Share Your Faith

Yes you don't hereby was first to Luke chapter 24 of the last chapter of the book of Luke, but were more familiar with the great commission that we have at the end of Matthew in Matthew chapter 28 but here is the account in Luke and I'm going to read from verse 14 five Luke 24 verse 45 then he unlocked open their minds to understand the Scriptures and said to them, thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things, and behold, I'm sending the promise of my Father upon you, but stay in the city until you're clothed with power from on high. Notice this to all nations. Witnesses power from on high and then in acts chapter 1 over a few pages to ask your Luke. Matthew now acts acts chapter 1 verse eight but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Notice the similarity with the passage in Luke, witnesses power power from on high that what is the mission.

What is the mission of Jesus gives us well very clear isn't it.

In Luke chapter 24 verse 47 look at it with me and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.

The command to the followers of Jesus. If you consider yourself a follower of Jesus as I do that many of us do is to take this message to all nations.

That is the love of God and the gospel embraces all the world and this great commission comes from the risen Christ. Christ is dying.

He's been buried even raised from the dead and before he ascends he gathers his disciples. Luke chapter 24 and commissions them to go to all the world. He has all authority is the Lord of the universe is the risen Christ all authority in heaven and on earth is given to him that there is no name hired. There is no one greater. There is no one more important, he is God, the Lord of the universe, the creator of the Redeemer, the God that each one of us will stand before and the Lord Jesus who saves us now commands us to go and do what to proclaim in his name repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

What is the mission what's to be the priorities of the church political activism, social justice, economic fairness, prosperity and success is that the priority date nor listen to what Jesus says and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in the name and his name to all nations. Our greatest needs.

Whether we live here in relative comfort in Charlotte or whether were living in a remote tribe in Indonesia or Africa. The priority the greatest need that we have is the forgiveness of our sins. Philip mentioned that the wonder when he came to Christ, that all of a since Albany sends her clients.

Every single person on the face of the yard has fallen short of the glory of God. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God that is true of you and is true of me. It's true of every single body in Garland man and women throughout the world. And as we go.

Yes, we believe in social justice.

Yes, we believe, including water. Yes, we believe in medicine and education in all of the rest, but our priority is a spiritual priority.

It is a recognition that people out in spiritual bondage held in bondage by an enemy held in bondage by their own sinful choices that people are alienated from God that they have wandered from God that they have broken his commandments that they're doing things their own way.

And so Christ commands us to go and to do this to preach in his name. Repentance for the forgiveness of sins. I often think as we break right here at Calvary. The incredible privilege of forgiveness.

So powerful is many people live with guilt and shame and regret. They think I wish I hadn't said that. I wish I hadn't done that I wish I could get a new beginning. I wish I could start all over again under the wonder of the gospel.

That's the offer is you creations in Christ, but it begins on must begin with a recognition recognition that we have sin before a holy God. We thought in our study of Matthew as John the Baptist came. His message was repentance for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And when our Lord begins his public ministry is message is the same repentance and believe in the gospel. Why because the kingdom of God is at hand that God has come in Jesus Christ and that is the kingdom of darkness. And there's the kingdom of lights. There's no in between. What either in the kingdom of light with our sins were given through faith in Jesus Christ, or were still in the kingdom of darkness held in bondage or that doesn't mean that we are living necessarily tolerable lives is aware before God will come short under selfishness under promenade and are designed to be themselves at the center of the universe has broken our communion with God.

And so the Lord for this small group of followers makes this incredible statement go and preach in my name repentance for the forgiveness of sins with his eye forgiveness fund only because I love that story and to see the cross to see people responding to the cross. We have a cross right on in our ceiling to remind us that all of us are equal under the cross of Christ, and that only there is salvation that neither is there salvation in anyone else, for that is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved to my different. You will never be saved, you will never have your sins forgiven unless you repent of their sin and call out to Jesus Christ to forgive your and if you do that something happens you're totally clients.

God remembers your sins no more, and you receive as a gift of his grace, eternal life on the very spirit of God will indwell you think of that mission.

Think of it given to that small group of people seemed impossible didn't the mission. Secondly, the power I love ask one verse eight. What does the Lord say to the disciples, you will receive what power power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the word. These disciples able to do this, starting another time they very center of Judaism in Jerusalem, and to bring this message to Judea and to Samantha and then to the very end of the could they possibly do that is for the book of acts thousands the of the gospel goes out and widening circles from Jew to Gentile from Jerusalem. The religious center total on the secular center so that the known world, the Roman Empire, with all of its might. With all of its God's is impacted by the kingdom of lights, bringing salvation and the repentance of sin, so that goes to the very heart of the Empire to Rome itself, as these man and woman filled with a part of the spirit filled with this power from on high a change. How could they do it themselves a little group is that while these were apostles never read the Gospels, they were very ordinary people they mess up.

We were fishermen attacks tried to other zealots.

Nothing special in themselves. What was special gray resources. No, not great resources, impressive resumes, not at all.

How could he implement the mission, how could they do what Christ is commanding them to do to take this message into a hostile territory into legalistic Judaism to confront the gods and idolatry of the Greek and Roman pantheon could they do it so that the gospel in the space of a few years spread like wildfire throughout the known world was the answer impressive people know it was the power of Almighty God acts is rightly called the acts of the Holy Spirit, the expansion of the gospel to all people.

God's love. God's truth embracing the whole world was easy for them.

Absolutely not. Some of them were killed stones, imprisoned, ridiculed the average believer but to leave her home scattered and yet God and his wonderful purposes.

Use the persecution of the early church to spread his glorious message so that whatever they went to the declared Jesus saves in our Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate. There is salvation. You see this mission of embracing the whole world.

Someone might cynically signal whose Calvary church that talked about embracing the whole world that that's a little grandiose. I I understand the sentiment. I feel that no by ourselves were just ordinary people here at Calvary church.

Nothing special in Ann Arbor ourselves, but we do take seriously the commands I trust we do and we do understand. I trust we do as humble followers of Jesus Christ without inadequacies with our failures under stumbling as we take seriously this that when God calls us.

He gives us all of the power of the strength, all of the resources to do his will of experience that my own life. When you step out with God. When you put God first. When you come with your inadequacy.

God will give you we have disorders for missionary God gives you the wisdom, the power, the strength, as you embrace the whole world for Jesus Christ. What am I saying this divine mission is only accomplished with divine power embracing the whole world. Humility and prayer absolutely key. As we understand as the early disciples understood that this mission will never be accomplished unless God graciously gives you the power and the strength to mission the power the impact. What was the impact that's the story of acts is salvation of souls. Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost.

This minder just a few days later than I the Lord but is a changed man is filled with the spirit. He preaches the gospel 3000 souls saved. And there's a growing church.

What was Peter's technique is another technique he didn't have his own ideas is not bound by Judaism is preaching is grounded in and flows from Scripture. It is Christ centered listen to and asked to verse 23. This Jesus whose you preaching to people who put the Messiah on the cross is downtime. Jerusalem these fearlessly old. This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the bangs of that because it was not possible for him to be helped by his Peter is preaching Jesus is preaching the cross. This Jesus that you crucified these delivered up according to the purposes the eternal purposes of God, and not only did you kill him called raised him from the dead dad itself could not hold this mind Jesus Christ. As a witness.

He'd seen the risen Christ, he realized the dog raised his son Jesus Christ from the dead and that he is exalted on high and that he himself had commissioned to be the other apostles to go no and preach forgiveness of sins to all the nations, and he's beginning as he is commanded to do in Jerusalem is not going to stay in Jerusalem is going to speak to Cornelius is going to be one of the great preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had seen the risen Christ did receive the power of the Holy Spirit. He'd heard the call of God, and now he is fearless is a witness to what he'd seen and heard and although there is hostile opposition. He says I don't care reclaim her the message of the gospel and so it spreads, it spreads like wildfire throughout the Roman empire with snow. I asked myself. You have to ask yourself what is my response I be not a lot of mission conferences over the years I've to say I think this is one of the one of the best ones we sensed right from the beginning that the spirit of God is at work partnering with missionaries. Many of our mission is not yet of course some of them brought for the conference bringing people of all cultures. Some remote tribes summoned the city some marginalized people ministering to refugees ministering in the heart of London ministering in remote islands in Indonesia ministering to cultures that few if any of us can relate to, but all going with this message, embracing the whole world. One of the themes that we have for tolerating 20/20 is share our faith. I challenge you to do that challenge you today to share your faith. What is your response. Take a look at this car. Here are some things that may motivate us may get our attention.

As we look at this card. You say wow Jon I have some reservations. I have some fears I feel I'm not quite ready. I am glad you feel that I'm glad you feel you're not quite ready for the me tell you something if you wait to obey God's until you feel you're ready you'll sit in these pews and you'll sit in these pews and you want obey God.

Of course you're not ready. Of course you feel inadequate. Of course you have fears. Of course you have questions. This is why we need divine power. I spoke to man the beginning of the this morning is a game and shared how he first came to Calgary just after I came and that he quoted to me this morning. Galatians 220 and I said to him, Richard is not wonderful to know that Christ lives in you that I can get over it I can get over it. The living Christ in me, I speak to people who say Jon, I want to serve the Lord, but I'm not quite ready to do this. I've I get my family organize and get like to be ready to graduate.

I got to get my house in order and I understand understand you.

When God calls you. He wants a response now today the devil always says wait till tomorrow. If you hear without Christ, the devil is saying about right with God tomorrow. The Bible says no today is the day of salvation today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart today if the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Don't delay response supernatural power, embrace the whole world embrace the nation and ask God humbly to give you the power and to help to do it to God's promise to give us all of the strength, all of the help you need for this task in life you can do many things.

You have many choices you can spend all of your time. Do many many things.

But when you put God first.

When you decide to do the will of God and surrendered to the will of God. Your vision should the God will help you there God will guide you step by step faith in God, trusting God dispels the fears and there's all the difference between living a life surrendered to Jesus Christ than living a life of cultural Christianity, mediocrity and regret. My challenge for you today is personal embrace the whole world. Look at the card leaving the daughter spoken to me about serving him. I make the following commitment to be available for good could you begin completing the start career mission service you were moved as I was by her children and students.

Again, perhaps children, one of you, perhaps a boy of 12, perhaps a girl of 17 says this is what God wants me to do. Perhaps there's a couple and you be thinking about this and you been praying about it. You take this the short-term mission service six months to two years.

We have many here who are retired and you can do that though some of you are between an assignment graduating to go to college and you can do this international go trips. One of the blessings or Calgary that we send people overseas on these go tread some of you have never been neighborhood department on workplace outreach.

Think of all of the thousands and thousands of people in a growing city just a few miles from where we are today the majority of them without Christ. No, you don't need to go to remotes island to tell people about Jesus Christ or about your workplace. We will help you. We will train you pray with your good news clubs. We are having more and more opportunities in our schools.

Yes public schools to tell boys and girls about Jesus Christ. Thank you for so many of you were doing this in this growing ministry Calgary Cricket I Regis I don't know what cricket is it time you did. Yes, we reach out, particularly during the then Pakistani communities, but others and we began all that was good wasn't it.

We began this this summer. Hindus and Muslims coming on the ground here in Calgary to play cricket jail and prison ministry. Many, many opportunities in the jails here in Charlotte in the presence tickling South Carolina praying. If senior missionaries don't want to continue to pray for them every month you will get as I get a list of the prayer requests other champ coaches Street ministry others that Lord would put on your heart. I'm asking you know to complete that form with provision or Calgary to many many open doors we buy with me as we pray and take this car and were going to sing a wonderful hymn and as we do that and then ask you to get. I guess he just make it difficult for you some of your write up in the balcony, you can begin to walk down the stairs right in the middle of the century and puts these cards on friends father, we thank you for your call in our lives to embrace the whole world.

I thank you for that we thank you that you love embraces each person that you so loved the world that you gave your only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life may many today replacing the faith in Christ and make each of us to respond with humility and that many will say I will embrace my world and responds began last week at this time by asking for the Holy Spirit to speak to us when we hear his voice, help us to humbly obey Christ