IBC Bremen Sermons

Announcing Jesus
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

As we gather here together in a new place and a new time, I want to ask you a question? How do you announce your loyalty to someone?

Paul talks to a church that has proclaimed Jesus to other people. To proclaim simply means to announce. You see announcements in a variety of forms. You see an announcement on paper, when you read the newspaper. You can hear an announcement over a speaker, or on the radio. You can see an announcement on television or on the web.

As a Christian, God's grace comes into your life and peace is the result. You can't have the peace of God without the grace of God. Although our lives on the outside are a struggle sometimes, we can go on because by the grace of God, we have the peace of God. This peace comes from Jesus Christ. Someone announced Jesus Christ to me and I am therefore obligated to announce that same message to others. How can I do that? How do you announce Jesus Christ to others?

Do you announce Jesus like a World Cup game?
Do you announce Jesus like a secret that you just learned?
Do you announce Jesus like a prophet?
Do you announce Jesus at all?

One of our responsibilities as a church is to announce to others the message of Jesus Christ. In this passage, you see the example of the church in Thessalonica. They announced the message of Jesus to others. Announcing Jesus is called evangelism or missions. The direction of their mission was three-fold:

1. There was a direction of missions that was personal-focused. They personally shared Jesus with other people in Thessalonica.

   As a church, IBC Bremen needs to direct our announcements to people we know personally. We have challenged ourselves to do this through the seven people that we have decided to say that we will personally share Jesus.

2. There was a direction of missions that was community-focused. As a church, they shared Jesus with other people in the communities of Achai and Macedonia.

   As a church, IBC Bremen needs to direct our announcements to the communities that we associate in Bremen. Whether that is participating in Kajunmarkt, or talking to others in the groups with which we associate, students to students, housewives to housewives, or colleagues to colleagues. This direction of missions means that we meet with people in the parts of Bremen that we can reach. There are college students, international schools, companies that have a strong English-speaking presence, or even Germans that speak English.

3. There was a direction of missions that was world-wide-focused. As a church, the church at Thessalonica shared Jesus with other people in the entire world.
   
   We do this in a variety of ways. First, we have helped members of our own church on short-term and long-term missions. Chrissie is one example. She is reaching out to young people in Australia. People that you and I will probably never be able to reach, Chrissie is going out to reach.
   
   We have other members, Volker and Julia Scholow, who are working with a missions organization that reaches to a half-billion unreached people in India. They are working on ways to help Christians here do short-term missions to India. They are also working on ways for you and I to support indigenous missionaries - native Indians who can reach these people better than you and I could ever do.

4. 
   

I want to encourage you to keep announcing the message of Jesus. The church at Thessalonica went through some challenges. IBC Bremen has also gone through some challenges. Yet these challenges have strengthened your faith, increased your love, and delivered more hope to you.

So how can we personally announce Jesus to our world?

1. We can share in our work of faith. This talks about our past experience.

Paul tells the Thessalonian church that he remembers their “work of faith” in 1:3. Their “work of faith” were their past deeds. Their past deed was their faith toward God in 1:8, but it was shown in their act of turning from idols and serving the living God in 1:9. The same is true of IBC Bremen. Just like this church, if you know Jesus, you have been trusting God in faith. You have turned from trusting men and serving others to trusting and serving God.

2. We can announce our labor of love. This refers to our present experience.

They also had a “labor of love”. Their labor was a present difficulty. In 1:9, we are called to serve a living God – which for many of us can be a difficult thing to do. Because you love God so much, you are willing to labor (work under difficult circumstances) for God. You meet a building owned by another church. You meet at a different time. You worship in a different language. You work in a foreign field that can be very difficult at times to see fruit. We labor in our faith because we love Jesus so much. We want others to see our love by our actions. 1 John says that other people will know our faith by the way I live. James says that I show my faith (or announce my faith) by the works that I do. God will honor your labor of love.

3. We can increase our patience of hope. This refers to our future experience.

They also had a “patience of hope.” Their hope was a present endurance prompted by a future prospect. The anchor and character of the hope of the church at Thessalonica was to see their Savior Jesus Christ. They endured and remained under pressure through a long period of time. They did so because their prospect – eternal life with Jesus Christ was greater than the pressure they were enduring.

