The Great Commission Gospel

The Great Commission Gospel

What Now? The Great Commission Gospel Matt 28:18-20

Friends,

 

Merry Christmas week to you. John MacArthur was once asked how he prepared sermons. His response was, “Keep your bottom in the seat until the work is done.” That work ethic has always appealed to me but, it means, on short weeks like this particular Christmas week, when everything has to be completed by Tuesday at 4:30, the “work” requires the same number of “bottom in the seat” hours as any other week for it to get “done.” So, I began studying for this Sunday’s sermon yesterday afternoon and, waking up throughout the night to rethink and reshape it, I re-started “the work” early this morning. I’m fairly far into it but, if you peruse the notes, you’ll see that the ninth point is not yet developed. I’ll try to get to that this evening and then finish the sermon and complete the CG questions and Daily Devotions tomorrow morning. This will give everyone else who makes the Sunday preaching hour successful, all of Tuesday afternoon to create bulletin inserts, make the PowerPoint, etc. And that will enable all of our Heritage staff to enjoy Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day afterward, with family.

 

It is Christmas week and you may not have time to read each day’s CG leader devotion, but even if you have to read them all on Saturday, I hope you will read them. There are some real truth bombs in the TRAP devotional that will help you in life and in your CG.

 

I hope, that in all of the busyness of this season, you have time to reflect on Christmas as the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited fulfilment of God’s promise, the assurance that he will keep his promises to us, and the hope of Heaven he has promised to each of us. As you can, share that “good news of great joy” to your friends, relatives, neighbors and associates, particularly as you gather around the various tables you will enjoy this week.

 

Lord willing, I will see many of you Wednesday night at 5:30 for the Christmas Eve service.

 

Pastor Reggie


What Now?

The Great Commission Gospel

Matthew 28:18-20

(An ‘After-Christmas’ sermon)

 

Intro: There is a sense in which preaching answers the question, “So what,” “What does this mean,” or “What’s the big deal?”

 

It’s appropriate, after Christmas to ask, ““So what,” “What does this mean,” or “What’s the big deal?”

 

Jesus answers that for us in what is commonly known as The Great Commission.

 

·       Matthew is often called the Great Commission Gospel because The Great Commission is often treated as a final command tacked onto the end of Matthew.

 

  • But Matthew did not end with mission; he built toward it.

 

  • From the genealogy to the resurrection, Matthew has been shaping a vision of a King whose reign was never meant to stop at Israel’s borders.

 

  • Matthew 28:18–20 is not a surprise. It is the inevitable conclusion.

 

First: Matthew Frames Jesus as the Fulfilment of OT Promises

 

Matthew opens with a genealogy that quietly signals a global horizon.

 

a)    Jesus is the son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1) → “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3)

 

b)    Jesus is the son of David  (Matt 1:6) → “I will raise up your offspring after you… and I

will establish the throne of his kingdom forever… Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”  (2 Samuel 12:12-13)

 

From the first verse, Jesus is presented not merely as Israel’s Messiah, but the fulfilment of God’s OT promises to Israel and the nations.

 

IMP: When we read Matthew’s genealogy, we might wonder why he doesn’t include every Old Testament name. The answer is simple and important:

 

1 - Matthew is not writing a modern family tree, he is making a theological claim. Biblical genealogies were never meant to be exhaustive. They were selective, purposeful, and symbolic.

 

2 - Matthew arranges Jesus’ lineage into three sets of fourteen to proclaim one central truth, Jesus is the true Son of David, the rightful King.

3 - Matthew highlights the figures that move God’s redemptive promise forward and omits others because his goal is not biological completeness but covenantal fulfillment.

 

4 - From the very first verse of his Gospel, Matthew is telling us that all of Israel’s history has been moving toward this moment, toward this King, toward this Christ.

 

So, Matthew’s moves us from Abraham, through whom God has promised the nations, through David, the King who will rule those nations, to Jesus, who is the fuliflment of the Abrahamic and Davidic promises.

 

Second: The Great Commission in Genesis

 

a)    God begins the Bible with a commission, not merely a creation.

 

“So God created man in his own image… male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27).


Humanity is created as God’s image-bearers, meant to reflect His character, authority, and presence in the world.


b)    God blesses humanity with a mission.

 

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion…’” (Gen. 1:28).


The blessing is not private; it is missional. God sends Adam and Eve outward to multiply His image and extend His good rule over the whole earth.


What is their mission?

 

·       They are to perpetuate the image of God by expanding the human family (“be fruitful and multiply”).

·       Each child will be a regal image-bearer of the Lord to the rest of creation. They are also to Edenize the world, that it, to “fill the earth.”

·       Eden is elevated, on a mountain (e.g., Ezekiel 28:13-14), down from which flows a river (Gen. 2:10).

·       As more image-bearers are born, the Garden and Mt. Eden will need to expand to accommodate them.

·       As the human family grows larger and larger, the real estate of Paradise will require more acreage.


Genesis 1:26-28 passage contains all the core elements of the Great Commission:


·       Authority - God speaks as Creator, exercising authority over heaven and earth.

·       Image-bearers - Humanity is created to reflect God’s rule and character.

·       Sending - Adam and Eve are sent outward, beyond Eden, to fill the earth.

·       Multiplication - They are to reproduce image-bearers.

·       Kingdom expansion - God’s ordered, life-giving rule is to spread over the whole earth.


c)    Eden is the starting point, not the destination.


