Podcast-Feed2nd May 2010 - Peter Williams - The Great Commission
[NOTE: Audio file is fairly poor quality. Please accept our apologies in advance.]
Peter spoke from the great commission in Matthew, Mark Luke and Acts.
We are living in unprecedented times. We have never been in an election like this, where there is so much media availability. As a church I don’t think there has ever been a time where there has been so much suffering and difficulty all at once. It’s like a recession of our health and wellbeing, social situations.
This come on the back of Neal and Dave’s preaches.
• Neal [18th April 2010]
o Abraham “He believed in the Lord and he reckoned it to him as righteousness”
o We are part of God`s amazing plan
• Dave [25th April 2010]
o At the end of the third servant song (50:4-9), we are challenged with a question (50:10) – who listens to and obeys the servant’s voice? The instruction that follows is directed at those who are in a dark place and who do not know the way forward. They are encouraged and directed to trust and rely on their God and beware the danger of lighting their own torches and making their own light. Self reliance is not the answer , in fact it leads to torment. Darkness does at times come into our lives. It is not failure but it does test our trust in God and can deepen our trust and relationship with Him.
• They were about security in God
• Knowing who we are
• Knowing what God has done for us
When Ali drew us back into worship after Dave’s preach, he led us in
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.
Chorus:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
[Charles Gabriel 1905]
Is it our natural song to tell others?
God’s love puts our situations back into perspective.
During the election I have been challenged about evangelism. Telling others the good news. I have been challenged about the verve of the party activists on the doorsteps. Telling people in the streets, producing tracts and handing them out.
Books on evangelism.
• Plethora of heroic stories
• Stories of heroic evangelists
o They did not wait for sinners to come to them, they persued them everywhere, like men storming a breach, no sinner was safe anywhere. JC Ryle commenting on Wesley and Whitfield.
o When Wesleys ministry came to an end in 1791
He had travelled 250,000 miles
Preached 40,000 sermons
Left about 140,000 methodist members
Left about 1500 travelling preachers
And led countless people to Christ
o If you feed someone, but don’t give them the gospel, all you do is send them to hell with a smile on their face. Spurgeon
• Can lead us to feel guilt at not measuring up that way.
What does Jesus say?
Matt 18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The church exists for mission as a fire exists for burning. Emil Brunner
At a time like this for us, it’s easier to shore up the walls and windows and take cover inside. Not navel gazing, but looking in. But that’s not what we have been called to as a community.
• All Nations = All people groups
o You are the only bible that some people will ever read. Make sure you are a good translation. Greg Haslam
o Salt and light
o Two faced
Do people hear what we say off camera?
Do we have an off camera/on camera mentality?
Do we need to apologise to people we have spoken wrongly about?
INTEGRITY
• What are you called to?
o Not all are called to be evangelists
o We are all called to evangelise and go on mission
• Purposeful
• Telling
• Baptising
Mark 15-18 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
• Spiritual gifts are added
o Signs accompanied all who believed
• As we do church, I don’t want to settle for less. Do you?
• I want to see God dramatically intervening in peoples lives.
• I want to see people of all walks with us. Part of us. Affected by God. The society changers and the no-hopers.
Luke 24:46-9 “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:8 “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Some might say Matlock was the end of the earth.!
This continues the call
Acts continues the story
They church planted at a rate maybe not repeated in History since.
Big mission
• Pentecost
o Billy Graham
• How are most people saved?
o Attracted
o Befriended
o Loved
• Do you want to see revival in your office/school/friend group
We don’t do the mission, we make ourselves available.
• Non Christian friends
o Its sometimes better to talk about the people to the Lord, than about the Lord to the people. Lucie Majka
• Dont’t give up and have no guilt.
o If you are not thirsty then you wont even drink the water you are given. Rodney Brown, Toronto vineyard
• Janice Passley – gossiping the gospel
o Integrity – do you have this when you gossip with the neighbours?
• Children and their friends
• Time for religion and politics
Jesus
• Time to listen
o To God
o To others
• Went out
o Made time for religion and politics
o Would have been found in the pubs, football matches etc
• Sent his disciples out
Paul
• Tent making
o Is your Job part of the mission God has sent you on?
o Is your job tentmaking so you can do mission?
o Is your job nothing to do with God?
• Why do we do what we do?
What is God calling us to?
What is God calling you to?
This comes at a time of general election
Manifesto
What’s your manifesto
What do you believe in?
Are your resolutions different from the manifesto that people read?
The rose never invites anyone to smell it. If it is fragrant people will walk across to smell it, risking its thorns. MhatMa Ghandi
You catch more flies using honey than vinegar. Farcie saying
Tax cuts vs hard times?!
Manifesto for change?
QUESTIONS:
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.
Chorus:
O how marvellous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvellous! O how wonderful!
Is my Saviour’s love for me!
[Charles Gabriel 1905]
Is it our natural song to tell others?
How do you feel when you read great evangelists biographies?
Do people hear what we say off camera?
Do we have an off camera/on camera mentality?
Do we need to apologise to the Gillian Duffys of this world?
What do you want to see happen as a church as we go on mission together?
Tent making
· Is your Job part of the mission God has sent you on?
· Is your job tent-making so you can do mission? – and if so does it free you to do mission?
· Is your job nothing to do with God?
· Why do we do what we do?
What’s your manifesto?
It will be great if people have testimonies next Sunday of what God has done as they have prayed for opportunity and boldness…
Listen now! (0:33min / 9MB)