Engage Missionally

Sniffles.

We do have plenty of Kleenex out in the foyer, so help yourself.

We've been uh traveling together through a series uh lately called uh the healthy church community, and uh this is session six in those series of messages, and it's entitled Engage Missionally, uh kind of a loaded phrase.

Uh, where talk about what that means, why uh we are called to this, and how uh it really benefits and blesses not just us, but every human on the planet, whether they are believers now or not, maybe they are yet to be.

Had a good convo with my uh one of my sons this morning about you know why do we need to be urgent about this process uh of just telling others who Jesus is.

And it's because we never know, right?

We are talking about their eternity.

So if they do not know him yet or have not received him, perhaps today is the day.

No, the uh Graham organization put out a little study once it it may take up to seven different witnesses for one person to come, and I wonder why that is, right?

Maybe it's God allowing seven people to be involved in the salvation of one person so that in heaven we have our little group, right?

Hey, you are the one who dropped a seed, you are the one who poured some water on that seed.

I have spoken to some people and they said, you know what, you're the third person today who said something about God, and maybe I need to check this out, right?

It's weird.

We like humans have that issue.

We need to see uh the stars aligning maybe or falling into place.

But if someone talks to uh uh one person about Jesus three different times, different people, uh it does make you think, okay, maybe this is not a coincidence, right?

I believe, and I think we had it on our church sign back in the old days, uh it said, uh, with God there are no coincidences, because he obviously knows everything, right?

He sees it all before it happens, and he may align it just so that you can come.

So uh the gospel as we know it, the word means good news.

So he's not asking us to share bad news, but if you don't receive it, that will be bad news for you.

Uh but it would be a great tragedy for any of us who have personally accepted the good news and accepted Jesus uh personally as our Lord and Savior to never share that good news with anyone else.

That would be sad, right?

That would also be very selfish of us, I would think.

The Bible says and declares in Proverbs 11, the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Do you want to be a wise person or just a wise guy, right?

Uh winning souls is the way to go, right?

Because that's eternal.

If you pour yourself into an eternal soul and you help them along the way, or as Paul or Peter, I think is saying, like pulling them out of the fire.

God gives us hands for a reason, he gives us strength for a season, and he wants us to do his bidding with it.

Uh that's why we're still on this planet, I believe.

Otherwise, he could just take us home now, right?

So, why are we still here?

Not just to enjoy the pumpkin pie and the pumpkin lattes and all that, which is great.

Uh, we just saw the the reason that uh we have everything in Jesus, and you can have all this world, is because he owns the whole world.

Right?

The Bible says says that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

Everything belongs to him.

So when you have him, you have everything and anything you could possibly need.

Someone's shout amen back there.

The uh title I wanted to use today is called uh something my my son once said, and it just stuck with me because it's more of a boots on the ground description of this message today.

And uh he mentioned the term or phrase living on mission, not just being engaged missionally.

I know engage is a big word, right?

When you're engaged, that means you're connected, you're also in with both feet.

You are making a promise of sorts, right?

When you engage to a person, when you engage to missions, you're linked together with it.

But to live on a mission is a whole different concept, right?

How many have ever gone on an actual short-term or long-term missions trip?

See quite a few hands popping up all around, right?

Maybe you had to think back to a an earlier day.

Um that's not all this is today.

We're gonna dig into what it could actually mean on a daily basis if we're not even traveling anywhere distant.

Uh, what does it mean to live on a mission?

So our key passage today is from Matthew's final words, uh, speaking of what Christ charged him with at the very end before he ascended to the Father.

And uh if you will turn there with me right now, it's Matthew 28 and verse 18 and following.

And uh before we begin, uh let's offer prayer to the Lord.

Our loving Father, we thank you for your powerful word today, for your perfect Son Jesus, the one who's called the Word, made flesh, and he dwelt among us.

And this morning we ask you, Lord, to reveal yourself and your instructions to us as we open your holy book together this morning in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Uh this passage has been rightfully called the Great Commission, uh, and it does sound a lot like a captain's charge uh to his soldiers as he sends them out on an important mission.

Uh we could consider this our orders from headquarters.

I have a feeling a shorter person read from this pulpit recently, so I'm just gonna do a little tweak here.

Hang on, it might take a sec.

Thank you, Joe Canastrossi, for uh giving me this pulpit because it's adjustable.

I like it.

Thank you, Lord.

Matthew 28, verse 18.

Matthew 28:18

Here we go.

Isn't this great to be able to just dig through God's word together as a as a group, as a family, and just pour over what does it mean to us today and how can we live this out.

Uh I just see it as a great privilege, and so thank you all for coming out in the cold and scraping your window this morning.

I had frost on mine, I don't know if you did, but no man told me it was going in the 30s last night.

I didn't see that.

But here's what Jesus said.

Uh Matthew 28, verse 18, and Jesus came and spoke to them, uh referring to the disciples, uh, saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Matthew 28:18

So it's important to set up here.

