John 21:15-17

 

This sermon focuses on the importance of evangelism. We must first practice (not just understand) the following passages of Scripture before we get into the main text. If we fail to do this....we will fail to understand that everyone needs to hear the message, and be fed by the message. That message is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Matthew 22:37-40 - The great Commandment

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 

Matthew 28:19-20 - The great Commission

19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

5 elements found in those two passages of Scripture

 

A. Worship - "love God will all your heart"

 

B. Ministry - "love your neighbor as yourself"

 

C. Evangelism - "go and make disciples"

 

D. Fellowship - "Baptizing them" ( a gathering- outward display of an inward change)

 

E. Discipleship - "teaching them to observe..."

 

These five elements show us that we must first love the Lord.  Then we must love our neighbors as ourselves. When we first have the heart to minister we can continue in the others. (Go and make disciples, Baptizing them, teaching them to observe.)

 

Feed my Sheep

John 21:15-17

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

 

What is ministry?

Even Christians fail to recognize what ministry is all about. I read a definition of ministry that says, "ministry is the ACT OF SERVING". My dad use to have two fishing boats setting in our yard. Both rarely seen the water and failed to serve its purpose. Boats are made to function in water, BUT if water gets in the boat, the boat will lose its function. The same is true with Christians. We were made to function in the world, not necessarily in the church. But if the world gets in us, we too lose our function. Ministry is about serving others and doing the job we were created to do; Show people the love of Christ by serving. Jesus asks us the same question he asked Peter. Do you love me? If we don't love Him and love others, we will fail to minister to people.

 

 

 

Who are you Ministering to?

5 C's

 

1. Community - Those who are not in Church

2. Crowd - Those who sometimes (for food or special services)

3. Congregation - Those who show up on Sunday morning

4. Committed - Those who show up for everything

5. Core - Those who minister or a Spiritual Leader

 

It should be our goal to bring the community into the crowd, the crowd into the congregation, the congregation into the committed, and the committed into the core. This was the same method that Jesus used while he walked on the earth.

 

Jesus traveled through COMMUNITIES

Jesus could draw large CROWDS and teach them

In Luke 10, Jesus sent out his 72 member CONGREGATION

Jesus had a group of 12 who were COMMITTED

Jesus had a group of 3 who were the inner CORE

 

 

 

 

 

© 2008 Christian Baptist Association