Following Through Series

TEXT: Luke 24:13-35

TITLE: No Follow up, No follow-through!

SERIES: The Growing Church

TOPIC: Evangelism (discipleship)

OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, May 28, 2008

PROP.: If we think that evangelism is hard, wait until we try to mature the new born Christian!!!!

INTRODUCTION: Good morning! Please pass the attendance pads down the pew you are sitting in. This is the last Sunday of the month, so we are going to let our Jr. Church kids stay right where they are at.

I want to show you a picture. This is Watkins Tower. It was located in Wembley Park London

Shortly after the construction of the Eiffel Tower, Sir Edward Watkin, a British Member of Parliament proposed the construction of a tower, that would be 46 metres (150 feet) taller.

A competition was held, and numerous designs submitted. The winning entry was a metal tower on six legs, but it was soon modified to a four-legged design that looked very similar to the Eiffel Tower. A company was set up to build the tower and construction of the tower and the surrounding park began in 1891. When the park opened in 1894 the tower had reached a height of only 47 metres (155 feet), due to unstable foundations.

The tower was never completed.

Watkin’s Tower was also became known as "Watkin’s Folly" or "the London Stump". It was marketed as the "Great Tower of London" in its day.

Watkins tower was built out of pride. It wanted to be recognized as the tallest structure in London!

I wonder, has the church become guilty of ‘building Christ stumps?’ We set out to make disciples for Christ…but our best efforts stop short after they become saved.

Every sport will tell you the importance of a good follow through for success.

The importance of following through!

In basketball

In golf

In Tennis

In bowling

In evangelism!!!!!!!

I’ve entitled this sermon:

NO FOLLOW UP, NO FOLLOW THROUGH.

You see, evangelism is like obstetrics. It emphasizes birth, not growth. It’s not obstetrics job to mature babies into adulthood. So too, evangelism’s goal is to deliver healthy baby Christians, not take care of newborns. That’s the job of the church!

So, after you have persuaded a non-Christian to accept Christ…then what? If we don’t follow through with our mission of discipleship, I fear we have failed!

Our text comes to us from Luke 24:13-35

The story takes place on the heels of the Passion week. Shaken to the core by the sight of their Savior on the cross, Jesus’ followers have just received a second blow with the news that His tomb is empty. With their faith in turmoil, two of His followers set out from Jerusalem to their home in Emmaus to sort it all out.

Let’s read

Luke 24:13-16

13Now that same day two of them (of them is a prepositional phrase indicating that these two were a part of Jesus’ followers!)

were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. (Luke is the only one who mentions this account. In fact, Luke is the only writer in the Bible to ever mention this village called Emmaus. Why is that? Luke would have had special interest in the village as there were famous medicinal wells located there…so doctor Luke would have picked up on the village of Emmaus)

14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. (Jesus had just died and His tomb was discovered to be empty)

15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.

Don’t you just love the intrigue of this moment????? They think He’s dead, but He’s walking right beside them!!!!!!

Luke 24:17-19a

17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

19"What things?" he asked.

T.S.: From Jesus’ example we learn the first principle of follow-up:

1. Graciously ask a few questions, rather than give all the answers. (17 - 19a)

Jesus could clear up their confusion by revealing Himself, but He doesn’t! Why? Because He knows that their faith won’t develop any muscle if He spoon-feeds them all the answers. They need to unload the burden on their heart and grapple with the issues themselves. So, to help them grow, He holds back His identity and ask a few questions.

There’s a great temptation to do all the talking when we’re following up with a new believer. The itch to pull out the charts and spout all the truth we’ve learned over the past thirty years is almost unbearable. Our knowledge may impress young believers, but it doesn’t teach them anything except to depend on us rather than dig for their own answers.