He's saying this didn't just come from anyone or from anywhere.

This is by the authority of God Himself, where Jesus assumes the right hand of power and it's a seat of authority in heaven, in heavenly places where he sits today.

And sometimes he even stands, right?

He even I think it was at the uh stoning of Stephen where the Bible says Stephen looked up into the heavens and saw the Son of God standing at the right hand of the Father.

So he can get up, he can sit down, he can travel, he can be with you wherever you go, as we see at the end of this passage.

But he says to them first, go therefore.

So that's phrase one in the Great Commission.

It's a commission of action.

Um and he says, Make disciples of all nations.

Um there's other versions of this, and I believe it's uh Mark who says, Go and preach the gospel to all nations.

But the theme is the same.

Making disciples means we share the gospel, we uh elevate the gospel, we elevate Jesus Himself, and it says, Do this to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Amen.

One little girl said, Mommy, I think God likes nuts.

She said, Why is that, honey?

Says, 'cause that every time we pray to him, we say, Amund.

Not making this up.

Uh meaning, so be it, right?

That means I approve of what that person has said, and we want to be in connection with it.

We need to be in agreement with this um proclamation, with this command, and with this charge and this great commission of ours.

We are his soldiers.

We are the boots on the ground.

I don't know why he allowed us to be a part of this.

Often said, as a pastor, there was a prophet once who was taught by a donkey, right?

A donkey saved his life by speaking out.

And so I may lose my voice somewhere today, so uh anyone else can take over.

But God's word speaks the loudest.

I like to begin each passage when I study, and you can kind of adopt this if you'd like.

I think it helps.

Why did he say it?

You know, just ask those questions.

What, where, why, to whom, you know, dig into it a bit.

Don't just get the surface view of the verse, but um, you know, land your helicopter and then get your boots on the ground and grab a shovel and start digging.

And we'll just look at kind of the three or four main points here today.

Why does Jesus call his disciples to go and to make disciples of all nations?

So we're not just disciples, we are to be disciplers as well, right?

And the Bible gives commands to those who uh order his church and uh says uh teach those who can teach others also, right?

So we're always on the lookout for good teachers and people who can share what they have learned.

I don't know about you, but anytime I learn something that's really important or I think it's pivotal, I just can't wait to share that with someone else.

I'll squeeze it into a conversation.

And sometimes it's not even applying to the conversation at hand.

I just can't wait to get it out, right?

To when you learn something good, you you need to share that.

Um my mom loves to share the hacks she finds online.

You know, hey, I saw this.

You put this on our box, we'll save a lot of electricity in the house, she told me.

She goes, Did you read that?

I'm like, I don't have time to read all these hacks, but if you find a big magnet, go for it.

You know, I'd love to save some money on electricity.

But when you learn something this pivotal in your life, you gotta share it, right?

Paul said he was burning with this desire, right?

He had to share the gospel.

He he wouldn't survive if he didn't, right?

He he probably felt if he wasn't the preacher, God would just take him home, right?

That was what he was called to do.

But I think in some sense, every disciple is called to be a discipler.

Jesus said, you know, come follow me, I will make you fishers of men, right?

Teaching them how to fish for other things than fish, which is what their common trade was, most of them, right?

Peter and the others.

But here's why I believe uh Jesus gives this command not just to them, but to every disciple, one who is truly a uh a learner, a student, a follower of Christ, and that is his sacrifice.

So see that big cross behind me there.

That sacrifice on that cross proves exactly how serious God is about saving souls.

That was a weak amen.

Can I get an amen?

Good, that was much stronger.

Thank you.

How do we know this, right?

Verses like common verses we've memorized.

John 3 16.

For God so loved who?

The world, that he gave what?

His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth, not just one or two, but whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This is an eternal principle.

And as Jake and I were talking in the office earlier, I said that's why this becomes paramount, because we're not just giving a hack about how to save electricity in your house.

This is about how you live for eternity and never die.

Your soul can go on and on.

And if I know a friend who's not going there and I don't tell him, that is a travesty, right?

It's a shame because that's not why God died just for one or two.

He died for the entire world, only some will receive.

That's the sad part.

But God created us, as we sang earlier, he loves us, and that's why we love him, says he loved us first.

But that drives us into this love and a loving relationship with him, and he wants us to live with him forever.

That's the heart of God.

So that's the why of the go.

Uh, in John's uh divine vision in the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, uh, God shows him a heavenly revelation at the end of those days.

I think it was uh spoken of this morning by Greg.

Thank you for preaching the gospel, Greg.

I think Pastor Andrew shared this actual vision last week as well, but it's found in Revelation 7 and verse 9, and it says, This was the vision given to the apostle John, John the beloved.

As he wasn't martyred for his faith, but he was marooned on an island.

So he was, they could not stop this guy.

Some say that they couldn't kill him, so what could they do?

