A Call to Action

Sermon by Nathan Wagnon.................

A Call to Action                       Matthew 28:19 

Some Grammar . . .

Attendant Circumstance Participle

A participle used to communicate the action of a finite verb.  Its mood is determined by the verb it modifies.

Some OT Examples . . .

Gen 27:13 – His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.”

Gen 37:14 – So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.”

Some Examples from Matthew . . .

Matt 2:13 – When they had gone, an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

Matt 9:13 – But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice (Hos 6:6).” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

Matt 28:7 – Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.”

Matt 28:19 – Therefore go and join a social club . . .

Matt 28:19 – Therefore go and do just enough to keep the status quo so you can feel good about your religious obligation . . .

Matt 28:19 – Therefore go and make disciples . . .

 

Causes of Inaction                                Mark 4:19

1. Feeling ill-equipped / not good enough (worries of this life).
2. No time / consumed with work (deceitfulness of wealth).
3. Priorities are out of order (desire for other things).

Action Steps

1. Get into community (Ecc 4:12).
2. Stay accountable (Prov 27:17).
3. Always have someone upstream / downstream (Matt 28:19-20).

A Spiritual Challenge

Today I have been studying - 2 different things. First, I started the morning working some more on my sermon for Sunday. It is important because we will be explaining 100 for 100 and brithing an exciting new plan for FBC. Then I spent the morning working on a new communications plan for church. I am trying to elarn more about using social media more efectively to connect directly with our church family. Then I had one of thoses experieinces that takes disparate things and puts them together.

In reading a manual on social media, I was given an encouragement and a challenge that sounded like it was written in God's voice. "Avoid laziness. If something is hard, doing it right will immediately distinguish you from your peers. Always do the hard part first. Procrastinate later."

What a powerful word for believers. While I did not read that in scripture, it certainly is an application of scripture. I hate technology and I am NOT a gadget freak. I find this modern stuff to be hard. Yet there is more need for connection between believers than ever before. We live in a world more broken and out of touch with our bibical worldview. This creates the need for believers to connect. And we have more tools with which to connect than ever before - thus "do it right."

It is also the impetus behind 100 for 100. We are engaging a new vision because it is the right thing to do.

The connection: CHristians daily make choices of faith. By definition, that means we make hard choices and do hard things. That is why they are choices of faith. But do them right. They aer worth doing. It is what sets us apart from the world and encourages other believers by giving them something to follow. WHen you do "the hard part first" - the choice fo faith God has asked you to do - God will bless you.

Affirming the Authority of Scripture

Affirming the Authority of Scripture -1 Peter 1:22 – 2:3

scripture is the sole authority for truth because its nature is uniquely

•         Eternal

•         Powerful

•         Beautiful

scripture is eternal due to its Author

"the living and enduring word of God". 

scripture is eternal due to its Authenticity

•         14,000 Old Testament manuscripts/fragments

•         1 variation every 1,580 words, 99% are spelling

scripture is eternal due to its Authenticity

•         24,000 copies of the New Testament

•         5,300 Greek

•         10,000 Latin

•         9,300 in others such as Aramaic

•         Less than 1 variation per 1000 words.

Scripture is powerful. It is the power that

•         Births us

•         Purifies us

•         Grows us

Scripture is beautiful in its

•         Creation

•         Eloquence

Its Creation is miraculous. Consider:

•         1,500 years

•         3 continents

•         16 countries

•         40 authors

•         1 clear and consistent message

Its Eloquence touches

•         every heart

•         in every culture

•         in every era. 

THEREFORE….We must choose to embrace it. We must “set aside” and “desire.”