The following is from Montrose Baptist Church's AM worship service on January 17, 2010.
Our convention has once again designated this Sunday as an emphasis on the Sanctity of Life. Now, everyone knows what this typically entails. The preacher is going to jump up and down and tell us about the evils of abortion. He’s going to share some statistics that we don’t like. We’ll even suggest that society is spiraling uncontrollably down a damaging path. And then we’ll go to lunch.
This morning, we are going to look at the effects of abortion. We will share statistics and talk about the atrocities of this form of murder. However, we don’t want to simply stop there. Rather, we must move beyond a simple condemnation of abortion and seek to remedy the larger problem. We must regain a value for life in general.
We’ve lost an understanding of just how valuable life is. We can understand this through abortion. For example, did you know that the overriding reason given to explain abortion has nothing to do with vindictiveness or aggression? It has relatively little to do with ill-will toward the child. Rather, in a recent survey, more than seventy-five percent of those interviewed claimed that there decision hinged heavily on the fact that a baby would hinder their general life, work and school.
More than three-fourths of those that have aborted their babies have done so because it was simply inconvenient!
We’ve lost sight of the value of life. We have determined that the comfort of the parent is more important that the life of the baby. God forgive us.
But that is not all. Rather, there is another study out that should alarm us about how little we value life. In a poll taken by couples in New England, parents were able to share how they would react if given the opportunity to see into the future. If parents were able to know the future of their children, how would it affect their decision? This is how they responded. One percent of those interviewed said that they would abort a baby on the basis of sex. If they wanted a boy and it was a girl, they’d abort the pregnancy. Six percent of those interviewed said that if at some point their child would contract Alzheimer’s, they’d abort the baby. And here is the most alarming statistic. Of those interviewed, eleven percent said they’d abort the child if he or she would battle obesity.
Did you hear that? Eleven percent said they’d kill their baby if it was going to be overweight.
I don’t know if the statement “We’ve lost sight of the value of life” really communicates the depth to which we’ve sunk. We’re relatively unconcerned about potential health problems, but heaven forbid that every child is not a supermodel.
We could continue giving statistics about abortion, but I believe we need to expand our topic. We must realize that value for life goes beyond abortion.
Rather, when a baby is born, when a life is being lived, is it really celebrated and appreciated? If we get past the opportunities for abortion, is life really valued then? We could amend our topics this morning to include the treatment of the retarded and intellectually inferior. We could talk about elderly abuse and euthanasia. We could even go so far as to talk about those people in society that are “lower” than us. What about those that struggle with alcoholism or drug abuse? What about those whose incomes are substandard or their jobs less prestigious? Are their lives thought to be of value? Or does even the church tend to look beyond them?
We must rediscover the value of every human life- whether it be poor and destitute, healthy or maimed, grand or miniscule. We must grasp that every human life is worth living, and we will find assurance of our value in the pages of God’s Word.
I would invite you to join with me as we read a few verses from Psalm 139.
Read text. (Psalm 139:13-16)
I realize that we have read this passage at least twice before, but I cannot help but return to it on this occasion. I don’t know if I could find a more fitting passage to illustrate the wonder and value of human life.
We will begin here this morning, and I believe that this psalm can help us to understand one reason why life is of such great value. Life is valuable because of…
1.) The Artistry of a Masterful God
“For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” -v. 13-15
We are valuable as a people because of the artist that formed us. We are of value because God Almighty personally designed each person.
If you talk to an art collector or anyone of prominence with familiarity of high end art, they will tell you that there are two factors to determining the value of a piece of art. First, you must consider the identity of the artist. Secondly, the value is based on the skill present in the finished product.
Think about this for just a moment. Prominent collectors search for specific artists and their works. If you desire a valuable piece of artwork you may search for works by artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Escher, Dali, Chagall, Matisse, Monet, or Renoir. If you desire a more modern piece, you may look for artists like Warhol, or maybe even a Kinkade.
Much of an item’s value is based on the identity of the person that created the work. In our case, humanity was designed personally by God Almighty.
Perhaps the most expensive painting in history sold at a private sale for 140 million dollars. It was an original piece by Jackson Pollock.
If a conglomeration of paint on a canvas can be worth that much money, how much more are we worth because the omnipotent God of the universe personally formed and designed each of us? We are valuable because of the identity of our artist. We are also valuable because of the skill evident in the design.