They just had to get rid of him, so they stuck him on this little rock known as Patmos.

Some of you can visit it today, one of those Grecian little islands out there in the middle of nowhere.

It's just lava rock or something, and he's out there, and God gives him this vision, and it's beautiful.

He says, After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

And it says here, when he saw them, they were clothed with white robes, each and every one, which is a symbol of purification and cleansing.

Right?

These are the saved, these are the people of God.

And it says, and they had palm branches in their hands.

That's the sign of tribute to a king, right?

The waving of the palm branch.

We do that on around Easter time at Palm Sunday.

And they were crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God.

So it's personal, right?

He belongs to us who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.

So this uh prophecy we see will come to pass.

This is a yet-to-be fulfilled prophecy in the scripture.

Uh, obviously, the first thing has to happen is these people have to be exhumed up into the glory to be in that heavenly place with him.

That would be called the rapture of the church.

Some do so through death, right?

And they are uh immediately in the presence of God.

The Bible says to be absent from the body, to be present with the Lord.

I believe that's their soul.

And someday he's gonna bring that soul back into a new glorified body which can see him and be with him forever.

This will happen.

Um, God knows it.

He's already prophesied it.

Um, his word never falls to the ground, failing.

This will come to pass.

So this statement of go into the all the world is just a part of that prophecy.

I believe it's God's choice of how he's gonna do it.

And you and I get privileged to be a part of that.

I just want you to go away from here with that thought.

I am privileged to be a part of this great plan that's gonna end in glory and praise in a place where the glory never ends.

Right?

At his right hand are pleasures forevermore, the Bible says.

There's joy that's unspeakable.

That there's peace that uh we can't contemplate right now because there's so much war and travail down here.

But one day it will be that way, as we read earlier as well.

Number two, God chose to accomplish his divine will through this plan of discipleship.

Some would call it evangelism or missions outreach, but it's one disciple making another disciple.

It's a multiplication thing.

Uh, think about it.

If each one of us could reach one more person this week, the size of our church would double.

Right?

It would just double instantly.

And we're like, okay, God, we haven't built the new structure yet in the backyard.

Like uh bring them in, but find us a place to put them.

And so we're we're working uh on that diligently, believe me, but um in Cranston, it's a slow process, apparently.

Uh if you don't know uh an inspector or something, I don't know what the deal is.

But uh Matthew 11, 29, Jesus talks about this first step in the process.

That's becoming a student of Jesus Christ.

And I believe this verse really depicts it well.

Some think it's about learning how to have inner peace, which it is, how to have soul rest, which it is, but that only comes from being with Jesus, locked tied, neck and neck, side by side, walking with him daily.

Uh Jesus says to his close disciples, those to be his students, to follow him for three and a half years.

He said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.

So this passage is about discipleship, it's about training, it's about students learning from a master.

He said, For I am gentle and lowly in heart.

This is what they saw in him as he reacted and related to everyone around him.

He was always gentle with them, even with the enemies, right?

Sometimes he would not even rail back, he wouldn't even speak back.

When they said falsehoods about him, until they spoke of the Holy Spirit, once he warned them about that.

He said, Do not speak against the Holy Spirit.

Uh, this is the heart of God.

He's saying, uh, I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

So the yoke is a commonly known as a farm instrument, right?

It links two animals together.

Uh my granddad used to plow fields in Minnesota.

He's a you know now passed on to glory, but he was a farmer out there uh planting corn and other things.

And he told me one time he his horse was getting a little tired, he bought a mule.

So he had a horse and a mule, but the mule was much bigger and stronger than the horse.

So he would yoke them together a certain way so that the mule would pull the greater part of the load because he had no problem with weight.

He was a strong, strong mule.

And uh he was a little stubborn.

My granddad fixed that later.

But when they pulled together, the horse didn't have to work as hard as he did before.

So uh the horse lasted a little longer, but he told me how interesting that was to pull with these two animals.

When you submit yourself to Jesus Christ, when you step into the yoke with him, it's a submission, it's an act of submission.

You're saying, I want to be taught by you.

Don't we all need that?

Someone said today, I just had to come in here because I need more Jesus.

And I said to her, Don't we all?

Right?

Let's let's nod our heads.

We all need him more and more.

Not just a little bit of him, we need all of him.

And he says, if you yoke with me, my burden is easy.

That means well fitting.

He fits it so that he pulls the load and you just go alongside, right?

You can claim I plowed that field, but we know who's plowing the field.

Amen.

Right?

He's taking the load.

Uh, I heard an interesting rendition of this recently on radio, Christian radio, and the gentleman said uh something about uh the Almighty God is pulling the load.

How much are we actually pulling, right?

I mean, literally, it's a pittance, it's a small amount.

It's just enough for us to say we were there with him.

Amen.

He's doing the work.

When you witness for him, who who makes the seed to grow?

Not us, right?

