(The outline of this message comes from David Waddle, Sr. Pastor of Grace Heartland Church, Elizabethtown, KY, and a mentor to me in the ministry)
SERIES: “THE CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH IN 2005”
TEXT: MATTHEW 28:18-20
TITLE: “RE-ESTABLISHING EVANGELISM AS OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE”
INTRODUCTION: A. Lot’s of “famous last words”
--Here are some good examples:
1. “Go ahead. It won’t hurt.”
2. “Oh, you can make it. The train’s not coming that fast!”
3. “Hand me a match. I think I found the gas leak.”
4. “I wonder if it’s loaded?”
5. “Hey! Watch this!”
B. Some of the last words of Jesus to His disciples are recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 –
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end
of the age.”
1. Jesus has gathered his closest followers before He ascends into heaven
--He sums up the things He has taught them over the last 3 years
2. Basically, Jesus says, “We’ve shared a lot together over the last three years. I’ve
taught you what you need to know. Here’s what I want you to do with it.”
3. James 1:22 reminds us: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says.”
--Then again in 2:17 – “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by
action, is dead.”
a. As a general rule, the church has failed to respond to what Jesus wants us to go
b. The Great Commission has become the “great omission” in many congregations
C. Jesus does three things in the Great Commission:
1. He assured them of His power and authority
--This was the same power and authority that:
a. Spoke the world in to existence
b. Commanded Satan and his demons to flee
c. Calmed a turbulent storm with three words: “Peace be still.”
d. Conquered sin and death
2. He promised His presence
a. “You won’t be left to do the task alone.”
b. Jn. 14:16-18 – “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept
him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives
with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to
you.”
3. He reminded them of His purpose and aim
--Lk. 19:10 – “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.”
D. In this event, Jesus commits His purpose to be accomplished by the church
1. There ‘s a consultant to businesses and organizations who once described his
function as, “Helping the people with whom I work to ask and rigorously answer
two questions: ‘What are we supposed to be doing?’ and ‘How well are we doing
it?’”
2. First Christian Church, Washington, IN needs to ask herself and rigorously answer
those same two questions:
a. What are we supposed to be doing?
--Jesus answered that in our scripture passage this morning
b. How well are we doing it?
--Are we reaching the lost? Let’s look at some statistics:
1). Over 50% of the people of Daviess County claim no kind of religious
affiliation at all.
2). Overall, the state of Indiana has over 55% of its population that claim no
religious affiliation at all
3). If you consider that a good number of those responding only claim religious
affiliation (their religion is dead) and that it also includes those who claim
affiliation with false religions, the number of unsaved people around us is
actually much higher
3. If lost people are important to Jesus, they should be important to those who claim
to be His followers
a. It is imperative that the church gets serious about accomplishing what Christ
wants them to do.
b. So, let’s spend some time this morning re-examining what Jesus said about
our most important reason to exist as a church.
--It can be summed up in four words: Reaching, Mending Teaching, Sending
I. REACHING
A. Jesus uses a much shorter word: GO
--All records of the Great Commission involve going:
1. Here in Mt. 28:18-20
2. Jn. 20:21 – “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
3. Acts 1:8 – “You shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of
the earth.”
4. Once was a lady tat was married and widowed four times: millionaire, actor, minister, and funeral
director.
--One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go
B. For too long, the church has had a fortress mentality – we’ve walled ourselves in and tried to keep a lot of
others out.
1. We’ve become contented where we are
2. Titanic survivor Eva Hart told about her remembrances from the night of April 15, 1912 when the
gigantic ship plunged 12,000 feet to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean some two hours and forty
minutes after an iceberg tore a 300-foot gash in the starboard side. She said, “I saw all the horrible
sights of its sinking, and I heard, even more dreadful, the cries of the drowning people.”
Although twenty lifeboats and rafts were launched (too few and only partially filled), most of the
Titanic’s passengers ended up struggling in the icy waters while those in the boats waited a safe
distance away. Lifeboat No. 14 did row back to the scene after the unsinkable ship slipped from sight
at 2:20 A.M. Alone, Lifeboat 14 chased cries in the darkness, seeking and saving a precious few.
Incredibly, no other lifeboat joined it. Some were already over-loaded but in virtually every other
boat, those already saved rowed their half-filled boats aimlessly into the night – listening to the cries of
the lost. Each feared a crush of unknown swimmers would cling to their craft and swamp it.