We are often amazed by works of art like Michelangelo’s David and other works of the Renaissance artists. And there is great skill evident in their products. That is one of the reasons why their works are so valuable.
But let’s consider for just a moment the skill evident in God’s design. When you look at the human body, there are hundreds of controlling systems in place that all communicate and adapt to one another. The brain has ten billion nerve cells to record what it sees and hears. Our skin has more than two million tiny sweat glands, more than 3000 per square inch, designed to monitor and regulate body temperature. The heart pumps the blood more than 168 million miles a day- enough to circle the earth more than 6700 times. And that is just a few of the processes that happen constantly and simultaneously.
There is no doubt or argument that the designer of the human body had great skill.
And only to add to the skill of the artist, we must consider the Master’s rate of success. A young engineer was considering the invention and creation of new products. As he spoke, he talked about the typical “bugs” that have to be worked out of a new product to reach maximum efficiency. While looking at a chart of arteries, organs, glands, and nerves, he suddenly exclaimed, “Just think, the first time God put it together it worked!”
We are valuable because of the identity and skill of the artist that designed us.
Now, I know that modern scientists would say that our bodies are determined by random series of genes, both passive and dominant, that are inherited from our parents. However, I disagree. I believe that the creation process is more involved than that. While that may be an explanation, I still believe that God personally molds each of us into the beautiful creations He desires.
Instead of a random process, there is an artist that hand-crafted your dimples, that ran His hands over your cheeks, and even formed your lips into a smile on your face. And if His creation was not magnificent enough, He then does what no other artist can do. He leans down and breathes life into the nostrils that He has just formed.
Life is valuable because God is the designer and artist. We can find the value of life through the presence of…
2.) The Affection of a Wonderful Savior
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” –John 17:22-23
Our lives are valuable because we are not only formed by God, but we are also loved by Him. We have God’s affection.
Why is our money valuable? That dollar bill in your pocket, why is it worth anything? I can remember a day and time when I believed that all of our money was backed by gold in a vault in Fort Knox. But we have come to understand that is simply not the case. Rather, our money has intrinsic value. It is valuable because the government tells us that it has worth. Think about it, how much is that flimsy piece of paper and ink really worth? Rather, our money has value because of the testimony of certain individuals.
If our money is of value because of the word of specific individuals, what is our life worth when God tells us that we are valuable and loved?
Now think about that for just a moment. When we looked briefly at the words of Christ in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He speaks about the Father’s love for us.
John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The all-powerful, all-knowing God of creation has determined that we are valuable enough that He would sacrifice His own Son so that we may have the hope of life with Him. Trust me; no true father would ever sacrifice his son for something completely worthless. And apparently, God places so much value on us and our lives that He was willing to sacrifice His own Son.
I can remember my younger years. And I was never one to have many girlfriends. However, any time I dated someone and they “dumped” me, I began to question my self-worth. After all, if I am not worthwhile enough for them, their time, and love, I must not have any worth. Right?
I have come to learn that I have true worth even if those former girlfriends didn’t like me. I have that worth because Jesus loves me. If the Almighty God of all creation thinks that I am special enough to die for me, I must be of incredible worth.
Life is of value because of the artistry of a masterful God and the affection of a wonderful Savior. And lastly, it is evidenced through…
3.) The Attacks of a Malignant Liar
“He sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.” –Psalm 10:8
We can know that our lives have value not only because of the design and love of God, but also because of the attack of Satan.
I want to make certain that we understand something this morning. Satan is not in the business of attacking things that are not of value. He recognizes that his time is short before he is defeated and consigned eternally to the pit. He does not have the luxury of wasting unnecessary time on unimportant things. Rather, he has to make certain that he attacks the places of greatest importance.
When you consider the areas that Satan is attacking, he has singled out the right to life and the family. Those are his areas of focus at this moment. Once again, he would not choose to focus on something unimportant or trivial.
I was taught from a young age that Satan does not attack those that are not threatening to him. And apparently, the prospect of the gift of life is something that threatens his power and reign.
When you look at the psalm, it gives a picture of an evil criminal lurking in the shadows of the city looking for an unknowing and defenseless victim. And that is exactly the picture that we should have of Satan.