Paul said, I plant Apollos waters, but it's God who brings the increase.

He makes the fruit to grow.

He's the one that brings the soul into redemption.

We can't do that, but we can be a part in it.

We can have our hand in it.

I think it's just so he can share his glory with us later.

He's gonna say, Well, you were there with me, right?

When he said, you know, Pastor Andrew quoted that verse about I was sick and in prison, right?

And you came and you visited me, right?

Maybe it was with your gift.

You you just donated a piece of your offering today so men could have uh booklets on the Old Testament.

They're doing a Bible study in the prison down the street at the ACI, and we have a part in that, CBC.

We're not doing the teaching this time, but you know, we have done that, I'm sure.

But the point is when you have a little piece in it, and then someone comes to you one day in heaven and says, you know, I was one of those prisoners.

I just read 10 names.

I've been praying for them this week.

And who knows what that word is going to do in their hearts, you know?

They're in a place where they're ready.

You know, they're they realize they can't go much lower than where they are, you know.

My dad said he worked at the ACI for 18 years.

He said, uh, there's not much you can do to discipline a prisoner.

He goes, he's already in prison.

I go, yeah, that's the point.

I never thought about that.

What do you do?

He goes, Well, we can throw them in the hole, but there's only room for five or six in there.

You can't you can't just eliminate every the whole population.

He said, When you're as low as you can go, Uh there's there's nowhere to turn but up, right?

You gotta look up, and that's why I think prisoners are in a very, very unique place, right, to receive, and some of them will, and I pray they do, and you could have a part in that, right?

As you give your offering, a percentage of that goes to that ministry this month and then next month.

I think it's uh feeding poor homeless people in providence.

So, you know, you can have your hand in a lot of things just simply by supporting uh the work that you belong to here at CBC.

But this great commission involves the yoke.

It involves learning from Jesus.

I believe this is the yoke that he's describing.

He says, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.

That's all a student does.

They learn by watching and listening, right?

Um when I was with my dad, I learned a ton about how to live out the Christian life just by watching the way he did things, the way he related to people.

He was a giant, but I always call him a gentle giant.

Like he was very kind and humble with people.

He never threw the hammer down or whacked them over the head with his King James, even though he knew a lot of verses in there.

He would always just share the one that he thought would bring them from one step to the next, right?

To lead them in a gentle way.

Not beating people don't respond well to being beat over the head, right?

I know I don't.

I don't like getting pushed when I'm near the edge of a cliff.

I'd rather have someone tug me from behind and say, whoa, buddy, be careful.

That's a cliff right there.

If you don't tell your friend that, though, are you really his friend, right?

The Great Commission, part two of this verse here, verse 19, it is a plan of outreach.

It's God's plan.

It does involve evangelism, um, the the passing of the torch of discipleship to others, where uh Jesus uh literally taught his disciples how to fish for men, right?

If you're a good angler, a good fisherman, you know it's normally with a lure, right?

It's something enticing about it, and he calls it good news.

So that's the bread, that's that's the good bait.

It's something that lasts forever.

It involves getting to know your creator, the one who loves you and loved you most and loves you for all time.

Uh, but it it is a passing of this to others.

Jesus taught his disciples how to do this.

Uh Charles Spurgeon's famous quote on evangelism, he said, Evangelism is one hungry beggar telling another hungry beggar where there is bread.

And I believe he used that phrase because of this verse in John 6, where Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life.

I am the bread of life.

Uh even Jesus, uh his description of eating was to do the will of his father, right?

They said, I have bread that you don't know of.

He said, My bread is to do the will of him who sent me.

And is this not the duty of every student of Christ, every soldier in the faith?

We're called to march to these orders, go into the all the world, teach the gospel, preach the gospel, disciple others in this way.

He said, He who comes to me shall never hunger, he who believes in me shall never thirst.

At the end of John 6, verse 40 says, And this is the will of him who sent me.

John 6:40

So again, here's Jesus just doing the will of his heavenly father, as he always did, according to the scripture.

He never did not do the will of God.

He was always obedient, unlike us, right?

We stray from our purpose, we we get distracted and you know, latched on to other things.

But the Bible says a good soldier doesn't get entangled with the affairs of this life, right?

You don't get too caught up in it because you know it's extremely temporary, right?

Whatever happens here, you ought to feel like, okay, this is good, and I'm I'll celebrate it, right?

Enjoy it, but I'll realize this is not it.

And uh, I believe that's why he's put eternity in the heart of each person, knowing there's something even bigger, grander, better, more lasting than what's here.

He says, Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life.

This is permanent, this is an important thing uh to reach.

Uh, then he goes on to say, baptizing them, and we uh won't go deep into this today, but the baptism is a symbol of our spiritual death in Christ, right?

Buried with him in baptism.

I think that's in Romans 6, 6, 3, and then rising again up out of that grave, that watery grave, into uh a new life, a new birth.

He calls it being born again by your spirit on the inside.

