Sunday, October 21, 2012

One Focus Commitment


One Focus Commitment
Luke 10: 2

Introduction
Three weeks ago, I began preaching about One Focus.  I shared this story about Starbucks, but I share it again, because it captures in my mind exactly what we are trying to do with One Focus.
In January 2008, Howard Schultz became the CEO of the Starbucks Coffee Company for the second time.  Schultz was the entrepreneur who started Starbucks, but he stepped aside in 2000 to grow the company into new markets.  From 2000 – 2008, Starbucks thought they could grow their business and their profits by opening new stores all over the country.  (There was even a time when it was a common joke to talk about a Starbucks on every street corner or new Starbucks opening up across the street from another Starbucks.)
Ironically, Starbucks’ plan for growth did not work.  By 2007, they had over 9,000 stores in the United States.  But, they were losing customers, and their stock values had plummeted 42%.  That is when Schultz became CEO for the second time.
In Schultz’ first month as the returning CEO, he made a couple of bold moves.  First, he closed approximately 1,900 Starbucks stores.  This was a difficult move, but it was not unheard of in the business world and nothing like what he did next.  His second move was to find a way to retrain every Starbucks employee.  The only way to do this was to close every Starbucks location for three hours of training.
On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 7,100 Starbucks stores closed to retrain their employees.  In their pursuit of growth, they had lost sight of their purpose.  Their employees did not know how to make a proper shot of espresso.[1] 
Starbucks had learned the hard way that by focusing on reaching the masses they had lost their focus on the one.  For Starbucks, the only way to fulfill their mission was to focus on one perfect shot of espresso for one customer at a time.  For a church, the only way to fulfill our mission is to focus on making a difference in the life of one person at a time…  Helping one hurting person…  Meeting the physical needs of one needy person…  Providing spiritual nourishment for one person who has not heard God’s Good News of salvation…
We may never reach the masses, but we can reach one.  And this is God’s plan…  One Christian reaching out to one other person.

One Focus
This is what we are trying to do with One Focus.  We are not asking you to reach the world.  We want you to help us reach one person.
One Focus is an effort to make evangelism and outreach a part of your everyday life.  We are not sending you out to knock on doors and share the Gospel with strangers.  Instead, we want you to pay attention to the people you already know.  Surely there is one person in your life who is either not a Christian or at least not affiliated with another church.
We are not asking you to become confrontational with every new person you meet.  “Hello.  My name is Andy.  If you died right now, would you spend eternity in Heaven or Hell?”  Instead, we are asking you to show the Love of Jesus to people you already know.  Invest in them as a true friend and show Love by serving their needs.  Be genuine.  You can’t fake Love and concern for others.
We are not asking you to stand on the street corner with a Bible in one hand and a bull horn in the other hand preaching, “The end is coming.”  Instead, we want you to preach the Gospel in your actions.  Let your Love for others open up an opportunity to tell your friends how Jesus has changed your life.

So, how do you answer that question?  What has Jesus done for you?

The basic answer is found in John 3: 16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV).”
Jesus is an expression of God’s Love for the world.  God loves the world so much that God took the initiative to rescue the world. 
Sin separates us from God.  There are two ways we can talk about sin.  On one hand, we can talk about sins—the specific actions we commit which are contrary to God’s will.  On the other hand, we can talk about sin—the fallen condition of human life.
Our sins separate us from God.  Our best efforts miss the mark and fall short of God’s perfection.  Sometimes, we stray from the path God wants us to follow.  Other times, we actively and intentionally rebel against God’s instructions.
At the same time, we find ourselves living in a fallen and imperfect world.  All of life is affected by sin.  We experience a broken relationship with God, a broken relationship with humanity, and a broken relationship with creation.
We cannot fix our sin problem.  Therefore, God sent his one and only Son, Jesus, to solve our sin problem.  Jesus went to the cross to give his life as a voluntary sacrifice.  Jesus’ sacrifice makes atonement for all our sins and our sinful condition.  This is offered to all people (the world), but it is only applied to those who have faith in Jesus.  (As John 3: 16 says, “whoever believes in him…”)

Jesus knew this was his role to play in God’s plan of salvation.  He lived a perfect life as our example.  He served the needs of all people—male and female; slave and free; Jew and Gentile.  Then, Jesus sent out his followers to tell the world who he is…

Luke 10: 2... "(Jesus) 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.""