Jesus took the sin of the whole world on His shoulders and paid the penalty that you and I and everyone else on this earth deserves. He died on a cross for our sins. He endured lots of pressure. The pressure to give up, the pressure to say: “I don't want to go through this.” Yet, the future prospect of being with God in heaven, sharing God's glory spurred Him on to finish the job. Jesus finished the hard, enduring work of paying for our sins by suffering at the hands of evil men. He was spat on, insulted, beat, whipped to shreds, and then told to carry his death instrument all the way up a mountain. He was nailed to two pieces of wood. He endured the mockery of people below Him while He slowly died. He then took upon all of the sins of the whole world, and the silence from God. God turned His face from His Son as all of our sins were laid upon Jesus. Jesus went through all that – and much more during this time that we don't know about, because the future prospect was better than His present pressure that He was enduring.

Sometimes, as Christians, we know that we will go through times of endurance – times that will strengthen us, even though it is tough. We go through these times because we know that the future prospect of seeing Jesus is worth all of the struggle in our present.

Increasing our patience of hope is like what happened in the World Cup match between Germany and Poland two weeks ago. We watched the game that night and I was surprised to see that both Germany and Poland had not scored a single point in the first half. Getting into the second half, it looked like there was going to be a draw. All the while, the German team was working real hard to get a goal. They tried three times, and you could watch with anticipation as the team finally made the winning goal. This is what the Bible means with the patience of hope. Our hope is an enduring hope. It is an active waiting for Jesus Christ to return. We go through all kinds of changes, just as the German team went through all kinds of changes. The players changed, and the game changed. As the team kept moving the ball to the other side, there was a momentum that surged until the final minute. God will do the same thing in your life as a Christian. God is going to make continual changes in your life until His Son comes again. What do you do with these future experiences? You announce them.

So don't be afraid to announce your faith to other people. There will be opportunities to do that. You can share your experiences with your neighbors. You can share Jesus with people on the street, like at the Kajunmarkt. You can invite people to your house group to hear more about your faith. There are many ways to announce Jesus.

Posted by Unknown at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sharing the Power of Hope
Ephesians 4:1-4

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
(Ephesians 4:1-4 NKJV)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
(Ephesians 4:4 NKJV)

There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--
(Ephesians 4:4 ESV)

Paul begins chapter 4 describing the fact that as Christians we should live in a way that brings honor to our calling as a church. We should live in such a way that we take our call seriously. What is that call?

Paul talks about how that call works out – the attitudes and behaviors:

humility
gentleness
patience
love
unity
peace

But these attitudes that we should share come out of a conviction that as Christians we are called. What are we called to do? We are called to share hope.

the eyes of your understanding[3] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
(Ephesians 1:18 NKJV)

Again in Ephesians, hope comes up.

that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
(Ephesians 2:12 NKJV)

Paul describes the church as a group of foreigners. The church at Ephesus had their own language, and their own culture in common. They may have some similar experiences and cultures, but they had no hope without God in this world.

Without God, we had no hope. God loved us, and He wanted to give us hope. So He allowed Jesus to die on the cross and Christ put to death the separation (Ephesians 2:16 - putting to death the enmity) that was between God and us.

As a result, we have hope. We are no longer no longer foreigners but citizens with God.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
(Ephesians 2:19-20 NKJV)

Because of Jesus Christ, we have hope.

I tried to look at the word hope in the Arabic version of this verse....

دُعِيتُمْ

When I tried to translate that in Google, I got the word “Deitm”.

I tried to find the word “hope” in Arabic. I got the word “Amal”.

أمل

Apparently, there are different words for hope in Arabic.

قشلش

Then word used in this verse is “ragaa”, translated into hope in English. In English, we can say “I hope that someone will visit me today.” This really means: “I wish that someone will visit me today.” Hope is used with uncertainty. Many people say the hope and they don't think it will happen. As a result, when their “hopes” fail, then they can feel discouraged. They feel like that nothing can happen.

Yet the Christian hope is not like that. Christian hope is certain. When a Christian hopes in God, they can be certain that God will act. Even in the Arabic translation, there is a sense of pleasure. A Christian can enjoy because God is going to act. We can hope in Christ and we know it will happen.

This shade of hope is what we need to share with others. People in this world don't think they have any hope. They are in despair. The economy is bad. The job is gone. The family is destroyed. This is how they think. They think this way because their hopes are placed in the wrong source.

