Thesis
Using the Great Commission as his anchor, the pastor challenges believers to move beyond passive church attendance into deliberate, whole-life discipleship. True faith in Jesus is expressed through four areas of intentionality — testimony, time, talent, and treasure — and the refusal to engage in any of them reveals either misplaced doubt or misplaced trust. Money, in particular, is not merely a fundraising issue but a faith-forming one: where we invest our treasure, Jesus says, our hearts will follow. The church exists to go to 'them' so that 'them' can become 'we,' and every believer is called to be personally invested in that mission.
Key points
- 1
Jesus' Great Commission is a clear, intentional mission given to every follower of Christ — not just pastors — to go and make disciples.
- 2
The most important word in the Great Commission is 'them' — the church exists to go to 'them' so that 'them' can become 'we.'
- 3
Every believer has a testimony and a sphere of influence — family, coworkers, neighbors — that is their personal mission field.
- 4
God has given every believer spiritual gifts and time that are meant to be used in serving the church body and reaching others for Christ.
- 5
Treasure (money) must be invested intentionally in the kingdom; wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will follow — not the reverse.
- 6
The love of money causes people — including churchgoers — to wander from true faith and pierce themselves with sorrow, while trusting God with wealth brings blessing and contentment.
- 7
Jesus prayed for the unity of all future believers so that the world would know God's love — a unity that requires commitment to a church, intentional investment, and shared mission.
Outline
Introduction — The Key Club Parable
The pastor tells a self-deprecating story about becoming Key Club president in high school with no intention of doing the job, using it as a mirror for Christians who claim the title without living the mission.
The Great Commission — Our Intentional Mission
The pastor walks through Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus' final words before ascending, and establishes that every follower of Christ is called to intentionally wrap their life around making disciples.
The Most Important Word: 'Them'
The pastor argues that the overlooked key to the Great Commission is the word 'them' — the church's purpose is to go to 'them' so that 'them' can become 'we.'
The Four T's of Intentionality
The pastor outlines four resources every believer must steward intentionally — testimony, time, talent, and treasure — and challenges the congregation to examine whether they are actually using them.
Two Lies and the Treasure Principle
The pastor exposes two cultural lies ('I can love Jesus without committing to a church' and 'I can commit without investing in it'), then digs into Matthew 6:21 and 1 Timothy 6 to show that money is a heart issue, not merely a financial one, and that the Queen Creek/Southeast Valley community is among the wealthiest in the nation.
Unity and Jesus' Prayer for Us
Drawing from John 17:20-23, the pastor shows that Jesus prayed specifically for future believers to be unified, and connects that unity to committing to a church, giving, and sharing the message of Christ.
Celebration of What Giving Makes Possible
The pastor reads through an extensive list of ministry wins — outreach, foster care, human trafficking rescue, youth ministry, church plants, and special needs ministry — as evidence of what faithful giving, serving, and going actually produce.
Closing — The Baseball Glove Story and Call to Action
The pastor tells a personal story of his father asking him to give away his most prized baseball glove to a teammate in need, using it as a picture of what God asks of us — and the joy and blessing that follow obedience — before calling the congregation to make a two-year sacrificial giving pledge.
Memorable moments
we the church, we go to them so them can become we
What has more meaning and purpose than the fact that if I tell someone about Jesus and they come to know him, that just saved their entire eternity
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be
It's not just fundraising. It's faith raising
Your finances will never make sense till you start doing them the way God said
That is how I imagine Jesus looking at us. That when we are intentional and faithful to hear him say, well done, good and faithful servant
Application
The pastor's call is direct and personal: stop attending church like a résumé builder and start living like someone who actually believes Jesus meant what He said. That means taking your testimony into your natural sphere of influence and genuinely trying to lead people to Christ. It means discovering your spiritual gifts and using them — because you get to be part of something God is doing in the world. And it means letting your money go where your mouth is. If you have never given sacrificially, the pastor invites you to start — not because the church needs your money, but because your heart needs the practice of trust. Practically, that looks like filling out a two-year pledge card, committing to serve somewhere on campus, and identifying one person in your life you will intentionally pray for and point toward Jesus.
