Commissioned to Be Disciples
(Stewardship Emphasis)
Matthew 28:16-20
April 20, 2008
University Christian Church, Seattle, WA
Rev. Sandy Messick

I. This past Friday I was privileged to attend the first day of the two day “Living Stones” conference that was held here and at U Pres. over the last two days. As you know the conference focused on the issues of Christians in Palestine and Israel and how churches in our area can stand in solidarity with them. The event began, as it should, with real people and real stories. It began with a panel of Christians who had grown up in the occupied territories. Each of them talked about their faith journeys and their families and how they had learned the Christian faith.

One mentioned a mother who required him to memorize the Nicene Creed, even though the Apostles Creed was much shorter.

Another spoke of learning the stories of Jesus while another learned about living the reality that Christians have many different faces, and names, and that God loves more than just the Christians.

In each case, they talked about how they learned what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. For each of them, someone, whether it was a mother, or father, or grandmother, or a Scottish missionary living in their home, someone took seriously Jesus’ command to go into the world and make Disciples, and they began with the children in their own midst.

II. This week and next week we are celebrating our annual Stewardship Emphasis. If you haven’t yet received it, you will soon receive a letter with an estimate of giving card and I invite you to prayerfully reflect upon your offerings to the church for the coming year and bring it back to worship next week.

But stewardship isn’t just about money. As I mentioned in the time with the children, stewardship is about how we use all of the gifts that God has given us. Our theme this year is “Commissioned to Be Disciples: the Story Lives on Through Us,” and our scriptural text is this passage from Matthew: chapter 28:16–20. It is the passage known as the “Great Commission.”

This passage is the ending of Matthew’s gospel. It is how Matthew, in retelling the story of Jesus, chose to end the tale.

Notice that Matthew’s gospel doesn’t end with a breakfast barbecue on the beach as it does in John. It doesn’t end with Jesus ascending into heaven and the Disciples being left in Jerusalem worshiping in the temple as it does in Luke. And it definitely doesn’t end as in the original ending of Mark where the women simply leave the tomb after hearing of the resurrection too scared to say anything to anyone about anything.

No, in Matthew’s gospel, the story ends with a new beginning. The disciples that Jesus made are sent out into the world to make disciples in Jesus’ name. Go, baptize, and teach. All with a promise that where they go, Jesus will go with them.

Sometimes, we are uncomfortable with this text. It uses the imperative words “ make disciples” “teach them to obey all I have commanded.” It comes across as triumphant, imperialistic, a crusade mentality. Be baptized or die is the crusade slogan that echoes in our ears sometimes when we hear this passage.

But as with so many of the passages that have been used and abused over the years, sometimes it’s helpful to go back and ask, “What does it really say?” What does this passage really say about making disciples? Go, baptize, and teach.

Go out into all the world, go out to all the nations: this is good news for all people, and God doesn’t want it to be limited just to those who are already on the inside. Go out into the world and share the good news.

Baptize in the name of God. When I teach a Pastor’s class for young people thinking about joining the church, I describe baptism as a gift from God: God’s way of claiming each of us as a child of God and a brother or sister in Christ. Baptism isn’t coercive or mind numbing, but a joyous proclamation from God that you are God’s child and you are loved and welcomed and accepted as a valued member of the family.

Teach what Jesus commanded. And what did Jesus command? Jesus commanded us to love God with all that we have and all that we are. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Jesus even commanded us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek. Jesus commanded us to share freely what we have with those who have little and to serve others and to welcome children and that when we feed the hungry or clothe the naked we are doing it for Jesus himself. That’s what Jesus taught us. And that’s what we are commanded to teach others.

Go, baptize, teach. That’s our commission. That what we call the Great Commission.

III. And that’s what we need to be about in the church.

We start with our children. We need look no further than the children in our midst to begin making disciples. When we put our time, and our focus, our energy, and yes, our dollars into quality Christian education and faith formation we are making disciples.

Here in this place we are called to provide places for our children to learn the stories of our faith: stories from the Hebrew scriptures that we share with our Jewish brothers and sisters: stories about Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Aaron and Miriam, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Jonah, and Daniel and Deborah. Stories from the Christian scriptures: about Mary, and Mary Magdalene and Peter and the disciples and Paul, Priscilla and Lydia. And stories about Jesus: his birth and his baptism, his miracles and his teachings, his death and his resurrection. When we provide opportunities for our children to learn about the stories of our faith we are making Disciples, we are forming Disciples.

When we teach them about stewardship and Christian living: about caring for creation and using wisely our resources, about identifying their gifts and using them to serve others, about welcoming those with different abilities, and celebrating the unique gifts that each person brings to the table, we are making Disciples.

When we welcome them into worship, invite them to the steps for a time together, listen to their questions, share cookies with them after worship and take the time to learn their names, we are making Disciples.

When we model for them and before them what it means to be a Christian; when we demonstrate how we welcome each other and how Christians ought to treat each other, and how we reach out beyond ourselves, they are learning from us what it means to be a disciple. And believe me, they are watching. And like it or not, they are learning from us. For better or worse, they are learning from us.

I’ve watched some of our children sit in the back during communion and mouth with me the words of institution and motion with me the breaking of the bread and I know they are learning something about church. But I’ve also heard stories, from another church, of an 8 year old girl circulating a petition at a church potluck to get rid of the minister and wondering, “Where did she learn that?” She’d learned it the same way: by watching and imitating.

Our children learn in so many ways, it is worth asking continually here in this place, “What are we teaching our children? What are they learning about the faith from us?”

We are called to make disciples.

IV. And not just through the children. We are called to make disciples in all the ways that we live together as a faith community. There are many areas in our church budget that may seem like maintenance or program or just what we’ve always done that are in fact ways we make disciples, ways we are forming and being formed as a Christian people:

Worship, music and spiritual disciplines

Adult education, bible studies, conversations about current issues and how our faith intersects with the world, book groups and conversation groups and CWF. Sponsoring and supporting conferences like Living Stones. Advocating on behalf of those who can’t speak for themselves or standing in solidarity with those who are daring to speak out against injustice.

The word for making Disciples is evangelism and it includes that which we usually think of as evangelism: sharing our faith stories. And there are wonderful faith stories in this congregation that just long to be shared. Laura Bailey shared some of her faith story last week in her sermon and this congregation was blessed by it.

When we reach out to welcome those who have dared to come in, and when we go out and invite in those who have been left out, we are fulfilling the great commission. We are making disciples.

And don’t even get me started on outreach. I mean really, don’t get me started. Because I’m saving that for next week.

The point is, we’re called to make Disciples and in so many ways we are doing just that. And so we should be. And so we will be.

And all because someone was first a disciple to you.

Take a moment, here in this place, to think of that person, or those people. Maybe it was a parent, or a grandparent, or a church family, or a youth group. Maybe it was an experience that opened your eyes to the faith: a work trip, a moving sermon, a perfect piece of music, a visit to another country, a mountaintop experience. Who shared the faith with you? Who made you the disciple you are? Think for a moment. (pause)

Then share that name aloud or in your heart and say a prayer of thanks.

Now, think of someone who still needs to hear the good news. Think of someone who has yet to experience the grace of Christ’s teachings or who hasn’t yet received the gift of being baptized and claimed by God. Who still needs to hear the good news? Think for a moment (pause)

The make a silent commitment to be a Disciple to them.

We are commissioned to be Disciples. Jesus called us to the mountaintop and gave us our orders. Go, baptize, teach. But remember the last part, “Lo, he is with us always, to the end of the age.” Truly, the story lives on, and it lives on through us.