Dedicate this Year to Saving and Nurturing Souls (Matthew 28:19-20)

Dedicate this Year to Saving and Nurturing Souls (Matthew 28:19-20)

 

19  그러므로 너희는 가서 모든 민족을 제자로 삼아 아버지와 아들과 성령의 이름으로 침례를 베풀고

¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:헬, 또는 침례

20 내가 너희에게 분부한 모든 것을 가르쳐 지키게 하라 볼지어다 내가 세상 끝날까지 너희와 항상 함께 있으리라 하시니라

²⁰ Teaching 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.

 

 

At the end of each year, I spend a few weeks pondering on what our church’s focus should be in the New Year. After much thought and prayer, it was decided that our church goal for 2019 should be save more souls and nurture them.

 

At times it feels like these goals are set and announced, but there is little action to make it happen. But that doesn’t mean we should neglect setting a New Year goal. This year’s goal is a vital command given to us by Jesus. Today, I am going to discuss 3 things we can do in 2019 to make our church goal a reality.

 

A.) Work Harder for Saving Souls and Evangelism

(2 Timothy 4:2) “² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”

This verse is telling us that there is always something we can do and we must always preach His word. Whether the opportunity seems right or not, we must not hesitate to save the lost souls around us and we must do so with patience and perseverance.

 

This verse is Paul’s teachings to his student Timothy. A true pupil does not ignore the teachings of his/her instructor. As such, Jesus is a teacher to all of us. His words and advice are not something we can choose to follow or ignore.

 

It is our God-given duty to reach out and bring souls to salvation. When we meet someone the first thing we should see is the soul and if they need Jesus. If they do, we must not be afraid to tell them. There are many of you who already do this very well. But there a great deal of us who feel they aren’t outgoing enough, social enough, or they’re afraid of offending or hurting the other person.

 

But there is no need to worry. The worst a person can do is reject your offer to introduce them to Jesus. There is no problem with trying to preach about Jesus, the church, and faith. The problem arises when we remain silent and say nothing. The problem arises when we do nothing and leave a soul to be condemned to Hell.

 

Some of us worry about what to say. We remember bits and pieces from sermons but can’t remember the details. We don’t know how to approach people. But again there is no need to worry. When we approach others with sincerity, God will speak through us and take control. All we need to do is speak from our hearts and say what we know.

 

Another idea is to carry a church bulletin or flyer around with you. Evangelism can be as simple as handing someone a pamphlet and suggesting they read it some time. Invite them to church some time. It doesn’t have to be difficult.

 

We all know Jung-taek Hong, who is currently away for training, works hard for evangelism. He always carries around a heavy backpack. While this backpack contains his personal belongings, a great portion of it is filled with various flyers, booklets, pamphlets, and church bulletins. He passes them out to soldiers and even carries around English and Chinese versions, inviting people to church. He carries God’s Gospel around with him wherever he goes.

 

What is in your bag? Do you have a flyer? A church bulletin? A booklet? A pamphlet? If not, think about carrying one or two with you on a daily basis. Make it a habit to have some form of church literature with you. It can make your approach to evangelism much easier.

 

The most difficult part of evangelism isn’t the actual act. Rather, it is our interest and dedication to the cause. Our own personal matters are important, but we must remember it is our duty to go into the world and bring lost souls back to God. Our time and effort must be dedicated to evangelism. All we need to do is try and God will fill our shortcomings.

 

B) Encourage Each Other with Love and Goodness

(Hebrews 10:24-25) “²⁴ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

 

Humans are social creatures. We act in accordance with the trend and flow of society. If you go to a sauna or a public bath house, it would be weird for someone who enter fully clothed. Meanwhile, it would be unacceptable if someone were to be completely naked in the middle of mall.

 

In communist societies, atheism is the norm, hence persecuting Christians is acceptable and even expected. Capitalist societies practice and support individual free will. Today’s capitalist society emphasizes the importance of taking care of yourself rather than others.

 

This mindset has greatly affected churches. People don’t look back when leaving. They don’t make the effort to do good deeds for others. They don’t even love each other. People think that coming to church, hearing the message, and leaving is enough. They don’t see the value in volunteering, giving, and fellowship.

 

Pastor Hwang recently moved to Fort Jackson in South Carolina and was looking for a church to attend. He went to one suggested by Pastor Bahng. When he arrived he noticed a sign that said “Visitors’ Parking” but when he pulled up, a man looking like an elder asked if Pastor Hwang was new and then told him to park further in the back.

 

During the whole service no one approached Pastor Hwang and barely acknowledged him, even though he was new. Even after the service no one introduced themselves to him, no one welcomed him, nor did anyone invite him for lunch and fellowship.

 

The next week he went to a different church. This church was much smaller and looked shabbier. But the moment the congregation saw him they welcomed him with great sincerity and warmth. The pastor spend time getting to know Pastor Hwang and gave him tips and advice since he was new to the area. He even bought him lunch twice while he was there.

 

It was such love, sincerity, and warmth that allowed Pastor Hwang to decide this was the church he wanted to serve when he moved. A church cannot grow on truth alone. A church must have love and goodness to preach and practice God’s genuine truth. Hallelujah!

 

Jesus said that others would know we are His disciples because of how we love each other. Our church must become one that overflows with love, caring, and goodness for each other and anyone who walks through those doors.

 

C) Become a Church that Does Not Forget its First Love

 

(Revelations 2:3-5) “ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. ⁴ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

 

For most of us, our first encounter with Jesus was filled with joy, excitement, and thankfulness. But as time passes, our faith doesn’t shine as bright as it once did and we don’t have the same eagerness and determination. Our first love fades.

 

Some say that the “Honeymoon Phase” in a marriage lasts about 6 months. Of course this is a joke and exaggeration. I know I certainly don’t agree because I still feel like we’re in our Honeymoon Phase! My love hasn’t changed since day 1. (Though I’m not sure my wife would agree…)

It may not be that our love for Jesus has faded. It could simply be that we are exhausted by the hardships of life. Our life of faith is easily affected by the events and obstacles of our everyday lives. But we can’t let ourselves be swayed. We must learn to stand firm.

 

Our relationship with Jesus is often compared to that of a married couple. God also has referred to the Israelites as His bride multiple times. This means our faith is the strongest when our relationship with God is in the Honeymoon Phase.

 

We feel there is something wrong with our faith when we realize our faith and dedication isn’t like what it was when we first met Jesus. It’s strayed from how we were in the Honeymoon Phase.

 

Then what do we need to do? We need to repent. We need to re-evaluate ourselves. Who did I love more than God? Why did I turn away from Him? Is it because of work? Church? Money? Is it because I didn’t get the promotion? Did I feel like God wasn’t answering my prayers?

 

When we take the time to reflect, we will find the root of our problem. And when we do we must come before God and repent for straying away from Him.

 

Most problems come from our inability to see God’s perspective or because we fail to surrender our problems to God. We try to solve things on our own. But we must bring ourselves to God. We must lay our burdens before Him and pray. Prayer will give us the answer.

 

Let today’s sermon stay with you for the rest of the year. Apply it and put it to action. Let 2019 be a year of salvation, love, grace, and victory.

 

010619 Pastor; Ik Sun Ahn