Hey, would you pray with me, please? Father in heaven, we thank you today for all that. You've done in our lives God. We thank you for this fall. That is right.

Upon us God. I pray that you would prepare Hearts God as we March into a brand new fall God. I pray that you'd create new habits within us God give us the strength and the energy and the courage to choose discipleship to choose to walk in the path that you've called us to God. I pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.

Hey, it's been a short summer. It seems like every year the school year starts early and earlier. I think probably it's going to start May the 31st next year as we roll into the fall though. This is such a huge fall because we're establishing a culture of discipleship and and you probably know Venture for years. We have been a come and see church and we are moving into a go and be Church, you know as you go not just as you come and see to be a people on Mission.

And so today we're going to talk about kind of beginning this fall how Jesus has called us to be on Mission. He said five times get this in five books of the Bible. He gave us our marching orders matter of fact, if you want to know your purpose as they believer now, this is not just for preachers. Okay. This is not just for people who've been to Seminary.

This is for every single Believer he's going to tell us today in Matthew chapter 28, and it's called the Great Commission Now George. Barna said that 76% I have a hard time believing this but 76% of the people who go to church. Don't know what the Great Commission is or don't understand what it means. Now that's insane. So today we're going to talk about that in the reality is when you come to follow Christ, it's not just about you it's not just what you get from him.

It's not just being fed. It's not just making your life better. He's called you to be on Mission now, that should be obvious when you think about Jesus when you think about the whole idea of the cross executioners tool that that's the symbol that we hold out that all of the disciples died and excruciating death. Most of them were martyred. They were crucified many upside down many were skinned alive one was thrown off of a mountain a hundred feet high and then he didn't die.

So they beat him to death John escaped a lot of that because he was banished to an Island the island of Patmos and was left there to die. And so as we begin this fall, I want you to think differently about your faith. It's not just about what all God can do for you and help your school win and you know help you get good grades. But God has a plan for your life. So we're going to look at that today in Matthew chapter 28, and I'm going to ask you some questions about this because I don't want us to be among that 76% that don't know what the Great Commission is.

Like I want you to understand it. I want you know, it's what it's all about that. That's who we are that that is God's call on your life and mind so Matthew chapter 28 and you probably know Jesus says lived and died three years of ministry. He's risen from the dead. He's appeared to over 500 people.

And now he has called the disciples to him and he said hey hear your marching orders. And he says this in all the gospels and in the book of Acts. He says this is what your purpose is for being here. It's not just to get saved and punch your ticket and go to heaven. He said I've got something for you to do.

So Matthew chapter 28 verse 16. The 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted gives me a little hope. And then Jesus came to them and said all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Here we go.

You ready? Therefore go? And Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey everything. I commanded you and surely I Am With You Always to the very end of the age now.

Let me ask you a question as we start today. What is the command in that verse? Like you heard the verse there, that's a Great Commission go and make disciples of all Nations and I remember thinking when I was in seminary that the command was you need to go. I mean, it's it's obviously go. And and when my semi professor said no, man when you understand the Greek when you understand how this sentence is laid out.

The imperative the command is to make disciples I mean, I mean let that sink in you say well, what is a disciple? Well a disciple is a person that lives for Jesus Christ. Follows Jesus visually verbally and voluntarily each day. A seek Christianity is just not something you believe Christianity is a lifestyle. It's the reality that you're to be about every day keeping one eye on this world because we got to do that but also another Island heaven.

The reality that God has a plan for us that has something to do with his plan for us in heaven and it's discipleship. It is making disciples. And let me kind of tell you what that looks like so that you can get it football. A football is upon us, you know this and if you've got a little leaker, I remember 100 played football. We went out and bought his cleats and we bought his shoulder paths and bought his helmet and and we had this idea of like the schedule and when he would practice and and he would have they would have plays and would have games and and we were making a disciple out of Hunter with regard to football.

I mean there's sacrifice involved. I mean there's time involved. For a lot of people you're more individualistic and for you, it's a triathlon. I have no idea why you do that. I mean I've watched this on TV.

I'm like that is crazy woman anybody do that and here's a part of the triathlon you swim 2.4 miles. That is that is a long way you bike a hundred and twelve miles. And you run 26.2 miles? And and why do you do that you do that because of Glory. You do that because you want to sacrifice.

Because there's something you want to accomplish it is a glad and glorious Embrace of suffering to accomplish a difficult goal. And so this fall I want to challenge you. Because what Jesus says to every single believer, he says among everything else you're doing. He said the number one thing. I want you to be doing not just me, okay.

He's talking about every one of us. He says I want you to make disciples. He's called you to make a disciple. Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was a preacher and he was in Germany and had an opportunity to leave when everything got really bad and chose to stay with all the prisoners all the Jewish prisoners and and he wrote a book and it's called the cost of discipleship and he said literally when Christ calls us. He bids us to come and die.

