“And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,'" Matthew 28:18-19a

(The Resurrected Christ) said “all authority is given to me in heaven and on earth go you therefore and teach all nations…”

Redemptive History vs. Absurdity/Meaningless

Creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth..." Genesis 1:1 "and God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good.” Genesis 1:31

Fall: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Romans 5:2

Promise: "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days." Micah 5:2

Fulfillment: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Redemption: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Restoration: We live in the “ALREADY BUT NOT YET.”

ABSURDITY

“I am well aware that the higher liberty, that freedom to be, which alone can serve as a basis for truth, does not exist. Death is there as the only reality. . .What freedom can exist in the fullest sense without assurance of eternity?” Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

“By strict accounting of cosmic abundances, our planet and the life we find here amount to essentially zero, insignificant, a small speck of blue and green suspended in an ocean of night, a tiny bit of rock and water orbiting just another star.” Paul Sutter, The Emptiness of the Universe Gives Our Lives Meaning (New York Times, November 3, 2024)

"And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet." Ephesians 1:19-22a

Go! To the neighborhoods, nations, next generation.

Living with expectation as the reigning Christ who empowers us by the Holy Spirit. 

RESOLVE

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

"So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

"Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." James 1:21

KEY THEMES

• Risk-Taking
• "What have you got to lose?"
• "Don't bring a knife to a gunfight."
• "Keep a stiff upper lip." vs. "Expect great things, attempt great things." William Carey (1761-1834)

“First, if he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a madman or a lunatic. Second, if he is neither God nor a lunatic, he has to be a liar, deceiving others by his lie.Third, if he is neither of these, he must be God. You can only choose one of the three possibilities. If you do not believe that he is God, you have to consider him a madman. If you cannot take him for either of the two, you have to take him for a liar. There is no need for us to prove if Jesus of Nazareth is God or not. All we have to do is find out if He is a lunatic or a liar. If He is neither, He must be the Son of God.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity