Accept The Mission - Pastor Sam Simoes - May 31, 2026

Pastor Sam Simoes message for Sunday May 31, 2026. 

Welcome to the Northwest Church of the Nazarene podcast, where we share the heart of our church’s mission: discovering and engaging in a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ through inspired worship and intentional ministry. Each episode brings you sermons, insights, and messages that challenge and encourage spiritual growth. Whether you are part of our diverse, multicultural church family, or listening in for the first time, you’ll find a community that loves Jesus and welcomes everyone with open arms. Join us online at nwnaz.org or in person in Columbus Ohio, as we journey together toward a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Jesus and each other. 

Transcript

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Every Sunday at Northwest Church of the Nazarene in Columbus, Ohio, our congregation is challenged to grow spiritually. This podcast shares the sermons, insights, and messages that encourage our congregation to mature spiritually.

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Today's message has a title Accept the Mission. There was a series a few years back, and I'm not gonna date myself or any of you, called Mission Impossible. Well, there's been a few movies that are very recent about Mission Impossible, but what I liked about Mission Impossible is the series, each episode had a mission that was likely impossible. But it all started the same way. It was with a message. And the message was the the hero or or the the lead of the team would get a message, and the message was saying, okay, so here's the mission that you have. If you choose to accept this mission, this is what it would take. We need to have this taken care of. And it would always end with this sentence. Now, if you do accept, and in case you are caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your action. And then you would say these very famous words. And then would say, Good luck, Dan, or good luck, Jim, or good luck, Ethan, on the new on the new movies. And then the message would just you just see smoke coming off of the tape tape recorder, or or they have different ways of doing it. But what I liked about it is that if they accept it, they accept it with the commitment that they're going to do that mission, even if they may be caught or killed. So it wasn't just a mission that you know they're just gonna get come home to. By accepting the mission, they were accepting the risk. Well, today we're gonna be talking about a different kind of mission. And there's another movie that has a different kind of mission, a mission from God. And that movie was called The Blues Brothers. And the Blues Brothers had a mission from God. They were in prison, they were able to get out of prison, and then they uh went to check on their boyhood home, which was a Catholic um uh children's home, and they found out that they were defaulting on their debts, so they needed to have money before they would have to close the doors. So they went on a mission from God. Unfortunately, that mission from God was anything but godly, and they went and their goal was to get the band back together and then have a concert and raise enough money for their Catholic charity to be able to pay their debts and be able to keep their doors open. Unfortunately, the way they went about it, uh, engage the all the uh law enforcement of the uh of the state of Illinois and eventually they may make it to Chicago and so forth. But they would say we are on a mission from God. Well, today I'm gonna talk about a different mission from God, a mission that Jesus Himself speaks about, and that is the mission to make disciples. And today we're going to be looking into a passage, and when I was preparing for this, I thought, well, this passage, I don't know why they use it in the Trinity Sunday, but I recognize it's because uh it speaks about baptizing the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit is recognizing that's part of our mission is to celebrate and acknowledge and to allow the Trinity to be a part of what we do. So if you'd stand with me as we read the word of the Lord, in Matthew chapter 28, verses 16 to 20 is one that if you grew up in a church, you probably heard it a few times. And if not, congratulations. Here is the mission if you are um if you do choose to accept. Let's say the word of the Lord, Matthew chapter 28, verses 16. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted. Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age. Father, we pray that you would allow us to experience your desire in our life today as we hear your word. And Father, as a pastor, I pray that you will not allow me to speak, but speak through me. My words may be your words, that we may be transformed. And we pray this and we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you. You may be seated. We find in this passage that the mission is to make disciples. The mission is to make disciples. And if there is anything that we want to take from today, is that our mission is to make disciples. Now, when we hear the word disciple, whether we have been in the church or we have not been in the church, or we this is a new word for us, the word disciple can have a lot of connotations. But when Jesus spoke about disciples, they understood in a very particular way what a disciple is and what a disciple was during that time. So let me bring out a little bit of a background, cultural background of what a disciple was. A disciple was a child. A disciple was a child. See, when children would be born into a family, once they get into about four or five and six years old, they would be assigned a rabbi. And this rabbi would have a few children who were assigned to him, and he would be teaching them to read, to write, math, science, and everywhere he went, the children would follow him, and he was a rabbi, and the children were called, were called the students, not yet the disciples. They were the students, and the students would learn the lessons, would learn the Torah, the biblical scriptures, and eventually