The Invitation Factor Series

(This message adapted from The Purpose-Driven Life, by Rick Warren)

SERIES: “THE GROWTH FACTORS”

TEXT: MATTHEW 28:18-20

TITLE: “THE INVITATION FACTOR”

INTRODUCTION: A. There once was a fellow that was deeply moved by the preacher’s sermon on

evangelism one Sunday. Before he left the church, he decided to pray this particular

prayer every morning: “Lord, if you want me to witness to someone today, please

give me a sign to show me who it is.” And he did.

One day the following week, he was walking through the city park and sat down on

one of the benches. A big, rough-looking man sat down next to him. The man’s size

and tough exterior frightened him so he went to stand up and walk away.

Just then, the big man burst into tears and cried out loud: “My life is miserable.

I’m a lost man. I need the Lord. I need to be saved. Won’t somebody tell me how I

can be saved?!?” He then turned to the Christian, grabbed him by the shoulders, and

pleaded in a desperate voice, “Please, mister. Can you tell me how to be saved?”

The believer immediately bowed his head and prayed, “Lord, is this a sign?”

1. The Great Commission has become the Great Omission in a lot of congregations

2. The people around us are lost, dying, and going to hell but the church members

are too afraid and too ignorant to do anything about it

3. Mt. 28:18-20 – “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on

earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with

you always, to the very end of the age.’”

B. We’re wrapping up our series “The Growth Factors” through these next few weeks

1. We’ve been taking a much more intensive look at the five purposes of the church

2. The five purposes:

-- By the grace of God and in faithful obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus

Christ, we exist to:

a. EXALT GOD

--through worship

b. EXPRESS HIS LOVE TO OTHERS

--through ministry

c. EVANGELIZE THE LOST

--through outreach

d. EDIFY THE SAVED

--through fellowship

e. EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR MINISTRY

--through discipleship

3. We’ve covered the first two purposes and move to the third – “THE INVITATION

FACTOR” - evangelism

--it flows naturally out of the first two

a. Part of our daily worship and show of love for God is shown in through our

communication of the grace of God to others

b. Loving others means that we care about their eternal destiny and their

relationship with the Lord

c. 1 Jn. 4:20 – “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For

anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God,

whom he has not seen.”

C. Jesus said that we are to “go”

1. In the original language, it’s literally “as you are going”

2. He wants us to understand that as long as we live and as long as His church is on

this earth, the Great Commission never stops.

--Like the Energizer Bunny, we should KEEP going and going and going….

3. This is not Mission Impossible.

--This is Mission Inevitable.

4. The mission Jesus started when He was here is the mission He has left for us to

complete

-- Jesus is in heaven. An angel comes up to Him and Jesus says, “My plan is to

give the Good News to my followers on earth and ask them to share it."

The angel asks, “What if they don’t? What’s plan B?” Jesus replies, "There is

no plan B.”

5. How do I do my part in accomplishing the mission Jesus has asked me to do?

I. I MUST SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH THOSE IN MY WORLD

A. There’s an event recorded in Luke 8 about a guy that Jesus healed.

--he was possessed by a legion of demons

1. After Jesus healed him, he wanted to travel with Jesus

2. V. 39 Jesus says, “ ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ [then it says] So the man

went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.”

a. Jesus says the same thing to you.

b. You know where your mission starts?

--Right at home, starts in your own neighborhood, in your own community.

3. It says he went all over town. That’s what God wants you to do. He wants you to go to your

friends, your family, your coworkers, your neighbors, anybody who crosses your path