good morning to everyone just a reminder before we begin worship one announcement there will be no children Sunday school the next two Sundays so we'll reconvene three Sundays from now an email will go out of course but no children Sunday school during a spring break period here and we'll reconvene I think that's the first Sunday in April but I could be wrong three Sundays from now again we'll remind you when that time draws near well let's turn in our Bibles for our call to worship this morning if you'll turn with me to Psalm 23 Psalm 23 our call to worship Psalm 23 beginning in verse 1 the Word of God a psalm of David the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures he leads me beside the still waters he restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup runs over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever amen let's stand and sing as a church 269 in your larger Trinity hymnals 269 [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] let us pray Heavenly Father we come in worship now as the Saints of the Lord Jesus Christ seeking to worship you in spirit and in truth and we pray that you would help us now Father Son and Holy Spirit our one true God we pray that you would help us to do so we pray that you attend to our hearts that you would cause our souls to arise to a proper worship that we might hallow your name in this place we long to see you as the the sole recipient of all honor and praise and glory and we do pray that you'd help us in this that we would hallow your name here in this place and God around the world that you're gathered assemblies would sing the praises a father son and spirit and we do just pray that you would do this we pray that you would help us to reflect with great joy upon the gospel of Jesus Christ we thank you that you sent him to come into this world sinners to save and we rejoice in that blessed doctrine of the Incarnation that Christ took upon himself our humanity that he might redeem us that he might save us so that he might bring many sons to glory and we do pray that you'd help us to reflect with great joy upon that knowing that were saved by Christ alone were saved by grace through faith in Him alone and we are not redeemed by deeds of righteousness which we have done were not saved by our own works but saved solely and alone by the perfect work the Lord Jesus Christ and so we rejoice in his perfect life his death upon Calvary's cross that perfect substitutionary sacrificial death upon the cross we rejoice in the resurrection and we rejoice in that ascension where he where he ascended to your right hand to to live to intercede for his people to rule and to reign over enemies to subdue the hearts of his elect we just rejoice in our intercessor at your right hand and we do pray Lord God that you would that cause our voices to arise to a high praise of our glorious God we do pray that you'd be with those unable to join us we pray that you be with the sick and with the ill Lord there those in the hospital there are those at home unable to come to church we there are those with us struggling with disease and illness we do just pray that you'd be with each and every one that you would again strengthen them in body lore that you'd heal that you would grant seasons of reprieve from the pains and the the discomforts the many things associated with these illnesses and God we do just pray that you bring comfort to those who are afflicted in body that you would cause them to to be focusing not upon the the affliction but Lord God focusing upon you upon your will in all things and upon the fact God that the judge of all the earth does right before his own glory and for the good of his people we do pray that you'd be with those who are traveling that you would watch over them Lord we pray that you would uplift those who are struggling spiritually God and we pray that you attend to each and every one of us and cause us to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ we pray that you would help us to live our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Amazing Grace and we pray God that you'd help us daily to put sins to death to live unto righteousness and we do just pray that you would help us to do so and that we would in this lower world bring honor to the gospel that we would bring honor to the Word of God and to the the honor of our thrice holy God we do just pray that you give us much grace to endure in this lower world we do pray that you'd be with those persecuted our fellow persecuted Christians around the world those who are in nations where there is much hatred and much opposition we would ask that you'd help them God you'd be near to them in the midst of their trouble we pray that you'd cause them to reflect even in the midst of much opposition that reflect with great joy upon their Christ and upon their God and we do just pray that you would deal with those who oppose them that you would save many and that you would judge those who who would remain in a violent opposition we do ask God that you would be with Surrey Reformed Baptist Church today we thank you for this continuing work and we do just pray that you bless our brothers and sisters there it's they gather for worship that you'd strengthen them in worship that you'd give them that spirit that their souls might be stirred to praise you to be attentive and worship and to rejoice in their God and we pray for Mike Kirkpatrick that you'd help him as he preaches give him that grace to enter into the pulpit and to preach well the things of your Holy Word we do pray God that you would be with us now as we continue in worship we pray that you'd be with Pastor Butler we know as we pray each and every Lord's day God that the minister of your gospel does not rest upon his own strength but rests upon the strength that you afford your ministers so we do pray that you'd strengthen and pastor Butler in this pulpit as he opens his Bible and seeks to preach your word we do pray that you'd uplift him and keep him in this pulpit give him that boldness in Proclamation to give him that clarity and speech and Lord we do just pray that that aspect of worship that central aspect the preaching of the word of God would be today unto the salvation of sinners we pray whether young or old any who came in these doors outside of Christ God would leave singing your praises would leave having been brought from darkness to light you would save by your amazing grace and cause them to leave these doors singing the praises of Jesus Christ we do pray for us Lord who who are Christians in this place this morning that you would by your word and through all of these elements of worship that you would strengthen us that you would grow us and strengthen us in our faith we do pray that we would leave singing the praises of our God having been instructed and having been encouraged in the things of your Holy Word so do be with us now might you be honored and glorified Father Son and Holy Spirit we do pray that your people gathered here would now give you praise we pray in Jesus Christ the Lord amen let's stand and again sing this time it will be 489 489 let's stand and sing together [Music] Meeta the Gospel of Luke chapter 8 for our New Testament scripture reading as we read continually through the New Testament we're now at Luke chapter 8 and we're going to read verse 1 to verse 15 so Luke 8 and beginning in verse 1 once again the word of God now it came to pass afterward that he went through every city and village preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God and the twelve were with him and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalene out of whom had