A Message that Matters
Notes
Transcript
Paul’s Story—a young man who puts off starting a career in order to serve God by reaching people who never heard about Jesus.
Question: You are willing to do whatever God wants you to do? Go anywhere God wants you to go? Be whatever God wants you to be?
The most significant problem facing the church in the United States today is that many in the church have embraced religious consumerism.
Author James Emery White wrote: Many in the church “embrace a mentality that gives ample rhetorical support to evangelistic intent but resists violently at the point of implementation because—at the point of actually doing it—it costs them.”
In other words, “scratch the surface of a sacrificial, pick-up-your-cross, to-die-is-gain, eat-my-flesh and drink-my-blood Christian, and you find an it’s-all-about-me, spiritually narcissistic, turned-inward, meet-my-needs, feed-me consumer.”
We want to be comfortable, and we want it easy.
So, let me ask the question again: You are willing to do whatever God wants you to do? Go anywhere God wants you to go? Be whatever God wants you to be?
Why is this question so important?
Because God has chosen the church—it is His method to help people hear and see the message and truth of Jesus.
Specifically, there are four realities that must be communicated:
Everyone has sinned!
Sin leads to spiritual death—and eternal separation from God.
God sent his son, Jesus—to pay the penalty of sin our sin (Jesus died)
If we believe in Jesus (who He is and what He did for us), then God’s grace transforms us from spiritual death to spiritual life.
This is the Good News about the Kingdom.
Listen to what Jesus has to say about this:
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
God has called every Christian to tell others about this Good News.
But why it is that only a very few will ever tell others about Jesus?
Because, we have become more interested in what the church could do for us (sing the songs we like, provide programs and activities we like, preach and teach messages we like—for we want to feel good about ourselves) RATHER than having an interest in what we can do for this world (by giving hope through the truth of Jesus Christ).
What is the solution?
We need to take seriously the message of Jesus Christ!
We need to take seriously the message of Jesus Christ!
How seriously do we need to take it?
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Surrender - It is not about me, it is all about God and His mission to reach people with the Good News about the Kingdom.
Sacrifice - Give my time, my talent, and my treasure—all for the sake of the call.
If we genuinely take the message of Jesus Christ seriously, then...
Jerry Ireland (Missionary to Zambia) said:
Service - A sacred commitment to living life by following Jesus’ teachings; by following Jesus’ character; by following Jesus’ mission.
And, what was Jesus’ mission?
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Story: This past week I met one of our missionaries, Ted Heaston. Ted was the former pastor at First Assembly of God (Journey Church) in Kenosha.
For decades, he felt a strong call to go into the mission field—go somewhere oversees to reach people for the Kingdom.
However, doors of opportunity would never open. He was discouraged.
As he waited for something to happen, he led several of the largest churches in our country—and he inspired congregations to support missions and missionaries and evangelism—and the message of Jesus Christ. These churches supported missions by generous giving, by sacrificial commitment to go on short-term missions trips—by taking seriously the mission and message of God.
Then he felt God confirm in his heart—that he is a missionary—a missionary of supply. God used him and the churches he served to provide resources so the message can be heard.
Taking seriously the message of Jesus Christ means that we will do all we can to reach all people with the truth of God’s grace and mercy. And if we can go, we go. And, if we can’t go, we will enable others to go—so we can become missionaries of supply.
Jerry Ireland (Missionary to Zambia, Africa) said:
“To attempt the journey of following Christ apart from embracing the message of Christ will result in aimless wandering. On the other hand, when we embrace Jesus’ message along with the call to ‘follow’ Him, then we are assured of entering into the purpose of the journey.”
Without purpose, we wander—we get bored—we get off track—we can yield to false teaching—we become self-centered—we lose our compassion for people—we lose our passion for God.
WE LOSE OUR CREDIBILITY! And, people—people in Racine and people who live throughout the world—may not have the opportunity to hear the message of Jesus Christ—because the messenger is not taking the message seriously.
If we do not take the message seriously, why should we expect our community and the world to take it seriously?
I have presented to you this morning a challenge—that we must once again take seriously the message of Jesus Christ. And, it begins with an honest look at ourselves. We must change. We must repent.
If we do not have compassion for others, then are we truly a follower of Jesus Christ—a sobering thought!
People matter to God—they must matter to us. It must be more than a slogan—a banner on a wall. And, it begins with a message:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Questions for personal reflection and group discussion:
What does it mean to “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24)?
Why is the message of Jesus Christ so important?
Why is supporting missions and missionaries so important?
What happens when we lose our sense of purpose?
Why do people matter?