How to Plan for a Great Commission Year

Brag on the church

Brag on the Conference

Brag on the importance of Pushing forward

Thank Pastor Hunt for the invitation.

Matthew 28:16–20 CSB

16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Introduction.

What are some things we plan for as a new year rolls around?

Let’s unpack a little of what is going on in the pre-verses to what we have come to know as the great commission.

Jesus has risen and in vs.7 He tells the Mary and Mary that He he is going ahead of them into Galilee and they will see him there.

So the disciples begin gathering.

I believe it is interesting to note that the disciples are all gathered on this mountain and they are waiting for Jesus to show up.

Paul indicates that there were some 500 people present at his appearance.

But there weren’t all there expecting to see Jesus!

Some of them were there because they just had that “I just don’t believe it” mentality

We all know that person who is hesitant to believe when we talk about how God shows us.

The Greek word used for doubt in vs 17 is distazo. It is the same verb used to describe Peter’s faith when he was sinking into the sea.

This seems to indicate hesitancy rather than unbelief.

I wonder how many of us are in that place of Hesitancy when it comes to really seeing the Power of God.

How many here tonight would be honest and say that they are hesitant to believe that God is still in the business of souls…NO ONE???

The problem is that that while we say with our mouth that we don’t believe this, we scream with our actions that we do because we don’t live Great Commission lives!

Who did you evangelize today?

We have become consumed with church activities, church programs, church fellowships, and BIBLE CONFERENCES, and TALKING ABOUT EVANGELISM but we do very little evangelizing.

about doubt “We must Live in a way that tells the world that we have started believing again that God is ready to do a work in millions of lives.”

We do this by Planning!

Many of you in here tonight have already started filling up your calendar for the year.

Pastors may have already started planning out their sermon calendars.

There us an unending supply of quotes on the importance of planning.

“One who fails to plan, plans to fail.”

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to play.”

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do some thing about it now.”

A few of my goals for next year are to Memorize more scripture. ( I have an app for that.)

Engage with my bible more…I have an app for that.

But my number one goal is to have a Great Commission Year.

A year where I share the gospel with more people and come along side the ones who place their trust in Jesus.

I want to share with you my three tactics that I will employ and that I believe you too can employ if you would like to plan for a Great commission year.

I. Pray intentionally for Gospel Conversations

GO AND MAKE - This portion of the Great commission implies that we are on purpose, going out and seeking opportunities to share the gospel with people.

If you are not finding opportunities to share the gospel, I can promise you it is not because they are not there.

John 4:35 CSB

35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.

But we all know the problem.

Matthew 9:37 (CSB)

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.

WE ARE THE LABORORS!

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN JESUS SAID THIS HE WAS NOT SAYING THAT THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB, BUT RATHER THAT THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE DOING THE JOB.

The reason people are dying and going to hell at an alarming rate today is not because there are not enough Christians to share the gospel! it is because thre are not enough Christians Sharing the Gospel!!!!!!!

Over 8000 people die per day in the United States!

Nearly 150000 die per day in the World! What are we doing about it?

Well pastor, I am waiting for God to bring the right person into my life to share the gospel with.

Let me ask you a question, Is there a wrong one?

The bible says that God is not willing that any should parish but that all should come to repentance.

Every person you meet is the right one!!!

You are not going to find yourself in a Philip moment very often...

I am currently working on my MDiv. in Evangelism through Southwestern and my Professor and good Friend Dr. Matt Queen during our lectures and in his book Everyday Evangelism quotes Paige Patterson’s the Soul Winners Prayer. “Dear God, give me the opportunity to share the gospel today. When it happens, help me to recognize it. When I recognize it, give me the courage to proceed [to evangelize].”

Dr. Queen goes on to to say “Although the prayer it self cannot guarantee an evangelism that works, who could doubt that a believer genuinely and daily asking God for 1) an opportunity to evangelize, 2) the recognition of that opportunity, and 3) the courage to act on that opportunity would not work at his evangelism?

If you want to evangelize, you need to engage in evangelistic conversations.

You are never going to win an evangelistic conversation that you don’t have.

II. Study Intently with evangelistic zeal.

“Teaching them to observe”

How are we going to teach what we don’t know.

I am a busy Pastor. As I am sure many of you are.

With all of the responsibility that I have between being a pastor, a husband and a dad, it is easy to let things like seminary work slide a little.

One of the ways, I personally safeguarded against this was I began teaching what I was learn during my Wednesday Night Bible study.

This held me accountable. I knew that I had to be ready to teach what I was studying.

Paul told Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

We are called by God to study his word.

Pastor Robby Gallaty at Long Hollow Baptist Church was talking on his podcast with the late Christ Swain about what is the most important lead measure for spiritual Growth: It is not Prayer, It’s not church attendance, its not small group, its not scripture memory, fasting, prayer, evangelism, its is Bible engagement is the number 1 spiritual discipline head and shoulders above everything else. This is not bible reading, its not just bible study, its allowing the word of God to direct your life, allowing the direction of the word to dictate the direction of your life,

It is not just hearing the word but obeying it also.

Be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.

People who engage with the bible, are more engaged in other spiritual disciplines.

People who engage the bible:

Pray more

Go on more mission trips

fast more

Are more evangelistic.

the reason we are not seeing evangelism in the church today is because most of the people are drawing from an empty well.

Bible reading plans are good but if you are reading the bible everyday just to check off your i read the bible box, you are not going to have the same impact as if you are engaging in the bible.

I have gotten to a place where when I study the bible, I pray and ask God to allow me to use what I am studying to be able to engage in a spiritual conversation…and are you ready for this… I then pray that God will lead that conversation in a Gospel way.

Friends, when we study the word of God, do intently and with the Great commission in mind.

Lastly:

III. Start Internally with your Family and Friends.

Going back the the text in Matthew where Jesus told the disciples that the Laborers are few, let me asking you this question… IF YOU DON’T WIN YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, WHO WILL?

One of the greatest benefits of being a disciple-maker is seeing people grow in the Lord.

It is exciting to see someone give their life to Christ when you are out at a restaurant or at store… but you may never see the growth in their spiritual lives because they may go to a different church or be from a different area.

But friend, nothing will encourage you and motivate you to go out and share more and teach more then watching your child or your spouse or your parent Grow in their faith.

Story of Eric with Josiah

Ava coming home telling me that she led an entire table of her friends to Christ a lunch

Makayla inviting her new friend to VBS and seeing her trust Christ.

I am so blessed to be able to say that my whole family is saved. I cannot imagine being in the place of the rich man who had all he wanted in life but never trusted God, and never partook in the sin offering.

I am reminded of his plea to Abraham in Luke 16:27-31.

Luke 16:27–31 CSB

27 “ ‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28 because I have five brothers—to warn them, so that they won’t also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

If you do not have confidence in the status of your families salvation tonight then the first thing you should do when you leave here is go and do your best to get that settled!!!

And you should take nothing short of hearing them tell you HOW THE KNOW they are saved!

You may say, but pastor I get nervous when I try to talk about that.

Simply ask your self if you are okay with taking the chance that your son or daughter, husband or wife, mom or dad, brother or sister may close their eyes tonight and lift their eyes up tomorrow in Hell.

Conclusion

I want to close tonight by reminding you of one more story that you all know so well. (By the way, we all know that we should keep the Great Commission as our vision for the future, we just have to be reminded from time to time.)

Luke 5:17-20, we are told the story of of some friends who were carrying their buddy on a stretcher because they heard and believed in what Jesus could do for him.

They get there and there were to many people for them to make their way to him.

So what do these friend’s do? WHAT EVER IT TAKES! They determine that there is not price that they are not wiling to pay. All they know is that there is a Man who can heal their friend and they have to get him in the presence of this man.

CAN I END BY ENCOURAGING YOU TONIGHT THAT THERE IS A MAN WHO CAN HEAL YOUR FRIEND, HE STANDS READY TO FORGIVE THEIR SINS BUT IF WE ARE NOT PREPARING AND PLANNING TO GO OUT AND TELL THEM THEN THEY MAY NEVER MEET HIM ON THIS SIDE OF ETERNITY.

The bible says how shall they believe in whom they’ve not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher?

The world needs Christians to Determine to have a Great Commission year!

Will you join me this year in:

Praying for intentional gospel conversations

Studying intently with evangelistic zeal

Starting Internally by witnessing to your friends and family.

Lets Pray.