1 Cor. 15:1-8 Importance of Evangelism / with Israel Mendez

This is City Post Church, we're about three things, build

equipped and send all under the lordship of Jesus Christ, a

small Church Plant in Fort Worth Texas, who decided to do things

a little differently. I would almost I had to Crystal,

I love City Post because of the people.

It's where I belong, we truly preach the word.

I love City Post because of the community.

We've been able to build to do ministry.

Like Jesus perlite to push back Darkness.

This is City, Post podcast. Okay.

Hey, what's up City? Post-church, how we doing this

morning? All right two people are doing.

All right some of you are like. Who is this Mexican?

That we don't know. That's not Ricky's, not Mexican

but we've adopted him. So I claim him as one of us, no

offense. Hey, if we have not had the

check real quick, could you help me think the worship team and

they are phenomenal? I was, I was getting blessed.

I was, I was kind of grooving like In the on the side and live

was looking at me like what is this dude doing?

So where the groove is? The move is and the move of the

spirit is, here is so man. We have just been excited to

worship with you all this morning.

We have not had the chance to meet yet.

My name is Izzy, no one important so it doesn't really

matter but I am a church planter Pastor in San Antonio Texas,

don't hold that against me, some of your Maps fans dr.

Cortes in the building home with a five-time NBA champion, San

Antonio Spurs. Purrs, I'm just throwing that

out there just so you know, no Shades anybody here.

But man, we are so excited. I am so excited.

My wife and I are excited to be here with you and you guys have

shown incredible hospitality and kindness and graciousness toward

me. And so, yeah, it is an honor to

be here with you again. I've no one special, I told rig

is not like I got materials with.

So anything, if I did be VHS tapes in the back and some

8tracks made but it's like he, that's like that.

AM radio kind of pasta right there.

That's me. And so, but man, I am so excited

to be with you all this morning. We're so much of the being here

is like being home, you know, it's a beautiful thing, we're

Church Planters to. So we know the struggle of you

know, just as we were starting a breaker tripped and I was like,

it's just like being home. Let me, we're can I, where can I

help? And in fix something?

In fact, when I was in the parking lot getting ready and I

start my phone started blowing up and it's their my Our church

back home saying hey what's the password to the computers?

And I'm like, bro, I already gave that to you all like a year

ago in. I mean, God has just been

incredible to us. And so we started our church

planting Journey about a year ago in downtown San Antonio.

And you know, we're still. I know y'all started in a school

and did the setup teardown life and that's kind of where we're

at right now and probably will be for a very long time and God

has just been gracious. And this morning I'm talking to

you guys and and are in just Family on evangelism and the

gospel because we've seen a huge need for it in our community out

downtown, we planted, we had a team of about 23 people.

We moved downtown and moved into the area, and God just started a

work. And right now, we're about 200

people, strong in the heart of downtown.

San Antonio, we've seen people come to know Jesus.

In fact, this this year alone, there's already been about 15

people that have come to know, Christ.

And in this season, where we're at, as a church, we've committed

to praying and fasting for the month of February.

As we've asked, we're asking God, to have people come to know

Jesus and folks, in our church to share the gospel and what

that means, for our communities in our neighborhoods.

And so this is a passion of mine, I will be honest, I'm not

the best preacher in the world and I'm not even the greatest

evangelist at all. I feel like Those are some of my

least amount of gifting. I feel like we're God is, is

gifted, me is in the area of care and teaching, and some

degree. But I come to you this morning,

just as a practitioner of somebody that's like, hey this

is what is working for us? You know, we planted our church

Downtown, I asked my the we planted together, there's a

myself and another Pastor named Ryan and a team of folks that

kind of split the teaching and are part of our core team and

this hey, what What is the DNA of our of our church?

What is, what is it that we do well on a guy says we're decent

and making disciples and we throw a really good parties and

that is kind of been our strategy to reach downtown San

Antonio. And what we had was was people

who came to know Jesus who lived a life of sin.

But we're like the party people. And then they just came to know

Jesus and then only throw parties and invite everybody.

And then next thing, you know, people are coming to know Jesus.

And and it's a beautiful thing where Have to understand that

evangelism doesn't have to be a difficult thing.

It could be just witnessing with your life and inviting people

in. We at we say this all the time

but it's about inviting people into life before you invite them

into church but inviting people into our lives.

And so I want to just get started quickly in First

1 Corinthians 15:1–8

Corinthians chapter 15, verses 1 through 8.

And this is going to kind of be a launching pad.

This is one of the greatest Treatise of the Gospels.

In all of the New Testament. And so, I'll read along with the

screen says now, brothers and sisters.

I want to remind you of the Gospel, I preached to you, which

you received and on, which you have taken your stand for stew

by this gospel, you are saved. If you hold firmly to the word,

I preached to you, otherwise, you have believed in vain. for

what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance that

Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures that

he was buried, that he was raised on the third day,

according to the scriptures, And that he appeared to cephas.

And then to the twelve, After that, he appeared to more than

500 of the brothers and sisters. At the same time, most of whom

are still living though. Some have fallen asleep.

There we go. Then he appeared to James then

to all the apostles, And last of all he appeared to me as to one

abnormally born, a few months ago, I was in my discipleship

group and it's one of my favorite parts of the week.

I meet with two other guys were, we're keeping each other

accountable. We're walking through sin.

We're confessing to One Another. We're encouraging each other,

we're asking each other. What are we doing to live out

this Mandate of the Gospel? What does this look like for our

lives? It's one of my favorite things.

I do, I get to do every week, we meet at a coffee shop.

Sometimes we meet at a restaurant, we read it.

I hop the other day just because I don't know, I'm feel like I'm

60 at this point and that's the place to meet.

It's terrible, everything there is terrible, the service is

terrible. But like they, like there was

one waiter there that was like 456 people and they're like just

so you know it's going to be like as a 45-minute.

Wait we're like well we're just reading her Bible anyway so

let's wait, but we were doing this one of my favorite parts of

the week and as we were walking through these things, we were

reading. Acts together and it one of the

questions about sharing, the gospel came up and then all of a

sudden, people got nervous like the guys in my discipleship

group were like, oh, it's and it was like, almost an immediate

reaction when I ask. Hey, what does it look like for

you to share the gospel? What does that, what does the

gospel look like in your life? What's it mean to share that

with people and and the questions kind of a rose in that

group? Like do you feel weird when you

share it? Like is that like a strange

thing or statements? Like I think I have an idea of

what that looks like. I just don't know what to say

and the reality is that the if I were to ask any of you just kind

of blanket statement, like, hey, could you share the gospel and

mean some of you would just probably like, starts shaking in

your boots? Like, no, please don't call me.

Please don't call me, like, like, I think I have an idea of

a man. I, when you ask me, I'm gonna

screw it up. I don't know the words to say

and I totally understand that man.

I grew up in a crazy Pentecostal church.

When I was in my younger days and like, I like, if you were to

ask me that, I'm just like, I have Idea, but I am about to

start speaking in tongues or something.

I don't even know how to do that.

Just like I could I can do that before I can share the gospel.

I got, I just don't know the words to say, like, it can be

kind of odd in strategy. Like, please don't ask me.

You're gonna start playing praying in the spirit.

Like, Lord don't let him call me.

Don't worry, I'm not going to do that.

I'm not going to call anybody this morning.

But here's the reality of if the gospel is, how people will know

and experience, love and freedom and this redemption and

forgiveness of sin that Christ offers surely our response to

sharing the gospel should be better than what it is, right?

Like our our, our response should be one of Joy.

If we believe that this message has life and freedom and offers

people hope then surely, we should be better about Desiring

even to share it. Surely we should be eager as

first Peter would say to be ready to give a defense or a

better way. Is the NLT puts it?

And if someone asked you about your hope is a Leave her always

be ready to explain it. We should always be ready.

If you consider yourself a follower of Jesus in this room

this morning, we should be ready and we should be willing.

Now, if you're feeling shame that's, that's, that's not the

goal. That's, that's not what we're

here to do. But sadly, I think we have this

knee-jerk reaction to giving the message of Life.

The unfortunate reality we face is that it's not limited to you,

or just me, but a majority of those who would consider

themselves. Elves Evangelical Christians and

I hate how that term has been used.

And what not but those of us that would consider us followers

of Christ. So we have this reaction to the

Great Commission. In fact, some of us would

wouldn't even know that language or had to even share it.

According to Barna research group about only seventeen

percent of Christians. Surveyed could tell you what the

Great Commission is and how to explain it Seventeen percent of

Christians as a whole could couldn't The only ones that

could actually tell you what the gospel is and how to share it,

even among people who would claim to be followers of, Jesus

have no idea how to share the gospel or no real grasp of what

the gospel is. And maybe we have a actual

narrow view of what the gospel is.

