Class Lesson November 2, 2025

 The Whole Story (continues)

There are some words that echo across time — not because they were shouted, but because they were commissioned. Words that don’t simply inform us but transform us. Matthew 28:18–20 is one such moment. These are not the reflections of a dying man, but the marching orders of a risen King. Jesus Christ, crucified for sin and raised in power, gathers His disciples on a mountain — not to reminisce, but to release. He declares, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” With that authority, He sends out His followers — not just to go somewhere, but to go everywhere.

This is not a passive suggestion but a royal command to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the triune name of God and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded.

And He does not send them out alone — He sends them with His power, His presence, and His promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” In these words, we hear the heartbeat of our mission and the foundation of our hope. The Great Commission is not just a church strategy — it is the church’s identity. We are a people sent, empowered, and sustained by the Lord of all. This passage is not the end of Matthew’s Gospel — it is the beginning of ours.

 

Matthew 28:16-20

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Matthew 28:16-20

 

Discussion Questions

1. When you hear the word “authority,” what comes to mind — and how does understanding Christ’s total authority change your view of mission?

2. Why do you think Jesus started the Great Commission with worship (v.17)? What does that teach us about where mission begins?

3. What are some practical ways you can “make disciples” in your everyday life — at work, school, or home?

4. Why do you think Jesus includes both baptizing and teaching in His command? How do these show the full picture of discipleship?

5. How does the promise of Jesus’ presence encourage you when you feel unqualified, fearful, or discouraged about sharing your faith?

Closing Thoughts

The Great Commission isn’t calling for a few — it’s calling for the church. Every follower of Jesus is sent out with authority, equipped by His Spirit, and surrounded by His presence. We are not spectators but participants in God’s redemptive plan for the world. The same Jesus who conquered the grave now sends us to make disciples in our neighborhoods, schools, and nations. The mission may seem overwhelming, but the power of Christ and the presence of His Spirit make it possible.

So, the question is — who is God sending you to reach, disciple, or walk alongside this week?

END

 

Class Lesson for October 26, 2025

 The Whole Story (Encounter Lesson) 

Sermon Recap

Remember What God Has Done. Revival begins with remembrance. Like Habakkuk, we look back and recall the stories of God’s power—how He has delivered, redeemed, and restored. Remembering His faithfulness fuels faith for what He can do again. “O Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds.”

Repent and Prepare Your Heart. Before God moves among us, He must first move within us. Hosea calls us to “break up fallow ground” — to confront the hardness of our hearts, confess our sin, and cultivate a spirit of repentance and humility that welcomes God’s rain of righteousness. “Sow righteousness… break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord.”

Beg God to Move Again. Revival is not manufactured — it’s a miracle of mercy. When we pray, “Revive Your work in our day,” we are asking God to do again what only He can do: awaken His people, renew His church, and restore His glory in our generation. “In wrath, remember mercy.”

 

Habakkuk 3:2

O Lord, I have heard the report of You, and Your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Habakkuk 3:2

 

Discussion Questions

1.   Looking Back: When Habakkuk says, “I have heard of Your fame,” what stories or moments of God’s past faithfulness come to your mind? How does remembering what God has done in the past strengthen your faith for today?

2.   Heart Preparation: Hosea calls God’s people to “break up your fallow ground.” What does that phrase mean to you personally? Are there areas in your life that have become hardened or resistant to God’s work?

3.   Personal Revival: Both passages describe revival as something that happens “in our day.” What would revival look like in your own life — in your heart, your family, or your daily rhythms?

4.   Corporate Renewal: What would it look like for our church to experience a movement of God like Habakkuk prayed for? What attitudes, priorities, or habits might need to change for that to happen?

5.   Seeking the Lord: Hosea says, “It is time to seek the Lord.” What would it look like this week to intentionally seek the Lord with urgency? How can our group help one another stay hungry for His presence?

 

 

Closing Thoughts

When we look back at what God has done, it stirs something deep within us — a holy longing for Him to do it again. But revival doesn’t begin in the world around us; it begins in the soil of our own hearts. God calls us to break up the hardened ground of apathy, sin, and distraction so His Spirit can rain down fresh righteousness and renewal. The same God who moved powerfully in the past still desires to move today — but He’s waiting for a people who are ready, humble, and hungry. What would it look like for you to truly seek the Lord this week and prepare the ground of your heart for Him to move again?

