The Greatest Show & Tell on Earth

Matthew 5:14–16 NKJV

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I’m sure most of us are quite familiar with this passage. It comes to us through the mouth of Jesus our Lord, and reveals one of the qualities we as His disciples must demonstrate.

It is also, one of His qualities that He, while on earth demonstrated so well!

But, in our circles of evangelicalism, evangelism is relegated to tactics: The two most prevalent are either in your face evangelism, or life style evangelism.

Let me explain.

In your face evangelism disregards any relationship with the unbeliever and simply projects the gospel through rapid fire verses that are either accepted or disregarded by the recipient.

Lifestyle evangelism in it’s simple form is, living your life for Christ openly in such a way that hopefully, draws people to notice that their is a difference in you. News flash, this is the only way we are supposed to live as members of His body!

The fact of the matter is...

Jesus practiced neither! Because, neither is the Biblical model!!

My title today says it all - “The greatest show and tell on earth”

Show and Tell is the method used by Our Lord and His disciples, and their disciples, and their disciples after them. It pretty much was the mantra of the early church!

Jesus never practiced evangelism outside of relationships!

Three years ago we began a strategic initiative toward making New Hope a disciple making church.

What does that mean?

Which means we didn’t want the status quo, card carrying member with exclusive rights and privileges, but a church of individual disciples of Christ that are involved in the process of making more disciples outside of these walls.

Well, rather than a place where people come to get fed and become

You could compare this initiative to turning an oil barge around with the use of a Popsicle Stick!

In fact, every church that has taken up this initiative, has seen it take many years to achieve, and even then it’s an uphill battle.

The reason it takes so long, is because we are fighting a mindset that permeates the modern church today.

That mindset is that big numbers of attendees equals discipleship.

Now, let me put some things into perspective:

Large gatherings or even small gatherings of people at a worship service does not mean that the great commission is being accomplished. No, more than likely we are just shuffling sheep from one field to another.

The term discipleship has become a buzz word that has been reduced in many circles to another church program. (Programs don’t a disciple make).

Our Trainings are not programs.

In two weeks we will begin a ten week training that will, if you take it seriously, move you from a spectator Christian to a player on the field.

We are quite intentional about this, and have structured the training to walk everyone through a process that can become a lifestyle closer to what the Lord desires for all of us!

This training is not a replacement for the past trainings we have conducted, or a new one because you believe the first few failed, but an enhancement to what we already have begun to apply.

Each training has been a stepping stone to enable everyday people with no theological degrees to do what the Apostles did in the first century.

I’ve become keenly aware by the reaction of some of you that this training is just another waste of your time.

I’d like to address this for a moment!

If you think that your time was wasted, it might be because you had an expectation that the previous trainings were the magic ticket to increased numbers. Again, numbers don’t equal discipleship.

You may also have expected the training to somehow make up for a lack of your own heart problem, which is really disobedience to the command of Christ.

You see, we really just like to sit back and enjoy the ride! and if our church is not producing the excitement we desire to see, then there must be something wrong with the leadership!

There are times when leadership goes off the range, but more times than not, and I say this with the utmost reservation, it is the overfed, lazy, and non-reproducing sheep that are the problem!

And believe me, we have all been there!

I really am intently stepping on toes!

But I cannot tiptoe around this!

If you just want the big numbers, go to Joel Osteen’s church!

If you just want the big numbers, go to Joel Osteen’s church!

His upbeat, make you feel good, talks will have you coming back every week. But, don’t expect to hear the Word of God!

It is a force that storms the gates of hell in every community!

It is made up of soldiers!

When I hear Christians tell me that God called them to a specific church but then a few years or even months later called them to another ministry, I marvel at God’s seemingly lack of omniscience in these matters.

When I hear about Christians leaving one church for another because they have the programs that their family needs, I wonder just what they believe the church is about.

The church is the corporate body of Christ.

It is a force that storms the gates of hell in every community!

It is made up of soldiers!

The church is also the Holy Spirit Emergency Room, where the patients from the community are in need of serious help. They have broken hearts and lives that only we have the remedy for.

So the first point I will share with you today is...

I. The Greatest Show on Earth.

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

At first glance, this verse looks just like lifestyle evangelism, except for the word “see”!

This word does not mean to just see with the eye, but to see with the understanding and senses enlightened.

How then does our light shine, or your light shine, or my light shine, in a way that people will see the good works and glorify God?

Well, it’s something we will be learning to put into practice at the BLESS training.

And it has to do with Community.

Community defined: A group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society (Mirriam Webster)

We only need to concern ourselves with community to understand where our sphere of influence is.

Introduce the upside down Pyramid.

At the top of this upside down pyramid is:

Our Community - Notice it has the greatest influence overall.

This is where we use all our gifts demonstrating to the community at large that we are here to help!

Our Community

Joining forces together, creates the biggest impact.

All together, we let our light shine in a coordinated event that demonstrates to the community as a whole that we love them!

New Hope makes the biggest impact in this community structure.

Next is:

Your Community - This is where you join with someone who shares a similar burden for a specific field.

What are your passions and community where you feel God drawing you, but you don’t quite know how to work it.

A burden for the elderly

A desire to help children

A non-prophet in the community.

You can volunteer in these places, or you can partner with others in the church who have a similar interest or burden.

Lastly is:

My Community - It is where I am everyday

My community is right in front of my nose!

I must speak to my neighbor.

It’s my job.

It’s my neighborhood (neighbors).

It’s the coffee shop I stop at everyday.

It’s my family.

It’s the cranky guy across the street that no-one wants to be around.

We will only influence and infiltrate these communities for Christ, when we are aware that we are a beacon of light in these places where people can come to understand our work of faith.

We must let our light shine!

II. The Greatest Tell on Earth.

The light we shine is only part of the task.

The second part involves telling them about the One who makes this all possible.

Here is where we find most outreach strategies of churches.

And I think we understand that we must tell them the good news!

But, telling someone the good news in the absence of a relationship is far less effective and impersonal.

I also believe it is counterintuitive to the desired result, which is a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus.

If we are in a relationship with someone it is far easier to share in a meaningful way the truths of God’s plan of salvation, and not only once.

Some facts about the “tell”:

No theological degree is required.

No pre-requisites are needed (classes, ordinations, certificates, etc).

No waiting period.

No membership needed.

Conclusion:

It is pretty simple, Jesus commands us to be and make disciples.

If we are not investing ourselves in this endeavor we have failed to do what He has commanded.

If you say you don’t have time to fit this training in, then you may need to reassess your priorities!

Because clearly, the great commandment and commission is at the bottom of your priority list.