And perhaps, we might not know what it is to begin with.

So this begs the question, well then, what is the gospel?

And to that, I would respond. I'm glad you hypothetically.

Ask Because no one actually asked it.

But what is the gospel? Wow.

First Corinthians 15? And I would love for you to when

you get home, read this on your own highlight, it Circle it do

some podcast research on it. It's a beautiful example of the

gospel. And while this is one of the

greatest pieces on the gospel, in the New Testament, it is

essential that we Define our terms, right?

The gospel we know this. And if I were to ask that you're

like, If you were to ask me like 15 years ago, what is Gospel,

Mike music? Like, as a gospel music, it's

the one that has to be. It's not the Hillsong stuff that

I'm just like, I don't know. That's kind of whack.

The only got four chords and the beats the same.

There's no Groove to it. There's no sauce on that.

Like I can't get into that. If you were to ask me years ago,

what the gospel was, I wouldn't have been able to tell you.

We hear the word gospel and there's a few things that come

to mind, right? It's like the music or or this

idea is like, oh, I I know it's like the Romans road and things

like that, we have these ideas of what the gospel is.

And if you grow up in like Sunday school, you're like I

know it is good news. It's like, yes.

Yeah. Here.

You're right. You're right.

That is good news. And then you're like, okay, but

can you say that? I don't know, bro.

I got a call me to that right now.

I just I, I prayed about it enough.

Some of y'all are super Christians.

You're like I got it down. What you want you wanted in

tongues, you want in Spanish? What are you eating Glacier?

Like, you are ready? But but, but if your immediate

response is good news, I would say you're on the right track.

So, we must understand though, that the gospel, the word gospel

is not traditionally, just a Christian term.

It was a term used in Kingdom language.

The gospel. In fact, is a kingdom

announcement. It's not just this thing that we

throw around Loosely. It is a announcement from a king

or Kingdom something that King decrees for people.

You know, it's precisely why when we see the word gospel in

the New Testament is used to summarize all of Jesus teaching

and his new rule and reign as king.

The gospel writer says that that he meaning.

Jesus went proclaiming good news of God's kingdom, but in the

gospels Jesus proclaims, that he is not only the messenger,

delivering the good news, but he was indeed the king.

And this is good news for all of us this morning.

This good news of this key. In is to be declared.

It's not something that we just sit on this information and keep

it to ourselves. The announcement of a kingdom is

meant to be declared to people. It's why in the gospels, we have

the heading, The Gospel, according to Matthew Mark, Luke

John. It's an announcement of King.

Jesus, according to the messenger, delivering the news.

Paul. Does this in the passage?

We just read in 1st Corinthians 15, where he begins by saying, I

want to remind you of the good news that I received and it is

of first importance. It's crucial that, you know,

this every time Paul or the gospel writers mentions, the

phrase, according to the Scriptures.

It means that Jesus whom they declare is the promise and

prophecy fulfilled In the Flesh. The King has come or as the

Theologian. John ortberg would say the

kingdom of God has now through Jesus become available to

ordinary humans that he's invited into this relationship.

The kingdom of God is available through Jesus.

And it has significant ramifications for when it comes

to our identity of who we are in Christ.

Here's what I mean that the gospel is the announcement of a

king and his kingdom, then the gospel is a pronouncement of new

identity for those who would call themselves Believers.

It's now, this identity that we have as Sons and Daughters of

said, kings that the scripture would say that we are co-heirs

with Christ who have been adopted into this King's family.

The skiing has welcomed Us in has his children and with the

adoption comes a new way to live according to Christ, new rule,

which has tangible expressions for you.

And for me that as sons of said, King of the Kingdom that we

cannot live, just as Ordinary People because of Jesus,

scripture says, again that we are co-heirs with Christ.

So we have been adopted into this family as Sons and

Daughters of God joining God in his Rule and his reign.

But there's a problem with modern kind of ideas of what the

gospel is in our response, see, for much, of evangelicalism

throughout the years. What we have heard over and

over, is that that your relationship with God?

Like the, this idea of the Gospel, we have used language,

probably to our detriment of personal relationship with Jesus

when it comes to accepting the gospel, if you heard that like,

oh, it's just a personal relationship, it's a personal.

So so what we've done is we've mistaken personal relationship

with private relationship. And so what we've done in that

regard to the farthest degree is created Christ on our terms.

Oh, my relationship with God. It's good.