END

Class Lesson for October 19, 2025

 The Whole Story (Encounter Lesson)

Sermon Recap

Only God can satisfy the soul. Like David in the wilderness, our deepest need is not comfort or control — it’s communion with the living God.

Hunger for God reveals intimacy with God. The more we know Him, the more we long for Him, true satisfaction fuels deeper desire.

God sustains those who seek Him. When we cling to Him in the dry seasons, His steadfast love and presence uphold us.

 

Psalm 63:1-8

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory. Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the watches of the night; for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Psalm 63:1-8

 

Discussion Questions 

1. In Psalm 63:1, David declares, “My soul thirsts for You.” What does spiritual thirst look like in your life right now?                                                        
2. How does remembering God’s past faithfulness (v. 2) strengthen your trust when you feel distant or dry?                                                                                           
3. Why is God’s steadfast love described as “better than life” (v. 3)? What does that reveal about our priorities and affections?                                                                 
4. What are some “lesser loves” or “substitute wells” that people run to instead of God when they feel empty (see John 4:13-14)?                                                               
5. Verse 8 says, “My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” How can we practically cling to God in a culture that distracts and numbs us?

 

Closing Thoughts

Our hearts were designed to hunger for God, yet we often fill that hunger with everything but Him — success, comfort, affirmation, entertainment. Like David, we must learn to see our wilderness not as punishment but as invitation — an invitation to seek the only One who truly satisfies. When we turn our attention to God through prayer, worship, and the Word, our dry places become sacred spaces where we encounter His sustaining presence. The more we hunger for Him, the more we discover He is enough.

This week, what would it look like for you to replace one earthly appetite with a deliberate pursuit of God’s presence?

 

END

Teacher's notes:

Click Play to Watch

Class Lesson October 12, 2025

 The Whole Story (Encounter Initiative Lesson)

IT’S EASY TO LIVE on spiritual autopilot. We scroll, we strive, and we survive, but rarely do we seek to truly encounter the living God. And yet, this is what we were made for. We were made to know Him, not just about Him.

At Upstate Church, our next step is seeking the Lord with greater intentionality than ever before. Let’s be a church that doesn’t just talk about God, let’s ENCOUNTER Him.

The first ENCOUNTER lesson this Sunday is on PRAYER: 

We Should Be a House of Prayer for All People. In Matthew 21:13 Jesus says, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”

So, this week's lesson is a deep dive into our understanding of "true worship". See you on Sunday...

Matthew 21:12-17

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to Him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, He went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Matthew 21:12-17

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus responded so strongly to the corruption in the temple? What does this reveal about God’s heart for worship?                                                      
2. How do we sometimes treat worship as a transaction or performance rather than genuine devotion?                                                                                           
3. Jesus called the temple a “house of prayer.” What would it look like for our lives — and our church — to reflect that?                                                                               
4. Why do you think the children recognized Jesus when the religious leaders resisted Him? What does this say about the heart posture God desires?                                                                                                                                  
5. In what ways can our worship today include prayer, healing, and authentic praise?

Closing thought…

When we look at Matthew 21:12–17, we see that worship is not about what we can get out of it but about giving God the honor He deserves. Jesus made it clear that God rejects worship tainted by selfishness and hypocrisy, but He restores hearts that come to Him in prayer and delights in the humble praise of His people. This means worship is more than singing songs on Sunday; it’s a lifestyle of prayer, purity, and praise that overflows into everyday life. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Am I offering God the kind of worship He loves, or the kind of worship He would overturn?

END

Teacher notes:

Click Play to Watch

Two Temple Cleansings: John 2:13–17  / Matthew 21:12–17

• Beginning and end of Jesus’ ministry. Between the two stands His whole ministry: purifying hearts and restoring relationship.
• The first cleansing announces His mission, to bring us back to God. 
• The second cleansing concludes His mission, exposing false religion and how far people had drifted from God’s purpose. The temple had become a “den of robbers”, a place of exploitation instead of intercession.

Click Play to Watch