Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to Matthew chapter 28.
! Our text for this morning will be Matthew chapter 28, verses 18-20.
!
The gospel has eternal weight. It has massive significance.
The world needs to be reconciled to God in Christ.
The penalty of sin is death and it's eternal separation from the Lord God Almighty.
And God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
Restoring relationship between God and mankind.
There's much talk these days about calling.
And what you can be sure of is that if you have been called to follow Christ,
you have been called to the ministry of reconciliation.
Let me read to you from 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come.
We've been given a new identity.
All of this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.
God making his appeal through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ.
Be reconciled to God.
For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This is the message of reconciliation that has been trusted to us as followers of Christ.
And you may have noticed this morning that I placed a globe on the lectern.
I really hope you noticed I placed a globe on the lectern.
We have other issues to address if you didn't notice that I did that.
This globe sat in my father's study when I was a child.
I don't even know if he realizes that I have it.
It's an old globe.
In fact, it has still on it the Soviet Union,
so it's not an accurate globe.
But as a child, I used to look at this globe
and dream about the places in the world that I might go.
I love it because it comes off the stand,
and I can play with it like a ball,
and dream about as a child where I'd want to go in the world.
When I discovered that it was being discarded,
I grabbed it up, and it now sits in my study.
And it sits right in front of where I sit in my study,
and it reminds me to dream about the places that our church might go
to declare the good news of Jesus Christ.
And so, not to prop for silly reasons,
but that's why it's sitting here this morning,
both for me and for you to dream together
about how God might use Christ's Family Church, Dahlonega,
to advance the good news of Christ to the world.
The world currently holds approximately 7.4 billion people.
I can't even fathom what that number means.
7.4 billion people.
And those 7.4 billion people are divided into 11,498 ethno-linguistic groups.
I don't know exactly what that even means.
But divided into peoples, 11,498.
6,803 of those people groups
have less than 2% evangelical Christians as part of their population.
Typically, missiologists talk in terms of 2% and above is a reached people,
which is a low statistic.
But 6,803 of those people groups
have less than 2% of evangelical Christians,
which I would say are the only type of Christians.
3,040 of those people groups are not engaged by any Christian work.
None whatsoever.
There's no one on the ground working amongst those people.
This means that today,
roughly 7 billion people do not have the gospel.
Today, 7 billion people could die eternally,
separated from the goodness of God,
if the gospel is not proclaimed to them,
and if they do not believe.
This is a great problem.
This is a massive problem.
And the great remedy to this great problem
is found in our text this morning.
It doesn't get any more complex than this.
Matthew 28, beginning in verse 18.
And Jesus came and said to the apostles,
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,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you.
And behold,
I am with you always to the end of the age.
Beloved, this is God's word to us.
It was written for His glory and for our good.
We would all do well this morning to listen to it
in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
Now, over the past four weeks,
we have been considering the Christian life.
We have been giving you so-called hooks
to hang the Christian life on,
beginning with our gospel identity.
And we've been kind of rolling out
some summary statements to you
and the summary statement for our gospel identity,
what we want you to have in your mind
when you see the church logo
and all of the many places that it shows up,
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
So this is both the nature of our faith
and the object of our faith.
We are justified before God,
forgiven and adopted by Him.
This is the new identity.
This is now who we are
if we have believed,
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in the personal work of Jesus Christ.
We're justified before Him,
forgiven and adopted.
This precious truth,
this gospel identity,
is our great motivation for worship.
So out of who we are
comes everything that we do.
We are accepted by God in Christ,
so we live how He wants us to
in all things.
And this is worship.
Not just music.
It includes music.
It's everything that we do
is a result of who we are
to God in Christ.
Having experienced the mercies of God
to us in Christ,
we live for Him.
Our identity motivates our action.
So we've been talking about
four areas of Christian living,
and they are as follows.
Gospel conviction.
Being justified before God,
forgiven and adopted by Him.
We worship Him through gospel conviction.
Knowing God,
through His word and prayer.
We worship Him through gospel community.
Loving the church
in varying means of fellowship and service.
Last week we talked about
worshiping Him through gospel character.
Conforming to Christ,
both in private and in public.
And today we come to the last of these
four C's and the conclusion
of this little five-week series
and our break from the book of Acts
to talk about gospel commission.
And the summary statement is
as follows.
It's found on your notes.
I hope you have.
Being justified before God,
forgiven and adopted by Him.
We're not tired of saying that, right?
Because of who we are.
Right?
Justified before God,
forgiven and adopted by Him.
We worship Him through gospel commission.
Proclaiming the gospel
to the ends of the earth.