C. For the sake of Christ and His cause, it’s time for us to break out of the Holy Huddle and get into the
game!
1. Back during the Civil War, several Confederate soldiers were gathered around a campfire one
evening. One of those soldiers was named Zeke and although Zeke was a little “slower” than most of
his military buddies, he was a pretty good soldier.
Zeke got up from the campfire circle and announced that he was going for a walk in the woods.
His companions told Zeke to be careful. There might be Yankee patrols about. Zeke assured them he
would be okay and left for his walk.
About two hours later, Zeke’s buddies were worried about him and were gathering their rifles and
equipment so they could go look for Zeke. Just then ol’ Zeke walked out of the woods with 7 Yankee
prisoners in front of his rifle.
One of Zeke’s buddies asked, “Zeke, where’d ya get all o’ them there Yankees?” Zeke replied,
“Why the woods is full of ‘em! Why don’t you go out get ya some?”
2. Jesus told his disciple in Jn. 4:35b – “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe
for harvest.”
3. Jesus’ words are still true today: the fields are ripe for harvest
--Mt. 9:35-38 – “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the
crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a
shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the
Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
a. In the mid-70’s, AT&T paid an advertising agency $60 million for a five-word slogan: Reach out
and touch someone.
b. Jesus says the job of the church is to be reachers and touchers of people!
D. Jesus says, GO…
II. MENDING
A. The world believes it has all the answers
1. There are plenty of “healers” full of worldly wisdom that have left millions of hurting and spiritually
unhealthy people in their wakes.
2. Prov. 14:12 – “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
B. The Bible is very clear concerning those who are outside of Christ
--They are spiritually sick and they are spiritually lost!
1. Mk. 12:17 – “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the
righteous, but sinners.”
2. Those outside of Christ are lost and destined for an eternity in hell
--Jn. 3:18 – “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
3. During one commercial flight, the captain of the airplane made the following announcement: “Now
there’s no cause for alarm but we felt that you passengers should know that for the last three hours
we’ve been flying without the benefit of our radio-compass, radar, or navigational beam due to the
breakdown of certain components. That means that we are in the broad sense of the word ‘lost’ and
are not quite sure in which direction we are heading. On the brighter side … I’m sure you’ll be glad
to know … that we’re making excellent time.”
4. I should be very clear to anyone who watches or listens to news programs or reads newspapers and
newsmagazines that there’s a whole lot of people who are making great time not really knowing
which way they’re headed because their navigational equipment is faulty.
--They’re trying to make their way without Jesus
a. Jn. 14:6 – “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me.”
b. Acts 4:12 – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved.”
5. Jesus is the answer for broken lives and broken dreams and broken homes and broken promises and
anything else that is broken in your life.
a. Jn. 10:10 – “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
--Jesus doesn’t play around – His gift is life abundant and life eternal.
b. In John 5, Jesus heals a man who had been an invalid for about 40 years but he did it on the
Sabbath. The Jewish leaders were upset that he would do such a thing on their special day!
--Listen to the words of Jesus in response to their attacks on him in Jn. 5: 39-40 (NASB) – “You
diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are
the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
6. The problem that lost people have is ultimately a relationship problem – they’re trying to find
answers in relationship with the wrong things and the wrong people.
1. Jesus taught that the only way to mend those who are hurting, confused, and broken-hearted is to
get them into relationship with the Great Physician
2. Lk. 4:16-21 – “He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he
went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet
Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the
Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the
attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he
began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”
C. How we do get them into relationship with the Great Physician?
1. MAKE THEM DISCIPLES
a. The word in the original language for “disciple” is a word that means: “one who pledges to be a
lifelong pupil and student of a teacher; also implies in usage that the person also pledges to be a
lifelong adherent to those teachings.”
b. How do we get them to commit to being a lifelong follower of Christ?
1). They see and hear the evidence us concerning the abundant lives we have because of our hope
and trust in Jesus Christ
2). It creates a desire in them to have what we have
2. BAPTIZE THEM
--we get them to identify with the atoning death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus whose blood
cleanses from all unrighteousness.
