Humans Are the Offspring of God

We are a family of servant missionaries sent as disciples to make disciples. Last week we talked about humans being image-bearers of God (Gen 1:26-28, 31 CSB; Luke 3:38 CSB; Acts 17:22-31 CSB). In order to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation we are to:

• Reconcile others to God
• Baptize them into the Body of Christ
• Teach them everything Jesus commanded
• Train and equip them to be like Jesus
• Do the works of God

Reconcile Others To God

The Ministry of Reconciliation

(16) From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! (18) Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. (19) That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God.” (21) He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

– 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 CSB

• Reconcile others to God
• Baptize them into the Body of Christ
• Teach them everything Jesus commanded
• Train and equip them to be like Jesus
• Do the works of God

Baptize Them Into The Body of Christ

(3) Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

– Romans 6:3-4 CSB

(9) For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, (10) and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (11) You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, (12) when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

– Colossians 2:9-12 CSB

(18) For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, (19) in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison (20) who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few ​– ​that is, eight people ​– ​were saved through water. (21) Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (22) who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

– 1 Peter 3:18-22 CSB

• Reconcile others to God
• Baptize them into the Body of Christ
• Teach them everything Jesus commanded
• Train and equip them to be like Jesus
• Do the works of God

Teach Them Everything Jesus Commanded

IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDS – John 14:15

REPENT — MATTHEW 4:17; LUKE 13:3 • LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED — JOHN 14:27; JOHN 16:33; MATTHEW 6:25-26; • PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 • FOLLOW ME — MATTHEW 4:19 • REJOICE — MATTHEW 5:12 (ALSO 2 CORINTHIANS 6:10; 12:10; JAMES 1:2-4) • LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE — MATTHEW 5:16 • HONOR GOD’S LAW – MATTHEW 5:17-19 • BE RECONCILED -MATTHEW 5:24-25 • DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY — MATTHEW 5:27-30 • KEEP YOUR WORD —MATTHEW 5:33-37 • GO THE SECOND MILE — MATTHEW 5:38-42 • LOVE YOUR ENEMIES —MATTHEW 5:44 • BE PERFECT- MATTHEW 5:48 • PRACTICE SECRET DISCIPLINES (GIVING, PRAYING, FASTING) — MATTHEW 6:1-18 • LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN – MATTHEW 6:19-21 • SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD — MATTHEW 6:33 • JUDGE NOT- MATTHEW 7:1-2 • DO NOT THROW YOUR PEARLS TO PIGS — MATTHEW 7:6 • ASK, SEEK, AND KNOCK- MATTHEW 7:7-8 • DO UNTO OTHERS — MATTHEW 7:12 • CHOOSE THE NARROW WAY — MATTHEW 7:13-14 • BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS – MATTHEW 7:15 • PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPREAD THE WORD -MATTHEW 9:37-38 • BE AS SHREWD AS SERPENTS – MATTHEW 10:16 (ALSO ROMANS 16:19) • FEAR GOD. DO NOT FEAR MAN – MATTHEW 10:28 (ALSO LUKE 12:4-5) • LISTEN TO GOD’S VOICE — MATTHEW 11:15; 13:9; 13:43; MARK 4:23; LUKE 14:35; 1 KINGS 19:11-13 • TAKE MY YOKE — MATTHEW 11:29 • HONOR YOUR PARENTS – MATTHEW 15:42 • BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHING — MATTHEW 16:6,11-12 • DENY YOURSELF — LUKE 9:23 (ALSO MATTHEW 10:38 AND MARK 8:34) • DO NOT DESPISE LITTLE ONES – MATTHEW 18:10 • GO TO CHRISTIANS WHO OFFEND YOU — MATTHEW 18:15 (ALSO GALATIANS 6:1) • FORGIVE OFFENDERS – MATTHEW 18:21-22 (ALSO PROVERBS 19:11) • BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS — LUKE 12:15 • HONOR MARRIAGE —MATTHEW 19:6; 19:9 • LEAD BY BEING A SERVANT — MATTHEW 20:26-28 • MAKE THE CHURCH A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS – MARK 11:17 • PRAY IN FAITH – MATTHEW 21:21-22; JOHN 15:7 • BRING IN THE POOR — LUKE 14:12-14 RENDER UNTO CAESAR – MATTHEW 22:19-21 • LOVE THE LORD — MATTHEW 22:37-38 • LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR — MATTHEW 22:39 • BE BORN AGAIN — JOHN 3:7 • AWAIT MY RETURN – MATTHEW 24:42-44 • CELEBRATE THE LORD’S SUPPER — MATTHEW 26:26-27 • WATCH AND PRAY — MATTHEW 26:41 • KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS — JOHN 14:15 • FEED MY SHEEP — JOHN 21:15-16 • MAKE AND BAPTIZE DISCIPLES — MATTHEW 28:19 • TEACH DISCIPLES TO OBEY – MATTHEW 28:20 RECEIVE GOD’S POWER – LUKE 24:49

• Reconcile others to God
• Baptize them into the Body of Christ
• Teach them everything Jesus commanded
• Train and equip them to be like Jesus
• Do the works of God

Train And Equip Them To Be Like Jesus

(1) Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, (2) with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, (3) making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (4) There is one body and one Spirit ​– ​just as you were called to one hope at your calling ​– ​ (5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. …

(11) And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, (12) equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, (13) until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. (14) Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. (15) But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head ​– ​Christ. (16) From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

– Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16 CSB

(40) “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

– Luke 6:40 CSB

• Reconcile others to God
• Baptize them into the Body of Christ
• Teach them everything Jesus commanded
• Train and equip them to be like Jesus
• Do the works of God

Do The Works Of God

(26) Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. (27) “Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”

(28) “What can we do to perform the works of God? ” they asked. (29) Jesus replied, “This is the work of God ​– ​that you believe in the one he has sent.”

– John 6:26-29 CSB

(18) The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to [heal the brokenhearted] proclaim release [forgiveness, freedom] to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, (19) to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

– Luke 4:18-19 CSB

(15) Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (16) “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

(17) “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; (18) “they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”

– Mark 16:15-18 CSB