Big Idea
Following Jesus means living intentionally on His mission, going to people so that "them" can become "we," and that intentionality shows up in our testimony, time, talent, and treasure.
Jesus gave His followers one clear mission before He ascended: go and make disciples. Real faith is not about what we get out of church attendance but about intentionally investing our story, our time, our gifts, and our money in reaching others, because that intentionality is also what grows and blesses us.
Key points
1Jesus' final words were a clear mission, not a suggestion.
Working through Matthew 28:16-20, the message notes that even as the disciples worshiped the risen Jesus, some still doubted, yet He still commissioned them to go and make disciples of all nations. The point drawn out is that our jobs, relationships, and families are the backdrop of life, but the mission Jesus gave is the actual purpose.
2The most important word in the Great Commission is "them" — the church exists to go to people, not to serve itself.
The preacher points out that we go to them so that them can become we, arguing that caring about numbers is really caring about people, since each number represents a person God loves. Growth is framed like a healthy baby gaining weight rather than something to be suspicious of.
3Intentionality shows up in four areas: testimony, time, talent, and treasure.
Testimony means proclaiming Christ through our own story and using our sphere of influence to point people to Jesus; time and talent mean discovering and using the spiritual gift every believer has been given to serve the church and reach others rather than just attending.
4Two popular lies keep people from being intentional with the church.
The message names the ideas that you can love Jesus without committing to a church, and that you can commit to a church without intentionally investing in it, calling both lies that leave people merely attending rather than truly belonging to the body of Christ.
5Treasure reveals and shapes the heart, not the other way around.
Reading Matthew 6:21, the preacher corrects the common misquote, showing that wherever your treasure goes, your heart follows — not the reverse — so giving is a choice that then produces cheerful, changed hearts rather than waiting to feel like giving first.
6Money is a spiritual test because it can quietly replace God as our source of trust.
Drawing from 1 Timothy 6:9-17, the message argues that loving money (not money itself) is the root that pierces people with sorrows, and that even the least wealthy in this room are, by global standards, the rich this passage warns. The application is to trust God who richly provides rather than to hoard.
7Jesus prayed for unity among believers, and giving and serving together is part of living out that unity.
Reading John 17:20-23, the preacher shows Jesus praying specifically for future believers to be one, arguing that committing to a church, giving financially, and serving together are how that oneness and love become visible to the world.
Application
The message frames the ask as choosing to live intentionally with your testimony, time, talent, and treasure instead of just showing up.
Share your testimony with someone in your circle
Ask yourself honestly if you have ever even tried to lead someone to Jesus, and use your own story to point the people in your life — family, coworkers, neighbors — toward Christ.
Find and use your spiritual gift
Discover what gift the Holy Spirit has given you and get involved serving the church body rather than merely attending week after week.
Drop the two lies about church commitment
Stop believing you can love Jesus without committing to a church, or commit to a church without investing in it — actually become part of the body, not just a visitor.
Make a two-year financial pledge above your regular giving
Commit by October 1 to a two-year giving commitment beyond your normal tithe toward the building campaign, giving first fruits now to help fund the design and construction.
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
