What Are You Talking About?.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to 1 Chronicles 16. [0:03] We’ll be there for the majority of our day, but we will really be all through the Bible [0:10] today as that’s just kind of the nature of the topic that we’re going to be discussing [0:16] today which is really telling people the gospel, building a foundation for why God has designed [0:24] us to speak about the gospel and tell others about the gospel. [0:30] But first, by way of announcement, I want to let you know that next Saturday morning

[0:33] we’re having something that we call Membership Matters. [0:36] This is something that we do a few times a year and it is a requirement for membership [0:41] at our church, but it is not something that’s limited to people that want to be members [0:46] here. [0:47] So what it is, is it’s three hours on a Saturday morning that we spend just laying all our [0:52] cards on the table as to why we started Village Church, what we believe as a church, what

[0:59] our values are and what our vision and mission is as a church seeking to help others become [1:07] disciples of Jesus. [1:09] And so next Saturday morning, if you’ve been wondering what we believe, things of that [1:14] nature or if you have questions about what we believe, this is a great opportunity for [1:19] you to come. [1:19] It’s going to be somewhat interactive where you’re going to have the freedom to ask us

[1:23] questions about our theology and doctrine, about why we do things the way that we do [1:28] where community groups, excuse me, village groups are concerned and even discipleship [1:33] groups are concerned. [1:34] So this is a great opportunity for you. [1:37] If you are going to come, please we ask that you RSVP on the website at villagechurch.cc. [1:45] The reason for that is it’s always helpful to know how many people to prepare for and

[1:50] it helps us if you have children that are going to need child care so that we know [1:54] how many people we need to watch children on that day. [1:59] So child care will be provided, but please let us know if you’re bringing kids so that [2:03] there will be enough people here to, you know, corral the bunch. [2:07] But this is going to be a good opportunity for you. [2:10] If you’ve been to Membership Matters and you’re already a member, the only reason you need

[2:15] to come is if you have amnesia or something and you’ve just totally forgotten everything [2:18] that you learned the last time. [2:20] But if you have questions and you want more information or even if you just want to get [2:23] to know the pastors here at Village Church, next Saturday is going to be a fairly intimate [2:28] setting where there’s going to be a lot of interaction back and forth. [2:31] So please make every effort to be here next Saturday morning at 9 a.m.

[2:38] Today’s topic really comes from a heart of understanding there are two competing voices [2:45] that are going to be in each and every life as a follower of Jesus or even if you’re [2:50] not a follower of Jesus. [2:51] If you’re here this morning and you’re not a follower of Jesus, then much of what I’m [2:55] going to say this morning is going to seem contrary to accepted wisdom in the culture [3:02] that’s around us.

[3:04] So if you’re not a follower of Jesus, the topic of telling others about your faith [3:09] and even trying to convert other people to your faith will seem somewhat odd to you. [3:15] And understand that going into it, I know that. [3:17] And it’s okay. [3:18] You can make it. [3:19] You may even understand by the end of our conversation why it is that God has called

[3:24] us to tell others about our faith. [3:27] But there’s two voices that really happen in this world for the most part. [3:31] The first one is something that we hold very dear here at Village Church and we believe [3:35] wholeheartedly. [3:36] And that is that the scripture or the Bible is absolutely authoritative. [3:41] That’s something that drives us as pastors.

[3:43] It’s something that drives our beliefs as a church. [3:46] And it’s something that we wholeheartedly believe here at Village Church. [3:50] And that is that the Bible is completely authoritative over everything that we do. [3:55] Now, the way that that works out is always a longer conversation. [3:58] But by and large, that is what I believe for you as a follower of Jesus. [4:03] I believe you cannot follow Jesus the way that you were designed to without the Bible.

[4:08] I believe that is God’s way of telling us about himself. [4:13] And so for you to follow Jesus, for you to build a life that goes after Christ, you must [4:20] submit yourself to the authority of the Bible. [4:23] But the Bible is going to contradict another voice in your life and that’s often the voice [4:27] of experience. [4:29] So we have a default mode in this world.

[4:32] We’re born into it. [4:34] We’re born into a life in which we naturally sin and rebel against God. [4:40] And in that, we believe that all that we experience in this life and all that we go [4:46] through in this life is what builds our wisdom and what guides our paths and direction [4:51] in this world. But you will not be able to do that very long until you reach a point [4:56] where your experience will contradict what the Bible says.

[5:01] Without fail, that happens to everyone that follows Jesus, especially if you’re not a [5:05] follower of Jesus, everything that you experience is going to contradict the Bible.

[5:10] And so you are left with these two competing voices. [5:13] And I just want to give a simple analogy as to why experience is a terrible guide.

[5:21] I love sunshiney days. [5:25] I mean, I love it. There’s not a cloud in the sky. [5:27] You go out. The birds are chirping. [5:30] It’s not going to rain. [5:32] I don’t have that much melanin, but I have enough to where it doesn’t make my life [5:36] miserable. And really, the more melanin you have, the better your experience is under

[5:42] those sunshiny days. [5:43] It’s not too hot, not too cold. [5:45] Just about right. Let’s go to the park. [5:47] All right. And so that experience for me is absolutely fantastic. [5:51] And the better you tan, the better your experience. [5:56] But if you’re an albino.

[5:58] That’s hell, man. [6:01] Because you’re going to need sunblock 100 or something to go out into a climate [6:06] where there’s no clouds, nothing but UV rays. [6:10] You’re going to burn like there’s no tomorrow. [6:12] So you have two people, same environment, totally different experiences.

[6:20] Our experiences are somewhat subjective.

[6:25] To us. [6:27] So something that I think is absolutely great, something that brings me joy, [6:32] something that makes me happy may not seem that great to you. [6:37] And trust me, vice versa. [6:39] Something that you think is so good. [6:43] Music, you tell me about it and it’s like sandpaper on a piece of paper.

[6:47] It’s not a wall to me, man. [6:49] It’s not that good. But to you, it’s great. [6:52] And so life is filled with experiences.

[6:57] They’re totally subjective. [6:59] Yet oftentimes how we gauge the direction that we will take [7:03] and the rules that we will follow are completely dictated by our experiences, [7:10] especially the negative ones.

[7:14] The ones that maybe leave some scars. [7:17] The ones that maybe didn’t work out the way that we thought that they would. [7:22] And so when experience is your guide and maybe just you being happy [7:26] is the utmost important thing to you, if you attempt to follow Jesus [7:31] with that mindset, you will have to change the rules because there are many things [7:36] in following Jesus that don’t seem that pleasant based on their immediate reaction.

[7:42] Jesus even tells us if you follow me, you’ll suffer. [7:46] If you follow me, it will be a hard road. [7:51] Even narrow, he says.

[7:55] So our experience with Christ must be dictated [7:59] by something that’s completely unchanging.

[8:04] Something that is the same always, and that is scripture.

[8:11] And so if you allow your experience through this life to dictate [8:15] how you follow Jesus, you will inevitably have to chip away [8:20] at the foundation of a faith, which oftentimes is scripture, [8:23] because that’s how we know the gospel.

[8:27] As you have to chip away that foundation and begin to say things [8:30] and believe things, even like, well, I’m the exception to that.

[8:35] Well, here’s why I’m different. [8:38] Here’s why my situation is different or my personality is different [8:43] or my experience is different. [8:45] And when we do those things, what we’re doing is, [8:48] is we’re saying that experience is our guide. [8:50] And who is the God of our experiences?

[8:52] Oftentimes, our reactions are guided by us.

[8:58] So in his great wisdom, God decided and chose to give us something [9:03] that was not based just on my experience, but was rather based on his point of view. [9:09] And that is where we get the Bible. [9:11] The 66 books of the scripture, the Old Testament and the New Testament [9:15] is what God desires to guide us in life. [9:18] And there are so many things that this involves.

[9:24] But because we only have a few minutes, I’m only going to deal with one. [9:28] And that is telling people about Jesus. [9:32] And that is something that I think where we are in history [9:36] is something that’s going to be you accept it [9:40] and you do it to start with because of the scripture, [9:43] because it’s totally countercultural to this society.

[9:48] We’re told to believe that faith is completely private. [9:52] Faith is personal.

[9:55] But the scripture will not allow it to be private. [10:00] And so my hope today is that I build a biblical case [10:03] for why that is not something new. [10:07] My hope today is to build a case that it is something that God has actually [10:13] created us, designed us and wired us to do with our lives, [10:19] that we tell about him to the whole world, beginning here, where we live.

[10:28] And so number one, this morning, I just want to start out by saying [10:31] that the Bible is a gospel story. [10:34] To be told. [10:36] The Bible is a gospel story to be told. [10:40] The Bible is the story that God tells.

[10:45] In First Chronicles, Chapter 16, starting in verse 23, [10:48] we have just come through a place where Israel has taken [10:52] the Ark of the Covenant into the temple, they have recovered it [10:55] after it was being lost, and they’ve put it into the temple. [10:58] And David writes this song in First Chronicles 16. [11:01] That’s also recounted in Psalm 96.

[11:04] And starting in verse 23, David says, Sing to the Lord all the earth.

[11:11] Tell of his salvation from day to day. [11:14] Declare his glory among the nations, [11:17] his marvelous works among all the peoples, for great is the Lord [11:22] and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods. [11:29] And so David is writing this song and it’s much longer, [11:32] but here specifically, we find ourselves in a place where David is speaking

[11:37] of the way in which God is to be praised and it is a vocal praise. [11:42] And there in verse one, he specifically says, [11:45] let us tell of his salvation day to day. [11:49] He’s saying, don’t limit it to this moment, don’t limit it to this song. [11:52] It is to go on forever. [11:54] Every single day of our lives were to tell of everything that God has done

[11:58] in order to redeem, in order to save.

[12:02] So it goes further than song and into your very lifestyle.

[12:07] To talk about God. [12:09] And what is it that we’re talking about? [12:12] So the Bible is not a disjointed book, [12:15] but rather it is one continuous story of the gospel. [12:21] Finding its ultimate climax in the person and work of Jesus Christ. [12:25] But even in this moment before Christ,

[12:28] because we’re on the other side of the cross, on that side of the cross, [12:31] where David was, he’s speaking of the salvation of God. [12:34] And that has led many to say that the summation of the gospel, [12:38] the whole summation of the Bible is that God saves sinners. [12:42] There’s a summary of every work that God has done that he saves sinners. [12:47] And that’s true.

[12:49] That’s a good summary. [12:50] That’s a good statement. [12:51] But we must flesh it out to say how?

[12:58] So the biblical scholar, Bruce Ashford,

[13:02] came up with this four part story of the Bible, [13:06] because that’s what it is. [13:07] It is God telling us because he could have just acted.

[13:12] And let the conclusions fall where they would. [13:14] But that’s not what God was satisfied with. [13:16] God wanted to speak to us. [13:17] So that’s what he does through people, through prophets, through kings, [13:21] through priests, through the apostles and ultimately through Jesus. [13:26] And Bruce Ashford says that he does this in four parts.

[13:29] And Tim Keller summarizes that these four parts answer four questions.

[13:35] Where do I come from? [13:37] What went wrong?

[13:41] What is the solution?

[13:45] How can I be made right? [13:48] We find that in the story that includes creation, [13:51] the fall, redemption and restoration, [13:55] the story of scripture, the story of God saving sinners [14:01] and that in creation, God is the source of it all. [14:05] He is where we came from.

[14:07] He spoke and everything existed. [14:11] In other words, out of nothing, God had the power to speak and make everything.

[14:20] Why? Why did he make us specifically? [14:25] According to scripture, he made us so that we could come into [14:29] the joy that he has known for eternity within himself. [14:34] As God exists as a triune, God, God, the father, God, the son, [14:38] God, the Holy Spirit experiencing eternal joy in relationship with himself. [14:43] And the scripture tells us that he created us so that we could experience

[14:47] that joy and in that joy, worship him [14:51] in that joy, come into relationship with him [14:54] and bring him glory because we see how great he is and we worship him forever. [14:59] And that is why we were all created. [15:01] That is where we all came from. [15:03] But it went horribly wrong in that we sinned against him.

[15:11] What is wrong with the world is the fact that we were created [15:15] for that purpose, to find our joy, meaning, worship and everything in God. [15:21] And we chose to find it elsewhere.

[15:24] We chose to disobey. [15:26] And that’s what Adam and Eve did in the story of Genesis one through three, [15:30] where Adam and Eve were given this directive, do not do this. [15:34] But then they were tempted. [15:35] And what were they tempted with? [15:36] You can be like God.

[15:41] And so they chose, they said, why would I worship when I can be? [15:46] So in an attempt to unseat God and put themselves in the throne, [15:51] Adam and Eve sinned against God. [15:54] And ultimately we all did and we all do every single day, [15:57] because through our lives, we seek to fill ourselves with joys [16:01] that have nothing to do with God and find our ultimate satisfaction

[16:04] and peace and things that are not God, but rather things that God made. [16:10] And in that sense, we’re attempting to get the glory that’s only due to God. [16:14] We are glory thieves.

[16:19] So what is the solution, though? [16:23] How can it be made right? [16:25] Jesus. [16:27] We see that this God, who is so eternally powerful [16:31] that he can speak things into existence that did not previously exist. [16:36] That God that we had the audacity to rebel against did not just kill us all.

[16:45] Instead, he set out on a mission to redeem us, [16:50] to save us, and in his love, that God set up a mission [16:56] and a plan to over centuries reveal himself to a people as a God who saves [17:02] and then ultimately come down himself in the person of Jesus [17:07] and live among us as one of us, never disobeying, never sinning, [17:13] obeying his law completely perfectly.

[17:16] And then at the end of his life on this earth, [17:19] he chooses to take the penalty for our sin.

[17:24] That the God that never sinned chose to take the penalty for sin on the cross [17:28] and die, taking his own wrath onto himself for sin, thus giving us forgiveness. [17:35] But he doesn’t stop at forgiveness. [17:37] He goes further rising from the dead, defeating the penalty for sin. [17:43] And giving us a new life.

[17:48] And in that we find how it can all be made right. [17:51] It can be made right through Jesus as he promises that he will return [17:56] to install his perfect kingdom forever and there will be no sin. [17:59] There will be no death. There will be no pain forever.

[18:05] And the grace of that story is found in the period while he’s restoring us, [18:11] while he’s restoring this world, that we take the news of what Jesus has done [18:18] and is going to do to all those who do not know it.

[18:24] And this is the story of God. [18:26] And the news is why it’s grace.

[18:31] Because God does not look to us and say, fix it yourself instead. [18:35] God and all of his wisdom knows that we will not and we will be condemned [18:38] unless he acts and he does. [18:42] News is something that you report. [18:45] It is not something that you yourself do.

[18:51] So this outside. [18:54] Force that is God comes in, does the work for us and says, now just go report [19:00] what has been done for you. [19:03] What grace is that?

[19:08] And creation, fall, redemption and restoration. [19:10] We see the story that God is telling us through our history. [19:16] And we see the record of it through the story of scripture, [19:20] that this is a story to be told and a mission that’s been accomplished, [19:24] that we should form a plan to go and tell the entire world about.

[19:31] Secondly, this morning, [19:33] do you know that God wants you to talk about what he has done?

[19:37] And this great message that we see in the Bible, [19:40] this great story that God is telling through people.

[19:46] But he wants us to talk about it. [19:47] He wants us to talk about what he’s done. [19:50] He wants us to talk about his actions on our behalf. [19:52] And that is the heart that David takes into this section of First Chronicles. [19:58] This is tell of his salvation day by day.

[20:05] Because he knows that all of the victories that Israel had, [20:10] even the temple that they were able to build and the Ark of the Covenant [20:13] that was given to them, it was not accomplished by their own hands.

[20:19] That God had made them, God had redeemed them, [20:23] and God was working salvation into their lives. [20:25] And God says, I do not want you for a moment to forget, so tell each other. [20:31] Tell them. [20:32] Tell people.

[20:35] And he looks at them, he doesn’t even limit it to them, [20:37] he says, seeing to the Lord all the earth, Israel’s not enough. [20:41] He wants it to spread to the world.

[20:46] This is an eternal plan. [20:50] Of telling of his glory that has always been. [20:53] So, you know, there’s I think there’s one misconception about the way [20:56] the gospel is in the way that it’s been spread is that we think that [21:01] telling people the good news is something that is newer, [21:05] something that did not exist in the Old Testament,

[21:08] something that’s only occurred now. [21:10] But what I want to do is I want to build a case as to the fact [21:13] that this has always been God’s plan. [21:17] And this is always how God has sought to spread his name, [21:21] is that people of faith, people who believe, people who trust, [21:26] people who know the story, go out and tell others of the story.

[21:30] Even in Deuteronomy, Chapter six, which is about the law of God, [21:34] he tells them that you shall teach diligently, [21:37] teach all of God’s acts to your children and talk of them [21:41] when you sit in your house, when you walk, by the way, [21:44] when you lie down, when you rise. [21:46] That’s pretty much a summation of everything that you do in your day.

[21:53] This is that while you’re doing this, [21:55] while you’re going, while you’re living, [21:57] you must talk about me or you will go into your default mode. [22:03] And what is your default mode?

[22:06] Well, it’s what carries us through most of our days. [22:08] What should I do today?

[22:11] What will make me happy?

[22:15] Me, me, me. [22:18] How can I get more for me? [22:19] How can I go for me? [22:21] How can I do for me? [22:22] What’s going to happen for me? [22:24] And God looks and he says, this is not how I designed you.

[22:27] And his redemption is so that you will then live for. [22:30] How can I give God glory today? [22:33] How can I obey God today? [22:35] How can I worship God today? [22:37] How can I live for God today?

[22:41] This is when you rise, when you walk.

[22:45] And you lay back down. [22:47] Always have as your vision and always have as your speech, [22:50] even to your children, the glory of God. [22:55] And there’s only sin that would have us to believe otherwise.

[23:00] But you see, God has never been one to work in this world [23:04] without having a messenger go and tell of it. [23:08] You know, throughout scripture, every time God is going to act in this world, [23:11] he sends a messenger to tell of it, either to a person or to whole nations. [23:17] And I just want to give two examples. [23:19] First is in Exodus, Chapter six, and it wasn’t going to work out too well

[23:22] for the people that were told about it. [23:24] But God sent Moses to tell nonetheless. [23:27] And he tells he sends Moses, he says, I’m the Lord. [23:30] Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, all that I say to you.

[23:36] So Pharaoh will know where is this coming from? [23:38] It’s coming from God.

[23:42] Then way past the slavery in Egypt [23:45] in the book of Jonah, Chapter three, when God is sending Jonah [23:49] to a sinful and wicked people so that he can redeem them. [23:52] How did God design to redeem them?

[23:56] So Jonah arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, [24:00] call out against it, the message that I tell you. [24:04] So even in calling them out for their rebellion against God, [24:07] God’s plan for Jonah is that they would turn from their sin and they would trust him.

[24:13] And so God’s design for people to turn from him [24:16] is that through other people, he will make himself known by telling of him.

[24:26] In Psalm, Chapter nine, verse 11, [24:29] it says, sing praises to the Lord who sits enthroned in Zion. [24:33] Tell among the people’s his deeds. [24:36] Psalm 40, verse nine, I have told the glad news of deliverance [24:41] in the great congregation, behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, oh, Lord. [24:46] In Psalm 71, 15 through 16, my mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

[24:51] of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past. [24:55] My knowledge with the mighty deeds of the Lord, I will come. [24:58] I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. [25:04] Telling others is a means by which God works his will into the fabric of this world. [25:11] He has designed our minds to hear and respond. [25:16] The culture that God desires is one in which faith is the foundation

[25:20] for spreading through telling others of God and all that he has done. [25:25] This is how he spreads his fame and his name through this world. [25:29] He desires for us to do it.

[25:33] That when we know of all of God’s mighty works, [25:36] we build a culture of living around speaking of his good works. [25:43] But you know, it’s somewhat natural to us, is it not? [25:48] Think about this.

[25:51] When I first started dating my wife, [25:56] I told people about it. [25:58] I mean, I knew there was something different about this relationship. [26:02] I told my roommates, I told my family, I told my friends. [26:05] I just spoke of it to the point where they were probably all sick of hearing about it. [26:10] Because it was good news.

[26:13] Somebody thought I was worth dating.

[26:17] And I trick her into marrying me. [26:20] Even better news, I invited people to a party about it.

[26:26] You see, when we have a relationship in our lives worth telling about, what do we do? [26:35] We don’t walk around saying, well, man, [26:37] I got to make the temperature in the room just right. [26:41] I have to have a funny icebreaker. [26:44] I don’t know how I’m going to tell them about this.

[26:49] Now, when we’re overcome with joy.

[26:52] We just go and we tell, hey, I’ve got something I want to tell you about. [26:58] How much better news is it that there was a God that I owed an eternal debt to, [27:04] and he came and he redeemed me from my debt, taking it on to himself, [27:10] then giving me the greatest joy that he has designed me to experience. [27:15] And in that joy, I have a relationship with him that is not based on my sin, [27:20] but based on his righteousness and his love for me, a love that he loves me with,

[27:25] just because he loves me with it. [27:27] That’s the only reason God loves us is because he wants to. [27:31] And then he promises me that this relationship that’s so full of joy will last for an eternity. [27:37] And there’s coming a day where I will see his face, he will wipe away every tear. [27:41] There will never be pain, there will never be death, there will never be sin again.

[27:46] Much better news is that than any news I’ve ever had in my life. [27:51] It’s the greatest news ever. Yet we are so timid.

[27:57] This life changing relationship that we often will tell, [28:01] that’s the most important relationship of my life, [28:03] is the one that we wait the longest to tell others about.

[28:08] I submit to you that this is not the way that God meant for it to be. [28:11] This is not the way that God designed us to be, [28:13] that God designed us to be bold in our faith, [28:15] and God designed us to have real joy in him. [28:18] And when that joy is real, we will speak. [28:21] We will tell.

[28:25] This is number three this morning. [28:28] All those great news that happened in Israel,

[28:33] is that the news of Jesus is what everything God has ever done has been about.

[28:42] Every moment that God saves Israel from destruction, from greater armies,

[28:49] everything that he builds through King David, everything that he does, [28:53] is not terminating on itself, but rather it’s leading to the greatest part of the story.

[29:00] The story that God is telling finds its ultimate joy, [29:07] its ultimate glory when God himself steps down into this world to save it.

[29:18] Think about the size of such a feat. [29:22] Think about the love of such a God.

[29:27] And everything that he did in redeeming, every promise that he ever made, [29:31] from the moment where sin entered the world in Genesis 3 15, [29:35] he looks to them and he says, there’s coming a day where I will crush this curse. [29:41] And so every moment of Israel’s history is God building to bring that promise to fruition. [29:48] And he does not want them to forget about his promises. [29:51] And that is why he tells them to talk of it constantly.

[29:55] So they will always believe that there is a God who will save. [29:59] There is a God who is working in all of this. [30:02] There is a God who said to Moses and Joshua, I will never leave you or forsake you.

[30:10] In First Chronicles 16 24, [30:13] when he says, declare his glory among the nations as marvelous works, [30:17] among all the peoples that he is giving a prophecy of just how he will bring redemption [30:22] and how large the impact of it will be.

[30:27] Israel often sees itself as someone that’s cut off from everyone else, [30:31] and then God will sprinkle these reminders, no, it’s not just about you.

[30:36] I’m going to take my glory to everyone.

[30:41] He never wants them to forget that. [30:44] And in Psalm 78, the Psalmist. [30:47] Gives the history of God redeeming Israel and on time to go through the whole thing. [30:52] But in Psalm 78, the Psalmist Asif writes this great Psalm [30:56] recounting the entire redemptive history of Israel and his purpose behind it is [31:01] we will not hide them from our children, but tell to the coming generation

[31:06] the glorious deeds of the Lord in his mind and the wonders that he has done. [31:10] He has established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, [31:14] which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children that the next generation [31:18] might know them, the children yet unborn and arise and tell them to their children. [31:24] They know that they’re not the end, but it’s going to increase. [31:27] It’s going to move forward from generation to generation to where they’re saying,

[31:31] we must even tell those who have not been born.

[31:37] Then in Psalm one forty five, there’s four specific verses [31:40] in that Psalm that I want to go over with you in verse four. [31:43] He says one generation shall commend your works to another [31:46] and shall declare your mighty acts in verse eleven. [31:50] He says they shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power [31:54] to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds

[31:58] and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. [32:00] Then down in verse twenty one, my mouth will speak the praise of the Lord [32:04] and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

[32:10] See, this is a faith that’s going to move. [32:12] This is a faith that’s going to build, and we must pass it on to the next generation [32:16] so that they will never forget, so that they will always live in anticipation. [32:21] So they will know that God, he says in verse twelve, is going to give his kingdom.

[32:29] Then in John one, Jesus is called the word.

[32:35] It’s an interesting term that they choose to use there, that term lawgoths, [32:38] because it’s not a specific word. [32:40] Specific word is Rima in Greek. [32:43] The term lawgoths is the great narrative, basically. [32:48] It’s the large story. [32:50] It’s the ultimate revelation.

[32:54] And what Jesus comes and what he is, according to John one, [32:57] is that Jesus is everything that we could ever want or need to know about God. [33:04] Jesus is the point of the story. [33:06] Jesus has always been. [33:08] Jesus made everything. [33:10] Jesus is God.

[33:14] And God has come to deliver on his promises.

[33:20] But note in Luke, Chapter four, [33:23] verse forty three, it’s such an amazing part of the story [33:26] where Jesus has built up a little following and they’re in a town [33:30] and they say, Jesus, let’s just stop here and let’s let’s keep this to ourselves. [33:34] It’s kind of Israel kind of when they would stop talking of the glory of God, [33:38] they would get this idea, well, this is just for us.

[33:43] So they look to Jesus and say, let’s stay here and let’s go deeper.

[33:48] Jesus said to them, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God [33:52] to the other towns as well, for I was sent for this purpose.

[34:00] God himself, as a man says, [34:03] I was sent to tell others.

[34:10] I have a purpose and I will not be deterred from it. [34:15] I must tell others of the kingdom of God. [34:17] I must tell others that the kingdom is here. [34:19] I must tell others that I’m here to deliver that kingdom. [34:24] What kingdom is it? [34:25] The same kingdom from Psalm one forty five.

[34:30] Jesus came to tell the world the kingdom is here.

[34:36] He then said that he was sent for the purpose [34:40] of telling Jesus is the point. [34:43] Jesus is the solution. [34:46] Jesus is the great act that all other acts of God are built on. [34:51] God himself comes, tells people of his kingdom, then he delivers it. [34:55] This is God’s purpose.

[34:56] This is God’s gospel. [34:58] This is how God saves. [35:00] Just as in Israel, God wants to build a culture [35:03] in this place of people who look to his acts, [35:08] people who marvel at his acts and people that make their pursuits in life [35:13] about telling others about his act.

[35:19] Which all lead to his great act. [35:21] Jesus. But what often happens in our lives.

[35:30] Is that we shrink back from telling others.

[35:36] And I think oftentimes it’s because of fear.

[35:43] I think it’s because of a fear that we don’t know enough, we’re not deep enough.

[35:49] A fear of what someone might say, what someone might think, of what we might get wrong.

[35:55] A fear that we’re going to blow it.

[35:59] When Jesus comes and he says, oh, you already did.

[36:03] I’m here to heal that.

[36:07] And so oftentimes we never have a first conversation about faith with anyone [36:12] because we’re afraid that we won’t get the opportunity for that second conversation [36:15] where we fix everything that we ruined in our first conversation. [36:19] And so out of fear of not having the second one, we never have the first one. [36:23] So conversations are just never had.

[36:27] When in all reality, God never means for it to be so hard. [36:33] For it to be so complicated. [36:36] God desires for our testimony, God desires for our telling, [36:40] God desires for our mentioning of him to spring forth from a heart [36:43] that’s overcome with love. [36:46] Spring forward from a heart that’s so overcome by the actions of God on our behalf

[36:50] that we cannot keep it quiet, that we cannot help [36:53] but to tell others of his mighty works on our behalf. [36:57] But oftentimes what I think we’re most fearful of [37:00] is the fact that our faith is so feeble and we don’t know of what God is acting on in our lives.

[37:07] So it would be very simple for me to ask you, well, why don’t you just tell others [37:10] of what God is doing in your life right now, of where your faith is building right now? [37:15] But maybe I’m afraid of what your response might be.

[37:19] That when we get questions like that, what we often do is at this moment, [37:23] I have it frequently, so it’s OK, don’t worry, is that we look down, [37:27] look at our shoes. [37:29] Don’t worry, I do it too.

[37:32] Because there are moments that sometimes stretch on to days, weeks, months, years.

[37:40] Well, we don’t know where God. [37:43] Is working.

[37:45] I know what God’s doing.

[37:50] Let me just encourage you that in those moments.

[37:53] And I have them often.

[37:57] In those moments. [38:00] No, you are not the center of the story.

[38:06] And that’s both convicting and liberating.

[38:10] Because when David wrote.

[38:13] This song. [38:15] About God returning the Ark of the Covenant to Israel.

[38:20] It had nothing to do with what God was doing in David’s life. [38:24] And everything to do with what God was doing for his glory. [38:29] If you read through Psalm 78, it’s all about the past.

[38:34] How God saved them from Efrain. [38:37] God saved them from Jericho. [38:40] God saved them from Egypt. [38:43] Look at the history of what God has done, because it is what I’ve seen in my life. [38:48] That when I fill my heart. [38:50] And I fill my heart by filling my mind.

[38:53] When I fill my mind with what God has done with that, which is not just about my experience, [39:02] but rather what is about God’s firm truth.

[39:09] I begin to have more experience as my faith is filled more, I begin to believe that the God who rose Jesus from the dead could possibly save someone that I tell.

[39:22] That life is not about me.

[39:27] That’s the lie that sin would have you to believe.

[39:32] Life is about the one who saves sinners.

[39:37] God.

[39:40] And in that moment of grace, in that moment where it stops being about how smart I can be, [39:47] and I realize I don’t need to go home and write a four point outline to tell my neighbor at the garbage stop.

[39:55] In that moment. [39:58] I’m just free to say God saved sinners.

[40:03] As Paul would say, of which I am before most.

[40:10] Fourthly, this morning, understand the following Jesus.

[40:15] Does directly lead to telling others about Jesus.

[40:20] You know, we must tell the gospel.

[40:25] We can’t set up a life of following Jesus without being sent with his purpose. [40:31] That’s what Luke 43 tells us.

[40:35] But no. [40:37] First Chronicles 1625, that final verse. [40:41] David’s just overcome and he says, for great is the Lord. [40:45] He’s greatly to be praised. [40:48] He’s to be held in awe above all gods.

[40:55] That last phrase is somewhat staggering when you think about the way that we live in the culture that we live in. [41:01] He says we live in this all of God, of all other gods and that term all it’s a wonder meant that leads to a fear of who he is in comparison to who we are, which expounds the effect of the gospel. [41:19] When you consider how much God is to be feared. [41:23] And yet he saves.

[41:29] And often the answer to why we do not speak as people throughout all of scripture just spoke of God day in and day out is because we are so in awe of false gods.

[41:48] What you talk about.

[41:52] Shows what you value.

[41:54] What you talk about shows what you’re passionate about.

[42:00] Where your loves are. [42:03] We have such an easy time and I fall for it so often when we come together to talk about so many other things. [42:12] Because, you know, there’s two things you don’t bring up at a dinner party. [42:15] Religion and politics.

[42:18] I’m always in the awkward position. [42:19] Those are the only two things I care about. [42:22] So I have a lot of awkward parties.

[42:29] But God has wired us. [42:34] To tell. [42:36] Of the things that are so dear. [42:38] And so when we consider all of the reasons for which we do not speak of God.

[42:45] The fears. [42:47] The insecurities. [42:49] You’re an introvert.

[42:52] You’re an extrovert. [42:52] You don’t go overbearing. [42:54] You’re an intro extra. [42:55] You’re the hybrid.

[42:57] You like to sit in your room all day and just stare at the wall. [43:01] Whatever it is. [43:02] We’ve all got it. [43:03] Something.

[43:07] God says I want to replace that God.

[43:11] I want to replace that identity that you’re having. [43:15] That joy that you’re getting. [43:17] That’s not going to outlive you. [43:19] That peace that you find when it’s all about these false gods, false satisfactions, false [43:25] joys, false pieces. [43:27] He’s not going to replace that with himself.

[43:32] In First Peter 2 9, here’s what God says about our identity. [43:37] Says you’re a chosen race.

[43:40] A royal priesthood. [43:42] Think about that just for a moment. [43:44] This God who spoke everything into existence, this God who we’ve rebelled against, who [43:50] justly could have wiped us all off, wiped us all away, started all over. [43:56] Instead, he redeems. [43:58] And then this great God looks to me and he looks to you if you trust in his son.

[44:03] And he says, you are a royal priest. [44:07] You’re an heir to the throne of God. [44:10] With Jesus.

[44:14] You’re a holy nation.

[44:17] A people for his own possession. [44:19] And that’s usually where we stop.

[44:23] Because that’s pretty good stuff. [44:24] I mean, you know, he didn’t say anything bad about me there. [44:26] He said some good stuff.

[44:31] But then he goes on and he says, but there’s a point to what I’ve made you. [44:37] There’s a reason that I’ve given you a new name. [44:40] There’s a reason that I’ve made you a nation. [44:42] There’s a reason that I’ve made you a people. [44:45] There’s a reason that I’ve made you royal priest.

[44:49] That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness. [44:57] And to his marvelous light.

[45:02] God save sinners.

[45:09] The question then must be, how great do I believe God is? [45:16] How great do I believe his salvation is?

[45:21] Often it’s marked by how bold I am to know it and to speak of it. [45:28] It is for the specific purpose of telling others about salvation that God even saved us.

[45:39] I must build my life around this amazing news that God literally gave his all for us.

[45:49] But usually I just try to fit that into the life that I’m building for myself.

[45:58] That is not the way God means for me to work out my salvation.

[46:05] He literally gave his life for all of us.

[46:09] That is good news.

[46:16] We should tell somebody.

[46:19] As the band comes up.

[46:25] Here’s what I know happens to me in these moments.

[46:32] Is that I begin to think of all my missed opportunities.

[46:38] I begin to think of all the moments that I didn’t tell someone I knew I should have.

[46:46] That I didn’t steer a conversation towards the end of my life. [46:51] I didn’t steer a conversation towards the gospel. [46:51] It seemed to be going that way. [46:53] Then I was like, the weather is great.

[46:59] I curled up in fear rather than being bold.

[47:05] I risked nothing when God said, you can risk everything and you’ll still have me.

[47:12] In those moments I’m overcome with grief and conviction. [47:16] But God wants me to be overcome with hope. [47:18] Why?

[47:21] Because the gospel is not about anything that I do. [47:26] The gospel is about everything that’s been done for me.

[47:30] Jesus is the gospel.

[47:35] In communion we have this great picture that Paul says is a proclamation or a telling of the gospel through symbols.

[47:44] The cup represents the shed blood of Jesus. [47:48] The bread represents his broken body. [47:50] His blood shed for us, our sins. [47:54] His body broken for us, our sin. [47:57] In this we see a picture that he gave his life. [48:02] Then when we take it in, when we drink and when we eat, it represents that we believe that.

[48:08] We trust it.

[48:14] And every failed moment of my life, every conversation I should have had and I didn’t, every excuse I ever made,

[48:27] I look to this table and I see a picture of the fact that I’m forgiven.

[48:36] But the cross redeems me from the sins of the past.

[48:43] Saves me from the sins of the present.

[48:49] And it’s already purchased forgiveness for the sins of the future.

[48:55] So if you’re in that boat this morning and you’re like, I should have.

[49:01] Come look onto the cross. [49:04] Come proclaim Jesus.

[49:08] And turn that into an I will.

[49:12] Because God loves us so much that he finds us exactly where we are.

[49:19] But he loves us too much to leave us there.

[49:24] And his grace is sufficient for you. [49:28] If you’re here and you don’t believe,

[49:32] just trust. [49:34] Jesus will save you.

[49:37] If you’re here and you do believe,

[49:40] come begin to proclaim of that amazing forgiveness.

[49:45] Then walk out the door and continue to do it. [49:48] When you’re ready, come.