All In Following Jesus On His Mission
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All In Following Jesus On His Mission
All In Following Jesus On His Mission
So, Crossway Student Ministries – we have talked about how Christians are :
All In Following Jesus
All In Following Jesus Together
and tonight, for our last message, we are going to talk about how we are ALL In, following Jesus ON HIS MISSION.
But first, I want to tell you a story.
This story is about the first time that I ever had a Philly Cheesesteak. How many of you have ever had one? No, not one down here. No, not even a Jersey Cheesesteak (though I hear their chicken cheesesteak is better than Philly’s). But a legit Philly Cheesesteak, In Philadelphia. Anyone?
Well, it was the end of summer after my senior year of high school. In one month, I was going to be heading off to college.
Me and three of my friends were hanging out in my house one (I think it was Friday) night, and we were talking…Somehow we got on the discussion of Philly cheesesteaks, and I started talking about how I’ve never had one…And then, one of my friends says, “Why don’t we just drive to Philly and get some?!”
Us 17-18 year old guys, what do you think we did?
We looked at each other and said, yes! That’s a great idea. So I asked my mom to borrow her van, we loaded up, and set off for Philadelphia. We took turns driving, and about 4 hours later…we’re in Philly.
Mind you, this is at like 9 pm when we set off…so we’re pulling up into Philly at 1am!
Luckily the cheesesteak is open all night.
So we went to the two famous spots – Pats and Geno’s, and I believe we each bought one from each spot. I mean, if you’re driving during the middle of the night for a cheesesteak, you’re going to get both.
And we got our cheesesteaks, and ate them, and they were phenomenal. Trip WELL worth it.
After that, we drove to Delaware (lol) because one of the guys had a sibling there that we thought we could sleep at their house… that didn’t work out, so we actually ended up sleeping on a beach in Delaware…I don’t know if that’s legal, but that’s neither here nor there. But I will say to you that sleeping on a beach is TERRIBLY uncomfortable.
And then, later on in the day, we drove home.
That’s the story of my first cheesesteak.
Now, I ask you–WHY ON EARTH DID I SHARE THAT STORY?
I mean, for one, it’s a pretty awesome story, no? haha, but that’s not why I shared it.
I shared it because it says something about our motivations.
Why did I drive all the way to Philly to get a cheesesteak?
Because I had heard about how amazing it was. I was motivated by love for the cheesesteak, to drive four hours in the middle of the night, just to get a piece of it. And it paid off–it was great.
I say that to say, we are motivated by the things that we love.
Just think about your life for a second. The things you go all in for, the things that you work hardest at – they’re probably things you love, right? Otherwise, why would you do them?
You practice an instrument or a sport because you love playing it. You read ?maybe? a great book because you love literature. You make every effort to spend time with your best friend because you love being with them. You play fortnight day and night because you love the game. (Can I get a witness?)
Not only are we motivated by the things that we love, but we are motivated to share the things we love with others.
To illustrate : what’s someone’s favorite food?
Okay, you really love that food, right? Have you ever told someone they should try it?
Why?
Probably because, you’ve tasted how great it is. And there’s just something inside of you that wants others to know how great it is also, right?
Why?
Because our happiness multiplies when we share it with others. It goes back to that togetherness we talked about this morning.
How silly would it be of me to say, nah, don’t eat _______ . It’s whack. Nah, that’s whack!
Haven’t you experienced that – where you are eating something with friends, and it’s the bomb, and you just look around at each other like “are you eating what I’m eating?” And then as if their joy in the food isn’t enough, you look around for other people to share that joy with? Right?! You experienced that?
Our joy goes up when we share something we love with others.
The same is true of our faith – in fact, it’s the most true thing about this illustration.
This is the main point of this message:
People who are all in for Jesus want to share Him with others at all costs.
People who are all in for Jesus want to share Him with others at all costs.
They will be motivated by love for Jesus to share Him with others. They who have tasted and seen His grace will want others to experience His grace, too.
They are ALL IN on his mission.
They are all in on his mission.
For this closing session, I want us to look at a guy – Paul, who was motivated by love to share Jesus with others, no matter the cost. Just like I was going to drive four hours in the middle of the night because I loved cheesesteak, Paul was going to do some crazy things to share Jesus with others because He loved Jesus so much.
Open your Bibles up to .
So, to set the scene, Paul and Barnabas had shifted the focus of their ministry from the Jewish people to the Gentiles —> they were proclaiming the gospel to them; the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus – they we’re bringing about the ‘salvation to the ends of the earth’ that God had promised.
When they made this shift, more and more non-Jews (Gentiles) began coming to faith in Jesus, and the word of the Lord spread in Antioch (which is around modern day Turkey, above Israel).
When this happened, the Jews stirred persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the district. They then went to Iconium (also modern day Turkey) preaching and a bunch of Jews and Gentiles believed in Jesus. But there were some that didn’t believe and they too stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas.