We find in Matthew chapter 28,
verse 18 through 20,
what is most often referred to
as the great commission.
And we find in it a command.
But what is that command?
Many suggest that the command is go.
You see therefore in verse 19.
Go therefore.
Or that the command is go.
And the command is make disciples.
And that the command is baptize them.
And the command is teach them
all that I have commanded you.
Let me posit to you
that the command found
in Matthew 28,
18 through 20,
is make disciples.
And if you study the Greek,
if you look at these verbs,
not a single one of those
is an imperative form of the verb.
All of them are non-imperative forms
of the verbs.
The only imperative form,
which is the command form
in the Greek language,
is make disciples.
So when we look at go therefore,
we can rightly read it
in your going therefore.
Or as you're going along therefore.
This doesn't exclude the ends of the earth.
But what it does is it includes
everywhere we go.
It includes everything.
It actually makes the verse
much more powerful, right?
That the command is to make disciples.
As followers of Jesus Christ,
those who claim to follow Him,
we make disciples.
Jesus sums up His ministry in this way
in Luke 19, verse 10.
He says,
I came to seek and to save the lost.
And He imparts this ministry to us.
As followers of Christ,
disciples under His overview,
under His guidance,
we do what He did.
And what He does in us.
We should be about the very same work.
So what follows in Matthew 28
is the where and the how
of making disciples.
What does that look like?
What is the command to make disciples
look like in a broader sense?
And so let's address first the where.
The where.
To the ends of the earth.
He says,
last part of verse 19,
make disciples of all nations.
Matthew 24, 14,
Jesus says,
And this gospel of the kingdom
will be proclaimed throughout the whole world
as a testimony to all nations.
And then the end will come.
There could be much debate
about what is meant by all nations
or the whole world
or every tribe,
nation,
and tongue.
I've heard a lot of explanations
about what that could possibly mean.
We recently,
just a moment ago,
talked about the classification
of ethno-linguistic people groups.
Is that number exactly correct?
11,498?
I don't know.
We can't be sure.
But what we can be sure of
is that we are not done proclaiming
because the end has not come.
Disciple making,
which begins with gospel proclamation
as part of making disciples,
proclaiming the gospel.
It does not end with gospel proclamation, right?
Verse 19,
we're going to baptize them.
Verse 20,
we're going to teach them
all that Christ has commanded.
It includes guidance in obedience,
growing people up in Christ.
But disciple making begins
with gospel proclamation.
And it starts at home.
Go, therefore,
in your going,
as your going,
make disciples.
That means that we are to make disciples
of our roommates
and our classmates
and our co-workers
and our families
and people at the coffee shop
and those we encounter at restaurants
and that guy that cuts us off on the road.
We are to make disciples,
to regard no one any longer
according to the flesh.
We have the eyes of Christ, right?
To seek and to save the lost.
To see people as eternally secure
or eternally damned.
And to come to their rescue
with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And I find for many of us
the great problem
in proclaiming the gospel,
making disciples,
is that we don't find ourselves
that often around the unsaved.
Now this congregation
is a little unique
from many churches in this nation
in that a lot of you
are college students
and you're college students
on a secular campus.
And I say to you,
that is a wonderful opportunity.
Praise God
that you have at your fingertips
a bounding opportunity.
So many of you,
this is not very pertinent,
but for some of us it is.
For some of us it's extremely pertinent
that we have a difficult time
being around people
who need the gospel of Jesus Christ
because we tend
to sequester ourselves off.
We're being limited
in our exposure to people
because we're at home
and we're at work
and we're at church.
There's a sociologist,
a secular sociologist
by the name of Ray Oldenburg
who wrote a book
and a number of other books
on the idea
that this book is called
The Great Good Place.
And my brain got turned on
to this by John Cochran,
so thank you.
At least I think it did.
I think the information came to me
by way of John Cochran.
The Great Good Place.
And he talks about how
societies have thrived
because of these
common gathering places
that are informal,
that are public,
like the marketplace,
right?
or the pub,
places where people
gathered together
and the community
was drawn together
because of these
great good places.
He also calls The Great Good Place
a third place,
right?
So think in terms of work,
home,
and that other place
that you frequent
and that you're at.
The bordega on the corner,
it's where you go
consistently
and encounter people
in that way.
And we all need
a third place.
You need to be seeking out
a third place
where you can encounter
the lost people here
as you're going.
Now, moms,
this third place
could be at home
with your unbelieving children.
Students,
this could be at school,
what you would deem work
for many of you.
It could be at school.
It could be your place
of employment.
For some,
there's many,
many opportunities
to encounter lost people
at their place of employment.
For some,
they sit in a cubicle
and they put on a headset
and they might encounter
a couple people
from time to time.