Jesus knew who he was and what he had been called to do.  Jesus taught his disciples about the Kingdom of God and predicted his sacrificial death.  Then, Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples to go out as his witnesses in the world.  I want you to notice three things about this Scripture.

First, when Jesus looked out in the world he saw a world filled with unbelievers.  We can probably say the same thing today.  We look out and see a world without Jesus.  People are so concerned with making more money that they never stop to think about the most valuable things in life.  People take a hostile stance against the Gospel, because they think the Christian faith is narrow minded and old fashioned—they never realize that God sent his Son as an expression of love and desire to redeem all of humanity.  It is enough to make Christians feel discouraged and depressed.  But, Jesus was not discouraged.  Jesus saw the world as an opportunity to spread God’s Love to people who had never heard.  The world is a field which is ripe and ready for harvesting.  This is not a problem.  This is an opportunity.

Second, Jesus challenged his disciples to pray.  I think Jesus is inviting us to share his opinion of the world as an opportunity and not a problem.  If God loves the world (and all the people in the world), then just look at the opportunity to show God’s Love!  We need to pray that the world will be receptive to hear and experience the Love of God.  And, we need to pray that God will send someone to show God’s Love to the world.

Third, I want you to notice the first thing Jesus says after telling his disciples to pray.  Jesus told us to pray that God would send someone to the world.  Then, Jesus said, “Go!  I am sending you…”  As we pray for God to send someone, we need to remember the way God often answers prayer.  As you pray for God to send someone…Get ready…You might be the person God chooses to send.  God may answer our prayers by sending you and me.

Conclusion: Commitment
On Wednesday of this past week, approximately 200 people gathered here in our sanctuary to celebrate the life of Cindy Ramsey.  Cindy was an inspiration to so many people in our church and community.  She modeled a life of joy, peace and hope despite the physical problems she faced.
Before Cindy had her lung transplant in 2007, she gave me a copy of what she wanted us to do for her funeral service.  She selected songs for the congregation to sing.  She selected special music and asked singers to sing at the service.  She selected two people (Aubrey Knox and Patsy Parks) to give eulogies about Cindy’s life and faith.  She even told me what she wanted me to preach.  She wanted me to preach an evangelistic message about Jesus Christ, her Lord.
A couple of years ago, Cindy asked me if she could give her testimony in our Sunday morning worship service.  And, one Sunday, Cindy stood in this pulpit and told us how much she believed in the power of prayer.  While Cindy was waiting for her lung transplant, she found comfort and hope in prayer.  While Cindy was recovering in the hospital, she cherished the prayers of her church.  Prayer gave her strength to face all her troubles and to know that God would never leave her or forsake her.
This is the reason our staff thought Cindy Ramsey was the perfect person to serve as our One Focus prayer coordinator. 
When I asked Cindy to be our prayer coordinator, I started out by describing One Focus.  (We are going to ask all our church members to focus on one person for the next year.  We are going to ask them to pray for that one person, to love that one person, to serve that one person, to share the Gospel with that one person, and to invite that one person to church.  We as a church are going to plan specific events to share the Gospel with the people our church members invite to come to church.)  When I told Cindy this, her immediate response was, “This is a great idea, but it will only work if our church commits to pray.”  Then, she started giving me suggestions about praying verses of Scripture and making a prayer list to put in the church newsletter and the Sunday morning bulletin and in the Prayer Room.  And, I knew I had my prayer coordinator…
When, I finally asked Cindy to be our One Focus prayer coordinator, she said, “Let me pray about it, and I’ll let you know before Thursday.”
Just two weeks later, we held a One Focus leadership meeting on a Sunday evening.  Cindy showed up with three handouts telling us how to pray for One Focus and how to pray for people who do not know Jesus.  We have been printing Cindy’s suggestions in the newsletter and the Sunday bulletin and I put a copy in the Prayer Room.  Then, Cindy caught me off guard by asking if anyone had signed up for One Focus.  I said, no.  Cindy said, “Then, I want to be the first person to turn in my signed commitment card.”

Now you have an opportunity to sign a commitment card to be a part of One Focus.  (Ushers distribute cards to everyone in the sanctuary.)

Let’s take a minute to fill out our correct contact information.  Even if you do not commit to One Focus, this will help us to update our information.  We have a hard time keeping current email addresses.