They were trying to stone them, but Paul and Barnabas figured it out ahead of time and went to Lystra (same modern day Turkey).
This is an aside, but I think it’s important to realize...
Wherever Jesus is preached, opposition comes. But God is at work.
Wherever Jesus is preached, opposition comes. But God is at work.
In Antioch, where people tried to stone Paul and Barnabas – we see God at work.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
Ultimately, the devil doesn’t like the spread of the gospel, because through it God is winning back souls into His kingdom, and the kingdom of Satan is falling. So he stirs up people and things to be in opposition to the gospel message. But in the midst of that persecution, we read this.
As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. This gives me hope that God is at work. It’s not my ability, it’s not my eloquence at sharing the gospel – it is me simply being faithful to tell people what Jesus did for my soul – and since He is my everything, and I love Him so much, I want others to know Him that way, too. And He promises to do the work.
Okay, so we find ourselves in Lystra in . Let’s read what happens.
Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
Acts 14:8-
So God worked a miracle through Paul in this crippled man’s life to make him able to walk. And this is not walk again, this is FROM BIRTH.
He had never experienced the FREEDOM of walking. He was confined to understand life through his experience of being immobile.
Can anyone relate to this man– that, apart from Jesus, we all lived our lives like this man – who was resigned to understand life from a vantage point of not being able to walk.
It’s even more though – apart from Jesus, we don’t even know what life truly is. The goodness and grace of Jesus is that he came and lived and died and rose that we might truly live. Amazing.
Anyways, God works this miracle through Paul, and what happens after that, is the crowds of people witness the man walking and begin to think that Paul and Barnabas are gods. They start worshiping them, and they’re like – NO – we’re simply men. We are just pointing to the living God. We bring good news that you should turn from the lowercase gods to the living God. They tear their robes in protest of the blasphemy.
He is preaching the gospel to them – to turn from their sin, to turn from living life on their own, to the living God.
And what happens:
But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
That same crew of Jews from before chased Paul here in Lystra, and persuaded the crowds to STONE PAUL. They stoned him and left him for dead! Mind you, Lystra was 100 miles from Pisidian Antioch (where most of those Jews came from). They traveled 100 miles to shut Paul down.
He was stoned, left for dead, and what happened?
He got back up. He rose and entered back into the city. Then the next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe.
Check this out: Derbe was about 60 miles away from Lystra.
How long does it take to walk 60 miles ON FOOT? A few DAYS. (About 20-30 hours of straight walking, depending on your speed).
So Paul was stoned and left for dead, and then he got up and walked a couple days journey to preach the gospel in Derbe. They preached the gospel and made many disciples – i.e. the word bore fruit – people were saved in Derbe!
Then, they returned back to Lystra (60 miles), to Iconium and Antioch (100 miles from Lystra) and gave this message :
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
They strengthened the disciples, encouraged them to continue in the faith, and shared that they must enter the kingdom of God through many trials.
Paul went BACK to the place that stoned him out of concern and care for the followers of Jesus there.
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
Paul himself put his money where his mouth was on this, huh? He had been beaten and left for dead. But he got up and kept sharing his faith.
So, in looking at this passage – we must ask ourselves:
What on earth would make you do what Paul did?
What on earth would make you do what Paul did?
People who are all in for Jesus want to share Him with others at all costs.
People who are all in for Jesus want to share Him with others at all costs.
It appears that Paul’s sermon was cut short.
They will be motivated by love for Jesus to share Him with others. They who have tasted and seen His grace will want others to experience His grace, too.
Paul knew WHO he was, WHAT Jesus had rescued Him from, and WHO he was now in Christ. He wanted everyone to know Jesus.
Listen to Paul’s farewell to the church leaders at Ephesus:
Acts 20:22-
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.
Remember from our first talk this verse?
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
People who are all in for Jesus want to share Him with others at all costs.
The book of Acts shows us this theme over and over again – sharing our faith because of a commitment to Jesus, regardless of the cost.
Earlier on, in , Peter and John – followers of Jesus who were sharing their faith to people and performed a miracle, and the Jewish people were annoyed by their teaching, so they arrested them and brought them to court before the high priest. They even told them about salvation in Jesus’ name.
They didn’t want the message of Jesus to spread, because they would lose their religious ‘power’ among the people. So they told Peter and John to stop sharing in the name of Jesus, and this is what they said.
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:19
We cannot help but speaking about what we’ve seen and heard. If you’ve tasted the goodness of God’s grace, you will want to share it. Joy is multiplied when it is shared. Don’t I want you to try the cheesesteak if I have, and I’ve loved it?
We cannot help but speaking about what we’ve seen and heard. If you’ve tasted the goodness of God’s grace, you will be compelled to share it.
Right? I want you to try the cheesesteak. I’m not concerned if a vegetarian is going to get mad at me. I’m going to tell them they need to try it, too. (I’ll do so in love).
The same thing happened a chapter later. The disciples arrested for sharing Jesus, but then an angel of the Lord let them out. They went into the temple to share about Jesus’ life. Right into the center of where they would get caught again.
The high priest got mad and took them in to question them.
Peter and the apostles were told by the religious leaders not to share about Jesus, because they were filling Jerusalem with that teaching (which was a threat to them).
Their response in was gangster – “we must obey God rather than men.” Then they preached the gospel to them.
They were outraged and ended up beating them and and charging them not to share the name of Jesus, and let them go.
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
The disciples left rejoicing because they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the sake of the name ().
Counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
Jesus has commissioned his people to share Jesus. He has commissioned us to make disciples.
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.”
We are to make disciples. That is, we are to offer them new life in Christ. We are to invite them into a relationship with Jesus. We are to invite them to follow Him.
That is our Great Commission. God has called us to that.
The Holy Spirit is with us – He will give us the words to say. Jesus Himself promises to be with us to the end of the age.
If we truly LOVE Jesus, and truly LOVE people, then we will want to see them know Jesus. We will want to share our faith if we truly believe that those who are not saved spend eternity apart from God bearing His punishment for their sins in hell. The most loving thing we can do is to share the gospel with them. To share the way that they can be forever free of sin, shame, guilt, and God’s wrath. That they can experience His amazing love and grace, and eternal life with Him.
I wanted to touch base really quick with some practical thoughts about how to go about being all in following Jesus together on His mission.
I think, when we talk about sharing our faith, oftentimes there’s hesitation, right?
What are some reasons we are hesitant to share our faith?
I wanted to touch on two of them here for a moment.
Two things I wanted to touch on that I’ve heard are:
I don’t know what to say.
I’m afraid I’ll lose friends.
I don’t know what to say.
I understand this one. We are tempted to want to have all the answers. To be able to prove our points. To be able to win arguments against our friends that are atheists.
My sister : “I don’t believe what you believe. But I believe you believe it.”
Let me take some of the pressure off of you – people are rarely won to Jesus by winning arguments. Actually, I don’t know of anyone who was won that way. That’s because to become all in for Jesus, it’s not an intellectual thing ALONE. It’s a supernatural work of God to make someone born again. We persuade people, yes, but we trust God with the results.
He’s promised to be with us, too. His Holy Spirit is with us.
Look at 1-12.
And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
The Holy Spirit will be with you in your sharing of the faith. He will be with you in persecution.
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Behold, I am with you always!
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.
All through Acts, when people get up to preach, it says they got up, FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, and speak.
It’s not your power. It’s Gods. Just be faithful to share how He has saved you.
I’ve heard it put like this before.
Evangelism is just one beggar telling another where to find bread.
Evangelism is just one beggar telling another where to find bread.
I’m afraid I’ll lose friends.
I get this one, too. Our society doesn’t see sharing our faith as a loving thing. It says that we should accept everyone as they are, and let them believe what they believe, etc. Now, I’m not saying that we shove our faith down people’s throats, but I do think to an extent, we might need to ask for boldness to ‘obey God rather than man’ as we looked at earlier.
Just for thought.
If we truly LOVE Jesus, and truly LOVE people, then we will want to see them know Jesus. We will want to share our faith if we truly believe that those who are not saved spend eternity apart from God bearing His punishment for their sins in hell. The most loving thing we can do is to share the gospel with them. To share the way that they can be forever free of sin, shame, guilt, and God’s wrath. That they can experience His amazing love and grace, and eternal life with Him.
So, you might lose friends. But you might gain a brother or sister in Christ, for eternity. It is worth the cost. And God calls us to live such a life that though our friends might not believe, they might still see God through us and not be able to slander us.
Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
In our words and our works, we must seek to be an example of the love and grace of God. That is done
In our words and our works, we must seek to be an example of the love and grace of God. We must share the hope within us in a manner that communicates love, truth, and grace. God will be with us. God will use us. We need only to trust Him.
In close,
The Holy Spirit is with us – He will give us the words to say. Jesus Himself promises to be with us to the end of the age.
We go ALL IN on mission for Jesus because we have tasted and seen His great, gospel love for us. He went on the ALL IN mission to rescue us. We simply want to tell others about His great rescue, and offer it to them.
It is not the job of your youth leaders to talk to your friends about Jesus, or to get them to come to youth group, or to get them to come to church. It is the job of everyone who is a Christian to be on Jesus’ mission to save people through the gospel. It is your job. God is calling you to share your faith.
-We don’t know what to say.
-We’re afraid we will lose friends.
-We ourselves are somewhat unsure of Jesus.
What are some practical ways you can jump into the mission of God?
-Invite to youth group?
-Talk to them about your faith.
-Talk to them about what God’s teaching you.
-Build that kind of an open relationship.
As we close,
Who is one person that God has put in your life and is calling you to share the gospel with?
Pray right now for boldness. Pray for surrender.
Pray for boldness. Pray for surrender.