It's not a good place
to foster relationships
of this nature,
although you should be
sharing the gospel
at your workplace as well.
We need to be creative
about this third place.
many of you,
I hope,
and I hope in a continuing way
as,
particularly as college students
come through,
the life of this church
will be sent elsewhere.
And I hope that many of you
are sent to the ends
of the earth.
I would love to see that.
It is a dream
of the leadership
of this church
that we would equip
and send people
to the farthest reaches
of this planet
to share the good news
of Christ.
But many of you
will stay right here.
You'll stay in North Georgia.
You might go as far
as Atlanta.
And you have a part
to play
in this glorious process
of advancing
the kingdom of God.
So many where we live
claim to be followers
of Christ,
claim to be
quote-unquote
Christian,
and they desperately
need the gospel.
They need to be shown
what it looks like
to follow Jesus.
There's been this trending
in relational evangelism,
and I think that it has
goodness at its root,
but so often,
people are investing
themselves into the lives
of other individuals
in the hopes
that maybe someday
something might happen
that will bring about
a gospel conversation,
and I'm just building
the relationship,
and I'm building
the relationship,
and I'm building
the relationship.
We see this happen often
with well-intentioned
individuals who get
involved with fraternities
and sororities on campus.
They say,
I'm going to get in there.
It's a mission field.
They're lost people.
I'm automatically connected.
We've got a club thing
going on,
and I'm going to get
in the midst of that,
and some years later,
the trouble persists,
and their life is declining
in holiness
rather than increasing
in holiness.
They're getting wrapped up
in the society of it all.
If you love people
and you set your intention
on them to be in relationship
with them,
the aim of it should be
that you would fellowship
with them around the things
that matter most.
If you're following Christ,
you have very little in common
with people who are not
following Christ.
Christ.
Some of you experience this
with your families,
how you just have nothing
to talk about anymore
when you go home
because you're pursuing the Lord
and your family's heading off
in an opposite direction
or your old friends
from high school.
You used to be so close
and have so much to say
and so much to do,
and suddenly you find
that the way they live their lives
is distasteful to you.
We need to press,
and we need to press
as quickly as we can
to gospel proclamation.
To some,
it's going to be
a precious gift to them.
And to some,
they're going to hate it.
And at least you know
where you stand
in your relationship with them.
So the where is
to the ends of the earth.
It's to everywhere.
It's to as you're going.
The how
is by the power of God.
We proclaim the gospel truth
by the power of God.
And I'm so thankful
for the way
that this gospel commission
is sandwiched.
Verse 18,
Jesus says to them,
All authority in heaven
and on earth
has been given to me.
Right?
I am the king.
I am reigning over all things.
And then he gives this command
to go and to make disciples
and to baptize them
and to teach them.
And then verse 20 he says,
And behold,
I am with you
always to the end of the age.
And so until this mission
is complete,
I am with you
with all of this authority
bringing about
my good will.
What a massive motivation
to share the gospel
of Jesus Christ
with the lost and dying
around us.
Jesus has all authority
and he is with us.
It is by the power of God
that the gospel
is proclaimed
and believed.
But it also happens
by the activity of men.
I promise you
that you will never
under some
imaginary
felt
compulsion
just start talking
and you are not going
to know what you are saying
and you are just going
to start sharing.
You are going to be moved
to get up
and call that friend
that you haven't talked to
in a while.
You are going to suddenly
find yourself hanging out
in that place
where people need to hear
the gospel
and declaring it
from the street corner.
It won't happen.
It is also by the activity
of man.
God gives this,
Jesus gives this command.
Right?
I have got all authority.
I am going to be with you.
Go
and make disciples
of all nations.
Baptize them.
Teach them.
There is command
that comes along
with this.
We must recognize
that we have a part
to play.
Romans chapter 10
verse 13
14
and 15
Paul writes
for everyone
who calls
on the name
of the Lord
will be saved.
How then
will they call
on Him
in whom
they have not
believed?
And how are they
to believe in Him
of whom
they have never
heard?
Hear this carefully,
beloved.
No one is getting
some revelation
of Christ
post-death.
They have to hear
the gospel
of Jesus Christ
and believe in it
to be saved.
How can they
call on Him
in whom they have not
believed?
And how are they
to believe in Him
of whom they have
never heard?
And how are they
to hear
without
someone
preaching?
Paul is not
just talking
about what I
do on Sunday
mornings
and what many
men do
on Sunday
mornings.
He's talking
about you
preaching the
good news
of Jesus
Christ
to your
friends
and your
co-workers
and your
classmates
and your
family.
