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We've talked about
how the purpose of life is to prepare for eternity because we are going to
spend more time in eternity than we will here. And as part of the practice
we are invited to do 5 things here on earth- to learn to love and know God
which we call worship, to learning to love other people in God's family
which we call fellowship, to grow in character to become more like Christ
which we call discipleship, And last week we looked at how we need to
serve God with all of our gifts and abilities, which come form God, and
the Bible calls that ministry.
Once you start to
work on these 4 things in your life, then it's time to live out your fifth
purpose. It begins when you take to heart the saying of Jesus that you
have been sent everywhere you go for a purpose.
"As the
Father has sent me, I am sending you," Jesus said. You are in
that job, you are in that family, you are in this community, you have the
ability to talk and help and develop relationships for a purpose, and
according to Rick Warren our 5th purpose is share the good news. That is
exactly what the word evangelism means. It is sharing the good news, news
that uplifts and brings comfort and challenge and makes the life of
everyone who hears it better, the good news of the life, teachings, death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Evangelism.
Many of us absolutely hate this word. It connotes images of a guy on TV
with big hair saying, "Send me your money." It may bring back
images of people on the street corner screaming through a bullhorn that
you're going to Hell if you don't accept Jesus- that's wonderful news to
hear as you're catching the train in the morning, isn't it? Evangelism for
you may mean walking through college campuses handing out little tracts
and asking if a stranger is saved. Some of us have had some really
painful, unnatural experiences associated with this word, evangelism. And
I am asking you to set them aside today and to rethink what it means to be
the bearer of good news, of perhaps the best news that any human being
could ever hear.
It begins by
having your life touched by Christ, by having some personal, real, unique
experience of Jesus. If you don't have this, then please don't try to do
the work of an evangelist. You'll be faking it. You'll feel awkward.
You'll hate it and you won't be effective. Seek first the kingdom of God
yourself so you have something to share with others. But once you have an
experience of the risen Christ, any experience at all, you have to do
something with it. You just have to. You are impelled to, out of joy, not
out of guilt.
Jesus said, "You
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and toe
the ends of the earth."
What's a
witness? Well, the term comes right from the courtroom. Those of you
who watch Law and Order on TV, you know what a witness is. A witness is
someone who simply states the truth as they know it, no more, and
certainly no less. "This is what I saw. This is what happened to
me." It is sharing with others what God has done in your life. You
are the expert on that . You are the expert on what God has done in your
life. No one else has had your experience and no one else has your unique
words to share, that's why it is so important that you do it. No one else
can take your place. And all you have to do is tell the truth. You don't
have to be a salesperson, you don't have to be a Biblical scholar- the
first apostles certainly weren't, you just have to be honest and faithful,
and you have to go out there and do it.
In Jerusalem -
which means, with those closest to you, your family, your friendship
circles, your coworkers, your neighbors.
In Judea and Samaria -
which means with people who cross your paths but are different
from you, maybe very different.
And to the ends of the
earth - which means to everybody else, everybody, in some way.
Not many of us
will have the opportunity to go to other parts of the world to share our
faith, but we can certainly take part in the missions of those who do,
through our cash support, our prayers, our cards and letters, our
attention and concern.
There is this
story where God's in heaven talking with an angel. And God says, "My
plan is to give the good news to all the believers, my children, and have
them share it around the world to build up our family." And the
angel said, "What if they don't do it? What's your plan B, God?"
And God said, "There is no plan B." We are it. We are the plan.
And when we don't fulfill our role in the plan the family of God shrinks.
And when we do our part well, under the direction and power of the Holy
Spirit, the Family of God is blessed and it thrives. It is a privilege to
be part of God's plan, a privilege to have the opportunity to make history
in our generation.
So how do we
fulfill this mission, this mission of evangelism? Three ways. Fill in
those blanks.
I must share with those in my world. Those who are around me. There
was once a man healed by Jesus who immediately wanted to travel with him.
And Jesus said, no, go back home. They need to hear how your life has
changed. "Go back home and tell people how much God has done for
you.' So the man went all over town telling how much God has done for
him.
Why don't we do
this? Why doesn't this become a comfortable, easy piece of who we are?
Because of a myth, the myth that people are not interested in spiritual
matters. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every human being has a
God shaped hole inside of them waiting to be filled. They just need
someone to help them fill it. Advertisers spend hundreds of millions of
dollars filling that hole with materialism. But the hole is still there.
