Sermon 11 - Investing Your Life In Reaching People Series

A. Today’s sermon brings to a conclusion this series on outreach that I called “Mission Minded Disciples.”

1. In today’s sermon, we are going to focus on Jesus’ “famous last words,” but before we do, I thought it might be fun to think about some other not so “famous last words.”

2. Here are the Top 10 “Not So Famous” Last Words:

a. #10: “I know this great shortcut we can take.”

b. #9: “Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.”

c. #8: “Pull the pin and count to what?”

d. #7: “So, you’re a cannibal.”

e. #6: “Which wire am I supposed to cut?”

f. #5: “I wonder where the mother bear is.”

g. #4: “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

h. #3: “Gee, that’s a cute tattoo.”

i. #2: “Of course it’s safe.”

j. #1: “Well, it can’t get any worse!”

3. Famous last words, indeed!

B. Here are the last words of Jesus that are recorded for us in Scripture:

1. In Matthew 28, Jesus 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 will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt. 28:18-20)

2. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said to his disciples: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Then verse 9 says: After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

3. In a nutshell, Jesus’ final words were two commands:

a. Go Make disciples who make disciples.

b. Be my witnesses.

C. Those last words of Jesus should not have come as a surprise to Jesus’ disciples, because that had been Jesus’ mantra with them since He first invited them to join Him.

1. If we travel back in time to Jesus’ the first encounter with Peter and Andrew as recorded Matthew 4, then we will be reminded of the fact that making disciples and being a witness was the DNA of their calling.

2. Matthew 4 tells us that one day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, and he saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew.

3. Peter and Andrew were common fishermen. That’s how they earned a living.

4. They were working hard that day, casting their nets into the lake and pulling in their catch.

5. Jesus came up to them and said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (4:19)

6. Verse 20 says, “At once they left their nets and followed him.”

D. In essence, what Jesus said to the two of them that day was, “I understand your preoccupation with catching fish. But if you will trust me and follow me, and if you will try to understand who I am and what I am up to in this world, then I will make you fishers of men. And believe me, this is infinitely more significant an endeavor than merely catching fish!”

1. Now, it’s important to understand that Jesus was not knocking the fishing business, any more than He would have knocked the woodworking business, from which his earthly father Joseph had made a living, and likely Jesus had also before beginning His ministry.

2. There’s nothing wrong with those occupations, nor the food business, the travel business, the insurance business, or any other wholesome business.

3. They are all fine, but no earthly enterprise is as important as the business of bringing lost people to salvation in Christ.

4. This soul saving enterprise should be central to the lives of all Jesus’ followers, regardless of what they do for a living.

E. Those of us who choose to follow Jesus must eventually come to the conclusion that there’s nothing more important than reaching people.

1. When we do, our values will change.

2. We will be seized by the realization that every other earthly activity pales in comparison with helping men, women, boys and girls come into a saving relationship with the God.

3. When we finally come to that understanding, then we will live differently.

4. We will pray differently, love differently, work differently, serve differently, and give differently.

5. We will become preoccupied with people and their spiritual needs.

6. And we will want to know how we can become more effective fishers of men.

F. Let me ask you a personal question: Has that kind of thing happened to you yet? Have you come to that conclusion yet? Have you fully embraced your calling as a fisher of men, women and children?