Evangelism; Sharing GOOD News

 

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.  Acts 8:4

Dr. Don L. McCutcheon, Sr., ^{(pictured above)} is a longtime friend and fellow-laborer[1] in Christ.  Some years ago Dr. McCutcheon retired from the North Carolina Baptist Convention, where he served as Director of Evangelism.  I could tell you a lot about Don and his loving spirit, laughter, and lifetime commitment to sharing Christ with others.  This time, allow me to have our youngest daughter, Carrie tell it from the pew where she sat as a 16-year-old as Don preached in our church:

“Had a great evening catching up with an old friend and meeting his mother!! He and his sweet wife Kathy have been special to my family for many years now....I won't say exactly how many because that would tell MY age!! But I'll say, as a teenager, I took detailed notes from the pew as Pastor Don McCutcheon preached to the youth about ‘Dudes and Dudettes’”.

You gotta love a preacher who elevates youth as “dudes and dudettes”!  I preached this past Sunday on the importance of evangelism for the church, and that it is each individual member of the church’s responsibility to be involved. 

I asked Dr. McCutcheon to send me a few words about what evangelism has meant to him.  After appropriately  reminding me just how difficult it is for a Baptist preacher to write a few words about anything, he sent me these few paragraphs about sharing the GOOD News:

Having been raised in a non-churched family, I thought and was taught that if I were good I would certainly to go to heaven.  When I heard the gospel I realized the error of my worldview and the truth of the Biblical worldview.  After conversion, I realized how many did not understand the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  God helped me to see through the Scriptures, especially John 3:16, that His great love moved Him to send His only begotten Son to die for our sins and give us eternal life. Our response to that love calls us to turn from and confess our sins to Him and trust and follow Him completely with our lives. Matthew 28:19-20 reveals the command for all Christians to love, witness and disciple all people to Christ and teach them to follow Him as Lord.

Evangelism is the highest form of Christian love and obedience as the goal is for people to come to be born again, know and follow our Lord and Savior.  The greatest gift you could ever give anyone is the opportunity to know Christ and have eternal life.  The most heartbreaking and unending regret Christians will have in heaven are the ones with whom we did not even try to share the gospel.  I took His commands personally and seriously. I believed the agape love of God in John 3:16 clearly proclaims He loves us.

Secondly, the will of God is that none should perish (which happens to all who do not know Him) but that all should come to Him through repentance as communicated in 2 Peter 3:9. I should be doing all I can to love, pray for and verbally witness to those who do not know Him and face an eternity separated from Him.  It is never easy to share the gospel, but it is so important to our families, friends, neighbors, work associates and all people to hear God's way of salvation.  Ask God's Holy Spirit to give you courage and strength to witness and then watch Him work through you.

For You Today

My friend is one of those believers who joyfully shares Jesus wherever he goes.  For any follower of Christ, preacher or not, man, woman, or child, that is what should be the heart of our following, being ready, and being willing to share the GOOD News.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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Title image, Facebook image   W   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For another post on Acts 8 see:  Upside Down  

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[1] 2 Thessalonians 3:2

 

Upside Down

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Tuesday, January 14, 2020

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria…. But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.  Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.  Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.  Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims.  And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.  So there was great joy in that city.  A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.  Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.”  They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.  But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.  As a result, many men and women were baptized.  Then Simon himself believed and was baptized.  He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.  Acts 8:1b, 4-13

It’s worth a look to notice that the clergy were left behind in Jerusalem when the great persecution happened.  Some would perceive the laity were afraid and ran.  Others (perhaps more discerning) might see the way God does things, turning just about whatever is in sight on its’ ear…upside down.  Or, in this case, God turned things right-side-up!  God doesn’t make mistakes!

