Plan A - Introduction

Plan A - The Great Commission for Every Christian  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  34:16
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This year we have a lot of things planned with the goal that we can better connect with the community and live out the whole Gospel for the whole person.
The plan is very intentional and is based on an understanding of the purpose of the church that I have learned over the last 30 plus years of being invovled in ministry in one way or another.
I have learnt many evangelism systems and tools, many of which were from the USA and always bothered me because they were based on some very specific assumptions about culture, assumptions which often didn’t really apply in Australia.
But because some of our gifted evangelists found them effective we were all encouraged to use them.
One tool was called Evangelism Explosion and it was useful in certain context. Basically it was a structured conversation designed to ask a person the question, “If you were to die tonight and stand before God what would you say to him to let you into heaven?”
From there you would give an explanation of the Gospel being about grace and the work of Christ not your own merit.
As I said useful in some contexts but there were a lot of assumptions behind the method that just didn’t work with most Australians.
Because of these sort of approaches many Christians are scared of evangelism and rightly so.
George Barna, an American researcher spend two years and tens of thousands of
dollars researching evangelism. His hope was to uncover the newer, bigger, flashier
cutting edge programmes and methods being used around the country in order to
share new strategies with the church. His research led him deflated – not because
there were not evangelistically successful churches but because “there is nothing
new under the sun”. His conclusion was we do not need new models for evangelism
but we do need to understand the principles of disciple making based on the heart,
passion and life of Jesus. The next step is to “just do it”. (“Evangelism that Works”
George Barna)
A number of years ago, during one of my masters subjects there was this big movement about the missional church.
It was the latest catch word and came about because many gifted leaders were frustrated that the church was making disciples.
After listening to all the latest and greatest research, opinions and a lot of whinging by some who were frustrated that their church wouldn’t let them be as successful as they thought they should be I came to a very profound and simple conclusion.
So one day as we were walking out of the lecture room I turned to John Sweetman the Principal of the college and lecturer in church health and said, “John isn’t this a new word for what the church should have always been doing anyway?”
He agreed.
So over the next six weeks we are going to look at a great series that simply helps us to understand how we do all that the church should be doing anyway.
We are going to start with Matthew 28.
We are going to see that GOING, involves GROWING, KNOWING, SOWING, ROWING and SHOWING UP.
Firstly – Growing in the Gospel. Let’s take a look from verse 16 of Matthew 28.
We pick up the story with the disciples worshipping the risen Jesus.
Jesus steps into this small group of worshipping believers and declares the gospel “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth”.
This is the gospel - Jesus is the risen king! This is the news that Christians have been given to carry to the whole world.
That the risen Jesus is ruling over everything in heaven and on earth.
It’s not that God wants you to be a good person to go to heaven.
It’s not that God wants you to try a bit harder to get in God’s good books.
It’s not that believing in God will make all your life pain free or successful.
That’s not the gospel.
The gospel is that Jesus Christ, the ruler over everything, has died and was raised to life in order to defeat sin and death and their impact on us, our relationships and our planet.
Jesus invites us to part of his plan to set the world right.
To be a disciple of Jesus means, not only do we trust Jesus to save us but we learn from him how to live.
We learn A new way of being loved and giving love.
We lean a new way of being a neighbour and a family member and a citizen.
New life, a fresh start, a better way – that’s the gift God is willing to give us when we believe in his Son Jesus.
And one of the reasons we struggle to share this news is that this news hasn’t penetrated our own hearts and minds.
We need to be growing in our own understanding of the gospel.
Our message to the world is to trust that Jesus is the loving ruler of the world.
But it’s also the message we should be telling ourselves every single day.
Perhaps you are still trying to earn some favour with God.
Maybe you think God plans to weigh up your good and your bad and you’re just hoping to come out on top.
Maybe you think you’ve failed too much or sinned too often for God to love you.
Maybe you are trying to fix all your problems on your own strength.
Perhaps you don’t think It matters how you live or use the resources God has given you.