That there is sacrifice in following Jesus Christ. You said that what diet Comfort diet of pleasure died a habits to continue to push those aside so that you can bring glory to God and experience Joy. So the command in the Great Commission is real simple, you're to make disciples. Full stop Jeff you're to make disciples. And you said well, how do you do that?

And then he tells us he says as you are going and I love that because whenever you see that word there, you're always thinking you need to go there and do that and you need to go over there and make disciples. No, the word is a part of simple that literally means as you were going about your life. You make disciples of the people around you. That it's not an event. It's not it's not going to a building.

I mean the reality is until about 300 ad there were no church buildings. I mean until the Roman government got involved and got in bed with the church. There were no buildings they met from house to house. But when the Roman government got involved, they started building buildings to draw people to the buildings and you may not know this about church history. But but the Bible that they had with that was written in the language the people couldn't understand what's actually chained to the pulpit.

It forced people to come to the church and the preachers are the priest would teach them and it made them beholding to the church and to one person. That's one of the 1400s. I love this the Protestant Reformation where Luther and others came and said this isn't right this sitting right that God has called all of us to be priests. And then when the Bible was translated into the to the language of the people, listen I Reformation a revolution it exploded. And I believe that's happening today.

Where we are saying to you it is not you just you go to church and you drop your kids off and you get some chicken and they get some information and you audit the church and and no no we're saying you're making disciples. You're you're involved with the people around you that you are a priest that you have influence wherever you go your business is your platform. To make disciples Listen as you travel in the weekends this fall and you go to ball games. Hey, you're making disciples. He says make disciples.

As you go about your life. And baptize them in the name of the father Son and Holy Spirit now now let me just say a word about baptism because there are a lot of you that probably don't know what we're doing every Sunday. We have a baptism just about every single Sunday. And the word baptism comes from the Greek word baptized though. It means to put under the water.

It's literally the word for a ship that is sunk to the bottom of the ocean. I don't get into a big argument about sprinkling or this or that baptism means to be put under the water all the way under to symbolize your dead. My son Hunter had a great experience in Botswana. Years ago when he was in college and took a whole semester to go to about Swan and serve. With a missionary there and had an incredibly experience and toward the end of his time there.

He said hey, you know, I feel like I need to be baptized. I mean my dad baptized her when I was little and I think I knew what I was doing. But hey, I know for sure now that I best Christ to come into my life. I mean that that missionary was discipling Hunter and so the mission so that's great. I want you to take that shovel over there and I want you to dig your grave.

He said what? He said you take that shovel over there and you dig your grave because the old Hunter has died. And he began to dig the grave. Every every you know one after another till he finally got it deep enough. He said okay, that's enough.

We're gonna put some some Tarpon to there and we're gonna fill that up with water because we're going to baptize you and they put him in his own grave and baptized him and brought him up and said you were dead and you're now risen with Christ to New Life. Friends, that's what happens to you. When you come to know Jesus. You've been given the spirit of God in your life that you're to feed with the word of God with the people of God. You you died you no longer belong to yourself.

You were bought with the price now glorify God with your body and everything you do. As you go you baptized. You're a brand new person. And then he says you're to teach. You you're defeat other people.

Listen, I want to ask you if you would to never say to me Jeff. I'm going to go to another church because I'm not being fed. Because that really makes you sound bad. Because only babies need to be fed. I mean you do get that.

I mean like like we can cut it up for you and kind of move it around and but and kind of put it in your mouth. That's what baby suit at some point in your life you feed yourself and then you meet move to feeding other people. That that's where multiplication comes from. Where you know that hey God has called me to follow him. And if I'm going to follow him, I'm to make disciples.

As I go and I'm going to be a part of seeing people come to know Jesus and be baptized and I'm going to teach them. I'm going to take what little I have and I'm going to give it away and say God you multiply God you break this God you use this. I see a powerful example that's happening all the time in our church. We're like the little boy who who brought his Five Loaves and two fish to Andrew and Andrew gave it to Jesus and he broke them and he fed the multitudes you bring what you have and you give it in the name of the Lord. I love what Jesus is it unless a colonel of wheat is buried in the ground.

It cannot produce a harvest. It's the idea of you planning seed. It's the one kernel of wheat that produces 50 kernels. It is the one head of wheat that when it is when it is when it is buried when it is planted. It produces a pound of wheat of 17,000 kernels.

It's the law of sowing and reaping it's the law of multiplication. And the one thing we're going to say over and over and over again this fall man. We're to be about multiplying. That you know, you're following the Great Commission when you're making disciples who are making disciples as they go and it's people are being baptized and it's people are being taught. There's a multiplication Acts chapter 6 verse 1 the Bible says because they were doing every bit of this.

That the disciples multiplied Listen to Acts chapter 12:24 the word of God multiplied. Acts chapter 9 verse 31 the church is multiplied. One of the reasons venture has many campuses is that we believe in multiplication of everything. Not just Believers but of churches. And you're going to continue to see that and I know what you're saying.