Now let’s look at the back of the card…

I believe John 3: 16…  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

I believe 2 Peter 3: 9…  “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.”

I understand God wants me to be like Jesus… Ephesians 4: 12 – 13…  “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

I understand that God has sent us into the world…  Matthew 28: 19 – 20…  “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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If you believe this and want to participate in God’s mission to reach one person in the next year, please sign your name and write the name of your one person.  (If you do not want to write your one person’s name, write down their first name or their initials.  Or, if you want to be a part of One Focus but don’t know who your one person is write “Praying” in the blank.)

Let’s take a moment to make our commitment to be a part of One Focus.  While the music plays, please come forward and place your signed card here at the altar.




[1] Summarized from Howard Schultz, Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul (New York: Rodale, 2011).

Sunday, October 14, 2012

One Focus Love


One Focus Love
Ephesians 4: 11 – 16.

Introduction
Over the past couple of Sundays, I have been introducing you to One Focus.  Hopefully you have seen the banners throughout the church and have noticed the art work and inserts in the Sunday morning bulletins.  One Focus is an evangelism and outreach initiative.  It is something we want all of our church members to be a part of.
One Focus is based on a very simple concept.  We are asking each of our church members to find one person to focus on for the next year.  We want you to ask God to lead you to one person in your day to day life who (as far as you know) is not a Christian or not affiliated with any church.  We want you to pray for this person, to love this person, to serve this person, and to invite this person to a service or event at our church.  Over the next twelve months, our church staff will plan special events to share the Gospel and introduce your one person to our church.
If you have been in church over the past few weeks (or if you have read my article in the church newsletter or if you have read the letter I sent out to all of our church members this week), then you have already heard me talk about One Focus.  And, you have heard me challenge you to pray for one person, to love one person, to serve one person, and to invite one person.  But, I got an interesting question this past week.  One of our church members asked me, “Why do you want us to invite people to come to church to hear the Gospel?  Do you not want us to share the Gospel on our own?”
I have two answers for this question.  First, of course I want you to share the Gospel with your friends.  And, over the next year, I am going to do my best to provide you with the training and resources to help you express your faith by telling other people about Jesus.  Second, in my experience many people feel intimidated by sharing the Gospel with others.  Some people think they do not have the education and training to talk about faith with others.  Some people think they have been disqualified by their previous sins.  And some think they are inadequate to talk about Jesus because they continue to struggle with sin.  One way to deal with these excuses is to provide you with another way to share the Gospel with others.
I want each of us to develop a lifestyle of sharing your faith with others.  However, I don’t think this is something we can change overnight.  If it is a lifestyle, then it is something we develop over time.  Inviting others to church can be a good first step to developing a lifestyle of telling others about Jesus and talking about your faith.
Actually, the first step is for each of us to commit to participate in One Focus.  Next Sunday will be One Focus Commitment Sunday, and I need your help.  Hopefully, it is obvious that I need each of you to commit to be a part of One Focus.  And, if we want to get every church member involved in One Focus, then it is important that we have all our church members here on Commitment Sunday.
This is how you can help with One Focus.  First, be here next Sunday and make a commitment to participate.  Second, reach out to every member of your Sunday School classes and departments.  We need everyone here.  Third, pray for One Focus and for God to use each of us to reach non-Christians and unchurched people in our lives.  (Cindy Ramsey committed to serve as our One Focus Prayer Coordinator.  Before she passed away to be with the Lord in Heaven, Cindy inspired us in our first couple of One Focus meetings and wrote out a helpful prayer guide for us to use in our daily prayers.  I can’t help but think One Focus will be one of the many spiritual legacies she leaves with us.)

Our Scripture this morning comes from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the churches of Ephesus.  In this passage Paul tells us how important it is for the church to live in unity and how important it is for every member to strive to become more like Jesus.


      11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.