Like, and you have no fruit to show of your life with my

relationship with God. It's private and so there's no

discipleship or formation actually happening.

We confuse personal with private and some of this is not actually

biblical at all. Some of this is actually Even to

produce terrible theology when it is completely inaccurate.

Well, yes, we have a personal relationship with God, meaning

that we have direct access to him.

What modern evangelicalism has taught us by saying, this is

that we have proven to be true in some spheres of progressive

Christianity's that we get Jesus on our terms and that is

entirely false. I would say it's probably

nothing more than a christianized version of

Buddhism or something along those lines where this is what

following Jesus. And it's nothing like what

scripture actually calls Believers to.

And the issue isn't just with what some would divide Define as

Progressive Christianity. This is true of a lot of us that

we have created this idea of Jesus on our own terms.

So we take a little bit about what we like in the gospel in

Jesus, kind of doing these things.

We help the poor. He did all these good things and

I'm not saying that bad eye. That is part of the Gospel.

It's part of how it changes our lives and how we ought to live,

but it's more than just a set of Out of do's and don'ts and

beliefs. It is a invitation to a new way

to live, but it's on Jesus terms, not ours.

Again, this is sometimes it at odds with, with Christ rule or

rain and we have ignored this idea of what it means to fall

under the lordship of Jesus, we kind of just want to do our own

thing. We like to throw Jesus name on

it, we sing some songs. We're good.

I'm good. This doesn't really affect me at

all. But here's the resolution that I

suggest that the good news of Christ's kingdom, is that it

shatters, the Divide between the left and right, Progressive,

conservative, rich, or poor, And unites the body of Believers

under the banner of Jesus where we Proclaim together from every

nation tribe and tongue saying, salvation Belongs To Our God,

who sits on the throne and to the lamb, blessing and glory and

wisdom and Thanksgiving, and honour, and power, might be to

our god forever and ever. Amen, is revelation 7 says, this

is an identity as a king and under the ruling and reign of

Jesus. See what we have done.

Is that we've made? The gospel pretty much just

about us. It just kind of wipes away my

sin, I don't feel guilty anymore, I can kind of do what I

want. I can kind of live however want

but hey, I'm good. I raised my hand at a VBS when I

was seven years old. Like I said it.

I said the prayer repeated the pastor, but here's what I want

us to really take away. It's not fire Insurance, here's

the reality. That the gospel is less about

what happens when you die and more.

What happens if you live If you following Jesus, it's less about

what happens when I die. But more, what happens if I

continue to live, or is one of my heroes in the faith, John

Mark Comer would say, it's less about getting into heaven, and

more about getting Heaven into you, right?

It's more about getting the presence in the kingdom of God

into our lives. And here's the, the beauty of

joining Jesus in this gospel Rule and Reign is that the

spirit, the Holy Spirit has empowered every A Believer to be

witnesses witnesses, to the kingdom of Jesus that promises

forgiveness of sin and the Redemption of all things.

The beauty of the Gospel is that Jesus extends an invitation to

follow him and receive salvation forgiveness.

And, again, a new way to live, I say the word invitation is

because that's exactly what it is.

Jesus, invites us into new life and as Witnesses.

We bear witness to this new life and call other people to join

us. Following after him, let's say

it's an invitation because it's true but it doesn't mean it's

not costly everybody in the room.

Probably have, if you've been following Jesus for a while, has

stories of what following Jesus is actually cost you.

For some of you you're like, is it cost me time?

Like I'm like I'm here all the time.

I'm helping Ricky set everything up.

I can't watch the Cowboys game because we run late sometimes.

There's a men's group and a Bible study and they want me to

do this and and praise God for that.

But the reality is that like the following Jesus cost to

something for some of us it's deeper than that.

I was just a joke but but like for some of us it's cost us like

relationships right? That maybe we used to roll with

the group and arts were that was our what our identity was in and

that that group no longer accepts me because of what I

believe, maybe it's cause some of us family.

I know, that's true of some family that I have the that grew

up in a very religious environment, but once they went

personal relationship were really In to know, Jesus was,

hey, you're pretty much on your own Now dog.

That's that's on you for some of us, it doesn't mean just because

it's an invitation that it doesn't cost us something.

In fact, the gospel itself is very costly.

It requires surrender. It requires a change of heart,

it requires repentance or is Jesus, would say The Gospel

According to Mark requires us sometimes to repent, and believe

it requires something of us when we hear the word, repent, and we

don't like it, right? You're like, oh no.

Oh, he's going there. That's like, don't worry.

I'm not go Street Preacher on anybody - anybody over the head

with a Bible? Maybe that's something that's

somebody would do. But some of us when we hear the

word, repent, we have these images of Street Preachers that

have just shouted at people non-stop, right?

And I'm saying, I get that. But repentance is biblical that

we need to come to terms with the reality that we need to

change. We have so many ideas of or bad.

Inside with the word repentance. But Jesus tells us to repent and

believe the gospel because his way is better.

In fact, it is the only way to truly live.

Jesus makes this bold statement, declaration in John 14:6 where

John 14:6

he says, I am the way the truth, the life.

No one comes to the father, except through me and in this is

a very, very controversial Topic in today's generation in age, in

fact, and I know Eric was here or corn, and is what Here a

couple a couple weeks ago, as a couple weeks ago, something like

that. I don't know.

I don't know how long I know saw it on the Facebook or something

and and he deals with apologetics and all that stuff

and it's great. But we're I'm in downtown San

Antonio, nobody cares about truth claims they're kind of

like hey you believe that that's good for you that works for you

that doesn't work for me or they say hey if you're saying Jesus

is the way the truth, the life. No one comes to follow.

Hey, I don't believe that that's your truth.

That's not my truth and so we What we're declaring is at odds

with the culture and we have to realize that what we believe

costs us something that doesn't mean we back down from truth.

In fact, we lean harder into it again, doing so with gentleness

and respect but we have to be ready and I love this is that we

have to have a very biblical view of the Gospel.

Causes the cost but calls us to change to live differently and

here's what the writers of Hebrews.

He said we get to this idea that gospel and we think that

everything is going to change right away and what people don't

tell you that it doesn't actually happen that way.

There's a thing called sanctification that takes some

time sometimes, it's the old, is he wants to come out, you know

what I'm saying? Sometimes just like, I remember

reading on some of that someone something on Facebook the other

day just like, hey, Didn't you give your life to Christ?

Yeah, but I'm from the south side of the Kingdom, but

sometimes, sometimes that side wants to come out, it that

things ready to throw down sometimes, but we think that,

that the gospel is this immediate change in.

Here's what's true is that sometimes it transformation

takes time. What people don't often tell you

is that it's a struggle following, Jesus can be

difficult. And here's why you just hear

what the writer of Hebrews will tell you that probably

secularism Satan inside. Society, will tell you, in the

church doesn't is that sometimes for a little bit, sin is

pleasurable for a season. But you you've been told so much

it's just like hey it's bad and it is it is but what people

don't tell you say that for a little bit you're like oh this

makes sense. It's why it's enticing.

It's why I want to stay with us, right?

It's just like me. Like, I've been trying to get

healthy and I appreciate who the people that bring like all the

fruit y'all bring fruit somebody somebody.

Yes, yeah. I love all the fruit.

Here's I'm trying to get healthy me and wife trying to get if

she's healthy. I'm not I but I'm trying to get

there. Here's the thing.

If you put Put a stack of Water Burger right next to that fruit.

I'm like, oh man. That water looks good, but I

know that I need to choose the healthier option.

Here's the reality. Sometimes sin is, is that way.

It's looks really enticing and it's pleasurable for a moment is

what scripture says, but the season will run, its course, it

will catch up with you in the end and you'll find yourself

going further than you ever thought you'd go.

And you'd end up in situations you never thought.

You'd end up in and all of a sudden you start to think about

where you're at in your less satisfied than when you begin.

This is the reality of When sin ruts.

Its course, our life, I worked in College of Ministry for over

a decade and I saw this play out all the time, kids would come on

the canvas and be like, I'm gonna do me.

I'm gonna do what I want. I'm gonna do it.

Yeah, and I look, hey, I was there, look, I'll be honest.

So I got to the college campus. I'm like, I am free to do

whatever I want and live, however, I want and just A

little bit of that will leave you wanting and I found myself

in a place where I didn't thought, didn't think I'd end up

being and all of a sudden we found a no life in the things

that we live for the same was true of the Prodigal Son.

The same was true of Adam and Eve and the same is true of me.

It is through Jesus, though, and his Rule and reign in the

gospel, where we really find life.

John 10:10 says that the enemy comes to steal and to kill and

John 10:10

destroy, but I come so that you might have life in abundance.

It is in this posture that we respond to the gospel and find

forgiveness. We find life, we find redemption

in the promise of eternal life. The beauty of the Gospel is that

for the believer, eternal life doesn't start the moment you

die. It begins the moment that you

receive the Gospel but that eternal life is something that

given to me. Now, where I extend God's

message and his rule in his reign.

Paul Romans Paul in Romans says with great urgency that if you

confess with your mouth and believe that Jesus is Lord and

believe that when you're hard, they got raised him from the

dead. You will be saved, but he

communicates this message to share with people with urgency

and church. I am sorry, but we have lost the

urgency of sharing the gospel. With people, we're fine coming

to our little service on Sunday mornings, maybe a little

community group and on Wednesday nights or something, and then

the message never leaves the floor walls, and our life.

Life is not reflective of a kingdom that we're actually

living in. We're comfortable.

We've turned the church into a country club and we're cool with

doing community service events every now and then, but there's

no real fruit in our lives were sharing Jesus and there's no

urgency for people to come to know him.

So when we talk about evangelism we're like hey man, I'm just

going to invite them to church. Ricky could share the gospel

with them. He can either they'll, like, our

lights, you know, they'll like our little setup there, like,

all these things and meanwhile, people like I don't care about

that but, you know, like I want the real thing and we have to be

willing in ready. Not only again, we receive

salvation reconciliation forgiveness.

But we are given a whole new way to live.

If we believe that the gospels are, in fact, the gospel is why

it Graham would say, then we would know that.

It did that. Jesus teaches us the way to

truly live the way we were away where we find Freedom, true joy

and love that can only be found in Christ.

And the gospel has a direct impact on what that looks like

outside these four walls that have the gospel is captivated

your heart. It needs to change something in

our life. In fact, I remember when I came

to really know Jesus, my parents are incredible.

They have I talked about him a few weeks ago and church their

members at our church Downtown, which, if you're pastoring your

parents, it's always a weird thing.

You're like, I'm like, they've known me and they were praying

for me when I was in college. They know all the mess and love

us. Anyway, in, and I remember

talking about my parents and my parents did their best absolute

best to raise me in the ways of the Lord.

And for some of you in this room, you're praying for your

children. I would say, keep praying.

Praying for them to know Jesus, or, or to come back to Christ.

Keep praying. I was, I was one of those kids

that when I got to college, I was like, I'm gonna do me and I

had a Praying Mother and a praying.

Father, that that prayed my way back into the kingdom.

This is kind of how I would, I would say it but I remember when

I really came to know Jesus in college for myself, I'd lived a

life and I was kind of like I want to do my own thing.

And finally I was kind of like okay this I'm not happy there's

no joy. Oh, in my life.

And I've surrounded myself with some friends, after some, some

dumb decisions that I was just like, I need something

different. And I found a BSM actually.

And I was walking and I'll never forget this.

I was like walking on to psychology class in Manning Hall

and forgive my language. Rick, what about to say?

But a guy ask me, he's, hey Min, I want you to come to our BSA

and I go, oh, hell no, I'm not going to your ministry.

I was like, I was like, I don't know.

I'm not doing that, man. I was a very honest about I'm

still I still am sometimes too much and I remember thinking,

like I'm not doing that. Like I know what this is, is a

Ministry, they're going to, they're going to try wrote me in

in my mom probably called them. If you know Melva she might have

that woman's feisty it's where I get it from and and and I

remember saying like, hey I'm not doing that.

Then your boy got hungry. Not not spiritually.

I was like physically hungry. They I heard they had food there

that they were doing free. Lunch and I was like, all right

well maybe I'll check that out but I'm not.

I'm not doing this Jesus thing though.

And so I walk into the building in the director that time.

Mike Cervantes was just like, I thought you were showing up and

I was like, I like this guy, he just roasted me.

And I told him, I, you know, I got hungry and all this time.

I keep going back. There's people that I see, I'm

invited to a Bible study of a men's group and I day, two of

being a part. Like going to this ministry, I

get invited. To this man's group, I show up.

I have no idea what to expect next thing I know, they're like,

all right, let's do confession. I was like, oh no, oh my, what

did I just walk into this guy's like, hey, I got to be honest.

I just got high like two minutes ago and I was like, I love his

honesty and I was like I can be here like this is a place for me

to fit in and then all of a sudden I saw guys, let's say,

hey man, we're here to walk with you.

Like I know this has been a struggle in your life and we

Jesus has better for you and I just started to be Be grasped by

these people who were living a different way.

