Good Monday morning MABC!
This past Sunday we continued in our series “Rooted” by taking a look at the spiritual discipline of evangelism. The key points for me were that we were expected to be witnesses and share the gospel and that it came down to whether we would be obedient or not. We are good at finding “outs” to not evangelize like “not my job,” “I am ill-prepared’ or “it’s uncomfortable.” However, if it was important to Jesus, it must become important to us. Remember the app I showed you yesterday – Life On Mission? Go to your app store and search Life On Mission. It will help you share your faith easily and you will no longer have to be unprepared or uncomfortable. Be intentional because it is “everyone’s job” to share the gospel.
Famous last words give us great insight into what is important in someone’s life. Actress Joan Crawford’s supposed last words were “Don’t you dare ask God to help me.” That should tell you something about the importance of faith in her life. Coaching great Vince Lombardi turned to his wife and said, “Happy Anniversary. I love you.” Do you think she was important? Jack Daniel, founder of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, is said to have said, “One more drink, please.” That’s an easy one. Jesus last words before ascending into Heaven? He said to his disciples “you WILL BE my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Bible then says he was taken up to Heaven before their very eyes.
“You will be!” It is expected of us just as we said prayer was expected of us. You will be my witnesses was to be a reminder of the commission he had given them in Matthew chapter 28 to “GO and make disciples. It is not an optional activity for those who are of the Kingdom of God. Jesus even spells out where our witnessing is to begin. The Delano District is our Jerusalem. We must be intentional about reaching those who are in closest proximity to the church. This is one reason I have asked you to join me in reaching out to Lawrence Elementary School in this coming year because schools are often the hub of a community. These LES families are the families in our “Jerusalem” who need support. These are the marriages we need to help strengthen. These are the children we want to join us in AWANA next fall. It is often said in ministry if we get marriages right, we get families right. And if we get families right, churches grow and get stronger. If that happens, communities grow and become better places to live.
I know I sound like a broken record but it is important for us to remember that the lifeblood of the local church and the Church is evangelism. Thom Rainer, former CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources and one of the most respected church researchers of our time, says that the reality of church decline is the collective result of individuals deciding not “to go.” The result of that is the church becomes a religious country club instead of an obedient Great Commission congregation. Let’s strive to be an irresistible church and continue on with our “marching orders” to reach those around us.
Remember, I will be taking a week off. Pastor Rick Woolard will be sharing with you all this coming Sunday. I will be back in the office one week from Wednesday. Have a blessed week!
Pastor Rick
