HERE I AM, SEND ME! (REVISED)

INTRODUCTION

Honor

Worship team

Who i am

My names Ethan but people call me noble

HS Boys YTH Leader

—> And i have the privilege of bringing the word to you guys today.

Pray—>Sermon

But before we do that, let’s pray.

Open ears and hearts

Softened hearts to receive

Transformed lives

Gods words, Not mine.

Sermon intro:

Encourage the students to lean in

I am so excited to bring the word today, but what i’m gonna need from you guys:

To lean in

Take notes

and have a heart and hands ready to receive what God’s speaking tonight.

“Amen????”

Sermon Title: “HERE I AM, SEND ME”

Isaiah 6:8 NLT

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Here i am, send me.

First point.

YOU’RE CALLED

If there’s anything that i know that we as christians are called and commanded to do it’s to evangelize.

“Everybody say Evangelize”

It’s a big word, but it’s not complicated.

Evangelism: To proclaim and invite others into the Gospel and the good news of Jesus christ.

put short, telling others about Jesus.

And if you’re a christian in this room, you are quite literally called to walk in a boldness to confess before others, Jesus christ and His love for all people.

Mark 16:15 NLT

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

You are called.

And this Hit’s the very core of me, because for God to call you to something. Means that God see’s a purpose in you.

I mean really think about this, Jesus, despite seeing your flaws, bigger than that He sees His purpose and calling over you.

and what the enemy will try to do, is tear down God’s calling over you to walk in boldness, to walk in confidence testifying to the goodness of Jesus, all by lying, trying to say:

You’re not fit

You don’t have purpose

And you are not called by God to do such a thing like evangelize.

And i just know there’s people in this room thinking:

I can’t evangelize

I’m socially awkward

Evangelizing? Yeah… not my thing.

it’s not my strength

I’ll stick to headphones and head down in the hallway.

Moses

had a speech problem

—>but God CALLED HIM to lead Israel

Gideon

Felt weak and insignificant

—>but God CALLED HIM to become a mighty warrior

Jeremiah

Felt too young

—>but God CALLED HIM to become a prophet to the nations

Are you guys with me right now?

Peter - Unworthy BUT GOD CALLED HIM

Paul - Shameful BUT GOD CALLED HIM

Esther - Powerless BUT GOD CALLED HER(Girls too by the way)

David - just a Shepard boy BUT GOD CALLED HIM

Jonah - Ran from God BUT GOD CALLED HIM

And if its you in this room who says to themself:

“I’m not equipped to do such a thing, like evangelize.”

God doesn’t call the equipped, but He equips the called.

You’re not too young, you’re not too broken, and you’re not too late to his calling over your life.

And what was the one thing Moses, Gideon, and all these other people had in common?

They were called by God, and through their submission and obedience, God equipped them.

Despite

What they felt.

Their weaknesses.

Their lineage.

Their gender.

Their Age.

Their baggage.

God Called them and they responded.

And you are no different, but my question to you is:

Gods calling you, but what is your response?

When a person passes a baton to you in a relay race, are you taking it and just standing still. Or are you taking it with the eager expectation to run and sprint as fast as you can towards the goal saying “HERE I AM, SEND ME.”

To every calling, takes a response to complete it.

Now if we know we’re called, the next question is

What are we carrying that’s worth telling?

(pause)

2nd point

LIFE CHANGING GOSPEL

this is the Gospel:

“Sin separated us from God — creating a gap we could never cross. But Jesus came — not just to teach or inspire — but to take on our place. He lived a perfect sinless life. He was beaten, spit on, whipped beyond recognition. Not for His sin — but for ours. He died — carrying our guilt, our shame, our pain. Then three days later — He rose. Conquering sin. Conquering death. So we could be reunited with God and never walk alone again.”

Why the Gospel Changes Lives:

Here’s the significance i find in the gospel.

If Jesus doesn’t die, we’re the ones paying the price, and the only way the price is getting covered, is with our life, scripture says sin leads to death, and because of sin, we deserve this death, and in the same way murderers have to be put on trial, there has to be just punishment.

And now for a moment, i want you to imagine being on trial for every sin you’ve committed, and the judge is reading off the list of all the ways you’ve fallen short, moments you’ve let anger get the best of you, shame, how cussed this person out, or how you looked at the person with lust.

imagine a judge in a court reading down the whole list, and after going through it all, someone steps out saying “i’ll take the punishment for them”

The Gospel changes lives because we realize that Jesus sacrificed himself for us.

Hebrews 12:2 NLT

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

you see, he hung and endured a brutal death all because of the joy that He had set before Him was knowing that we’d be back in unity with God.

And so we walk past people who say “God doesn’t want anything to do with me”

No He actually wants everything to with you, to the point that he was beat, whip, lashed, spit on, and killed all while keeping His mouth shut because of the joy of thinking how you were gonna be back into relationship with God.

He had you in mind doing it all.

I was:

Praying over students, teachers and staff members

talking about jesus to my friends

inviting people to youth group and Sunday morning services

Carrying my bible around in hand, reading it walking to class, and in class when we had free time.

And on street corners holding signs up encouraging people towards Jesus’ Love

and i was doing all these things, not because i had everything together, but because someone once did it for me.

someone stepped up to the plate

someone said “Here I am, Send me.”

Someone told me about Jesus

His death for me

His resurrection

His love and mercy

and the salvation i could have in Him.

Romans 10:17 NLT

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

And if one of our greatest desires is to see people living life walking not by sight but walking by faith.

Then someone has to do it.

and because Jesus gave His life for me, i gave my life for Him.

There are some people walking waiting to be met with the Gospel.

Waiting to hear the good news

waiting eagerly to know who Jesus is.

But what good is a cure that heals all people, thats hidden behind your back.

The worlds perspective vs The Gospel

The world says: “Hide your brokenness.” The Gospel says: “My grace is sufficient for you.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9

The world says: “Your mistakes define you.” The Gospel says: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

The world says: “It’s just one night — it won’t matter.” The Gospel says: “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 2:22

The world says: “There’s no purpose in your pain.” The Gospel says: “God works all things together for good.” — Romans 8:28

The world says: “There’s no real healing, just coping.” The Gospel says: “By His wounds we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:5

The world says: “Do what feels good — that’s freedom.” The Gospel says: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” — 2 Corinthians 3:17

The world says: “There’s no hope for you.” The Gospel says: “Hope has a name — His name is Jesus.” — Titus 2:13

The world says: “You have to earn love.” The Gospel says: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8

3rd point

OBEDIENCE AND SURRENDER

you can’t walk in your God given purpose, walking separate from obedience and surrender to Jesus.

Because when push comes to shove:

Your comfort will tell you to choose what you feel like doing.

But Obedience calls you out of your comfort zone and into uncomfort for His Glory.

And some of you might think that the Glory of God is found preaching on a stage in front of a bunch of people, but I’m here to say

Glory isn’t found on a stage

But the Glory of God is found in the obedient heart of a high school student who says “HERE I AM, SEND ME”

Telling there friends about Jesus

Vocalizing how Jesus loves people

Praying over that one student, that one friend

inviting someone into a life with Jesus

But it takes us to step out of our uncomfortable fear, and to step into our obedience to God to say “Here i am, send me”

So here's the real question:

“Why does the fear of failure scare us more than disobedience to God?”

Why do we let the fear of embarrassment keep us from evangelizing?

Why do we let rejection silence our obedience?

Fear vs Obedience

Fear paralyzes, but Obedience to God empowers.

Fear silences your voice. Obedience to God releases it.

Fear leads to compromise, But Obedience to God goes above and beyond

Fear says “not now”, Obedience says “even now”.

Fear places the control of things on us, but obedience surrenders control to Jesus.

There will be moments where your flesh wrestles with your spirit.

Where your comfort zone will scream “stay,”

but God is calling you to go.

Obedience isn't always comfortable — But it’s in the uncomfortable that we grow.

“God doesn’t move through your comfort , But He moves through your surrender and obedience, to say “Here i am send me.”

Your couple minutes of discomfort could lead to someones eternal salvation

a couple minutes of awkwardness

a couple minutes of courage

a couple minutes of “Hey can I pray for you”

a couple minutes of “Hey, you should come to youth group with me”

a couple minutes of “Can i tell you about someone, who changed me life?”

Your discomfort can lead to someones deliverance.

Your obedience and lead to their breakthrough

what if you were the answer to someones prayer? and all it took was you stepping out.

John 16:33 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Your comfort can’t save anyone. But your courage and obedience can introduce them to the One who can.

And i want to remind you guys:

It’s out of Love that obedience begins.

Because if the source of your obedience isn’t rooted in the Gospel, rooted from a heart of Love.

Then you’re just window shopping in the spirit

You’re not truly experiencing the fullness of obedience if your obeying out of a sense of doing it as a chore or duty.

Obeying Jesus and responding to His call is an absolute delight and joy, but it becomes a drag and it becomes a duty when we do it out of the heart to check off a list, and not a heart to see souls won by Jesus’ Love.

God delights in a person who’s obedient.

1 Samuel 15:22 NLT

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

“Here I am, Send me”

4th point

LOVE IN ACTION

When we fix and posture our hearts to see people the way Jesus sees.

You can’t help but Share the Love of Jesus with them.

Jeremiah 20:9 NLT

But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!

You get worn out when you begin to see God’s love for other people, trying hold it in and not share it with them.

Love in action is us releasing our view of his people and releasing the control of what’s convenient, all to see that person be met by Jesus.

The person struggling with depression and suicidal thought

The person who just lost a loved one

The person struggling with addiction

The person struggling who’s been rejected by christians and who thinks God Hates them.

When we put our love for God in action, We shift our hearts to see what God sees, then compelling us into sharing His love, Sharing the gospel, sharing the Good news that

“HEY, THERES HEALING FOR YOU”

“HEY, THERES A LOVE FOR YOU”

“HEY, THERES A PURPOSE AND CALLING FOR YOU”

Love has to be put into action.

James 2:26 NLT

Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

Romans 10:17 NLT

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Way you can evangelize:

Prayer

Asking to pray for people

Testimony

Before, encountering, and after jesus

Share the Gospel

God created us to have relationship with him, sin separated us from him, but jesus died, beat sin and the grave and rose so we could be brought back into relationship with God.

Invitational

Inviting them into community and fellowship

Social Media

Your online presence and identity is underrated

Imma go there

Living out your faith.

Walking on fire fore Jesus, having people ask naturally why you are the way you are.

But all of this is pointless and loses it’s weight when it’s not done from the heart of the Gospel.

Here i am send me.

Whats your response today moving forward?