Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bryant K Owens

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church is located in Cookeville, TN. Our desire is to honor Christ by loving the fallen world as Christ loved us. We learn how to love the world from God's Word by studying, growing, and applying God's Word in our lives and in our worship. We firmly believe that hearing God's Word is the path to understanding and experiencing salvation in Christ alone.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
2523 Hwy 111 North
Cookeville, TN 38506
sovereigngracebaptist.org

Jesus' 40 days with his disciples began in Galilee and ended near Jerusalem. Whereas Jesus'
commission to the disciples in Matthew 28:16-20 was in Galilee, further discipleship occurred
near Jerusalem. This passage in Luke's account was an appearance of Jesus to his disciples
following his encounter with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.
Jesus ‘opened their minds to understand the Scriptures' concerning himself. Part of the forty
days of discipleship was to illuminate the understanding of who Jesus was but also
understanding of the purpose of the gospel. True understanding of the Scriptures was granted
so that the disciples understood how all of redemptive history fit together. This was a gift of God
to the disciples.
Furthermore, that illumination seemed to be an act of Jesus while he was present. But Jesus
also taught his disciples that he would leave so that the Helper would come. This “Helper” would
be the source of illumination concerning Christ and the Scriptures. The “Helper” would also be
the source of illumination of the sinner about his sin when the faithful disciples proclaimed the
promise of salvation in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught the important lesson of the proclamation of the gospel by citing some of the old
testament prophets. A key lesson Jesus taught in his discipleship of the eleven (and others ...
up to 500) was the understanding of the Scriptures. It is in this lesson in Jerusalem before his
ascension that the lesson from the prophets defined what the proclamation would be from these
disciples. They were witnesses to the gospel.
Here is the gospel according to Jesus and the common prophecies of Isaiah and other minor
prophets

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church is located in Cookeville, TN. Our desire is to honor Christ by loving the fallen world as Christ loved us. We learn how to love the world from God's Word by studying, growing, and applying God's Word in our lives and in our worship. We firmly believe that hearing God's Word is the path to understanding and experiencing salvation in Christ alone.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
2523 Hwy 111 North
Cookeville, TN 38506
sovereigngracebaptist.org

All action has some purpose. The preaching/proclaiming of the gospel is action. Therefore
preaching/proclaiming the gospel must have purpose.
But let's pause and consider what has purpose in this statement: "preach the gospel". Is it the
act of preaching that has purpose? Is it the gospel that has purpose? Preaching as an action
can have any number of subjects to proclaim. Marketing executives can preach the value of a
product or service. A politician can preach a political agenda. An evangelist preaches the
gospel.
Matthew closes his gospel with what the church now calls The Great Commission. It is a lesson
from Jesus to HIS disciples to make disciples, baptizing them, teaching them. This passage has
been affectionately dubbed, "The railroad terminal through which all of Matthew runs."
This is not a lesson in individualism. This is a lesson in dependent unity. Jesus speaks to 'them'
and commands 'them' to make disciples of 'them' by baptizing 'them' and teaching 'them'. The
only sense of singularity here is in the assurance that Jesus is with 'them'. "I AM with you
always".
This is a lesson in discipleship in that HIS church will not be alone in this commission. It is a
lesson for the faithful now to trust in Christ as we proclaim the gospel, HE makes disciples. It is
a lesson clearly intended to encourage and affirm that though we doubt and fear this commission,
we are not alone. Christ is with us even as we stand in fear and joy of this great calling to make
disciples. In Christ Alone we do this. In Christ Alone we can.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church is located in Cookeville, TN. Our desire is to honor Christ by loving the fallen world as Christ loved us. We learn how to love the world from God's Word by studying, growing, and applying God's Word in our lives and in our worship. We firmly believe that hearing God's Word is the path to understanding and experiencing salvation in Christ alone.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
2523 Hwy 111 North
Cookeville, TN 38506
sovereigngracebaptist.org

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church is located in Cookeville, TN. Our desire is to honor Christ by loving the fallen world as Christ loved us. We learn how to love the world from God's Word by studying, growing, and applying God's Word in our lives and in our worship. We firmly believe that hearing God's Word is the path to understanding and experiencing salvation in Christ alone.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
2523 Hwy 111 North
Cookeville, TN 38506
sovereigngracebaptist.org