Well start by preaching the gospel to yourself.
Jesus Christ has given up his life so your life could be made right with God.
So he can bring about change in you and through you.
This is a gift of grace that you can’t earn through being a good person.
You just need to accept it.
Is this the gospel you preach to yourself?
Is this the truth that you live your life by?
If you’re living any other way, then I invite you to give it up.
To come and accept God’s gift of life through his son Jesus.
To let his death be your death and his life be your life.
Trust Jesus with all your life.
Come and live the way God intended for you to live – with Jesus as your king and saviour.
So start growing by preaching the gospel to yourself – what difference does it make to you that Jesus is the Risen King?
What difference does it make to your today and your tomorrow?
And as you grow you won’t just be talking to others about theory - you will be talking from here (touch heart).
You’ll be talking about the Jesus that you know and love, the Jesus who has transformed your life.
Growing will help us get Going.
And we do need to get going Because that’s what Jesus said his disciples do.
That’s what they other principles are going to help us do.
So it’s our purpose to Go.
But that isn’t as scary as you think.
Because by 12 noon today, this building is going to be empty.
We will all have gone somewhere.
So we are already going.
But to go and make disciples means more than just being physically in our community.
Many years ago I used to commute on a train and I can tell you it’s pretty easy to be physically present somewhere, but not be present.
Catching a train these days is like going to the library.
Nobody talks, we are together, but not together.
In our culture, Going isn’t just physical – it’s relational.
Going means Knowing others.
As our culture is changing relationship is becoming more important than ever.
It’s through relationship that people can see how Jesus changes your life.
It’s through relationship that people will experience the love of Jesus.
We need to prioritise getting to know the people around us.
Who can you make some time for?
Who can you really get to know?
Make it a priority each week to get to know the people you see.
One of the best ways you can do that is by eating together.
Sit with someone at a table.
It’s a small thing and it won’t feel like anything is happening, but getting to know others takes time.
We already know that it takes years for many people to come to faith, so there are no quick fixes, just the commitment to journey with someone as they learn from you what it means to follow Jesus.
It could be sharing a meal with neighbours, but for you it could be Friday night drinks, or morning tea at the park or actually taking a lunch break and eating with a work mate.
As we get to Know people then we will have opportunities to sow seeds.
Jesus didn’t just hang out with people, he taught them about the Kingdom of God.
He had news that people had to hear.
People are never going to guess from the fact you made them a cup of tea that Jesus is the Risen King.
This is still news that people need to hear.
But Jesus shared this news in all sorts of ways didn’t he?
Sometimes he told stories, sometimes he asked questions, sometimes he read and explained scripture, sometimes he spoke to large crowds and sometimes he let people walk away.
Jesus didn’t try to pressure people or to force them to listen.
He taught those willing to listen and invested in those who really wanted to find out more.
Somehow we’ve got to the point where evangelism feels like we are door to door vacuum sales people.
That we’ve got to lug this heavy, expensive machine around and convince people they need to start lugging one around themselves.
I think we can do better than that.
If I could give you one tip that I think everybody can try it’s this: ask a question and listen to the answer.
And by listening, I don’t mean waiting to point out all the ways they are wrong, and I don’t mean waiting for your chance to overtake the question.
I mean listening. Making eye contact, putting out of you mind whatever else is going on and treating the person in front of you like they are valued and their thoughts and opinions are really important.
Brene Brown says “Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give andreceive without judgement”.
This is our goal in asking questions and listening.
This is what’s changed the most in my approach to evangelism in the last 20 years.
When I started I tried to make the conversation get to a point where I could gothrough a gospel outline.
And for all my trying, that hasn’t happened very often.
But by asking questions and listening to people I’ve been able to have really great conversations about Jesus, I’ve been able to “Sow seeds in conversation”.
The next principle is my favourite, because this is the principle where we remember that we aren’t alone and that each of us really does have a role in the Great Commission.
Evangelism isn’t just the purpose of 10% of the church.
It’s not just for the pastors or evangelists.