But we know better. We know where our hope comes from. Our hope is placed in Jesus Christ. He can do all things for us, even after we have looked to other places and people for hope. The challenge for us to share this hope.

I can share this hope by asking to pray for my friends and family who do not know Jesus. I can tell them that Jesus can answer my prayers. Then I ask if I can pray for these people. They will begin to see hope when they see God answer prayer.

This is not easy, especially when I am looked at differently. Race, ethnicity, and religious prejudice can be hard to overcome in order to share hope. But with God's help, I can.

I can share this hope by telling them how God has helped me. Not in a way that says: “I have what you can't get.” No, I share a hope from the same circumstances of everyone else. I am a sinner, and I can fail. But God helps me and He has come to me and made me part of His family. I have hoped in God and He was certain to help. You can hope in God and He is certain to help. So share a hope that is placed in the right source God in Jesus Christ. You will not be disappointed.

(Sermon delivered to an Arabic church meeting in the German Baptist church building.)

Posted by Unknown at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sharing Your Faith
John 4:27-42

When someone wants to introduce their faith to someone, there are generally two different approaches. The first approach is the “invitation” approach. This is the type of approach that someone uses when they invite someone to see Billy Graham. There is a ministry called “Fishers of Men”. This is a group of women who go to the places in the world where there are prostitutes. They dress like prostitutes and invite men into their room. Once there, they share the Gospel. I am not saying that you should be part of that ministry, but it is one way that the invitation approach is used.

The second approach is what I would call the “conversation” approach. You take the time during conversation to introduce your friend to Jesus. It is a natural way of sharing Jesus Christ with others who have never heard of Him. It works better than an invitation approach mostly because it is based on a relationship, and not an event. It is also more demanding because you have to take the responsibility to share what God has done in your life and give it to someone else.

When you start the process of sharing Jesus with other people, your conversation can naturally go through a FORM. FORM is an acronym for the subject matter that you will talk about.

Family

Occupation

Religion

Message

This form can happen in one conversation. Or most likely it will happen over a period of conversations. When you normally talk with other people, and become friends with them, you will talk about a range of subjects. Family, work, politics, sports, but eventually you want them to talk about religion.

I asked you to write down seven names of people to pray for the opportunity to share Jesus. I'm not asking you to go around and try to force people to listen. People don't like that. The Bible says to go and make disciples. It means “as you are going”. This implies a journey and a process. As you build friendships, you will see that they need Jesus. This may happen in one conversation or in a few conversations. You don't force people. You make friends with people. You don't change people. You share how you were changed.

Now when I say that you want someone to talk about religion, I mean that you want them to talk to you about it, when they are seeking. You don't talk about religion if you know that it will cause harm. The Gospel is a Gospel of peace, and it should flow peacefully.

But at some point, you have to gauger the level of a person's interest in Jesus Christ. You have to know where they stand. The reason you need to know this, is so that you can sense the opportunity to tell others about Jesus.

Now when I mean that you tell others about Jesus, I mean that you are a witness. The Bible says that we are His witnesses. So we are not out to convince people about Jesus, although we are convinced. Our goal in sharing Jesus is just that, sharing Jesus. A witness does not prove the case of Jesus Christ. Attorneys prove the case. A witness does not cast judgment about Jesus Christ. Judges pass judgment on the case. A witness only tells what they have observed. When asked, they only say what they know.

In order to gage whether your friend is ready to hear the testimony, you have to diagnose your friend's religious beliefs. Just as a doctor diagnoses the patient, to see what is wrong. A doctor will ask questions. For example:

“How do you feel?”
“Where does it hurt?”
“Where is the most pain?”

These diagnostic questions can help you understand at what point or level of interest your friend has in Jesus Christ.

No interest <-----------------------------------------------> Lots of interest

No knowledge Lots of knowledge

I want to share with you three methods of how to share Jesus with your friends. Each of these methods, will use a different diagnostic technique. Once you have the answers to these diagnostic questions, then you can share the message of Jesus appropriately. Two of these methods use the Bible as a way to lead others to an understanding of Jesus. One method can be used without the Bible.

Relationship Method

Diagnostic Question: Do you know Jesus Christ in a personal way, or would you think you are still in the process.

This question politely gages their knowledge of Jesus Christ, not necessarily the Bible. As a result, you can talk to them about Jesus. How do you share the message with them about Jesus?