Eden functions as God’s dwelling place on earth (Gen. 2:8–10), but humanity is commanded to fill the earth.


The goal was the expansion of Eden, that God’s presence would spread outward as His image-bearers spread outward.


d)    Humanity was called to rule by reflecting God, not replacing Him.


“Let them have dominion…” (Gen. 1:26).


Adam and Eve were to rule as servant-kings and queens, exercising authority through care, cultivation, and obedience.


In Genesis 3, humanity rebels, Eden is lost, and the mission collapses into violence, exile, and death.


Eden is lost. Brother murders brothers. Violence mushrooms. People “exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25).

 

The commission is fractured, but not broken, by the Fall.


We know this because God immediately promises restoration: “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15).


The hope of a coming Deliverer, a new Adam, enters the story.


e)    God reaffirms the Genesis commission through Abraham, who is Matthew’s starting

point.

 

“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).


The global scope of Genesis 1, God’s purpose in blessing of the nations through a promised seed, returns in Genesis 12, reappears throughout the OT, and picks up again in Matthew 1 with Jesus as the “blessing” by which God will bless the nations through Abraham.


In effect, Abraham and Sarah become Adam and Eve, 2.0.


And the Great Commission continues throughout Genesis.

 

·       After Eden is lost, God repeatedly sends His chosen servants outward so that blessing might move beyond one family to many peoples.

·       He promises Abraham that through his offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.

·       He reaffirms that calling to Isaac and Jacob,

·       In Joseph, we see the pattern lived out rather than merely spoken. Joseph is sent into the heart of the nations, where God’s presence goes with him, God’s wisdom is displayed through him, and countless lives are preserved because of him. Looking back, Joseph can say, “God sent me before you to preserve life.”

 

Genesis 45:5-7 - And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.”

 

Genesis 50:19–20 - (After Jacob’s death) - Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

 

Genesis shows us that God’s mission has always advanced through faithful image-bearers living among the nations, in order that the blessing of life might spread. What Jesus commands in Matthew 28 is not new; it is the fulfillment of a mission Moses has been advancing throughout Genesis.


Transition: Which brings us back to Matthew in which

 

Third: Gentiles Appear at Key Moments Early On

 

Matthew repeatedly places Gentiles at decisive points in the story.

 

a)    Three women in Jesus’ genealogy (Rahab, Ruth, and “the wife of Uriah, Bathsheba”), all Gentiles, signaling that God’s global redemptive plan.

 

Joshua 2:8 – (Rahab) - for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 

 

b)    The Magi (Matt. 2)


Matthew 2:1 – “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem…”

 

Who were the magi? They were pagan astrologers who travel far to worship Israel’s promised and newborn king.

 

Matthew is teaching the reader: this kingdom will not stay confined to Israel.

 

Fourth: Jesus’ Teaching Already Assumes a Global Mission

 

Long before Matthew 28, Jesus speaks in ways that stretch beyond Israel.

 

a)    The Sermon on the Mount - “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14)

 

A city on a hill is visible to the nations, not hidden within one people.

 

b)    The Lord’s Prayer “Your kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).

 

The scope is cosmic, not local.

‘

c)    The Parables of the Kingdom (Matt. 13)

 

Matthew 13:31-32 - …‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. (See Ez 17:22-23 & Dan 4:12).

 

Matthew 13:47 - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.

 

Jesus’ kingdom, by its very nature, is expansive.

 

Fifth: Jesus Regularly Commends Gentile Faith

 

Matthew, a gospel written primary to Jews, is intentional about including Gentles.

 

a)    The Roman centurion (Matt. 8:5–13)

 

Jesus marvels: “I have not found such great faith in Israel.”

 

Matthew 8:11-12 - I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.

 

b)    The Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:21–28)

 

A Gentile woman, whom Jesus compares to a dog, persists in faith and receives mercy, while the disciples struggle to understand.

 

IMP: These episodes prepare the reader emotionally and theologically for a mission beyond Israel.

 

Sixth: Israel’s Rejection Is Paired with Expanding Inclusion

 

As Matthew progresses, resistance from Israel’s leaders increases.

‘

a)     The parables of judgment (Matt. 21–22) speak of a kingdom taken from those who refuse it and given to others.

 

Matthew 21:43 - Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

 

Matthew 22:8–9 - Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.

1.    People other than Jews will enter first (21:31)

2.    The kingdom is taken from the Jewis and given to others (21:43)

3.    The invitation is extended to all (22:9)

b)     Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem (Matt. 23) signals a turning point.

 

When we reach Matthew 23 and hear Jesus weep over Jerusalem, we are not witnessing the collapse of God’s plan but the turning of the page. That moment marks the end of His public ministry to Israel’s leadership and the beginning of something larger. Rejection does not silence the gospel; it sends it outward.

 

What Jerusalem refused, the nations will receive. And so when we arrive at Matthew 28, Jesus stands on another mountain and speaks again, not in grief but in authority. The gospel that was resisted in Jerusalem is now commissioned to the world.

 

Matthew ends where he has been heading all along: the kingdom is no longer centered in one city but carried by disciples to the ends of the earth, and the same Jesus who lamented rejection now promises His presence “to the end of the age.”

 

Seventh: This Occurs In the Passion Narrative’s Global Overtones

 

At the cross:

 

a)    The sign reads “King of the Jews,” which is a political, public claim (Matt 27:37).