Verse 15
And how are they
to preach
unless they are
sent?
As it is written,
how beautiful
are the feet
of those who
preach
the good news.
So gospel
proclamation
is the beginning
of
disciple making.
There are
two
axioms
I want to present
to you.
Axioms
are statements
that ideas
hinge upon
that change
things.
So two
axioms
for gospel
proclamation.
Number one,
we are all
different.
We are all
different.
This means
in order to
share the
gospel of
Jesus Christ
well,
you need
to know
people.
You need
to know
people.
You need
to learn
the art
of asking
questions
and listening
to answers.
I find it
fascinating
that so many
Christians
walk into
some form
of spiritual
conversation
and they
bear the
burden
of proof.
We have
the upper
hand in
this.
You know
that,
right?
We follow
the one
true
living
God.
We have
the
scripture
in our
hands,
I hope
in your
minds
and in
your
hearts.
I would
suggest that
the burden
of proof
lies on
the world.
Ask the
atheist to
help you
understand
how they've
arrived at
their
conclusion.
Ask the
agnostic.
Did you say
you believe
in a God?
How can you
believe in a
God and
not follow
some version
of his
way?
Ask good
questions and
listen to
the answers.
Get to
know people.
Just have
conversations.
And I will
tell you,
and I use
the word,
learn the
art.
The only
way to get
good at it
is to do
it.
Start talking
to the
people you
know about
religion,
about the
world,
about the
gospel.
Understand
people's
uniqueness.
People have
a unique
history.
They have
a unique
set of
circumstances.
They have
a unique
set of
hurts.
They have
a unique
worldview.
We're all
different.
But the
second
axiom,
we're all
the same.
We're all
the same.
We're all
a part of
God's
redemptive
story.
We have
all at
one time
set ourselves
against
God.
We have
rejected
His
good
word.
We have
said to
Him with
our
activity,
I hate
you.
All of
us have
been in
that
place.
All of
us deserve
the just
condemnation of
God for
the way
that we
have
treated
His
good
reign
over
our
lives.
All of
us need
the salvation
that is
found in
Christ.
We're all
part of
God's
redemptive
story.
We call
this,
if you
want a
big word,
the
meta
narrative.
There's
stories
within a
great,
big story.
God's
creation of
the world
and the
fall of
that world
and His
rescue of
that world
and His
soon-and-coming
restoration
of that
world.
It's a
big,
beautiful
story that
we are
all a
part of.
So we're
all different.
That means
we have
to get
into the
mix with
people.
We have
to love
people.
We have
to know
people.
And we're
all the
same.
We all
need that.
Our little
stories
connected to
the great,
big story.
I want to
show you,
I tend to
shy away
from stuff
like this,
I think
because of
the
hokiness
of so
many
churches
that do
multimedia
things.
That may
even be
sinful on
my part.
I want
to show
you,
I think
the guys
are getting
ready,
a video
that's a
little over
five minutes,
which is
the story.
It's actually
called
the story.
The story,
short film.
It's a
wonderful telling
of this
great,
big,
redemptive
picture.
It uses
that pattern,
creation,
fall,
rescue,
restoration.
So I'm going to
let those guys
play it for you
and then I'll
pop back up
here.
there is only
one story
that answers
life's most
essential
questions
and gives
a lasting
sense of
purpose
and meaning.
It's the
story that
inspires
all other
stories.
It's the
true story
that defines
every one
of us.
This is
that story.
How did
it all
begin?
Like all
stories,
this one
begins in the
beginning with
the author,
who is God.
He spoke
everything into
being.
With a word,
galaxies appeared
with stars and
planets.
Earth was
designed for
life to
flourish.
Everything God
made was
gloriously good
and breathtakingly
perfect.
The highlight
of God's
creation was
the first man
and woman,
Adam and
Eve.
God entrusted
everything he
created to his
beloved children,
giving just one
more.
They were not
to eat fruit
from a specific
tree.
They lived in
loving obedience,
worshiping God
as their heavenly
father, and
enjoying perfect
harmony with
creation, each
other, and
God.
Considering our
world today,
its obvious
perfect peace
didn't last.
Turmoil,
! War,
sickness,
troubles.
We each have
our share.
What went
wrong?
It started
when a fallen
angel named
Satan grew
jealous of
God and
determined to
ruin the
perfection of
creation.
Satan took
the form of
a serpent and
enticed Adam
and Eve to
question God's
goodness and
rebel against
his one rule.
In disobedience
they ate the
fruit, and
peace unraveled,
ushering in sin
and death, which
still plagues us
today.
If we are
honest, we are
very much like
Adam and Eve.
