Team Tanzania - Jeff Radichel: Sunday Sermon

I really appreciated the thoughts and prayers for the sermon work this past week so I thought I would share the outcome of that work.  A few things to note.  I did short phrases with numbers to make it easier for Eubank to translate.  It is harder to have longer phrases with multiple thoughts when translating.  This also allowed for an easier way to keep track of where we were.  

We were not able to get to the prayers at the end but those were taken from Pastor Sam Naumann's prayer list at the convention service and were modified a bit for simplicity and flow.  As I conduct this again this coming weekend, I would appreciate any insights or feedback again.  

Sermon Theme: Sent in Weakness

Scripture

Testament Reading: Judges 7:2-7

Epistle Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Gospel Reading: Mark 16:9-20

Sermon Text: Mark 16:15

 

Outline

Introduction: The Mission Is Bigger Than Us

Section 1: Jesus Sends Weak People

Section 2: Jesus Finished the Work

Section 3: God's Strength Is Seen in Weakness

Section 4: Come and See

Section 5: He Says Go

Introduction: The Mission Is Bigger Than Us

1. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. It is a great blessing to worship with you this morning.

3. This week our team has traveled across Tanzania, visiting congregations, schools, and families.

4. One visit has stayed especially close to my heart.

5. We visited believers living in a very remote region.

6. Many have never had the opportunity to learn to read.

7. They have no electricity.

8. They walk an hour each way just to carry water home.

9. They have no resident pastor and very few earthly resources.

10. Yet they gathered around Christ and His Word.

11. They sang with such joy that I could not help but smile and even shed a tear.

12. We witnessed six baptisms and celebrated the Lord's Supper together.

13. Their circumstances are very different from ours.

14. Yet their struggles reminded me of my home congregation.

15. My congregation is also small.

16. We have about 25 people.

17. We do not own a church building.

18. We were recently asked to leave the building we rent.

19. For several years, we also worshiped without a resident pastor.

20. We do not face the same physical hardships.

21. But congregations around the world can often feel small and weak.

22. Yet they all have the same risen Savior.

23. They all have the same Gospel.

24. They have all been given the same mission.

25. But before Jesus gave that mission, something remarkable happened.

26. Let us return to Mark's Gospel and meet the first men Jesus sent into the world.

Section 1: Jesus Sends Weak People

27. Just a few days before our Gospel reading, Peter boldly said, "Even if all fall away, I never will."

28. Only hours later, Peter denied Jesus three times.

29. The disciples ran away in fear as Jesus was arrested.

30. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried.

31. On the third day, He rose from the dead.

32. Even after Jesus rose, the disciples still struggled to believe.

33. If you were choosing people to spread the Gospel, would you choose these men?

34. I do not think I would have.

35. But Jesus did.

36. He came to them.

37. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart.

38. Yet He did not cast them away.

39. He forgave them.

40. Then He said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel."

41. Jesus did not wait until they became stronger.

42. He sent forgiven sinners.

43. And He still does the same with you and me.

44. Our problem is not only that we are weak.

45. We are also sinners.

46. We trust our plans more than His promises.

47. We want to carry the work ourselves.

48. We want to control the results.

49. Yet the Lord has already prepared the work He gives us to do.

50. Still, I found myself trying to carry it all.

51. So why would Jesus send weak and sinful people like us?

52. Because everything depends on what He has already done.

Section 2: Jesus Finished the Work

53. Jesus did not send the disciples because they had earned it.

54. He sent them because He had already finished the work.

55. The Gospel is not, "You are not good enough. Try harder."

56. The Gospel is, "Jesus has done it for you."

57. He lived the perfect life that we could not live.

58. He carried our sins to the cross.

59. He suffered the punishment that we deserved.

60. Before He died, Jesus said, "It is finished."

61. He did not say, "I completed 99 percent. Now you must finish the rest."

62. The work of your salvation is finished.

63. You do not need to finish what Jesus has already finished.

64. Sometimes we keep trying to dig our own way to God.

65. Put down the shovel.

66. Christ has already come down to you.

67. He died for you.

68. He rose for you.

69. He forgives you completely.

70. Your salvation rests on Christ, not on your performance.

71. That is why forgiven sinners can go with confidence.

72. Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord keeps teaching us the same lesson.