Philip was not a preacher, but God used him to get parts 2 and 3 of the Great Commission[2] started.  Jesus gave His disciples these marching orders just as He was about to ascend back to the Father in Heaven.  They would be his witnesses, first in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, and part 4 would be an extension of His Gospel to the ends of the earth.[3]

But why (we always ask why) – why use the followers?  Isn’t that a job for the leaders?  I suppose the simplest answer is yes – but only if you’re not planning to turn the world upside down.  And, therein is the rub; God always turns things upside-down.   

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.  1 Corinthians 1:27

You expect to hear the religious stuff from the professionals, but that’s not what God wanted spread throughout the world with the souls of untold millions at stake.  What he wanted was the pure, unadulterated truth about Jesus, backed up by the lives of those who willingly chose to put everything at risk to follow Christ.  The clergy (Apostles, if you will) set the stage in sharing from the religious base of Jerusalem; it was the laity who took the message and ran with it.

For You Today

If you think its tough living today as a Christian in a world seemingly gone mad with unbelief and violence, you’re right; it is hard.  But God is up to something in our day.  Something is happening, and just maybe it will not be the religious professionals who change things, who turn this upside-down world right-side-up! 

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

[2] Matthew 28:19-20

[3] Acts 1:8

I Know the Plans I Have for You

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As a preface to this morning’s message I want to take you back to nursery school with me and learn one of the most important lessons all of us needs.  This lesson comes from Dr. Seuss, who teaches us about having a purpose, and taking a risk to live out that purpose.  

Did I ever tell you about the young Zode,

Who came to two signs at the fork in the road?

One said to Place One, and the other, Place Two.

So the Zode had to make up his mind what to do.

Well…the Zode scratched his head, and his chin and his pants.

And he said to himself, “I’ll be taking a chance

If I go to Place One. Now, that place may be hot!

And so, how do I know if I’ll like it or not?

On the other hand though, I’ll be sort of a fool

If I go to Place Two and find it too cool.

In that case I may catch a chill and turn blue!

So, maybe Place One is the best, not Place Two,

But then again, what if Place One is too high?

I may catch a terrible earache and die!

So Place Two may be best!  On the other hand though…

What might happen to me if Place Two is too low?

I might get some very strange pain in my toe!

So Place One may be best,” and he started to go.

Then he stopped, and he said,

“On the other hand though….

On the other hand…other hand…other hand though…”

And for 36 hours and a half that poor Zode

Made starts and made stops at the fork in the road.

Saying, “Don’t take a chance. No! You may not be right.”

Then he got an idea that was wonderfully bright!

“Play safe!” cried the Zode.  “I’ll play safe. I’m no dunce!

I’ll simply start out for both places at once!”

And that’s how the Zode who would not take a chance

Got no place at all with a split in his pants.

This morning we are focusing on our mission to reach the community around us.  God had definite plans for his church to be successful; Jeremiah said God said, quite specifically, that his plans for us are good:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11

In addition, the Great Commission Jesus gave to all disciples gets a little more specific about the where, how, and why of our mission, and where we get the resources and power to carry out the mission:

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:  I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20

In many places throughout Scripture we are told to feed, clothe, and heal those who are the victims of hunger, homelessness, sickness, abuse, and all the ills life can throw at us.  This too is part of our mission. 

The following statement could summarize the road we are supposed to be travelling:

Mt Zion United Methodist Church, as disciples of Jesus Christ, exists to provide worship and Christian education, responding in loving action to a needy world! 

I have to say that my attempt at writing a mission statement is my attempt, not a mandate for this community of faith.  But there are 3 very compelling, simple facts here that we must admit.

     1.     Christ calls us to mission

     2.     A church that doesn’t focus on that mission is saying “no” to God.

     3.     We don’t want to be that church!

And, so the sermon this morning is just one sentence:

Let’s not be that church; let’s be the church that lives-out our mission commitment!

And toward that end I invite you to join in reaffirming our baptismal vows as people who want to follow Jesus, make disciples, and transform the world.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…Amen!

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[1] Title Image:  Katelynn Brownworth      All Scripture from The New Living Translation (unless otherwise stated)