Why On Earth Does The Church Exist ? Part 3
Matthew 28:18-20
This is the third in our five part message that seeks to answer the question..."Why On Earth Does The Church Exist ?"
The hope behind these sermons is that we as a church will realize the purpose and plan of God for our Church.
Thus far, we have given you two of five words that hopefully will help us in answering our question.....
How many of you remember the first two words ? 1st.....glorify
2nd......gather........
The third word that we will look at today is ....."Go"
The church exists to glorify......to gather......to go !
I want us to look at the text that gives us the charge to go.......the cause to go.....and the course to go !
1. The Power That Enables Us To Go ! V. 18
The word "ye". Every child of God has a part in the great commission. We may not all go to the same place or to the same people, but what made the early church effective in caring out the great commission was personal involvement.
The Institute For American Church Growth asked over 10,000 people this
question: "What was responsible for your coming to Christ and this
church?" Their replies were:
a. I had a special need - 3%
b. I just walked in - 3%
c. I liked the minister - 6%
d. I visited there - 1%
e. I liked the Bible classes - 5%
f. I attended a gospel meeting - 0.5%
g. I liked the programs - 3%
h. A friend or relative invited me - 79%
This survey reveals to us how essential it is that every child of God.....every church member be involved in reaching people. There are friends, and relatives of yours that I may never reach........the same is true of mine.
Illust. D.L. Moody once approached a man who was leaning against a lampost on a Chicago street. Moody was soon speaking to him about Christ. The fellow raised his fists and angrily exclaimed, "Mind your own business." To which Moody replied, "I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, but to be very frank, this is my business !"
Going....and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ is the church’s business !
I recently read a sermon on this scripture and I loved the title of the message......"Jesus’ Final Words, Our First Work" was the name of the message. The Great Commission must have seemed like a impossible command when it was given to the handful of believers that were present. The number of those present in the upper room later on would number 120............What a huge task for such a small group ? How could they.....how would they carry the message of the gospel unto all the world. The task today still seems beyond us in spite of the technological advances, and the advances in travel that have been made. Notice......the word "therefore". Remember what i’ve told you about this word......when you see the word "therefore"....find out what it’s there for ! Jesus is saying...."Go ye therefore,.........because of what I have previously said.......because I have all power.........then you can go !
Jesus Christ has the power of all heaven, and earth, and it is with that authority that we are able to go ! The outcome of any attempt at Vs. 19-20 would be futility if it were not for V. 18. There is a power that enables us to fulfil God’s purpose, and plan ! We can go and share the gospel here in our community, in our county, in our country, and to the uttermost parts of the world because of the power of the Lord Jesus Christ !
2. The Person That Exhorts Us To Go ! V. 19
The one who is exhorting us to go is the one that was willing to go all the way to the cross ! How far are we willing to go for him ?
Illust. Grandaddy was visiting his grandson, and he couldn’t stand to hear him cry....so he was constantly picking him up.However, it was nap time, and the mother laid the little boy down in his baby bed to sleep.....soon the baby was crying, and soon Granddaddy picked him up out of his bed. The daughter scolded her daddy, and told him that the baby had to stay in the bed. As the mother went about her business, she soon became aware that the baby had ceased to cry. She went to check on the baby, and what she saw shocked her........Grandaddy was now in the baby bed with his grandson. Grandaddy explained....."Since he couldn’t get out, I got in"
Isn’t that the message behind the mission of Jesus ? He was called to go.......since we couldn’t get out.....he got in. He took upon himself the form of a servant......he tabernacled among us in the flesh ! And now the same love that bid him go......bids us go. The one who took up his cross....calls us to take up our cross, and to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth !
3. The Place That We’re Expected To Go ! V. 19
In 1969 Arthur Blessett started a journey with a forty foot wooden cross. His goal was to carry it to every nation on earth, and to witness as he did. By the year 2000 Blessitt has carried the cross on foot for 32,000 miles through 273 nations. He has been arrested 24 times, been threatened by firing squads in South America, survived stonings and beatings in Africa, and was choked by police in Los Angeles, he said. He has been attacked by baboons in Kenya, chased by elephants in Tanzania, threatened by crocodiles in Zimbabwe, and had a close call with a Green Mamba snake in Ghana.
Now God is not calling each of us to carry a forty foot cross throughout the world, but if Arthur Blessett can do that, and if the early church could "turn the world upside down.".....can’t we do our part, and take the gospel across the street ?
John Currier was found guiltyof murder in 1949 and sentenced to life in prison. Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee. In 1968, Currier’s sentence was terminated, and a letter bearing the good news was sent to him. But John never saw the letter, nor was he told anything about it. Life on that farm was hard and without promise for the future. Yet John kept doing what he was told even after the farmer for whom he worked had died. Ten years went by. Then a state parole officer leamed about Currier’s plight, found him, and told him that his sentence had been terminated. He was a free man. Sweeting concluded that story by asking, "Would it matter to you if someone sent you an important message-the most important in your life-and year after year the urgent message was never delivered?" We who have heard the good news and experienced freedom through Christ are responsible to proclaim it to others still enslaved by sin. Are we doing all we can to make sure that people get the message?
Is there someone you want to witness to.....but lack the courage. Pray that the Holy Spirit will empower you. He will if we will make ourself available. God is depending on the church to get the word out ! Is there someone who is not getting the word.....because we’re not telling them !
4. The Purpose That Employs Us To Go !
Vs. 19-20
Why Go ? Because those who do not know Jesus, and those who are yet to hear his name are lost !
They need to be reached....they need to hear the good news ! We are to make converts.....to baptize, to disciple, to instruct them in word of God.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ?
People can not call on him unless they have believed...and they can not believe unless they hear.....and they can not hear unless we go !
If a child were to be lost in our community, no doubt hundreds of people would be mobilized to seek for the child.....and rightly so.....does not the church need to be mobilized to seek out those who are spiritually lost ! Who in our community is waiting for you to come and tell them the good news of Christ ?
5. The Promise That Encourages Us To Go ! V. 21
This task of taking the gospel to the lost is not one that we are in alone ! The Lord Jesus Christ will accompany us as we go !
As we endeavor to reach the lost, and share the good news of Christ in our community, and throughout the world, the Savior is with us !