Trust me. That hole never gets perfectly filled by things and
entertainment and travel.
George Gallop took
a survey a few years ago. He discovered that 65 million Americans have no
church home. But an estimated 34 million of them would respond, "I
would go to church if someone invited me." 34 million just waiting
for an invitation! My guess is some of these people work with you, live
with you. Start sharing.
When you tell
someone you go to church, when you invite someone to church, you are
really bringing good news, you are saying a lot. You are saying that there
are still people in the world who want to live righteous, honest, upright
lives. There are still people in the world who know what forgiveness and
grace mean. There is a place where people can go and begin again and find
a whole new family laughing with them, celebrating with them, and crying
with them, mourning with them. When you invite someone to church you say
volumes about yourself and you hope for a better tomorrow.
"Be ready
at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hop that you
have in you." This is probably the number one reason why folks
are hesitant to speak about their faith with others, even with people
close to us. We are afraid they will ask questions, questions that we
can't answer. That's a valid fear. We don't want to say the wrong thing.
We don't want to embarrass ourselves or the other person. Let's take that
fear this morning.
First, when
someone asks you a question about your faith that you have trouble
answering, you can always say, "Let me get back to you on that . Let
me think about that, and pray about that, and let me bring it up in my
Sunday School class or small group." Deep questions often require
some pondering and some study to require deep answers. Give yourself some
time; you don't have to answer them on the spot.
Secondly, most of
the questions you get about faith from your friends will be very personal
ones. They don't' want to hear the words of a bible scholar they need to
hear you saying that this is real, that it matters, that it helps
following Jesus Christ. Just be yourself, say the words you feel led to
say, your words, not someone else's. Authentic, simple Christian faith is
the most powerful witness there is. If you live out the other 5 purposes
you'll have something to share. You can rely on that. God is putting a
message inside you all this time. Just let it out. It will be a blessing
to somebody.
Reach Beyond
Your World.
In this mission fair you'll find lots and lots of opportunities to
reach beyond your world, to stretch yourself. Take deep breath and sign up
to take up one of these causes as a personal mission. Dare to reach people
with a different background than you. You'll learn a lot about yourself.
You'll learn a lot about how Jesus is already there walking beside a
person in need. And you'll have a chance to make a new friend, and talk
about your faith, and help somebody have a better life, a better home,
healthy food- your very presence will bring the good news of a salvation
that touches mind, body, and soul.
Sharing your faith
begins with finding a common ground. All human beings have times when we
are happy, when we are sad, when we are scared, and when we are lonely.
Start there. We are all human beings who need other human beings and who
need their creator. We already have a common bond. Don't be afraid to
reach out to someone who looks differently that you, who comes from
another generation, who comes from the other side of the tracts. You can
still share the love of Christ with them by what you say and most
importantly by what you do, your actions, your modeling of loving, kind,
good behavior.
There are so many
scriptures that encourage us to reach out to people in need.
"Stoop down and
reach out to those whoa re oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete
Christ's law."
"Real religion,
the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to
the homeless
and loveless
in their plight."
If you have never
been involved in a hands-on mission, that you have missed an incredible
opportunity to grow in your faith. I have never felt the presence of
Christ so close to me than in my years in Kensington, when we simply
handed out the government donated cheese and butter to 1200 families in
our neighborhood once a month. I can't explain it. I just know Jesus was
in the room smiling as we cared for the poorest of the poor.
The words of Jesus
are true.
"Let me
assure you that no one has ever given up anything… for love of me and to
tell others
the
Good News who won't be given back, a hundred times over."
If you reach out
and get involved with any of these missions, the blessings are
overwhelming. Yes, the work is hard and it can at times be heartbreaking
and even frustrating, but the blessings will keep coming. And once you get
a taste of the blessing that come on the local level, interacting with
people who are a little different than you, you'll want to be involved
with people that are a lot different than you.
I must care
about the whole world.
It is not so much a must as a will. If you experience the joy of changing
a little part of this broken, hurting world, you'll want to change all of
the world.
Jesus said to his
followers, "Go everywhere in the world and tell the Good News to
everyone."
What a joy to be
in mission, to make a difference, to share the faith, to watch others
change and grow. So, what is there to be timid about?
2006,
Rev. Dr. Truman T. Brooks
West Chester United Methodist Church
129 S. High St, West Chester, PA 19382
www.WestChesterUMC.com
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