come seven demons and Joanna the wife of chuza Herod's steward and Susanna and many others who provided for him from their substance and when a great multitude had gathered and they had come to him from every city he spoke by a parable a sower went out to sow his seed and as he sowed some fell by the wayside and it was trampled down and the birds of the air devoured it some fell on a rock and as soon as it's sprang up and withered away because it lacked moisture and some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it but others fell on good ground sprang up and yielded a crop a hundredfold when he had said these things he cried he who has ears to hear let him hear then his disciples asked him saying what does this parable mean and he said to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God but to the rest it is given in parables that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand now the parable is this the seed is the word of God those by the wayside are the ones who hear then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved but the ones on the rock are those who when they hear receive the word with joy and these have no root who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away now the ones that fell among the thorns are those who when have heard go out and are choked with cares riches and pleasures of life and bring no fruit to maturity but the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit with patience amen let us pray God we thank you for this your word we rejoice God that we have your word to read and we thank you that we have your word to hear and we rejoice that we have your word to be proclaimed Lord and we do pray that you would help us to not count it a small thing that we have these things but a high and heavy honor to have the revelation from on high you have given your revelation to the sons of men that we might behold Christ and that we might believe in him and we do rejoice in these words of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you Lord God that there is that seed that falls upon fertile ground and that it is watered and that it does grow and we rejoice that in all these things you are sovereign we rest upon that sovereign and Amazing Grace and knowing that and you are appointed and in your accepted time you bring forth dead sinners from that deadness and darkness of sin to life and light in Christ Jesus the Lord and we do pray that you'd help us today to rejoice in this to be resting upon you our God in all things and we do pray that you would help us again to give you now honor and praise and all of those aspects of worship that are due unto your most high name be with us now for your honors sake we pray in Jesus Christ's name Amen our last him before the preaching of the word then if you'll stand with me we'll be 220 that's 2 to 0 let's stand and sing as a church [Music] new chapter 28 Matthew chapter 28 as we finish our look at the Great Commission and also finish the Gospel according to Matthew I want to focus this morning on verse 20 specifically Matthew 28:20 but I do want to read beginning in verse 16 then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them when they saw him they worshiped him but some doubted and Jesus came and spoke to them saying all Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age amen let us pray father in heaven we thank you for the written word and we pray now for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit we pray Lord God that you would take these things and make them clear to our hearts and minds should help these things to be formative in our own church life and may we indeed recognize the absolute authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and the great and glorious mission that he has given to us and may we revel in the fact that he is with us even to the end of the age and may it be the case that all that we do would be for the glory of Father Son and Holy Spirit do forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions cleanse us in that precious fount of a that was open for sin and uncleanness God we have transgressed your law we have lacked conformity unto it and so we confess these sins trusting that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared and bless us now with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit may he take the word of god and may he make it something that is that is effectual in our own hearts and lives I mean sanctify your people and conform us evermore unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and may this be the day of salvation for those who are dead in their trespasses and sins we don't appeal to them and to their free will we to a sovereign God who is able to make men willing in the day of his power we pray Most High that you had come in in in great saving mercy and grace and display your love and kindness in the effectual calling of sinners out of darkness into marvelous light bless other churches in our community we pray for the preaching of the word that it would go forth throughout this city and that many more people would come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and we pray in his most blessed name amen well as I said we're going to take up verse 20 this morning but I want to remind you where we've been we see with reference to this Great Commission the Lord Jesus sets forth his authority and power and sovereignty with reference to that mission in verse 18 and then he gives specific details or highlights the focus of the church in the execution of this Great Commission notice in verse 19 he says go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit we've already considered those particulars the disciples must go the disciples must make disciples and the disciples must baptize those disciples we see here the evangelistic enterprise of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and here in verse 20 we will notice that the disciples must teach them to observe all things that Jesus had commanded in other words once a disciple is made by the preaching of the gospel once that disciple is publicly identified as a disciple in the waters of baptism that disciple now enters into a life long instructional period he or she needs to learn the Word of God they need to learn the truth and therefore the mission or a specific focus of the church is to teach the Word of God so I want to look at this teaching ministry under four considerations this morning or this teaching activity first will notice the simplicity of the activity secondly the scope of the activity thirdly the purpose to 'ti of the activity and then fourthly the comprehensiveness of the activity but note in the first place the simplicity I think that if you just had Matthew 28:18 to 20 there would be very little question as to what we're supposed to do as churches fact it's all spelled out very simply and very clearly in the text before us can churches do more can churches have eight sunday-school can churches have a youth night certainly churches can do those things but they certainly must do these things they must do what Jesus has committed for the church in her life on earth so note the simplicity go make disciples baptize the disciples and teach that it's a very intriguing thing primary focus or ministry of the church is upon teaching I think there's jives with what we see in the prophet Isaiah you see we have a promise concerning the messianic age in Isaiah chapter 2 verses 1 to 4 and specifically in Isaiah to 3 we read many people shall come and say come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob he will teach us his ways and we shall walk in his paths it's a simple