It says “in the secret places he murders the innocent.” Now, consider that for a moment. I don’t believe that this passage was written specifically for the topic of abortion. However, it is all too fitting.
Just think about all of the clinics across the nation that are carrying out Satan’s handiwork in secret- protected by HIPPA and numerous government regulations. They are places where the murder is taking place out of the sight of the public. It is a secret place, a shadow where Satan can hide and attack. Satan is at work, and he desires to harm the innocent.
Not only does the passage tell us about Satan’s methodology, but also his focus. It says that “his eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.”
Satan’s targets are those that cannot defend themselves. He is a coward that wants to fight against those that can’t fight back. And at this point, Satan is winning this battle. His plan is working wonderfully. He has already encouraged the murder of fifty million babies, and does not see an end in sight. What a plan to have women kill their children in the name of convenience- and save him a fight in the future. We can know that our lives are of value because of the artistry of a masterful God. We know that life is special because of the affection of a wonderful Savior. And it is further evidenced through the attacks of a malignant liar.
Our lives are valuable. Life is precious and deserves to be protected.
This morning, you may be sitting here thinking, “Well, that is great and wonderful. I understand the concept. I get it. I believe in that life is precious and valuable. But we can’t change the minds of people. They’re never going to change.”
I believe that is one of the lies and attacks of that malignant liar we talked about just a moment ago. Satan wants to persuade the church that this is a battle that we cannot win. However, nothing can be further from the truth.
God is still in the business of changing hearts. He can still provide healing and restoration to those that have fallen prey to Satan’s lies. He can replace the emptiness and pain with joy. He can help us to once again value life.
Let me give you a little proof of God’s ability to change the hearts of people.
Does Roe v. Wade ring a bell? Roe v. Wade is the Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in America. It was through this case that the states were forced to abandon their individual laws forbidding the practice.
Jane Roe was actually a pseudonym. Jane Roe’s name is Norma McCorvey. She was a carnival worker that discovered she was pregnant. At the advice of her friends, she lied and claimed she was raped in order to solicit a legal abortion in Texas. However, she was denied as there was no police report. She then sought counsel to petition for her right.
This escalated and went to the Supreme Court. We know of the outcome. She won and now abortion is considered a fundamental human right.
But does anyone know about what happened to Norma McCorvey, aka Jane Roe? She became a Christian. She is now a pro-life supporter and has even sought to reopen her case to get the decision overturned. Her appeal process has came to an end, but God changed the heart of this woman- the very one whose name is synonymous with abortion in America.
If God can change the heart of this woman, why can’t He change the hearts and minds of the rest of our country?
We, as the church, must have a firm, grounded understanding of the intrinsic value of human life- and we must evidence that understanding to the world around us. We must do so through a commitment to protect life. We do it at the ballot boxes. We do it through our treatment of one another. We evidence our convictions. We proclaim God’s truth, and we depend on Him to bring conviction and change.
Friends, God can change the hearts of our country. He can help us to become a society that once again celebrates life over convenience. However, He needs a place to start. Before God can change the hearts of the American people, we must allow Him to change our hearts first. The church must lead. And in order to do so, we must rediscover the value of human life.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Going with the Good News
The following is from Carlisle Baptist Church's AM worship service on January 3, 2010.
I know that as we begin a new year, we share goals, aspirations, and resolutions that we have made. For some of you, your resolutions include joining a gym and losing some weight. Others may have determined that they are going to learn a new craft or begin a new relationship. Some of you may have determined that your goal for 2010 is to reduce your financial debt. The fact is that there are probably as many goals and resolutions as there are people in the pews this morning.
My hope is that some of your resolutions and hopes include the church. I hope that you have desires and goals for the corporate body here at Carlisle. I am certain that many of you would love to see the church grow in number. I would hope that your desire is for the body to deepen spiritually this next year. You may desire that the church expand a particular ministry or add more classes. It could be any number of things.
As a body of believers, we share hopes and goals for the corporate body here. However, please hear me on this: If you are not personally involved, if you are not willing to assume your place and fill your role, it will not happen. Unless God’s people will commit to go with the gospel in 2010, it will simply be another year that ends with regret.
I don’t know about you, but I have discovered that the aging process accelerates as we get older. We do not have time to waste. We cannot abandon or neglect our call to share the gospel any longer. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that Christians assume their places of service.
