Ruthfred Lutheran Church Sermon Text

Matthew 28:18-20 – Make disciples

18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Introduction:  It is Trinity Sunday today.  Today I am going to explain to you how three persons can be one, and how one can be three.  I am going to explain to you how father Son, and Holy Spirit being three distinct persons are really only one God.  And after explaining the trinity, I will delve into the issue that you have been struggling with I’m sure for years – Can God make a rock so large that He cannot lift it?  There are actually theological discussions online on that particular topic.  The difference between foolish questions, and questions about the trinity is the fact that the doctrine of the Trinity is absolutely essential to the Christian faith.  We pray in the name of the triune God, we Baptize in the name of the Father son and holy spirit, we give the benediction in the name of the trinity.  The Trinity is clearly an established Biblical doctrine.  The trinity is essential to the faith, but can we understand it?

St. Augustine, the distinguished bishop of Hippo in North Africa, was strolling the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea one morning, engaged in deep thought. He was attempting to come to grips with the depths of the doctrine of the Trinity.   He was interrupted in his thoughts when he stopped to watch a little boy running toward the ocean with a bucket. He watched as the little guy filled his pail with water and hurried back up the beach to pour it into a little hole he had pawed into the sand. Within seconds the sea water soaked into the thirsty sand.   Then the bishop's eyes followed the little boy down to the ocean again, and then back up to the hole. Once again the little guy poured the water into the hole, and once again the sand swallowed it up.   "What are you trying to do?", asked Augustine with a smile.   The little boy, a little annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of his busy task, replied, "I'm trying to put the ocean into this hole."   Suddenly, it dawned on Augustine that he was behaving just like this little boy. He was trying to cram the ocean of God's truth about Himself into his little box of brains and was having no more success than the little boy with his bucket.

The Trinity is one of those doctrines in Scripture that we read about, we know is definitely Scriptural, but one that we may never be able to comprehend with our minds.  We see the Trinity clearly here in Matthew 28:19 as Jesus tells his disciples to make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

This passage in Matthew 28 is Jesus charge to His disciples.  Turn to Matthew 28.  I want you to notice the commands that Jesus gives His disciples and to us.

- Because Jesus has all authority you Go.  And the disciples did what Jesus commanded them to do – they went.  Matthew to Ethiopia, John to Asia Minor, James to Jerusalem, Nathanael to Asia, Andrew to Greece, Thomas to India, Peter to Asia Minor and to Italy.  Philip went to Syria, Simon the Zealot may have followed James as Bishop of Jerusalem.  All but John were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.  They went because Jesus had all authority.  They went because as part of the trinity as part of the Godhead Jesus told them to go.  If Jesus had only human authority I don’t think they would go, would you?  I mean if Pastor Olson were to tell me to go to another nation to spread his teachings and even die for his teachings, I don’t think I would go.  That is what is so frustrating about these cults.  People are willing to give their lives for a lie, for a human being.  And Human beings do not have all authority.
            Jesus doesn’t ask us to go for a lie.  He doesn’t ask us to go for a mere human being.  He is part of the Trinity, we go for God.
            -Secondly we are commanded to make disciples.  O.K., I want you to think back over your life, “How many disciples have you made so far?”  I’m guessing that right now most of you are thinking, “I don’t call anyone my disciple.”  The first thing we need to do is understand the phrase make disciples.  We don’t talk like that today do we?  In Jesus day making disciples was common.  Jesus was considered a rabbi, and had disciples who learned from him.  There were many rabbi’s in that day with disciples.

We recently studied discipleship in Sunday school.  And what we found is that being a disciple means being like the Rabbi.  And so in Jesus Day, to follow the Rabbi, meant that you were to be like the rabbi, to follow in His steps.  When Jesus tells us to make disciples, what he wants is that we point people to Himself.

Jesus said, “Make disciples of all nations baptizing them and teaching them”.   Baptism and Teaching are the means by which we make disciples.  We bring children to baptism, and God begins a work of faith in them.  We continue to teach, using the word of God, and God uses his word to make firm the faith.  But always with Baptism, and with the word of God discipleship points to Jesus and His finished work on the cross.

 I asked the question earlier, “How many disciples have you made so far?”  How many of you have brought your children to baptism, and taught them the word of God?  You are making disciples.  How many of you have brought people to church or Journey through the word, or Sunday School, to hear the word of God?  You are making disciples.
            But don’t stop there.  When Jesus says “Make Disciples”, He wants us to continually make disciples.  As a Christian, the command of Jesus to make disciples is a command for the rest of our lives.  Share with people the word of God, or invite them to come here and hear the word of God.

Jesus went to the mall and a movie Saturday. As one might have hoped, he was welcome wherever he went.
The life-size cardboard cutout of Jesus was accompanied by a youth group from Lamoni United Methodist Church who came to Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines to view the movie "The Nativity Story."   As they took turns pushing the cardboard Jesus on a two-wheeled handcart through the mall, the faces of the shoppers around them registered surprise and curiosity.
        According to the Des Moines Register, Chatter at the food court quieted when the kids pushed Jesus by. Kiosk shopkeepers asked what was going on.
          One older man burdened with shopping bags was so fascinated, he nearly blundered into a Fichus tree.
The cardboard Jesus is an exercise in living their faith and "taking Jesus Christ with them everywhere," said the Rev. Steve McElroy.  Earlier this year, McElroy had talked to about 20 middle school and high school students in his church about the challenge in living as a Christian.   The discussion became more real when the pastor showed up with the cardboard cutout and asked the youth group if they would take Jesus with them any time they were together.

  "It's one thing taking Jesus around local places. It's more difficult to be a public Christian when you're hauling him through the mall crowded with shoppers," Pastor McElroy said. "It's a good test."
            Some of the teens admitted they felt self-conscious fear about meeting people they knew in the mall.  
When it was their turn to shepherd the cutout around, Paige and her brother Colton took Jesus to sit by the fireplace at the food court. Colton had a explanation for anyone he knew, "I'll just tell them our pastor made us do it,".

            You don’t have to have a cardboard cut-out of Jesus to take him with you.  But perhaps it would be a good reminder for us.  Wherever you go, you are sharing Jesus with the world.  And you have this promise.  Jesus said, “Lo I am with you always.”  As we go and make disciples, we aren’t alone.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy spirit are right there, inspiring and empowering you.  Amen.