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Summary

In this conversation, Jimmy Clark delves into the Great Commission as outlined in the Gospel of Matthew, emphasizing the significance of Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations. He explores the themes of communication, conversion, and commitment in the context of discipleship, highlighting the authority of Christ in evangelism. Clark discusses the transformative nature of being a disciple, the importance of baptism as a new beginning, and the commitment required to observe Christ’s commands. Throughout the conversation, he underscores the good news of the gospel and the necessity of sharing it with others.

Chapters

00:00 Conclusion: The Hopeful Message of Repentance
08:49 The Purpose of Discipleship
11:51 Authority in Evangelism
21:26 The Cost of Discipleship
31:10 The New Beginning: Baptism
39:10 Commitment to Christ’s Teachings
46:57 Invitation to Discipleship

Transcript *This transcript was automatically generated and may contain errors.*

Jimmy Clark (00:03)
I invite your attention to Matthew 28 verses 18 to 20 as we’re going to do a deep dive into these particular statements. When you look at the Gospel of Matthew before you get to the end of it, the nature of this book is to teach you that the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah are fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. He is not like unto the Messiah, he is the Messiah.

And being the Messiah, therefore, before he ascended into heaven, he literally said these words to these chosen men. He’s going to select one in Acts chapter 1 to take the place of Judas. Later on, he’s going to select a very specific man, a very unique man, I believe, in the providence of God to carry the gospel to all nations. Watch this commission.

Jesus came to them spake saying, all power has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go you therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to deserve all things what’s right, commanded you, and lo, and with you always, even to the end of the world. As simple as that is to memorize and quote, as many of you probably could quote it even like that and even better.

The very nature of that commission in the Gospel of Matthew has to do with the messianic work of Jesus Christ as He’s ascending on high to sit on David’s throne. Notice I said sit on David’s throne, because in the second chapter of the book of Acts, that’s exactly what Peter standing up with 11 preaches on the day of Pentecost.

that God hath made that same Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. The word Christ is the Greek word for Messiah. He is the Messiah and the Lord said to my Lord as David wrote in Psalms,

let he sit on my right hand, I’ll make that foes that footstool. David’s throne will never be down here on earth. David’s throne is at the right hand of God and that’s where Jesus sits. So that makes him the Messiah. He fulfills Psalm 110, Psalm 116, and all the other statements in the Old Testament that had to do with requirement to be the Messiah, to be the king, and that’s what he is. Now, Matthew’s commission is different from Mark’s commission.

and from Luke’s commission. But when you put the three together, you get the fullness of what the book of Acts is all about. By the way, we use the word, Acts, A-C-T-S, it’s Acts of the Apostles. The Greek word literally means the practice, the practice of the apostles.

You know, we talk about we need to have everything according to the Word of God in faith and practice. Well, I know what the faith is. The faith is the New Testament. Well, what is the practice? Well, I look at the practice of the apostles in the book of Acts, and that’s exactly what disciples do. Now, when you open up Matthew chapter 28 in the King James translation in verse 19, it says, go you therefore teach all nations.

Now in the back of the pew, as I noticed this afternoon, there is a copy of the new King James translation. At least there was one in the pew I was sitting in. And I opened up that translation and it words it differently. It words it differently. Go you therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now the question is, which one is correct translation?

And how do you know? Well, you don’t have to know Greek to be able to understand the truth of the gospel. The fact of the matter is the Greek New Testament literally says, go therefore, make disciples of all nations.

baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. So that’s why my assignment tonight is not just to teach, but to make disciples. And tonight I’m gonna do three things in these three verses. First point has to do with all three of the verses, the concept of what all three of these verses together actually press. And the pressing point that Jesus is making is communication.

You must communicate what I’m asking you to communicate now to all nations. Point number two, in that communication, your purpose is to convert the people that you are communicating this message to. You’re not just giving them out details or facts. You are literally to persuade them to be what you are as a disciple of mine.

And then number three, after they have been committed, excuse me, after they’ve been converted, they are to be committed like you are committed to the very cause for which now you embrace. So communication, conversion, and commitment. By the way, it’s a very simple lesson. It’s meant to be simple because the great commission, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, once you understand,

These three commissions, the rest of the New Testament is like falling off a log because everything in the book of Acts points back to the commissions. Everything, Matthew’s commission, Mark’s commission, Luke’s commission, how have you heard it? Faith, repentance, baptism.

