Think of what it means to bring someone hope. To bring someone who is in utter darkness and tremendous fear the light of the gospel. To bring good news into a world filled with bad news, filled with so many things that cause despair and make people lose heart. It is tempting to think the world has gone crazy. The truth is, the world has been crazy for a long time. We are just seeing the manifestations of sin come to the surface.

Most people already know they are sinners. Most people know they are not perfect. What they need is to come to a realization of the seriousness and the consequence of that sin, and then to hear the hope of the gospel.

Zach, your message last week ministered to me and really lit a fire in me. So this morning we are going to read from Mark 16, all the way to the end of the book, and then from Philippians 1.

This is after Jesus has suffered and risen. At the tomb He appeared first to the women, and He told them to go back and tell the disciples He had risen. The women went and told them, and they did not believe them.

“Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mark 16:14-20 NKJV).

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:3-6 NKJV).

Why Do You Go to Church?

I often want to ask people, “Why do you go to your church?” I’m sure I would hear all kinds of answers. “The worship is outstanding.” “Our pastor is so good, the messages really encourage me.” “My family has gone there for years. That’s just what we do.”

But oh, to hear someone say, “That’s the place where I can best serve my Lord. Jesus is my Savior. He saved me from my sins, and because He saved me, I have surrendered my life to Him, and I am doing what He has called me to do.”

As Christians, we have a natural tendency toward selfishness, even in the church. We ask, “What’s going to please me?” A group of men feels called to plant a church, and the first priority is making sure there’s a good coffee shop. Whatever it is people look for in a church, very rarely is the question, “Where can I best be used by my Savior?”

The Main Thing

I went back and forth on a title for this message. I’m borrowing this one from a ministry that has helped me keep my focus: His Last Command, Our First Concern. I also thought about calling it “Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing.”

After Jesus rose, He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” And yet we get distracted by so many other things. We want a great children’s ministry. We want a great worship ministry. We want a great whatever-it-is. There is nothing wrong with any of those. But Jesus gave one command at the end, and that command is the main thing.

So we ask ourselves, what do we do with that? What comes to my mind first is all my weaknesses. I’m not exciting. I’m not fun. I don’t have that exuberant personality that draws people in like a magnet. So, Lord, what would You have me do with this verse?

Notice too that this command was not given to one individual. It was given to the eleven. It was given to the church as a whole.

One Body

We have become so individualistic, and that has crept into the church. The church used to be a place where you could see people’s faces and talk and visit, where there was real unity. One body with different parts. Some are the feet. Some are the hands.

That is what lit me up about Zach’s message, because his gift is discipleship. I know where I am and I know my calling. I can only take people so far. You’ll notice I really only have one message. And I’m fine with that. If you really want to grow deep, I’ve got a guy you can go hang out with. We’re all part of the body. I’m not going to try to be some other part. I know where I’m supposed to be, and I’m going to stay there.

Fellowship in the Gospel

When Paul thanked God for the church in Philippi, he thanked Him for their fellowship, their partnership, in the gospel from the first day until now.

There is a ministry that has been instrumental in my life, Evangelism Explosion, and it has been so encouraging to me because I’m around others with that same mindset. And we are so different. Our personalities are different. Sometimes they’ll talk about things and I think, “Well, I definitely don’t see that, that’s pretty far out there.” But when it comes to the gospel and the desire to share it, we are united. There is oneness in the midst of such diversity.

Even the great apostle Paul knew he was not supposed to do this on his own. He needed that fellowship, and he was grateful for the people who were part of it. So how are we doing in our focus on what God has commanded?

Put Your Talent on Deposit

Remember the parable of the talents. To one servant the master gave five talents, to another two, to another one. If you’re like me, you feel like you’re the one with one talent.

So what do I do with my one? The servant with one talent was so afraid that he buried it. He thought he was doing right. “Lord, I didn’t want to mess this up. I buried it. I kept it safe. No one could take it.”

And the master said, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers” (Matthew 25:26-27).

This ministry is where I put mine on deposit. I told the Lord, “It’s been a while since I’ve really been active in sharing my faith. I’m going to go put my talent on deposit with this ministry and be part of what they’re doing.” I need that.

The Story of Evangelism Explosion

We watched two short videos from the ministry, and here’s the story in short.

In 1959, Jim and Anne Kennedy arrived in Fort Lauderdale to plant a church. Before long their 45 members had shrunk to 17. In 1960, Jim’s seminary friend, Pastor Kennedy Smart, invited him to hold evangelistic meetings in Scottdale, Georgia. When Jim arrived, his friend told him that what he preached at night was not nearly as important as what they would do during the day: visiting as many homes as possible. That week Dr. Kennedy saw person after person come to know Jesus, and he knew this was not just something to learn, but something to teach.