And those who are not born again will not know what in the world I'm talking about, right?

But once he opens your eyes to the spiritual things that he is giving us in his word, then we become productive students, right?

Then we can actually apply and understand the things that he's saying to us.

Disciples had tons of questions, so don't leave your questions at home, right?

Bring them out, right?

Run them by people.

Uh I love the phrase that Paul uses in Romans 1, and he does this also, I think, in Philippians and in Titus, when he starts letters, he refers to himself as the bond servant or bond slave of Christ.

And if you dig into this word, it's basically a man who had a great debt, right?

He goes into slavery to repay his debt.

So he works for a master, but he does such a good job, and the master loves him so much and takes care of him that when his debt is fully paid, he is freed from his debt.

He's covered it.

He had to work so many years or days or whatever to cover the debt.

And then the master says, Okay, you may go now.

You're a free man.

And the the bond slave is the one who says, No, but I don't want to go anywhere.

I I love you, master.

I love working for you.

I love the way you care for me.

You know, I always say to people, Christ is the king who cares for his people, right?

He's a dictator, but he's a benevolent dictator.

He only does what's good for everybody, and he makes sure that whatever you do for him will turn out well, right?

That's our promise that we also have.

Uh, even when things look bad or rough, he has a bigger purpose and is better.

Um, but the bond servant for Christ Jesus is what Paul said he is.

He's separated unto the gospel of God, unto the good news.

Um, and so this is kind of what it means to follow Jesus with all your heart.

Uh the baptism segment is a picture of something that's happening spiritually, internally, but it's an outward sign of a change of heart, a change of mind.

Uh that's called repentance, right?

When you flip around, you're going this way, and now you're going this way.

Um, you're following Christ.

Before we're all his enemies, right?

If you don't follow him, he said, He that is not with me is against me, right?

We're actually kicking against the ox goats, as the Apostle Paul also was.

Uh, moving forward in the text is verse 20.

And I think this one is my favorite of the great command and commission because it involves teaching, right?

And um, some of you have that gift in in spades, but some of you, uh all parents, I think, have have to have some of this gift because you teach young people, uh, and the earlier the better, right?

When their brain is like a sponge, we were talking about that today in Sunday school.

That's when they need to see what you're really about and what hear from your lips what you care about.

And when they ask you questions, they really want to know.

They want to know what dad think, what does mama think?

But teaching them, Jesus said, when they go out to disciple others, teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

Not just this one thing about sharing the good news, but there are many other things, right?

About caring for others, reaching out to the poor.

As Pastor Andrew said, he takes that very personally, right?

Uh when you reach out to a man in prison, he said, I was in prison, you visited me.

They said, Lord, when do we ever see you in prison and visit you?

He goes, When you did it to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.

That's that's personal, right?

He takes it that way.

When you reach out, remember, Jesus is there.

He's not only watching, but he's involved, right?

He's pulling the mother load.

He's he's there moving the ship and you're along for the ride.

That's the way I like to see it.

Don't get weary, weary and worn out, right?

At the beginning of that passage uh of the yoke, he says, Uh, if you are heavy burdened, heavy laden, come to me, put my yoke on, and you will learn rest in your soul.

You'll learn how to really rest because he's the Almighty, right?

And he loves you most.

Jesus wants all true disciples to be involved in this discipleship process of others, not just pastors or teachers, but we can all do this in some small way, some shape, some form where we spur others on.

We we cheer them on to love and to good works.

Um Peter in uh second Peter it says Yes, I think it is right, Peter writes, as long as I am in this tent, speaking of his mortal body, to stir you up by reminding you.

I think that's uh the sign of a good teacher, right?

One of our buddies who's been a teacher for many years, he instructed the kids hey, when you go up and write on the board and you just heard your lesson, draw a picture of something in the lesson, right?

And then at the end you'll see all these pictures and you'll remember exactly what you were taught.

You'll be reminded of these things by seeing them, by someone sharing them first, right?

But by you telling.

Have you ever told something to someone else and now you have it solid?

You know, I met a lady we we had her help with uh young kids uh church, and she got so prepared every week.

She says, This has been the best savior of my soul, meaning I have to dig into God's word every week because I got to be ready for these little kids, and they're tough.

She's like, they ask you the toughest questions.

So I have to have my ducks in a row here, I have to be ready.

And she was a I called her the librarian, so she was very organized.

She didn't not want to be there without an answer.

So for her, it spurred her on to love and to good works.

And I tell you, if you take a little job like that, take it seriously, I don't care how small they are, telling you the smaller they are, the more they're absorbing because they're just trying to figure out this world and where they fit.

You know, their brains are like sponges, I say.

They they they embrace everything.

Uh, a couple weeks ago, I uh just a couple days ago, I I was my daughter was listening to some music and I just started doing some stuff with my arms and she just followed me.

Everything I did, she did it.

I was like, wow, that was quick.

Like uh she does the pose now.

I'm like, okay, I'm not John Travolta, but you know, that was pretty good.

Little Haven, she'll blow my mind.

But talk about a sponge.

I'm like, uh-oh, we gotta watch out what we say around this little kid.

She's she knows everything you're saying, she just hasn't said it yet uh herself.

But she knows what water and food mean.

She knows all that.

Once we have trusted the bread of life, it would be selfish not to share him.

I had to put that in the middle because I know that's a scary one, right?

I don't want to be known as a selfish guy.

When I receive something, I want to be generous with it.

So come on over, having lunch.

I got three strips of pizza left from yesterday, so we'll we'll have that together.

But if you have the bread of life and you don't share it, you know, how sad is that?

Uh so I want to bring up another gentleman here with us about a little bit about what are some simple ways that we can feed other people in a spiritual sense.

What can we do?

Maybe something simple.

And I know my buddy Gion had a great idea, so I brought I brought one of these things with them.

He's he'll tell you what this is.

Oh, he's got his pocket version.

All right.

Um, first of all, if you don't know me, my name's Gian.

Um I'm gonna try to be brief.

You know, that I'm gonna try my best.

Um, so to start off, uh early in the summer, I found myself in this place of just we went to this conference and we got a bunch of these.

We got we got 10 of these each.

And so I remember just I'm just like, oh man, like I gotta use these.

I feel bad taking them.

I gotta use them.

And so I just I just felt the Lord like kind of tugging on my heart, like, all right, you gotta do some some some evangelism.

I'm like, I'm not an evangelist.

And so I'm like, whatever, we'll try this.

And so the first day I'm just like driving to the gym, I'm like, Lord, I really don't want to do this.

Like, you're gonna have to bring someone up to me and start the conversation.

I know that's maybe that's bad for me to say, but that's just how I was feeling.

And literally, I'm in mid-workout, someone's like, Oh, I like your jersey.

I'm like, oh snap.

Well, hey, let me tell you something.

Um I um I don't like there was at one point.

I I love that you love this jersey.

It's so sick.

Can I can I share something with you about this?

Um, I just want you to know, like, there was a point in my life where I struggled with anger, frustration, pride, loneliness, and I was just confused about everything.

But then I met Jesus, and that was that's all I said.

I gave it to him.

He didn't the conversation didn't move much past that.

He wanted to talk more about my jersey, but that was fine.

Whatever.

Second, second, uh, second day.

I'm just like, all right, we're going back to the gym, and I'm like, Lord, I know this is so bad, but like I still don't want to do this.

Like, I just I don't like like in going to work out, I've gotta take some of my lunch, and I'm just like, I don't, I don't want to do this.

Um, so I start working out, and then there's uh a dude next to me, and I'm just like, all right, you know what?

I let me just get this over with.

And then I I I grab him like, hey, I know this is super weird, and like maybe you're not used to this, but I just want you to know.

Um like my name is Gian, and I was fumbling my words.

I was just like, uh, you know, I uh there was a point in my life where I was this, and and now Jesus I met Jesus and he did this, and um my life has been different ever since then.

I didn't even ask the dude his name.

So like he's like, oh, like thank you.

And he took the thing, and I'm like, what's your name?

Uh he's like, for those of you who know, if you know, you know, Emery.

He's like, my name's Emery, and I'm like, oh, um, okay.

And so I walk out, I start laughing because it's an inside joke, and I'm just like, okay, Lord, you're kind of nodding your hat off to me here.

Um, it feels like I should do this.

And then the last time I come up, I I it's one of those days where I'm just actually like, I'm like, Lord, I just feel like this has kind of been unfruitful.

Like I'm giving this, no one wants to really engage in this conversation.

What do I do?

I just I I I felt like each time the Lord was like nudging me.

So like the first time I gave the little thing, I just gave it to them playing.

The second time I put my number, the third time I'm just like, I'm gonna really like write something here.

And I'm like, I don't know who I'm gonna give this to, Lord, but I I just pray that I give it to someone I need, and I I don't know, I just this seems kind of silly.

Um so I go to the gym, I'm like, Lord, help me find someone.

Like, give me uh people say all the time, like, God told me to do this.

I'm like, give give me a nudge, give me something.

I go through my whole workout looking, there's a bunch of people that I could potentially share with, I don't know who.

Um, and I'm near the end of my workout, and I see this dude, he looks super familiar.

He's not the person that I thought he was, but like in my head, he caught my attention because he's like, This person looks exactly like this person I know.

That's kind of you know, maybe that's a coincidence, maybe it's not.

And I start, I'm like, ah, like ah, he he he left into the locker room.

I I got like five minutes, I gotta go.

And so I start walking and go grab my bag, and then all of a sudden I see him at the machine, he was still there.

I'm like, and I and I felt.

I don't I didn't hear audibly the the voice of God, but I felt, I'm like, all right, let's I guess I gotta do this.

So I grabbed my my my little thing, I'm like, hey, that was so odd, but I've been praying all day, and I've just been thinking about who I should give this to, and I feel like it's you.

And maybe I'm wrong, but I just feel like this should be for you.

And so I give he's like, Really?

Me?

I'm like, yeah, I I mean, but I don't know.

Like, I don't claim to speak for God, like, but I'm just here you go, like, this is this, and he's like, you know what's crazy?

Like, I I just started reading my Bible.

I just I've been reading, you know, I've just been doing the Bible lap and reading a verse a day.

I'm like, oh.

And I'm like, that's cool.

Like, I'd I'd like and then I do the thing, I'm like, hey, my life was like this, but like Jesus changed my life, and it didn't seem like he wanted to engage more, and so I went on my way, and then all of a sudden I get a text.

Can we put that text up?

So in my in the car, I'm having this conversation that I think this is unfruitful, I think this is dumb.

I I I I don't I I felt like, man, I is this even like worth my time?

And I get this message, and it was it's did something to me.

He said, Hey, it's Sean.

I can't even tell you how much I appreciate you for today.

I'm glad that was my last workout because I was trying so hard not to break down crying.

I had to let it out when I got in the car, but I really needed this to keep pushing.

It's been really hard recently, and so I just want to tell you today meant a lot to me.

And can you send me the details about you what you were talking about?

I did it, I couldn't see what was visibly happening.

Like I couldn't see be what was happening behind the scenes.

But the Lord clearly had this guy, it was this guy that I was supposed to do that for.

And I think like the reason I talk about this as we talk about this idea of engaged missionally, is it doesn't have to be complicated.

Like I'm not going up there and giving like an apol apologetic, I'm not doing like the campus, the bit, no, I'm not doing any of that.

I'm just I'm I'm finding someone and I'm praying to God and I'm giving this this little life of Jesus thing, and I'm writing something, I'm trying to be thoughtful, intentional, and I I just want to see what God can do.

And you know what this did to me?

This stirred me up.

I felt like a fire in my bones.

I'm like, I need to share this with everyone.

So I was sharing it with everyone.

I'm like, guys, can you believe what God did?

Guys, can you believe and it spurred me on to do more and more?

And I'm not an evangelist.

I know some of you are like, yeah, but that couldn't be me.

No, that's that's I'm like you.

I'm I'm an accountant.

I don't, you know, this is not, this is not like something that just comes naturally to me.

Like, I I struggle going up to random people and and interrupting their time and feeling like, but no, but like God is can is working through that.

And so when you you're going into life group and you're you're answering that question, how do you feed others?

This is really important.

Like Pastor John said, he's like, this is how you spur one another.

I don't want to live in the glory of what God has simply done.

I want to keep hearing of what God is doing.

And so I debated on sharing this earning, but I I I talked through it with a brother.

I bought, like after that, I bought a ton, a ton of these with my own with me and my wife's money.

And and I'm like, I want to invest.

I want to invest in this because selfishly, like, I want to hear about what God is doing around you guys.

I want to hear what he's doing in your high school.

I want to hear what he's doing in college, I want to hear what he's doing in the workplace, in sports, in athletics, I want to hear all about it.

I want to, I want to be encouraged, I want that fire to be in me because my my tendency is I catch a little fire, and then really, really easy, the the passions of the world can and like the distractions of the world, like kids, all this stuff, it can easily just start to simmer down that fire.

But I want to hear from you guys.

And so I'm telling you that I I put money into it because we're gonna have them here at the back.

We're gonna have them.

I please grab one if you're going to do this.

If you're going to do this, grab one and and don't do the thing where you leave it in your car and then you just wait for a window to pass by.

That's awesome, that has its place, and that's necessary.

But what I want to challenge you, my one challenge to you is take one of these, take one of them, and this week get rid of it.

Go talk to someone and get rid of it, and then share what happened within your group.

Share with, share with if you can't, if something crazy happens, come please tell me.

I want to know.

I want to know that like I'm investing in the kingdom and that this is this is being fruitful and good.

Like, I I want to know.

And so that's the challenge.

For the people in the group, hold yourselves accountable.

When that comes, how do you feed others?

And if someone didn't get to do it that week, don't shame them.

Share your story.

Tell them what happened, tell them what crazy thing happened.

Tell and and I'm sure that that will spur them on to good works.

And so I want to share this last graphic with you.

If we did this, I was I was I was messing around with with AI when this happened.

Um I know.

I just said, all right, how many people are there in Cranston?

There's there's 84,448 people in Cranston's according to the last census.

I'm like, all right, well, our church is about 250 people, all right.

Let's take that number.

The average person in Cranston lives about 78 years.

That's that the average age.

Can we go now?

Scroll down.

All right.

So if every single person, 250 people, 250, that like think about how many churches there are in Cranston.

250 people, 250 people shared a track once a week.

We can share 13,000 tracks every year, and we would reach the entire city of Cranston in six and a half years.

And then in a lifetime, that would be 12 times over.

Say maybe you're more go you're you're more outgoing, you're you're just outspoken.

You did this three times a week.

You would share the 250 people sharing three times a week would share 39,000 tracks, and they would reach the city.

In 2.2 years.

Scroll up.

Now, some of you, you guys are the evangelists.

You're going to more than five, but you're sharing every single opportunity you have.

We would reach in one year 65,000 people, and we would reach the entire city of Cranston in 1.3 years.

And so why do why do I share this?

Because I want us to think big.

If if there's any city, if there's any any state, let it like not just the city, state.

There's only one million people in in Cranston.

250 people in their entire lifetime.

If we can reach Cranston 60 times over, we can reach the entire state probably two or three times.

Just by simple math.

You can do it.

This is our call.

This is the call for us to go and make disciples of all nations to share.

And so we use our resources, we use our talents, we use our gifts, we use our positions, we use our status, we use our influence, we use it all for the sake of the kingdom.

Man, I hope that this would you would just see like normal people, ordinary people are literally giving money and time and love because they care so much about your soul, they want to see you in heaven.

In the prison cell, they're not coming here, they're not gonna be able to give money.

They're in there.

The ACI is high maximum security, they're there for life.

So why would we do something like that?

Expect nothing in return.

And I know that's hard because there's been a lot of scandals with the church, but because we actually love people.

We love people, we want to see them know the Lord.

And the only thing we could take at the end of our lives is not our money, it's not our clothes, it's not our status, it's it's how many souls are we gonna bring along with us?

And so that's what I just want to invite you to.

I've been wanting to share this for a while, and and so again, at the end of the service, if you want to grab a gospel track, please.

It's really nice.

It's leather, it's it's cool.

And if you want to invest your own money, your own resource, you feel so motivated, please like uh the website's in there.

You I think you get a small box for free, and then after a certain point, like you give to the ministry.

But man, Pastor John.

So he's not an evangelist, but he definitely is an accountant, too.

You can see the with the chart with the charts there.

No, we uh I just want to tail end this and close with uh a challenge and a prayer, but uh that the last piece to this puzzle, Jesus doesn't leave you alone.

At the very end of this commission uh are the words, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

That means until we're done here, right?

He is always here.

He is now with us, not in flesh, but in spirit by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible, one place refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ.

So you are never alone when you are reaching out to someone in his name.

Uh, when you step out in faith and live on mission, uh, as Gian spoke of, it's it's about a daily desire and and listen to the prayer of the heart, right?

Lord, just find one person for me, the one that I'm supposed to talk to, and how many people cross your path each day, right?

Uh for me it might be less.

I'm in an office a lot by myself and praying with the Lord, but my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Remember that part.

It's not you pulling the load, it's him.

Um I do believe that uh that means it fits.

So he will make it fit, right?

Whatever part you're gonna play, uh God will make it work for you.

Uh let's stand together as I give this final charge.

And it comes right out of Matthew 28.

It's let's go, right, Gian, let's go.

Let's go and make disciples together with Jesus.

Let's live on mission, not just today, Sunday, you've just been reminded, but on Monday, right?

Where can I go?

And maybe if you have something like this burning in your pocket, it'll give you a desire to find somebody who needs it.

I like I tuck them in little blankets and put little Dunkin' Donut coupons in there or something.

You know, I just try to, I don't know, sweeten the pot, make the person open it for some reason, and I have highlighted certain passages in there with big hearts on them.

When you get to John 3.16, I always put a big red heart there.

This is for you, man.

And I just want to let them know Jesus loves you, but we do too.

At our old church, the sign is still up in the parking lot.

I told the guy, you know, I gave him the company to switch out the sign, but he he left the logo up there that says, Jesus loves you and we do too.

That's been up there for nine years while we've been here.

My wife's like, when are you going to talk to that pastor about switching that sign?

I'm like, I already told him.

I said, but I think he likes what it says, and it's still true now as it was nine years ago.

When someone drives by your church, they should know that about you, right?

You love him, he loves you, and because of that, you love them.

Let us pray.

This is the most powerful thing we did all morning is this prayer right here.

When we talk to the Almighty.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us so much that you gave to us your only Son to save everyone who will call on you in faith today.

Lord, help us to join with you in this daily global mission that you have going to love people that you died for.

The person across from the aisle today, the person across the street, the one across the sea that we never see with our eyes, but we know they need you.

Give us, Lord, your tender heart, your humble heart for people of all nations.

Thank you, Lord, for the promise of your presence that goes along with us, because He resides within us.

In Jesus' righteous name we pray.

Amen.

God bless you all.

And don't forget, if you like this idea, grab a little pocket.

It's the life and times of Jesus Christ, and it's chronological, so it's kind of organized a little differently.

God bless you all.