Sermon Tone Analysis

Series: WWLD? (What Would Lottie Do?)

Sermon: Me?

A Missionary?

John 20:19-23

Ricky Powell, Senior Pastor

December 6, 2009

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Introduction:

It has been great to learn a little about Lottie Moon this morning.

For some of you, all this talk every year about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering has made you question, “Who is this Lottie Moon and when will we ever pay her off?”

I am beginning a new series today called, “WWLD?

What Would Lottie Do?” All through the month of December we are going to learn about Lottie Moon and the lessons we can learn from her life.

Go ahead and open your Bible to John 20.19-23.

We will read this passage in just a moment.

Lottie Moon—the namesake of the international missions offering—has become something of a legend to us.

But in her time Lottie was anything but an untouchable hero.

In fact, she was like today’s missionaries.

She was a hard-working, deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so her people group could know Jesus.

Lottie later recounted that she felt her call to China “as clear as a bell” in February 1873 after a Baptist pastor in Cartersville, Georgia preached about missions.

Lottie left the service to go to her room, where she prayed all afternoon.

Then and there she surrendered her life to being a missionary.

When she set sail for China, Lottie was 32 years old.

She had turned down a marriage proposal and left her job, home and family to follow God’s lead.

For 39 years Lottie labored, chiefly in Tengchow and P’ingtu.

Some of the people feared and rejected her, but she refused to leave.

She came up with an ingenious strategy in those early days for building a relationship with the people she was trying to reach; she baked cookies.

The aroma of fresh-baked cookies drew people to her house.

She shed her Western style of dress and culture and adopted traditional Chinese dress, learned China’s language, and adopted many of their customs.

She did all of this and more just so she could relate to and reach the wonderful people of China with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lottie didn’t just serve the people of China; she identified with them.

Many eventually accepted her and her Savior.

Citation: adapted from LOTTIE MOON: A SHORT BIOGRAPHY, by John Allen Moore (www.maxsons.org/pdf/BiographyOfLottieMoon.pdf)

Aren’t you grateful for missionaries like Lottie Moon who are willing to accept the call of God on their lives to reach certain people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Aren’t you grateful for missionaries who will risk everything for the cause of Christ?

Aren’t you grateful for missionaries who die to their personal preferences and customs without compromising Scripture in an effort to identify with the people they are trying to reach?

Do we have any missionaries here today?

Will all of the missionaries please stand?

Why are you not all standing?

Go ahead and stand up.

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ then stand and remain standing.

If you are a Christian please stand.

You see, if you are a member of the Body of Christ then you are a missionary.

If you are one of the saved then you are also one of the sent.

I am looking at a room full of missionaries.

Those whom God saves He sends.

Most of us have not been called to go to China or some other foreign country.

But we have each been called to serve as missionaries right here in our own community and culture.

That’s right…Christ has sent each of us to reach our culture with the Gospel!

As a church, we have been commissioned to reach this community with the message of salvation!

Do not take my word for it.

Listen to what Jesus said in John 20.19-23 to His disciples after His resurrection.

READ PASSAGE

Did you hear that?

“As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.”

If you are one of the saved then you are one of the sent.

Let’s take a look at the process He uses to make us missionaries.

Please be seated.

The disciples of Jesus had assembled after the arrest, scourging, crucifixion and death of their Lord.

The fearful disciples locked themselves inside the upper room.

They hid behind locked doors fearful that the same Jewish authorities who had their Lord murdered might also come after them.

You can only imagine the fear that filled the room as they huddled together, wondering if the next sound they heard would be the footsteps of their executioners.

The risen Lord Jesus arrived on the scene and performed three gracious acts for them.

These are the same three gracious acts He performs for us today.

First, He emboldened them with His presence, and He does the same for us.

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I. Jesus Emboldens Us With His Presence (John 20:19-20).

"Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'

When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side.

Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord" (John 20:19-20).

After the crucifixion of their Lord the disciples were not thinking about being missionaries to their world.

They were worried about being martyrs!

They were at Ground Zero where their Lord had been executed.

His sudden appearance did not help matters much.

His appearance in a locked room shook and frightened the disciples.

They thought they were seeing a vision or a spirit (Luke 24:36-37), so Jesus invited them to investigate and touch His wounds.

Here’s a good Bible trivia question for you: What are the only man-made things in heaven?

The wounds of Jesus, the nail prints in His hands and feet, and the scar in His side.

They were still there when Jesus was resurrected.

The first thing Jesus did was prove that it was really Him.

He showed them His wounds.

In doing so, He wanted to turn their fear into faith.

Can you imagine how dramatic it would be to see a loved one back from the grave standing before you?

Jesus probably moved around to each of them, allowing each one to see the wounds.

He wanted them to know they were not looking at a ghost or apparition.

His scars were the defining marks of His identity.

In short, the scars of the Savior convinced them that…

!! A. Jesus Is The Christ of Calvary.

"…He showed them HIS hands and HIS side…" (John 20:20).

While the disciples had deserted Him, John (and probably Peter afar off) had witnessed the crucifixion.

They had watched as their Lord and Friend was nailed to the cross on the wind-swept hill of Golgotha.

They had observed as the spear was plunged into His side.

They had seen Him die and along with Him their hopes of a better day.

Now the Jesus of Calvary was standing among them in His risen power, showing them His hands and side.

He invaded their grief and fear and unbelief with infallible proof.

But He is more than the Christ of Calvary.

!! B. Jesus Is The Christ of Victory.

"Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you'" (John 20:19).

No one but a Conqueror could say such words.

Indeed, twice over He declared, “Peace to you!” (John 20:21, 26).

It has been said, “How often the contemporary church finds itself behind closed doors, fearful and ineffectual, living on the wrong side of the resurrection.

The problems are so vast and the enemy so overwhelming and all the talk about Jesus seems futile.

What can be done but hide in the sanctuary discussing how desperate the situation is?” (Citation: Roger L. Fredrikson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, vol.