I saw the joy that they had and I wasn't ready yet to follow

Jesus. But I was like, man, they have

something that I want and I remember getting to a point

where I was really struggling and I posted something super emo

on Facebook. This is back.

Then when people like could just you know people still do it now

I guess but Facebook really wasn't.

The thing is most Myspace. It was my space.

I focus on some of your like man.

I didn't know you were that old. I posted something.

Primo, Myspace. And and the director saw it is

11:30 at night and he's like, hey man, I saw what you post and

this is after me, coming to this thing for about a few months,

and just kind of refusing what God was trying to do in my life

and post something super emo like 11:30 on a Thursday night

and he's a, hey saw what you post is everything, okay?

And finally, after a few months of just being there, I said, no

man, it's not. And he said, hey, would you meet

me at the Whataburger on 77? I said, Absolutely, it's

Whataburger and we sit down and Mike starts to lay out the

gospel. For me.

He said he's like, man, Jesus has better for you like he has

life, he's offering you that and I said man, I see Ivan, I see a

sassy these guys and they have the life that I want.

They have Julie, he goes, you know what it is that they have

they have Jesus. And at that moment I said that's

what I want. I gave my life to Jesus in the

middle of this Water Burger in Kingsville, Texas off Highway

77. I still pass by it.

Sometimes, I'm going in South Padre and I'm like, praise God

for that, but I remember it immediately, my life changed

and, and some things were still a struggle.

But I the internal side, the nature of me was just like, I

want everybody to know about this Jesus.

And so I remember as a brand new believer like a week in, I got

somebody Did me this little New Testament, and it was like,

share. It's in the front of it, says,

sharing the gospel without fear. I think.

I was given to it from somebody. Gave it to me from the DSM.

I had no idea how to share the gospel, but I was like, I met

with my director said, hey, what are the verses that you use to

tell people about Jesus? And he was like, we do this

thing called the Romans road you should eat.

And I was like, where are they? And I literally had no idea

really what to do with it. I just started paper clipping

those, those passages and I was just like like I wrote them

upside down so that I could just shoot do this of the Bible to

some of my friends and God use that.

I had terrible gospel presentations.

I'll just like, hey, you need to believe in Jesus, but we were

like, alright, but I, but I remember getting this hunger to

share Jesus in. And I was in a journalism

department at the time and nobody was Christians.

They call me and they don't call me the Tim Tebow of the

journalism department. But it's because my life had

changed so much. And all of a sudden people are

asking, hey man, like, what is it that you found or they were

like, hey, could you pray for me?

And I remember getting this passion to share the gospel with

people, and I got to see some of my closest friends come to know

Jesus, and that journalism Department some who are now in

Ministry and pastors. It's kind of funny to see, but

all that to say that, that we need to have this urgency to

share the gospel, Charles Spurgeon once had the quote that

says every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.

If we're not willing to share the gospel with people, then

what are we actually inviting people into if we're not willing

to share the gospel with somebody?

What we're inviting people into is just another gathering on a

Sunday, where we eat some good food, seeing some, some good

songs and some music. But our lives, don't really look

any different than the people outside of these four walls.

And we need to have a hunger to share the gospel with people.

And so if you're a believer in the room, this looks like

inviting people into your everyday life and showing them

what the power of Jesus actually has accomplished.

Remember, if you're a believer in this room that you were

empowered by the spirit to be a witness and to make disciples,

you don't need to be an expert, you don't even have a seminary

degree, you don't have to have anything like that.

In fact, in the book evangelism in early church, Michael Green

talks about the early churches evangelism methods by stating

This must often have been not formal preaching but informal

chattering, two, friends in chance, acquaintances in homes,

in wine, shops on walks and around Market stalls.

They went everywhere gossiping about the gospel.

They did it naturally enthusiastically.

And with the conviction of those who are not paid to say, that

sort of thing. Consequences song, consequently,

they were taken serious in the movement spread.

They went about gossiping the gospel and People into that

life. And remember, again, remember to

share your life. Not just information Rosario

Butterfield in her book on Hospitality, the gospel comes

with a house key. She says this that are

post-christian neighbors, need to hear and see and taste and

feel authentic, Christianity Hospitality spreading from every

Christian home, that includes Neighbors in prayer food

friendship. Childcare, you might be dog

walking in the daily matters upon which friendships are

built. You might be thinking, well,

that's easy for you to say, you're the pastor.

And again, the truth is that hasn't always been me, you know,

it's until the gospel really got a hold of my life that this

change. So if you're a believer in the

room, what does it look like to engage with the people around?

You not just spit out information and throw them a

Romans road and be like, do you want to know Jesus?

But really invite them into your life and see and taste.

It's the goodness of God. What does it look like to be the

most caring person in your, in your workspace, to be the

hardest worker to demonstrate what God has done to invite

people into life and to be okay with questions, faith can be a

difficult thing. But God has equipped every

single one of us who would claim to be followers of Jesus to step

into those spaces and share the love of God.

And if you're not a Christian in this room like just forget

everything. I said.

No, I'm kidding. But what would it look like for

you to take Jesus up on this invitation?

In Matthew 11 he says come to me all who are weary and carry

heavy burdens and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you.

Let me teach you because I'm humble and gentle and heart.

You will find rest for your souls.

He says, for my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you

is light. What would it look like for you

to take Jesus up on his invitation?

Would you take into consideration the reality of the

Gospel? Would you consider the gospel?

That we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of

God. But even then that God loved us

so much that he gave his life for us.

That the scripture would say that even while we were sinners

Christ died for us, what would it look like for you to take

Jesus up on this invitation? My prayer is that that we would

leave this room this morning captivated by the gospel.

The heat died according to the scriptures that he paid for our

sins and that he calls Believers to share the message of

transformation. The kingdom of a new way to

live. Would you be encouraged in your

efforts? Would you even right now?

Some of you have a notepad, some of you have phones, what would

it look like for you right now to ask God to reveal to you,

maybe two names of people that you're going to commit to pray

for this week. That you're going to say, hey, I

know this person doesn't know Jesus.

What would it look like for me to engage and to pray for them

and pray that God would give me an opportunity to share the

gospel with them. Would you do that?

Just just just write down two names, people that come to mind,

maybe their friends family coworkers.

I'm going to devote the next week to pray for them.

I'm not. And I'm going to ask God for

opportunities, to share the gospel.

Not just invite them to church and invite them to church.

Yes, we would love that. I would love that.

There's no better place. I think in Fort Worth and

there's somebody get connected here at city post his family,

it's like Chili's or whatever. So when you're here, you're

family, but what would it Like for you to share the gospel with

him. What would it look like for you

to commit to prayer? As a church?

We've been doing a month of prayer and fasting every day.

Just begging God, to save our friends and save family.

Our family of save our loved ones and just a quick testimony

we had a couple in our church that have been praying for

friends. They rotate names down.

We have like this wheel and we write eight names down.

We're like okay God give us Insight.

Give us wisdom discernment on how How to share how to pray

for. Maybe there's things that we can

do to serve them the, you know, if it's a neighbor.

Okay. Hey, we're going to invite them.

We're going to ask if we can do child care for them so they can

go on a date night. We're going to pay for a date

night. I mean, we're trying to get

creative with how we do this and there's a family in our church.

A couple young couple in their 30s that have been praying for

their family and Nikki and Renee are the names and so pray for

them, they came up to me on Sunday and say, hey, Is he like,

what they're, like, five of the people that we've been praying

for here this morning. And I was like, what, what like

they is, are like, they've never, they hadn't been to

church in years, all this kind of stuff, like they come, our

whole family comes from a Catholic background and they've

not wanted anything to do with this, and they're all here

today. And by the end of that service,

I was talking to our other Pastor Ryan, and he goes, hey,

one of those people just gave their life to Jesus.

And it was through faithful prayer in Opportunity.

Got them begging God. Hey, would you save their soul?

Give us Insight. Give us an ability.

Give us the words to say and I would encourage you.

What would it look like for you to take time this week, to truly

get before God, say, God, would you work on their behalf?

Would you allow so-and-so to come to know you and really

devote that time to prayer? I want to pray for us.

God we thank you so much that you've invited us into New Life.

That you have saved our souls, that you have given us, not just

a personal relationship, although we do have that.

But you've given us a family that we've been adopted as Sons

and Daughters of the most high King, and as followers and as

children of God, even trusted us with a message to reach the

world. We pray that starts in our

neighborhoods. We pray that starts in our

family. God, would you give us a burden?

Burden for the lost. And would you give us the

ability to share the love of Jesus and how good you are?

God, would you work in our lives?

Would you work in our heart? God, would you give us just the

passion and the Zeal to share Who You Are?

God. We love you.

We thank you in Jesus name. We pray.

Amen, stand and sing.