Proclaim - Wednesday Night
Wednesday Night Proclaim • Sermon • Submitted
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WELCOME:
Thanks for taking the time to be here tonight.
Tonight I want to accomplish a few things in our time together as Easter Sunday approaches:
First, I want to spend a few moments praying for the upcoming weekend.
As I said on Sunday, this weekend is Easter, and with Easter comes an opportunity to reach people who typically don’t go to church throughout the year.
It’s kind of like the Super Bowl for church. And in the same way the Super Bowl creates an excitement and brings people out to Super Bowl parties who haven’t watched a game all year, or even followed a specific team, Easter has a way of drawing people back to church or to church for the first time.
And to be honest, it would be foolish for us not to take advantage of that. As a result, I feel there are two priorities we should have in order to capitalize on the opportunity to introduce and lead people to Jesus on Easter.
Number 1, we need to be willing to invite people to church.
I hope you are doing that and taking advantage of the invite cards we’ve provided, and that you are actively seeking opportunity to invite somebody to one of our 3 Easter services.
And part of inviting would involve meeting them here and sitting with them during the service, even if it’s not the service you typically attend. What an amazing opportunity for you to invite and attend with somebody who needs Jesus.
Number 2, in addition to inviting people, we need to pray. And there are at least three things I want to pray for tonight:
First, we need to pray for our staff and volunteers, some of which are serving and attending all three services. We need to pray that God will give them strength. That God will equip them with His Spirit. And that God will use them to minister to those who attend. This includes our paid staff, worship team, kids volunteers, security team, and first impressions volunteers.
Second, we need to pray for the services, for the Good Friday and three Easter services. Pray that God’s Spirit would be here in a powerful way. Pray that as people drive on the parking lot, they would sense God’s presence. Pray that God will use the worship and preaching to lead people to Jesus.
Third, we need to pray for those who attend to have soft and open hearts. That through the worship and preaching, they would be open to the Spirit. That they would encounter the risen Jesus. That they would leave here differently than when they came in. That Easter won’t just be a once a year event, and that a relationship with Jesus and church attendance will become a regular part of their lives.
So, with that said, here’s what we are going to do.
For the next few moments we’re going to start by praying for each of these, beginning with the staff and volunteers. And then after a time of individual prayer, I’m going to have Ben Wertenberger come pray corporately for the staff and volunteers.
After that, we’re going to spend a few moments of individual prayer time praying for the Good Friday and Easter services. And then after a time, I’m going to have Bob Huff come and pray corporately for the services.
And then finally, we are going to spend a few moments of individual prayer time praying for the hearts of those coming. And after a time, I will come up and lead us in corporate prayer.
So, with that as our prayer foundation, let’s pray together as we lift up our staff and volunteers to the Lord.
PRAYER TIME:
I would just ask that you continue to pray as the weekend approaches.
For the remainder of our time, I’d like to spend a few moments going back to our Sunday focus. If you weren’t with us Sunday, we talked about the importance of “Proclaiming” our faith.
You may recall, we talked about two primary ways God is going to use us to lead people to Jesus.
The first was through our WORDS. And as we learned, there are going to be moments of opportunity where we can verbally share the gospel with someone. And while that can be a scary and intimidating moment, it’s also a moment when Jesus promises He will speak through us. In Jesus says:
20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
In those moments Jesus says He will give us the Words we need to share our faith.
And please hear me, that doesn’t negate us knowing scripture or being prepared. What that means is in those moments The Spirit is going to not only supernaturally speak through you, but He’s also going to bring to remembrance scripture you’ve read and knowledge you may have forgotten you have. Being Spirit led doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be educated or equipped.
So, that’s the first way, through words.
The second is through signs. As we saw with Moses, God used supernatural signs as a witness to the people of Israel. As a way to embolden them and strengthen their faith that God was with them. For example, Moses was able to turn a stick into a snake and then back to a stick. He was able to pour water from the nile and the ground and it turned to blood. Supernatural signs that God worked through Him.
And as I said Sunday, I’m not sure what “signs” God will use through you, but what I do know is your personal salvation and life transformation is one of the greatest signs you could ever display for someone. The Apostle Paul says it like this:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
And what a testimony and sign that is for anybody, especially if you’re sharing your faith with somebody who knew the old you. For them to see that you are no longer the same person. That something supernatural has taken place in your life. In fact, it’s something nobody can argue with.
So, those are the primary ways we can proclaim our faith to others. But their not the only way. In fact, there are several other practical ways that we proclaim our faith day to day in ways we may not even realize we do, or don’t do.
And so, for the next few moments I want to highlight and challenge you on some additional ways we often proclaim or fail to proclaim our faith.
1. We proclaim or fail to proclaim through our day to day language.
According to recent studies, it has been determined that the average women speaks 20,000 words a day and the average man speaks around 7000 words a day.
Now, I don’t share that to say that women talk more than men. I share that simply to show that on a daily basis we use our tongues quite a bit. And according to the Bible, the tongue is a powerful force. The Apostle James tells us this about the tongue:
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
James says the tongue is a powerful force. So powerful, that in all creation it’s the only thing that cannot be tamed. James says, it’s easier to tame a wild beast than it is the human tongue.
So, what does this have to do with proclaiming our faith? Well, more than you might think since, according to James, how we use our tongue is either going to be a blessing or a curse. That the tongue either builds or destroys. The writer of Proverbs says:
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
To be honest, I’m not sure we give as much thought to this as we should. To think that every word we use has the potential of either brining a blessing or curse into somebody’s life. That the use of your words either proclaim the love of Christ or the evil of mankind.
I think thats why Paul makes this comment about our words in Ephesians. In he writes:
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:
Paul says as followers of Christ, there should never be anything corrupt coming out of our mouths. That in every situation we find ourselves in, we should only use words that fit the occasion, and bring blessing to those who hear us.
That’s a tall order, right? But how often do you think we consider how what we are saying may affect those who are listening. That what our mouths we are either proclaiming blessing or cursing those who hear us. That we are either leading people to a savior or away from a savior.
The writer of Proverbs puts it like this:
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
The point is, on a daily basis, thousands of words are coming out of our mouths. The question we have to ask ourselves is, “What are my words proclaiming? What are they proclaiming about what I believe? What are they proclaiming about others? Are my words brining healing or are they like sword thrusts? When I talk, do I proclaim words that lead people to Jesus or away from Jesus?”
You see, when we speak we proclaim something. So, that’s one way we proclaim. With our everyday language and conversation.
2. A second way we proclaim is in our reactions and responses.
The fact is, when you react or respond a situation, you are proclaiming something.
For example, if somebody cuts you off in traffic, and you’re middle finger goes up, you are proclaiming something. Not that anybody here has ever done that.
Another example would be
You’re proclaiming that you are not a person of grace and mercy.
The same thing is true when every time something challenging happens in your life and you freak out or lose control and spill your guts out over Facebook. In that moment you are proclaiming something. You’re proclaiming that you don’t handle life’s challenges very well.
I think another example are those who feel the need to seek attention and accolades on social media. When you do that you are proclaiming you are an insecure person that needs others to build you up.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor, I get what you’re saying. But what does any of that have to do with proclaiming my faith?”
Well, if you haven’t figure out why the middle finger works against proclaiming your faith, then I think we have a real problem and maybe we need to have a talk after service.
But in all seriousness, here’s where I’m going with this. The fact is, how you react and respond to the situations of life speaks volumes and often proclaims what you believe about your God.
For example, if you’re in the habit of flipping people off and giving dirty looks to people who get in your way, what you are proclaiming is you serve a God with no patience, grace, or tolerance. A God who would rather cut your head off than give you the right away at the 4 way stop.
Let me ask you something, who wants to follow a God like that?
If your first response in adversity is to always freak out and lose control, what you are proclaiming is you serve a God who is out of control. A God who you can’t trust in time of need. A God who isn’t there for you when you need Him most.
To be honest, some of the most inspiring Christians I have been around are those who have faced extreme adversity but you would never know it. Yes, their pain is real. Yes, we would all understand if they freaked out. But they don’t. With calmness and faith they trust God. And by doing so proclaim that God’s grace, peace, and love is sufficient to sustain them during a dark time.
And please hear me, I’m not saying that freaking out or having an emotional response is wrong. But after the initial shock, as believers, how we move forward, how we handle the difficult days ahead should proclaim we are different as we find peace, love, and grace in a God who comforts us.
Jesus puts it like this:
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Paul writes in :
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
And in he says:
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The point is, how we react and respond to life [proclaims to those around us who our God is and what we believe to be true about Him.
The point is, how we react and respond to life speaks volumes to those around us as we physically and verbally proclaim what we truly believe.
So, let me ask you this. As you evaluate your reactions and responses to people and to life, what do you think your life proclaims about the the God you serve? By the way you respond to life, what would people be able to determine about the God you serve?
As we close tonight, I’d like to close with two prayer focuses.
First, for all of us to consider how we are using our words. Are we using them to bless or curse.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
And if you words aren’t what they should be, to ask the Lord to touch your heart. Because that’s where it starts. Jesus puts it like this:
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Jesus says from our heart our mouth speaks? My challenge for you tonight is to pray that what comes out of your mouth would proclaim treasures that lead people to Jesus.
To ask him to let what comes out of your mouth be a testimony of what is in your heart.
And to be willing to pray as the Psalmist prays:
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
And to be willing to pray as the Psalmist prays:
To pray we’d live as Paul encourages us. To:
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Jesus says this:
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Second, I’d like you to pray and consider your reactions and responses. And to ask the Lord to let your life be a proclamation of your faith and trust in Him. That in every response and reaction to life, you would proclaim his glory.
Second, I’d like you to pray and consider your reactions and responses. And to ask the Lord to let your life be a proclamation of your faith and trust in Him. That in every response and reaction to life, you would proclaim his glory.
Here are just a couple ways I would encourage you to pray in order to do this:
First, pray that God would help you to trust Him.
Because If God does all things for our good (and He does), then demonstrating our trust in Him puts His nature and character on display. We reflect who He is. The life of Abraham provides a remarkable example of this. notes that “with respect to the promise of God, Abraham did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.” At the end of his life, Paul recounts how the Lord stood with him, strengthened him, and rescued him from every evil deed, and concludes that the Lord will bring him safely to his heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever (). Trusting God declares His glory.
Second, pray that God would help you to live a life that bears fruit:
Jesus says: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit” (). Living a life that adorns God’s attributes puts His glory on display. When His communicable attributes are reflected in our lives, it not only produces fruit but it glorifies God. Paul writes:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Ask God to fill your life with reactions of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
For the next few moments, let’s pray, and then I’ll come up and close us out.
Pray