This is one of the three places in the New Testament where Paul writes about spiritual gifts.  But, this one is a little bit different from the other two.
In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks about how the Holy Spirit gives gifts to all individual Christians.  Each Christian is gifted differently, and we bring our gifts together within the church.  The church is the Body of Christ and functions like the human body.  There are many different parts of the human body.  A human body is healthy as long as every different part of the body functions properly within the body.  The same thing is true for the church / the Body of Christ.  We need every individual member to exercise his or her gift to build up the Body and to reach out to the world around us.
Ephesians 4 makes a similar point about unity, but Paul comes at it from a different angle.  In this passage, he does not speak about the spiritual gifts given to individual Christians.  Instead, he speaks about spiritual gifts given to the church / the community / the Body of Christ.  God gives every church four gifts: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists and Pastor-Teachers.
(Some people have tried to say Paul describes five spiritual gifts.  But the NIV translation shows us that it is actually only four.  Notice the repetition of the phrase “some to be.”  This phrase is used four times to indicate the four gifts…Some to be apostles…Some to be prophets…Some to be evangelists…Some to be pastors and teachers…)
There are three important points to notice about these four gifts.
First, all four of these gifts are actually people.  “Apostle” can refer to the first twelve disciples who lived with Jesus.  Or, it can refer to anyone who has been sent.  We can think of this as the role of modern day missionaries who are sent around the world.  Or, we can think of people who plant modern day churches.  “Prophet” makes us think of someone with the ability to predict the future.  However, Paul described this gift as an ongoing ministry for Christian churches and more than likely drew his usage from his Jewish background.  In the Old Testament, there were times when prophets predicted the future.  But, most of the time they simply spoke God’s Word to God’s people.  This is the ministry of preaching and probably has something to do with the early preaching ministry in founding a Christian church.  “Evangelist” is someone who shares the Gospel / Good News.  We typically think of evangelists as serving in itinerate ministry, and it might refer to the work of winning new converts and establishing them into new churches.  “Pastor-Teacher” is the one does the ongoing work of teaching and nurturing the church.
Second, all four of these gifts are grounded in the Word of God.  Apostles are sent to establish the Word of God in new areas.  Prophets and evangelists help new churches to grow by declaring the Word of God to non-Christians and new Christians.  Pastors help churches to grow and nurture the believers through teaching the Word of God.
Third, all four of these gifts have one goal in mind…to equip the church members to do the work of ministry. 


Priesthood of All Believers
Notice that Paul says God gives ministers to the church.  But, notice that he does not tell the church to expect the ministers to do all the work.  In fact, Paul says just the opposite.  God gives ministers to the church so that the ministers can equip church members to do works of ministry and service.
This is one of the Scriptures we Baptists use to define our cherished doctrine of Priesthood of All Believers.  On one hand, we believe in Priesthood of All Believers, because we believe Jesus gives us equal access to God.  We do not need a class of priests to tell us what God’s Word says, and we do not need someone to take our prayers to God on our behalf.  Because of Jesus, we can hear from God and speak to God for ourselves.  On the other hand, we believe in Priesthood of All Believers, because God has called each of us to serve.
Paul explicitly tells us that all Christians are to be engaged in some kind of ministry.  We can see this in the NIV translation “works of service.”  But, it actually shows up better in the Greek of Ephesians 4: 12 which uses the word for “deacon,” literally saying all God’s people are to do the “works of deaconing.” 
I believe this is one of the reasons why Paul was so fond of speaking of the church as the Body of Christ.  Just as there are many different parts of the human body, there are many different members in the church.  Just as body parts have different functions, each church member has been gifted to do something different. 
There are no two members of this church who are exactly alike.  We each have different talents.  We each have different spiritual gifts.  We each have different passions.  We each have different experiences.  AND, we each have different relationships outside of the church.
This is what will make One Focus a successful ministry.  We are not expecting our ministerial staff to do all the work of evangelism and outreach.  Instead, we are equipping our individual church members to pray for and reach out to people outside of our church.  Also, we are asking for you to help our church reach out by finding people only you can reach.  There are people in your life that I do not know…  There is someone in your life that only you can reach, because you already have a relationship with them.
If God expected the ministers of our church to do all the work of evangelism and outreach, there would be people in Lufkin, Texas who would be unreachable.  But, if everyone in our church accepts God’s calling to do ministry, then we can reach every person in this town.


Maturity = Becoming like Jesus
Paul teaches us that God has given ministers to each church in order to equip the church members to do the work of ministry.  The work of ministry is bigger than just one person / one pastor / one minister.  Successful ministry involves the whole church.
Then, Paul closes this passage by describing what the church is supposed to look like.  When every member serves in ministry, the result is a unified church made up of mature Christians. 
I believe we need to take seriously the connection between serving and unity and the connection between serving and maturity.
Do you want our church to be a unified church?  Get busy doing the work of ministry and service.
Do you want to be a mature Christian?  Get busy doing the work of ministry and service.
God did not call us to be lazy Christians.  God did not call us to be a lazy church.  God called us to be members of a Body that does something…And to use our individual gifts to make sure the Body will be successful.
Ultimately, God has called us to be like Jesus.  This is what mature Christians look like…As Paul said in Ephesians 4: 13, “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
God has given us his Spirit to mold our lives into the image of Jesus.  Day by day, God is making us more like the character of Jesus…Humility in every relationship… Compassion for those in need…  Knowing God’s Word and will…  But, God also gives us the power to live as Jesus lived.  Not only adopting the character of Jesus but also the actions of Jesus… Loving service to all people… Leading people into relationship with God through our words and our actions…


Conclusion
This is how you can participate in One Focus.  Love and serve others the way we read about Jesus’ love and service in the New Testament.
Christlike love is more than liking someone or even having respect for.  Christlike love is meeting the needs of other people in your life.
Sometimes God may give you an opportunity to meet a great need in someone’s life, like in a crisis situation.  Most of the time, God will give you many small opportunities.  Be a true friend to someone by supporting them during a difficult time in their life.  Write an encouraging note to someone.  Lend a listening ear or a helping hand to someone in need.
By showing the love of Christ to other people, you can be a witness in their life.

Sunday, October 07, 2012

One Focus Living


One Focus Living
2 Peter 3: 8 – 9

Introduction
Perhaps you have read about this in the news…Today is “Pulpit Freedom Sunday.”  Approximately 1,400 pastors all across the United States have chosen to break the law today and preach political sermons.
According to a law passed in 1954, pastors cannot endorse political candidates.  If a pastor endorses a political candidate, his church can lose their tax-exempt status. 
An organization called The Alliance Defending Freedom is behind Pulpit Freedom Sunday.  They started this in 2008.  They encourage pastors to preach political messages, record those messages, and mail them to the IRS.  They hope that the IRS will file a lawsuit against one of those pastors / churches.  If so, The Alliance Defending Freedom has over 2,000 lawyers across the nation ready to take on the church’s case for free.
So far, this is expected to be the biggest Pulpit Freedom Sunday.  In 2008, 33 pastors preached political messages. The number grew in 2011 to over 500 pastors, and they expect 1,400 pastors to participate today.[1]
Some of the pastors who are participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday are part of a contemporary movement which proposes that the idea of separation of church and state is a myth.  Perhaps they think there is not enough religion in American politics or not enough politics in American churches.
I am not participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday for one basic reason.  I do not believe Jesus has called us to accomplish his mission through political means.  In fact, there was even a time in Jesus’ ministry when the crowds wanted Jesus to run for president.  (Technically, they tried to make him their earthly king.)  It was immediately following the miracle in which Jesus fed the 5,000 with the fish and the loaves.  The people tried to make Jesus their earthly ruler, and Jesus refused.
Since Jesus refused to allow himself to become their king, I believe Jesus is teaching us that we cannot accomplish his mission through politics.
I will not endorse a presidential candidate for this election, because I believe there is only one person who can change the world.  There is only one person who can redeem sinful humanity and recreate the world into the world God intends it to be.  Jesus of Nazareth, the only begotten Son of God, who died on the cross, rose again and is returning to earth one day, is the only person who can change the world.
I believe that Christian citizens should be good citizens.  I believe we should exercise our right and freedom to vote in the presidential election.  I also believe we should vote according to Christian values—at least as far as our choices allow.  But, we are not called to change the world through politics.  We are called to change the world by showing the world who Jesus is…and by demonstrating the love of Jesus in every relationship of life.

Last Sunday I announced the beginning of a new initiative in our church—One Focus.  In some ways, this will be a new initiative for our church.  In other ways, there is nothing new about One Focus.  One Focus is as old as the Gospel itself…As old as John 3: 16.


John 3: 16  

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

According to John 3: 16, God loved the world so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus. Jesus demonstrated the love of God in everything Jesus did in his earthly life.  Jesus reached out to religious people and to irreligious people.  Jesus met the needs of poor people and wealthy people.  Jesus taught the Kingdom of God to both men and women.  And, Jesus spent time with people who were considered unclean and unreachable by the Jewish religion.
Then, at the end of Jesus’ earthly life, Jesus sent us to continue his mission to change the world.  Our mission is to do the same thing Jesus modeled for us.  We are to demonstrate the love of God to all kinds of people.  We are not to discriminate against male or female, wealthy or poor, or even religious or irreligious.
Of course, if we accept the fact that Jesus sent us to continue the mission he started, we might question how long that mission applies.  Did Jesus set an expiration date for his mission to reach the world?  Not according to 2 Peter 3: 8 – 9!


