Sermon Summary: Drawing from the Great Commission in Matthew 28, Pastor Roger challenges believers to move beyond the idea that faith must be flawless before God can use them. Using the example of the eleven disciples who worshiped Jesus while still doubting, he argues that God does not require perfect faith but rather obedient, responsive, actionable faith. The sermon weaves together personal testimony, biblical narrative, and pastoral encouragement to demonstrate that God calls ordinary, doubting people to extraordinary purposes. The message emphasizes that discipling nations requires personal transformation through the renewing of the mind, a willingness to follow the Holy Spirit even when it is inconvenient or costly, and the courage to take the next step even when the full picture is unclear.
Key Points:
- The Great Commission calls believers not only to make disciples of individuals but to influence entire nations, which requires engagement in public life and policy
- Romans 12:2 teaches that transformation comes through the renewing of the mind, and a believer’s level of conformity to the world is directly tied to how much they allow God’s Word to renew their thinking
- The eleven disciples who received the Great Commission were simultaneously worshiping Jesus and doubting him, demonstrating that God works through imperfect, doubting people
- God does not require perfect faith; he requires obedient, actionable faith that is willing to take the next step
- Spending time with God through prayer, meditation, and fasting is essential for developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading
- When God calls a married person to something significant, it is important to seek confirmation for both spouses rather than relying solely on one person’s sense of calling
- A win in ministry is not measured by attendance, finances, or production quality but by whether people have a genuine encounter with God
- Wealth and promotion that come from God do not bring the painful stress and toil that worldly success often carries
Scripture Reference:
- Matthew 28:16-20, in which Jesus appears to the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee, commissions them to make disciples of all nations, and promises to be with them always
- Romans 12:2, which calls believers not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds so they can discern the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God
link to sermon: here