they would then go into the areas where they were involved in. In other words, they would do what their parents were to do, or they would do what their parents had assigned them to do. In other words, if they were a blacksmith, they'd become blacksmiths. If they were bakers, they'll become bakers. So what was interesting about being a disciple is that the best student of that group of children, the one who memorized the most of scripture, the one who showed a lot of promise, would be set aside, and the rabbi would uh train them and would try to test them and would figure out if they were like them. And if they were, then the rabbi would choose them by saying, Follow me. And once they accepted to follow the rabbi, their goal was to be a disciple and one day be their own rabbi. And that's how the rabbis came about. It was a rabbi that had that chose a follower to become a disciple. The disciple will learn everything from the rabbi and eventually would have his own students and disciples. So the purpose of a disciple was not to just follow, it was to follow and make other disciples. So they would continue to have teaching in that community. So a disciple was picked, chosen by a rabbi, and then that disciple would make other disciples. So when the people heard the word of Jesus, and they heard that word, they were like, Oh, that meant that Jesus has picked me. That's why when Jesus told the disciples, or before, or the fisherman, or the tax collector, like Matthew, that wrote this passage, or the many other men and said, Follow me, they knew that they were a disciple because they were picked, they were asked, they were commissioned this purpose to be a disciple. So when Jesus goes, go and make disciples, he's saying, You have been a disciple, now is your turn to go and get other disciples to help follow you because you already learned all the things that I am teaching. So, what this passage means by our mission being about making disciples means that a disciple is a follower who makes followers. Now, many of us, or many people, feel um a little bit constrained or a little bit afraid, or sometimes even a little bit of apprehensive about going and evangelizing people. Many tell me, Pastor, I don't have the gift of evangelism, I really don't know how to approach someone, I really don't know how to how to talk to to someone about Jesus. I really don't know how to start the conversation. And what is interesting is that what the mission is, is not for us to go and start the conversation. The mission is not for us to gather people, the mission is not for us to go and evangelize people or proselytize. The mission is to make disciples, and we do not make disciples by just going and asking someone if they know Jesus and live their life. And this is what is changing in this passage is that the ask is not for us to go and find lost people that don't know Jesus, it's for us to find lost people who know who don't know Jesus and turn them into disciples. And we're going to be talking today about how we can do that, how can we really emphasize that part of the mission? In 1933, Dawson Trotman met with a sailor named Les Spencer, and he um ended up teaching Les on how to read the Bible and how to understand the scripture, and then they would memorize passages and then they would pray together. And and that was so powerful for Les that his life began to change, and people started noticing the difference. So they went to Les and said, Les, what is so different about you? What is so different about the way you are approaching things, the way you are handling things? And Les said, Well, you have to come and meet Dawson. So he took his friend to Dawson and said, Dawson, I want you to teach him everything you taught me because he wants to know about Jesus. And Dawson said, No, I am not. This is what I'm gonna do. All the time you spent with me, you're going to do that with him. You are going to teach him, you are going to pray with him. So, what you learn from me, then you can pass it on to him. And that began a discipleship image in his mind that he began to embrace and encourage. And he said, once once he has another disciple, then he will make other disciples. And then he began the the what we know today as an organization called the Navigators that helps people disciple other people. Now, when we find ourselves in a place that we're trying to figure out, you know, how do we do this? The answer is that we're not alone and we're gonna do it with the spirit. And why should we do this? And the answer is because it's God's plan, it's been God's plan all along, it's been God's plan to reach the world. Today we know that Coca-Cola, the drink, that 97% of the world has heard of or has seen about Coca-Cola. 97% of the world, now 97% of the world does not know Jesus, but 97% of the world knows Coca-Cola. Not only so, but 74% of the world has seen a can or a bottle of Coca-Cola. And 51% of the world, half of the world, has tasted Coca-Cola. Here's what's interesting Coca-Cola's purpose was to sell Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola's purpose was to distribute and sell Coca-Cola. And they began in in Georgia, eventually went throughout the the country, and eventually they start selling in other countries, and today is everywhere. I have not been in a country that I've not seen the word Coca-Cola in it. Some in some and and actually uh when I travel with Americans, they all order Coca-Cola because it's familiar. I I want it, I want to try the tastes of that place. And there's been very few times I've been disappointed, but mostly it's been good. I really like enjoying drinks from different non-alcoholic drinks from other other places. Anyway, so but that to say the purpose was to sell. But our purpose is to make disciples, and if we fulfill that purpose to make disciples, one day 97% of the world who know who Jesus Christ is, they have seen evidence of Jesus Christ in other people, and half of the world would have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So the plan is that we go and make disciples. Now, when we look at those 72 that were at the at the ascension, that were expecting, I'm sorry, the 72 that were expecting the Holy Spirit, the 72 who were gathering in prayer, we don't have their names. We don't know who they are. We can come up with 11 names because of the disciples, but we don't know who they were. But Jesus asked them to go in pairs, two by two, and go and proclaim, but before let the Holy Spirit come. So the Holy Spirit came, but what we always think is well, what about me? We are supposed to make disciples. In your going, make disciples. And the purpose of the mission, and many times we we think, well, the word of God, the Great Commission begins with go. So I must go. But in the original language, the verb, the grammatical way of saying in your going, as you go, make disciples. And the subject of the sentence is not go, is not in your going, is not in your walk, but make disciples. And the original word in Greek is mathetesiusate. And it's done by three ways. You disciple by going, by baptizing, and by teaching. And this is not a journey that you once you baptize, once you once you baptize someone, once you go, once you teach, it's done. This is a life. And Jesus spent three years with his disciples every day living life with them. And he taught us on how to be a disciple. But the problem that we have today is that people love Jesus but do not love his bride. They find problems with a bride, they find issues with a bride, they find issues with the bride's not doing what they want, the bride's not taking care of them, the bride is not fulfilling their desires, the bride's not fulfilling their their you know their needs. But they love Jesus, but not the bride. And Jesus, like, wait a minute, the plan is that the bride is the one that's gonna make disciples. And he began with the Holy Spirit descending and the disciples going and making churches and planting churches. And churches, the bride of Christ, is what enables us to have to make disciples. Remember when Jesus said go and perish? Means that we're not alone. And we don't make disciples alone. We make disciples along with it with the bride of Jesus, with the church. That's how we make disciples. The church is a place where we learn how to make disciples, it's a place where we learn how the scripture applies to our lives that we may live it out in our day-to-day. So it's God's plan that we make disciples with Jesus and his bride with the power of the Holy Spirit. So the question is, what are we to do? What are we to do? Well, the answer is we accept the mission. And what's the title? We accept the mission. If we do choose to accept the mission, we may die. And you know, then wash tour requirements is to follow Jesus with all our heart and trust in Jesus with everything, even to the death. Which ten out of eleven died a very, very non-expecting death, with exception of John, who was not murdered, was not killed, who did not die for his faith. Not that he wasn't poisoned, not that they attempted on his life, but all disciples that went and accepted the mission died an untimely death. How willing are we to die for our faith? What are we willing to give up for our faith? What are we willing to sacrifice for our faith? And that is the question that that we recognize here today. Is that when we accept the mission, we are accepting the So there's a tourist that got his car in the ditch, and he saw a farmer nearby and he waved the farmer and said, Hey, uh, can you help me pull the car out of the ditch? And the farmer said, Yeah, yeah, I got a mule. So he brought he brought in a mule and attached the mule to the car and and tried to to pull out the car of the ditch. And as the farmer set everything up with the ropes and everything, he started yelling, Jack. Jam. Go ahead, pull now. Jam, a little bit more. Jack, a little bit more. And eventually the mule was able to take the car out and the tourist turned to the farmer and said, Oh, what'd you call two names? Because well, the mule's blind. And if it thinks it's with someone else, it's able to pull it out easier. Because he thinks he has company. That's pretty brilliant. You have more strength when you think you're not alone. And the funny thing and the interesting thing about mules is that mules are stronger than horses. They can live longer than horses. Mules are able to withstand uh higher temperatures and lower temperatures than horses. Mules eat less than horses. Mules don't have problems with the hoofs, or as many problems as with the hoofs that horses do. In all senses, a mule sometimes is a superior animal than a horse. Probably not as faster, but but is more utilitary than a horse. But there's a problem with mules. And for the for those of you who don't know what a mule is, it's a mix between a donkey and a horse. But there's a problem is that they can not breed. Once they die, that's it. There's no legacy, there's no that there's there's no continuation. But here's what's interesting how many Christians are so strong at being a Christian, are better than other Christians, are able to do greater things, but they are not reproducing. They're not making disciples. Yes, they are faster, yes, they are stronger, yes, they they can withstand more, but they're not reproducing. And the point of a human being is to reproduce, and that's why God created Adam and Eve, so they would reproduce. But yet we can still reproduce Christian disciples, and that is the point of God's plan, is that if we reproduce, we will be able to see great and amazing things. See, many Christians are good at being Christian, but they're not following the mission. I heard a pastor one one time saying, you know, Christians many times are like uh farmers that go into a gathering, and at the gathering they they sharpen their uh oh no, for I forgot the name of that thing that cuts the yeah, that uh and and they make sure that the hoe is nice and strong, and they make sure that that everything is and that the tractor is well oiled and everything, and then they come back on Wednesday and do the same thing, you know, make sure that everything's nicely oiled, and then they come back on next Sunday and do that, and they talk to each other and how how nicely and prepared they are, but yet never go to the harvest. And that's what many times stops us for seeing God at work because we are more focused about doing the right things as a Christian that we forget about the mission that we have, the purpose that we have to go and make disciples. But many saying, Well, Pastor, I don't know how to make disciples. Pastor, I really don't know how to how to make disciples. I don't know if I have a disciple. I I don't I don't even have anyone that I'm mentoring. I don't know how to make disciples. For many times for for for several months, we've been talking about belonging. And in our church, we're talking about how we want to see God at work by making people feel that they belong, by welcoming people, even those that are different from us, even those that come from different places, even those that that don't look like us, but making them feel that they're welcome, by allowing them in our lives and by loving them as Jesus loves us. And then we said, now that we are in a place that we can make others belong, we can go and start bringing people. But then I start praying and saying, Lord, here's the problem. If we bring people to our church, are we prepared and ready to disciple them? So this summer we're gonna have some opportunities to teach not only how to disciple people, but how to engage others in discipleship, how to help others, helping people who are new in their faith, who are just taking their steps, or people who are discouraged. We're gonna help people not just to go and bring them into the church, which is something that we need to do, but when people come, that they are not disconnected from us. So there is a plan, and the plan is that we prepare ourselves so people can belong. We begin to invite people, but once they are here, we engage with them in discipleship, and God is going to multiply because that's what the word says. If we go and make disciples, he will add many to our number. So what we see in this passage is that the disciples, after three years with Jesus, learning everything, have a word that really captured my attention. Verse 17. When they saw him, they worshiped him. Now, these are the people that Jesus is commissioning, these are the Jesus, the people that Jesus is preparing to go, these are the people that Jesus is equip is is setting them to go and wait for the Holy Spirit, and then amazing things are happening. Now, these are the people who lived with Jesus, these are the people who knew Jesus. Verse 17 when they saw him, they worshiped him. Of course they worshiped him, they knew Jesus. And then have these words, but some doubted. How after three years with Jesus, seeing him dead, seeing him alive, seeing him performing all those miracles, seeing him doing all these things, some doubted. And it's a problem we still have today. Some of us doubt. Doubt of the pro of the power of God, doubt that we can do it, doubt that we're equipped, then we can. But the word is not saying, go, be equipped, be taught. So after you learn, you go. No, in your going, you make disciples. Because what equips you is not your information, what equips you is the power of God in your life. Amen. Amen. That wasn't very convincing. Amen. It's the power of God that equips us. It's not our abilities or our education, or how many times we've been in church, or how many Bible lessons we have taught, or how many, or how many degrees we have received. What gives us the power to make disciples is the power of the Holy Spirit. So here's how we do it. We not only accept the mission, but we have a plan. And when I watched all these episodes of Mission Impossible or the movies of the Mission Impossible, they had a plan. And they called up the team, and the team figures out, you know, how am I going to get into this building? What happens if we get into this building? And then in a very famous one, it couldn't touch the floor, so he comes up with a rope. So there's a plan. So what is our plan of making disciples? What is the plan that we have that we can make disciples? Because if we don't have a plan, we're not going to make disciples. But if you have something to write, I'm going to help you. But before, I want to tell you a story. There were two goats that were in a very, very narrow ridge on a mountain, a very narrow ledge. And as you know, goats are able to go up and down, backwards, and so forth. They're phenomenal on the mountains. But they found each other in a very narrow ledge. If they backed up, it was too dangerous. And if they decided to just like fight each other, they both will die because they would fall off the ledge. So they had a situation. And the situation was very much apparel. Because whatever they have to do, one of them may sacrifice may have to sacrifice. Now, if we are very intelligent human beings, we probably would argue and try to figure out, you know, what's the best way for us to do this and so forth. But what the goats did is that one of them lay down, the other one was able to walk over them and continue on their journey, and the other one got up and continued on their journey. That is a powerful image on what it means for us to make disciples. So they may find Jesus, so they may find a grace. And many times we may have to humble ourselves, many times we may have to go through suffering that others may know Jesus. And if we're not willing to do that, then we are not disciples of Jesus. Because if we're not willing to sacrifice ourselves, our likes, then we are not disciples of Jesus. Because disciples of Jesus are willing to sacrifice anything in even death. That's what Paul said. Even in death I will sacrifice. So when we have a plan and the plan doesn't not have us at the center, and the plan doesn't have us as number one or numero uno, when our plan does not have us as the hero, God can do everything and anything through us. So here's here's four ways for us to make disciples. And if you have something to write, write this. First thing is follow Jesus. We cannot teach people about someone we're following if we're not following them. And if we don't have a close relationship with Jesus, keep your mouth shut. Honestly, if Jesus is not your everything, don't mess it up. But when we have a strong relationship with Jesus in our prayer time, in reading the word and getting to know him and getting to feel loved by him, then we start to make disciples because Jesus is everything. And when Jesus is everything, then others start to recognize that. So the first thing is follow Jesus. The second thing that we are to do is to live as an example with people. Now Jesus taught them how to be a disciple by making disciples. They saw him, the way he treated them, the way he taught them, the way he prayed with them, the way he rebuked them, the way he challenged them, the way he grew them. So we live as an example by leading others to see how we embrace them, how we love them, how we engage with them, how we love them. Then we teach obedience. Now what's interesting is that many times we think that we are to just teach information. But what we read in this passage is that therefore I make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And other words in verse 20, and teaching them to obey. You know what's interesting? I had many classes of theology and missiology and all this stuff. They gave me a lot of information. My brain's filled with information. But what we are to teach, we teach to obey. And how do we teach to obey? Well, many times by addressing the issues, by addressing disobedience. How do I teach my children to obey? Well, when they disobey, there's consequences. So teaching to obey is to teach someone more than information, but how I obey, how I follow, how I engage, and living with them, being with them, engaging with them every day, connection. And the fourth one, probably the most important, to trust God's power. Don't trust our abilities, don't trust our knowledge, don't trust our experience, don't trust our abilities or our personality. All that is important, but trust God's power. Because God's power can use us in ways that we cannot even imagine. But to do that, we have to follow Jesus, we have to live as an example, we teach obedience, and when we when we teach, we teach this is why God wants us to do this, and we trust God's power. Because if we do those four things, we'll be making disciples. And that is our mission, if we do choose to accept. So I have a challenge for you if you do choose to accept. If you're serious about making disciples, this is a challenge that I began with our church board. This is a challenge that I began with my staff. This is a challenge that I began with myself. A challenge of the one. The one. Is identify one person, not two, not three, not five, one person in your life that needs Jesus, and begin discipling them. And how do you disciple them? Well, we just talked about it by following Jesus, by living in as an example, by teaching obedience, and by trusting God's power. So as you engage, embrace, and love that one, you will ask the Lord to identify one person in your life that you can pour over, that you can love. And one day, ask the Lord to reveal the moment in which you can make the gospel presentation and the invitation into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Now, this is not someone that you have as a project, this is not someone that you have as a target. This is someone that you will disciple. And one day, once they accept the Jesus Christ, they too will disciple someone else. But ask the Lord to reveal one person in your life that you can pour, disciple, engage, and love in a way that they will see Jesus in you and one day accept Jesus. Not easy. And ask the Lord to reveal who is that person for you. Now, at every board meeting is one of my favorite things to do is to hear about each board member on how they have engaged with their one and and the conversations and and the stories and how that one person that God has led to them. Now, I'm gonna be honest, not all of them have had the one revealed to them, and they're still praying, say, Lord, give me someone that I can minister to. But once we do that, we begin by making disciples, and we are fulfilling the mission. Do I have your commitment to be a disciple maker? How many, how many will say, I want to be a disciple maker? I want to engage people, I want to love people, I want to make disciples. Because I believe that with the power of God, we'll see amazing things happening. I'd like to ask the worship team to come forward as we conclude with a word of prayer. I don't know where you are on your journey with Jesus. Maybe this is something that that is new, maybe this is something that you're still trying to grasp. Maybe you are feeling inadequate, maybe you are feeling that you don't have enough stamina or or or or education or or or you're not very well equipped. But neither did the disciples, but they trusted the power of the Holy Spirit. So today on Trinity Sunday, we know that God created you. We know that Jesus Christ died for you, and we know that the Holy Spirit will empower you to make disciples. So let us pray. Father, we pray that each person that's here today will be challenged to find someone in their life, one person that they can love, they can disciple into the kingdom, that they can engage, they can they can just connect with. But Father, today we also pray that you would empower us with the Holy Spirit, that as we live out our lives, as we go to work or shopping or or all in our activities, that others will see Jesus Christ in us and through us. So, Father, empower us. And as we accept the mission to go and make disciples, may we you may we see your glory as we see others coming and becoming a part of the kingdom. And we pray these things in your son Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

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As it is known in our community, Northwest Church is committed to discovering and engaging in a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, with inspired worship and intentional ministry. People from all walks of life are welcome and received as family members. Our family is diverse, multicultural, and also not perfect. In love with Jesus. Join us online at nwnac.org. By visiting us and us online. God bless you.