"CAN I GIVE THEM YOUR NAME?"
INTRODUCTION:
PETER, ANDREW, JAMES, JOHN, PHILIP, BARTHOLOMEW, THOMAS, MATTHEW, JAMES, THADDEAUS, SIMON, AND JUDAS
These Are The Twelve Disciples. They are listed here, in this text, by name. These are the faithful, core members of Jesus church. For all practical purposes this is the Church Council, this is the inner circle, these are the men who get things done, the true builders of the kingdom, the real followers of Jesus, the disciples, the workers.
But this list does not include all who followed Jesus.
Time and again we read of great crowds following Jesus. Often times the text will even refer to other people as disciples. But the thing is, that, often these other people, the text tells us, would fall away; either because of some hard teaching of the kingdom that they couldn’t accept, because Jesus was not becoming the revolutionary leader they wanted, or sometimes because Jesus refused to be their personal miracle machine. Countless times the text will tell us of great crowds of disciples, followers of Jesus, nameless disciples, who would eventually leave the church of Jesus. Then Jesus would retreat with the twelve, the disciples who are named, the faithful, the core members, the steadfast.....the workers...
And this often gives me a sense of comfort, that Jesus Had The Same Problems With His Church That We Have With The Church Today. Because the truth is, in most every church there are those who are named and there are those who, at least as far as the kingdom of God is concerned, are nameless. There are those who are the core members of a church, the true builders of the kingdom, the real followers of Jesus,
the disciples...the workers...And there are those who we know more by face then by name. Because they prefer to remain anonymous. Their involvement as disciples is limited, and often they will fall away;
either because of some conflict or some change they don’t like.
Now Sometimes God moves in their hearts and they mature in their faith and they gain a name. They become builders of the kingdom of God. But more often then not, as far as ministry and actually building God’s kingdom, they are not named. And that is why these words ring so true today....as true as they did with the church of Jesus.
BODY:
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL BUT THE WORKERS ARE FEW!
Now For Some of You Here Today, This Message Might
Make You A Little Uncomfortable. Others of you may be tempted to puff up your chest and look smugly around the congregation. For various reasons, we don’t all participate equally in the ministries of the church. This is not something that is up for debate, it’s a fact! But understand right now that my purpose is not to make anyone feel uncomfortable, nor do I set out to pat you on the back. The Thing Is God loves all of us. God loves the faithful as well as the faithless. Everyone can’t serve equally in ministry, because we are not equal but we’re different. Some of us are more talented then others, some of us have more time then others, some of us are farther along in our faith journey then others. But none of that changes the fact that Jesus is right.
The Harvest Is Plentiful and The Workers Are Few
Let me give you some statistics to prove my point.
80% of the financial resources of a church are provided by 20% of it’s members..
85% of the ministries of the church have active leadership participation by less then 15% of the members. In a large church with multiple staff that number drops to less then 10% because the membership rationalizes that either the staff can do it better
or we don’t need to do it because that’s what we pay them for.
And a churches average worship attendance is less then 40% of the actual membership. I’m not making this up these are actual statistics. True, they are generalized, but more often then not they are so right on the money, that it’s almost scary. The Workers are few!
The Harvest Is Plentiful!
65% of the people in the United States Claim Some kind of Christian Religious Affiliation, Yet, 85% of the population is Unchurched, which means they enter through the doors of a church no more then two times a year, or not at all.
Most of that 85%, though they claim a Christian
heritage, have not been baptized, can’t tell anyone else how to really know God and often doubt the existence of God.
And some of that 85% are people who are now
being referred to as De-Churched. At one time they were very active in a church. They may have even had a name. But they grew disillusioned or burned out
and they left the church. The Harvest is plentiful!
America, The Home of the Brave, The Land of The Free
America, one nation under God, it says so right on our money. America, which at one time was recognized as a Christian Nation. America is now seen by many countries as a mission field. In fact, countries from all over the world are now sending their Christian missionaries to us, to the United States. Where the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. And I know that deep down this does not shock you. Because the truth is you know many of the unchurched people I’m talking about. You know their name. I know their name. But my question to you today is, Do they know your name?
DO THEY KNOW YOU AS A CONNECTION TO GOD?
The People Who Have No Connection To God.
The people who don’t know Jesus
The people who live with little hope and no purpose,
who are alone, dispossessed, who have been beaten by life, who simply exist from day to day, who don’t know that this life is not all there is, Do they know your name?
Or how about the people who don’t know they need
God, who believe that they are bulletproof, who live only for themselves, who believe that money and success and things is all there is, but who will one day, either in this life or the next, find that their life was actually empty and meaningless.Do these people know your name?