I would invite you to join with me this morning as we look at a very short passage in Mark.
Read text. (Mark 16:15)
Jesus has been resurrected from the dead. He has defeated hell and the grave. He has made various appearances after His resurrection. Now, He appears as the disciples sit around the table. And what is His instruction? Of all of the things that He could have said, of all of the things that could have been addressed, what was the instruction? He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Now, I know that we would like to assign that to the disciples. It would be easier and demand less of us to say that was a task solely assigned to the apostles. However, that is not the case. Rather, this is a command that has transcended time. It is an instruction that applies to every believer of any race, creed, background, social standing, or sex. It is a universal mission.
We are called to share, to preach, the gospel.
Before we go any farther, we need to answer a question, and I need your help. I want your verbal response. What is the gospel? We know that word literally translates into the “good news.” But what is the gospel of the Bible? What is the good news?
This question was asked to a room full of pastors in seminary class. Before the professor even finished the question, most of the room was shouting a unanimous answer. I believe we too would tend to answer the question in a similar way. We would say that the gospel is the virgin birth, the sinless life, the vicarious death, and the victorious resurrection. However, we might need to slow down and consider something. We just shared the facts, the mechanics of the gospel.
But to the average person, is that good news? Does a story about a man living two thousand years ago really relate much to an average person today?
Can I share with you what the gospel is? I believe, while the birth, life, death, and resurrection are all vital parts of the gospel that we must share, the true good news is simply this: God likes me and desires a relationship with me. The good news of Scripture is that the Almighty God of creation likes me enough that He was willing to let His own Son die in order that we might share a relationship together.
Now, I don’t know about you, but to me that is good news. That is great news. God likes me and desires a relationship with me. That is the reason why Jesus came. That is the greatest news humanity has ever heard.
We must rediscover the joy that comes from the simple truth that Jesus loves me. We must understand God’s love for us is the good news.
Now, I believe that the most overlooked word in all of Scripture is ironically found in the most well-known of all passages. It is found in the passage that presents the gospel in a nutshell. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Do you know what word we miss in that passage? It is only two letters. But by missing it, we miss a major part of the good news. We are told, “For God SO loved…” Emily and I sign our love letters or cards with multiple “O’s” to communicate what “so” means. For God sooooooooo loved the world. Because of the greatness of the Father’s love for you, His son came and died.
If we would slow down and seek to rediscover the wonder and the joy that comes from the fact that God loves us, fulfilling our mission to go with the gospel will come naturally.
Since we have established what the gospel is, let me share quickly with you three guidelines for sharing your faith. There are three things that we must do as we go with the gospel of Christ. There are three things that we must do if we desire to see the church grow in 2010.
First, we must…
1.) Be Committed to Sharing our Faith
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19-20
As a body of believers, we must be committed to sharing the good news that we have found. Our sharing must become a lifestyle. It must become a consuming passion.
Just think about it for a moment. The very last thing that Jesus told His disciples before He returned to His rightful place at the right hand of the throne of God was to be active in sharing their faith. He told them to “Go.”
Now, here is something we must recognize about this passage. The command to “Go” is actually a present-tense participle phrase. It literally translates as “As you are going.”
God has not called all of us to move to a remote village in Africa. However, He does intend that we be active in sharing our faith as we go. In those places where God has placed us- whether they are Bay County or Montrose, Mississippi, we must share the good news as we go. As we live, as we encounter people, as we build relationships, we must share the hope and promise that should be our source of life and joy.
We must be committed to sharing our faith.
This morning, you are probably at the point now where you are thinking, “I’ve heard all this before. I know that I’m supposed to share my faith.” However, we have to address this because, well to be blunt, we are simply failing at our task. Unfortunately, many churches are dependent on the pastor and the staff to provide all the growth in the church. Too many believe it is the job of the pastor to bring everyone in- it is his job to convert the community. No! We must each be committed to sharing our faith.
Listen, Christ never once commanded the lost world to come to the church. Search Scripture, you won’t find it. Yet time and time again, we find instruction for the church to go to the lost. We can’t wait for the lost to come to us. Most of them don’t even know they’re lost. We have to go. We have to share.