--next comes
III. TEACHING
A. With this command, Jesus teaches us that we have to take those who have made the commitment and
instruct them in the things that will help them nurture their relationship with Jesus Christ
1. So many times we see new members come in the front door and after awhile they quietly slip out
the back door because no one has discipled and mentored them concerning the things that are
necessary to their spiritual growth.
2. Bob Russell, God Does Immeasurably More, makes this statement concerning the lifelong process
of teaching in the church: “While the church’s primary task is evangelism, it’s secondary mission
is edification. We are not just obstetricians bringing new babies into the world. We are to practice
pediatrics, helping new Christians to grow and mature as believers.”
B. Need to note that it’s not always the church’s lack discipling and mentoring that causes someone to slip
out the back
1. Sometimes they slip out the back because they thought that if they became a Christian, they
wouldn’t have any more problems in their lives
2. Sometimes they make the commitment for the wrong reasons
--Maybe they thought they’d get out of legal trouble or that someone they were romantically
attracted to would become attracted to them if they just joined the same church
C. However, the Bible is explicitly clear about the church’s responsibility to provide the proper spiritual
food, the proper spiritual environment, and the proper spiritual leadership so that Christians may “grow
in grace”
1. Sometimes, disciples don’t want to be discipled
--But it still doesn’t resolve the church and its leadership from providing the instruction, the
example, and the mentoring needed for believers to grow
2. The teacher/student relationship can be difficult for the teacher as well as for the learner
-- A college student stayed up all night studying for his final exam in zoology the next day. As he
entered the classroom, he saw 10 stands with 10 birds on them. Each bird had a covering over it
that allowed only its legs to show. The professor announced that the test would be to look at each of
the bird’s legs and then give the common, genus, species, and natural habitat of each bird.
The poor student who’d stayed up all night to study tried and tried to meet the requirements of
the test but the more he tried, the more frustrated he became. Finally in exasperation, he stood up,
stomped up to the professor’s desk and shouted: “This is the stupidest test I’ve ever seem. How
could anyone tell the difference in birds just by looking at their legs? They all look pretty much the
same!” With that, he threw his test paper on the professor’s desk and marched toward the door.
The professor was upset over this outburst but it was a state university and the class was rather
large so the professor didn’t know this student by sight. There was no name on the test paper so the
professor called out very angrily, “Young man, what is your name?” The student pulled up his
pants leg and said, “You tell me, buddy! You tell me.”
D. Jesus said, TEACH THEM…
IV. SENDING
A. This last point isn’t specifically mentioned in this morning’s text but it is implied here and specifically
taught elsewhere
1. After doing the first three – reaching, mending, teaching, sending – the next step is sending out those
who have been reached, mended, and taught to do the same thing and repeat the process over and
over again.
2. 2 Tim. 2:2 – “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to
reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
3. A Mercedes Benz TV commercial has a camera follow their car as it collides with a cement wall
during a safety test. The car comes through the test amazingly well — far less damage to the body
than you would expect, and leaving the crash dummy without a mark.
A man then interviews the company spokesman, asking him why they do not enforce their patent
on Mercedes Benz’s energy-absorbing design, especially since they know their design is being copied
by other car manufacturers. The spokesman simply looks at him and says, “Because some things in
life are too important not to share.”
4. In the 13th Century, Nicolo Polo (father of Marco Polo) was visiting the court of the grandson of
Ghengis Khan - Kublai Khan.Kublai Khan was the Emperor of China and he had never met
Europeans before. He was delighted to meet this visitor from Venice AND he was strongly
impressed by the religious faith of this man; therefore, he sent a letter back to Europe urging that
some educated men be dispatched to instruct his people in the teachings of Christianity.
But, because of political upheaval and infighting that was taking place in Europe, there was a long
delay in anybody coming. In the end, only 2 representatives of Christianity were sent and even they
lost heart soon and turned back. Because of the failure of the church of that day, Kublai Khan turned
instead to Buddhism and that has been the predominant religion in the area from that day to this one.
B. I think the main problem with most churches is they forgot the cycle has to continue.
1. Instead, they’ve become contented with the way things are
--Let’s just keep it nice and respectable
2. Too many Christians have retreated from being fishers of men and instead have become keepers of
the aquarium
C. Jeffrey Allyn Collins has caught this problem in a piece entitled A Different Drummer:
He was not so much to look at. He was neither tall nor short.
He had no outstanding features – a rather ordinary sort.
But when He came among them He began to play,
They soon began to listen, in no ordinary way.
He shoulder up His big bass drum and thundered out a beat,
Which moved the crowd to dancing and laughing in the street.
“How rude!” said some whose ears were deaf. “Without doubt this must cease!”
“What kind of rabble disturbs the public peace!”
But those with ears rejoiced the more, the drummer’s beat to hear
And soon began to drum along, His message loud and clear.
But when the deaf ones’ anger rose, they hung the drummer high,
But silence could not hold him long. He rose to die no more.
He came to those who followed the sound that made them glad
And said, “I must leave for a time but you must not be sad.”
“The drum I now leave with you. Don’t forget the beat.”
“For, O so many, that we have not yet to meet
Are sitting in silence and waiting for a sound
To fill the empty spaces with the joy, in Me you’ve found.”
And so the marchers took the drum; they place it in a room
And played the songs that turned all laughter into gloom
At first they danced with reckless joy, the doors flung open wide;
So that anyone who passed the door would hear and come inside.
But then they thought, “The wind and rain will surely hurt the drum.”
“If we’ve got no drum to play, the people will no come.”
And so they closed the doors up tight – while inside they still played.
The folks outside, hearing no sound, passed by or stayed away.
Inside, the children never learned the beating sound of joy.
Their parents said, “We must not treat the great drum like a toy.”
“If we were to beat upon it, someday the drum might break.”
“Then we’d be left behind with nothing. Let’s not make that mistake.”
Though they still met almost daily, they could not remember why.
The drum became neglected; the skins were cracked and dry.
There really were no players. They’d all forgotten how.
Their parents hadn’t taught them and there were no players now.
“This really is a lovely room,” one room-goer was heard to say.
“Why don’t we take that ugly drum and put the thing away?”
And so they could have a “nice” and “pretty” little room,
They put it in the closet with the mop and with the broom.
It still would be forgotten, as they sat with silent stares;
But one day they found a book of which they had been unawares.
It appeared a book of drummer’s songs whch maybe they could play
And maybe they could break the sound of silent, empty days.
The book began with these words: “Once upon a time,
In a not-so-distant place, among a not-so-distant people,
There came … a drummer.”
The story ends there. The ending has yet to be written …
Or perhaps we are writing the ending.
CONCLUSION: A. In 1983, John Scully quit his post at Pepsico (Pepsi Corporation) to become the
president of Apple Computer. He took a big risk leaving his prestigious job with a well-
established firm to join ranks with an unproven little outfit that offered no guarantees,
only the excitement of one man’s transforming vision.
Scully said that he made the move after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs goaded him with
the following question: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water
or do you want a change to change the world?”
1. That was Jesus’ challenge to those who would follow Him
2. He’s called us to not be contented with trivial things but to find our contentment with
the message that can change the world!
B. It’s time to go back to the two main questions:
1. What’s our purpose as the church?
--reaching, mending, teaching, and sending
2. How well are we doing it?
--What’s your response to that question?
a. Have you honestly and rigorously evaluated how well you personally are doing in
those areas?
b. The only way to do it well is in a life of daily relationship and worship of Jesus
Christ as your Savior and Lord
C. Jesus is all about change.
1. Making Him Savior and Lord means getting out of what traps you and being released
to a new abundant life
2. (John Maxwell) A person fell into a pit. While trying to get out, he encountered some
interesting people
a. Subjective person – “I feel for you down in that pit.”
b. Objective person – “It’s logical that someone should fall into that pit.”
c. Christian Scientist – “You only think you’re in that pit!”
d. Pharisee – “Only bad people fall into pits.”
e. Legalist – “You deserve your pit.”
f. Charismatic – “Just confess you’re not in that pit!”
g. Realist – “Now that’s a pit!”
h. Geologist – “There’s some interesting rock strata in that pit.”
i. IRS Agent – “Are you paying taxes on that pit?”
j. County inspector – “Could I see your permit for that pit?”
k. Evasive person – They avoided the subject altogether
l. Self-pitying person – “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit!”
m. Optimist – “Things could be worse.”
n. Pessimist – “Things will get worse.”
o. Jesus – simply saw person in the pit, reached down, took him by the hand, and
pulled him out of the pit.