 

b)    A Roman centurion confesses, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54)

 


Eighth: The Great Commission Is the Inevitable Conclusion, Not a Surprise

 

So…when Jesus finally says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” in Matthew 28:18-20,

 

Matthew’s readers are meant to think: “Of course. This is where the story has been going all along”.

 

The Great Commission is not an add-on. It is the logical outcome of who Jesus is, how He has been received, and what kind of kingdom He has been announcing from page one of the Bible

 

Matthew is the Gospel that was always going somewhere

 

           Ninth: This is what the Great Commission Looks like

 

(To work on Tuesday morning)

 

Use thought from Daily Devotion - The Great Commission does not with a task but with a promise: “I am with you always.” That’s such a glorious thought. From Eden to the New Jerusalem, God’s presence among his people has always been the goal. The mission is sustained not by strategy but by Emmanuel, God with us, until the end of the age. That friends, is a promise worth building our lives and church on!!!

 

           Conclusion: The mission to the nations is not Plan B; it is the unfolding purpose of God when privilege gives way to unbelief.

 

  • Matthew is not just telling us what Jesus said at the end.
  • He is showing us who Jesus has always been.
  • The Great Commission is not a task added to discipleship—it is the overflow of knowing Jesus.

 

APP: Heritage’s mission is “making disciples here and around the world.”

 

 The elders have defined a ‘disciple’ for Heritage, someone who is dedicated to:

 

1      Sunday morning gatherings

2      A community group

3      Service

4      Giving

5      Scripture

6      Prayer

7      Evangelism

8      Mentoring

 

See Discipleship Wheel at the end of the sermon notes.

 

This is how we fulfill the Great Commission at Heritage, by “making disciples – who look like this – here and around the world.” That’s the plan for 2026!

 

 

Theme

The Great Commission Was Always the Point

 

Monday — The Commission Begins with Authority

Text: Matthew 28:18; Genesis 1:26–28

 

Think. Jesus begins the Great Commission by grounding it in authority: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This echoes Genesis 1, where God speaks as Creator-King and commissions humanity to rule, multiply, and fill the earth. God’s mission does not begin with our enthusiasm but with divine authority. From Eden onward, God’s purposes have always flowed from who He is, not from what we can accomplish. Isn’t that a glorious thought?

 

Reflect. Why is it essential that Jesus speaks of authority before He speaks of mission? How does seeing Genesis 1 as a commission reshape the way you understand The Great Commission?

 

Apply. As a CG leader, where are you tempted to treat mission as optional or secondary? How can you weekly emphasize this mission to your CG?

 

Pray. Lord Jesus, anchor my obedience in your authority, not my confidence. Teach me to follow in submission before I lead in action.

 

Tuesday — The Commission Survives the Fall

Text: Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:1–3; Matthew 1:1

 

Think. The Great Commission did not end when Eden was lost. Sin fractured humanity’s ability to carry out God’s mission, but it did not cancel God’s purpose. In Genesis 3:15, God promises a Deliverer. In Genesis 12, He promises Abraham that all families of the earth will be blessed. Matthew opens by declaring Jesus as the Son of Abraham, signaling that the original mission is being restored, not replaced.

 

Reflect. Why is it important to see the Great Commission as recovery, not reinvention? How does this protect us from seeing mission as Plan B?

 

Apply. How does this long biblical storyline, i.e., biblical theology, shape the way you teach Scripture to your CG, especially when discouragement or failure is present?

 

Pray. Faithful God, thank you that your purposes are not undone by human failure. Help me trust your long obedience even when the present feels broken.

 

Wednesday — The Mission Advances Through the Nations

Text: Genesis 45:5–7; Matthew 2:1–2; Matthew 8:11–12

 

Think. God advances His mission by sending His servants, like us, into the nations. Joseph is sent ahead “to preserve life.” The Magi travel from the East to worship Christ. A Roman centurion displays faith greater than Israel’s. Matthew consistently shows that God’s kingdom has always been moving outward, even when His people resist or misunderstand it.

 

Reflect. What does Joseph’s story teach us about God’s hidden purposes in displacement and sorrow?

 

Apply. How can you teach this principle of God, working out all things for our good as part of His outward-moving mission even in the difficult circumstances your CG members may be facing?

 

Pray. Sovereign Lord, help me trust that you send your servants where you intend your blessing and sometimes choose a costly path to accomplish your will.

 

Thursday — Merry Christmas

Rejection Does Not Stop the Gospel

Text: Matthew 21:43; Matthew 23:37–39; Matthew 28:16–20

 

Think. Matthew 23 is not the failure of God’s plan but a turning point. Israel’s rejection does not silence the gospel; it sends it outward. The same Jesus who weeps over Jerusalem later stands on a mountain in Galilee commissioning His disciples to the nations. The mission expands precisely where resistance is strongest. Hallelujah for the cross!

 

Reflect. How does this connection between Matthew 23 and Matthew 28 deepen your understanding of God’s patience and purpose?

 

Apply. As a CG leader, how do you respond when your efforts are resisted or misunderstood? How does this text reshape your expectations and give you patience while God works in you and others?

 

Pray. Merciful King, keep me from discouragement when the gospel or my presentation of it is rejected. Teach me to trust that you are always moving your mission forward.