We all rebel
against our
Heavenly Father,
making our
hearts heavy
with fear,
guilt, and
shame.
Our bodies are
weary with
sickness, disease,
and death.
Earth is
afflicted with
storms, calamities,
and disasters.
Even worse, sin
has separated us
from God, causing
a permanent
divide, a
miserable
separation
called hell.
The fallout of
sin has been
catastrophic.
it's inescapable
with no way to
fix it, leaving
us all to
wonder, is
there any
hope?
The love that
prompted God to
create us also
prompted him to
send a Savior who
would set everything
right again.
As centuries
passed, God
shared exact
details of the
coming Savior's
birth, life,
and death.
Everything in the
Bible points to
this rescuer.
Father, almost
2,000 years
ago, Jesus
came to
earth as God
the Son to
fulfill the
promise.
He was born
miraculously, as
his mother was a
virgin.
Just like us, Jesus
grew up and
experienced life on
earth.
But unlike us, Jesus
never sinned and
always obeyed the
Father.
When Jesus was in
his 30s, he began
teaching all around
Israel, pointing
people to God's
kingdom, and
performing many
miracles.
after a few
years, he was
wrongly accused
and sentenced to
an agonizing death
on a cross.
Jesus lovingly gave
up his perfect
life as a
sacrifice to pay
for the sins of
mankind.
He died a perfect
death, taking our
place, the
innocent for the
guilty.
But the grave
couldn't hold
Jesus.
Three days later,
God brought Jesus
to life again.
Jesus defeated
sin by dying on
the cross, and
defeated death by
rising from the
dead.
Today, Jesus sits
at God's right
hand as king and
judge over all
creation.
This is the story
of rescue God has
authored.
He invites us,
through repentance
and faith, to make
his story of rescue
the one we trust in
and live from.
When we do,
everything changes.
And now, what
will the future
hold?
For everyone who
trusts in Jesus
alone for rescue,
God has promised to
restore your heart
and set you free
from sin's hold,
because God is
loving, kind,
merciful, forgiving,
tenderhearted, and
true.
God has also
promised to make
all things new.
One day, there
will be a new
heaven and a new
earth, forever free
from sin.
Everything that
causes pain and
sadness will be
gone.
God has also
promised to be
with us forever.
The moment you
trust in Jesus,
your relationship
with God is
restored, because
Jesus has closed
the divide sin
caused.
Getting to know
this all-loving
God starts today
and continues
forever.
For God's story
never ends.
You can make
God's story the
foundation of your
life even now
by admitting your
need for God's
rescue,
asking forgiveness
for your sin,
trusting in Jesus
Christ alone to
rescue you,
following Jesus in
faith from this
moment on.
This is God's
story.
will you make
it yours?
So I think
that's a wonderful
like big flyover
of the redemptive
story of
scripture.
You have creation
and fall just in
the first three
chapters of the
book of Genesis.
And everything that
follows through the
Old Testament is
about pointing to
the future promise
of Christ.
People were saved
then by faith in
this future promise.
And we're now
drawn back to
believe in the
realized promise of
Christ and the
redemption of our
sin in his
person and his
work.
It's a wonderful,
wonderful story.
And this is what we
want to draw people
into.
They're unique,
but we are the
same.
Now,
each year,
Lifeway Research
conducts and
releases a
denominational
report entitled
the Annual
Church Profile
Report.
Some of you may
not know this,
but we're a
Southern Baptist
Church.
So this is for
the SBC.
In 2006,
they reported
that the member
to baptism
ratio for SBC
churches was
86 to 1.
So that's saying
that they're just
counting the stats
up and we know
stats can get all
skewed and funky
like probably a lot
of those people
that were counted
as members were
counted multiple
times because they
probably had
membership at
multiple churches.
Certainly,
we can't be
sure that every
baptism was a
true conversion
or that every
person that
converted was
necessarily
baptized,
recognizing full
well that
statistics can be
skewed,
but all the same,
this report
looks at the
number of
members of
SBC churches
and the number
of baptisms
reported,
and that's
86 to 1
in 2006.
So that's to
say that it
took 86 members
to see one
person converted
to faith in
Christ.
I hope that's
a staggering
number to you.
That means there's
a lot of
inactivity in
the church in
2006.
This year,
they reported,
so for last
year, an
improvement on
that ratio.
I'm thankful
for, praise
God, that it's
for last year,
2015, 52 to
1.
Better, but
not great.
Now our
church.
You recall
that we
have sent out
a survey for
our members,
we've called it
the Member Health
Survey, in
which we made
this statement
and we asked
people to
strongly disagree
or strongly
agree and a
range of
answers in
between, and
the statement
was this,
I have led
someone to
faith in
Christ this
year.
