Trinity Sunday - Deacon Terry Hurlbut

Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 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, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Well, today is actually Trinity Sunday and over the past – now 6 ½ years; I have had to speak on this subject.
And you know me, I hate to talk trash, but, Fr. Harvey has once again gotten away from this topic, so desperate, that he retired!
In our Gospel reading this morning
Matthew tells us that the eleven disciples went to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had directed them.
They saw Him, the risen Christ, standing before them in glory.
Matthew gives us one of the most honest lines in all of Scripture:
“They worshiped Him, but some doubted.”
This is where the Great Commission, the sending out begins--
Jesus’ commandment to make disciples of all nations
Not with perfect faith, not with unshakable confidence, not with a church that has everything figured out.
It begins with worship mixed with doubt. It begins with disciples who show up even though they don’t fully understand what comes next.
It begins with people who are willing to stand on the mountain even when their hearts are trembling.
And if we are honest with ourselves, that is where many of us are today.
We worship. And sometimes, we doubt.
We believe. And sometimes, we struggle to believe.
We trust Jesus. And sometimes, we wonder what the future holds for us, for our families, for our church, for our world.
The Great Commission does not begin with superheroes of faith. It begins with disciples who are very much like us—faithful, hopeful, uncertain, imperfect, and yet willing to follow.
So the first question for us today is simple.
Do we believe these words?
Not just intellectually. Not just as something Jesus once said long ago.
Do we believe that Jesus Christ truly has all authority in heaven and on earth?
Do we believe that He truly sends us into the world with purpose?
Do we believe that He is truly with us—here, now, in this moment, in this building, in this season of our life together?
Because everything else flows from that.
Before He tells the disciples what to do, He tells them who He really is.
He says
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
This is not the voice of a teacher offering advice. This is not the voice of a prophet pointing toward God.
This is the voice of the risen Lord, the One who has conquered death, the One who holds the universe in His hands.

• When Jesus says all authority, He means all.
•  Authority over the church, the world, forces that discourage us, over the things that make us anxious about the future.

And if He truly has all authority, then we the church do not move forward by our own strength.
We move forward by God’s strength.
It is a mission carried out under His authority, His power, His guidance.
So again--do we believe these words?
Because if we do, then we can stop living as though the future of the church depends on our cleverness, our programs, our numbers, or our resources. The future of the church depends on Christ, who has all authority.
Then, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
This is the identity of the church.
Like we mentioned last week, the church does not exist to preserve itself.
The church exists to participate in the mission of God.
To serve those in need of any sort.
Inside or outside these four walls.
So what does “Go therefore” mean for St. David’s?
It means that ST. David’s is not the Moose club, the garden club, the rotary club or the senior center where like people gather. It is not a business.
It is the place where God’s Holy Spirit dwells – unlike in other places.
It means stepping into the world around us with the love, truth, and presence of Christ.
It means:

• Going into our neighborhoods with compassion.
• Going into our workplaces with integrity.
• Going into our relationships with grace.
• Going into our community with a willingness to serve.
• Going into conversations with courage and humility.
• Going into the lives of those who are hurting, lonely, or searching.

“Go” does not always mean movement across distance. Sometimes “go” means movement across comfort zones.
Sometimes “go” means walking across the room to greet someone new. Sometimes “go” means reaching out to someone who has drifted away. Sometimes “go” means trying something new as a church, even when we’re not sure how it will turn out.
I remember when years ago I took this to heart and volunteered at a local men’s mission. It was completely out of my comfort zone. Going into a rough area by myself, not knowing anyone. Each Saturday I would go there and serve food, talk with men about life. I did it for years, Over time I was able to truly know them. It was out of my comfort zone when I first started, when I looked on these men with judgment. Over time, I came to realize they were just like me, only they chose poorly. I also realized that it was only by the grace of God, that I wasn’t there.
St. David’s moves forward when we take seriously the call to make disciples—not just members, not just attendees, but disciples: people who are learning to follow Jesus in every part of their lives.
Jesus gives us two key words that define disciple-making:
Baptizing and teaching.
Baptism is not just a ritual. It is an act of welcome, belonging, and identity.
To baptize is to say:
“You belong to Christ. You belong to this community. You are part of God’s story.”
For St. David’s, this means being a church where people feel welcomed, seen, and embraced. A church where newcomers feel like they have come home. A church where children, youth, adults, and elders all know they matter.
Teaching is not about information. It is about formation.
It is about shaping lives, not just filling minds. It is about helping people learn how to pray, how to forgive, how to serve, how to love, how to trust God in the ordinary moments of life.
For St. David’s, this means:

• Deepening our commitment to Scripture.
• Strengthening our small groups and study opportunities.
• Encouraging spiritual practices.
• Supporting one another in our journeys of faith.
• Creating space where questions are welcomed

Teaching is not just the job of the clergy. Each of us teaches by the way we live.
The question is not whether we are teaching.
The question is what we are teaching.
Here is the heart of the passage. Here is the anchor of the mission. Here is the promise that makes everything else possible.
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus does not send us out alone. He does not ask us to do anything without His presence. He does not call us into a future where He is absent.
He is with us:

• In our worship.
• In our doubts.
• In our conversations.
• In our decisions.
• In our fears.
• In our hopes.
• In our mission.
• In our failures.
• In our successes.
• In our transitions.
• In our uncertainties.
• In our dreams for the future.

He is with St. David’s when the building is full and when it feels empty. He is with St. David’s when we feel strong and when we feel fragile.
He is with St. David’s when we know exactly what to do and when we are searching for direction.
The presence of Christ is not a feeling. It is a fact.
He is with us—whether we feel it or not, whether we see it or not, whether we understand it or not.
And because He is with us, we can move forward with courage.
So how do we at St. David’s move forward?
1. We move forward by believing these words.
Not casually. Not occasionally. But deeply, intentionally, wholeheartedly.
We believe that Christ has all authority. We believe that Christ sends us. We believe that Christ is with us.
2. We move forward by embracing our mission.
We are not here to maintain a building. We are here to make disciples. We are here to love our neighbors. We are here to serve our community. We are here to be a light in Agawam and beyond.
3. We move forward by trusting Christ’s presence.
We do not walk into the future alone. We walk with the One who conquered death. We walk with the One who knows the way. We walk with the One who promised never to leave us.
4. We move forward together.
Not as individuals. Not as scattered efforts.
But as a community shaped by Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and united in purpose.
The disciples stood on a mountain in Galilee—uncertain, imperfect, worshiping, doubting—and Jesus entrusted them with the mission that would change the world.
Today, St. David’s stands on its own mountain.
We may feel uncertain. We may feel small. We may feel unsure of what comes next.
But the same Jesus who spoke to them speaks to us.
The same authority. The same mission. The same promise.
“Go therefore…” “Make disciples…” “Teach them…” “And remember…” “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
May we believe these words. May we live these words. May we move forward in the strength of these words.
And may Christ, who is with us always, guide St. David’s into the future He has already prepared.
Amen.