 

Friday — The Presence That Sustains the Mission

Text: Matthew 28:20; Exodus 33:14; Revelation 21:3

 

Think. The Great Commission does not with a task but with a promise: “I am with you always.” That’s such a glorious thought. From Eden to the New Jerusalem, God’s presence among his people has always been the goal. The mission is sustained not by strategy but by Emmanuel, God with us, until the end of the age. What a thought, dear friends!!!

 

Reflect. Why is Jesus’ promised presence more essential than the scope of the mission itself?

 

Apply. As you prepare to lead your CG this Sunday, how can you model dependence on Christ’s presence rather than confidence in preparation alone?

 

Pray. Lord Jesus, thank you that you do not merely send us, you go with us. Teach me to lead in the confidence of your presence.

 

 

Genesis 3:15

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The Disciples' Fall & the Son's Faithfulness

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The Test of True Greatness

By Reggie Weems • November 3, 2025
Good Monday morning dear friends, You are on my heart this morning and my passion is to provide you with something the Holy Spirit can use to conform you to the image of Jesus, loving God and sharing the blessing of knowing him with others just as the Lord has been doing in Luke’s Gospel. As I mentioned last Monday, there are five Sundays in November and I have divided Luke 22 into five sermons. Yesterday we looked at 1 – The Plot and the Passover in verses 1-23 I hope Sunday’s sermon was a blessing to you, that you can practically apply it to the pressures of your own life and will use the text to help others who are enduring stress. The rest of the series looks like this: 2 – The Test of True Greatness – 24-38 3 – The Agony in the Garden – 39-46 4 – The Kiss and the Sword – 47-53 5 – The Disciples’ Fall & the Son’s Faithfulness – 54-71 This week we are focusing on true greatness in verses 24-38 and today is ‘Observation’ day. According to Jesus in these verses, true greatness is not measured by one’s position or power but by three things: humility, dependence, and endurance. First, understanding the setting is essential to interpreting and applying the text. a) The conversation happens during the Last Supper, immediately after Jesus instituted the bread and cup (19–20). b) The disciples are still gathered around the table in the upper room (21), so this dialogue flows out of that moment. c) Jesus is preparing the disciples for His departure, suffering, and betrayal (21–23), yet they are distracted by an argument. Second, the disciples are arguing about greatness in vs 24-27. a) Dispute in vs 24 is philoneikia = a love of contention. b) The issue is, “Which of them was to be regarded as the greatest”. 24b c) Jesus uses the moment to contrast worldly greatness with kingdom greatness: o “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship…” 25 o “But not so with you.” 26 d) And he introduces a magnificent reversal: “Let the greatest become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.” 25b e) He then presents himself as the model: “I am among you as the one who serves.” 27c f) And contrasts his kingdom with this present world. 27a-b. Summary: Jesus redirects the disciples’ ambition toward humility, the kind of humility he is going to demonstrate on the cross. The third thing I see is that Jesus offers the disciples a commendation and a promise. 28-30. a) Jesus acknowledges their faithfulness: “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials.” 28. b) And he promises them a place in His kingdom: o “I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom.” 29a o “You may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.” 30a o “You will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” 30b c) The verbs “assign” (diatithemai) and “stay” (diamenōT) indicate covenantal loyalty and endurance. Summary: Jesus shifts their thinking from their present humility to future honor - 28–30. At that moment, (fourthly), Jesus redirects his attention from the group to Peter with a warning. 31–34 a) “Simon, Simon” denotes urgency. (I love the double calls of Scripture). b) He then discusses the spiritual warfare surrounding the disciples: “Satan demanded to have you [plural], that he might sift you [plural] like wheat” 31b. c) And reveals his personal prayers for Peter, “But I have prayed for you [singular], that your faith may not fail” v 32a. d) Then predicts Peter’s failure and restoration. “When you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” 32b. e) As would be natural for any of us, Peter protests his loyalty: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” 33. f) But Jesus remains steadfast and foretells Peter’s denial: “The rooster will not crow this day until you deny three times that you know me” 34. Summary: Notice the key contrasts in this section: Satan’s demand vs. Christ’s prayer; Peter’s confidence vs. Christ’s foreknowledge. Finally, Jesus gives them all new instructions. 35-38. a) Jesus recalls the earlier mission (Luke 9–10): “When I sent you out without moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” — They answer, “Nothing.” 