ARE YOU A DIFFERENCE MAKER - Matthew 28:18-20

all right if you have a Bible or an app

go ahead and open it up we're going to

be in Matthew 28 this morning Matthew 28

we're going to be looking at the last

couple of verses beginning in verse

18 we are in week three of a series

called from the heart where we have been

looking at the values and and really the

foundational pillars that we hold to

here at the Grove a couple of weeks ago

when we began this series we looked at

the importance of gathering together

with the household of faith that it is

an honor and a privilege that we have

and the scripture tells us in the book

of Hebrews that we are not to forsake

the assembling of

ourselves as even back then some were in

the habit of doing but we are to

recognize the important nature of what

it means to gather with the body of

Christ to lift up and worship His Name

we worship we gather together to worship

God last week we talked about how the

Bible should be the very thing that

forms and shapes our lives there are so

many voices that attempt to speak into

our lives to influence us to direct us

to to point us down a certain path and

if there is anything that we should give

our will and our influence and our lives

over to it should be the truth of

scripture that's one of the things that

we value here we not only gather

together to worship God but we grow

together in his word that's why we want

2025 to be the year that we read the

Bible more well today uh we're going to

talk about our next value our next

pillar which is we are called to make a

difference we're called to go and make

disciples as a matter of fact the

mission statement here at the Grove is

this we exist to reach the Grove and

make

disciples but here's what I want to do I

want to ask you the question are you a

different

maker and as we begin to answer that

question together as we begin to be

challenged by the implications of that

question I want us to consider it in

relation to the words of Jesus here in

Matthew

28 you know the reality of your life and

my life is that we all long to leave a

mark we all desire to leave a lasting

Legacy in some some shape or form for

parents that Legacy might be leaving an

inheritance to our kids leaving them

with a better life no one wants to get

to the end of their life look back on it

and then ask what did I really

accomplish did I make a difference did I

leave my

Mark we get to Matthew chapter

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

28 the disciples

are at a pivotal

moment remember just 40 days

earlier Jesus had resurrected from the

grave three days before that they were

running in fear for their lives three

and a half years before that they had

left everything behind in order to

dedicate their will their purpose their

entire being to the plan and purpose

of Jesus

Christ now they stand on the

Mountaintop Jesus has demonstrated his

power and authority as he is risen from

the grave they know something is about

to change they know that that now the

world is going to be completely

different and Jesus before he ascends

back to the throne in heaven gives them

some final instructions

and when we talk about making a

difference in this world when we talk

about leaving our Mark when we talk

about leaving behind a lasting Legacy if

if there is anything that we should

desire to be known

for May it not be the wealth that we've

accumulated or our educational accolades

or the things that we've accomplished in

this life though however those things

are great and praise God for giftings

praise God for the blessings of your

life but we never want those things to

be a substitute for the greatest Mark

that we can ever leave and that is a

gospel Legacy that is a difference that

has Eternal

implications and Jesus is about to go

back to the father and he gives his

disciples a very clear and a very

specific message and here's what will

come to understand it's a mission that

wasn't exclusive to the disciples there

on the

Mountaintop but it's a mission that

extends into the hearts the lives and

the action of every son and child of God

and so Matthew chapter

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

28 beginning in verse

18 here's what Jesus

says Jesus came and said to them

all authority in heaven and on Earth has

been given to

me 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 teaching them to observe all

that I have commanded you and

behold this is this is Jesus way of of

saying listen

in lean

forward watch

this he declares I Am With You Always to

the end of the age and all God's people

said amen Lord would you bless your word

Holy Spirit would you stir our

heart I love what Jesus is doing here he

is offering every single one that calls

upon his name an

invitation to step into his

story when you think your when you think

about your life and and and think about

it for just a moment what story are you

living

out is it a story wrought with selfish

Ambitions is it a story wrought with

pain maybe filled with bitterness or or

anger or maybe it's a story where you

indeed are experiencing the life that

you hoped for that you've accomplished

everything that you've set your heart

towards that at some point in your life

you had a vision you had a plan and

you're living it

out I want you to

consider that though your story may be

an excellent story ask yourself is it

God's

story am I the main

character or is Jesus the main

character what what influences my

Pursuits in life is it the Ambitions of

self or are my ambitions rooted in

something deeper something greater

something beyond what this world can

provide and can offer because if we are

going to answer in the affirmative that

we indeed are difference makers the only

way that that can happen happen is in

relation to The Obedience of the command

Jesus has here in Matthew

28 you know he is laying down not only a

mission for us but a

pathway that pathway has several

implications several premises that we

must abide by if we're to experience the

promises of what is implied by this

passage we've been in a series over the

book of Acts for the past 30 weeks

almost we're we're going to continue in

March in our Series in the book of Acts

and what we've discovered if you

remember is that God's mission for the

church is that we would bring change to

the world that doesn't just impact the

present but Ripples and extends into the

future so that those that would come

after us so that should the Lord t

in a hundred years if the Grove is still

here and I pray that it

is what their mission would be what

their hope would be the privilege and

the honor that they have to live out the

mission would would be a legacy that

they are living out that that we are

establishing right here right now you

know the reason this church celebrated

80 years it's because 80 years ago

people decided that we were going to

stand true to the mission of God to be

differen makers in this world to have a

lasting impact into eternity and in this

pathway that Jesus lays before

us he calls us to an understanding of

greater

things you know making an impact doesn't

begin with natural

means it never

does we have to lean in and rely on the

power of Christ and it's right here in

Matthew 28 that that pathway starts with

these words of Jesus so let's break them

down if you're taking notes we're going

to look at four things here's the first

one we're called to

surrender to his authority did you pick

that up right here in Matthew 18 but uh

Matthew Verse 18 chapter 28 before Jesus

gets into the meat of the matter before

he gets into so what our mission is he

lays the groundwork establishes the

foundation because going and teaching

and baptizing and making disciples is

all for not if it's not done in the name

of

Jesus the Apostle Paul will pick up on

this theme in his letters throughout the

New Testament and he'll say things like

this I can have all the wealth in the

world I can have all the gifts

and I can do a lot of worldly good but

if I've never experienced the love of

Jesus Christ if if that is not the

foundation by which I live my life and

accomplish

things then it's all done in

vain it's all noise it's a clanging

symbol there's there's no rhythm there's

no Melody there's no sweetness to it

that draws people in King Solomon back

in the Old Testament wrote an entire

book on this he said vanity of vanities

meaningless everything is

meaningless and Solomon was a man who

has granted enough wealth to buy to

purchase to take anything his heart

demanded or desired and yet he gets to

the end of his life and he recognizes

that all of it is

meaningless unless

it's rooted and

birthed in the character of God look at

your

life look at your

accomplishments look at the Mark and the

Legacy that you are leaving behind is it

rooted in the

gospel does it take its stand in God's

call in Christ's command to go and raise

up followers of

Jesus and the way that he establishes

this path this pathway is by calling us

to surrender to his

authority Romans chapter 6 says

Romans 6 · chapter mention

this you either surrender to sin or you

surrender to

Jesus either way you are surrendering to

something make no mistake about it and

if you're going to surrender to

something I pray and I hope that it is a

surrender surrender to Jesus Christ you

see when it comes to making an eternal

difference surrendering to Christ's

Authority is where it

begins that means Jesus is in

charge that means Christ has all

control and before Jesus tells us to do

anything he reminds us of who he

is he's not just another teacher he's

not just another Prophet I really want

us to lean into the implications here he

is the

king now think about the time period in

which this has taken

place the disciples the followers of

Jesus have known no other Kingdom except

the Roman Kingdom a kingdom that has

subjugated them a kingdom that has

robbed and stripped them of their

spiritual identity a kingdom that says

I'm King I'm in charge and if you do not

honor and obey me you shall be put to

death this is one of the lies that was

brought against Jesus that that Jesus

was trying to incite a riot against the

Roman Kingdom and that's one of the

reasons that Rome put him to

death and yet Jesus stands here saying I

have all authority not worldly kingdoms

not worldly Powers not politicians not

worldly agendas me I am King I Am Lord I

have all authority and here's the

beautiful thing it's not just limited to

this moment his authority is not limited

to geography it's not even limited to

just Earth all all authority in heaven

and on Earth has been given to me these

are the words of Jesus this is a cosmic

scope which is why if you think about it

further the theology behind this is is

so

beautiful that when the Triune God at

the beginning of all Beginnings said let

there

be what was the first Act of Creation

obedience

Let There Be and there

was this happens no other way except for

the one who has all authority so a

couple of things real quick what does

this mean for us I if we're called to

leave a mark not a Mark that points to

self nor a Mark that that would even

Point uh to my family and generation's

past but a Mark that points to the

kingdom of God his glory and his name

what does it mean it means two things

the mission

is not

optional it's not relegated to paid

staff to Sunday school teachers to

church volunteers but if you had said if

you have said yes to Jesus if you are a

Christian in the house today this is not

an option for you this is a

command and to not live your life in

such a way where you walk in obedience

to this command is to live your life in

Rebellion to the god of

creation Now many of us we would not say

I want to rebel against God I don't

think we would say that but if we look

at our lives particularly in relation to

this commandment here in Matthew 28 to

the words of Jesus

here we might we might

consider that we are indeed walking in

Rebellion to what Christ has called us

to this mission

is not optional it's a command from the

King of Kings the second thing is this

our mission isn't

impossible Jesus has paved the way when

we obey him don't miss this

please we are

guaranteed

success the word of God never returns

void it sets out to to accomplish its

intended

purpose now there will be people who

reject the word of God there will be

people who rebel against the influence

of God's kingdom but at the end of days

when Christ returns you make no mistake

he will return to a church that has been

purified to a church that is glorious to

a church that is beautiful why not

because we've done anything great

because we we are a people and only

because we are a people who live in the

shadow of his authority and the shadow

of his mercy and the shadow of his grace

when we obey him we are guaranteed

success not by worldly measures but by

Eternal

ones so let me ask you if the King of

Kings and the Lord of lords the creator

of the Universe has sent you to make an

eternal difference in your marriage in

your home in your place of employment

wherever it is God ushers your hands and

feet what is stopping

you let's just be honest for a

moment I'll tell you what stops

me

fear

insecurity shame

the feeling like I'm not good enough

that is one that I battle

constantly how many of us have the same

battles but when we are

confronted with the truth of who Christ

is his authority and we surrender our

hearts Our lives our will and our

influence to him when Jesus speaks with

authority Authority watch this it

silences the

excuses because his power is greater

than

mine his guidance is greater than

mine in my weakest moments God's power

and strength still

shines

through so we start with Jesus's

Authority but but here's what I love his

authority isn't static right if you

notice how how the command progresses

all authority in heaven and on Earth has

been given to me and then we have a

beautiful word in scripture go there

for in other words everything then that

Jesus Will declare is entirely based on

what he's just

said and so the authority of Jesus isn't

static it is a launching pad for

Action it is the place that propels us

forward which leads us to truth number

two we are called to step into his

mission it's one thing to agree yes

Christ has all authority yes and amen

I'm a child of the king I can live with

expectation because he has authored the

promises and not only has he authored

the promises he provides the pathway to

the promises but often where where we

get hung up where we get stuck

is will'll agree with Biblical

truths without ever living a life

transformed by biblical truths we'll

agree with with some good scriptures

we'll we'll even agree with a great

sermon and praise God for all of that

but what happens at

12:00 Beyond The Four Walls of this

building what happens when you go back

home what what happens when you go back

into your text uh group chat what what

happens when you're scrolling social

media what happens when you go back to

work what

happens when you live your

life are you being changed and

transformed because this is what Jesus

calls us to to step into his mission

verse 19 right here 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 Jes Jesus doesn't leave us

guessing as to what the next step

is he doesn't leave us guessing about

our mission he makes it clear what it is

it's not about

buildings it's not about platforms it's

not about wealth it's not about chasing

Comfort it's about

people I think that is what makes this

one of the more difficult

things that allows us to live out the

truth of this command

I've said this before I'll I'll just say

it again there's a saying that says this

I used to like people but then people

ruined it we're no strangers to the fact

that relationships can go

south that people will rub us the wrong

way and and we're no strangers to the

fact that that sometimes if not often

times we'll view people we view

individuals we'll view a set or a group

group of people and we'll think we're

holier than them that we possess more

value and worth than them and so we have

no desire to pray for them we have no

desire to go to them to love on them to

step into their mess the way Christ has

stepped into our mess and let me just

say this at at some point and even now

we all have a mess we are all a mess let

me just say that right I said it last

week none of us have it all

together we are all

messy Our Lives fail and fall short

before the holy God of creation and what

does Christ do Christ steps into our

mess he calls us to repentance he calls

us to Salvation he calls us to

himself Christ here calls us to step

into that

mission it's a mission for all people

with real power real stories real

struggles real Souls all being invited

into the family of God who does the

inviting you

do you do the inviting this passage that

we just read it's known as the Great

Commission it's not the great option

it's not the great if you feel like it

call It's the Great Commission it's the

assignments of every believer and and

and here's what I love about it how it

lays it out it says go right let's break

this down quickly go we are to be active

and not

passive here's the painful reality and

what the data shows us the majority of

Christians today are passive Christians

they don't want to step into the mess

they don't want to step into the muck

and the mire of people's

lives most of us are satisfied the way

it is now I understand that there is a

level of

contentment that we should all have but

never to the point where it robs us of

Devotion to the mission we are called to

go it isn't a come and SE message it's a

go and tell message and what are we

called to do what's the difference that

we're called to make we're called to

make disciples

starting in our home extending in into

our community and into the world beyond

what does that mean what does a disciple

mean what does a disciple do we are

called to be formed and shaped by

Jesus to call people into a life that

honors and reflects

Jesus when we talk about making a

difference let's put it this way if if

we were to gaze into your life into a

small window of your life this past week

this past

weekend would we be able to conclude

that you are a follower of

Jesus that you are a disciple of the

King of Kings and the Lord of lords and

here's what's

incredible making disciples isn't just

about going and teaching people it

includes a lot of that but it's about

emulating

a life that is worth

following this is why Paul tells the

church in Ephesus follow me as I follow

Christ we do a very good job parents

especially and I'm guilty of this we do

a very good job of of verbally teaching

our

kids but often living a life that is far

from the very expectations we lay on our

children and then we wonder why why our

children grow up to to not honor the

Lord to not take Church serious to not

have a devout prayer life to not have a

devout Bible reading Habit in their life

and the answer is simple because they

did not see it modeled by Mom and Dad

when we're called to make disciples it's

not just teaching people with our mouth

it's living a life that is worth

following then we're called to baptize

this B AP ISM it's a public

Declaration of a personal transformation

it's a step of

obedience that symbolizes our

life in

Jesus and then to

teach our growing and our learning

doesn't stop at conversion it's about

walking alongside one another to

grow

together and I love the scope of this

mission

it's for all nations even then Jesus was

declaring that his heart his grace and

his

Mercy is was and continues to be for

every ethnicity extend beyond

geographical borders into every

generation it is a gospel for

everyone every where and God has placed

You Right Where You Are

to follow through with this command and

make an eternal difference in people's

lives but but here's the other thing

this surrendering to the authority of

Christ the stepping into his his mission

it

extends into every facet of Our Lives

here's here's the third thing we're

called to stay the course do you know

what that

means that means that this is a lifelong

Journey when you step into a

relationship with Jesus you are stepping

into a

lifelong journey not just a Sunday

morning Journey not just with your when

you're with your prayer group Journey or

with a certain group of people Journey

but a

lifelong journey go with me to verse

20 teaching them to observe all that I

have commanded you

you learning never stops they say you

can't teach an old dog new tricks that's

because that old dog is

rebellious learning never

stops and Jesus is giving us two key

actions here right did you pick up on

that baptism which signifies what it's

about identity it's about stepping into

the family of God and then

teaching what is teaching about it's

about

formation it's about constantly being

changed the husband the Father the

pastor that I am today I hope that I am

constantly being formed and shaped by

the mission of God the truth of God's

word so that tomorrow next year 10 years

from now I'm a better husband a better

father a better

pastor and I think many many of us have

never considered that we're satisfied

with the way life is with no desire for

greater formation into the image of the

very one who lived and died and Rose

from the grave for

us this this isn't a one-time

event it's not just about conversion

it's about life

transformation and Jesus is calling you

and I to a lifestyle of

obedience in every facet and in every

area so as we surrender to his

authority as we step into his

mission to be active and not passive to

live a life that is worth emulating and

a life that is worthy of following not

because we're good but because we follow

the one who embodies all that is

good and we understand that that this is

a life

style not a one time events

about walking with people over

time helping them to grow in their faith

teaching them as as we grow and as we

are taught to live in a way that honors

Jesus and here's what's beautiful I'll

just Camp here real quick because we're

running out of time here's what's

beautiful if indeed and it is this is a

lifelong journey do you know what that

implies what that entails that means

that it is a growing

process that means I'm not going to

judge

the one who is not getting it

right because I was once there you were

once there I'm not going to turn my back

on the one who hasn't got

it if if you've been following with our

Bible reading plan

yesterday we looked at the story in

Genesis

19 uh the story of Sodom and

Gomorrah and in that story we find

Abraham's nephew lot is sitting at the

city Gates Sodom and Gomorrah were had a

reputation it wasn't a good one they

were known for their sinfulness and

their Rebellion active Rebellion against

God they took pride in rebelling against

God and you have lot sitting at the city

Gates which implies that he was an

individual of high standing within the

city so he was either complacent to the

sin that was around him or he was

involved in the sin that was around him

if you know the rest of the story The

the angels are sent by God to go and

bring lot and his family out of the city

so that they would not perish when God

cast his judgment upon them and lot

there's a moment where where he's

resisting and the angels have to drag

him out him him and his

family but then we get to second

Peter and second Peter says that lot was

righteous that lot even in the City

filled with sinfulness was torn to his

heart over the evil that existed which

tells us what it tells us that this

lifelong journey is a journey where we

are learning despite the moments we fell

and fall short despite the moments that

we are complacent in sin despite the

moments that we give in to Vices and

temptations this lifelong journey is a

journey where we are being

formed to repent and follow Jesus repent

and follow Jesus repent and follow Jesus

repent and follow

Jesus that does not give us an

excuse to fell and fall

short because Paul as he's proclaiming

the gospel in the New Testament

anticipates this sort of

rebuttal well if God is going to forgive

me if all I need to do is repent then

let me just go and and and live like

hell on Saturday and it'll all be good

good on Sunday

morning and Paul says that attitude is a

clear indicator that you don't know

Jesus because if you know Jesus and you

love

Jesus then your heart is being

transformed to want to model who he

is and in our imperfections and in the

moments we fell and fall short the Holy

Spirit brings conviction and

accountability on us we repent we turn

to Jesus and we move forward here's the

last thing stand firm in his

presence though we surrender to his

authority we step into his

mission we stay the course this is a

lifelong journey and we stand firm in

his presence verse 20 Jesus

Says I Am With You

Always how many of us need to hear that

this

morning he's not abandoned

you he's not left you

in the muck and the Meer he's not

abandoning you in your desperate moments

of need but I am with you

always in the moments when you can't

feel it and the moments when you can't

see it you can rest in this truth

because here's the incredible thing

Jesus never promised that we would

always feel him because there are

moments when we don't feel him and most

of that is due to our own

Rebellion never promised we would feel

him all the time but he did promise that

he would be with us always that's why we

don't rest on feelings we rest on Truth

biblical truth we stand firm in his

presence and that tells us

this that when the mission feels

overwhelming when the sacrifices seem

too great when the opposition feels

strong we know that he is

there our labor your labor for the

gospel for the Grove for the king om at

large it is not done in

vain Christ's present presence it

sustains us until the day when Faith

becomes

sight this commission it's not a

suggestion it's a command and here's

what I

love there is eschatological

implications

here Jesus doesn't just say I'm with you

always what does he say to the end of

the

age in other words we have a window here

and the age that he's talking about is

is the age of the New Covenant the

window of Grace and Redemption where he

is providing an Avenue of rescue for

everyone who will call upon his name he

is with us every step of the way so this

does two things number one it empowers

us for the mission he's with me he's

directing me he's guiding me even when I

can't feel it I can rest on this truth

that's the first thing that it does the

second thing that it does is it draws

our heart our mind our faith to what's

to come a Greater

Hope a greater Kingdom the Fulfillment

of all the promises that have ever been

uttered and written this is standing

firm in his presence let's bring it all

together and that is as we surrender to

his

authority we understand the import

import of stepping into the mission the

mission that is for all people and it's

not a mission that that that is uh

exclusive to a Sunday morning or a Bible

study but a mission that is

lifelong that extends into the private

places of your life into the private

thoughts of your mind into the private

intentions of your heart that is where

the Great Commission empowers us through

the authority of Christ understanding

that he is always present

it helps me to leave a lasting

impact that makes a world of difference

not for me not just for my kids but for

the generations to come we are standing

here today we are worshiping the Lord

today because over 2,000 years ago 11

men stood on the

hillside they saw their savior Ascend

back into heaven and then they went to

work in commitment to the mission and at

hand what would be different in our

lives what would be different in this

church if we left this morning committed

to the work of Christ let's pray