I committed this time last year to reading at least one book per month. I wanted to read some different things… not the church growth and church ministry stuff that I have been reading since becoming a minister but church history, biographies and the like to just get reacquainted with what the Lord has done through His word over the centuries of Christendom.
- I needed to learn how God had worked in the past.

I found that the church of Christ has been around for 2000 years and she has never stopped growing.

There is a pattern… that has been repeated over and over.
- The culture could care less for what is happening in the church.
People just wanted to live their lives doing what was right in their own eyes.

In the midst of that complacent culture God would raise up an extraordinary preachers
- An Augustine, a Zwingly, a Luther, A Calvin, A Wesley, A Whitefield, A Spurgeon, A D.L. Moody…

These preachers, moved by the Spirit, would preach boldly and unapologetically calling men and women to repentance…
- calling them to follow the Christ.
- calling them to go and tell of his greatness.

Soon that one preacher would turn into thousands.

Next is persecution.
- Many faithful men and women would die for the cause of Christ, many others would be scattered to other areas to spread the gospel and many others who we not true disciples would shrink back.
- When the dust cleared… the culture would go right back to being complacent again and the process would start over.

For 2000 years… THIS IS THE WAY GOD HAS BUILT HIS CHURCH.

I have come to the conclusion that we are again at square one.
- Today we live in a culture of complacency to the things of God.
- The vast majority of the people we love and live by and work with simply do not care. They are being true to themselves… doing what is right in their eyes.
- They do not care and our clergymen are not helping matters.

We keep doing the same ole things, preaching the same ole sermons on the same ole topics, while avoiding the texts and topics that we should be preaching because deep down, just like the culture… we are complacent.
- We have cast ourselves in a certain way and we don’t want to change.
- We want to keep up the status quo.

According to current research being done by our International Mission Board, the USA at number 3 for the most unreached people groups.
- There are 282 unreached people groups in the United States of America.
- 207 of these people groups are not just unreached with the gospel but are also UNENGAGED. Meaning no church… no evangelical group is intentionally seeking to bring a gospel witness to that people group.

THERE ARE 207 people groups who the majority if not all are lost and bound for hell and who have no one that cares enough about them to reach them.
- Millions upon millions of people.

The majority of our mission funds and church planting resources are directed toward the people groups that are already reached!!

A quote from the article.
“Our priority in North America is to shuffle the sheep around in the Kingdom in order to add another local church to the country. Our theology and missiology expects churches to be planted instantly with long-term Kingdom citizens, rather than from the harvest with 100% conversion growth (i.e., Acts 13-14). Our ambition is to preach the gospel where Christ has already been named and build upon someone else’s foundation."

We’re complacent. The culture is complacent, yet... I'm optimistic!
- I am optimistic because I know my church history… and the church history I have read tells me that we are primed for God to raise up a preacher… a Bonhoeffer, a Spurgeon… A Whitefield…
- One man whom He will use to plow under the hard pan of complacency that is under the surface.

I just refuse to stick my head in the hole in the ground and pretend like I’m ignorant… like if I just ignore the problem it will go away.
· I refuse to be those guys who ignored the Gnostic heresy in the 4th century.
· I refuse to be the papists who made a living off the sale of indulgences in the 16th Century
· I refuse to hang out on the downgrade like those in the 19th century.
· I refuse to sell out for cheap grace like those in the mid 20th century.
· I refuse to pretend like those in the 21st century.

Three exhortations must be given in these times that we live in.
1. Repent- for the kingdom of God is at hand.
2. Follow me.
3. Go and make disciples.

I. Repent (Matthew 4:17)

This is the first exhortation in Christ’s ministry.
- REPENT. The Kingdom of God is Here.
- Its a radical decision to stop doing the things that you are doing, turn and start walking in a different direction.

Forget about what you were doing before.
Forget about your goals and ambitions.
Forget about your kingdom that you were building.
- There is a new kingdom that has come and conquered the world.

What Jesus was saying when He said repent the Kingdom of heaven is at hand wasn’t a suggestion… it was a command!
- We have the idea that we don’t have to obey this exhortation any longer.
- That it was for someone else in a different time.