35. b) Now He gives new instructions for a hostile environment: o “Let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack.” 36a o “And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.” 36b. c) Jesus then quotes Isaiah 53:12: “He was numbered with the transgressors.” 37. o This connects His coming suffering with prophecy fulfillment. d) The disciples misunderstand, taking Him literally: “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” 38a e) Jesus ends the conversation: “It is enough.” 38b. Summary: The atmosphere has subtly moved from an intimate table fellowship to impending public conflict and departure. It will occur sooner than the disciples understand. Concluding thoughts: Notice some of the repeated themes and patterns There is a contrast of worldly power vs. servant humility; boasting vs. weakness; self-reliance vs. dependence on Christ. There is the repetition of how Jesus address the group: “You” plural vs. “you” singular (Peter)—the group and the individual are both in view. See how the tone of the evening progresses: Argument (vv. 24–25) Correction (vv. 26–27) Encouragement (vv. 28–30) Warning (vv. 31–34) Preparation (vv. 35–38) This passage moves from ambition to affirmation to intercession to instruction. Overall, then, what I observe in this passage is that, Jesus redefines greatness through service. He prepares His followers for testing in pride and persecution. Even at this late date, the disciples’ hearts are exposed as self-seeking, overconfident, and unprepared. Yet Jesus responds with prayer, a promise, and patience. In other words, the true “test of greatness” in Jesus’ kingdom is unfolding right there in the upper room: Will they serve, endure, and trust? I hope that observation will serve you as you begin studying this week. Pray for me if you will. The TRAP Daily Devotion for Study and Transformation (Truth + Time = Transformation) Now that we’ve ‘gutted’ the text, let’s consider how we might meditate on various verses each day of this week, letting the word of Christ “dwell richly” (Col 3:16), so the Holy Spirit can accomplish his reclamation project of returning the full expression of the imago dei to each of us. Today the 3 rd . Read Luke 22:24-27 and meditate on this: Greatness looks like serving Think. A dispute breaks out over who is the greatest. Jesus answers by pointing to the pattern of Gentile rulers who dominate, then overturns it saying the greatest becomes as the youngest, and the leader as the one who serves with himself as the ultimate model. Reflect. Where do I secretly compare myself to others, elevate myself or put others down, in an effort to make myself look good? Apply. Choose one unseen act of service today for someone who cannot repay you. Pray Lord Jesus, you led the disciples as the One who serves. You still serve me by your grace, through creation, the Word, friends, the church, in too many ways to number. “Take my life today and let it be, consecrated, Lord for thee.” Tuesday the 4 th . Read Luke 22:28–30 and meditate on this: Present faithfulness ensures future rewards. Think. Jesus honors the disciples. They stayed with Him throughout his ministry. As a result, he assigns them a place in his kingdom. In effect, they have lost their lives to save them (Matt 16:25). Reflect. How can Jesus’ promise shape my faithfulness to him today? Apply. Name one trial you face. Write, either on paper or in your mind, one sentence of faithful resolve that you will practice this week. Pray. Father, enable me to remain faithful to Jesus in hard places. Fix my eyes on the table He has promised. Wednesday, the 5 th . Read Luke 22:31–32 and meditate on Satan’s plans and God’s power. Think. Jesus reveals the spiritual battle that surrounds you. Satan intended to sift the disciples, but Jesus says He has prayed for Peter so that his faith will not fail. He then charges Peter to strengthen his brothers after he turns back. Reflect. How does knowing that Jesus prays for you (Hb 7:25) encourage your faithfulness? Apply. Today, reach out to someone who is wavering. Share a word of encouragement from the Bible and pray with them. Pray. Lord, thank You for praying for me. Help me to pray for others. Thursday, the 6 th .  Read Luke 22:33–34 and meditate on honest zeal and Jesus’ sobering words. Think. Peter vows loyalty to Jesus even if he goes to prison or dies. Jesus answers with a sobering prediction. Before dawn Peter will deny Him three times. Reflect. Where are my words outrunning my obedience so that I am living hypocritically? Apply. Confess one area of overconfidence/pride to the Lord. Demonstrate repentance by acting humbly in that area. Pray. Lord Jesus, rescue me from proud words and shallow strength. Help me to live in repentance over my pride. Friday, the 7 th . Read Luke 22:35–38 and meditate on your readiness for the hostile world around you. Think. Jesus recalls the disciples’ earlier mission of dependence. They lacked nothing. Now he tells them to take provisions, citing Isaiah 53:12. Reflect. Where am I naïve about opposition, and where am I anxious rather than trusting? Apply. You know your weaknesses. Prepare your heart for the pressure you will endure today. Take a Bible verse and a prayer with you throughout the day. Pray. Lord, help me to live aware of Satan’s ploys. By your Spirit, use your word as my sword.