Confession to show the fact that you even know what a person does believe because if they don’t show it or say it, you wouldn’t know a man has faith. So the emphasis is faith, believe, repent, confess, be baptized. By the way, it’s not Church of Christ doctrine, it’s the Bible. And because it’s the Bible, that’s what we preach and practice. Now my question is, is that good news? This word right here, evangelism, that is a Greek word.

that we put into English. Okay, the word is eun-gil-id-zum-i, to preach the gospel. That’s what eun-gil-id-zum-i means. So how would you define evangelism? It literally means good news, a good word, a good message. Now let me ask you a question. Communication, strictly from the Bible, not add to, not take away. Is that good news?

Is it good news to see a preacher stand in a pulpit somewhere and he’s not giving you deathbed tales? He’s not giving you a bunch of jokes that you can go tell your friends later on? He’s giving you the Bible. Is that good news? Now you think about our world today. How many want this touchy feely stuff and they don’t get the Bible? Folks, it might make you feel good, but that’s not good news. ⁓

It’d be like going to a doctor and you are literally sick unto death and the doctor says, now do you want me to give the good news or the bad news? Well, I want good news. Well, I know you don’t want to hear what I’m about to tell you, so I’m going to tell you what you want to hear. And that’s good news to you. But by the way, in seven days, you’re going to be dead. So you’re dead in seven days. What good did it do to get you this good news that you wanted to hear?

Let me tell something, folks. The world is lost. And at one time, you and I were lost. And we’re not lost because we’re financially poor or not intelligent. It’s because man’s lost in his sins. It is sin that separates between God and man, as has been shown all this week, even today as I was listening. So what is this great commission about? It’s about making disciples.

And I’m not here to discuss, or Brother James has already discussed on the idea of discipleship, I just want to supplement some of the material that goes with this. Communication.

The first area of communication in these three verses is who is the authority? If you ever even talk about going and making disciples, the question is who’s authoritative? Take your Bible and turn to Acts chapter 20, starting verse 29 and verse 30.

Notice in Acts 20, Paul is talking to the elders at Ephesus and he is warning them. He’s warning them. know that after my departures, grievous wolves will enter among you, not sparing the flock. Even of your own selves shall men arise. Doing what? Preaching good news. No, preaching perverted word.

To do what? What’s the purpose of preaching this perverted word? To draw away disciples to Christ. No, after them. So the question is, is it possible to make disciples but not make disciples of Christ?

Acts 20, 29, and 30, those two verses right there show you it is possible to make disciples and make the wrong ones. So what kind of disciples are we trying to make? Question, are we trying to make disciples of the apostles? He’s talking to the apostles, you go make disciples. And Peter says, I got that one figured out. I’m going to have some folks at Carinth who are going to say, I have Cephas.

Later on, Paul’s gonna say, I got that one figured out because I’m gonna have some folks at car rent that’s gonna say, I have Paul. And by the way, Apollos says, I got you both beat, I’m not even an apostle. And I’m gonna have some folks at car rent to say, I have Apollos. But let me tell you something. Paul Apollos nor Cephas would say, you’re not anything but a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1, be you followers, by the way that’s a synonym of what a disciple is. Be you followers of me as I also am of Christ. He’s not saying being a disciple of me, he’s saying being a disciple of Christ like I am a disciple of Christ. Now this is the nature of preaching gentlemen. We’re not up here to put on a show.

We’re not up here to gather a following of folks that want to pat us on the back. I’ve learned more Bible from you than anybody I know. Well, I would hope you’d learn some Bible from our influence through preaching and teaching, but this church doesn’t belong to me.

And this church doesn’t belong to you. This church belongs to he who’s at the right hand of God. And that’s who you’re making disciples of. And you got to communicate that first to yourself. Because trust me, gentlemen, preachers have egos. Psalm leaders can have egos. Elders can have egos.

But you put your ego in a box. For if any man will come after me, let him deny himself. Take up his cross and follow me. So that’s what you’re going to communicate among all the verses in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on discipleship. You’re going to make disciples. I’m going to send you out among all nations. You’re going to make disciples. But you’re making disciples for me, not for you.

Evidently, some elders at Ephesus didn’t get that memo.

Because there’s a tendency we like to be liked.

And sometimes we like to be followed.

but we’re all here to follow one person. If we’re the spiritual body of Christ, we’re not the head. There’s only one head of one body, and he calls all the shots.

Now, in this concept of evangelism, if you’re gonna sit down one-on-one or even in a group study, what is one of the first subjects you have to establish before you start with square one? What is the authority? Where does Jesus start in Matthew’s Great Commission?

before he even talks about, go you therefore make disciples of all nations baptizing them. He says, all authority is given unto me in heaven and on the earth, go you therefore. The therefore statement is based upon the statement in verse 18. Folks, if Christ didn’t have any authority, why would I be making a disciple after him? Why would I even be a disciple of Christ?

He doesn’t have any authority to have any disciples, but since he has all authority, am I, when I’m making disciples of Christ through the communication of the gospel of Jesus Christ, am I doing what he’s asking them to do? By the sometimes people try to get around the Great Commission and say, well, he’s talking to the apostles, he’s not talking to Christians.

I mean, you’ve ever heard that argument? Those verses don’t apply to me. I’m not an apostle. Nobody’s an apostle today. And therefore, it’s utterly foolish to talk about evangelizing the whole world because we’re not apostles. Well, what do you do with 2 Timothy 2? When Paul turns around as an apostle talking to a non-apostle, the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Or what did Paul commit to Timothy? Preach the Word, right? 2 Timothy 4.2. By the way, is that what Paul’s preaching? The Word? Whose Word? Paul’s Word? No, the Lord’s Word. The Holy Spirit is guiding Paul into all truth, just like he’s guiding Peter and all the other apostles. So the point is, who?

is the authority. Have you ever sat down and studied with somebody and all of a sudden say, my preacher says this and I feel this way. I say, wait a minute, we’re not going to make it anywhere down this road of agreeing to what God wants us to know and do until we establish if it’s not book, chapter and verse, we don’t believe it, right? If it’s not book, chapter and verse, we’re not going to practice it, right?

Why do we establish authority right up front? The reason we establish it is because in the day of judgment, he that rejecteth me and receive not my word has one that judges him the word I have spoken will judge him in the last day. So in the day of judgment, whose word is authoritative? The one who has all authority in heaven and on earth.

So when a person stands up and starts showing you the Bible and showing you the details of the Bible and you’re like the Bereans, they search the scriptures daily. Why? That those things are so. They understood the very concept I’m talking about. That you’re nodding your head, which I appreciate that by the way. means you’re not nodding off to sleep. But the picture is what? Notice, I talk about communication.

I’m teaching right now at home, I’m preaching on Sunday nights through the book of Acts, I’m in chapter 16, but turn to Acts 14. Acts 14, in verse 21, I’m preaching through the book of Acts in paragraphs, not preaching in chapters, I’m preaching in paragraphs. By the way, I’m in sermon like 50 in the book of Acts right now. I’ve preached 50 sermons in the book of Acts and I’m just in Acts 16, but you do it by paragraphs, it’ll take you a long time.

Okay? If you’ve got the King James translation of Acts 14, 21, it says, and by the way, Luke’s writing of Paul and Barnabas in the first missionary journey, and they’ve come down to Derby.

last city as they backtracked on the first missionary journey back through Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, etc. says, there they came and preached the gospel to that city, okay? And then the phrase says, and taught many, this is the King James translation, and taught many, okay? And then returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and Antioch. If you’ve got the new King James translation, it’s worded differently.

and the American Standard, it’s worded differently. It says that there they went and preached the gospel in that city and made many disciples. Now is there a difference between the phrase and taught many and making many disciples? I believe there is. Because look, I’m teaching many even by internet.

That doesn’t mean I’m making disciples just because I’m communicating to many. But the word there is exactly Matthew 28, 19. It is the exact same word. That’s why it’s translated that way. Literally what Luke is saying here is Paul and Barnabas ended up at Derby.

They preached the same gospel at Derby that they had preached at Lystra, at Iconium, and at Antioch. And at Derby, they made many disciples. You’ve got a congregation in Derby. By the way, I can probably name you three names of the members of that congregation.

Because in the 16th chapter of the book of Acts, when Paul goes back on the second missionary journey with Silas, they pick up a young man who is a disciple. He is called a disciple. And his name is Timothy.

By the way, this unfeigned faith that Timothy had according to 2 Timothy 1, 5, he got it first from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. So evidently when Paul comes into that region, by the way, what has Lois and Eunice been doing with Timothy before Paul ever showed up? That from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Did Timothy have faith in Christ Jesus? Evidently in the first missionary journey he did.

In the second missionary journey, Paul picks him up because he now has a good report of all those in Lystra and Iconium. By the way, think about a young man. He’s a young man in chapter 16 of Acts. He is a young man in 2 Timothy 2 verse 22. I don’t know how young he was in 16, but he was young.

Now, by the time you get to 2 Timothy, which is years down the road, he still called a youth. How about 1 Timothy? Let no man despise thy youth. 1 Timothy 4 verse 12. He’s a young man in chapter 16 of book of Acts. So all of a sudden, what have you got? You’ve got a young disciple, and Paul literally is going to train him. Let me ask you a question, fellas.

Those of us that are old, I’ll put myself in that category. Is it important to train the next generation coming through our brotherhood?

I remember when Tom Holland stood in this pulpit. I remember when Jackie Steersman stood in this pulpit. I remember when my father stood in this pulpit. Folks, they’re all dead. Now, their influence lives on. But every generation has to have its Timothes. Every generation.

You’ve got to have your Silas’s and you’ve got to have your Titus’s. You’ve got to have Hannah’s and you’ve got to have Ruth’s and you’ve got to have all these people work in the church. Every generation has to be made disciples of Christ. That’s what that commission’s about. Now question, when Jesus charged them by his authority to make disciples according to Acts 14, 21, did they do it?

By the way, right in the margin of your Bible, Matthew 28-19, excuse me, Acts 14-21, those two passages are parallel passages. And I’m not talking about just in the English, I’m talking about in the Greek, in the Greek New Testament, those passages are parallel. Because…

Luke, excuse me, Acts 14, 21 is the fulfillment, a direct statement of fulfillment of Matthew 28, 19. Go ye therefore and make disciples, and they made many of them at Derby.

based on who’s authority.

The only authority. The only authority by which to make anybody a disciple. Now, second part of this communication. Number one, who’s the authority? Number two, what does that involve? What is involved in being a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Any man who come after me and hate not his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brother, his sisters, yea, and his own life also cannot be my what? Disciple. What does it involve being a disciple of Jesus Christ? Let me say something. I had some great teachers. I believe there’s some great teachers here in this school. But I had some great teachers when I was in undergrad and even grad school. Matter of fact, I still admire these men.

But I am not their convert.

I am not converted to any teacher that I’ve ever had, even my own father who was my supreme teacher. I am converted to Jesus Christ.

And I don’t put my own fleshly father ahead of Jesus Christ. I don’t put my mother, my sister, I only have one sibling, a sister. I don’t put my wife or any of my children. And the next question is, how about your own life? Would you give up your own life as a disciple for Jesus Christ? Now you quit preaching, go into meddling.

You’re asking me to sacrifice something. Well, I can sacrifice certain relationships, but you’re asking me to sacrifice the very thing that would send me on into the Hadean realm. Let me ask you question. What’s worth dying for?

You know there are people in our country and even in foreign countries who’ve died for their country? We have cemeteries all over this planet with United States servicemen and women buried in those graves. We call them literally national cemeteries. Have them in Hawaii. Have them in France. Have them all over this world.

Evidently somebody believed it was worth dying for for this country to enjoy what it has. Let me ask you a question. What did Jesus die for you to have?

And now the question is, is that worth you dying for?

Don’t tell me being a disciple of Jesus is easy.

Don’t tell me it’s convenient. It wasn’t convenient for him to leave heaven and come down here and do what he did. Why should it be convenient for me?

We’re going to make disciples, right? Let’s start making disciples. Let’s start teaching people what that means. Who’s the authority and what does that mean?

Number three, where does that lead me? When you get to Romans 12, after you’ve done the first nine chapters of Romans, which basically is a synopsis of the scheme of redemption, the righteousness of God is as found in Christ and the faith that’s in Christ, it’s an obedient faith. When you get to Romans 12, verse one and two.

Verses probably you can quote, but they are the focal point of the conclusion of the first nine chapters of the book of Romans, excuse me, the first 11 chapters of the book of Romans. I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God, by the way, that is a unique Greek word, and it literally means the feeling of compassion that God has toward man because of what he showed in Christ.

This is what God feels for me and you. We were pitiful people and Christ died for the ungodly.

We’re a mess. We made a mess of our lives. And God sent His sinless Son to die for you, and He did. Now, based on your understanding of what my Son’s done for you, I beseech you by that picture that you offer your life a living sacrifice, holy, separate from the world.

Holy, acceptable unto God, and that is your only logical, that’s what reasonable there means, logical service. It is a logical thing that if he died for you, you oughta die for him. Because by the way, what you’re all for him will never compare to what he’s done for you. So it won’t be apples to apples ever. Now, next passage, and interesting word.

And it’s bad enough you’re asking me to be a living sacrifice. And be not conformed to this world.

Well, what am I supposed to do? I gotta live in this world. You should so live your life in this world, folks think you’re a stranger. Folks call you odd. Folks speak evil of you because you don’t do like other folks do. First Peter 4-4. You don’t conform to this age. You are transformed. You’re a form.

But there is a communication that has been given in this gospel that literally has revolutionized the way you think. Paul used to think one way. He now thinks 180 degrees the opposite way. And by the way, who wrote Romans by the Holy Spirit? The very man we’re talking about.

Do you transform by the renewing your mind that you may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God? How many of have ever tried applying the Bible and found it works? It works. You sit down counseling a couple that are having marriage problems and all you do is open up the verses of the Bible. Okay, wives, submit yourselves unto your own husband as unto the Lord. Don’t tell me she don’t know that, she don’t want me to read that to her.

Now husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Did you know those two verses would fix most problems in a marriage?

Now go out here outside this office and go do that. Come back in a week and let’s talk about what happened.

And then parent-child relationship. Children, obey your parents and the Lord. This is right. Honor your father and mother, which first command with promise that it may be well. You want it to go well with you. Do what that verse says. And by the way, fathers, provoke not your children to rap. Bring them up in the nurture and amulet. Now go out there and do that and come back in a week and let’s see how that works.

The late brother, Gus Nichols, made this statement when he was going to counsel anybody. He asked him two questions before he even started a study. Question number one. Do you want to do the right thing? That’s question number one. Do you want to do the right thing? Come on, nod, Basically, I’m welcoming you to nod, okay? Question number two. Do you believe the Bible is the right thing to do?

Brother Nichols said, if you answer no or hesitate to either one of those questions, there’s not one thing I can do to help you. There’s the door. You’re free to leave.

I have used that more times than not in my office as a counselor to troubled situations. Do you want to do the right thing? Do believe the Bible is the right thing to do? If you answer yes to those, all right, take your Bible and read these verses right here. And after we read these verses, now I need you to leave, I need you to go do what you just read.

If you don’t want to do what this book says, there’s not one thing I can do to help you. Not one thing. Because you don’t want to follow the Lord, there’s nothing I can do to help you.

But if you want to follow the Lord, and you’re struggling on how that is interpreted in your own life, let me give you some verses to chew on. Digest that, and watch and see that you’ve proven that the Lord’s will is good and acceptable and perfect. Folks, that’s what it is to be a disciple.

It means I know who the authority is, and I know what that involves, and I know where that’s gonna take me. Now, very quickly, point number two. Yeah, point number two. Conversion. Make disciples, baptizing them, behind here, baptistry, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. You get a new beginning by being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

New beginning, we call it just a new birth.

Every religion on this planet has a point in their theology to where a person knows he has transferred from being lost to saved. Every religion.

And they’ll get you up to the, okay, now after you’ve done this right here, now you can know you have this right here. Did you know the New Testament teaches that? Hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized. Matthew’s commission, baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Notice I said into. Greek word is ace. Okay, it literally means in the direction into. In Acts 2 38, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ is a different word. It’s epi, in the daily. It means upon the basis of the name of Jesus.

So they’re asking what to do and Peter is saying, this is not by my authority, this is upon the basis of what Jesus is telling you to do, repent and be baptized, every one of you.

Matthew’s account is talking about into the relationship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The way it’s worded in Ephesians chapter three, verses 14 and 15 is this. Paul said, for the which cause I bow my knee unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named.

My wife’s maiden name is Rikard. Pamela Joanna Rikard.

That’s not her name now.

Her name is Pamela Joanna Rikard Clark. More times than not, they just say Pam Clark. Why don’t you change your name?

because she didn’t like her old name, right? Why didn’t she change her name? Because she married me. You obey the gospel, who are you married to? And did you take his name?

If you were adopted, biologically you were this particular name, and now this adopted family over here that wants to take you into their family, you’re adopted into that family. What do they do to your name?

change the name, right? So you’ve gone from one family name and you’ve taken on another family.

You get a new name.

called Christian.

It’s called Like Christ. By the way, that’s not a title, that’s a way of life.

when I’m converted, that’s what this is. It is at the point of my being baptized that I get a new name. I didn’t get it before I was baptized. I get it after I’m baptized. no, Brother Clark, you become a child of God by faith. Yeah, that’s part of it.

You’re all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. So you stop, don’t stop too short because the sentence isn’t through. Galatians 3, 26, 27.

Belief is a change of the facts now that you have in your head. I was an unbeliever and now I believe these facts. Repentance is a change of the will of a person that I no longer desire to do the kind of life I used to live. Baptism is the state of the condition that you used to be in to now the state or the condition that you are.

It’s a new beginning. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away, all things have become new.

You got a new belonging, you belong to a new family. By the way, you got earthly family members down here, brothers and sisters in Christ, but you now belong to the family of God Almighty. So that when you pray at night, you pray, our Father, which art in heaven. He was your creator before you ever obeyed the gospel.

that now he’s your father who’s in heaven. Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that simple to understand that? That prayer now is the privilege of the Christian who’s in the family of God, that God the Father would listen to his children above all else. Why would you not wanna be a disciple of the man that made that possible? Go preach that, that’s good news.

Go let people know you can have God as a father. By the way, if God’s your father, you’re an heir. You’re an heir. You got an inheritance. It’s uncorruptible. Fades not away. It’s reserved in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1, 4. By the way, God only gives heaven to heirs. By the way, my mother and daddy died and when their wills were written, I’m gonna give y’all some four-win-win information. None of y’all’s names was in the will.

None of y’all’s names was in the wheel. My name and my sister’s name was in the wheel. Y’all get nothing of my mom and daddies. Though I’m probably not in y’all’s wheels either, so I’m not expecting anything. But there’s not a person in this room, not a person on this planet can’t be an heir in that wheel. Because that wheel is dedicated for whosoever. Is that not good news?

that you can do something that God requires of you to do, that you can be in air, you can be in the will.

So being baptized into the relationship of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Quickly, I’ll close the lesson out. Commitment. Teaching them, these baptized people, to, King James says, observe. The Greek word there for observe is from the word tereo, it means to keep. In other words, I’ve got it, I’m gonna hold on to it.

I’m not going let anybody take this away from me. I’m going to hold on to it. It’s tight. You’ll have to kill me to get it away from you. By the way, if you kill me, I’m going to get it anyway.

By the way, to observe all things what I have commanded. By the way, who gives orders? People in authority, right? So when he used the word command, that’s against the background of verse 18. Since I’ve got all authority in heaven and on earth, I can command you to do whatever. By the way, when I command you, you do it.

You don’t stop and deliberate about it. Well, you reckon we ought to do that. He said, do it, you do it. How many of y’all ever had your daddy tell you to do something? He said, well, let me think about it. I said, my daddy would say, did you not hear me? That’s what he’d say, did you hear me? I said, yes, sir. said, then why didn’t you do anything? Well, because I was going to do it in my own time. That’s not hearing me. You didn’t hear me.

What he meant was, are you gonna heed me? That’s what he meant.

You now teach them to observe, to keep what I commanded you. Did the Lord teach the disciples about the Lord’s Supper? By the way, go read your Old Testament about the Lord’s Supper and see if you can find it. From Genesis to Malachi, see if you can find the Lord’s Supper in the Old Testament. I’ll give you a save. It’s not there. So I’m going to to the Lord Moses to find out what to do.

I’ve got to follow the Apostles doctrine because the Lord taught the Apostles what to do and the Apostles are to tell disciples what to do and what the disciples tell you to do that are Apostles, that’s what you do because that’s not their authority, it’s his, he’s just telling them to communicate it.

So when I open up and find what an apostle writes, that’s not Matthew, John, Peter, and Paul, though they’re apostles, that’s the Lord. When I read Mark, Luke, James, and Jude, while they’re not apostles, that’s the Lord too.

If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness, he is proud knowing nothing but doling about questions and strifes of words where have come as envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, perverse to the duties of men and corrupt minds and destitute of the truth. Notice, destitute of the truth.

That’s what Paul’s telling Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 beginning in verse 3. You don’t follow what the Lord said. You don’t know what you’re talking about. But when an apostle tells you what I commanded you, that’s my disciples. Don’t tell me I can’t tell who’s a disciple of Christ and not.

I read the book of Acts, let’s go find what they did, how they became disciples, how they worshiped, how they worked, how they organized, and let’s just do that. And when you do that, what do you know? God being no respecter of persons, if he approved them, he would approve me. By the way, he has no choice being no respecter of persons if I do what they did and what he told them to do.

By the way, is God not consistent? Let me tell you something. Satan changes the rules as he goes. God cannot lie. He is consistent always. And the greatest thing about Matthew’s great commission, lo, I am with you.

to the end of the war.

You believe he meant that?

Do you think the apostles needed to hear that? Because not long after he said that, he’s going into the clouds.

He’s going to send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Paraclete. He’s going to guide them into all truth. We now have all that truth and all scripture given by inspiration of God. When I open up Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, all the way to Revelation, I am reading whatsoever he commanded them, I am commanded. Not under the law of Moses, but under the law of Christ.

And if I do what these apostles tell them to do, I am a student of the greatest teacher that’s ever walked on this planet.

I’ve heard some of the young men here, some of the older preachers that have come through this school, talking glowing words about some of the people that taught here in this school, still teaching this school. And I’m glad that you appreciate what they’re doing because they’re making big sacrifices in doing that.

I want you to think about it folks. I’m not a graduate of Florida School of Preaching. Matter of fact, I’m thankful for this school.

that I will never graduate from the school of Jesus Christ.

And there’s not a one of you in this room, male, female, young, rich, poor, whatever your station in life would be, that you can’t be a student of Jesus Christ. He’s the master teacher. And when you’re educated by the master teacher, you have the greatest education this planet can ever produce. You don’t get a degree for it.

you get a reward for it. I’d rather have that than any sheepskin you put in a frame. Just by the way, Lord’s gonna burn up all my diplomas.

And yours too, by the way.

But in order as we offer the invitation tonight, if you’re subject tonight to become a Christian or you’re subject tonight to come back to your first love, make no mistake about it, a disciple is an obedient disciple. Hereby we do know that we know him. We keep his commandments. He that says, know him and keeps not his commandments is a liar. The truth’s not in him. Who so keeps his word?

in him verily, truly is the love of God perfected. Hereby we do know that we are in him.

John the disciple of Christ wrote those words to disciples of Christ and says, you keep on doing that?

keep on committing to that, you can know you have eternal life. You can know you’re right.

That’s good news.

The whole world is full of bad news. And we all need this kind of news. Songs selected to you tonight, if you’ve not been baptized, believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Willing to turn away from a life of sin and repentance, because by the way, you’re gonna die to sin to bury that old man. We don’t bury live people, we bury dead ones. You die to sin to rise to walk in newness alive.

You went with your mouth to confess that I believe with all my heart Jesus Christ is the son of God. By the way, we don’t know if you believe until you show it or say it. When you’re baptized into Christ, most folks would say, that’s not good news, that’s Church of Christ doctrine. No, that is good news. To teach a person that he doesn’t have to be baptized in order to go to heaven in the day of judgment, is that good news or bad news?

Too late now.

The good news is I can know now and I can know then.

because he that keeps my word knows that he is in me. First John two, three to five. If you need to come back to your first love, waiver child of God, repent of thy wickedness, pray God. The thought of thy heart be forgiven thee. What did old Simon say? You pray for me. I have no doubt Peter likely prayed for Simon. He asked him to. That’s what we’ll do tonight.

Why we’re late, won’t you come?