Embracing Wholeness: Our Call to Share the Gospel

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound truth that we are not broken or splintered but are made whole through the blood of the Lamb. This wholeness allows us to enter the Holy of Holies, a place of intimate communion with God, without barriers or intermediaries. We are encouraged to dwell in this sacred space, to rest, walk, and live in the presence of God, embracing the eternal perspective that transforms our daily lives. This relationship with God is not just a one-time event but a continuous journey of learning and growing in His presence.

We also delved into the mandate given to us as believers to share the gospel, make disciples, and baptize in the name of Jesus. This is not an optional task but a core aspect of our faith. The urgency of this mission is underscored by the reality of eternal consequences for those who do not know Christ. We are called to be attentive to the Holy Spirit, ready to seize opportunities to share the love and truth of Jesus with others.

The message highlighted the importance of heart-to-heart connections in sharing the gospel. It's not just about words but about living a life that reflects Christ's love and grace. We are reminded that our success in this mission does not rest on our abilities but on God's faithfulness. He is with us, empowering us to be His ambassadors, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.

Finally, we are encouraged to prioritize sitting at the Lord's feet, listening to His voice, and guarding our hearts. This posture of attentiveness and surrender is crucial for living a life that pleases God and effectively reaching others with the gospel. We are challenged to examine our priorities, guard our hearts, and seek God's help in all areas of our lives.

Key Takeaways:

- Wholeness in Christ: Through the blood of the Lamb, we are made whole and have unrestricted access to the Holy of Holies. This intimate relationship with God is a continuous journey, inviting us to dwell in His presence and embrace an eternal perspective that transforms our daily lives. [58:26]

- The Mandate to Share the Gospel: As believers, we have a mandate to share the gospel, make disciples, and baptize in the name of Jesus. This mission is urgent and essential, with eternal consequences for those who do not know Christ. We are called to be attentive to the Holy Spirit and seize opportunities to share His love and truth. [01:02:51]

- Heart-to-Heart Connections: Sharing the gospel is not just about words but about living a life that reflects Christ's love and grace. Our success in this mission rests on God's faithfulness, and we are empowered to be His ambassadors, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. [01:17:19]

- Sitting at the Lord's Feet: Prioritizing time at the Lord's feet, listening to His voice, and guarding our hearts is crucial for living a life that pleases God and effectively reaching others with the gospel. This posture of attentiveness and surrender is essential for spiritual growth and discernment. [01:28:35]

- Guarding Our Hearts: We are challenged to examine our priorities, guard our hearts, and seek God's help in all areas of our lives. By doing so, we protect our spiritual well-being and remain open to the Holy Spirit's guidance in sharing the gospel and living out our faith. [01:35:15]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [58:26] - Entering the Holy of Holies
- [59:51] - Eternal Perspective
- [01:00:25] - Continuous Relationship with God
- [01:01:48] - Distractions and Focus
- [01:02:51] - The Gospel Mandate
- [01:08:30] - Heart-to-Heart Connections
- [01:09:15] - Love One Another Deeply
- [01:11:24] - The Eternal Gospel
- [01:12:48] - New Creation in Christ
- [01:14:06] - Success in God's Plan
- [01:15:40] - Living as Ambassadors
- [01:19:15] - The Ministry of Reconciliation
- [01:28:35] - Sitting at the Lord's Feet
- [01:35:15] - Guarding Our Hearts

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 28:19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
2. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us."
3. Luke 10:38-42 - The story of Mary and Martha, focusing on the importance of sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to His voice.