The Covenanting Table

By Reggie Weems • October 27, 2025
Good Monday morning friends. It’s raining outside which encourages me to pray “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness, let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to spout; I the LORD have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8). So, my prayer today for myself, you, Heritage and the world is that God’s salvation will produce righteousness in me and us. There are five Sundays in November and I’m going to divide Luke 22 into five sermons: 1 – The Plot and the Passover – 1-23 2 – The Test of True Greatness – 24-38 3 – The Agony in the Garden – 39-46 4 – The Kiss and the Sword – 47-53 5 – The Disciples’ Fall & the Son’s Faithfulness – 54-71 Those working titles tell us what is transpiring in each of those texts. I’m not sure they will remain the sermon titles. This Sunday’s sermon title could be: The Covenanting Table. An outline might look like this – First: The Conspiracy Against Jesus. 1-6 Second: The Preparation for the Passover. 7-13 Third: The Institution of the Lord’s Supper. 14-23 Fourth: The Meaning of the Meal Let’s take the first point and apply the Observation, Interpretation, Correlation and Application (OICA) model to it. Here’s what I see first thing this Monday morning. Observation – What the text says a) The Passover draws near, and the religious leaders seek a way to destroy Jesus. 1-2 b) Judas, one of the Twelve, consents to betray Him for money. 3-6 Interpretation – What the text means. a) Luke frames this scene with the irony that the Feast of Deliverance (Passover) becomes the backdrop for the ultimate Deliverer’s betrayal. Wow. (That is so important). His non-deliverance ensures our deliverance. It reiterates the salvation through judgement motif that runs throughout the Bible. b) Satan’s entering into Judas proves he is not a Christian. (You can spend time on demon possession in your CG, but I won’t delve into it too much in the sermon. c) Even so, evil plots do not frustrate God’s plan. They fulfill it. I’ll say more about that in the Correlation portion of this point. Correlation – Where else does the Bible say something like this? a) This is the story of the Bible (How many times do we see this in the Bible? (That’s a great CG discussion). For instance, look at just four examples - b) Satan’s ploy in the Garden of Eden set the stage for the New Jerusalem/Haven. c) Joseph’s brothers once sold him into slavery, yet God turned it for salvation (Gen. 50:20). d) Haman’s plot in the book of Esther functions as another vivid example of the same redemptive irony that Joseph’s story and Judas’s betrayal reveal: evil intends destruction, but God works through it to accomplish salvation. (I may mention Haman here because my hope is to move from Psalm 119 next year to the book of Esther. Mentioning Haman here may whet the congregation’s appetite for more. That story is less well-known than Joseph’s but again, it is the basic storyline of the Bible summed up in Romans 8:28). e) The cross is the final instance of human treachery overruled by divine sovereignty. Application — How do I move this from text to transformation? How might the Holy Spirit apply this truth to me? Trust God’s purpose even when you see human schemes that defy God’s will for you and the world. He is never surprised. He is always in control. He is working all things together for his glory and your good (which are synonymous). Well friends, that’s just the outline for point one, The Conspiracy Against Jesus in verses 1-6. You can see how I could really preach four sermons just on this single point alone, and you could lead four CG discussions to fully enjoy each section of vs 1-23 over five Sundays. Wow! Often, the hardest part in preaching and teaching is not ‘what to say,’ but, ‘what not to say,’ because there is so much to say. The Bible is so rich and so deep. It makes me think of Paul’s comment, “Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things…” (Ephesians 3:7-9). Reading even a single verse in the Bible is like standing under Niagara Falls. But my main point this Sunday will be to emphasize the covenanting table, so I will leave those extraneous discussions to you. PS – They are extraneous to my point Sunday. They are not extraneous to discussion in your CG. Oh, by the way, I’ve divided Luke 22 into five sermons because I think I will preach a Christmas series this year for the four Sundays of December. I haven’t taken a break from preaching through a book over the Christmas season in many years and I think the congregation will enjoy it. I wish I could start the Sunday after Thanksgiving, on November 30 th , but Luke presents chapter 22 in five sections, requiring 5 sermons. Well, I had an early morning meeting away from the study this morning which has cut into my Monday morning Observation of our text. And, I’m using my Monday lunchtimes to listen to a Northside student read so, my Monday morning is a little shorter than normal. I have to stop now but will leave you with the Monday-Friday CG Leader Study Guide to help you think on the text each day this week while we pray Paul’s admonition to Timothy – “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Timothy 2:7). Remember, we’re using the TRAP model (Think Reflect, Apply Pray), which is just as different way of saying, OICA. My hope it will ‘trap’ the text in your mind and heart. (Yes, it may be corny but that’s because I created it). Monday – The Shadow of Betrayal (v. 1–6) Think : The Passover draws near, but instead of worshipping, the leaders plan murder. Judas agrees to betray Jesus for money. Evil is real, yet God’s plan is still unfolding. Reflect : When have you seen God bring good out of human failure or injustice? How does that strengthen your faith when life feels unfair? Apply : Choose to trust God’s providence in personal circumstances you do not understand. His purposes are never interrupted. Pray : Lord, when darkness seems to win, remind me that You are never defeated. Give me confidence in Your sovereign grace. Tuesday – The Preparation of the Passover (v. 7–13) Think : Jesus gives Peter and John exact instructions, and they find everything “just as He had told them.” The one who will soon be crucified is completely in control. Reflect : How does Jesus’ attention to detail encourage you to rest in His leadership over your life today? Apply : Ask God to help you obey promptly and trust His direction in both small and large matters this week. Pray : Sovereign Lord, thank You that You go before me in every detail. Teach me to follow Your word with quiet confidence. Wednesday – The Covenant Meal (v. 14–20) Think : Jesus transforms the Passover into the Lord’s Supper. The bread and cup now point to His body and blood, sealing a new covenant of forgiveness. Reflect : What does it mean that Jesus “earnestly desired” to share this meal before He suffered? How does that reveal His love for you? Apply : Last Sunday we enjoyed the Lord’s Table. Did you take time to confess sin? Perhaps you saw that ‘indulgence, addiction, anxiety’ pattern in your life? What have you decided to do about it? Pray : Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for me. Let the reminder of last Sunday’s bread and cup renew my daily love and gratitude for You while I seek to live for you. Thursday – The Presence of Betrayal (v. 21–23) Think : Even at the table of grace sits a betrayer. Judas proves that outward closeness to Jesus is not the same as inward devotion. Reflect : In what subtle ways might we deny or betray Jesus, through compromise, silence, or divided loyalties? (Again, think about ‘indulgence, addiction, anxiety’ as a false god or idol. Apply : Invite the Spirit to search your heart for any hypocrisy or hardness. Commit to wholehearted loyalty to Christ. Pray : Search me, O God, and cleanse my heart. Keep me from the spirit of Judas and make me faithful to You. Friday – The Meaning of the Meal (v. 14–23), Review & Application) Think : The upper room shows a Savior who rules every moment. The meal proclaims His death, confirms His covenant, and anticipates His return. Reflect : How does this text deepen your assurance that nothing can separate you from Christ’s love? Apply : End the week with gratitude. Before Sunday worship, remember His body given and His blood poured out for you last Sunday as you prepare to gather again this Sunday. Pray : Jesus, you are the true Passover Lamb. Thank You that Your blood covers me. Help me live each day in joyful remembrance until You come again.

