REVIVAL 2003: FREEDOM
FREE TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL
MATTHEW 28:16-20
INTRODUCTION
READ MATTHEW 28:16-20 = “16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)
Anyone who’s been in church for any length of time or has been through a Sunday School class can tell you that this passage of Scripture is called the Great Commission. It is mentioned in Mark 16:15 in a simpler manner, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” And even though we call this the great commission we should actually call it the Great Command. Jesus wasn’t suggesting that we do anything that He described, but He was commanding us to do it. Jesus was commanding that His followers continue in the work that He began which was to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
The entire reason Jesus Christ came to earth was to seek and to save!
The reason Jesus healed the sick and restored the paralyzed was to seek and to save!
The reason Jesus taught what He taught and spoke in parables was to seek and to save!
The reason Jesus fed thousands with miracles and provided for them was to seek and to save!
The reason Jesus invited men around Him and taught them was to seek and to save!
The entire reason Jesus Christ died on the cross was to seek and to save!
Jesus gave those who believe in Him the Great Commission. Jesus told those who believed in Him to copy His example. If Jesus’ #1 priority was to seek and save that which was lost and we claim to be followers of Christ, what then should be our priority? If God’s Word says that we’re to imitate Christ, as it does in many places in word and in the description of deed, what then should be our priority? Our priority as Christians should be the same as Christ… to seek and to save that, which is lost. In looking at this Great Command of Jesus, I want us to first understand the lost, know what we can do for them, and look at our commitment to the lost.
I. WHO ARE THE LOST?
I suppose if we are to change the way we think and act and we are to be concerned and burdened for the lost, we must find out exactly who the lost are? I want you to know that the word that we most often read in Scripture, ‘the lost,’ means something very specific and carries with it a meaning we do not normally use. The word ‘lost’ in Scripture has with it the meaning of useless, to perish, to declare that one must be put to death, and is used as a metaphor of those who endure misery in Hell for eternity. Overall, this word ‘lost’ means to perish 33, to destroy 26, and to lose 31. In Scripture, being lost means a whole lot more than not being able to find your way. In Scripture, being lost means so much more than wandering off. To be lost, means that you are endangering your soul with eternity in Hell. To be lost, means that you are useless to God. To be lost, means that on the Day of Judgment, you have no place to go but down.
I want you to be able to identify people in your life who are lost. I want you to be able to explain what lost means and why it is not such a good thing to be. I want you to understand their attitudes and where they come from. I want you to know that people who are ‘lost’ are not Christians. Being ‘lost’ means:
* You agree with Friedrich Nietzsche (www.slogans.net) who said, “In Heaven all the interesting people are missing.” This means that they like their life and the sin that they are in. It means they feel that Jesus or God would cramp the kind of life they want to have. It means they have lived their life with their own ideas and in the manner they have chosen without any help from God. Perhaps they feel religion is boring or archaic or a crutch.
* You agree with Peter O’Toole (www.slogans.net) who said, “When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.” This means that ‘lost people’ are the ultimate authority on everything in their life. They chose what is right and wrong. They make all decisions. They decide to be God and mold their life in their image.
* You agree with Jim Carry (www.slogans.net) who said, “Maybe there is no actual place called hell. Maybe hell is just having to listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they’re eating sandwiches.” This means that they probably look at the truths of Scripture lightly and may not believe in Heaven or Hell. ‘Lost’ people don’t see life through God’s eyes. They may make light of very serious spiritual matters.
* You agree with Woody Allen (www.slogans.net) who said, “How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter?” This means they look around at the world and cannot bring themselves to believe in God because they see evil and injustice and pain. They question the God of love in the Bible and what they see in the world around them. They have question after question about God that must have answers.
‘Lost’ means that Jesus is not the Savior and Lord of your life. ‘Lost’ means that eternity is uncertain
for them. ‘Lost’ means they do it their way and think nothing of God’s way.
II. WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THEM?
First, we can teach and explain what God the Father is all about. We need to read to them all the passages that speak about our loving holy Heavenly Father. Christians are all part of one huge family and that family belongs to God. We can be adopted into His Family and enjoy the rewards that come with being part of God’s family. You and I can live such good lives among those who don’t know God that they will see us and want to become part of God’s House.
Second, we can share all about Jesus the Son. We need to share with them the difference God has made in our lives. We need to share why Jesus came to Earth and what sacrifices He made for you and for me. We need to share His commands and that He explained over and over God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives. It is not a live devoid of fun and adventure, but a life filled with no regrets, less guilt, and a hope in eternity that none could match. We need to explain what having Jesus as Lord and Savior means. Jesus being Lord means He has first priority in our lives and we live according to His will and direction and thought. Jesus being Savior means we are free from guilt and sin and punishment and have instead peace, strength in temptation, and Heaven Forever with God.
Third, we can show the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and explain to them that the same power and peace can be theirs. We are not alone in this world. We do not live our life of faith by ourselves. We have a Constant Companion, a Counselor, A Gift from God, a Seal for the Final Day, and an Inner Power that only comes with having Jesus as Lord and Savior.
III. WHAT SHOULD BE OUR COMMITMENT TO THE LOST?
One of the greatest misconceptions of the centuries is the idea so prevalent among Christians that men and women do not want to know God. It is true that many people will present the exterior that they need only themselves and not God, but this is a lie they tell themselves and us. The Holy Spirit is working in our world, in our state, in our town, in your neighborhood, in your family and has created a hunger for God in the hearts of many. I believe, as do many others, that the majority of non-believers throughout the world are ready to receive Christ when properly approached with a clear and simple presentation for the gospel by a Spirit-filled witness. Yet, tragically, most Christians have never introduced a single person to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We know who they are and what we can do for them… We just need to remember our purpose and concentrate on it. We’ve got to get and keep our focus. We’ve got to make an effort to reach the lost. We’ve got be discipling and teaching those who are already in the church. When Christians lose their focus not only do they strive for the wrong things, and not only do they give into fear and persecution, but they forget what the Lord has done for them.
A lot of Christians today have no peace, they have no joy, they live lives filled with anxiety, and unnecessary depression. When Christians forget the Lord, they start trusting in other things, but that’s building your house on the sand and when the storm comes it’s going to come crashing down around you. We see these things happening in the Old Testament when the Israelites where in the wilderness. We see them in the life of King David, and we see them in the New Testament in the life of Peter. We see them in our own lives. When we take our focus off of Jesus and tasks Her has for us, it’s easy to forget.
§ We forget that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. And that Son, Jesus Christ willingly stepped out of glorious heaven and became a human being.
§ We forget that Jesus endured everything the devil threw at Him.
§ We forget that He was persecuted, mocked, and crucified by the very people that He came to save.
§ And we forget that He took us, who were dead in trespasses and sins, and made us alive unto God. That He redeemed us, bought us back, from sin by His precious blood. That He made atonement for us, that He justified us, and that He is to this very day interceding for us at the right hand of His Father. Not because He had to, but because He loves us unconditionally, but we forget those things.
CONCLUSION
We are free to tell the world about Jesus and His message and His life. We are free to go to our family members or next door neighbors or to all the countries of the world. We are free to baptize. We are free to teach. And we do all of this with Jesus at our side.
READ MATTHEW 28:16-20 = “16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)
