Category: Evangelism

Embrace Your Mission

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Discipleship, EvangelismLeave a comment

Army Plane

When Jesus enters Jerusalem in what is known as the Triumphal Entry, He doesn’t come in quietly. Matthew 21:8-9 says:

“Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt 21:8–9)

So Jesus’ didn’t ride in quietly. Instead He was given the royal treatment. A makeshift red carpet was rolled out for Him, and a large crowd went in front and back of Him shouting words of praise reserved only for the Messiah.

No Mystery

So there is no mystery who Jesus is as He rides into Jerusalem. He is the One the prophets prophesied about. He is the humble and peaceful king. He is the long awaited Messiah. He is not hiding it anymore. He is not telling anyone to keep quiet.

Embracing His Mission

Instead He comes barreling into Jerusalem during the Passover. A time when the city was filled to the brim, when its population grew by the 1000’s. Jesus comes into the city surrounded by a huge crowd proclaiming He is the Messiah, so He is not hiding it anymore. He puts His claims out their for all to see.

In doing so, Jesus is embracing His mission. He is embracing His ultimate fate. He is embracing the cross.

Embrace Your Mission

Seeing Jesus embrace the mission for which He was sent, should cause us to embrace our God given mission – to grow together as disciples and be disciple makers.

Growing as disciples and being disciples makers should be something for which all Christians are known. It shouldn’t be something we hide. Instead we should embrace it and do all we can to grow together as disciples and be disciple makers.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you embrace your mission?
  2. Are you seeking to grow together as disciples and be disciple makers?
  3. Does Jesus embracing His mission encourage you to embrace yours?
  4. How can we grow together as disciples?

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Our Scriptural Call to Missions

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, EvangelismLeave a comment

Mission

During our Sunday service yesterday, our music minister and his wife read the following responsive reading to the congregation. The readings topic is missions. It specifically highlights the Christians Scriptural call to missions work.

Whether we leave everything behind and head overseas, or remain in the same town our entire lives, we are all called to spread the gospel. It is our biblical mandate. The following verses confirm our calling.

Note: I preserved the responsive reading breaks below.

Matthew 28:16-20, ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 4:35, ESV

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” 

Romans 10:8–15, ESV

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Questions for Reflection

  1. How do these verses challenge or motivate you to missions work?
  2. How are you living as a missionary in your own city?

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6 Marks of A Missional Church

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Evangelism, Leadership, Pastoral2 Comments

Missional Church

To be “Missional” is all the rage these days. I am not knocking it. I believe it is a good thing. I would even identify as “Missional” I believe we need to live as missionaries in our own communities, recognizing we live in a Post-Christendom society.

What, however, does a “Missional” church do? Timothy Keller sketches an idea for us in Center Church.

6 Marks of a Missional Church

(1) A Missional Church must confront societies idols

Missional churches recognize those in our society are searching for happiness and self-actualization. Everything is about fulfilling our talents and our dreams. Others do not matter.

A Missional Church must be able to confront this idol. As well as they must be able to diagnose and confront other societal idols, if they want to free those in the community from bondage and make an impact for Christ.

(2) A Missional Church must contextualize skillfully and communicate in the vernacular

Missional churches recognize the need to understand their context so they spend time learning the cultural narrative. They know the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of their culture. As well as they understand the nuanced meanings certain concepts have in their culture.

Not only that, but they recognize concepts such as God, sin, and redemption may not mean what they think they mean to those they are trying to reach.

As a result, they spend time examining their cultures understanding of these concepts and gaining a deeper understanding of the gospel, so they might accurately present it to those they are trying to reach.

Since those in Post-Christendom usually have different ideas of God, sin, and redemption than those in Christendom, our most popular gospel presentations need to be adapted to the context and vernacular of the people. That is not to say, the gospel needs to be changed to match the cultural ideas. No matter the culture, the gospel must remain the gospel.

(3) A Missional Church must equip people in mission in every area of their lives.

Missional churches recognize the laity needs to be equipped to:

1. Be a verbal witness to those they know.

2. Love their neighbors and do justice within their neighborhoods and city.

3. Integrate their faith with their work in order to engage culture through their vocations.

As a result, a Missional Church finds ways to support its people outside its walls, whether that is at work, home, abroad, or in leisure activities.

(4) A Missional Church must be a servant community and counterculture for the common good.

Missional Churches present a strong alternative society in which sex and family, wealth and possessions, racial identity and power, are all used and practiced in godly and distinct ways.

Missional Churches also pour out their resources sacrificially for the common good of the city.

While they exist as a distinct counterculture, they situate themselves within society, so their neighbors can observe a separate but servant community.

(5) A Missional Church must itself be contextualized and should expect nonbelievers, inquirers, and seekers to be involved in most aspects of the church’s life and ministry.

Missional Churches know how to welcome doubters and graciously include them as much as possible in community so they can see the gospel fleshed out in life and process the gospel message through numerous personal interactions.

In order to make that happen, believers in the church must be contextual – that is, culturally like yet spiritually unlike the people in the surrounding neighborhood and culture.

A missional church, then, doesn’t depend on an evangelism program or department for outreach. Almost all parts of the church’s life are ready to respond to the presence of people who do not yet believe.

(6) A Missional Church must practice unity.

Missional Churches define themselves more by contrasting themselves with the world instead of other denominations. They seek unity across denominational lines when appropriate, showing the surrounding community Christ unifies instead of divides.

Question for Reflection

  1. What other marks of a Missional Church would you include?

Resources

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Post adapted from Timothy Keller’s, Center Church, 271-74.

Evangelism and the Day of the Lord

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Evangelism1 Comment

Locust

There is a day coming when the Lord will return and judge all nations. All those not following Jesus will be slain by the Lord.

Joel 2 Pictures this Day

As a watchman, Joel sounds the trumpet warning of an approaching enemy. An enemy that ultimately destroys Israel. Their destruction points to the Day of the Lord.

Commenting on Joel 2:1-11, John Calvin says,

The object of the narrative, then, is to make the people sensible, that it was now no time for taking rest; for the Lord, having long tolerated their wickedness, was now resolved to pour upon them in full torrent his whole fury.

Table Talk magazine commenting on Calvin says,

Calvin reminds us the final end is not to preach judgment for judgement’s sake, but to warn people to turn from sin.

Challenge

The many disasters lately – New Orleans; New York; Moore, OK; West, TX – should bring to mind the Day of the Lord. Knowing it is approaching and may occur at any moment, should cause us to eagerly call others to repent. Friends, neighbors, family members, and even strangers need the gospel. It is our only hope as the Day draws near. May we bravely and boldly proclaim it to all who will listen.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Does impending judgment motivate you to preach the gospel to your neighbors?
  2. Are you satisfied others will face judgment, or does it motivate you to share Jesus?

Resources

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Table Talk Magazine, June 2013, The Army of the Lord, Friday, June 14

What Does Our Mission Involve?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Evangelism, Practical1 Comment

On Mission

To understand what our mission as Jesus’ disciples involves, we must look to Jesus’ mission. As His disciples, His mission is our mission. In other words, those Jesus reached out to are the same ones we are to reach out to.

After Jesus finishes preaching His Sermon on the Mount, He comes down and heals several different groups of people. The miracles He performs not only informs us of Jesus’ authority, but also His mission.

Who Does Jesus Heal?

In Matthew 8:1-17, Jesus healed a leper, the Centurion’s servant, a woman, those possessed by demons, and those who had all kinds of sicknesses.

Lepers were outcasts, Centurions were Gentiles, and woman were considered second-class citizen’s. Jesus miracles then tell us we are to go to the outcasts, the nations, and those society considers unworthy. Not only are we to reach out to these groups, but we are to go to the spiritually oppressed. In other words, we are to go to all people’s.

What Are We To Proclaim?

Matthew quotes Isaiah in verse 17:

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

In order to understand Matthew’s use of Isaiah, we must realize disease, sickness, and spiritual oppression plagues us because of The Fall.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they plunged the entire human race into a corrupt world. Jesus’ death on the cross not only pays the penalty for our individual sins, but His sacrifice reconciles the world and brings about the restoration of all things.

Jesus’ death on the cross absorbed the sin bound up with our suffering.

If this is true, why do we still have sin and sickness?

It’s because we live in the already/not yet. Jesus’ earthly ministry and death inaugurates the kingdom, but sin will not be completely killed until He comes again.

Even though we still face the effects of sin, because Jesus took our illnesses and bore our diseases on the cross, we look forward to a time of perfection.

Conclusion

Since Jesus’ mission includes the restoration of all people’s, our mission as Jesus disciples should as well. We are to go to the outcasts, the nations, the second-class citizens, the spiritual oppressed, we are to go to all people’s.

We are to care for and share the gospel with them. We are to point all to the hope that is to come. The restoration of all things in Jesus Christ.

Questions for Reflection

  1. How are you reaching out to those Jesus calls us to be on mission to?
  2. What are some practical ways you would suggest to reach all kinds of people?

Resources

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Post adapted from my recent sermon, Jesus’ Mission in His Miracles.

The Gospel in One Minute

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Evangelism, Practical2 Comments

Here are a couple of videos explaining the gospel. They are all around a minute.