#### Observation Questions
1. What does the sermon suggest about our access to the Holy of Holies and how should we approach this sacred space? [58:26]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of the mandate given in Matthew 28:19, and how is it described as urgent? [01:02:51]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of heart-to-heart connections in sharing the gospel? [01:17:19]
4. What example from the sermon illustrates the importance of sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to His voice? [01:28:35]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of being made whole through the blood of the Lamb influence a believer's daily life and relationship with God? [58:26]
2. In what ways does the sermon emphasize the urgency of the gospel mandate, and what are the eternal consequences mentioned for those who do not know Christ? [01:02:51]
3. How does the sermon illustrate the idea that our success in sharing the gospel relies on God's faithfulness rather than our abilities? [01:17:19]
4. What does the story of Mary and Martha teach us about the importance of prioritizing time with God, and how can this be applied to our lives today? [01:28:35]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current relationship with God. How can you more intentionally dwell in His presence and embrace an eternal perspective in your daily life? [58:26]
2. Identify a specific opportunity in your life where you can share the gospel or make a disciple. What steps can you take this week to act on this mandate? [01:02:51]
3. Think of a recent interaction where you had the chance to reflect Christ's love and grace. How did you respond, and what might you do differently next time? [01:17:19]
4. Consider your daily routine. How can you create more space to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to His voice? What distractions might you need to minimize? [01:28:35]
5. Examine your heart and priorities. Are there areas where you need to seek God's help to guard your heart and align your life with His will? [01:35:15]
6. How can you be more attentive to the Holy Spirit's guidance in your daily interactions and seize opportunities to share the love and truth of Jesus? [01:02:51]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt empowered by God to be His ambassador. How did that experience impact your faith and your approach to sharing the gospel? [01:17:19]

Devotional

Day 1: Wholeness Through Christ's Sacrifice
In the journey of faith, believers are reminded that they are not broken or fragmented but made whole through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God. This wholeness is not just a theological concept but a transformative reality that allows believers to enter the Holy of Holies, a place of intimate communion with God. This access is unrestricted, without barriers or intermediaries, inviting believers to dwell in God's presence continually. Embracing this eternal perspective transforms daily life, encouraging believers to rest, walk, and live in the presence of God. This relationship with God is not a one-time event but a continuous journey of learning and growing in His presence. [58:26]

Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV): "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

Reflection: How can you intentionally dwell in God's presence today, acknowledging the wholeness you have in Christ?


Day 2: Urgency in the Gospel Mandate
Believers are entrusted with a divine mandate to share the gospel, make disciples, and baptize in the name of Jesus. This mission is not optional but a core aspect of the Christian faith, underscored by the urgency of eternal consequences for those who do not know Christ. The call is to be attentive to the Holy Spirit, ready to seize opportunities to share the love and truth of Jesus with others. This task requires a heart that is open to God's leading and a willingness to step out in faith, trusting that God will provide the words and opportunities needed to fulfill this mission. [01:02:51]

2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV): "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear the gospel, and how can you prepare yourself to share it with them today?


Day 3: Living the Gospel Through Heartfelt Connections
Sharing the gospel is not merely about words but about living a life that reflects Christ's love and grace. Heart-to-heart connections are vital in this mission, as they allow believers to demonstrate the transformative power of the gospel through their actions and relationships. Success in this mission does not rest on human abilities but on God's faithfulness. Believers are empowered to be His ambassadors, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, and called to live lives that draw others to Christ through genuine love and grace. [01:17:19]

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV): "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us."

Reflection: How can you build a heart-to-heart connection with someone this week to reflect Christ's love and grace?


Day 4: Attentiveness at the Lord's Feet
Prioritizing time at the Lord's feet, listening to His voice, and guarding one's heart is crucial for living a life that pleases God and effectively reaching others with the gospel. This posture of attentiveness and surrender is essential for spiritual growth and discernment. By sitting at the Lord's feet, believers open themselves to His guidance and wisdom, allowing Him to shape their hearts and minds. This intentional time with God helps believers align their priorities with His will and equips them to navigate the challenges of life with grace and faith. [01:28:35]

Luke 10:39-42 (ESV): "And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'"

Reflection: What distractions can you set aside today to prioritize time at the Lord's feet and listen to His voice?