Look at your bulletin. You will see the “Welcome” side. Look at the four points. You can easily use your bulletin as a simple way to describe the message. These four points describe Jesus Christ as a relationship.

Reasoning Method

Diagnostic Questions:

1. If you died tonight, where would you go?

2. If you did go to heaven, and God asked you “Why should I let you inside?”, how would you respond?

This reasoning method makes us reason through why I should be allowed to go to heaven. Most people believe it will be because they lived a good life, or that they believe in God. Almost everyone will answer the first question with heaven. So you ask the second question to find out if they know about Jesus Christ. If the answer to both of these question “I don't know”, then you can simply suggest: “Can I share with you how the Bible answers these questions?”

Then I would suggest walking down the “Roman Road”. I you have a New Testament, or a Bible with you, you just simply use the book of Romans to share the message of Jesus. Here is one simple way:

1. Romans 3:23

2. Romans 6:23

3. Romans 5:8

4. Romans 10:9-10

5. Romans 10:13

6. Romans 8:1

I would underline these verses in your Bible and I would number them in this order. Then I would use the book of Romans to guide them to understand that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Of course, you could use more verses from Romans, but these six verses would be the minimum that it would take. You basically reason with them through the Scriptures about their need for a Savior.

But of course some people won't listen to this approach and they may send you questions. If you are able to answer them simply, then do so. If it becomes complicated, just simply say: “That is a good question. I can't answer that question, but I would love to help you. I will find the answer and then get back with you.”

Revealing Method

Diagnostic Questions:

1. Are you looking for meaning?

2. Can I share with you how I discovered meaning in life?

I would also call this the “Purpose-Driven Life method”. You can find how to use this method on pages 289-291 in the Purpose-Driven Life, if you want to read about it. But this “revealing method” is all about revealing your life, or just sharing your life story.

While the first two methods approach the other person with basically “how-to” method of coming to Jesus Christ, this method relies on your experience. While the first two methods can receive criticism – for example, “Why is Jesus the only way to God”, “Why should I believe what the Bible says” - this last method is based on your experience. No one can argue with your experience.

While this method includes, your testimony, your life lessons, and your passions that God gave you, I want concentrate on how to give your testimony. Because I believe that your testimony is more useful than any other way in sharing Jesus with others. Here are the four parts:

1. What my life was like before I met Jesus

2. How I realized I needed Jesus

3. How I committed my life to Jesus

4. The difference Jesus has made in my life

By the way, these are the same four parts I ask everyone who wants to join our church to share with us. When you decide to join our church, you are asked to share your testimony. I ask people to write it out and share it with me and then with the church. If you have done that, then you can use this method.

So perhaps you know someone who needs to hear about Jesus. Perhaps you have even begun to invite them. You took that sheet last week and you started praying for those seven people. There is going to come a time when you may build a friendship.

Of course, you may say, well Jim, you just read from John and I don't see how any of these methods is related to the Bible verses you just read. Look with me in verse 4:39. Some people believed the testimony of the woman. She just went and shared her experience. Others said to the woman: No, we want to hear for ourselves. That is what is shown in 4:41-42.

Jesus said that we are going to work out in the fields because it is ready for harvest. There are people out there who are ready to hear about Jesus. Many times IBC Bremen reaps the benefits as a church, although other people did the work. Some of you will share your faith with some whom have heard this same message from another Christian. You will reap when this person accepts Jesus from your testimony. Some of you will share your testimony with others and you will not see what becomes of it. You are sowing. You are planting seeds.

I think Jesus says this to keep us humble. If you say you “led” so many people to Jesus, you could start to promote yourself and not God and His glory.

So don't get discouraged if you think that telling your story was not effective. God will make it effective. Perhaps he will let you see that. Perhaps not. But that is not something we have to worry about. For Jesus said that the sower and the reaper will both rejoice in the end.

We should look forward to sharing our faith because we care about the people around us. We want to share the love of God with others. So, I want to challenge to look at the method that you think will work best for you and start to use it. This Wednesday, we will practice it with one another. We will go over these methods and overcome the fear that comes to most of us when we want to share, but we don't know how. You pick the method that you think will be best for you. Keep praying for those seven people. When the opportunity comes with one of these seven, or even someone the Holy Spirit shows you, go through the FORM, and then share your message. Don't be discouraged. God is going to use you. Just as Jesus said in Acts 1:8, Through the power of the Holy Spirit will you be able to witness. He will help you share your testimony.