I know that most of you acknowledge this. I realize that I probably sound like a broken record of a long line of pastors that hammer on the need of sharing your faith. But there is an unfortunate truth we must consider.
There are two statistics you need to hear. First, did you know that we are planting four new Southern Baptist churches everyday? Unfortunately, we are closing six for every four we open. We are losing two churches a day in America.
That is sad. It is scary. When I heard that statistic the first thing I thought was “Why? Why are churches failing?” And then I found another statistic that explains it all. As we are losing two churches daily in America, recent polls claim that more than ninety percent of “Christians” do not actively share their faith.
Our churches will not grow, they will not flourish, they will not fulfill their purpose unless God’s people, individuals begin to assume their role and share their faith. We must be committed to share but that is not all. We must be committed to sharing and faith and we must also…
2.) Be Concerned When Sharing our Faith
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” –Psalm 126:5
Most Christians are not actively, regularly sharing their faith. In fact, a large percentage has never shared the faith. I hope that will change.
However, we must realize that the shortcoming in our sharing evidences a larger, deeper issue. Why don’t we share? Many say that they don’t share because they are afraid of rejection. Others say that they are afraid they won’t have all the answers. Many say that it is uncomfortable or awkward.
Can I simplify all of this down to something more direct? Many Christians don’t share their faith because they simply care too little.
Now before you pick up a stone to throw at me, hear me out.
I am convinced when we become burdened and heartbroken enough, we will begin to open our mouths even if we don’t know all the answers. We will begin to share regardless of the response. If we catch a glimpse of the imminent danger that awaits so many people we love, we will begin to share more openly.
Adrian Rogers once told a story about a boating accident in South Florida. A man was out in his speedboat one day playing in the bay. He was accelerating and had almost reached full speed when he lost control of the boat near the bridge. The man crashed at a high rate of speed into one of the pilings at the base of the bridge. He was thrown from his boat, seriously injured, floating face-down in the water. Some of the fishermen on the bridge, as well as some motorists saw what happened and rushed to respond. Despite the bleak outlook, they fished the man out of the water.
Another man was driving over the bridge as he noticed the paramedics, the crowd and the body on the pavement after being fished from the water. He pulled over partially out of curiosity and thought to himself how unfortunate the accident was. Yet, he kept his distance and watched the emergency personnel working on the man. He thought it to be unfortunate, but was relatively unconcerned.
As they rolled him over, he caught a glimpse of the man’s face- and realized it was his brother. Suddenly, he is no longer the unconcerned observer. Rather, he is screaming at the paramedics to do something. He is begging people to pray. He begins to fervently call out to God himself. He is searching for anything or anyone that could possibly help?
Now, why is there such a difference? His emotions became involved. Concern, emotion, and attitude dictated his actions.
When we begin to care enough, our actions will follow our attitudes.
Additionally, when we actually grow broken enough over the condition of our friends, family and neighbors that we weep over them, God’s Word promises us that we will reap in joy.
We must be committed to sharing our faith, and we must also be concerned while sharing our faith. We must have an honest, God-given love and passion for those we are sharing with. We must become emotionally invested in our calling to share the faith.
We must be committed to sharing the faith. We must be concerned when sharing our faith. And we must lastly…
3.) Be Consistent While Sharing our Faith
There are two ways that we must be consistent. First, our words, our message must be supported by a lifestyle. We communicate our faith through the way we live. 1 John 3:18 says, “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”
Sharing the faith is an expression of love. And like every other area of life, action trumps what comes out of the mouth. I know that Missouri is the “Show me state.” However, that is an accurate description of all of society. What comes out of your mouth is not nearly as powerful as the lifestyle your lead.
If you are going to preach the gospel, you better live the gospel. Your life needs to be a fitting testimony to the power of God. If you are going to preach the good news of God’s Word, your life better evidence the fact that you believe it is good news.
Our committed sharing must be accompanied by committed living. Those around you will know and recognize every inconsistency between the way you live and what comes from your lips.
We must make certain that the gospel we preach is the same as the gospel that gives us life.
Our lifestyle must be consistent with our message, and the message must be grounded and consistent as well. This is the second form of consistency we must evidence. We must be consistent in the gospel we preach.
In a day and time of changing ideas, of relative truth, of uncertainty and skepticism, we cannot afford to change the gospel of Christ. We must be firm and certain of the gospel we preach.