2 Peter 3: 8 – 9.

8 "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 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."



When we talk about the Gospel, we usually focus on the events surrounding the first Easter.  Jesus Christ voluntarily went to the cross to die a sacrificial death.  Then, Jesus rose from the grave on the third day.
Jesus’ death on the cross was the final sacrifice which fulfilled the entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament.  In the Old Testament, God gave his people a way to make atonement for their sins.  For some sins, they offered a dove as a sacrifice.  For other sins, they offered a sheep, a goat or even a bull.  Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice took the place of all those other sacrifices.  We no longer offer doves, sheep, goats or bulls, because Jesus has offered his own life as the final sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that God is doing something new.  Again, it is the fulfillment of the teachings of the Old Testament.  In the Old Testament, we read that God will bring about a resurrection for all of the righteous.  All who are faithful and righteous in God’s eyes will be raised to live eternally in the presence of God.  The resurrection of Jesus was not the end of God’s work.  It is the beginning, because it promises us a resurrection just like Jesus’ resurrection.
In other words, the resurrection of Jesus points toward the future.  It points toward a day when all who are faithful and righteous in God’s eyes will experience resurrection to live eternally in the presence of God.  That day will be the day when Jesus returns to earth.
When we read 2 Peter 3: 8 – 9, we can make some logical assumptions about why Peter wrote these words.  More than likely, Peter was addressing questions (or even doubts) about the Second Coming of Jesus.  Some people might have thought it had been too long since Jesus ascended into Heaven.  Perhaps they were beginning to doubt that Jesus would ever return.
Peter offers a reassuring answer to their questions and doubts.  It may seem like it has been a long time to us, but it doesn’t seem long to God.  In fact, Peter quotes from Psalm 90: 4 by saying a thousand years is like a day to the eternal God.  Also, Peter tells us what we think seems like a delay in the coming of Jesus is actually an expression of God’s Love and Grace.  Because God loves the WORLD, God is giving the WORLD an opportunity to hear the Gospel and to repent.
When we read John 3: 16 and 2 Peter 3: 8 – 9, we read about the universal Love of God.  God did not just love the Jews, the disciples or the Baptists.  God loved the WORLD.  God did not just love certain people from every nation.  God loved all the people of all the nations.  Therefore, God sent his Son, Jesus, as the way of salvation for all people.  There is only one plan of salvation—faith in Jesus as the crucified and risen Son of God.  This plan of salvation is for all nations and is offered to all the world.
How does God expect the world to hear about his plan of salvation?


Matthew 28: 16 – 20.

16 "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.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.”"



This is what we call the Great Commission.  It contains Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples before Jesus ascended into Heaven.  Jesus commissioned his disciples to continue the work he had begun.
I find it significant that Jesus specifically told his disciples to go to all nations.  Earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sent his disciples to the nation of Israel and specifically told them not to witness to either the Samaritans or the Gentiles.  Now that the crucifixion and resurrection have already taken place, the disciples’ mission changed.  Jesus sent them out to all the people of all the nations.  This includes us in two ways.  First, Jesus sent the disciples to share the Gospel with people like us.  Second, Jesus sends us with the same mission he gave his disciples…to continue the work Jesus began.
You have heard me preach from the Great Commission several times over the past six years.  And, you probably remember what I have said about the grammar.  Jesus’ instructions to his disciples contain one main verb—make disciples.  That one verb is modified by three participles—going, baptizing and teaching. 
Let’s think about that first participle, “going.”
Jesus never entertained the possibility that his disciples would stay where they were on that mountain.  None of his disciples lived on that mountain.  None of his disciples worked on that mountain.  None of his disciples went to school on that mountain.  They had to leave the mountain at some point…to go home, to go to work, to go to school.  We could say the same thing about church this morning.  None of you are going to stay at the church today.  At some point you are going to leave…to go home, to go to work, to go to school.


As You Go Lifestyle
Jesus didn’t have to tell his disciples to go.  He knew they would be going somewhere.  Therefore, Jesus’ Great Commission to his disciples and to us could be read, “As you go (or wherever you go) make disciples of all nations…”  As a result, Jesus has called us to live the “As You Go” lifestyle.
This is what we are asking you to do in One Focus.  We are asking you to do what Jesus commanded his disciples to do.  As you go (and wherever you go), demonstrate the Love of God.

Pray…  Ask God to show you someone who needs Jesus in their life.  Someone who either is not a Christian or is not affiliated with any church in our community.  Once God reveals that person to you, pray for them every day.  Pray that God would allow you to see them more frequently.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will begin to convict and convince them.  Convict them of their sins and convince them of their need for Jesus in their life.

Open your eyes…  The human brain is really good at filtering out unnecessary information.  This protects us from being overwhelmed and sometimes keeps us from being distracted.  One example of this is the way we typically tune out TV commercials until we are shopping for something—like a car.  Then, it seems like every commercial has something to do with cars.  The truth is we will always see what we are looking for.  If we look for sins in others to be judgmental, we will see them.  If we look for good characteristics of other people, we will see it in them.  The same thing is true about One Focus.  If you begin to pray that God will show you someone who needs Jesus, you will begin to notice people you already know.   In fact, I think your One Focus should be someone you already know and already have a relationship with.  Someone from your work, your school, your neighborhood, the parents of your children’s friends…  I don’t think you should be fake or try to manipulate someone by pretending to be their friend.  Open your eyes to the people already in your life.

Be a friend…  It has been said that the Gospel is supposed to be demonstrated more than it is to be preached.  And, the best way to demonstrate the Gospel is to be a true friend to someone.  A true friend is someone who accepts us the way we are, takes the time to listen, and is a source of encouragement.  Think about the kind of people you like to spend time with.  Do you prefer to be with someone who is judgmental and condescending toward you?  Or, do you prefer to be with someone who loves you just the way you are?  Do you prefer to spend time with someone who only talks about themselves?  Or, do you like to spend time with someone who will listen to your thoughts and concerns?  Do you prefer to spend time with someone who is always criticizing other people?  Or, do you prefer to spend time with someone who is an encourager?  The simplest way for you to be involved in One Focus is to be a true friend to one person…accept them, listen to them, be an encourager.

Love…  Another thing true friends do for each other is to put their love into action.  Sure, we can talk about love as an emotion or something you feel toward another person.  But, true love always acts by meeting the needs of other people.  True love does not seek to fulfill selfish desires.  True love places a priority on other people and their needs.  We demonstrate our feelings by acting on our feelings.  Loving others is more than liking them.  It is finding a way to meet their needs.  Paying for lunch…Taking food when someone is in the hospital… Giving a ride to someone whose car is in the shop…Writing a letter of encouragement or sending a text message to someone having a bad day…

Talk about Jesus…  If you are willing to demonstrate your love for someone by meeting their needs, don’t be surprised when they give you an opportunity to talk about Jesus.  They may ask you, “Why are you doing this for me?”  A good answer is, “I am a Christian, and Jesus taught us to love others as we love ourselves.”
If you serve as an encourager for someone going through a very difficult time in life, don’t be surprised when they give you an opportunity to talk about Jesus.  Someone may ask you, “How are you able to make it through difficult times in your life?”  A good answer is, “I am a Christian, and Jesus has promised to be with me always and to give me eternal life far better than anything we could ever experience in this life.”


Conclusion
On Sunday, October 21, we will give you an opportunity to commit to be a part of One Focus. We are not asking you to go knock on doors and witness to strangers.  We are not asking you to become confrontational by asking everyone you know, “Are you going to Hell?”  We are not asking you to take a Bible and a bullhorn to preach “The end is near” on the street corner.  We are asking you to live the "As You Go" lifestyle to make disciples wherever you go.
   We want you to find one person in your life who (as far as you know) is not a Christian or is not affiliated with any church.  We want you to pray for that person and to be a friend to them.  We want you to demonstrate the love of Jesus to them by serving their needs.  Then, we want you to invite them to come to church.  Our staff will plan specific events to present the Gospel to your friends.  If you will invite them to church, we will give them opportunities to hear and respond to the Gospel.
One Focus will only be successful if two things happen.  First, we need you to commit to be a part of One Focus.  There are people in your life no one else can reach.  Second, we must pray for God to work in the lives of other people.  We can present the Gospel and plant the seeds…But, God is the only One who can save.