Posted by Unknown at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments

Making the Invitation
John 1:40-42

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
(John 1:40-42 NKJV)

When we talk about our faith in Jesus Christ, someone will inevitably remind us that what we believe is fine for us but not for them. All this leads us to ask, "What does it take to bring people to Jesus?" The answer is what it has always been: God's truth shared in love and friendship, illustrated daily in the life of the one sharing the Gospel.

For more than 50 years the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has been helping believers share their faith through friendship and relationship. The simple plan they use to encourage believers in friendship evangelism is called Operation Andrew.

Operation Andrew gives you a plan that can help you invite someone to Jesus. This plan shows you how you can prepare yourself for the time when God wants you to invite someone.

Identify those who need Christ. Ask God to help you have His eyes and His heart for those who don't know Him. Write their names on a card and place it where you can see it every day.

Pray daily for them. Pray that God would begin to show them their need for Christ and that He will help you to live in such a way that they see the difference Christ is making in your life.

Build bridges of friendship. Spend time with them. Have them over for dinner, play golf, go for coffee, listen to their problems. In other words, be a friend.

Share the Gospel. As you listen and befriend, God will open a door for you to talk about your relationship with Jesus Christ. The opportunity may come for you to invite your friend to an outreach event, a Bible study, a Christian concert or your church. All of these can be used by God to prepare your friend to accept Christ—but don't wait for an event to share Christ if the door is open.

Help them grow in their new relationship with God. If your friend accepts Christ, you are the one who should help him or her get connected with a church and grow in Christ. A new believer is like a spiritual infant and needs someone to be a spiritual guide and mentor.

If your friend does not receive Christ, don't be discouraged. Continue to be a friend, knowing that it takes time and cultivation to see a seed germinate.

What you are doing is simply preparing the ground. You are not going to change the person. God does that. But you can invite someone to a place or an opportunity where they can see changed lives and experience God's love – a love that changes lives. Today, I want share with you a few tips on how to invite. How you do you get someone close enough where they can hear God's message of hope? Next week I will talk to you about how to share with others in a non-threatening way.

One simple way to share your faith is to simply invite them to Jesus. You don't have to talk about Jesus, or feel pressured to convince others about your faith. You just simply invite.

Remember, most non-Christians think Christians are strange and weird. Going to a church is an unusual experience efor many. So you have to real, and non-threatening. How can you invite someone with sincerity and without causing fear?

HOW CAN YOU INVITE?

1. One simple way is to invite them to an IBC Bremen house group. Some people may not come to church, but they may come to your house group. It doesn't meet in a church. You meet at a more convenient time. You meet with a smaller group of people with the same interests and age. That appeals to some people.

2. Invite them to an IBC Bremen “food event”. BBQs, picnics, and house group meals or just any excuse to eat is an excuse to invite. Perhaps you can invite someone to the fellowship that we have downstairs. Most people are shy and they can't overcome their fear alone. But put a donut and a cup of coffee in their hands, and they can hide behind the food.

3. Invite them to a special service or event at IBC Bremen. If you think it is appropriate, then invite them to a special service. We have family services, Vacation Bible School, house group services, Christmas, Easter and Church Anniversary and Mother's Day. These special worship services may draw some people.

4. Invite them for a special sermon series that you think might appeal or interest them. I am not a perfect preacher, but I do try to preach in series – normally monthly. I try to address topics that interest people. Generally every month will be a different topic.

So here is your challenge – this challenge is printed on your bulletin. We are challenging you to look for seven people who don't know Jesus. There are at least seven people around you who don't know Jesus. There are probably a lot more. They could be relatives, friends, neighbours, colleagues, classmates, or just new acquaintances. We are talking about people back in your home country. We are talking about people here in the Bremen area. Here is your mission field and there are people who you can invite. We are asking that you commit to inviting seven people. Here's what we want you to do:

You can look at the "Look" page and the "Operation Andrew" page.

God loves you. But you are not the only person God loves. God loves people around you. God wants you to invite them to discover God's love for them. Just as Andrew invited Peter, you can simply invite other people to discover God's love for themselves.

Posted by Unknown at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments