Year of Yes - Evangelism
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION (10 min)
Thanks - Jeff Crawford and School of Ministry
Family - Married for 10 years to Leslie, Tyler 9, Brylee 2
Background - Salvation, Calling, School Teacher, Answering the Call "Year of Yes"
SNATCH THEIR ATTENTION (10 min)
Humbled by a 9 Year old
There is nothing more humbling than to have your 9 year old speak the truth of God. It is a bitter sweet experience. On one hand, you are excited as a father that what you have been teaching him has paid off. On the other hand, the last person you want to correct you is your son. For those of you who have kids and are reading this, you completely understand what I am talking about. That moment when your child says whatever one is thinking, but edicate states that you don't. It is truly a humbling experience.
Before I go any further let me tell how this all came about. The other day, two guys and I were traveling back to the church when we decided to stop at a local gas station. This is not a normal practice for us. I had this undeniable desire to stop and get something to drink. As we pulled in, I noticed a man sitting behind the neighboring restaurant. From the moment I set my eyes upon him, I knew we were there for a reason. As we walked into the gas station to get our drink, I bargained with myself, "If he is still there when we come out I will go talk to him." As we walked out, I motioned to the other guys with me that I wanted to engage the man in conversation and hear his story. The conversation with the man once again unlocked the reality of homelessness and the reality that we are all one decision or circumstance away from being in similar circumstances. During our time together, we heard his story and how he got to be where he was. We were able to share the Gospel with him, pray for him for specific concerns, and give him a Bible.
Feeling good about the experience, I decided to share this experience with my son. As I recaped this experience with him, I was feeling good about being able share this story. This false sense of puffiness was quickly corrected when my son asked me, "Daddy, why doesn't he sleep at the church?" Hmmm! How do you explain to your child that the church that Jesus established is not set up to house the homeless. I said, "Well, the church isn't quite set up that way." He said, "But, doesn't the Bible say that we are supposed to take care of the homeless." Dang, my boy just pulled the bible card. I stood there convicted, embarrassed, humbled, and proud. I was proud that my 9 year old son has been able to translate what the church and his parents have been teaching him to real life situations. I was extremely humbled because I had to admit to this wide-eyed 9 year old the hypocracy and buracracy of the church. Mercy ministry is one of the tuffest ministries a church has to deal with. So many churches has been burned and struggle with being good stewards with the congregations money that they allow this struggle to paralyze them from doing anything. I have to admit I don't know the right answer in doing mercy ministry.
The one thing I do know is that I need to do something and stop sitting on the sidelines watching hurting people remain in their brokenness. Thank you son for reminding me about what "loving people" is really all about.
SIMPLIFY THE POINT
We are calling this month "The Month of Evanglism" at Cross Church. Each week, we are taking time to really focus on getting outside the walls of the church and extend the Gospel message to Northwest Arkansas. In doing so, Ken Freeman has had to opportunity to speak at many of our campuses during this month. We had the pleasure of sitting down with him last Monday. That Monday he made a it very simplistic statement that says, "When you see what Jesus sees, you feel what Jesus feels." This statement simply outlines the ministry of Jesus and the ministry taken up by the early church. During his three year ministry, Jesus was always taking time to look and actually see people, which often times provoked a response.
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Jn 11:33–35). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Mt 9:36–38). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
This morning we are going to look at Galations 2:11-16. In this passage we get to see an exchange between Paul and Peter that deals with exactly this situation, seeing what Jesus sees allows you to feel what Jesus feels. Chapter 2:1-11 lays the foundation for the confrontation that will happen in verses 11-16. The situation begins at the Council of Jerusalem. Paul, Barnabas, and Titus go to Jersusalem to discuss their ministry with the pillars of the church (James, John, Peter) and defend their ministry of grace from what he calls False Brethrens (Judiazers). At the end of the conference, they were all in agreement that Gentiles don't have become Jews in order to become Christan. The death of Jesus on the cross was sufficient. Paul carried the news from the conference back to Antioch. At some point after the Council of Jeresalem, Peter comes to Antioch to get a first hand account of what God is doing. Lets pick up in verse 11.
HELP US SEE WHY -
Paul opposes Peter
What did Paul see?
11 But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
2. What did Paul feel?
2. What did Paul feel?
14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Justified by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ga 2:11–16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
GIVE US PROOF
Charles Spurgeon: “Perhaps some of you can claim a sort of negative purity, because you do not walk in the way of the ungodly; but let me ask you — is your delight in the law of God? Do you study God’s Word? Do you make it the man of your right hand, your best companion and hourly guide? If not, the blessing of Psalm 1 does not belong to you.”
Writes C.S. Lewis: “It is hard; but the sort of compromise we’re hankering after is harder — in fact, it is impossible. We are like eggs at present. And we cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”
Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism: “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”
ARTICULATE OUR QUESTIONS
What should you be seeing?
What should you be feeling?
SHOW US HOW
the hypocrisy that is stated in this passage when you see what God sees you see what God sees you begins notice the hypocrisy between the believers Church members in true Christianswhat hypocrisies do you see the get you fired up? Are we willing to boldly stand up against a Peter in order to speak out? Are we willing to watch our Barnabas is the lead astray be caught up in legalism church tradition.