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The Fear of discipleship Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship Matthew 10:16-39 June 14th, 2009 Introduction – Pictures Please read or listen to Pastor Dave’s seminar on Evangelism – “On a Stand” 1. DISCIPLES FOLLOW JESUS John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. There are so many more passages but I will not take the time today on them. Following Jesus implies that we obey Him. We trust in Him and we obey Him. Our life is a life of repentance and faith. 2. FOLLOWING JESUS INCLUDES EVANGELISM Mark 1:17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Great Commission – Matthew 28 – Go and make disciples… Acts 1:8 – you shall be my witnesses… Implication – all disciples are called to evangelism! 3. EVANGELISM MEANS SHARING OR PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL WITH OTHERS. Dave did a great job explaining this during the evangelism seminar. Evangelism is not: § Living the good life § Giving your personal testimony § Social or public achievement § Apologetics § Results Evangelism is sharing the good news (the Gospel) with others. Acts 8:1-4 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (2) Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. (3) But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (4) Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. The phrase “went about preaching” means – “they proclaimed the gospel” – where we get the word evangelize. 4. THE GOSPEL IS A SPECIFIC TRUTH THAT IS HELPFULLY EXPLAINED WITH SIX POINTS God - There is a God who is infinitely glorious. "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting." "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." (Nehemiah 9:5-6) What does this glorious God want from you? Obligation - We were created by God for His glory. “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Isaiah 43:7) Psalm 19 says that is the purpose of creation. 1 Cor 10:31 says we are to do all to the glory of God. We are to give thanks and honor due to our Creator—the glorious God. Are we doing what we were made for? Sin – We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) None of us have done that which we were created to do. That is, every one of us has sinned by failing to glorify God as we should. We have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator (Romans1:25). The malady of our sinfulness is worse that we think. Genesis 8:21 says that the intention of man’s heart is wicked from their youth. What is the big deal of sin? Everyone does it and God is merciful? Penalty – The cost of our sin—of failing to live for the glory of God—is death. “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness (Romans 1:18). Those who remain in their sin will ultimately be judged guilty by God and sentenced to spiritual death – hell. Exoneration – In order to show His love, uphold His justice, forgive sinners, and display His glory, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay for sins with His death. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10) Romans 3:23-26 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (26) It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. How does God decide who gets mercy and exoneration through Jesus? Life Change – The forgiveness of sins and the everlasting life bought by Jesus death belongs to all who repent, believe, and love Jesus. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3:19) "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; …‘Do this and you will live.’” (Luke 10:25-27) 5. THE GOSPEL PROCLAIMED IS GOD’S APPOINTED MEANS TO BRING THE POWER OF SALVATION. – Or – The Gospel is Powerful Romans 1:15-16 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 1 Corinthians 1:17-24 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (18) For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (19) For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." (20) Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (21) For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (22) For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, (23) but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, (24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 6. TWO NEGATIVE (SINFUL) EMOTIONS ATTACK DISCIPLES IN EVANGELISM Apathy Indifference, lack of concern, “whatever” – oh, do some people still do that? I am too busy. I have other priorities. I have a family to attend to. I have too much to do. Don’t interrupt my life.
Lack of love and concern for the lost and a lack of passion for God. You cannot truly love God without loving people. John 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Cold heart An apathetic person is out of touch with the Gospel.
Fear A fearful heart is also out of touch with the Gospel – a faithless heart. Dave talked some about this yesterday.
We are starting formal evangelistic efforts here and many are fearful. I am fearful. Jesus said do not fear. 7. WE MUST LET THE GOSPEL SHAPE OUR EMOTIONS – SIX POTENTIAL FEARS FACING YOU REGARDING EVANGELISM 1. They might harm me… See Matthew 10 § Sheep in the midst of wolves § They will deliver you over to courts and will flog you § When they persecute you § Do not fear the one who can kill the body You probably won’t be beaten up, but your obedience might lead you to danger. You might not get the promotion. The Gospel says – there is a God who is infinitely glorious who made us to know and enjoy Him forever – and He knows every hair on our head and will take care of us. 2. They might ridicule and dislike me… § You will be hated by all for my name’s sake § If they called Jesus’ names they will do the same to his disciples § Matthew 5 – “blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you for Jesus” We fear this reality because we love people’s good opinion of us too much. We long more for the approval of people than the approval of Jesus. The Gospel says that there is a God who is infinitely glorious and He will some day judge sin and the righteous who are in Christ will be vindicated. The Gospel points us to Jesus who was ridiculed and suffered so we would have eternal life. 1 Peter 4:12-16 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (13) But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (14) If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (15) But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. (16) Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 3. They might expose my ignorance… It is not about apologetics. It is the Gospel. Get over yourself and get to know the glorious Gospel. God has and always will be in the business of saving people through foolish and ignorant people sharing the simple news of the Gospel that brings life. 1 Thess 1 – they immediately shared Christ. 4. They might be turned off to Christ by my method or manner… They very will might. In fact, they may be greatly offend – Matthew 10 You are telling them that God is big and they are not. You are telling them that God’s wonderful plan for their life is found in deny oneself and looking to a crucified Jew. Don’t be a weirdo for weirdo’s sake. Don’t be a jerk – that isn’t discipleship. But if you serve and love and are humble and bold – your fears are only excuses. Paul turned off people. Jesus turned off people. The Gospel is powerful and God uses imperfect people to deliver a glorious message. 5. They might expose my sin… “I know you, you are no saint” “You’re a sinner and hypocrite just like the rest of us” “If this is the case, why haven’t you told me before?” “You grew up in my home, who do you think you are” You answer must be Pauline – “I am the chief of sinners” Yes, I am worse that you even know. If only you knew the half of my sin. But God has saved me and forgiven me and he has done something in my heart that has given me a hatred for my sin and a desire to live for Him. We are sinners bringing the message of forgiveness to other sinners. Remember how the Gospel gloriously speaks to this fear. 6. They might disown me… Yes the might. Your friend might quite hanging out with you and your parents and family might disown you. But Jesus won’t. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, (22) and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. (Matthew 10) (34) "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. (35) For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (36) And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. (37) Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10) But the Gospel promises a relationship with God in Jesus that makes up for all lose. Matthew 19:27-30 Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" (28) Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (29) And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (30) But many who are first will be last, and the last first. |