I have led
someone to
faith in
Christ this
year.
And again,
we recognize
that gathering
this kind of
information,
even the way
some people may
have read
the question
could be
misleading.
So we
recognize this
full well, but
all the same,
if we take
the answers
that were
given, three
people said
agree and
three people
said strongly
agree.
That's six.
Which brings
our ratio, and
again, praise
God, praise
God our ratio
is better than
the average
Southern Baptist
church, I
suppose, with
this ratio of
52 to 1 to
15 to 1.
So this is
us right
now.
I'm thankful,
man I'm
thankful, I
am so thankful
that last
year, by the
work of six
members of our
church, or
maybe one, I
guess is
possible, no
it's not
possible, six
members, they
answered in
that way, agree
or strongly
agree, that
six people came
to faith in
Christ.
What a
wonderful,
wonderful reality,
we should
rejoice in
that, but I
would say to
you, beloved,
it's not
enough.
It's not
enough.
That means
that a lot
of us are
not actively
sharing the
gospel with
those around
us.
So the
challenge that
the elders of
CFC Dahlonega are
issuing to our
fellowship this
morning, we
want to see
happen across the
next year, is to
change that
ratio, to see
that ratio
change.
And I am not
saying that this
is not a work of
God.
I am not
saying that we
are going to
knuckle down and
get it done.
That is not
what I am
saying.
What I am
saying, though, is
that this work
of God also
requires work on
our part.
And I am going
to go on to
suggest to you
that I think
it is that we
are not doing
the work, not
that he doesn't
desire to work
out salvation in
the lives of
this community.
So the
challenge being
issued to our
fellowship this
morning is to
see this ratio
change next year
to one to
one.
And that
means, and this
is being pressed
upon and
expected of,
members of
Christ Family
Church, if
you are not a
member of
Christ Family
Church, you
should be a
member of a
church, whether
it is here or
not, so you are
not entirely off
the hook in this
regard.
If you are a
follower of
Jesus Christ, you
are not off the
hook, you are
meant to be sharing
the gospel of
Jesus Christ, but
we are going to
place an expectation
upon members of
our church that
they be working
at this.
Not that you
are going to get
your t-shirt when
you see somebody
come to faith in
Christ, that
we are going to
get some extra
points, a gold
star on your
chart, that you
get a new ESV
study Bible or
anything like
that.
But to set some
goals together and
say, we can do
this, let's start
encouraging and
pressing at one
another to be
actively sharing
our faith in a
way that we're
used like this by
God.
I'd love to see
it go beyond
this.
I'd love to see
it be 1 to 2
or 1 to 10
or 1 to 20.
Let's press
this next year
to see it be
1 to 1.
Not legalistically,
I'm not suggesting
that.
You won't be
kicked out of
the church if
you're not seeing
someone converted
in your life.
If this seems
extreme to you,
if you go,
but Nathan,
come on,
man.
We're going to
double the
fellowship in
this next year.
Let me say to
you that I
have for a
long time
operated under
this notion
that we live
in the days
of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah,
if you're not
familiar with
him as a
prophet,
we see some
evidence across
his whole ministry,
his lifelong
ministry of
calling people
back to God.
Possibly one
person who
turned back
to God,
a very fruitless
ministry as far
as following
God was
concerned.
And I have
long thought,
if we're going
to be true and
we're going to
be faithful,
that's not
appealing to
people.
We're just
going to have
to keep
grinding,
right?
We're just
going to keep
grinding,
keep doing
the thing
that we're
doing.
And I don't
think we live
in the days
of Jeremiah,
and I want
to show you
that.
I want you
to turn to
Luke chapter
10 with
me to see
this.
this is the
account of
Jesus sending
out a broader
group of
disciples to
proclaim the
good news of
the gospel.
Beginning in
verse 1,
after this the
Lord appointed
72 others
with 36 pairs
and sent them
on ahead of
him,
two by two,
into every
town and
place where
he himself
was about
to go.
They went
ahead of
him as
heralds.
And he
said to
them,
the harvest
is plentiful,
but the
laborers are
few.
Therefore,
pray earnestly
to the Lord
of the harvest
to send out
laborers into
his harvest.
Jesus goes
on to tell
them that
some will
receive them
and their
message and
others will
not.
There should
be an
expectation on
their part
that as
they're going
and proclaiming
the coming
of the kingdom,
the good news
of Jesus
Christ,
that some
will accept
it and
some will
not.
But then
he does
this really
curious thing.
Note carefully
this thing
that he does
say,
the harvest
is plentiful,
but the
laborers are
few,
and then he
tells them
to pray.
And he
doesn't suggest
that they
pray for
the harvest.
Now,
I don't
believe that
what we
should take
from this
is that
we ought
not pray
that people
be converted
to Christ.
We should
definitely
do that.
We should
definitely
be praying
that people
would respond
in faith
to the
gospel
proclaimed.
But that's
not what
he tells
them to
do.
He says,
there is
a harvest.
It's a
plentiful harvest.
It's a
huge harvest.
Souls ready to
but there's
a problem.
The
laborers
are few.
So pray
for
laborers.
Therefore,
pray earnestly
to the
Lord of the
harvest to
send out
laborers
into his
harvest.
And I
think reading
this rightly,
we should
see that
there is a
harvest in
the place
that we
live.
People that
God intends
to save.
And he
wants
laborers
to go
out and
bring the
harvest in.
There's a
harvest.
It is the
Lord's
harvest.
Pray for
laborers.
And we
asked some
other questions
in the
member health
survey.
We asked
the question,
I share the
gospel or
made the
statement,
I share the
gospel with
my friends,
co-workers,
classmates,
and or
family.
And we
went through
and we
scored this.
I hope that
you can hear
this right.
I don't want
to confuse
you with
the way
we scored
it,
but out
of a
hundred
possible
points,
the way
this
statement
was
answered,
we got
seventy.
Not too
bad,
but not
too good.
I share
the gospel
with my
friends,
co-workers,
classmates,
and or
family.
If I were
a college
professor,
that would
be a
failing
grade.
Secondly,
I frequent
a place
where I
interact
with the
lost.
Out of
a hundred
possible
points,
we scored
a seventy-five.
I think
a lot
of those
points,
possible
points,
came from
college student
members that
are responding.
Which means
particularly for
us non-college
adults,
we need a
third place.
We need a
place where
we're consistently
interacting with
lost people.
So we're going to
start expecting
that.
We're going to
start talking
about it with
members of the
church.
This doesn't
preclude you
non-members.
We'll be
talking about it
with you too.
What I'm
saying is that
it's going to
be an
expectation of
members.
You need a
third place.
And again,
that might be
work.
And it's
possible that
it's home.
And it's
possible that
it's school.
But the
place that
you're
intentionally
inserting
yourself to
build relationships
for the sake
of the kingdom.
This is a
weakness in my
life.
I'm going to
walk through
this with
you because
I preach
the gospel
all the
time.
Barely a
day goes
by that I
don't preach
the gospel
to somebody,
but it's
ninety-nine
percent believing
people.
Counsel,
I preach
the gospel.
I get up
here and
I preach
the gospel.
I interact
with believing
people most
of the time.
I need a
place to
plant myself.
I'm working
right now on
freeing up my
schedule.
You're going to
hear me say
more and more,
that's not my
job.
That's not my
responsibility.
Go see.
And one of the
things I'm trying
to free my
schedule up for
is for this.
I want to give
you leadership in
this.
I want to be
around lots of
people on a
consistent basis.
So ask me.
Nathan, where's
your third place?
I don't know where
it is yet.
I'm trying to
figure it out.
Another statement
we made,
right?
And I was
encouraged by
this.
The statement
was, I am
equipped to
share the
gospel.
I'm equipped to
share the
gospel.
Eighty-six of a
possible hundred
points are scored
here.
Let's say that the
members of our
church are saying,
yeah, we're
equipped.
We've got what
we need to share
the gospel.
But it's not
happening in the
same measure,
right?
And those who
are saying they
are equipped still
are not comfortable.
Another statement,
I am comfortable
sharing the gospel.
We only scored a
sixty-eight out of
a hundred there.
And I do not have
fears or anxieties
about sharing the
gospel.
A fifty-seven out
of a hundred there.
So the feeling of
members of our
church is that
they're equipped,
but they're not
equipped, which is
an interesting
response.
My guess would
be that members
of our church
have heard me
say, you are
equipped because
you believe the
gospel and you
have the word.
And they've gone,
okay, but they
still don't feel
that that's enough.
Final statement
to address today.
I have attended
an evangelism
training held by
our church.
There's a forty-eight
out of a hundred
for that.
Now, that could
be largely because
we haven't offered
that many evangelism
trainings.
That's going to
change.
Because we're
seeing this
response of, I'm
equipped, but I'm
not really equipped.
We're going to
hold evangelism
trainings.
We're planning
for three this
year.
So think of it
as a school
year.
Before summer's
out, we're going
to offer three
evangelism trainings.
There's going to
be three different
evangelism trainings.
We're going to
have guys that
are regularly
practiced in
this, that can
serve and lead
as models in
consistent and
clear gospel
presentation.
