and had risen from the dead. Right before he ascended into heaven, he met with the eleven disciples in Galilee. When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted, we are told. Then Jesus told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” All authority - in our world, there has never been anyone with that much authority. Even the top man in our country, the president, is limited in his authority. There are checks and balances – laws, congress, other countries, other leaders. And besides that, no saint or angel in heaven is under any earthly authority. Even the President’s authority is limited.
But look at the authority of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t need to get the thumbs up from congress or the voters, because his vote is the only one that counts. He doesn’t need to consult the experts, because he is the top expert on everything. Every saint and angel in heaven listens to him. All authority in heaven and on earth is his. And so this morning, we go to the top authority, Jesus Christ, and we ask him, “What do you want us to do? There is terrorism in the world. There are economic problems. Since 9/11, Islam has become the fastest growing religion in the United States (strange but true). Even though our country claims to be spiritual, it’s drifting farther and farther away from God. We go to the top authority in heaven and earth – Jesus Christ - and we ask him, what do you want us to do?
He tells us to reach. Reach out to everyone, and reach with a purpose. Not just to comfort. Not just to pat people on the back and say, “everything will be OK.” Reach with a purpose, and here is that purpose: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” That’s what Jesus wants us to do – to make disciples of all nations. Don’t stay home and look out the window, Jesus says. Don’t keep your religion to yourself because it’s the politically correct thing to do. Don’t sit in your favorite seat in church and wait for unbelievers to come through the door. Don’t be passive, Jesus says. Be proactive. Go. Go with the distinct purpose of making disciples of everyone you come into contact with, all nations.
That’s what Jesus was telling his disciples to do here in Galilee. Go to your Jewish friends and relatives, your Jewish coworkers and neighbors and strangers, and convert them from Judaism to Christianity – make disciples of them. And then go to the Gentiles, and convert them from whatever strange religion they are following to Christianity too. Make those unbelievers disciples of Christ.
That’s a tall order, isn’t it? But that’s what Jesus wants you to do too. You are surrounded by people who claim to be spiritual and pray once in awhile when they’re in trouble. And yet, they really don’t know what Jesus Christ has done for them. They are concerned about terrorism, concerned about the economy. They have health problems, family problems, work problems, money problems. Their schedules are too full. They say that they believe in God, but they have no idea what the Bible says about God, and they’re too busy to find out. You live with them, you work with them, you eat dinner with them, you watch sports with them. Jesus tells you this morning that he doesn’t want you to wait for them to come to church, because they probably won’t. Instead, he wants you to go to them, and make them into disciples.
That’s our purpose. But how do I fulfill it? What if I don’t have a game-show host personality? What if I’m not an expert in the Bible? How do I make disciples of the people around me? The answer is, by using the tools. Jesus tells us what tools to use when he says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Do you see the tools that Jesus tells us to use? Baptism, Jesus says. Baptism is how you can make someone into a disciple of Christ.
Many people think that baptism is a nice church ritual. Is that what happened this morning, when we baptized Anna Marie Kreighbaum? Just a nice church ritual. God blesses the baby. We all feel good. Maybe a picture after the service. A nice church ritual, because it’s good to be religious once in awhile – that’s what people think.
According to the Bible, baptism is so much more. Baptism changes a person from a clueless, lost, unbeliever, into a disciple of Jesus Christ who will someday go to heaven. God works behind the scenes in baptism, and changes the soul. This morning, the Holy Spirit in baptism made Anna into a disciple of Jesus Christ. Every time someone is baptized, the Holy Spirit is working, changing the soul, making disciples.
Baptism is a tool Jesus tells us to use as we reach out and make disciples. And along with that tool comes the spoken Word of God – teaching everything Jesus has commanded. Jesus doesn’t need people with game show host personalities. He doesn’t need you to become a Bible professor who runs around spouting off his knowledge. He’s looking for simple people to take the Gospel, as it is found in baptism, and as it is found in the spoken Word – simple people, to reach out and make disciples for him.
