6-4-23 Sermon Notes “Take a Bite”

I wonder what the mood of the disciples was when Jesus called them together and set them apart on the mountain that day. I suppose it was a mood of expectancy. Matthew gives us a hint of what it must have meant for the disciples to go up on the mountain with Jesus. When they were with Jesus on a mountain, they could expect to receive teaching and instructions (Matt. Chapters 5, 21, 24 and 26), or they could expect to see the glory of Christ revealed (as in the transfiguration in Matt. 17), or they could expect to see multitudes healed and fed (Matt. 15). What’s going to happen this day?

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28: 16-20. NRSV)

There were 11 of them, Matthew is careful to remind us. Were they still stinging from the events of the past week? I think so. I think they “limped” up the mountain that day. Some were still doubting, Matthew tells us. We might read it and think, “THESE are the disciples? This ragtag group?” Yep. And Jesus gave them a HUGE job to do. “Go and make disciples of all nations…”How are they going to tackle a task that big?

And here we are at Gadsden First UMC - 2000 years or so later…called together and set apart…some of us “limping” from life’s storms. What is the message for us? It’s the same Great Commission that Jesus gave the original disciples. But how are WE going to tackle a task that big? Well…the same way you eat an elephant…one bite at a time.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Sam