It’s Beyond Me!

(text of Sermon – March 30, 2008 – Should soon be able to listen at www.capitalwestcc.org )

The Time to Go Is Now!

March 30, 2008

ILLUS: GPS – Global Positioning System

(Picture of GPS)

This handy little tool is fast becoming one of my favorite toys, er tools – helps you find your way to where ever you are going

Last weekend, (March 21&22) I took a group of 35 of our church family to Louisville KY to attend the Easter Pageant at Southeast Christian Church. About 12 of us packed into the church van and enjoyed 12 hours of close fellowship. We had a great time following the advice of this little tool we called Bertha, she gave directions from the time we left the church parking lot until we pulled into the comfort inn and suites in Louisville. “You have reached your destination, she said.”

One of the amazing things was that she knew exactly when we needed to turn and driving through the maze that is St. Louis she proved very helpful, “turn right on to I64 one half mile ahead” We made the turn and the cars following behind us a few miles, Missed the turn” She also was very helpful, We heard – “Caution” – I checked (since I wasn’t driving) to see what was wrong – she warned us of an accident a few miles ahead, be prepared you may need to take a different route. Also as we drove along we once again heard “caution” when I checked it out I found out our drive might have been going a little too fast – Caution –

Another amazing thing was when we headed home, all I had to do was press the button that said take me home, and I had directions how to get there – Problem was, I had Jason’s (my son) GPS and instead of taking me to the church it wanted me to go to Jason’s house – when we turned off the hwy out here by the mall – it said, “Make a left turn on to hwy 50 – (It wanted me to go back and find a way to turn around) when I went by that exit, it immediately said, “Make a left turn on – On to MO BLVD – (by now the voice almost sounded a little irritated) I went by MO BLVD and it recalculated and wanted me to turn onto South country club – I went by South country club and it re-calculated and wanted me to turn onto Leandra lane – - When I turned into the church parking lot . . . . it totally blew it’s mind, I couldn’t even get it to work this morning, I had to borrow Marks unit.

Interesting thing though, we had a lot of fun, talking to this little thing, Hey we know where going, leave were us alone –

This is such an amazing thing, I think everyone should have one!

In fact I think it’s vital that everyone has a GPS System and If you don’t have one, I want you to go out this week and buy one – But make sure you get the right model – I have done a little research and I’ve found the one that is best

Model #200 – Basic unit – Model #610 – more bells and whistles, Model # 4000 – Top of the line, I think probably does everything but drive the car for you.

And then here is the model I want you to purchase, if yoiu can’t afford It I will help you get one – It’s Model # HB – NIV

That’s Right the Bible – the Top of the line, highest power best working GPS (God’s Positioning System) unit available -

It in reality greatest invention of all – the host High tech thing we could ever have in our lives – When ever we make a wrong turn in life, it’s warning comes through loud and clear – Caution – Make a U Turn, We have to remember that we are following the most reliable GPS available, it knows where we are going even if sometimes we think we have different ideas,

(Caution) It convicts us of sin

(Caution) Sex outside of marriage is wrong –

(Caution) Don’t be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit of God

(Caution) Don’t be envious

For the next three weeks, Mark and I are going to sharing a series of messages we are calling “It’s beyond me!” I looked up what the phrase meant and the simple answer is,

“I have no Idea, or its’ too difficult for me!”

Now I thought about that for a few moments and I see how it really fits into some of the things we will talk about for the next 3 weeks – Something’s that are difficult to do or we may feel we have no Idea how we can carry them out.

But the bottom line is, they are things that God expects us to do, to step outside ourselves and – Well (Eph 2:8-10 NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– {9} not by works, so that no one can boast. {10} For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We come to one of the difficult passages of scripture, one that I think fits into the category of “It’s beyond me” – In order for me to fulfill this, I have to step beyond myself, and I will be amazed at What God can do.

Will you open your Bibles to the Book of Matthew.

A very familiar passage of Scripture – One we even have a name for it, – We call it the “Great Commission”

(Mat 28:18-20 NIV) 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.”

