13 We Go: Ministry of the Gospel

One thing I’ve learned is, we never stop needing the Gospel. We never stop needing to hear the Good News of Jesus. The Gospel isn’t a one-time shot that inoculates us from sin and trouble. We need to hear the good news daily and we need to share that good news daily.

As we go through this life following Jesus, we need to stay immersed in the Gospel and we are also to share our story with those around us and with the community.

Theme for March, We Go – the Church, the Body of Christ is commissioned by Jesus to go take the Good News to those who do not yet follow Him.

“Why” of going?

One “What” of going - The Ministry of the Gospel

Jesus Went

He will not tell you to go unless He also has gone.

John 6:38–40 NIV

38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

came down from heaven to do will of Father, which is everyone look on Jesus believe have eternal life

2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

grace, Jesus was rich but became poor so the poor could become rich.

Mark 1:1 ESV

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

- v1 beginning of gospel - story of Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom, healing sick… through resurrection.

Mark 1:15 NIV

15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:14 NIV

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.

kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news/gospel

Mkingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news/gospel

kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news/gospel

- stories of Jesus traveling from town to town, healing sick, restoring lepers, casting out demons, raising the dead, forgiving sins, sharing the good news.

Luke 8:1 NIV

1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

went proclaiming Good News of Kingdom.

Matthew 9:35–36 NIV

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus went, proclaim good news of Kingdom, healing, compassion, sheep without shepherd

Matthew 9:37–38 NIV

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

pray for workers

Jesus Sent

stories of sending out His disciples after a period of following and learning. They went just as Jesus had done.

Matthew 10:1 NIV

1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Matthew 10:5–8 NIV

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

sent out the 12 to Jews first. For proclaim good news of Kingdom, heal raise cleanse cast out.

Jesus sent 72. Ask Lord of harvest to send workers - v.3 then go. Used for missions globally, but they were standing at a well seeing the people around them when Jesus spoke this.

Luke 10:1–3 NIV

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

sends them out.

Jesus sent 72. Ask Lord of harvest to send workers - v.3 then go. Used for missions globally, but they were standing at a well seeing the people around them when Jesus spoke this.

woman at the well, Jesus told disciples v.35 lift up your eyes, fields are ripe for harvest

Jesus Commissioned

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

go make baptize teach obedience

you will be my witnesses.

Witnesses - not apologists, not orators, not preachers, not itinerant evangelists, not academic professors, not convincing salesman. Witnesses = saw/experienced and tell about the experience. That means you have already experienced Jesus.

Ministry of the Gospel

? seek and save lost

Acts 2:1–4 NIV

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

power of Holy Spirit,

power of Holy Spirit, 14-21 prophecy and calling on name of Lord to be saved, 22-36 who Jesus is and what He did, 37 What must we do. 38-39 repent, receive Holy Spirit. 47b every day adding to their number who was rescued.

vv14-21 Peter begins speaking. prophecy and calling on name of Lord to be saved,

vv22-36 who Jesus is and what He did,

v37 people are moved by the Spirit and ask What must we do.

vv38-39 repent, be baptized, receive Holy Spirit.

47b every day adding to their number who was rescued.

the straight forward message of the Gospel,

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 NIV

1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Paul gives simple and straight forward message of the Gospel,

Romans 10:13–15 NIV

13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

how will they hear unless someone is sent to proclaim/announce

salt of earth, light of the world, let your light shine - living out the Gospel transformation for others to see.

Jesus went - he taught, he modeled, he proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom

Jesus sent - his disciples, his followers to do the same

Jesus commissioned disciples to go, make disciples.

Jesus is the Good News. Jesus is the hope for this lost and dark world.

Conclusion

What is your experience with Jesus? Have you really experienced Him in the dark and lonely and difficult times?

Does your heart still pound at hearing the Good News of Jesus. Have you learned to cling to Him when life gets difficult?

Times in life when it seems like the whole bottom drops out and you have to learn all over again how to cling to Jesus. Is it worth all of the pain and heartache that can come? Because following Jesus isn’t easy and He doesn’t promise a smooth road.

You’re afraid to pray for patience or strength or victory in some area of your life because you know it’s going to mean pain to get there.

When you lose a baby or a loved one or the difficult diagnosis or you fall into sin or you get caught falling into sin.

It’s even more difficult when you are serving in full-time ministry and you are sure you are where God called you to be but then suddenly everything just fell apart, again. Do you cling to Jesus? Can you still trust Him?

So, why follow Jesus? Why trust Him?

Jesus is our hope of coming back to our Creator. He’s our hope of true life beyond this life. He’s the one Who has overcome the sin that holds us down and the oppression that chokes us.

What about those outside these walls who haven’t yet met Jesus? How are they going to find hope?

You have a story that someone needs to hear. The good news of Jesus – not just a list of verses from the Bible or a series of steps to walk someone through to convince them they should pray a prayer. You can bring hope to someone who has lost hope by sharing your story of hope. The story of Jesus. The Gospel or Good News.

If you haven’t experienced Jesus in that way. Come up here as we play this final song and talk to Jesus. Lay it all before Him, open yourself to Him and invite Him to come in and fill you with His Spirit and make you new. Choose today to follow Him and find hope in His saving grace and healing mercy.

If you already know and experience Jesus and cling to Him, there are others who still need to hear the Good News. The hope of a Savior. Jesus calls and commissions us to go. Come lay down your fears and hesitation and tell Jesus you will go. You will take His Good News to those He is preparing.

We have met people around us here who are lost and struggling and without hope. They need Jesus. We as the body of Christ also need to commit ourselves to the ministry of the Gospel. To taking the good news of forgiveness and mercy and grace to the community.

God planted this congregation right here 126 years ago to minister to the people right around us. The neighborhood has grown. If we don’t take Jesus to them who will? Mt. Rock church are we going to get up off our pews and go outside these walls and tell people of the hope we’ve found in Jesus? Or are we going to continue to struggle to find ways to hang on to this facility and keep it to ourselves? Let’s be faithful to our commission to make disciples.

the fields are ripe for harvest. pray the Lord of the harvest to send workers. now GO!

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