Now, I know that we tried to define the good news earlier. We said that the good news is that God likes me and desires a relationship with me. If we kept going, we would include that because of that He sent His Son to serve as the atoning sacrifice. Through that sacrifice, I have hope of life eternal- when I repent and surrender to Christ.
That is the simple, minimal gospel message. Yet we must be grounded and consistent in it.
The problem we face is in the adoption of so many false gospels. We have the health-wealth gospel. We have the “believe it and you can achieve it” gospel. We have the prosperity gospel. We have an infinite number of skewed, altered and amended, people-pleasing approaches.
Yet, we must be consistent to stick with the basics of God’s Word. We must always return to the fundamentals of Scripture. Our witness cannot waver from that.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I resolved to nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
Our witness must be consistent with the truth of God’s Word. In the end, it must always come back to the person of Jesus. Any Biblical form of faith requires that.
We must be committed to share our faith. We must be concerned when we share our faith. And lastly, we must be consistent when we share our faith.
This morning as we come to our time of invitation, maybe you have never responded to the gospel message. Maybe you have never realized that God loves you so much that He sacrificed His own Son for you. If you have never experienced the relationship that God longs to share with you, I would hope that you would surrender your heart and life to Him this morning.
Maybe you are here and you settled the issue of salvation years ago, but you are failing to answer the call to go with the gospel. I would encourage you to make a fresh commitment this morning. Commit to allowing God to use you as He sees fit. Commit to share your faith with at least one person in 2010. Commit to answering His call.
As God’s people we must make a fresh commitment to go with the gospel this year.
I know that as we begin a new year, we share goals, aspirations, and resolutions that we have made. For some of you, your resolutions include joining a gym and losing some weight. Others may have determined that they are going to learn a new craft or begin a new relationship. Some of you may have determined that your goal for 2010 is to reduce your financial debt. The fact is that there are probably as many goals and resolutions as there are people in the pews this morning.
My hope is that some of your resolutions and hopes include the church. I hope that you have desires and goals for the corporate body here at Carlisle. I am certain that many of you would love to see the church grow in number. I would hope that your desire is for the body to deepen spiritually this next year. You may desire that the church expand a particular ministry or add more classes. It could be any number of things.
As a body of believers, we share hopes and goals for the corporate body here. However, please hear me on this: If you are not personally involved, if you are not willing to assume your place and fill your role, it will not happen. Unless God’s people will commit to go with the gospel in 2010, it will simply be another year that ends with regret.
I don’t know about you, but I have discovered that the aging process accelerates as we get older. We do not have time to waste. We cannot abandon or neglect our call to share the gospel any longer. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that Christians assume their places of service.
I would invite you to join with me this morning as we look at a very short passage in Mark.
Read text. (Mark 16:15)
Jesus has been resurrected from the dead. He has defeated hell and the grave. He has made various appearances after His resurrection. Now, He appears as the disciples sit around the table. And what is His instruction? Of all of the things that He could have said, of all of the things that could have been addressed, what was the instruction? He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Now, I know that we would like to assign that to the disciples. It would be easier and demand less of us to say that was a task solely assigned to the apostles. However, that is not the case. Rather, this is a command that has transcended time. It is an instruction that applies to every believer of any race, creed, background, social standing, or sex. It is a universal mission.
We are called to share, to preach, the gospel.
Before we go any farther, we need to answer a question, and I need your help. I want your verbal response. What is the gospel? We know that word literally translates into the “good news.” But what is the gospel of the Bible? What is the good news?
This question was asked to a room full of pastors in seminary class. Before the professor even finished the question, most of the room was shouting a unanimous answer. I believe we too would tend to answer the question in a similar way. We would say that the gospel is the virgin birth, the sinless life, the vicarious death, and the victorious resurrection. However, we might need to slow down and consider something. We just shared the facts, the mechanics of the gospel.
But to the average person, is that good news? Does a story about a man living two thousand years ago really relate much to an average person today?
Can I share with you what the gospel is? I believe, while the birth, life, death, and resurrection are all vital parts of the gospel that we must share, the true good news is simply this: God likes me and desires a relationship with me. The good news of Scripture is that the Almighty God of creation likes me enough that He was willing to let His own Son die in order that we might share a relationship together.
Now, I don’t know about you, but to me that is good news. That is great news. God likes me and desires a relationship with me. That is the reason why Jesus came. That is the greatest news humanity has ever heard.
We must rediscover the joy that comes from the simple truth that Jesus loves me. We must understand God’s love for us is the good news.
Now, I believe that the most overlooked word in all of Scripture is ironically found in the most well-known of all passages. It is found in the passage that presents the gospel in a nutshell. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Do you know what word we miss in that passage? It is only two letters. But by missing it, we miss a major part of the good news. We are told, “For God SO loved…” Emily and I sign our love letters or cards with multiple “O’s” to communicate what “so” means. For God sooooooooo loved the world. Because of the greatness of the Father’s love for you, His son came and died.
If we would slow down and seek to rediscover the wonder and the joy that comes from the fact that God loves us, fulfilling our mission to go with the gospel will come naturally.
Since we have established what the gospel is, let me share quickly with you three guidelines for sharing your faith. There are three things that we must do as we go with the gospel of Christ. There are three things that we must do if we desire to see the church grow in 2010.
First, we must…
1.) Be Committed to Sharing our Faith
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19-20
As a body of believers, we must be committed to sharing the good news that we have found. Our sharing must become a lifestyle. It must become a consuming passion.
Just think about it for a moment. The very last thing that Jesus told His disciples before He returned to His rightful place at the right hand of the throne of God was to be active in sharing their faith. He told them to “Go.”
Now, here is something we must recognize about this passage. The command to “Go” is actually a present-tense participle phrase. It literally translates as “As you are going.”
God has not called all of us to move to a remote village in Africa. However, He does intend that we be active in sharing our faith as we go. In those places where God has placed us- whether they are Bay County or Montrose, Mississippi, we must share the good news as we go. As we live, as we encounter people, as we build relationships, we must share the hope and promise that should be our source of life and joy.
We must be committed to sharing our faith.
This morning, you are probably at the point now where you are thinking, “I’ve heard all this before. I know that I’m supposed to share my faith.” However, we have to address this because, well to be blunt, we are simply failing at our task. Unfortunately, many churches are dependent on the pastor and the staff to provide all the growth in the church. Too many believe it is the job of the pastor to bring everyone in- it is his job to convert the community. No! We must each be committed to sharing our faith.
Listen, Christ never once commanded the lost world to come to the church. Search Scripture, you won’t find it. Yet time and time again, we find instruction for the church to go to the lost. We can’t wait for the lost to come to us. Most of them don’t even know they’re lost. We have to go. We have to share.
I know that most of you acknowledge this. I realize that I probably sound like a broken record of a long line of pastors that hammer on the need of sharing your faith. But there is an unfortunate truth we must consider.
There are two statistics you need to hear. First, did you know that we are planting four new Southern Baptist churches everyday? Unfortunately, we are closing six for every four we open. We are losing two churches a day in America.
That is sad. It is scary. When I heard that statistic the first thing I thought was “Why? Why are churches failing?” And then I found another statistic that explains it all. As we are losing two churches daily in America, recent polls claim that more than ninety percent of “Christians” do not actively share their faith.
Our churches will not grow, they will not flourish, they will not fulfill their purpose unless God’s people, individuals begin to assume their role and share their faith. We must be committed to share but that is not all. We must be committed to sharing and faith and we must also…
2.) Be Concerned When Sharing our Faith
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” –Psalm 126:5
Most Christians are not actively, regularly sharing their faith. In fact, a large percentage has never shared the faith. I hope that will change.
However, we must realize that the shortcoming in our sharing evidences a larger, deeper issue. Why don’t we share? Many say that they don’t share because they are afraid of rejection. Others say that they are afraid they won’t have all the answers. Many say that it is uncomfortable or awkward.
Can I simplify all of this down to something more direct? Many Christians don’t share their faith because they simply care too little.
Now before you pick up a stone to throw at me, hear me out.
I am convinced when we become burdened and heartbroken enough, we will begin to open our mouths even if we don’t know all the answers. We will begin to share regardless of the response. If we catch a glimpse of the imminent danger that awaits so many people we love, we will begin to share more openly.
Adrian Rogers once told a story about a boating accident in South Florida. A man was out in his speedboat one day playing in the bay. He was accelerating and had almost reached full speed when he lost control of the boat near the bridge. The man crashed at a high rate of speed into one of the pilings at the base of the bridge. He was thrown from his boat, seriously injured, floating face-down in the water. Some of the fishermen on the bridge, as well as some motorists saw what happened and rushed to respond. Despite the bleak outlook, they fished the man out of the water.
Another man was driving over the bridge as he noticed the paramedics, the crowd and the body on the pavement after being fished from the water. He pulled over partially out of curiosity and thought to himself how unfortunate the accident was. Yet, he kept his distance and watched the emergency personnel working on the man. He thought it to be unfortunate, but was relatively unconcerned.
As they rolled him over, he caught a glimpse of the man’s face- and realized it was his brother. Suddenly, he is no longer the unconcerned observer. Rather, he is screaming at the paramedics to do something. He is begging people to pray. He begins to fervently call out to God himself. He is searching for anything or anyone that could possibly help?
Now, why is there such a difference? His emotions became involved. Concern, emotion, and attitude dictated his actions.
When we begin to care enough, our actions will follow our attitudes.
Additionally, when we actually grow broken enough over the condition of our friends, family and neighbors that we weep over them, God’s Word promises us that we will reap in joy.
We must be committed to sharing our faith, and we must also be concerned while sharing our faith. We must have an honest, God-given love and passion for those we are sharing with. We must become emotionally invested in our calling to share the faith.
We must be committed to sharing the faith. We must be concerned when sharing our faith. And we must lastly…
3.) Be Consistent While Sharing our Faith
There are two ways that we must be consistent. First, our words, our message must be supported by a lifestyle. We communicate our faith through the way we live. 1 John 3:18 says, “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”
Sharing the faith is an expression of love. And like every other area of life, action trumps what comes out of the mouth. I know that Missouri is the “Show me state.” However, that is an accurate description of all of society. What comes out of your mouth is not nearly as powerful as the lifestyle your lead.
If you are going to preach the gospel, you better live the gospel. Your life needs to be a fitting testimony to the power of God. If you are going to preach the good news of God’s Word, your life better evidence the fact that you believe it is good news.
Our committed sharing must be accompanied by committed living. Those around you will know and recognize every inconsistency between the way you live and what comes from your lips.
We must make certain that the gospel we preach is the same as the gospel that gives us life.
Our lifestyle must be consistent with our message, and the message must be grounded and consistent as well. This is the second form of consistency we must evidence. We must be consistent in the gospel we preach.
In a day and time of changing ideas, of relative truth, of uncertainty and skepticism, we cannot afford to change the gospel of Christ. We must be firm and certain of the gospel we preach.
Now, I know that we tried to define the good news earlier. We said that the good news is that God likes me and desires a relationship with me. If we kept going, we would include that because of that He sent His Son to serve as the atoning sacrifice. Through that sacrifice, I have hope of life eternal- when I repent and surrender to Christ.
That is the simple, minimal gospel message. Yet we must be grounded and consistent in it.
The problem we face is in the adoption of so many false gospels. We have the health-wealth gospel. We have the “believe it and you can achieve it” gospel. We have the prosperity gospel. We have an infinite number of skewed, altered and amended, people-pleasing approaches.
Yet, we must be consistent to stick with the basics of God’s Word. We must always return to the fundamentals of Scripture. Our witness cannot waver from that.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I resolved to nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
Our witness must be consistent with the truth of God’s Word. In the end, it must always come back to the person of Jesus. Any Biblical form of faith requires that.
We must be committed to share our faith. We must be concerned when we share our faith. And lastly, we must be consistent when we share our faith.
This morning as we come to our time of invitation, maybe you have never responded to the gospel message. Maybe you have never realized that God loves you so much that He sacrificed His own Son for you. If you have never experienced the relationship that God longs to share with you, I would hope that you would surrender your heart and life to Him this morning.
Maybe you are here and you settled the issue of salvation years ago, but you are failing to answer the call to go with the gospel. I would encourage you to make a fresh commitment this morning. Commit to allowing God to use you as He sees fit. Commit to share your faith with at least one person in 2010. Commit to answering His call.
As God’s people we must make a fresh commitment to go with the gospel this year.
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