Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 13:11-end
It’s Trinity Sunday:
The God who is real is one who offers us new relationship. Matthew 28:16-20 the Great Commission. The Gospel is a call for all human beings to turn away for living for themselves, and to Christ, repenting of sin – the inner rebellion, the inner pride that says we don’t need God, we don’t need to humble ourselves, we don’t need to change, we can get along all right without know Jesus personally. We live in a society which proclaims the heresy – “believe in yourself”; no. That is the very thing which flies in the face of believing in Jesus: believing in yourself means you think you are the centre of the universe and can run your life the way you want to; self–actualisation at it’s worst. Jesus is the one with all authority: it is by bending the knee to him, that we find ourselves and we find redemption. We are, like in those TV programmes scrabbling around in cellars and old houses or at the rubbish tips, treasures that once were valued but through our sin we become messed up, broken, damaged, and some think we are fit for nothing but the rubbish tip; then comes along someone with a vision for making what was damaged and rubbish into something of worth, sometimes taking the damage and making it a feature, and restoring us to a future glory and purpose we had not realised we were created for.
In Matthew 28 the person of God is revealed in the risen Jesus: the person who commissions – God in Christ – “all authority in heaven and on earth is given to me” – no-one else has that authority, although plenty try to usurp God’s place, as we are currently seeing across the world as politicians are increasingly totalitarian and refusing to listen to reason or common sense – they want to play God. Funny that- because God is not mocked, and one day they will face Him on His judgement seat and receive the due penalty for their error.
The people he calls “Go and make disciples of all nations” – the gospel call is universal - not based on age, sex, colour, ability, but only on being human. All are invited into relationship – even a young child can know Jesus.
The power He commands –the power to proclaim this eternity-focused good news by the Holy Spirit He gives to all who bow the knee to Him.
The practice He commends – make disciples –live it yourself and show others how to be a follower of Jesus by your words and actions – read the Word, pray, put His commands into practice. Baptise them in water and He will baptise with the Holy Spirit to enable discipleship to happen.
The purpose He clarifies: teach them to OBEY ALL I have commanded you. Have you thought about what Jesus has told you to do? Pray – privately as well as in public; explain to others how to grow as believers – what are the principles for growing up into maturity? Certainly not sitting in church once a month and hoping to learn something from the sermon and then do nothing about it at home. If I only ate one meal a week that someone else prepared for me, I’d soon be in a bad way. I have learned how to feed myself; what do you feed on at home spiritually? The appetite for reading Christian books does not appear to be large across our communities – do we really think we know it all and we don’t need to grow up into mature believers? “Obey everything I have commanded you” – anyone ever done a study on what Jesus commanded? Ever made a list and put it into practice? Growing Christians are reading, praying Christians.
Then there’s the presence He promises “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Have you ever thought that Jesus is with you the whole time, watching your every move, knowing your every word and thought, knowing everything you do in secret as well as in public? Would that realisation change the way we behave? This is a positive promise, for whatever situations in which we find ourselves, He’s there – in trouble, worry, fear; in panic, peace and hope; in life and death, joy and sorrow. Nothing is hidden from Him. This is God we are talking about; He’s not far away and unknowing; He is in our hearts and lives, consciously.
And finally the God who is real, gives us relationship with him for ever. We are useful to him not just when we are young and full of energy, not just in our middle years of experience, and in our old age as we try to pass on to the younger generation the benefits of mature reflection on life, passing on wisdom – which is not just knowledge but is understanding of how to apply knowledge. We are welcomed to live with Him for ever – not in some shadowy, misty, ethereal cloud, but in the awesome reality of His presence for ever; sometimes people think that this world is the reality, and that which is beyond is shadowy. No, it’s the other way round. Colossians 2:17: These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Hebrews 8:5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. Hebrews 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.
This God we know and trust in is Trinitarian –By one Spirit we were all baptised into one Body – which is Christ. Worship in Hebrew is derived from the word “to come towards to kiss”; our epistle reading from 2 Corinthians commands “greet one another with a holy kiss.” But it is about the closeness of relationship – a divine romance of love.
Paul finishes his letter with a reminder that our relationship with God is by grace – His unmerited favour, giving us what we do not deserve, through the Lord Jesus Christ – with love – the very nature of a perfect God in relationship within himself – and embraced and encompassed by the Holy Spirit, who is God in us.
Application: 1. How deep is our relationship with this God?
2. How much do we take seriously our need to nurture our walk with Him? Are we intentionally putting into practice what He taught?
The God who is real is one who offers us new relationship. Matthew 28:16-20 the Great Commission. The Gospel is a call for all human beings to turn away for living for themselves, and to Christ, repenting of sin – the inner rebellion, the inner pride that says we don’t need God, we don’t need to humble ourselves, we don’t need to change, we can get along all right without know Jesus personally. We live in a society which proclaims the heresy – “believe in yourself”; no. That is the very thing which flies in the face of believing in Jesus: believing in yourself means you think you are the centre of the universe and can run your life the way you want to; self–actualisation at it’s worst. Jesus is the one with all authority: it is by bending the knee to him, that we find ourselves and we find redemption. We are, like in those TV programmes scrabbling around in cellars and old houses or at the rubbish tips, treasures that once were valued but through our sin we become messed up, broken, damaged, and some think we are fit for nothing but the rubbish tip; then comes along someone with a vision for making what was damaged and rubbish into something of worth, sometimes taking the damage and making it a feature, and restoring us to a future glory and purpose we had not realised we were created for.