Day 5: Guarding the Heart for Spiritual Well-being
Believers are challenged to examine their priorities, guard their hearts, and seek God's help in all areas of life. By doing so, they protect their spiritual well-being and remain open to the Holy Spirit's guidance in sharing the gospel and living out their faith. Guarding the heart involves being vigilant about what influences one's thoughts and actions, ensuring that they align with God's truth and love. This intentional focus on spiritual health enables believers to be effective witnesses for Christ, living lives that reflect His character and draw others to Him. [01:35:15]

Proverbs 4:23-27 (ESV): "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to guard your heart and ensure your priorities align with God's will?

Quotes

"What the Lord showed me was when we enter the Holy of Holies through the blood of the Lamb, it's only the entrance. We're just entering by the blood. And we can stand. Stay there as long as we want to. There's no more veil. There's nobody that has to go before us. You ain't got to wait for the pastor to preach. You don't have to wait for the choir to hit the right note." [00:58:11] (31 seconds)



"So the way is open. I'm just encouraging you this morning. You can rest in the Holy of Holies. You can walk in the Holy of Holies. You can sleep in the Holy of Holies. can enter by the blood of the Lamb and then leave and then come back in a week or two. You know, however you want to do it. It's your choice. But know that God has appropriated for us. He has taken possession of our ability to just worship Him and hang out with Him all the time. All the time." [00:59:01] (45 seconds)



"coming to know Christ and I'm not sure sometimes I mean I'm not sure sometimes if I realize just how important Matthew 28, 19 is go preach make baptize go preach the gospel make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you know that's a mandate for every single one of us that is at the heart of our faith and I know we hear this analogy all the time but when you find a really good deal somewhere like I just remember I don't know if you remember a few weeks back one of the safe way stores was closing and they was giving away stuff at 50 % off and y 'all can't take advantage of that we ended up getting like $500 worth of groceries for free because somehow they added it up and they said well we owe you $7 now did I call somebody and tell them shoot I didn't get a chance to call nobody too many people was calling me I didn't get a chance to call nobody that's the way we have to treat the gospel it's a mandate y 'all and sometimes I think we acknowledge it but it's not an option as a believer it's not an option we have to find a way and no we don't it's not popular anymore there is a hell y 'all there is a hell and people that don't know Jesus whether you love him with all your heart or you hate him with all your soul they're going there if they don't know him and they're going there if they don't know him you were going there before you knew him we don't talk about that no more we kind of act like Jesus is kind of the goody good good option we have these other good options but the really really good one is Jesus but that option includes some consequences if we reject it just like there was a consequence in the garden when Adam and Eve decided to do what God asked them not to there's a consequence in the garden also to doing what God asks you to do if you don't so I want to encourage you that's why I think this message was so important because I was thinking about how God laid it out for me the first one being let's talk heart to heart meaning do you know that we are responsible that we are ambassadors that we have a mandate from God we have a commission to go and you know what's so cool about it is we can't fail we can't fail we can't fail he's with us and I'm going to share a little bit more about that in my message we will succeed you know I love the scripture that says all things work together for the good but there's another part to it to those who what love him and are called according to his purpose well you know all things work together for the good yeah they do but not not the way they do when you add the rest of the verse because something's got to be different otherwise the rest wouldn't be there we just said all things work together for the good so maybe we need to check our love and the call on our life and the fact that we have a purpose I'm happy to have that purpose amen now I'm not saying you got to run around and grab everybody on the street and say do you know Jesus you're going to hell you know if you don't I know Jesus and if you don't know him like I know him you're going to burn in hell accept him now you don't have to do that that's not what I'm saying I'm saying are you and I will share this a little more are you attentive to the Holy Spirit in your daily life for the options and the opportunities to go to make disciples to baptize to preach it doesn't mean you have to preach a sermon God might have you say three words I'm going to just share this I'm going to share it later I'm going to share it now on my road there's a house I'm going to share it now and in that house is some people and them people seem sometimes to be a little mean I don't want to judge them but they seem to be a little mean and their little boy and I'm not going to say his name because he may someday hear this and I don't want him to think I'm talking bad about him he walks down the road and I see him in my car and sometimes I wave at him and he looks at me and he says" [01:02:58] (0 seconds)