This morning I want to draw some lessons from this statement of Jesus – his call for us to do something –

I would like to answer the question,

Why would it be so important for us to fulfill the great commission?

1. Because Heaven is counting on us!

Do you want to know the mind of God? The apostle Peter points out that God’s great desire is for people to be saved.

(2 Pet 3:9 NIV) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

He’s devised a plan where by the world can know him. – Now get this fact – The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not intuitive.

In other words, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something that we just know. Did you ever have this conversation with your kids, John, don’t stick that bean up your nose, it’s going to get stuck and cause all kinds of problems.

Now how did you know not to do that?

That’s one of those things you just know, its common sense.

And there are something’s like that in life, we just have a natural intuition on something’s, sometimes our intuition turns out to be right and sometimes its turns out to be wrong..

We know history because someone taught us, shared with us. The reason we know about Jesus Christ is because someone shared that message with us.

Shared with us the amazing historical event.

Left to our self, maybe we could come up with some idea, that there is good and evil, but when you come to the end of your thoughts, you decide how you get to heaven it will be wrong. – Left to our selves the conclusion would be something like, this,

There is a good good God, and he’s out there somewhere, and the way you get to him would be by being Good.

Know what the Bible says about that?

(Prov 14:12 NIV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Good people don’t go to heaven, it’s not going to be like all the jokes you hear, A man died and he came to heaven where he was met by St. Peter, Why should I let you in?

Well I – you can list all the good and if the good out weighs the bad – Come on in -

Get this fact – Good People don’t go to heaven.

Forgiven people do.

There is no way that on our own thinking that we will ever understand that nearly 2000 years ago, God left heaven, came down to earth and walked among us. He preached good news, healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and then died on a cross and rose again to pay the price for our sins. No one will ever figure that out on his own.

It’s like this –

God Needs you to be involved in reaching the Lost – Heaven is counting on you.

Think of this scene:

Jesus returning to heaven,

Angels gather around him, Are you OK – we saw how you were mocked, beaten and spit on

Jesus, Yes – I think I’m ok

Does everyone know how much you love them now?

Not yet

What have you done to let everyone know about your sacrifice – and how much you love them.

Jesus says, here is my plan, you ready for this. “I’ve told, Peter, James and John and a few others, and I’ve asked them to tell other, and them to tell others, and them to tell others………………… That’s the plan, quiet in heaven for a time, then one angel finally pipes up and says, Jesus, that’s a great plan, amazing, but what if people get sidetracked forget to share, have you made any other plans. Jesus Says, NOPE, that’s the plan

There are souls everywhere who are lost – Heaven is counting on us to reach them.

Why would it be so important for us to fulfill the great commission?

2. We are under orders to go!

I’ve never been in the Armed forces, but I understand that when a soldier receives orders to go, then they pack up and go. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like going today or if you have others things you want to do for the next year, if the orders say, go, YOU GO!

Look back at our text:

“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

Let’s note several important facts from this passage –

A. All Authority

Look at the word – Authority – Underline that –

When you think of authority, what comes to mind – I looked up in the Greek to try to understand what Jesus meant.

exousia, ex-oo-see’-ah; privilege, – Power and Strength in legitimate hands.

ILLUS: NFL – most of you know I love to watch football – Especially when the Chiefs play, I know my team just can’t seem lately to get it together, but I’m a fan, I’m committed to the team, no matter how poorly they play – But think about a Pro-football team, those boys who play are strong, powerful young men, could probably bench press me. But as strong as they are, they aren’t the most powerful men on the field. Those older gentlemen with striped shirts and a whistle, are actually the most powerful men on the field, while the Players can knock you down, they can put you out – Because they have exooseah – authority. What they say goes! You argue with em too long, your just likely to be in the locker room.

That’s Authority – and Jesus said, Get this ALL – Authority on Heaven and on Earth has been given to me! -

B. Therefore

I think I first heard Rick warren say, whenever you see the word therefore, you need to ask what’s it there for. So lets ask, what’s it there for –

Jesus is simply saying,

Because of my Authority, I say to you Go!

C. Go! – Make Disciples

poreuomai, por-yoo’-om-ahee – It means, to traverse, travel, take a walk, a journey, depart, – no matter how you slice it, it means GO! It’s never translated or does it ever mean to Stay, sit or stand.

MAKE DISCIPLES of all Nations

Ouch! We have a responsibility, a mission and it is to go into our world – Does that mean we need to move to china? No – But some special people God has called to go there, some he has gifted to do that. But he has given us all specific instructions based on his Authority to go somewhere. It may be your work place – are you a witness there, do people know that your different – does your lifestyle speak of your walk with Jesus. See it’s a daily walk, being a Christian just isn’t something we do for 2 hours on Sunday – it is something we are, 24/7. Being a Christian Doesn’t mean you have to stand on the Street corner pounding your Bible saying repent sinner the end is near (I heard a story this week about two preachers who were placing a sign in the front yard of the church, that read, The End is near, Turn around – About that time a car drives by and the driver yells, you Christians – why don’t you just leave us alone, quit trying to push your religion on us. And he speeds by – a few seconds later a loud screech and crash is heard – the one preacher looks at the other and says, you’re right, we should have had it read, Danger, Bridge out ahead.”

I was listening to a young preacher this week, and he said, (Todd Clark) “The true measure of a church is not what we do here; it’s what happens when we leave this building.”

How true that statement is – He used a great illustration about driving your car – you drive around and stop by the gas station to fill up with gas, you don’t just sit there and enjoy how it feels to be full of gas – you drive out and empty your tank so you can come back and fill up later – (Now – granted he was using this illustration a few years ago when gas wasn’t so crazy as it is right now) but in reality he is right – the reason to fill your tank is so that you can get out into the world and do your thing.

But all too often we come to church on Sunday, get filled up with our spiritual fix for the week, and think how wonderful it is, what a great Lord’s day we had – oh the music was wonderful this morning, and the message was inspiring and the fellowship was enjoyable – But then what –

That should encourage us to leave this place pumped up, and ready to share with others all the good things that God has done for us. - go empty ourselves into this world so we can come back each week to be recharged –

Look at the next thing he tells us.

D. Baptize them!

Those who accept the message we are to baptize – Seems like a strange command doesn’t it – so much is made today in Christian circles of the subject of baptism – way too many arguments, disagreements over when, where, why and how. – Bottom line is this, Jesus Said to do it, so what’s the problem? We are to teach them about Jesus – those who accept that message are to be baptized – Let’s talk about for a moment.

In Bible Times, – The (Word) baptizo didn’t have a religious connotation – in the garment industry, say they needed a red piece of Cloth – they would take it and baptize it under the dye, or purple cloth.

They would immerse the cloth in order to transform it; they would basically change its identity.

That’s what baptism represents with us, the changing of our identity. Signifies the death burial and resurrection of Jesus, – pledging your life to him, and all through the NT – people started getting baptized – they came to know Jesus they were baptized, their identity changed forever - Acts 2:38 God will plant his Spirit within you.

(Rom 6:3-5 NIV) Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? {4} We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. {5} If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Saul, in Damascus, spent three days in prayer seeking answers and when Annanias, came what did he tell him,

(Acts 22:13-16 NIV) He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. {14} “Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. {15} You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. {16} And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

Then he goes on and says one more thing –

Those who accept the message and are baptized –

E. Teach them some more.

I want you to notice one little word – ALL – see what he wants us to do is bring them to Christ, identify they with him, and then, Teach them to OBEY ALL THINGS I have commanded you.

It’s not enough just to say you have a relationship with Jesus, and then live the way you want to – The bible then becomes our guide book,

Our GPS to direct us into all things of life, when we step outside of God’s plan, the Bible Sends up a warning

When we run ahead of God – “Caution” - trust me, follow me

When we live life by our own standards – The Bible speaks, “Caution” – those who live that way will not inherit the kingdom of God.

When we are struggling with and facing Temptation – “Caution” – I will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear – but with the temptation, I will provide a way of escape –

Invitation – Change my heart O God