Becoming A Great Commission Christian

Becoming a Great Commission Christian!

ME

When Jesus comes into our lives, things sure do change don’t they?

I recall when I was a new believer, I used to work out at the gym all the time, and there was one occasion when a I wanted to use a rowing machine and noticed a towel on the bench. No one was around, so I put the towel on the side and used the machine. A few minutes later, this giant muscle guy that looked like he was fresh out of a muscle magazine walks up to me and just goes into a barrage of UNCHRISTIAN words and calls me all these names.

In my old days, I’d probably deck the guy, but now, I’m a Christian and sometimes, I am realizing, that I probably shouldn’t do what I feel like doing. Well I back down and later ask my dad for some advice.

I sought some fatherly advice from my dad who told me, “I’d pick up the towel, throw it to the right, and when his head turns to look at the towel, I’d knock him in the face.” Here is confession time. As a new believer, I know I am a Christian, but for a long time, I regretted not doing what my dad said. You know how the flesh sometimes seems a lot more enticing than listening to what God wants?

Fast-forward a few years to a gym in Hilo. I recall a guy here in a gym where I worked out, that I asked if I could grab a weight. I tapped him on the shoulder. He turns around begins going off on me again. Calls me some more UNCHRISTIAN names that I won’t mention in church! You know what he does then? HE PUTS HIS TOWEL DOWN ON THE SIDE MACHINE. YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING THROUGH MY MIND.

He puts his finger in my face and begins to threaten me. I WRESTLE WITH WHAT TO DO BECAUSE MY FLESH SCREAMS, “I CAN NAIL THIS GUY”. I THINK, “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? WELL, JESUS SURELY WASN’T A WIMP.”

It’s like the Lord said, “Blessed are you when your are persecuted for MY name sake. Ty go and apologize.” “I don’t want to Lord. It’s not for Your name, it’s for mine. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

By some miracle, my feet began to move. One foot, then the next. The next. I went up to him. Got in his face and said, “What’s your name?”. He paused, looked like he was ready for a fight, and told me his name. I told him, “My name is Ty. I just wanted to tell you that if I offended you, I rrr… I rrrr. I apologize. If I offended you, I am sorry. I apologize.” It was like a big burden was lifted off my shoulders and his too. You know what’s nice after you apologize, sometimes it causes others to apologize too. Since that time, he and I got to develop a relationship where I got to share Jesus with him.

WE

How many of you know that sometimes, God calls us to do what we would rather NOT do? Often times He asks us to do things that make us uncomfortable. I’d like you to watch this video about a successful student ministry I heard of awhile back.

VIDEO EVANGELISM LINEBACKER

This morning we are going to talk about something that God calls us to do, that can often make us uncomfortable. The bible calls it, the Great Commission. It is one of the last things and most important things that Jesus said while He was here.

“18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 NASV

In MATTHEW 28:19, Jesus tells us to “Go, therefore, and make disciples …”

I’d like you to underline the word “Go.” Now circle the word, “Go.” Underline the word, “Go” again. Circle it again.

Here is the uncomfortable part. We’d like the verse to say, “wait until other people ask”, or “wait until other people come to us”, then make disciples. But Jesus says, “Go.” As locals often say, “Try, come.” “Try, get that for me.” “Try, go.” Jesus never said , “Try, go.” He says “Go…”. To GO and make disciples is not an option for Christians, it is a command.

Let’s read on. He says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples …”. We’d like it if Jesus said to go and be happy. But He didn’t. He didn’t say go and make money. He didn’t say go and buy a big house. He didn’t even say go to church and then go home. He said go and make disciples. The word disciples means, “one who embraces and assists in the spreading of a teaching.”