thing that the church is task to do it's a simple thing in terms of setting forth the gospel ministry that is tasked with opening up scriptures and declaring that scripture to the people of God the emphasis in Scripture is clear we will do what we know in other words if we are not instructed in who God is and we're not instructed concerning his law and his will for us we will not conform to his image we will not serve Him we will not fulfill those things that he has given us to do so the people of God are instructed in the knowledge of God so that they can be sanctified by the Spirit of God doing the will of God in this world it's a very simple process that must not get sidelined it's a very simple process not simplistic but simple in the sense that the people of God need to be instructed in the Word of God faster Florida read from Luke chapter eight and we see there the emphasis upon the types of soil that received the word so if the preaching ministry is one of the primary emphases in the Great Commission here then the hearing ministry must follow suit Ryle says something to the effect that there is nothing as necessary in terms of the health and prosperity of the church than a faithful preaching ministry but he goes on to say there needs to be a faithful hearing on the part of the people of God because if the teaching is consistent if it is biblical if it is exegetically sound and if it is coming out you need to receive it because this is God's Way remember Jesus in his and in the in the high priestly prayer he says sanctify them by thy truth thy Word is truth it's an amazing thing people would say oh I want to be holy I want to be godly I want to be righteous are you reading your scriptures well no not really well then read your scriptures this is the primary means by which God sanctifies you according to that high priestly prayer sanctify them by thy truth thy Word is truth Oh as if we don't take in Scripture we're not going to be changed by the power of the Spirit according to scripture you see the emphasis with reference to the church is not upon entertainment it's not pandering to people it's not catering to every perceive felt need the emphasis with reference to the church is capsulate or encapsulated for us in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 Paul tells Timothy as his last corporate command with reference to church life preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and what teaching he gives two particular reasons to Timothy why that is to be the case first because the church is not going to endure sound doctrine or it's Timothy when the church says we don't want sound doctrine anymore we want entertainment we want you to pander to us we want you to cater to every one of our perceive felt needs Timothy you still preach sound doctrine to them towards the people of God do not determine the direction that the church is supposed to go now if the people of God like teaching and preaching all that great but God determines the direction the church is supposed to go does everybody get that I'm not saying the elders do the others simply submit to what Jesus word says and the elders see that the primary emphasis with reference to church life is to go to make disciples to baptize those disciples in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit and then to teach those disciples in your job my job as disciples is to be taught with the idea that the more that we're taught the more that we'll put it into practice and the more that we put it into practice the more we are being conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ isn't this the end game isn't this why God has purpose to save us for whom he foreknew these he also predestined to be what to be conformed to the image of his son if his son lived his life in dependence upon the word having said to the devil himself man shall not live by the by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God if the Son of God lived that way then we the sons of God by grace by adoption by his spirit we're not gonna live in the same way teaching is not important to us we want to entertain that we want experience we want feel good we want to encounter we want the existential moment brethren we are to want teaching because that is what is good for us that is what our master has said is to be the case notice secondly the scope of the activity he says teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded Jill the commands of Christ are taught so that disciples obey them see that I know this is revolutionary data today because we all just live as if there is no Word of God we are free to do whatever it is we want but the decide apples are taught in order to obey see it's not a matter of I just want everybody here to have a PhD in theology so that you can go out live like the devil no the PhD in theology ought to promote conformity unto Jesus Christ you see you and I are under marching orders you and I are subject to the master you and I are called to obey Him we're not supposed to lie when we sing 505 all the way my Saviour leads I will follow we're not supposed to lie when we sing that we're supposed to comply with him so the focus or rather the scope of the commission of the teaching activity is that disciples obey the word doesn't our Lord speak of taking his yoke upon us in Matthew 11:28 2:30 yeah we're freed from the yoke and the bondage and the slavery of sin but that doesn't bespeak an independent or autonomous state we take the yoke of the master by His grace upon us we comply with his commands we follow his lead we do what he bids us whether as individuals or families or in society or in churches as well we see this in John 14 5 or 14 15 rather what does Jesus assume that if you love me you'll do what you'll continually bakit my Commandments you'll continually whine about my Commandments you'll continually try to read to find my Commandments you'll continually try to feel odd feel theologizing my Commandments out of the New Testament know you'll obey my Commandments what does John the Apostle say in first John the commandments of God are not what they're not a burden if you find that the law of God is a burden to you you may have bigger problems than you ever thought because for the Christian the burden isn't God's law the burden is this remaining corruption in that I don't always comply with God's law that's the burden for the people of God it's not the law itself and then of course James that very practical epistle we're in on Sunday nights what's James say concer a relationship with reference to the work yes hear the word but do what be a doer of the word don't be like the guy who wakes up in the morning goes and stands in front of the mirror shaves his face walks away and forgets what he looked like no you're supposed to come to the Word of God as receptive hearers and as practical doers of it again the whole context is not in order to get saved the supposition is you're already saved James 1:18 of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be his first fruits it's that supposition the sovereign grace of God invading the heart of the sinfulness a sinful man and and changing him from the outside or from the inside out giving him a love for those things causing him to comply with those things it's not do this in order to be saved it's do this because by God's grace you have been saved if you love me you'll keep my Commandments brethren this is the scope of the Commission in terms of the teaching activity you are to observe the commands of Christ also include both the New Testament and the Old Testament now there are some that want to get out of that and they want to suggest it no it's only the New Testament that's in view yet Christ is only talking about the things that he said in his earthly life brethren the implications of that kind of thinking is not only not reformed but it's positively dangerous the Old Testament is still more 'native for the people of God today now certainly there are some things that we need to take into consideration the law say against the nations of the Canaanites in terms of holy war we don't have that applicable to us today there are certain things ceremonial judicial that do not straightly apply to the people of God in the New Covenant but certainly the Decalogue and I would argue a whole lot more then the Decalogue is still binding on the people of God today what's Christ's relationship to Old Testament law he's already dealt with that in Matthew 5:17 to 20 do not think that I came to destroy that law but I came to fulfil it don't think I came to abolish or abrogate but to fulfil that CH Spurgeon that passage makes this observation our King honors his father's law he took care to revise and reform the laws of men but the law of God he established and confirmed our King has not come to abrogate the law but to confirm and reassert it now some of you might be saying of course it means old and new testaments but there is a reason why I bring this out because both dispensationalism and what's called new covenant theology reject the abiding validity of old covenant law for the people of God that's why no Sabbath in dispensational and a new covenant theology churches that's why there's no chapter 22 and their confession of faith but for the reformed people of God we see the abiding validity of the Ten Commandments for the people of God today the prophesied function of the Ten Commandments in the in the Book of Jeremiah God says there's a new covenant coming I'm going to make a new covenant with the house of Judah or Israel and Judah not like what I made with them before which they broke but with reference to this particular covenant I will write my law upon their hearts what law is that it is the Decalogue the Ten Commandments that blessed revelation of who God is in terms of his holiness and righteousness and justice interestingly in Matthew 26 Christ inaugurates what the New Covenant spoken of by the Prophet Jeremiah and then of course the abiding validity of the new - of the Old Covenant law in the New Testament I mean I don't know how this dispensational or new covenant theology remanent like I've read enough to see how they try and justify it but it just doesn't wash brethren it just doesn't add up especially the book of James as we're going through that it's like anybody that has antipathy against Old Covenant law really mustn't like James because he's operating in that context he's writing primarily to Jews that are familiar with Torah and he continually appeals to Torah to apply it to the people of God living his new covenant Christians who have believed the gospel this idea that the commands of Christ are simply those things he uttered not accurate God spake by Moses remember we saw in our study on the significance of the name and to which new disciples are baptized Christ is God he's authoritative with reference to every stipulation statute commandment and and judicial principle in the Old Testament you see the Old and New Testament are included as well just still considering the scope of the activity the commands of Christ are taught so that new disciples obey the commands of Christ include both old and new Testament but notice as well the commands of Christ are taught not the opinions of the disciples if you ever leave our church and you go to another church again I've said before church membership is commanded but the church in which you join is voluntary as long as they're preaching the gospel but if you ever sit down at a church and the fellow says I just want to share my heart that might be the time to get up and leave you're not there to hear a man share his heart you're not there to be certainly entertained you're not there to hear the opinions of men but the commands of Jesus Christ preaching must be exegetically sound that means it responsibly in him a carefully handles the text of Scripture that means it attempts to package it in such a way that the people of God can receive it and benefit from it what good is hey if you put it on the top shelf and the horses can't get to it you put the hay on the ground so that everybody can eat brethren it is absolutely crucial that you're not looking for the opinions of disciples but rather the commandments of God John Calvin made this point he said he sends away the apostles with this reservation that they shall not bring forward their own inventions but shall purely and faithful deliver from hand to hand what he has entrusted to them let us hold that by these words teachers are appointed over the church not to put forward whatever they may think proper but that they as well as others may depend on the mouths of the master alone so as to gain disciples for him and not for themselves you get that you get the steady dose of the guru sharing all of his popular opinions that makes your life exponentially better why are you ultimately there because he has the key to this exponentially better life no we want disciples for Jesus and it's the Word of God that is calculated to produce this by the power of the Holy Spirit it is not the opinion of the disciples that matters it's the word of Christ that matters is everybody with me yeah you alive this is probably one of the most important sermons I have ever preached or ever will preach because it's the marching orders for free grace Baptist Church it's what defines us it's what should define us it was it's what should describe us it should be that which puts metal in our souls and causes us to pray accordingly but before we leave this scope of the activity notice as well the commands of Christ are taught not experienced not experienced no experience can illustrate experience can shed some light experience especially of biblical characters can certainly ground us but notice that Jesus and the language of Bruner points them to verses and not visions I love that he points them to verses not visions Bruner goes on to say or he gives a detailed and I don't always agree with Bruner I want you to know that but what he goes on to say there is that Christ puts it in the past teach them all things that I have commanded you he calls it the pre teaching of Jesus not the post-easter vision of Jesus again not that that's not important resurrection to be sure but the emphasis on the for the disciples is to preach Christ's commands not visions not experience not charismatic but rather preach via verses and not visions now this doesn't just happen in the sort of charismatic and Pentecostal churches it's whenever we hold man outside of Scripture as the standard for our experience maybe like this guy gonna be like that guy no I got to believe the gospel and turn from my sin I need to follow the master who saved me brethren this is a very subtle point that people often fall into and we often see it in the charismatic and Pentecostal movement primarily but we're not inoculated against it if experience becomes defining in terms of what we do we're reading scripture wrong go-to versus not visions so there's the scope of the activity note thirdly the perpetuity of the activity I think it's implicit in our text and explicit and other passages in the New Testament teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age that comforting statement and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age is spills upon or predicated upon the fact that the church and disciples are doing what they're supposed to do in other words while you go and while you make disciples and while you baptize and while you teach you have the promise of my presence until the end of the age so Church guess what your task is or your job is or your mission is or your focuses until the end of the age it's to be making disciples it to be baptizing those disciples it's to be teaching those disciples that's your function that's what you're about I hear you go to church what's church all about well you could do no better than to cite Matthew 28:18 that's wanted it's very clear it's very obvious and as I said earlier it's very simple it's just the opposite of IKEA what a complicated place IKEA is Church shouldn't be like IKEA it should be very simple it should be incredibly simple dinner stand that well we're at a crossroads here we're we're at a place in the context of 21st century Christianity where this question is up for grabs what is the function of the church what is the the role of the church and the influence of some persons the whole idea is on social justice I'm not against social justice certainly not in fact I'm in argue in just a moment the comprehensiveness of the activity includes that we preach the scriptures concerning all aspects of life on God's earth but when we take up the cause in a particular area we typically neglect the cause in another and as I said we can't do more but we are certainly not allowed to do less than this and when we divide ourselves and when we chase so many particular strands we end up not doing anything particularly well do you understand that we've got to work on what God's given us to do and seek by the grace of God to do it well but the perpetuity of the activity is seen throughout the book of Acts you can turn to acts 2 acts 2 we're gonna run through some passages just to highlight the perpetuity of the activity perpetuity kids means it keeps on going keeps on going this is what we're supposed to do it's never supposed to be a time in the church when she stops doing what we find in Matthew 28:18 2:20 acts 2:42 they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers were they they're the ones that had gladly received his word those were baptized those who joined the church in Jerusalem what do they do now that they've joined the church in Jerusalem they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine they fellowship with one another they break bread together and they pray together that's church life you see Acts chapter 6 Acts chapter 6 specifically at verse 4 context pick out man to serve the widows because these widows are taking us from the primary calling that God has given to us notice they don't say widows are unimportant we're not going to feed them we're not going to engage in acts of social kindness and mercy and justice now but if it takes the Apostles from their main task they need to call for men and I think these are the first deacons what we call deacons notice let's go back to verse 2 6 2 then the 12 summon the multitude of the disciples and said it is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables again not that serving tables is somehow beneath the apostles I think that gets built into is a pastor yeah no it's just a matter of who God is you know chosen to do a particular task are we always offended that we're not the prime minister as some people get in the church if they're not elders it's okay to not be an elder it's not a commanded activity thou must be an elder why is that so offensive God has equipped you to be an elder qualifies you to be an elder the church has laid hands on you and identified you as an elder praise God the brethren it's not you know I've got to be an elder in my life is somehow incomplete we read this we say those those mean apostles they they're too good or proud to serve tables not at all I'm perfectly acceptable to cheat to serve tables clean up vomit plunge toilets they could do all that stuff but when plunging toilets and cleaning up vomit keeps them from the word and prayer that's the problem what's he suggesting what's the narrative telling us the primary function for the church is not to eat I know that's radical and I knew that no that's revolutionary the primary function of the church is the Word of God well so you don't we can't feed of course we can feed people of course we can do more but we can't do less at the moment that pastors or elders or apostles are leaving the study to go ten to toilets that's when they say we need somebody to tender toilets not because I'm a superior creature that can't touch a toilet but because it's taking me from what God's called me to do I think that's a very elementary and simple thing to follow I really do I like to think it is notice verse three therefore brethren seek out from among you seven men good reputation full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom that will whom we may appoint over this business but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word definitional for a pastor what are pastors to be doing well six four describes it prayer and ministry of the word not CEOs not movers and shakers not fortune 500 earth you know the the car the conception especially in big churches what's the pastor he's the CEO and he manages groups that manage people and it's somehow that's just expected that's just the way it is that's his calling that's his task what about prayer in the Ministry of the word oh yeah he does that too that's the primary focus of his calling I was going to quote later but I think it's fitting now CH Spurgeon from lectures to my students he's lecturing to his students as you might imagine I always I when I read lectures to my students I like to try to think back these brothers were in the pastor's college and all week long they were laboring and you know Greek and Hebrew and exegesis and hermeneutics and systematic theology Spurgeon lectured on Friday afternoons did you imagine a better way to end the week and if you ever read lectures to my students Wow he was funny too just some funny funny gut-busting stuff that you'll read as he's you know bringing this practical horse sense to bear on ministerial students but on a intellectual entitled on the choice of the text he says your pulpit preparations are your first business just read recently within the last little while JC Ryle biography by Ian Murray called prepared to stand alone and rile said the same thing whenever he talked to young ministerial candidates or aspirants or ministers your preparations your pulpit preparations are your first business and if you neglect these you will bring no credit upon yourself or your office bees are making honey from morning till night and we should always be gathering stores for our people I have no belief in that ministry which ignores laborious preparation that wasn't the persnickety ramblings of an old president from a college that's now deformed what's Paul saying second Timothy 2:15 Timothy be diligent to show yourself approved unto God a worker who need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth what's Paul say in first Timothy chapter 5 honor those elders who rule especially those who labor in the word and doctrine there's labor involved in this process and we see it here with reference to act 6-4 we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word that is some devotion to this aspect of the Great Commission notice in chapter 13 and we're just going to take a sampling I don't want to bog us down here actually I'm sorry go to go to acts 20x20 we'll just look at one more specimen here in Acts and then I'll probably just pull out a few in the Tim pastoral epistles notice in acts 20 28 therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to Shepherd the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood you all get the word pastor is Shepherd and you you get the analogy in fact pastor Porter read Psalm 23 that the Shepherd deals with the sheep via rod and and staff you see brethren what is the ministers broad and staff it's the Word of God in other words how do ministers Shepherd the flock it's not what they're winning personalities it's all of their wonderful opinions it's not what the revelation of their ecstatic experience it's through the exposition of God's Word towards how does a pastor Shepherd the flock it is through preaching and teaching the word that's clear I think should be notice the pout what's called the pastoral epistles the book of first Timothy again just a few samples here first Timothy chapter 4 first in the chapter 4 verse 6 if you instruct the Brethren could be translated by instructing the Brethren in these things you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed so that's the benefit for Timothy but notice down in verse 12 let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in Word and conduct and love and spirit and faith and purity till i come give attention to reading to exhortation to doctrine now when Paul tells Timothy give attention to reading to exhortation to doctrine he doesn't mean for Timothy's own soul this is public reading of Scripture public exhortation from the scripture and the public exposition of the doctrine of Scripture because that's what the people of God need Timothy notice in 1st Timothy chapter 6 verse 3 the danger of bad doctrine if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words even the words of our lord jesus christ and to the doctrine which accords with godliness he is proud knowing nothing but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which become envy strife revealing evil suspicions useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain from such with draw yourself and then notice in 2nd Timothy 13 2nd Timothy 1:13 showing the perpetuity of the activity of the teaching ministry of the church 2nd Timothy 1:13 hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus that good thing which was committed to you keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us 2nd Timothy 2:15 again be diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth and I love this be diligent to present yourself approved to God not man tiptoe around the Brethren because you don't want to make them angry don't tell the Brethren heart thanks cuz they might leave the church don't suggest that people actually need to obey the word because then they'll get upset and run no you show yourself approved to God that's requisite for the ministry I don't think that means needlessly offend your people every step of the way but certainly don't court their favor instead of gods I already highlighted 2nd Timothy 4:2 and 3 in terms of preach the word but notice Titus 1:9 one of the qualifications for an elder Titus 1:9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who contradict exhort those who believe and receive and convict those who contradict calvin says that the minister has two voices one for the encouragement of the sheep and one for the driving away of the wolves that's what Titus 1:9 tells us so you see brethren the perpetuity of the activity is obvious not only in the Commission itself but in the New Testament practice and in the New Testament epistles so we've seen the simplicity the scope the perpetuity let's look finally now at the comprehensiveness of the activity the comprehensiveness of the activity in other words teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you Bible is a big book isn't it imagine if every Sunday I got up and I preached on husbands love your wives it'd be good for about two sessions and then you'd probably say okay we get it more terrible humans that don't love our lives the way we're supposed to we need a comprehensive view of God's Word there's a good Baptist sort of addition of a of the Shorter Catechism and they added a particular question in light of you know departures from the doctrine of inerrancy and they asked where the Scriptures trustworthy and all that they affirm the answer is the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments being God breathed are infallible and inerrant and are therefore trustworthy in all that they affirm concerning history science doctrine ethics religious practice or any other topic I quite like that definition I quite like that explanation and if we extrapolate from it we ought to make this very pertinent observation the Bible speaks to us as individuals nobody questions that the Bible speaks to us as families nobody questions that the Bible speaks to us as a church nobody questions that but you know what gets frequently neglected is the Bible outside the church night not here to publish for you a list of things you're supposed to believe when you go into the voting box because we don't have time but they're in there take for instance economic theory does the Bible teach that communism is bad absolutely positively in the eighth commandment you mean you shall not steal applies to governments as well yeah I don't know the Chairman Mao was somehow from the eighth commandment I don't know that Karl Marx was somehow exempt from the eighth commandment you get this there's a comprehensive application that's so few of us actually pursue in our lives what about Criminal Procedure with reference to the courtroom thankfully we still do operate based on some stuff and Deuteronomy 17 to 19 you know the whole idea of two or three witnesses corroborating evidence thankfully the Western world is still at least embroiled in that aspect of civil jurisprudence or criminal jurisprudence what about the function of the civil magistrate wait a minute we just accept that the government is our big brother there to help us every step of the way do you realize that the stuff that the government does most of the time is not what God's Word says to do I love nature machin made this observation about the civil government he said the civil government is quote not intended to produce blessedness or happiness this is so gone from our thinking of course the government's there to make me happy of course they're there to proffer blessedness to me that's their job is to make me healthy and whole and happy no that's your job under God and the government certainly doesn't have the right the business or the prerogative to undertake he says the government has not intended to produce blessedness or happiness but intended to prevent blessedness or happiness from being interfered with by wicked men they don't confer it they provide a climate of safety so that it can't be interfered with that's relatively it he goes on to say the state exists for the repression of evildoers and the protection of individual liberty now again my point here is not to get into a great big debate concerning economic theory socialism versus capitalism it's not to get in and talk about the merits of the Conservatives or the Liberals it's not to get into all of that in particular but to tell you that the Scriptures speak to those things in particular in other words there is a comprehensiveness about this Great Commission that includes all the commands of Christ and the people of God who embraced the Word of God as individuals and for family and for church need to understand as well that many things addressing us in our current age and situation are addressed by Scripture - certainly you may not have a Colossians 3 or in Ephesians 