The Great Ones is our theme for the next 3 months. Each month will have a sub-theme:
September = Commands
October = Chapters
November = Choices

This month we are looking at 4 commands of Jesus given to those who would one day become mature followers and leaders of the Christian faith. The commands were given in progressive nature, one building on the other.

So far we have covered:
1. "Come and See" - an invitational command given to lost people to check out the facts regarding Jesus and the Christian faith.
2. "Follow Me" - this command is given to those who have a relationship with Jesus. It implies we are to be in community with other believers, growing in our faith, and serving others.
3. "Follow Me & I Will Make You Fishers of Men" - as we mature God begins to equip us with ministry skills and the mindset to reach others for Jesus; to be disciples who make disciples.

At Grace Church we use a baseball diamond to communicate the pathway of spiritual progress and the major character qualities we hope to build in to each person.
The base paths illustrate 4 character qualities we believe each person should be developing, and the bases help us to measure our spiritual maturity and spiritual priorities.
Moving from 2nd base toward 3rd base is when we should be looking for opportunities to make disciples. We should be living purposefully and passionately according to a kingdom agenda, not our own.

This morning we wrap up the 4 disciple making commands of Jesus.
The 4th command is found in Matthew 28:16-20 and is "Go and Make Disciples".

This statement Jesus makes is nothing new but a rephrasing of how He had lived His life and had been preparing His followers.
In other passages Jesus laid out His Father's mission for their lives:
John 15:16
John 20:21b

As we look at the baseball diamond, this is what happens when a person reaches 3rd base-they reproduce spiritual life in another person.
This happens when we are instrumental in:
1. Leading a person to faith in Christ.
or
2. Coming alongside a less established believer to help them mature and begin ministering in their church and community.

The key is that we have done this intentionally and are investing our time and effort to help someone else grow spiritually and then we begin to lead others to do likewise.
1 Thessalonians 2:7b-8, 11-12

The words "Go and Make Disciples" are very simple, but yet perhaps the most powerful ever uttered in the course of humanity. For those who were there that day, those words:

· Rewired their personal identity
· Lifted their perception of reality from this material world to the spiritual world
· Instilled a completely different purpose for their lives {disciple who makes disciples}
· Changed their priorities from Me to We to Thee (as the Old English would say)
· Impacted the people in their homes, social circles, and communities
· Redirected their passions and how they managed their possessions
· Launched movements to penetrate the darkness of sin that enveloped their world

Go and Make Disciples is what a person on 3rd base does.
They realize that God created them, saved them, gifted them, and now sustains them to lead others to do likewise.
Luke 10:1-3- the Lord provides instruction and sends teams of His maturing followers out into their world.
Luke 10:17- after a short time they returned, with joy! Obedience always brings joy.
Luke 10:21- Jesus is overwhelmed with joy. A joy that any parent can relate to as they watch their kids excel.

Remember that Jesus told them in Luke 10:3 to "GO". There is great joy awaiting you, Grace Church, and the Lord in heaven if you will simply obey.

Application and Discussion Questions:

1. Think about the idea of getting a triple in either baseball or softball. What makes it so hard? What are some of the possible reasons church-goers never get to “third base?”

2. Read Matthew 28:16-20; John 15:16; and John 20:21b. Describe what a disciple means in your own words. What kind of fruit do you think Jesus is talking about? What did the Father send Jesus to do, and what does that mean for us?

3. As the followers of Jesus really matured in their faith, the meaning of the Great Commission forever changed their lives. In what ways has it brought change to your life?

4. Joy. What gives you real internal spiritual joy? When have you experienced the type of joy that was discussed in Luke 10?

5. Four commands, not suggestions. Where are you in your spiritual life? What does your next step of obedience look like?

Birthdays and Anniversaries:

Sunday, September 27 - Connie Neff, Camden Carpenter
Monday, September 28 - Dave Roush, Nikki Berry, Kirsten Smith
Wednesday, September 30 - Jacquelyn Erb