Why do we fall flat on our faces when it comes to this sort of thing? As individuals, and as a Church, we haven’t always done so well when it comes to reaching out with the Gospel. Why? There are all kinds of reasons, but this morning I want to mention two. The first reason we sometimes hesitate to reach out is confusion. We are confused about who is and who isn’t going to heaven. Since 9/11, the main false doctrine that has been sweeping through our country is that it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are peaceful. Whether you are Christian or Muslim or Buddhist or Mormon or nothing – you just worship yourself – as long as you don’t blow up any buildings, your religion is good. Just be peaceful, be a good person, and in the end, everyone who is nice goes to heaven.
This is the false doctrine that is sweeping through our country today – it’s false because, as you know, not every nice person goes to heaven. And yet, that’s why many churches believe, and that’s why many churches no longer reach out with the Gospel. Why should they, if everyone is going to heaven? And yet, according to Jesus Christ, even the nicest, most peaceful, most loving, most generous person in the world won’t go to heaven, unless he is a genuine Christian, a disciple of Christ.
Confusion keeps us from reaching out. And along with that confusion comes the second thing that paralyzes us - fear. We are afraid. “I’m afraid that if I witness to that unbeliever in my life, he might not like me. “I’m too afraid to risk my friendship, my relationship with that unbeliever. I’m afraid I’ll say the wrong thing. I’m afraid of rejection. I’m afraid people won’t like me. I’m afraid, so I won’t reach out. I’ll just hope that person goes to heaven when he dies – after all, he is a good person, so I’ll just keep my fingers crossed.”
Our confusion, our fear - these are things that keep us from doing what Jesus wants us to do. These excuses are sins. Jesus really ought to punish us for our sins, our attempts to weasel out of our responsibilities as Christians. Jesus ought to punish us, but he doesn’t, does he. Instead, Jesus looks into our hearts, he sees how weak we are, and he gives us exactly what we need. He gives us a promise. Look at the promise Jesus gives us this morning: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus is with you always. He forgives you for all of your past failures. He has died for your sins on the cross. He has prepared a place in heaven for you. He has risen from the dead, and now, even though you can’t see him, he is always with you, forgiving you, strengthening you, giving you the confidence you need to make disciples of all nations. Think of it this way – you are never alone when you’re reaching out. You are never alone.
When you have the chance to witness to a friend or a loved one, and you’re worried that you might be risking your relationship with that person by sharing the Gospel, Jesus says, don’t worry, I am with you. When that neighbor across the fence says, “It doesn’t matter what you believe – we all go to heaven someday anyway” – when your neighbor says that, and then you have a chance to witness and say, “No, I believe something different. I believe that there are all kinds of ways that people try to get to heaven, but only one way works. And that one way is depending on Christ instead of myself.” When you have a chance to say that, but you are afraid and wonder, “Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut” – Speak up, Jesus says. I am with you. I will help you. I will give you strength. Go and make that person a disciple. Share your faith, Jesus says, and I will be with you always, and I will bless you.
Evangelism is becoming a lost art in America today. Christian churches are focusing all their time and energy on bake sales and baptizing pets and having experts come and give you money management seminars. Some churches are spending a majority of their time protesting against laws they don’t like. Others are focusing on sermons telling everyone to stop hitting each other and start hugging each other. There are meetings about the church carpeting, who’s going to cut the church’s grass, who’s going to drive the church bus to the museum on Tuesday. Are there any churches out there that are doing what Jesus says? Going out among the unbelievers and making disciples? Using Word and Sacrament to change people from lost confused unbelievers into disciples of Christ?
That is our number one purpose as a church here at Beautiful Savior. That is your number one purpose as a member. How good it is, that we have a Savior who promises to be with us, to forgive us when we fail, to strengthen us and to bless us, as we do his work. All kinds of exciting things can happen to a group of people who reach out with the Gospel. Let us be that group of people, fulfilling Christ’s mission. Amen.