You're saying Jeff. I'm not going to do that. There's no way I'm going to do that. I don't have enough time to do that. I mean, how's it possible for me?

Because I don't know all those things to do that. Well, that's the third thing. Where does the power come from? To make disciples as you go seeing people come to know the Lord. And teaching them to obey everything that God has commanded us it comes from the power of God.

I've never looked at this before. I've never seen this part of it. I've always jumped to hey go and make disciples. But he says this he said all authority verse 19 all authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to me in the idea is I am now giving it to you. Whenever you decide, hey, I'm gonna be a disciple and and I'm Gonna Make Disciples.

The authority of God comes into your life. When Jesus said thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. He wouldn't just saying those words. He Hew that was possible. That because of Jesus you have authority.

That Jesus sits at the right hand of God. He makes intercession for you the Holy Spirit Acts 1:8. He says the spirit of God will come into you and you will be my Witnesses and Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and uttermost parts of the earth. You have the word of God. I mean, I hope you understand how important this is and the link that all of our team goes to to make sure you have devotions and you have a reading plan to feed the spirit of God in you you have the church as community.

The Church of the Living God man You have Community you have House Church you have weekend services. And when you step into power when you say I'm gonna follow Christ, I'm going to be a discipler. You're not just on your way to heaven heaven is on its way to you. For you begin to see God do powerful things. That you could never do in a million years in your own strength.

Listen, the Bible says God has given you everything you need. To live a Godly life in this fall as we kick this off. I want to challenge you. I want to challenge you to kind of Dive In. To the purpose God has for you.

To make disciples Man, there's there's no way we can accomplish. All God has for us in our communities and in our state and in our country then our world unless people become disciplers. In Jesus is I'll be with you. I'll be with you until the end of time. I don't know if you've watched the news lately, but I can tell you you're seeing something multiplying that as evil.

You can look at anything that networks and you can you can listen to the end of the stories and they all basically sound the same. And that is evil is multiplying all around us. And the reality is the body of Christ. The Believers have got to multiply and continue to grow because we're surrounded by Darkness. I was in Starbucks the other day and I was talking to one of our staff members and just kind of which we were talking.

I was looking around and I saw a guy sitting beside us from here to here and he's got his his role of tarot cards that he's pulling out and he's turning over and he's reading them and he's reading a little thing on the side here and he's kind of and tell what he's doing. He's trying to tell find out what this means from reading this description of what the tarot cards are saying to him. See, here's the thing about the enemy. He's discipling too. It's multiplying all around us.

And until we take Jesus commands seriously. It's gonna get worse and worse. Listen, it doesn't take very many people to come together. To make something incredible happen and that also goes with doing things that are evil. 9/11 is coming up just a couple of months away and got to thinking about discipleship.

As you go and multiplying and all the things I'm talking about about having a goal and and having a dream and when I hear and went on where you're going and being willing to sacrifice and being willing to do whatever it takes to make something happen and in being all in and I thought back to 9/11. 19 men from four different countries all Disciples of the evil one in my opinion. Who came together to do something incredibly bad? And man They succeeded. And it changed our world forever.

Let me ask you something what could happen? It just 19 people. That had to be everybody. But 20 people got serious about making disciples. As you go seeing people come to know the Lord and being baptized and teaching them to obey everything.

God has commanded because we know that God is with us. Can you imagine what could happen? The revolution around us how he would change everything that's going on and I believe that's going to happen. Listen, I want to beg you this fall. Okay, I want you to listen to me.

I want to beg you this fall to make this fall different. Give us between right now in Christmas to say hey, I'm going to be all in. I'm going to be a disciple and I'm Gonna Make Disciples. And as I go no matter where I go. I'm going to be aware that I am to lead people to know Jesus no love and following that I am to teach people that I have to be willing to be involved and to teach other people about the truth of God's word and let's just see what happens.

Because we truly believe when you sell out in your faith. That God doesn't incredible things. That you could never do in a million years. In your own strength I'm going to ask you to Bow your heads for just a moment and Man, I know that the summer has flown by. I know that many of you are like I cannot believe school is about to start.

I'm not ready. You know, there's no way I can do all this. Hey, I want to challenge you. To begin praying right now. To say hey, I'm going to make God's command.

A priority in my life I'm going to make church as much a priority as I do football. That this fall we're gonna make following Jesus the number one priority in our family. We're going to take the command of Jesus seriously. And see what God can do. In our family this fall father.

We thank you. That God you have given us a clear-cut route. To following you and seeing the world transformed. And God I pray today as we begin this fall. That God you would work in our hearts God that you would make us disciplers that you would help us understand multiplication that every single person is gifted to serve.

And the God we'd be willing to sacrifice for the common good to see you move. In a miraculous way. Father we love you, and we honor you and we thank you in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen