1. Our Lord said in Matthew 28:19 and 20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
2. The first word in the Great Commission is "Go."
3. Our Lord said in Mark 16:15 and 16, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
4. The first word in the Great Commission is "Go."
5. So this morning I would like to preach on "Going Forward With Christ." Our Lord said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
6. So we are going forward with Christ.
7. Many people think the Great Commission is all about soulwinning. But it is much more than that. Our Lord said in Matthew 28:19 and 20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..."
8. So the Great Commission begins with soulwinning but it also includes teaching and baptizing.
9. We usually refer to this as "follow-up" or "discipleship." In fact, the NKJV says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..."
10. That is an accurate rendering, for the Greek word translated "teach" literally means "to make a disciple."
11. The Bible has much to say about discipleship.
12. Throughout the four Gospels and the book of Acts, Christians are called "disciples." A disciple is a believer who has been properly taught and trained.
13. It is not only the pastor's job to disciple new believers. The pastor is to equip the members to do "the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (cf. Eph. 4:11, 12).
14. One of the NBT men commented that we needed more workers to lead children to Christ during our VBS. If you have been saved for any length of time you should be able to lead some one to Christ.

I. CONTINUING IN THE WORD OF GOD (8:31)

1. Our Lord said in John 8:31, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." Starting is wonderful, but we must continue.
2. Jesus said, "continue in my word." Let me emphasize that a person cannot be saved apart from the Word of God (cf. I Peter 1:23).
3. This is the beginning -- "Being born again...by the word of God."
4. Being born again is the beginning. Now we need to continue, to go forward with Christ. First Peter 2:2 says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
5. It is very important to continue in the Word of God -- every day, reading and studying and memorizing it (cf. Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3).
6. Our Lord said in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
7. Continuing in the Word of God means "searching the Scriptures." It also means listening to the Word of God preached.
8. Our faith is increased by hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
9. The Word of God has power to cleanse us.
10. In John 15:3, our Lord He said, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
11. Psalm 119:9 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."
12. The Word of God keeps us from sin. Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
13. D.L. Moody wrote in the flyleaf of his son's Bible, "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book."
14. Over the years, I have counseled many people that have gotten into sin, and gotten backslidden, and every time they admitted they stopped reading the Bible.
15. The Word of God gives us direction in life. Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
16. Psalm 119:130 says, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."
17. Our Lord said in John 8:31, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." The Greek word translated "continue" in John 8:31 is translated "abide" in John 15:7.
18. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
19. When we abide in Christ, and His Word abides in us, we shall ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us.
20. This is another important part of discipleship -- developing a good prayer life. How is your prayer life? Is God answering your prayers?
21. Over 100 years ago, Hudson Taylor, the director of the China Inland Mission, wrote to missionary Jonathan Goforth, and said: "We understand North Honan is to be your field. We, as a mission, have tried for ten years to enter that province from the south, and have only just succeeded. It is one of the most anti-foreign provinces in China. Brother, if you would enter that province, you must go forward on your knees."
22. That is "going forward" with Christ!

II. KNOWING THE TRUTH (8:32)

1. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
2. Our Lord stood before Pontius Pilate and said, "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice" (John 18:37).
3. Then Pilate saith unto him, "What is truth?" (John 18:38).
4. There are many mixed-up people today just like Pontius Pilate. They do not know truth from error.
5. Our Lord said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
6. Our Lord said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." "Thy word is truth."
7. There is no need for us to wonder about the truth. God's Word is very clear. A small child can understand the Bible.
8. Mark Twain said, "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand."
9. Jesus said in John 7:17, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."
10. This is an important step in going forward with Christ -- being completely submissive to God's will; being willing to do God's will and obey God's will in everything.
11. This "is the secret of progressive knowledge in divine things" (Stephen Olford).
12. Knowing the truth is important, and obeying the truth is vital. James 1:22 says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
13. Some people know the Word of God but they do not obey it!
14. One preacher said, "So many of us assent to truth but we do not consent to it!" (Stephen Olford).
15. Going forward with Christ means continuing in the Word of God, and knowing the Word of God, and obeying the Word of God.
16. Let me give a few examples. These are essential for discipleship.
17. The Word of God teaches us about baptism (Acts 8:26-39). We must obey and be baptized. A disciple is baptized (Mark 16:15, 16).
18. The Word of God teaches us about stewardship (Luke 6:38; I Cor. 16:1, 2). We must obey and be good stewards.
19. The Word of God teaches us about soulwinning. Proverbs 11:30 says, "He that winneth souls is wise."
20. It doesn't say he that talks about winning souls is wise.
21. It doesn't say he that likes to watch other people win souls is wise.
22. It says, "He that winneth souls is wise."
23. The Bible teaches us about missions (Matt. 28:18-20). We need to get our faith promise giving back up. This will take obedience. And commitment. And sacrifice! This is part of discipleship.
24. To go forward with Christ we must learn the Bible and obey everything in it.
25. J. Wilbur Chapman said, "Some books are produced for our information. The Bible was produced for our transformation."
26. Has the Bible transformed you?
27. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:17, "Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you."
28. Then Paul goes on to say, "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (Romans 6:18).
29. This brings me to my third and final point.

III. DELIVERED FROM THE POWER OF SIN (8:33-36)

1. The Jews who contended with Jesus were very proud. Our Lord's statement in verse 32 offended them and they answered Him, "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?" (8:33).
2. There are different ways to look at their answer to Jesus. First of all, they were at that time under the bondage of the Roman Empire, and before that a number of other Gentile nations -- Persia, Babylon, Egypt, etc. So their declaration seems ridiculous on the face of it.
3. More importantly, they were in bondage to sin and to the devil (cf. 8:34, 44).
4. "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (slave) of sin" (8:34).
5. The Jews who contended with Jesus knew the Law of Moses, and they knew all about their various traditions, but they knew nothing about deliverance from the power of sin, and liberty that is only found in Christ (cf. 8:34-36).
6. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can provide true freedom from the bondage of sin. Good works, religious duties, church attendance, baptism, giving money, and other things cannot possibly provide freedom from sin.
7. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can break the chains of sin.

CONCLUSION:

1. There are millions of people right here in the NYC area who are enslaved to sin -- immorality, pornography, homosexuality, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gambling, filthy mouth, lying, stealing, etc.
2. Only the Lord Jesus can set them free from their bondage through His blood, by the Word of God, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

             Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
             Jesus’ blood can make you free;
             For He saved the worst among you,
             When He saved a wretch like me.

             And I know, yes, I know
             Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,
             And I know, yes, I know
             Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.

3. A lady named Anna Waterman wrote that song. She was married to a drunkard, and she was getting dis­cour­aged because of her hus­band's drinking problem.
4. So she asked a Christian la­dy in her town in Cal­i­for­nia to meet with her and help her pray for her hus­band to be saved. His wild and wicked life went on for three more years until one night he came home drunk and told An­na he want­ed to be saved.
5. She im­me­di­ate­ly called her friend who came over to their home and they led him to the Lord. He begged the Lord for for­give­ness and to clean up his life, which the Lord did.
6. The hap­pi­ness that fol­lowed caused An­na to write this song -- And I know, yes, I know Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.
7. That man was not only saved from the penalty of sin, but also from the power of sin.