The Big 5 // Seth Owens // CDA Campus

·49 min·4 clips

Pastor Seth reveals a pivotal leadership transition during the church's 20th anniversary celebration.

Seth starts with the gathered church. He names the gift of gathering, introduces himself as one of the pastors, and treats teaching Scripture as a serious honor. Then he turns to family history. The church is getting ready to mark 20 years since its 2006 planting, with a Friday night on July 17 honoring his parents' ministry. He jokes a little, then settles into the sermon. The center is five Great Commission passages read as one commission. One commission, many parts. Seth wants the congregation to look beyond the familiar passage, because each text adds something to the same charge. Authority comes first: the mission rests on Jesus' authority. Power matters too, so he ties the work to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel stays at the center. Action is required. Seth frames the commission as something passed from the 12 through generation after generation until it reaches the present church. Then the map gets bigger. He tells listeners in the USA that, from ancient Jerusalem, they are not the center. They are the ends of the earth. That lands with some force. If the gospel came all the way to them, he argues, they should be moved to carry it beyond their own little world. He keeps the tone pastoral. For people who feel fearful, unclear, or in need of prayer, he points them toward prayer. The close is invitational. Even listeners who do not picture themselves as typical evangelists are called to jump in and become part of someone else's story with Jesus.

As heard by us

Five passages frame one mission and place the responsibility for it on believers today.

The episode moves from brief anniversary news into a five-passage case for the Great Commission and its global reach. It ties together divine authority, the Holy Spirit's power, the gospel message, and the handoff of responsibility from the Twelve to believers today, all aimed…

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