He went home and shared that vision with his 17 church members, telling them, “We can change the world.” He began taking members with him on visits for on-the-job training. As they experienced the joy of leading people to Christ, they caught the vision. In 1962 Evangelism Explosion was born. By 1967 the first training clinic was held with 36 pastors. By 1973 it had expanded beyond the United States, and in 1996 it reached the milestone of having planted the gospel in every nation of the world.

Their vision is simple: train believers through the local church to share their faith, and teach them to train others to do the same. They point to the picture at the end of the Bible: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9 NKJV). People from every single people group on earth. That is the vision God has given us.

From the First Day Until Now

Having a sustained witnessing ministry is very difficult.

There was a church in Tulsa that was doing this for years, and I would go up and help. This past week I texted a friend there to check in and ask how it was going. He said, “Well, we got a new pastor. It’s no longer the vision. It’s no longer at the forefront.”

From the first day until now. Not just starting, but being faithful throughout. We all have excuses. And yes, if you go door to door, you will definitely make some people mad. You will irritate people by talking to them. But we would knock on ten or fifteen doors, and there would be that one person who was just waiting for someone to come, someone willing and ready. It’s so wonderful when you realize God has sent you to that person, and it’s even better when they realize it too.

But what do I say? How do I go about it? I’m not trying to make a plug, but this is what has helped me. This ministry has been the greatest influence on my walk with Christ, the place where I feel, “Lord, I am really in the center of Your will when I do this.”

The Gospel, Not Just an Invitation

Go and preach the gospel to every creature. That is not the same as inviting them to church. You’ve seen the bumper sticker: “Invite someone to church this Sunday.” That’s great, and there’s nothing wrong with it, but it isn’t really His command.

It isn’t the same as praying with every creature either. It’s wonderful to pray with people, but if that’s all we do, we fall short of His command. Even your testimony, as wonderful as it is, is not the gospel unless you include the gospel in it.

So we have to ask: How do we do this? Do we just pass over it? “I’m not very good with my words.” Those of you who know me know I’m not eloquent. But He has given a command, so at the very least we have to ask, “Lord, how do I do this?”

Peter Marshall said the whole function of the church, after all, is to introduce people to Christ. That is our business, and nothing else.

Spurgeon said that soul winning keeps the heart lively and preserves our warm youth in Christ. It is a mighty refresher to decaying love. Remember the church in Ephesus in Revelation. Jesus told them they were doing great, standing on truth, not wavering. The problem was, “you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4). Spurgeon went on to say that love for souls will, in the end, bring to all who have it the highest joy beneath the stars. Think about that. I love watching basketball and football. Those are good joys. But Spurgeon is saying the highest joy he ever found was a love for souls and leading someone to Jesus Christ.

And Dr. Kennedy said that the local church is God’s primary base for evangelistic activity in the world. It is the visible family of God.

We cannot just do this on our own. We need each other. Some have fallen away from church and say, “I can be just as good a Christian not going to church as going to church.” Think about that statement. It starts with the word “I.” Is God’s goal for your life that you be a good Christian? That is not His purpose. It goes back to moving away from selfishness and saying, “You are not only my Savior. You are my Lord.”

When Jesus revealed Himself to Paul on the Damascus road, Paul asked, “Lord, who are You?” And after Jesus answered, Paul asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:5-6). After we have received Jesus as Savior, that is the question that rises in our hearts: Lord, what would You have me do? We were created in Christ Jesus for good works. That is not to be confused with salvation itself. He loves us in spite of ourselves, and He has done all that is necessary on the cross.

Today Is the Day of Grace

My mom always talked about the gospel, and she would quote John 3:16 with my name in it: “For God so loved Chris.” My mom brought me to church all the time, and I heard sermon after sermon, but I put God on the back burner. I thought, “I have my whole life. Why would I do that now? I’ll wait until toward the end. I have a lot of living to do first.”

Then one night, going to bed, the reality struck me that my life could end that night, or Jesus could come back that night. We just don’t know. I felt condemned, and I thought there was no hope because I knew better. I’d been raised in church. I had a mother who prayed for me. I went on prayer walks quoting John 3:16 to my own spirit: “For God so loved the world.” And then verse 17: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17 NKJV).

That is our message. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day of grace. There is coming a day when that will close, either when you die or when He returns, and that day of grace will no longer be available. It is serious. It is urgent. And God wants to use us, as surprising as that is, to get that message out.