What I’m Asking You Is If You Are A Disciple With A
Name? Or if you’re just an unnamed follower who really
doesn’t do much for the kingdom of God? What I’m asking you to do today is to take a personal inventory of your spiritual life, from God’s perspective, from the perspective of the field which is in great need of being harvested. Are you a worker?
Do you have a name?
Now the problem may be that you believe that you’re not good enough. You think that because your life is not perfect that you can’t be a worker. Or maybe you believe that you don’t have any talent, nothing to contribute, that somebody else can do it better.
Friends, Have You Ever Really Looked At The Disciples?
I mean taken a good hard look at the members of Jesus Church? A ragtag group of fisherman, one who was argumentative, arrogant, and boastful. A tax collector who was seen by all of his family and friends as a traitor to the faith. A thief who would often steal out of the church offering plate. Two brothers who were always complaining and once had their mother approach Jesus asking for special
treatment. This was not the cream of the crop, and yet they were chosen. Because Jesus was not as concerned about who they were as much as who he knew they could become. And all they had to do was to follow....and follow they did.
When all the other nameless disciples fell away, they remained. Jesus sent them out with authority...all of them! Yes, even Judas. The text says he sent the twelve out. Verse 8 of this text says that he told them to go out, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, cast out demons.
Everything that he was doing, he gave them authority to do! This messed up, no talented group of rag tag
disciples, the ones with a name.
The gospel of Mark tells us that they went out and
preached that people should repent, they drove out many demons and they healed many people. Luke says they preached the gospel from village to village, healing people everywhere they went. These no talent, misfit disciples who Jesus named.
CONCLUSION:
THERE IS A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN SINGING IN HER CHURCH CHOIR FOR AS LONG AS ANYONE CAN REMEMBER
She Has Decided To Hang Up Her Robe. She’s not retiring, mind you, but she’s quitting, not just the choir but the church. If you ask her why she’s quitting she says, "no one cares!" she goes on to say.."I sat up there in the choir loft this morning and looked around at the other choir members, I looked at the minister and the worship leader, I looked at the ushers, I looked out over the congregation and I said to myself what has haunted me
for years, "Who cares?" And what the woman was really saying is that "this is not a church" I said her, "You’re wrong, this is a church. In fact I go to different churches all the time. I grew up in churches. I see people all the time who reach out to other people, who love people who are not like them, who sincerely love and care for people, who do their best to be like Jesus." She said to me, "Where?"
I said, "everywhere I go there are people who care,
not just about themselves, but about everyone. They care and it shows by how they reach out to people who are hurting, by how they witness their faith to others. She said, "Oh really?!"...I said really"
She said "name some!".........
What I Want To Know Friends Is..,... Can I Give Her
Your Name? The people who don’t know Jesus, who have never had anyone care enough to tell them about Jesus,
who are dispossessed, who are friendless and alone, who live with little or no hope...Can I give them your name?
The people who don’t believe they need God, who live their lives attempting to find happiness in things,
who fill their time running after money, who if things don’t change.... will live and die without Jesus. Can I give them your name?
The Harvest Is Plentiful But The Workers Are Few
God needs more disciples who have a name. Will you give God your name? We’ve have been a pretty good church for the past four years and I have been here for four years. For those of you who are wondering, the answer is yes, I will be here for at least one more year. Because that’s the way it works in the United Methodist Church. Pastor’s are appointed a year at a time and I have loved my time here. You are a wonderful church. But you see I have a dream for this church. My dream is that we move from being a pretty good church, to an absolutely amazing church!
Because the harvest is plentiful, But you see the workers are still few.
Now Maybe You Have The Desire But You Just Don’t Know Where To Start. That’s where I come in and that’s where the Spirit of God comes in. If anyone ever comes to me and says, "Preacher I want a name! I want to become an active part of building God’s kingdom here at this church! What can I do? I promise that between me, you and God, that we can find out why God sent you here, and what God needs for you to do. But in the meantime, let me give you a challenge. A challenge that if you even attempt, will transform you, this church, and somebody’s life.
In The Next Year I Challenge You To Take Personal Responsibility For Changing The Life of Just One
Person. I Challenge everyone here to attempt to connect just one person to Jesus. That does not necessarily mean that you have to witness to them or preach to them. But it might mean that you just bring them to the place where God can do God’s thing.
It will mean that you will have to actively seek
God’s will for your life. It will mean that you will have to become one of the named disciples.
The harvest is plentiful! For us that is good news!
But the bad news is the workers are few. People everywhere who we know and who we love are hurting.
They are alone. They live with no hope. They don’t know who Jesus really is......
Can I Give Them Your Name?
