Sermon Tone Analysis

This year we have a lot of things planned with the goal that we can better connect with the community and live out the whole Gospel for the whole person.

The plan is very intentional and is based on an understanding of the purpose of the church that I have learned over the last 30 plus years of being invovled in ministry in one way or another.

I have learnt many evangelism systems and tools, many of which were from the USA and always bothered me because they were based on some very specific assumptions about culture, assumptions which often didn’t really apply in Australia.

But because some of our gifted evangelists found them effective we were all encouraged to use them.

One tool was called Evangelism Explosion and it was useful in certain context.

Basically it was a structured conversation designed to ask a person the question, “If you were to die tonight and stand before God what would you say to him to let you into heaven?”

From there you would give an explanation of the Gospel being about grace and the work of Christ not your own merit.

As I said useful in some contexts but there were a lot of assumptions behind the method that just didn’t work with most Australians.

Because of these sort of approaches many Christians are scared of evangelism and rightly so.

George Barna, an American researcher spend two years and tens of thousands of

dollars researching evangelism.

His hope was to uncover the newer, bigger, flashier

cutting edge programmes and methods being used around the country in order to

share new strategies with the church.

His research led him deflated – not because

there were not evangelistically successful churches but because “there is nothing

new under the sun”.

His conclusion was we do not need new models for evangelism

but we do need to understand the principles of disciple making based on the heart,

passion and life of Jesus.

The next step is to “just do it”.

(“Evangelism that Works”

George Barna)

A number of years ago, during one of my masters subjects there was this big movement about the missional church.

It was the latest catch word and came about because many gifted leaders were frustrated that the church was making disciples.

After listening to all the latest and greatest research, opinions and a lot of whinging by some who were frustrated that their church wouldn’t let them be as successful as they thought they should be I came to a very profound and simple conclusion.

So one day as we were walking out of the lecture room I turned to John Sweetman the Principal of the college and lecturer in church health and said, “John isn’t this a new word for what the church should have always been doing anyway?”

He agreed.

So over the next six weeks we are going to look at a great series that simply helps us to understand how we do all that the church should be doing anyway.

We are going to start with Matthew 28.

We are going to see that GOING, involves GROWING, KNOWING, SOWING, ROWING and SHOWING UP.

Firstly – Growing in the Gospel.

Let’s take a look from verse 16 of Matthew 28.

We pick up the story with the disciples worshipping the risen Jesus.

Jesus steps into this small group of worshipping believers and declares the gospel “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth”.

This is the gospel - Jesus is the risen king!

This is the news that Christians have been given to carry to the whole world.

That the risen Jesus is ruling over everything in heaven and on earth.

It’s not that God wants you to be a good person to go to heaven.

It’s not that God wants you to try a bit harder to get in God’s good books.

It’s not that believing in God will make all your life pain free or successful.

That’s not the gospel.

The gospel is that Jesus Christ, the ruler over everything, has died and was raised to life in order to defeat sin and death and their impact on us, our relationships and our planet.

Jesus invites us to part of his plan to set the world right.

To be a disciple of Jesus means, not only do we trust Jesus to save us but we learn from him how to live.

We learn A new way of being loved and giving love.

We lean a new way of being a neighbour and a family member and a citizen.

New life, a fresh start, a better way – that’s the gift God is willing to give us when we believe in his Son Jesus.

And one of the reasons we struggle to share this news is that this news hasn’t penetrated our own hearts and minds.

We need to be growing in our own understanding of the gospel.

Our message to the world is to trust that Jesus is the loving ruler of the world.

But it’s also the message we should be telling ourselves every single day.

Perhaps you are still trying to earn some favour with God.

Maybe you think God plans to weigh up your good and your bad and you’re just hoping to come out on top.

Maybe you think you’ve failed too much or sinned too often for God to love you.

Maybe you are trying to fix all your problems on your own strength.

Perhaps you don’t think It matters how you live or use the resources God has given you.

Well start by preaching the gospel to yourself.

Jesus Christ has given up his life so your life could be made right with God.

So he can bring about change in you and through you.

This is a gift of grace that you can’t earn through being a good person.

You just need to accept it.

Is this the gospel you preach to yourself?

Is this the truth that you live your life by?

If you’re living any other way, then I invite you to give it up.

To come and accept God’s gift of life through his son Jesus.

To let his death be your death and his life be your life.

Trust Jesus with all your life.

Come and live the way God intended for you to live – with Jesus as your king and saviour.

So start growing by preaching the gospel to yourself – what difference does it make to you that Jesus is the Risen King?

What difference does it make to your today and your tomorrow?

And as you grow you won’t just be talking to others about theory - you will be talking from here (touch heart).

You’ll be talking about the Jesus that you know and love, the Jesus who has transformed your life.

Growing will help us get Going.

And we do need to get going Because that’s what Jesus said his disciples do.

That’s what they other principles are going to help us do.

So it’s our purpose to Go.

But that isn’t as scary as you think.

Because by 12 noon today, this building is going to be empty.

We will all have gone somewhere.

So we are already going.

But to go and make disciples means more than just being physically in our community.

Many years ago I used to commute on a train and I can tell you it’s pretty easy to be physically present somewhere, but not be present.

Catching a train these days is like going to the library.

Nobody talks, we are together, but not together.

In our culture, Going isn’t just physical – it’s relational.

Going means Knowing others.

As our culture is changing relationship is becoming more important than ever.

It’s through relationship that people can see how Jesus changes your life.

It’s through relationship that people will experience the love of Jesus.

We need to prioritise getting to know the people around us.

Who can you make some time for?

Who can you really get to know?

Make it a priority each week to get to know the people you see.

One of the best ways you can do that is by eating together.

Sit with someone at a table.

It’s a small thing and it won’t feel like anything is happening, but getting to know others takes time.

We already know that it takes years for many people to come to faith, so there are no quick fixes, just the commitment to journey with someone as they learn from you what it means to follow Jesus.

It could be sharing a meal with neighbours, but for you it could be Friday night drinks, or morning tea at the park or actually taking a lunch break and eating with a work mate.

As we get to Know people then we will have opportunities to sow seeds.