11.20.2011 Living Like Jesus - Doing the Job He Gave us to Do

SermonAudio

We are going to do things a little differently – we are going to have an extended communion time.
Lord, thank You that You are present with us this morning – and for the opportunity to spend more time worshiping You and having an extended time of worship. Help us to know who You are and to love You. Challenge our hearts – help us to be changed because of who You are and what You have done. Help us to live within this life as a community as a church – disciples and followers of Jesus – help us to understand the privileges we have – the joy of being Your follower.
This week we’ll be closing down our series on living like Jesus lived and following Him. Actually, we’ll continue talking about Jesus.
Matt. 28: 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. "
This is the Great Commission – and you can’t talk about living like Jesus without talking about the Great Commission. When Jesus left this world, He gave this church a job to do. They were to not just stay in Jerusalem, but to spread out through their known world. That is how Matthew and Mark end their gospels – with this call – this message – yet with Matthew, it is a thread that runs from the beginning of the book to the end. This is on Jesus’ heart. This is not just a one-time thing – but a thing that flows through the Bible. The Old Testament is filled with this same thought.
Even in Matthew 1: 5 and to Salmon was born Boaz by Rahab; and to Boaz was born Obed by Ruth; and to Obed, Jesse; 6 and to Jesse was born David the king. And to David was born Solomon by her [who had been the wife] of Uriah
We have three women listed in Jesus’ genealogy. In ancient genealogies, it was rare to mention women. And two of these women were of questionable character, to say the least – but what is most important, for Matthew - all three of them were Gentiles – not Jews. Matthew is saying – in the story of the Jewish Messiah – there is Gentile blood. Jesus has Gentile blood flowing inside of Him. Matthew is primarily directed to Jewish Christians. We think there were two religions going – Judaism and Christianity – but that is not how it was – it wasn’t until much later – that things began to divide. There are many verses that address the conflict between Jews and Gentiles – but Matthew is saying that it is for both Jews and Gentiles.
The purpose of the church is to bring in those who are ‘outside’.
Matt. 2: 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him."
The first worshipers in Matthew are Gentiles. Matthew left the shepherds out of the story – he is telling his audience that it is for everyone. It has been opened to all.
The Magi would have been about as pagan as pagan could be – they were magicians, divination, astrologers – and Matthew is showing that God is gathering people from all over the world – this is our job and responsibility.
Matt. 8: 9 "For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does [it]." 10 Now when Jesus heard [this,] He marveled, and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
What a comment to make about a Gentile!
11 "And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline [at the table] with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven;
…and some of the community will be left out – and others will be brought in.
When we see new Christians’ lives change before our eyes – there is much encouragement to those who have been Christians for a long time to not stay the same, settle in, and be satisfied with the status quo. Sometimes new Christians are messy – but there is a lot of good that comes with the mess!
Matt. 9: 35 And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He ^said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
The time has come to gather people in – we live in a time to gather a harvest – this has not ended – it will continue until He comes back. What is needed is workers for the harvest.
Ask yourself – am I an attender of church or a worker of the harvest?
Matt. 15: 21 And Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and [began] to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to [Him] and kept asking Him, saying, "Send her away, for she is shouting out after us." 24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and [began] to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 26 And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27 But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once.
Matthew brings out these stories where people from the Jews’ worst enemies are being brought into the Kingdom.
But notice – Jesus doesn’t send her away – but I think He was testing her. – which she passed. He gave her three negative responses – and then welcomed her - I think the key verse to the section - "Send her away, for she is shouting out after us." 24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
They didn’t understand that the Jewish Messiah came in to welcome the world.
Matt. 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 "Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are [all] butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast. "' 5 "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 "But the king was enraged and sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and set their city on fire. 8 "Then he ^said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 'Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find [there,] invite to the wedding feast.' 10 "And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he ^said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And he was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few [are] chosen."
God’s heart is that His community would be filled – His celebration/banquet would be filled with guests.
In closing – that is to be our mindset – that is how God wants us to think. He wants us to have this in our minds and hearts – Filling God’s kingdom with guests - Filling our lives with people who needed to know Jesus.
Is this your mindset: Are you a worker in the harvest? Will you have your eyes open to whatever opportunities God sends your way?
LIFT UP YOUR EYES! It was symbolic – just look up- you are looking down – your eyes aren’t open to the white harvest field.
Lord, we ask You to help us to lift up our eyes this week that we might see that the fields are white for the harvest. Lord, there are people that You have brought into our lives – that You are drawing to Yourself and we want to be available when the opportunity comes – to be Your workers.
In Your name we pray.