An Authentic Church Shares Christ

It is mind boggling to think about how much information is shared through social media. People record videos, they filter photos, and they post updates. It's common in today's world for people to share private moments and public thoughts about anything and everything--- almost. The reason I say almost is:

Because out of hundreds of posts from Christians, very few of those posts tell of how good God is. When we asked Jesus to be our Savior, Jesus changed us. We should never shrink back from proclaiming our love for Him online or in person.

Today we're going to use several familiar passages of Scripture to stress the importance of us sharing Christ with the world. Telling others about Jesus is what helps to make a church be an authentic church. Authentic, because we truly care about other's salvation. PRAYER

The good news of Jesus Christ should be incorporated into a believer’s everyday life. We begin our story today in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus had been crucified and had risen from the dead. The lives of the disciples would take them in different directions, and they would move out of Jerusalem because of the persecution there.

But as always, God has a strategy for carrying the good news of salvation to the ends of the earth. And part of God's strategy involves each of us. That strategy simply requires us to make disciples wherever God places us at a given time. Whether that's in South America, Europe, Africa or right down the street. Jesus said it like this:

Matthew 28:18-20 – “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.”

It was now about forty days after Jesus had risen from the grave after His crucifixion. Matthew was recounting the last words. He heard from Jesus when he wrote his gospel account. What Matthew records is like Jesus's marching orders for the disciples. This passage has come to be known as the Great Commission. These orders to the disciples are orders for us as well.

Jesus tells us to make disciples and to teach them to observe everything that He has commanded us. Jesus didn't instruct us to teach others to know everything He commanded because just knowing is not enough. He is calling us to fulfill it.

Think about it. We can mentally agree with doctrines, but if they don't change our lifestyle, what use are they? Jesus is basically saying you know all the things that I have taught you over the years. Now go do something with it.

We read this commission and many of you are probably saying that this making disciples of others is an out-of-reach goal. But instead of making the process complicated, let's look at the simplicity of it.

We come to church. We go to Bible studies. We attend Sunday school and through it all we observe the teachings of Jesus. Then we are supposed to share that with someone else how to do it. It really is that simple. An authentic church would look forward to being able to share the gospel with anyone that God sends our way.

If we are engaging with all the commands of Jesus and applying them to our lives, sharing with someone else should come naturally. We're not to stop at our profession of faith. But we're to teach everything we've learned to others. And on top of all of that, we should remember that we won't be alone in any of it. Jesus said that He would be with us always.

Then along comes the Apostle Paul. Paul wrote a couple of letters to the Corinthian church out of concern for their spiritual maturity. Actually, it’s believed that Paul wrote 4 letters to the Corinthians. We only have a record of 2 of them. The people were a little bit confused about their beliefs. They needed to sort out their problems to get to the mission. So, Paul writes and tells them:

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 – “From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

Every Christian has a before-Jesus life and an after-Jesus life. That is what Paul is describing in this passage. Paul explained that he no longer knew people from a worldly perspective. We have to remember that at one time, Paul was persecuting Christians. Paul viewed Jesus superficially and it led him to reject Jesus and to persecute His followers. When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was transformed.