It’s the purpose of THE church.
It’s our purpose.
And we need to row together to make that happen.
If you look at verse 20 you can see that Jesus says “and surely I am with you” – that You is plural.
It’s not you – but you.
You all. Yous y’all.
Jesus is with his church as it goes out.
We need to be working together and supporting each other.
Imagine we are all in a row boat.
I don’t mean one of those tiny row boats – but the ones that can sit a whole team in them 8 or more people.
For that boat to get moving, everyone in that boat needs to be rowing.
The whole team needs to be focused on what needs to happen and doing their part.
It’s a team sport.
What would happen if half the team rowed upstream and the other half rowed downstream.
We’d call that dysfunctional wouldn’t we?
When it comes to going and making disciples – we as a church need to be rowing together.
We all need to be rowing in the same direction.
When we realise this is the purpose of the whole church, we can see amazing things happen in the name of Jesus.
We can do so much more together than we can do on our own.
I’m not saying that we all need to be doing the same thing – but we all need to be pulling together.
One church was running an outreach event over Christmas and they were asking for helpers.
One retired lady mentioned that she didn’t really think she could be much help.
But what she didn’t understand was that she is great with young children.
She is just the world’s most adoring grandmother and she is so patient and kind.
God has given her a gift that could be used in creche.
And although it didn’t feel like a big deal to her, she was freeing up an evangelist to be talking to the adults and building relationships.
Not only that, but she could pray for the people she knew were reaching out.
By offering to help on creche, she was using her gifts and doing her bit to support the church go and make disciples.
Friends – it’s important that each one of you embrace going as the purpose of the church.
That you support the ministries in whatever ways God has gifted you.
That you are willing to embrace new ministries as your resources change and as your community changes.
I know change is hard, but be a team player.
Be willing to row with others.
Use your words to encourage and support others and use your hands to get involved.
Going is Rowing together.
But if Going is Rowing – it certainly feels like we are Rowing upstream doesn’t it?
I’m not going to pretend for a single minute that sharing our faith isn’t hard.
We all know that feeling of disappointment or discouragement.
This can feel slow and difficult.
It can be hard to keep finding the motivation to keep showing up.
So how do we keep Showing Up even through times of discouragement or disappointment?
When Jesus sent his church to make disciples he made a promise.
He didn’t promise that it would be easy – but he did promise he would always be with them, right till the very end.
When the disciples walked down the mountain they were going to start telling people that God had come to earth as a Jewish man – had died for their sins, had risen from the dead is now ruling over everything in heaven and on earth.
And they were going to tell that story to people who had just killed Jesus, and would be willing to kill them too to keep them quiet.
Then they were going to take that story to people who had never heard of Jesus and worshipped Idols.
Wherever they went their story would seem to be foolish.
The plan never depended on their circumstances being favourable did it?
If the plan depended on us or our circumstances it would never succeed, but the plan works because the gospel is news that saves people.
We don’t need to be fancy or extraverted or important to share the gospel.
We just need to keep showing up and depending on the power and presence of Jesus.
Jesus will grow his church.
“I have been given all authority on heaven and on earth” “I will be with you always”
So we pray and we pray and we pray and we go.
Pray for your friends, pray for your family, pray for your community.
Then pray again.
Pray for opportunities to speak to them, to invite them, to show them love.
Then pray again.
And pray for yourself that you would be part of the plan to make disciples, even when it gets hard or heartbreaking.
Are you ready to Show up for Jesus?
Are you ready to say “yes Jesus use me”.
“Yes Jesus send me”.
Jesus wants to use you – he has already sent you.
Today is the day to depend deeply on the power and presence of Jesus and tell Jesus that you are ready to start going to make disciples.
That means that we commit to growing as disciples of Jesus.
That we take time to get to Know others, that we sow seeds about Jesus in conversation when we can and we ROW together as the church.
And when it’s hard, we keep showing up because we know God is working.
And may God use us so that others come and worship King Jesus.
Let’s pray.
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