After It is Finished: Compassion of the Call
Notes
Transcript
Today, in churches all over the world have and are preaching messages on the Resurrection. It is a wonderful and joyous day to remember that we serve a risen Saviour. That our Lord died on the cross for the sins of the world, that His blood as preached this morning was the atonement for our sin. We can see the words of Christ from the Cross as a victory because He didn’t stay in the gave.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
As Bro.Cory Started the message “After it is Finished” to the lost.
I want to speak for a moment to the Christian. It is our commission from Christ to take the message of what we heard this Easter to the world.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Introduction
Introduction
Do you remember when your mom left for an appointment or to work like my case. She would like you with a chore list? That list of things she wanted done before she got home. If you were like me you would lay around until last minute to get anything done. Or from time to time forget all about the list until you hear the car pull in the drive and you jump up to try and magically get it all done before she came in the door.
My mom no longer gives me a chore list. You may think this is the sign of my maturity, that I have now learned that I should work then play and I wouldn’t have to panic. Well, now I am married and although moms list is now gone, I have the honey do list. I have a wonderful and creative wife. Who always thinking of new home improvements for me to do. She just knows I really do enjoy building and make things so she helps keep me sharp. But the one thing she has learned in about 10 years of marriage is that I hate finish work. I enjoy the building process, I don’t mind the painting as a whole, but I hate painting trim and doing the tinny little detail things at the end to finish off the project.
For example; we have just “finished” remodeling our bathroom, when I say “finished” I mean, we have a new shower, a new sink, a new cabinet, the floors are all new, and the walls have been painted, and trim is even up. I have just start on the caulking and lost the will to finish. If you were to come to my house you would see a lot of unfinished trim and unfinished paint. If she were to show you my “chore list” you would say I have neglected that list.
But may I draw this comparison to the Church tonight, we have neglected our duty, we have sat down on the job, our trim so to speak is not finished. We have forgotten our purpose. Christ gave us a mission - we would call it a chore list, but it is far bigger than some unfinished paint. It is our responsibility. That mission to evangelize the world.
I’m not talking that we have a little painting to do, or a few more pieces of trim to put on. We have lost our entire purpose. We’ve neglected the mission Christ gave us to accomplish.
I know some go out on visitation and some Christians do what they can around there busy lives but as a whole Christians have neglected the mission. All of us in the room can think of a time we could have witnessed and choose not too. Myself included.
Here is the reality though, Moms coming home. Jesus is returning any day. As we look at the signs our world seems to be getting ready for the trumpet to blow and we are called up to meet Him in the air.
But What will Christ think about our neglect?
If I may, I want quickly share a couple thoughts about having Compassion for the Call to share the Gospel!
Powerless Against Disuse
Powerless Against Disuse
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
During WWII, the United States produced warships in astounding numbers. Basically it was a race to see if we could make them faster than the Axis powers could sink them. We won the race, and after the war, the navy had more ships on its roster than it could keep in service. Battle ships are expensive to build, and it cost fairly impossible to recover by dismantling the ships. So the navy decided to make a reserve fleet, that could be activated within 120 days. with minimal maintenance required these mighty ships would remain in the Suisun Bay waiting for the day they would be needed. what was called the “reserve fleet” would later been known as the “mothball” fleet. What was at one time over 350 ships is now completely gone. they ships sat and waited and waited until in 2017 the government about being sued by the state California for the pollution the fleet was causing the bay decided to sell off or dismantled for scrap metal. What was once a mightily fleet of war ships, is now a memory of what once was.
What transformed these mighty ships- the heroes of World War II sea battles - in simple scrap metal? What disfigured these vessels into worthless relics of the passed?
The answer in a word: neglect.
The ships that could engage the worlds powers and win are now nothing but scrap.
They remind me of local churches who have similarly suffered the disgrace of neglect. Thankfully, we do not rely on the flesh, and the moving of the spirit does not rest. Yet as disciples of Christ, you and I are engaged in a war in which we must win. It is a spiritual was, and our commission, delivered by Christ Himself, was spoken with assurance of the power we need to engage: As we read the great commission in Matthew 28.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
And yet, in the midst of the war, we can watch Christians and churches to assign themselves to the mothball fleet.
While the battle rages for the minds and hearts our kids, young people and even our adults. This war is a matter of life and death.
Opportunity has come. The need is here now! We live a world who desperately needs Jesus and we have the truth. Tragically, while the carnage takes place around us, we sit in the harbor, out mission neglected, bemoaning the fate of the world.
It’t not that we are lazy, our churches are full of programs and events. Some do but over all churches have become more about services and less about reaching men and women for Christ.
According to the Barna group, a nation-wide research group, three out of four Christians is the US 74% will share their faith only through “lifestyle evangelism - unwilling to be a direct witness with the mouth. while only 30% will share their faith with anyone on a regular basis.
We must not let this pattern continue. We must reengage in the battle for souls. now is not the time to be the mothball fleet. Our Job here is not done yet.
May we be like Paul who says:
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
or maybe Peter who says:
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Owning Our Biblical Responsibility
Owning Our Biblical Responsibility
When is comes to the Great Commission, we don’t have the luxury of entitlement without responsibility. The Church is Christ’s - no ours. And the job He had given the church is to reach the world with the gospel in our generation.
Paul got it. He saw the responsibility and made it his life purpose:
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Too many Christians today have gotten distracted and forgotten the responsibility while saying we have “liberty,” yet we neglect a world literally dying and going to hell.
By our actions we are saying we pay people to do that on my behave. We must all on the responsibility to take action. We must personally engage in the Great Commission of Christ.
So, did you get assigned to the mothball fleet? Remember we have a job to do and mom is coming home. What will Christ think?
Let’s do business wit God tonight, if you have neglected your personal responsibility, if you have lost the passion for the call to tell others. Let’s come before God and ask Him to lite a fire under us again.