5 that says husbands love your wives there's not a particular text that I know of that says go out and can you know vote conservative or liberal I'm not gonna tip the scales either way not a particular text I know that says that you might have to work a little bit harder to figure out you know what does God say concerning these things and what does God's will concerning these things and when it comes to the state confiscating property that seems like a fundamental you know invasion of the eighth commandment and we shouldn't want that I shouldn't vote for people that want to steal money from me that that just seems like a very fundamental and basic economic principle to me that the Bible substantiates the Bible speaks - you know Paul in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 tells us the profitability of God's work says you've known the sacred scriptures from your youth and the sacred scriptures are able to make the wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus speaks of the profitability of the scripture to the man of God why that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped unto what every good work now there are those that will say well politics isn't a good work yeah and they're called anabaptists and their theology is wrong brethren politics is part of every good work maybe this Anabaptist mindset has predominated such that we can't find a decent man or woman to get into government with the amount of supposed Christians there are not a one has the intelligence and capability to do a decent job in some political capacity I don't buy it perhaps we are pietistic at core at the core we're not training our youngsters to pursue law ethics politics we've abandoned it we're dispensationalists functionally well why polish the brass on a sinking ship it's all it's all going you know to hell in a handbasket anyway now very often brethren and I would say always we emphasize the place of good works in the life of the believer don't we know others I'm a rotten terrible person because I say the church's primary function is to preach the work not pass out hot dogs all you need to be about passing out hot dogs if passing out hot dogs on an individual level is good why wouldn't it be good as a work to be in political office affecting things on a larger scale see to me it doesn't seem legit to say we need to be about good works but not the good works that actually could shape some policy for some young men to start thinking scripturally on things to start asking the questions about economic theory to say socialism is a step away from communism and it still basically founded upon the principle of theft diminishing others for their hard work brethren is that a scriptural motif is it a godly thing no Solomon says do you see a man who excels in his work he will stand before kings yeah in our situation we'll have to give the fruit of this hard work to them I'm not getting into the particulars but I am suggesting that the Commission is more comprehensive than we have heretofore been told if good works are legit and at the individual handing out a hot dog level then they must be good with reference to the macrocosmic a guy actually becomes the president of the Prime Minister and he thinks biblically he thinks in terms of law again you're saying Butler that'll never happen but shouldn't we try and to the to the argument you know why polish the brass on a sinking ship again why cut your lawn why hold the door open for an older person why give a hot dog away if that's our mindset when it comes to that level then it should be the mindset when it comes to the lower level as well why would I do any good thing if we're you know the it's just the brass on a sinking ship doesn't God call us to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of truth doesn't he say let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to God pietism and a baptism dispensationalism have all paralysed the comprehensiveness of the Great Commission teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you including the rules of evidence how in the world can we as God's people ever indict someone without the required two or three witnesses didn't Jesus command that too how in the world can we accept the sorts of things that go on rampantly and say oh but I love the commands of Jesus let's just be honest we love certain ones we love particular ones and churches are guilty for only emphasizing a handful but if you listen to the word of Christ here teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and some things not a few things but all things so you could say well you know Jesus isn't God so therefore he has no abiding authority over the Old Testament and therefore it's not normative for the church today and that's not where you want to end up that's heresy people that say that end up in hell we try to dance around the comprehensiveness of the Commission now I'm not saying every single why have you go out and run for you know local office that's not it either embrace where God has placed you grow where you have planted but brethren think beyond that in time from time to time with reference to prayer Paul tells us very specifically in first Timothy that we're supposed to pray for governing authorities why is that why if the mindset and this insatiable ism is right or the dispensational is right why polish the brass on a sinking ship why would Paul tell them tell the believers to pray for the civil authority well his his mindset is selfish it's so that we may lead a peaceable and a quiet life do you think Paul would actually pray for a civil authority only so that the church could lead a peaceable and quiet life the primary emphasis in the context I would suggest is that you're praying for the civil authorities salvation and the suggest that Paul would be disingenuous at the throne of grace not really concerned for Nero's salvation but only the peace of the church really flies in the face of what we know of Paul certainly wants Nero not to chop the heads off of believers he also wants Nero to confess faith in Jesus you know I know that is in Philippians he says all those in Caesars house greet you what does that mean that means that while Paul was incarcerated by the Roman Empire he preached the gospel and all those of Caesars household greet you was that me means they had come to Jesus you think he didn't want Caesar to be converted of course he did brethren again plant where you were grower you've been planted embrace God for the the blessed normalcy of life but if there's dudes or brothers in the church that have some acumen young ladies in the church so that's an acumen that can think in terms of law and ethics and politics well you can do that not a good work worth a problem at that point because jesus said command them or teach them to observe all that I have commanded economic theory function of the civil government health care all these things brethren are spoken to give not Romans 17 ish here's what you need to think on every jot and detail of your lives but in terms of principle wide swaths explicit tax and then implicit inferences or implicit those things which are expressly revealed by good necessary consequence deduced from there and therefrom so the point is for those who are nodding off the Bible applies to the totality of life the Bible applies not only to the individual not only to your marriage relationship not only to your dynamic with your children a child and a parent but to the church obviously and it speaks to matters of government and even if you're not gonna ever try to be the Prime Minister or run for City Council you can certainly pray with these things in mind you can certainly reject the concept of well a good work is giving a hot dog on an individual basis but it can't be a good work for a man to be in political office in shape policy or best get government out of stuff I heard on the radio yesterday and I'm only using this as an illustration and perhaps I won't even mention the particular thing but BC is going to legalize something soon and the hold up is they have to develop a whole lot of laws and policies and procedures to legalize something think about it we're gonna make this legal but we can't do it without another bucket full of laws like just that could be anything brethren we need to think biblically about stuff and we need to ask the questions sometimes he's this government's responsibility I think at times we ought to embrace the reality of the hierarchy in terms of life's social spheres first comes the individual you need to be full of self control then comes family then comes church then comes state so an amazing thing that we bypass some of these other structures and we just go right to the top again I'm getting into details and I don't want to I just want to highlight the comprehensiveness of the activity and then notice we're gonna end finally with reference to the assurance provided for the Commission by our Blessed Lord in verse 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age now you need to make a connection here with reference to this statement and verses 1 or chapter 1 verse 23 in chapter 18 verse 20 you see Matthew is the gospel of emanuelle you shall call his name Jesus for it is he who will save his people from their sins you should call him Emmanuel God with us Matthew 18 we saw it this morning where does jesus promised to be he promises to be with two or three of his gathered church when they are effecting judicial decisions of concerning the church where two or three are gathered together there am i with them on the prayer meeting though i wouldn't deny he is there but in the context of Matthew 18 asked to a church discipline the Christ says when you ask church do what you're supposed to do as church and you discipline people realize I'm gonna be present with you so he's a manual Matthew 1:23 man a manual Matthew 18:20 he's a manual Matthew 28:20 I am with you isn't that a most blessed and encouraging statement john gill says and that he would be with them in a spiritual sense to assist them in their work to comfort them under all discouragements to supply them with his grace and to protect them from all enemies and preserve from all evils which is a great encouragement both to administer the word and ordinances and attend on them so he promises his presence and he makes good on this promise until the end of the age even to the end of the age or literally all the days and so we can infer here in the good times in the bad times in times of peace and in times of persecution in times where we by faith see them in our midst and when we buy times don't always see him in our midst Christ has promised his presence among his people while they engage in the Commission until the end of the age until he comes again in glory the church has this certain confident expectation that insofar as she's obedient to her master insofar as she is going she is making disciples she is baptizing and she is teaching she has this assurance that her master is with her her master's presence is her presence her master's presence is her power Champa's borne points out how jesus surrounds the Commission with his omnipresence or his omnipotence and omnipresence omnipotence in verse 18 all Authority has been given to me his omnipresence in verse 20 I am with you always even to the end of the age well brethren I suggest that this is definitional for church life I think it is comprehensive in terms of its application in church life when we look at what Jesus says concerning all things that I have commanded you I said this would be our last sermon I'm not just trying to extend this but I want to do one more because I don't want to rush through points of application this morning we'll tease that out God willing next Sunday morning in more detail and then I do want to close with an emphasis that Matthew sets before us a lot or we're coming to the end of Matthew we're at the end of Matthew I'm just trying to prolong the end of Matthew I love Matthew enjoyed going through Matthew I hope that you've enjoyed the the sermons as well but one of the continual emphases of Matthew is on who Jesus is in terms of Savior in terms of Savior you see economic theory and politics as important as I think that is in terms of us understanding and us knowing what scripture says and informing us when we go into the voting booth and informing us as we look at current events and social issues and we think through transgenderism and the various isms that are you know being for a place wasted is that the word foisted upon us probably not the word Cam's looking at me like I'm doing voice get it I thought that was work but pushed on us we need to think through that the primary thing we need to think through are three texts in Matthew's Gospel 1:21 he will save his people from their sins Matthew 20:28 the Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many and then Matthew 11:28 2:30 or Jesus in his characteristic glory and in his characteristic willingness to save says to sinners come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest you see we need to know what scripture says over here but we first and foremost need to know what scripture says at the cross and the only way of salvation the only way to think Christianly or biblically is regeneration having been born again having our minds renewed being transformed we need to come to the cross we need to believe the gospel we need to look to him who will save his people from their sins the one who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many that's the means by which he affects the salvation of sinners it is through the giving of his life as a ransom as a substitute as a sacrifice and on the heels of that that blessed statement Matt 11:28 come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden not any laden because you've got a tough work week but heavy laden and burdened because of sin sin is a terrible taskmaster it is a hard master it drives us in a way that is unholy and ungodly and unrighteous and ultimately exhausting I love the language of our blessed Savior come to me and I will give you what I will give you rest no rest for the wicked but that eternal state for the people of God is defined as rest if you are weighed down laden by your sins this morning tired of the bird and tired of the you know the exhausting you know recklessness by which you live your life listen to the Savior and come and He will give you rest well let us close in a word of Prayer our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for your graciousness and your mercy to us give us the grace God to receive with thankful hearts this commission as a church may it indeed be definitional text for us as we proceed or progress in this lower world I pray for the South Surrey church that they would continually see this as well as their focus and that God we would be about the the disciple-making baptizing instructing and seeking to honor God and realizing the presence of Christ with his church while she's engaged in these blessed privileges we ask that you would go with us now help us to have a blessed Sabbath day in total give us grace to return tonight that we may worship and serve you together as a church and we pray these things through Christ Jesus our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed
