Matthew 28:16-20 - 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Throughout college I gained a wonderful christian community. My closest friends were involved in ministries with me and we went to church together. Even my roommate was a follower of Jesus - him and I both saw our lives change after freshman year as we began following Christ. However, following Jesus was exhausting. While I had this community, I found that there was always a missing piece. When I would stop praying or reading scripture, or find myself in a season of doubt, I often did not have anyone wiser to encourage me to say, Tee it will be worth it, keep going. Honestly, most of college I yearned for that voice in my life and never found it, except for in little spurts. I don’t really have a happy ending, except for the fact that I had to scrape by and then was graciously given a mentor my first year out of college who met with me every week for a year. He was consistently that voice reminding it was worth it, to keep going.
Tonight, I want to address this yearning. There are some among you who already, desperately desire this, and there are others who have no idea what I’m talking about or why it’s important. I hope for each of you, whoever you are, Christian or non-christian. You’d listen tonight and maybe, just maybe you’d see a way forward, a hope.
Every week we have been gathering together, reading scripture, listening to God’s word, and discussing for what purpose? To discover the KIngdom of God and learn what it means for you, me, and campus. That’s been our focus this semester. In order to discover God’s Kingdom, you must understand the christian story. I’ve related our vision for Redeemer College Fellowship alongside that story. The parts of the story we’ve read are the main idea of redemption, main character of Jesus, the theme of love, our identity of beloved in the story, and our role to lose our lives as we follow Jesus. Then, last week I transitioned a bit. I said, well if that’s our role in the story, we must understand our role, we must learn our lines and get ready to take the stage, if you will. That in order to get ready, we must learn where we’ll get ready and prepare to lose our lives as we follow Jesus. Where will we learn to fulfill such a high and ambitious calling? Our main character, Jesus has given us a new family, his bride, the church, where we are equipped, prepared, and sent out to fulfill our role in the Kingdom of God.
While this is the setting of our rehearsals and preparation, we must now still ask the question - how will we become people that lose our lives as we follow Jesus? How will we learn and prepare to fulfill our calling as God’s Kingdom people?
I mentioned that this is a process. We don’t become Kingdom people overnight. We don’t become people willing to lose our lives by tomorrow. It takes time! You and I must prepare and become equipped to share the love of Christ at the University of Richmond. It won’t be easy at first, it won’t make sense in the beginning, we may become exhausted. But, over the course of time, we grow in love, we grow in patience, we grow in steadfastness, we grow in joy, we grow - we grow. This process of growth, that allows us to truly fulfill our role in God’s Kingdom, is called discipleship. Tonight, we’ll learn from our passage three things.
First, our discipleship has begun. Second, we’re invited to make disciples. Third, discipleship will establish God’s Kingdom.
First, our discipleship has begun. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve decided to become a disciple. This means, that you are an apprentice of Jesus or more aptly put, a student of Jesus. Dallas Willard says it like this, a disciple is ‘one who makes sure to walk as close to Jesus as possible’ - so perhaps discipleship is the process of walking closely with Jesus.
Now, this does not always look perfect. Our discipleship is not perfect. I compare it to walking a dog without a leash. The dog is distracted constantly, but then will walk closely with the owner again. Then they’ll chase a squirrel. Then come back to the owner. In the same way we are prone to wander from Jesus, but he is ever-inviting us to walk closely with him again. Our walk, our discipleship with Jesus is not perfect.
In the same way, the disciples of Jesus in the Gospels, did not always walk closely with Him. An excellent example of this was when Peter, having been close with Jesus through much of his ministry and whom Christ called ‘rock’, denied Jesus, three times. Then he ran away scared and hid, when Jesus was ultimately put to death, horrified that Jesus had died and that he’d disassociated with him altogether.
Now, in our passage, we fast forward a bit. Jesus has risen, and the disciples get to see him for the first time. Two things happen, some worship him and fall down before him in awe at this miracle. Others, instead, hesitated, perhaps fearing their own doubt and wondering if Jesus would condemn them for running away scared and hiding. But now, Matthew says, ‘Jesus came’, Jesus came forward. He did not condemn, but moved closer as to clarify and assure the disciples, that he really had resurrected, and that he still loved and cared for this rag-tag group.
Friends, in the same way, we will doubt, we will be scared, we will run away, we will sin, we will screw up, we will hurt others, we will perpetuate injustice, we will be sexually immoral, we will fall short altogether, and think ,that when Jesus really moves closer, and sees us, he’ll condemn us….but Jesus - he comes close, and forgives and loves us. This is what it means to be a disciple, a student of Jesus. Even when we fall short, he will meet us with love, and invite us to continue walking with him, again and again.
Second, we’re invited to make disciples. As we continue walking closely to Jesus, we’ll begin to realize how beautiful this journey is. We’ll keep returning to our teacher, our Lord, and hopefully, recognize the opportunity to share this good news of God’s grace with others.
Jesus invites his disciples into this opportunity as he begins to speak. He says, now it’s your turn. I have been discipling you and I will continue to disciple you, but now you do it too! Go out to all the world and make your own disciples, baptize them, and teach them everything! All that I did, all that I commanded you, the parables, the miracles, share it all with them!
As we walk closely with Jesus, we must call others to do the same. What does this look like? Now in most sermons you’ve heard it said that we must ‘share the gospel’. Subconsciously, to us, at least to me, this has meant walking up to our classmate, our roommate, our brother or sister and telling them, straight up, without hesitation, you need to follow Jesus, right now. Now, this is one way to do it, but let’s consider how Jesus did it. He did say to the first disciples, follow me! But, he was also committing to spend the next three years of his life with these guys. Over the course of that time, these disciples had no idea what was going on as Jesus slowly revealed the mystery of his identity and mission.
As Jesus invites you to make disciples at UofR, are you willing to commit? Are you willing to give up your time, your wants, your desires, to make disciples? Will you invite others into the beauty of walking with Jesus?
Third, discipleship will establish God’s Kingdom. Jesus shares his final words saying, ‘behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’. Jesus was committed, not only to the first disciples, but to every single disciple in human history. He said he’d be with us till the end of the age. We can understand ‘end of the age’ to mean, when God’s Kingdom comes fully to earth. When all of creation will be restored. Then, he won’t need to just be present to us by the Holy Spirit, but we will ‘see him face to face’.
Knowing that there is an end where all will be restored and we will be with Jesus in fullness, how may that change the way we look at discipleship? If you knew that someday, University of Richmond would be a place where everyone calls on the name of Jesus, what would you do differently today? If you knew that someday there would no longer be injustice in this world, what would you do differently today?
Now some would be tempted to say it’s all for nought. “If we’re all good in the end, then what’s the point now? Why bother with discipleship?” Friends, the reason Jesus invites us to become disciples, and make disciples, is because Jesus is “looking for people he can trust with his power” (D. Willard) Our role in the Kingdom of God is to lose our lives! We’re called to walk closely with Jesus, because only ‘constant students of Jesus will be given adequate power to fulfill their calling’ in the Kingdom of God. (D. Willard)
When discipleship takes it full effect in this world, Jesus will return and God’s Kingdom will be established.
Maybe you’re response is - ‘okay we get it, this is what it looks like. This is a great vision and hope. But is it really possible? I mean, I can barely wake up and make time to pray in the morning. Why would Jesus trust me with his power? I literally have nothing. I am lukewarm, I’m not feeling it, honestly, if I really examine myself, I’m not sure I want to walk all that closely with Jesus.’
Friends, I encourage you, return to Jesus, walk closely with Him. If you haven’t done so before, I invite you to for the first time. For His yoke is easy and His burden is light and He will give you rest for your souls. God’s Kingdom will be established and it will begin with your discipleship. It will take time, but trust me, trust Jesus, it will be worth it.
I want to finish by being merely practical. So let me ask you a few questions. Are you being discipled? Meaning is there someone, wiser and older, ‘teaching you all that Jesus commanded’ and leading you to Jesus? Are you discipling others? Are you someone wiser and older ‘teaching people all that Jesus commanded’ and encouraging them to walk closely with Jesus?
Ultimately, do you long to see God’s Kingdom established at UofR? This is what it’s going to take - it will require discipleship.
Y’all we want to help you. Tori and I want to help you. We will do everything we can to help you become discipled and begin discipling others. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we are committed to opening our home for the next four years and beyond.
We want to be students of Jesus, with you. Then, maybe just maybe, we’ll get some others to join us too. Then if we’re patient, things will start changing. We will start to look different. Our campus will begin to look different. And one day, Jesus will return and everything will look different. We long for that day.
Let’s pray the Lord’s prayer. - Amen.