73. His strength is seen most clearly in our weakness.

Section 3: God's Strength Is Seen in Weakness

74. Throughout Scripture, the Lord works in ways that leave no room for human pride.

75. Do you know the story of Gideon in Judges chapter 7?

76. The Midianites were coming against Israel.

77. The Bible says they were as numerous as locusts.

78. Gideon began with 32,000 soldiers.

79. God said, "The people with you are too many."

80. God first reduced the army to 10,000 men.

81. Then He reduced it to only 300 men.

82. Why?

83. So Israel could not say, "My own hand has saved me."

84. God stripped away every reason Israel could take the credit.

85. The Apostle Paul learned the same lesson.

86. Three times Paul asked the Lord to remove his weakness.

87. The Lord did not remove it.

88. Instead, Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

89. Not after the weakness was gone.

90. He worked in the middle of the weakness.

91. That lesson is difficult for us to learn.

92. Sometimes I am like a little child saying, "I can do it myself."

93. Our heavenly Father patiently reminds us that He never asked us to carry what only He can carry.

94. The power belongs to the Lord.

95. And perhaps there is no better picture of that than a little child.

Section 4: Come and See

96. I would like one child to come up and help me.

97. What is your name?

98. Do you believe that Jesus loves you?

99. Can you tell everyone, "Jesus loves me"?

100. Thank you.

101. Who taught this child that Jesus loves her?

102. The Holy Spirit did, through God's Word.

103. No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)

104. This child may not know everything in the Bible.

105. None of us does.

106. But this child knows that Jesus loves her.

107. And she can tell someone else.

108. Jesus often pointed to little children as examples of humble faith. (Matthew 18:1-4; 19:13-15)

109. You do not need to know every answer before the Lord can use you.

110. You simply tell others what Christ has done for you.

111. Philip did not have every answer.

112. He simply told Nathanael, "Come and see." (John 1:46)

113. That is what we can say too.

114. Come and hear His Word.

115. Come and meet your Savior.

116. Let us all say it together: "Come and see!"

117. Again: "Come and see!"

118. One more time, loud enough for those outside these walls to hear: "Come and see!"

119. That is exactly what Jesus sends each of us to do.

Section 5: He Says Go

120. Jesus still says, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel." (Mark 16:15)

121. The Lord will place people in your path today.

122. Some are in your home.

123. Some are in your neighborhood.

124. Some are where you work or go to school.

125. Some may live in a remote village.

126. You may be the one the Lord has chosen to tell them, "Come and see."

127. You do not know what the Lord will do through His Word.

128. You are not responsible for producing the result.

129. You simply scatter the seed.

130. The Lord gives the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

131. We have seen that this week throughout Tanzania.

132. I have seen it throughout the world.

133. I see it in my congregation at home.

134. We see it here in your congregation.

135. We are one Church with one Savior and one Gospel.

136. The work of salvation is finished.

137. Christ has done everything necessary to save you.

138. The risen Savior sends forgiven sinners like us.

139. Now He simply says, "Go."

140. Go in His grace.

141. Go with His Word.

142. Go in His strength.

143. Amen.

 

Mission Prayer Guide

Reference guide for use before, during, or after the sermon. It is separate from the preaching manuscript.

Opening

Lord Jesus: Thank You for sending the Gospel into all the world.

Lord Jesus: Thank You for gathering us into Your Church.

Lord Jesus: Strengthen our brothers and sisters in every nation.

Lord Jesus: Bless the mission work You have entrusted to Your Church.

Lord Jesus: Hear our prayers for these mission fields.

Africa

Liberia: Thank God for growing pastor-training seminars.

Liberia: Establish a faithful Bible training school.

Liberia: Protect believers from false teaching.

Liberia: Provide strong leaders and needed resources.

Nigeria: Thank God for fifty years of grace as a synod.

Nigeria: Thank God for the new seminary building.

Nigeria: Give church leaders unity, wisdom, and safety.

Nigeria: Provide pastors and affordable transportation.

Togo: Thank God for faithful evangelism and radio outreach.

Togo: Bless the new seminary graduates.

Togo: Protect believers from false teachers.

Congo: Strengthen Pastors Yumba and Jacques.

Congo: Provide a smooth transition for Peter Evensen's new call.

Congo: Protect churches and grant peace.

Congo: Provide secure places for worship and training.

Zambia: Thank God for completed government registration.

Zambia: Bless rotating pastor and leader training.

Zambia: Provide faithful church workers.

Zambia: Guide plans for a future Bible school.

Tanzania: Thank God for many pastors and congregations.

Tanzania: Bless Wittenberg Seminary and its students.

Tanzania: Strengthen outreach among isolated communities.

Tanzania: Bless the church here in its local ministry.

Kenya: Thank God for two new congregations.

Kenya: Bless Pastor Calvin's new outreach visits.

Kenya: Expand pastor and lay-leader training.

Kenya: Strengthen Christian teaching in the schools.

Uganda: Thank God for continued ministry and outreach.

Uganda: Restore health and strength to sick church workers.

Uganda: Provide pastors for growing congregations.

Uganda: Bless training and new mission opportunities.

Asia

India: Protect Christians from ongoing violence and persecution.

India: Give pastors courage under legal pressure.

India: Provide needed vehicles, equipment, and ministry resources.

India: Bless organized evangelism and leadership training.

Bangladesh: Thank God for the completed seminary building.

Bangladesh: Bless the beginning of seminary training.

Bangladesh: Protect new believers from persecution.

Bangladesh: Provide safe worship places and transportation.

Bangladesh: Bless Bible distribution, VBS, and Gospel outreach.

Bangladesh: Strengthen Pastor Monotosh and his family.

Myanmar: Protect believers from war and forced military service.

Myanmar: Thank God that worship has resumed.

Myanmar: Strengthen Pastor Kham and suffering families.

Myanmar: Provide food, peace, and safe travel.

Myanmar: Restore pastoral training and evangelism.

Nepal: Provide stable government and faithful workers.

Nepal: Protect Christians facing religious restrictions.

Nepal: Renew church growth and Gospel outreach.

Philippines: Strengthen Pastor Jordan and his family.

Philippines: Give health to workers and their families.

Philippines: Complete the main chapel safely and promptly.

Pakistan: Protect Pastor Nadeem Gill and his family.

Pakistan: Bless his colloquy and Christian instruction.

Pakistan: Protect Christians facing discrimination and persecution.

Pakistan: Give believers courage, wisdom, and perseverance.

North America

United States: Thank God for growing preaching stations.

United States: Provide faithful pastors, teachers, and church workers.

United States: Bless diaspora outreach and Traveling Vacation Bible School.

United States: Strengthen congregations without pastors or permanent buildings.

Mexico: Strengthen Pastor Juan Olvera and his family.

Mexico: Provide economic stability and new ministry opportunities.

Closing

Lord Jesus: Continue opening doors for the preaching of the Gospel.

Lord Jesus: Strengthen missionaries, pastors, teachers, and church leaders.

Lord Jesus: Give us generous hearts to support Your mission.

Lord Jesus: Help us faithfully share Christ in our own communities.

Lord Jesus: Keep us steadfast until we gather before Your throne.

Lord Jesus: To You alone be all glory, now and forever. Amen.