SERMON SUMMARY

As Triangle Community Church prepares to begin our 25th year of ministry, let’s reflect on our purpose: to transform ordinary people into extraordinary followers of Christ. This purpose is strengthened and directed by two great Biblical commitments: the Great Commandment and to the Great Commission.

The Great Commandment Each of us needs to commit ourselves to abide by the Great Commandment as found in Matthew 22:36-40: 1. Love God, and 2. Love others as you love yourself. Human beings were created in God’s image, and the Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:7-11). We were created to love others with a faithful, self-sacrificing love. None of us can love this way on our own, at least not consistently. That is why John said, “Love is from God, and everyone who loves (with agape love) is born of God and loves God.” As you yield to the Holy Spirit, he is pleased to produce this kind of agape love in your life. But you must determine to allow the Spirit of God to control you (Galatians 5:16-25). Our impact as individuals and as a church could be so much greater if we learned to love others as God loves us, sacrificially.

The Great Commission The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) involves two primary components: 1. The intentional pursuit of those who don’t yet know Christ (evangelism), and 2. Teaching others to obey all that Jesus taught (discipleship).

Evangelism The Christian church is merely an extension in the world of what Jesus would do if he were here bodily. In his earthly ministry, Jesus pursued lost people (Luke 19:10). He wanted them to know God’s love and forgiveness. If we are to love as Jesus loved, we must follow Jesus’ example in reaching out to those who don’t yet know Christ. Every generation of Christians is tasked with reaching succeeding generations. These are people for whom Christ died. These are people who God deeply loves and who he wants to bring into his spiritual family. God only has one plan to reach them. That is us. There is no plan B. And each of us plays a role in that plan. It is no accident who you work with, who you live by, who you are related to. God has uniquely placed you where you and he wants you to build redemptive relationships with those who are in your circle of influence. You might be the only Christian they know, or at least the only Christian who cares enough about them to share the gospel with them.

Discipleship In Matthew 28, Jesus calls us to make disciples, not just converts. What is the difference between a convert and a disciple? A convert is someone who has placed his trust in Jesus Christ as his sin-bearer. As a result, he is forgiven, and his eternal home in Heaven is secure. But according to Matthew 28, being a disciple involves a higher level of commitment. A disciple is a baptized Christian who is growing in his/her obedience to Jesus Christ. The first step in discipleship is submitting to Biblical baptism. But baptism is just the beginning. A disciple is a learner. It is someone who is intentionally learning what it means to follow and obey God’s will for her life. Learning doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a commitment to expose yourself to Biblical teaching and to other godly people who are seeking to live out and model Jesus’ priorities. Here at TCC, there are no shortage of learning and service opportunities. Take advantage of them. Each week, we advertise discipleship opportunities designed to help you grow in your faith. Many of you have good intentions about getting serious about your faith “someday.” Let this be the year where you act on those good intentions. TCC is a good-sized church. We have incredible potential, but much of is still unrealized. We can do much greater things for God. Our impact can be much more extensive. With our culture crumbling before us, and the signs of Christ’s return more vivid, the time to act is now. But we must all get on board and be of one mind and purpose in following Christ in discipleship.

APPLICATION CHALLENGE

• Commit yourself to Jesus Christ; trusting him as Savior and submitting to him as Lord. To learn more about knowing God personally, click here.
• Personally adopt TCC’s mission Statement as your own:  Transforming ordinary people into extraordinary followers of Christ.