-how many of you were in NewSong this morning? We talked about “a Churchy View”, one that entices us to go out into the world and share Jesus with others.
-this song isn’t probably everyone’s style of music, but the lyrics were just too right on so I had to use it. Stephen will like it.
[PLAY “SEND ME” BY LECRAE]
-the second verse there is just too perfect. Saying that America isn’t quite as Christian as we think. We say we are, but is that true? Or are we just saying it because it’s the right answer? Do you think the people you go to school with actually know who Christ is?
-in the song he mentioned the Great Commission. For those that don’t know it, here it is:
**Matt. 28:19-20 -> 19”So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.” (NCV)
-so how do we end up being more like the disciples in Acts?
1. WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT
-we have to realize that we are not alone. God is always with us through His Holy Spirit.
-this was the very last thing Jesus said before He left earth.
**Acts. 1:8 -> 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NLT)
-first the Holy Spirit came (we talked about that with Pentecost months ago), then the disciples received power to go everywhere telling people about Jesus.
-the list of places there is like city, state, country and world. It’s like if Jesus said to you to tell people everywhere—in Fishers, throughout Indiana, in the United States, and to the ends of the earth.
-we need God’s strength to do this. Do you pray for your friends, family, etc. that they will know Jesus? I have your commitment cards you signed that you would.
-I have a verse on my computer reminding me that prayer works. We just need to believe it.
**Mark 11:24 -> 24For this reason I tell you: when you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for. (GNT)
-do you pray believing that what you pray for will happen?
-I know it’s hard. I’ve prayed for people so many times that it starts to be just words, but I can’t give up, I have to start with prayer.
-I need God’s power to do what I do, that’s just how it is.
-so do you. If you want to do God’s work, maybe it’s a good idea to involve God.
-we’re supposed to be praying about everything!
**Phil. 4:6-7 -> 6Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (MSG)
-we need His Holy Spirit in us, helping us, giving us strength to share His Word.
-and the world needs His Word because it’s a lot like the world when Jesus came.
2. THE WORLD KNOWS RELIGION, NOT GOD
-look at the stories of Jesus talking to the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Fumanchuisees.
-they didn’t understand. They knew the rules, they understood there was an organized religion, but they didn’t know God.
-even the religious leaders didn’t understand, that why Jesus was so short with them so often. On one occasion they tried to trick Jesus and asked a question about their view of heaven, and this is what He said.
**Matt. 22:29 -> 29Jesus answered, “You’re off base on two counts: You don’t know your Bibles, and you don’t know how God works. (MSG)
-it’s kind of sad when your pastor has to be told they don’t know their Bibles and they don’t know how God works!
-but that’s our world. They know there’s a God. They know that going to church is good for them, just not too often. But do they actually know God? Who He is? What He’s really like?
-look at the people when the apostles were sharing in Acts. The people knew religion.
-the people that Jesus spent time with are the Jews. The people the Christians are living with and talking to in the book of Acts are Jews. Jesus is the Son of the God who called the Jews His chosen people. But they didn’t recognize Him as God.
-one day in the synagogue, Paul stood up and gave the gospel message to the Jews.
-they’re a good group to start with because again, they knew religion, they just didn’t know Jesus was the Son of God, and that’s how Paul described the people.
**Acts 13:27a -> 27 Those who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did not realize that Jesus was the Savior. (NCV)
-that’s kind of where we are here in America. We know about God, but we don’t know about the personal relationship with Him. That’s where we come in. We have to help people realize this.
**Phil. 3:7-11 -> 7Those things were important to me, but now I think they are worth nothing because of Christ. 8Not only those things, but I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him, I have lost all those things, and now I know they are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ 9and to belong to Him. Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with Him. 10I want to know Christ and the power that raised Him from the dead. I want to share in His sufferings and become like Him in his death. 11Then I have hope that I myself will be raised from the dead. (NCV)
-do you think people know the greatness of knowing Christ? That’s it’s not following the rules but belief in Christ and a relationship with Him that makes us whole? Do they consider all things under Christ?
-right now there’s a football game on which we’ll watch later, but do you have any idea how many people asked Liz and I to cancel youth to watch football? When do you think we’ll get to a point where we ask to cancel football for church?
-the world knows religion. They know the “rules” we’re supposed to follow. They know there is a God, but do they actually know Him?
-but how will they know if we don’t tell them?
3. THEY’RE INTERESTED
-believe it or not, people are interested in hearing about God. The true God.
-if people really knew how much God loved them or what He would do for them or how great He is, would we have a half-empty parking lot on Sunday morning, or would they be beating down the door?
-the story I told in NewSong this morning about Sharon hearing her friends talk about church and how she wished there was a place like that for her with friends, that was while she was in high school. She heard the youth group kids talk about how much they cared for each other, things going on at church, all the surface stuff we do and she wanted to be a part. Why wasn’t she? No one invited her. No one wants to go to a party where they don’t know someone.
-we’ve talked before about Acts 2 when Peter stands up and shares the gospel message with people who were looking around. After he finishes, what do they say?
**Acts 2:37 -> 37Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” (NLT)
-the first thing they did was ask for more. The very first thing going through people’s minds on the street that were doing nothing more than walking by when they heard the Good News about Jesus was to ask for more information. People are interested! They want to know more! Who wouldn’t want to know more about a God of the universe that cared for you personally?
-but someone’s got to start and let them hear about it. From this morning’s sermon:
**Ro. 10:14 -> 14But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? (NLT)
-someone needs to tell people for this chain reaction to start. That’s where we come in. But we have to stop being worried. The people in Acts, they weren’t scared to talk about Jesus.
4. DON’T BE ASHAMED
**Ro. 1:16 -> 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (NIV)
-[SING] “Salvation is here. Salvation is here and He lives in me.”
-we sing it really loud, but do we tell people outside the church loudly, or quietly?
-and I know you don’t want to be embarrassed or step out on someone’s toes, but I’ve been reading a story the last few weeks online where a woman went up to visit a town she used to teach at and she was hoping to see the guy she liked up there. When she got there she found out that he was dating someone else while leading her on the whole time, and the whole town knew. She asked why no one told her and they all felt it was none of their business. No one wanted to step out and have the awkward conversation of what was happening.
-now, if it were you, would you rather have someone tell you what was going on, or would you rather that they not feel embarrassed or weird?
-this is something people need to hear, even if it’s a little weird. We need to tell people about Jesus.
-we need to reach the point where we are compelled to tell people.
**I Cor. 9:16 -> 16Telling the Good News does not give me any reason for bragging. Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News. (NCV)
-Paul understood that he had to do it, people need to hear.
-I have a movie clip here about a man named Oskar Schindler. For those that don’t know the story during World War II Jews were being killed by the Germans simply because they were Jewish. They would all use Jews to work in their factories and pay them nothing or kill them for sport while this was going on. But Schindler set up his factory to save the Jews. While at his place they could not be harmed and even when soldiers came to take them away to be killed, he used them as workers as an excuse to save their lives. After the war he had to leave being a Nazi he would be hunted and tried for crimes even though he was doing the right thing.
[SHOW “SCHINDLER’S LIST CLIP]
-could you hear it in his voice. “Just one more.” He got to the point in his life where everything else was not worth it, he would trade it all for just one more. 900 people were saved because of him, and he still wanted one more.
-when are we going to get to the point of looking at people’s souls, realizing that we have something they need, and looking at the cost, but going, “Just one more”?
-no matter where you are in your relationship with Jesus, we need Him more and the world needs Him more. He died on a cross for our sins so we could be forgiven and have that relationship with Him. If you haven’t made that decision yet, there’s plenty of us that would like to talk to you about it, but if you have, the world needs to know that. It’s not complicated, that’s it, really simple. It’s all about Jesus.
