Sermon Notes - 1.8.23
Brian Newman

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:5-8)

WHAT: The Command to GO
Go to a place I will show you. (Gen. 12:1)

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:2)

How might God be calling YOU to go in 2023?

2. WHO: Go to “Lost Sheep”

Ezekiel 34:11-12,16

I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

“In my lifelong study of the Bible I have looked for an overarching theme, a summary statement of what the whole sprawling book is about. I have settled on this: “God gets his family back.” From the first book to the last the Bible tells of the tortuous lengths to which God will go to reclaim wayward children. Many of Jesus’ stories center on the theme of lostness, captured most beautifully in the story of the prodigal son: “this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” In Revelation the entire biblical drama ends with a huge family reunion. The lost will be found.” - Philip Yancey

3. WHY: Freely you have received, freely give

“Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Corinthians 4:7)