When we think of our calling to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, the first passage that comes to mind is the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20. However, there are several other passages in the New Testament that speak of Christ’s call for his people to proclaim his name among the nations. One such passage is at the very beginning of Acts.
In Acts 1:1-9, “3 [Jesus] presented himself alive to [his disciples] after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” These original disciples witnessed Jesus’ life and ministry, they witnessed his crucifixion, they witnessed the empty tomb, and now they are witnessing irrefutable proof of his resurrection. Jesus wanted his disciples to see and believe that he was truly alive. Then, in verse 8, Jesus speaks to these disciples saying, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We might say that those who have witnessed his life, death, and resurrection are now sent to bear witness to what they have witnessed!
But before the disciples scamper off to fulfill this mission, Jesus “ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (vv. 4-5). In other words, even though Jesus was sending them to the ends of the earth, he commands them to stay put until they receive the Holy Spirit. Why? Because without the help of the Holy Spirit, the work of evangelism is impossible.
When it comes to evangelism, our job (J. Mack Stiles says) is to “teach the gospel with the aim to persuade.” Simple enough. But for that work to have any effect, the Holy Spirit has to do his work. He has to soften a person’s stony heart, convict them of their sin and their need for a savior, call them to repent and believe the gospel, and make them into new creations! Mark Dever summarizes it like this, “In our evangelism we must be partners with the Holy Spirit, presenting the Gospel but relying on the Holy Spirit of God to do the true convicting and convincing and converting.”
God has given us a mission that is impossible apart from him. If even the great Paul and Apollos could only plant and water then depend upon God to give the growth, how much more dependent upon his help are we? Without the work of the Holy Spirit, the work of evangelism is a waste of time. The only way for us to carry out this impossible mission is to go forth dependently.
Pastor and author HB Charles argues that if we want to see how dependent we believe we are upon the Lord, we simply need to pay attention to what we bring before him in prayer. He writes, “The things you pray about are the things you trust God to handle. The things you neglect to pray about are the things you trust you can handle on your own.” He’s right! If we are dependent upon the Lord for the work of evangelism, are you praying for his help?
The work of evangelism should be fueled by constant, unrelenting prayer to the Lord of the harvest. Yes, we need to do the work of proclaiming the good news, but he is the one who alone can melt hearts of stone, unstop deaf ears, and open spiritually blinded eyes. Let’s pray for him to do what he alone can do!
If the idea of evangelism scares, intimidates, or overwhelms you, then my challenge for you is simple: Commit to pray! Pray regularly for particular people in your life to come to Christ. Pray that God would grow in you a zeal to see the lost found. Pray for eyes to see opportunities to speak about Jesus. Pray for the courage to speak when those opportunities come. And then, when you speak, pray that the Lord of the Harvest would do what he alone can do!
So, Go! There’s a world out there that needs to hear the gospel! But before you go, remember, a prayerless mission is a pointless mission. Go forth on your knees, depending upon the infinite strength of the all-powerful God.
FBC Ojai News: March 10-16
Book Discussion Night: On Tuesday, April 1 at 6:30 PM, we’ll be having a discussion of the book Being the Bad Guys: How to Live for Jesus in a World That Says You Shouldn’t by Stephen McAlpine. Read the book on your own and come prepared to discuss on April 1 in the sanctuary. (We’ve run out of books, order your copy here.)
Church Cookbook: Calling ALL cooks – men too! It’s been ages since we’ve put together an all-church cookbook, so dig out those most-requested, family and friend tested, potluck-approved favorites. Either email your recipe to the church office (office@fbcojai.org) or drop off a copy in the foyer. We need lots of recipes, so feel free to submit several. We’d like to have all recipes in by Sunday, March 30.
New Church Directory: It’s time to update our FBC Ojai directory, and we would love to see YOUR face in there! Over the next month, please take a moment to update and/or confirm your information on the printed directory in the foyer. There are three copies for convenience, but you only need to make your corrections on ONE copy. Please put your initials by your name if all of the information is correct. If your information is not in the directory at all, please complete a directory information form in the foyer. Lastly, if you do not have a picture in the old directory or would like to put in a new one, please contact the church office (office@fbcojai.org). Thank you!
Sermon Questions on Psalm 67
This Sunday, we started a two week series that we’re calling “Christ to the Nations” by looking together at Psalm 67. Spend time with your home group, family, or on your own, reflecting again on this passage and discussing the way it might help shape your life and faith.
Share about your personal experience with missions. Have you been on mission trips? Have you been in churches that were heavily involved in missions? Do you currently support and pray for missionaries? etc.
Read Genesis 12:1-3 again.
What does this passage tell us about God?
What does this passage tell us about God’s plan for Israel?
What does this passage tell us about God’s plan for the nations?
Read Psalm 67:1-7 again.
What does this psalm ask God to do for the nations? (see v. 2)
How does this psalm ask God to carry out his work among the nations? (see v. 1)
What is the ultimate goal of God’s work among the nations? (see v. 3, 5)
In the sermon, Ben quoted John Piper who said, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” Read his longer quote below and discuss it together.
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.”
What might it look like for you, your family, and our church to serve and support God’s mission to the nations?
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