The Road to the Cross

By Reggie Weems • June 23, 2025
Dear friends, one might think after forty-four years of pastoring (I was an Associate Pastor for two years before that), I would have this preaching thing, ‘nailed down.’ But….as I hope you can tell from this outline, I am continually refining my preaching in an effort to best honor God and the Bible, help others learn how to craft sermons or teaching material, serve you, and tell others about Jesus. So, I guess you could say, I have those four audiences in mind – God, elders/CG leaders/teachers, the congregation, and the lost - whenever I perform my sermon preparation. I think it was last year that I introduced the CG questions in the Observation, Interpretation, Correlation and Application format. That’s just a basic study outline for any Bible text, much as Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration is the basic subplot of the Bible. (I most often use the larger scheme: Creation, Fall, Israel, Church, Jesus, New Creation). I also introduced the Daily Devotion that same year. Last week, and without notice, I introduced a summary verse, theme, concern (problem) and purpose of the text. This is intended to help me, you, CGs and our people focus on the raison d'être for the text. But I do want you to notice it this week and hope to make it a weekly part of The View from My Study each Monday morning. I’m hoping these three thoughts will give us laser focus on any passage we read, study or preach and teach. As you can tell, sermon preparation is hard work. It is solo, even lonely work and I often think about how John MacArthur’s responded when someone asked him for the source of his preaching ministry success. He replied, “Keep your bottom in the seat until the work is done.” That’s good advice. The problem is, I’m never done. Four fifteen on Thursday afternoon arrives, and the sermon material has to be delivered to Debbie. And then, Sunday morning at 10:30 arrives and it has to be preached. What I hope, is as Jerry Vines, once said, “Pray the sermon will be born once in the study and born again in the pulpit.” Well, those are two good words from two masterful preachers. And then, of course, hermeneutics, (the science of interpreting the Bible) and homiletics (the art of writing sermons) is only the mechanical part of it. Preaching is mostly a spiritual work. And so, as we study and as we preach/teach we must acknowledge that “all is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down,” and so we cry, in the study and in the pulpit, “Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.” (from the song, Brethren, We Are Met to Worship). This is my particular prayer verse in the study: “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2:7) This verse reminds me of the divine/human efforts in sermon preparation. God does not bless laziness. I must “think over” what the Bible says. At the same time, the Lord will honor that effort, yet, only “the Lord will give you understanding.” This is call to humility in sermon preparation and preaching. As we study, it’s as though the Holy Spirit stands over our shoulders, whispering in our ears so that we can “have the mind of Christ” in every passage (1 Corinthians 2:16). This is how I view the text today and hope to build on this outline for the Sunday sermon. Please note that I’ve included some questions, (in the form of QUES, in the preaching outline specifically for you as a CG leader. I hope these questions will stimulate your thinking about this passage. That too, I hope to make a weekly part of The View from My Study. Friends, if these changes are helpful, let me know how. If they discourage your study, please let me know that too. Here are my thoughts thus far on this Sunday’s passage. I hope this is helpful to you. The Road to the Cross Text: Luke 18:31–34 Summary verse - “…everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished…” (v 31). Theme – Jesus deliberately sets His face toward Jerusalem to fulfill the divine plan foretold by the prophets. This demonstrates that the cross was not a tragic mistake, but the triumphant, design of God. Concern - That people hear about the cross without understanding its necessity or implications, just as the disciples did. People cannot be saved without understanding the cross. Purpose - To awaken us to God’s work in Jesus on the cross and to remind us that Jesus knew, foretold, and embraced His suffering for our salvation. I want to call listeners to trust the cross and simultaneously marvel at Jesus’ obedience, causing us to fall greater in love with him and trust him more. Intro: Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem where he will die but he is joyfully determined to get there and perform the Father’s will. (He knows something the disciples don’t know). First: The Road to Jerusalem is the Road to the Cross (v. 31a) - “See, we are going up to Jerusalem…” QUES: What do you know about Jerusalem? I hope to insert a biblical history of Jerusalem here, God’s city on the earth—Jesus intentionally heads toward suffering. Think about Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Zechariah 12:10 App: The cross was always God’s plan A and not plan B. How does that encourage me to trust God in my suffering? Second: Prophetic Precision in Divine Suffering (v. 31b) - “…everything that is written…will be accomplished.” The Old Testament prepares the way for the cross. QUES: I hope to illustrate this from the OT. What OT texts can you think of? Jesus fulfills every prophecy with divine accuracy. Just how many OT scriptures did Jesus filfill? App: The Bible is amazingly (divinely) accurate. How does the Bible’s reliability strengthen my faith? Third: The Scope and Depth of Christ’s Humiliation (vv. 32–33) - “…delivered …mocked…shamefully treated…spit upon…flogged…killed…” (Speaking of the Scripture’s reliability, look at how exact Jesus’ prophetic word is) The Passion predictions are shockingly specific. Christ suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually. App: Jesus endured every breadth and depth of pain for your redemption. Does this give you the assurance of salvation and does it make you love Jesus more? Fourth: The Disciples’ Incomprehension (v. 34) - “…they understood none of these things…” Let’s talk about human blindness to spiritual truth. QUES: What texts do you know that demonstrate human blindness to spiritual truth and God’s remedy? Divine truth often remains hidden apart from grace. App: I’m a “Beholding is Becoming” kind of Christian. I think if we truly see Jesus, we will love him and follow him. Will you pray that God will let you see Jesus in all his glory? Conclusion Jesus walked knowingly into His suffering because He walked obediently into the Father’s will. The cross was never a surprise to Jesus — it was His mission. May we marvel at His resolve, trust His plan, and follow Him without reservation.

Jesus, the Pharisee, the Tax Collector and Me

By Reggie Weems • June 2, 2025
Friends, Here’s the view from my study this Monday morning, the first Monday of June. I’ve tried to give you a head start on the text for this Sunday and my emphasis in the text but, wow, when it came to the mercy seat, I just got carried away in study and ran out of time this morning. Then again, I love getting lost in the Word. That will probably be reflected in the sermon also. The OT mercy seat and its NT corresponding texts is a major theme in Scripture, kind of like the scarlet thread of redemption. Anyway, my emphasis in this text this Sunday will be on saving faith and the majority of the message will be directed to the unsaved, the ‘ex nous,’ those outside, as C. S. Lewis called unbelievers. In the sermon I will be sharing the gospel and reminding our people of the joy of salvation by grace through faith. I hope it is a joyful, celebratory time for the people who know Jesus. The staff and I are reading A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter by Miriam Huffman Rockness, which I would encourage you to also read. Throughout the book, Lilias understands the power of prayer and relies on it to keep her and her friends safe in Algeria, (English women in a Muslim country in the middle of the 19 th century) and to prosper the Gospel. Thank you for your prayers for your CG, Heritage, the Word and me. My prayer for you is that you will find Jesus to be your all-in-all this week, that he will fill your soul, home, and every place you go with His felt presence. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for loving Jesus. Here’s what I have for the sermon so far. Jesus, the Pharisee, the Tax Collector and Me (Saving Faith) Luke 18:9-14 Intro: In this section of Luke, Jesus is still on his way to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27). He’s meeting many people, but Luke has chosen several specific encounters to highlight various themes in Jesus’ ministry and teaching. In this chapter, Jesus a) tells the story of a widow and a tax collector, and b) meets children, a rich ruler and a blind beggar Each of these stories provide us with Jesus’ definition of faith. In this particular story, it’s the definition of saving faith. First: The Self-Righteous Heart. 9 It is rare but as in the last story, Luke tells us at the very beginning of this story, what it is all about. V 9 - He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: a) They thought themselves righteous b) They treated others with disdain c) A result of grace – grace makes us all equal, unable to Remember last week I mentioned that God is the only self-defining entity in existence. We can’t judge ourselves appropriately. 1 – We all have the same problem Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 2 – Unbelievers have a particular problem 2 Corinthians 4:4 - …the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Second: Two Different People. 10 a) A Pharisee b) A tax collector c) God’s view – we are all sinners Romans 3:10 - None is righteous, no, not one; Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v 24-25 - and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Hallelujah for the cross!) Third: The Faithless Prayer. 11-12 a) “Standing by himself”….(Pharisee = separated) b) “God, I thank you that I am not like other men…” – comparison c) “I fast twice a week…” – self-righteous IMP: Self-righteousness is an oxymoron. 1 - When we get saved, God grants us Jesus’ righteousness. 2 – It is an alien righteousness, never ours 3 – It is a declaration based on what Jesus has done, not on us at all Fourth: The Faith-Focused Prayer. 13 Merciful = hilaskomai = to make propitiation The Greek translation of the OT uses the Greek word hilasterion, propitiation, for the Hebrew word, kappuret. Picture of mercy seat: ILL – On top of the ark was the mercy seat, flanked by two cherubim (Ex 25:19). Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest, walked into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat. In response, God’s shekinah glory filled the Holy Place and God met Israel there. Exodus 25:22 – There I will meet with you. John 20:12 – When Mary Magdalene wetn to the empty tomb, she found “she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.” (Stop for a moment and let your heart say, “Hallelujah!”) In the NT, that mercy seat has been transformed into at the throne of grace (Hb 4:16). IMP: What is the difference between mercy and grace? 1 – Mercy = rachimim = compassion 2 – Grace = hesed = favor 1 – Mercy points to forgiveness 2 – Grace grants unmerited favor Romans 3:21-25 - But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation [hilasterion/mercy seat] by his blood, to be received by faith. Fifth: Jesus’ Judgement. 14 – “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified…” ILL: Both of these men stepped into God’s courtroom but only one walked out justified – not by argument but by mercy. Justified = dikaioo = declared righteous Conclusion: 1 – To the proud – Don’t bring your spiritual resume. God isn’t hiring. 2 – To the broken – God’s mercy is greater than your sin. 3 – To everyone – Justification/Righteousness is found in Jesus alone, by faith alone.

Kingdom Characteristics

By Reggie Weems • May 12, 2025
In this passage (17:1-19), Jesus turns himself from the Pharisees and the temporal kingdom they are trying to build, to his disciples and the characteristics of his eternal kingdom.