Does it matter whether people receive it, whether they open the door or not? Ultimately, it doesn’t. What matters is whether we are obedient to Him.

Evangelism Explosion teaches the gospel using your hand: Grace, Man, God, Christ, and Faith. You walk through it enough that when someone asks, “What must I do to be saved?” you can walk them through something you have already learned. The more comfortable you are sharing, the more you can relax and let the Holy Spirit use you.

If the apostle Paul wrote a letter to our church, could he say, “I thank God for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now”?

A Note on Mark 16

Not to sidetrack anyone, but some of your Bibles note that certain early manuscripts do not include this last part of Mark 16, and that troubles some people. Here is something that helped me. We do not have the original manuscript that Mark wrote. We don’t have any of the original manuscripts. That could trouble you, but I actually praise God for it. We naturally worship things. If we had the original, we would frame it, put it in a museum, and people would come and bow before it. In His providence we don’t have the original, but we have more manuscripts than any other ancient writing, enough to piece it together faithfully.

The passage also speaks of signs, including taking up serpents. Some churches build their focus around handling snakes, or around tongues as the sign that you’re a Christian. Again, that moves us away from the main purpose of what He has called us to do. When Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and tempted Him to throw Himself down, Jesus answered, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Matthew 4:7). Picking up a serpent and parading it in front of people to say “Watch this” is putting the Lord your God to the test. It is falling for a temptation Jesus refused.

Seated at the Right Hand

That brings us to the second point, verse 19: “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.”

What does it mean for us that He sits at the right hand of God? It’s called the session of Christ. In some churches the elders meet as a session to govern the church. Christ, the true Head of the church, is seated at the right hand of God, ruling. And He is also interceding for us. “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34 NKJV).

This is huge, that we grasp the intercession of Christ, because it means we must have prayer. You cannot just have evangelism. You cannot go share without prayer.

When I first came to the Lord, the church I attended had Saturday night prayer meetings. The church had a couple hundred people, but only ten or fifteen of us would come. Some of those men were former pastors and evangelists, and they knew how to pray. That was so formative in my young life. We would gather around seven o’clock. The pastor would share a short devotion, and then everyone would spread out over the sanctuary, some at the altar, some in the pews. For an hour or an hour and a half, one person would start praying, another would pick up after them, and on it would go. It was incredible.

After I started coming here, I missed those prayer meetings so much that I went back one Saturday night. They were setting up for a festival. I asked, “Do you all still have the prayer meeting?” “Oh no, we don’t really do that anymore.” My heart just broke.

Let me tell you what prayer does in my life. I don’t see prayer as bending God’s will to mine. God loves whoever I’m praying for more than I do. I see prayer as bending my will to His. And when we pray together, something happens. Hope and I could be on opposite sides of a decision, completely at odds. But when we pray together, her will dies, my will dies, and we come into the one will of God, which is right where we need to be.

That’s what can happen when we pray together as a church. That would light my fire: to come together and pray, “Lord, You’ve commanded us to go and preach the gospel to every creature. How do we do this? Bring us into alignment with Your will, individually and as a church.”

We all have what we think are valid excuses for why we don’t witness. But it ultimately comes down to fear and not trusting the Lord. And we are in good company. The eleven did not believe after Jesus rose, and He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. But He is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us. We have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses, who was in all points tempted as we are (Hebrews 4:15). We can come to Him.

The Lord Working With Them

And the last thing we read: “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20 NKJV).

They did not go alone. The Lord worked with them. He promised in Matthew’s gospel, when He commanded us to make disciples of all nations, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Whatever is helpful, take it. That’s what I love about C.S. Lewis. He would say, in effect, if this helps you, use it, and if it doesn’t, set it aside. If Evangelism Explosion isn’t the tool for you, that’s fine. The point is to go and preach the gospel to every creature. How do we stay motivated individually, and how do we stay motivated as a church?

One last thing, not meant to sting, but it stings me. We used to have these words written on our wall: Revive us, O Lord. I hope painting over it didn’t paint over our hearts as well.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV).

“For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him” (Psalm 18:28-30 NKJV).

His last command was to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. It was given to the eleven, it was given to the church, and it was given to us. We don’t have to be eloquent or exciting. We can be the servant with one talent, as long as we don’t bury it. He is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us, and when we go, He goes with us, working with us and confirming His word. So may it be said of us what Paul said of the church in Philippi: I thank God for your fellowship in the gospel, from the first day until now. Lord Jesus, You know how daily I need my lamp lit. Revive us, O Lord.