You’re wrong. Genuine faith is always accompanied with genuine repentance.

Jesus, the Lord of all, commands all to repent. To turn away from sin… to turn away from the world and move in the direction of perfection.
- His kingdom is here. It is now.

He has proven to be the Lord of Lords and the King of kings.

There is no one higher or with more authority… and HE COMMANDS ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT.
- Lay down your arms and surrender.
- You are His now.

If you refuse to do so, then you just might wake up in the morning and find that he’s given you an eternity in the fires of hell to think about it.

Stop justifying yourself. Stop pretending. Repent. Turn and follow Jesus.

II. The second message that needs to be preached is the second exhortation that Jesus gave… Follow me. V18-22

The emphasis here is that the Son of God… God in the Flesh called to men and said follow me.
- Because He was God… they immediately left their nets, all that they had and everyone that they knew and followed Him.

“Follow me” just like “repent” was not a request. It was a command.
- If they had been disobedient they would have proved to be unworthy of the call.

After repentance this command to follow Him was Jesus’ first to His disciples and it remains today his call to every disciple.
- He calls us to follow Him.

But, to follow Christ is to do more than just show up and warm a pew.

His call to us today is:
Follow me.
Lay down your life.
Take up your cross.
Don’t look back because if you do you are not worthy of me.
Leave your house.
Leave your family.
Commit them all to me and my service.
Lose your life for my sake and you will find it.

You’re weak? you’re burdened? you’re heavy laden? come to me.
- I’ll show you how to carry a cross.
- You’ll find carrying this cross a much lighter burden than what you are carrying now.

This is what Jesus tells us to do but it doesn’t look very much like what we are doing today.
- In our hearts we say, “Well I know not to follow Him is a sin. But Jesus knows my situation and he loves me anyway. He wouldn’t mind if I go out and cast a few nets today. After all, he did bless me with this boat, and these nets, and a father who taught me.
- We go on about business as usual when Jesus has so much for us if we would just be obedient.

One reason why there are so many unreached people groups in North America is because so many missionaries are not answering the call to follow Jesus.

Fewer and fewer American men and women are entering the mission field and fewer men are entering the pastorate every year.
- Are fewer men and women are being called by Jesus or are fewer men and women are being obedient?

For years the church did a great job getting them saved… but a terrible job exhorting them to be obedient.

Jesus commands His disciples to follow Him.
- If you insist on being disobedient to that call, then you prove to be unworthy to be called a disciple.
- If you keep trying to save your life… you will end up losing it.

Submit to Him in obedience.

III. Finally the last exhortation that is missing that needs to be vehemently and earnestly preached today is Jesus’ last exhortation before His ascension. That is to go. (Matt 28:19-20)

GO is a command.
- And not just any command but one issued by the Preeminent Commander of the entire universe… the one upon whom all authority rests.

It was a command given to all his disciples.
- All who had been obedient to repent
- All who had been obedient to his call to follow Him.

I command you to go, teach them how to go.
- I want you to do this in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and even to the very ends of the earth.

If I were to ask how many of you shared Jesus with someone this week… I wonder what percentage would say yes.
- Even in the most mission minded church I have ever known… we are still not there.

We rationalize...
Well I do not have time.
Well I am not very smart and don’t speak well.
Well that kind of thing is not for somebody like me… I’m just a regular Joe.

Scripture says that if you are a follower of Christ, a disciple, the command to go and make disciples is for you.
- If you don’t go you are simply disobedient.
- Admit that you are disobedient and stop trying to justify yourself.

I’m not ready to quit.

I have no authority to command you to do anything. I am only a man. However, I do pray you hear the command of the Savior.
o Repent.
o Follow Him.
o Go.


I repent. I lay down all my idols. I commit every member of my family and all my personal possessions to Jesus and trust Him with them.

I will follow Him. I don’t care where he leads me or what he calls me to do. I will be obedient. If I please no one but Him, then I will find peace in knowing that He alone is pleased.

I will go. Every opportunity he gives me to share. I will share. My prayer is only to have opportunities.

Will you?