I fear that
we're having a
lot of gospel
conversations as
a church, but we
may not actually
be presenting the
gospel itself.
We may not be
presenting it in
its entirety to
people.
Maybe we're
having spiritual
conversations, but
we're not pressing
people to repentance.
So we're going to
have evangelism
trainings.
And of our
members, we're
going to expect
that you'll attend
one of those this
year.
They're going to
be different
formats.
We're going to
offer them at
different times.
If you are one
of those amongst
us that are
comfortable sharing
the gospel, good,
we need you to
come to the
training and help
those who are less
comfortable sharing
the gospel.
So no one's
excluded from this.
As a church, we
need to be growing
in this way, moving
forward.
In a week or two,
we're going to
have the first one
ready to go.
We're going to
have, we'll say
plenty about it.
We'll have sign-ups
for it, etc.
It's actually going
to be the video
that you watch,
the story training
that goes along
with that media
and the presentation
that you can
present with that.
So hear me,
members, an
evangelism training
across this next
year.
So being justified
before God,
forgiven and adopted
by Him, we worship
Him through gospel
commission, proclaiming
the gospel to the
ends of the earth.
Followers of Christ
proclaim the gospel
to make disciples
everywhere.
On your bulletin,
Spurgeon quote,
love this one.
I'm going to
explain a phrase
to you and I'm
just going to
read it.
I want you to
know what the
phrase means so
that you know it
when I get to it.
Towards the end
he says, in the
teeth of our
exertions, that is
to say, it's an
old phrase, it
is to say in the
face of our
exertions, right?
That we are
present in our
exertions.
So if sinners
be damned, at
least let them
leap to hell
over our dead
bodies.
And if they
perish, let them
perish with our
arms wrapped about
their knees,
imploring them to
stay.
If hell must be
filled, let it be
filled in the teeth
of our exertions,
and let not one
go unwarned and
unprayed for.
If you do not
share the gospel,
there are some
options.
Number one, you
may not be a
Christian.
If you do not
share the gospel,
you may not be a
Christian.
If you have no
desire for others
to experience the
mercy of God, you
may not have
experienced the
mercy of God.
Number two, you
may be a
Christian, but the
truth of the
gospel may have
grown cold in
your heart.
You've forgotten
who you are.
You're having an
identity crisis.
Christ family
church exists to
glorify God by
experiencing.
So there's a
reality of who
Christ is,
proclaiming and
displaying the
supremacy of Jesus
Christ in all
things to all
peoples.
So your experience
of the supremacy
of Christ, of the
beauty of the
gospel may have
grown cold.
And you need to
do the work that's
necessary to fan
that flame back.
You need to be in
the scripture.
You need to be
praying.
You need to be
with community.
You need to be
obedient.
Do those things
that your passions
may increase.
You talk about
what you love.
Isn't this true?
I used to be a
rock climber many
years ago.
I would say it in
many ways defined
me in an unhealthy
way.
And man, if you
wanted to talk about
rock climbing, I
would talk about it.
I love to talk
about it.
And so often you
try to strike up a
conversation about
it with a person
that would just
go, that seems
scary.
And you'd go,
I'm not going
to be able to
talk about it.
It's got its own
language.
It's got this
whole, like, the
vernacular is
totally different
for it.
You found a
person who knew
what you were
talking about.
It was so
exciting.
Talk about
climbing.
You talk about
what you love.
Pay attention to
what you talk
about.
It'll expose
kinds of
idolatry in
your heart.
And I'm not
saying we don't
talk about,
talk about, you
know, I got some
new pants today.
It doesn't mean I
worship my pants.
But what controls
your conversation?
What's controlling
your conversation?
What do you
mostly talk about?
You talk about
what you love.
So the truth of
the gospel may
have grown cold
in your heart.
Number three, you
might not know
lost people.
It might be like a
really like honest,
like I just don't
interact with lost
people.
And I'm suggesting
to you that needs
to change, right?
We need to press
out and change
that.
You need to know
people whose end
is hell and draw
them away from it.
Or fourthly, you
may not believe
that you can be
used by God to
proclaim the
gospel.
You may feel so
guilty for your
sin and you need
to remember who
you are, that
you're forgiven and
adopted and you're
equipped, right?
That God wants to
send you out.
He's given you the
gospel message.
We want to help
you wrap your mind
in clearer ways
around that to have
those tools to pick
up and go out and
share the gospel of
Christ.
So you may not be a
Christian at all or
you're a Christian
who's struggling and
there's some work
to be done in
these regards.
And so to that
end, I'm going to
pray for us and
then we'll take the
Lord's Supper
together.