"2 Corinthians 5, 17, Paul reminds us, he tells us that we are a new creation. We shared this last week. Born again of the Holy Spirit, empowered to share the gospel one -on -one and to every generation. He said, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Behold, I love it, old things are passed away. I should say, old things are passed away. Behold, all things are. Become new. I'm a brand new creation. How many of y 'all know Jesus as Lord and Savior, leader and forgiver?" [01:12:48] (33 seconds)



"The reason I can confidently believe that we will succeed in our efforts is to see others come and seeing others come to Jesus again and again and again is because although God has so graciously saved us and allowed us to be a part of the eternal plan of salvation, the success of that plan does not rest on us. We're included, but it rests with him. And he will, he never lies. He never. fails. He's everywhere all the time. And he said all things would work together for the good to those who loved him. Amen?" [01:13:41] (37 seconds)



"So last week, my title was Let's Talk Heart to Heart. And I shared with you what the Bible says about us, which I just shared with you again. Today, I want to address what it looks like to be a part of God's plan for the salvation of the world to be an ambassador for Christ, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. Not what it is, but what it looks like. How do we live it out? How can we tell if we're following the plan? How do we know that we're doing what God said?" [01:14:54] (33 seconds)



"And as I said last week, the gospel is a matter of the heart. It's a matter of the heart. Like the man who shared Christ with me. I heard in his words what he said. I saw in his eyes something different. Something new. That something I heard and saw was coupled with some actions, a lifestyle that validated what my heart was saying. And I'm going to talk about that. My ears heard and my eyes saw." [01:16:10] (29 seconds)



"So when I saw him, now let me try and bring that down to earth. I saw a man, well I better wait. Better wait. When I heard and I saw in his heart and in his life, what I heard and I saw, I wanted it for my heart and my life. And you know what? I got it. Praise God, I got it. I got all of it and then some. What happened that day in November of 1973 was a successful transaction of the ministry of reconciliation. It was mission accomplished. Allow me to elaborate." [01:17:02] (35 seconds)



"That's my explanation now many times I've been in Archie's shoes being used of God to make his appeal to someone else through me heart to heart and I'm not bragging here but Paul did talk about some of the things that happened to him and he did and some of the things that I've seen and did in ministry I know were the spirit of God like there was a young man who was a heroin addict when I was young for Christian and he wanted to quit the ministry of reconciliation he wanted to quit and he wanted to get his life straight there was no place for him to go to withdraw he wasn't going to no program so he asked me if I would go out into the wilderness with him and cold turkey and I did I went up in the mountains with a tent and we sat there for three, four days while he" [01:22:55] (52 seconds)



"see the Holy Spirit will put it on your heart to do things for people that's all I'm trying to say he will empower you to do things you never thought you could that's what Archie did that's what God used myself to do in that situation heart to heart there was only one way we were going to really he needed somebody to know that somebody really cared about him I mean if you knew this guy's history you would understand what I'm talking about and so many other stories I could tell you about people who God touched that I've seen other people use to God you've seen them yourself, amen just seeing acts of mercy and kindness and love that are supernatural heart to heart and let me just give you an interesting side fact right here it's got something to do with but I can't really justify saying it other than I think I'm supposed to so and now this silly thing it's this, here's an interesting fact I found out while I was researching for this message" [01:24:46] (68 seconds)



"So having been the recipient of God's grace, that was just my side note, I'm back to my message now, used by him to share with others, I would like to share with you one thing that is necessary to be successful at being an ambassador for the kingdom of God. Just one thing. And it's in the story in Luke. Luke 10, 38 -43. As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet. She was a woman named Martha. She was a woman named Martha. She was a woman named Martha." [01:28:35] (30 seconds)



"Now, I've been in ministry 30 years. I don't know how many years. I don't want to try to count them. I'm still in ministry. The point is, through all the time I've been in ministry, there's been the temptation to do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, till you're doing so much. You're burnt out. We get like this in regular life. But instead, we should have been doing the one thing that's necessary and needed. Sitting at the Lord's feet." [01:29:04] (32 seconds)



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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?