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Home Sermons 2010 The Church's Bull's Eye
 
The Church's Bull's Eye PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Scripture

 Matthew 22:37-40
And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
Matthew 28:19-20
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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Summary and Function

Summary: When I was in the Army, I spent hours and hours on the riffle range trying to qualify. Intellectually, I knew how to fire a riffle but I could never hit those targets. The church is often like that. We get so busy with ‘church work’ that we forget why we are here. We miss the mark.

The mark or ‘bull’s eye’ for the church can be summed up as “Obeying the great commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) in order to fulfill the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20)” There are many distractions that cause us to miss the ‘bull’s eye’. Some of these distractions are: personal agendas, general lack of love for one another, fund raisers and social gatherings. We must not allow these distractions to keep us from hitting the ‘bull’s eye’.

What does it mean to “Obey the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission”? Obeying the great commandment means loving God and neighbor. As a church we seek to serve the community by meeting needs. Fulfilling the great commission means introducing people to Jesus and helping them to grow in their relationship with Jesus. As people grow in their relationship with Jesus, they become more like Jesus.  So, we love people in order to introduce them to Jesus and help them grow in their relationship with Jesus. That’s hitting the ‘bull’s eye’.  

Purpose: To help the congregation understand the purpose of the church.

The Sermon

I. Introduction: My dismal performance on the riffle range.

     1. While in the Army, I spent hours and hours on the Riffle Range trying to qualify.

     2. Intellectually I knew how to fire a riffle, but when it came to actually shooting the
         riffle and hitting the target, I would almost always miss the mark. I never hit the
         ‘bull’s eye’. 
     3. Like me, the church also often misses the ‘bull’s eye’. The church often fails to do
         what God wants it to do.

    4. So, what is the ‘bull’s eye’ for the church?

II. The church’s ‘bull’s eye’

     1. Many Bible passages help to explain the church’s ‘bulls eye’: Matthew 22:37-40,
         Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-18, Luke 10:25-37,
         Acts 1:8 and 1 Peter 2:9.
     2. The church’s ‘bull’s eye’ can be summed up with the following: “Obeying the great
          commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) in order to fulfill the great commission
          (Matthew 28:19-20)”.
      3. In a little while, we’ll discuss what it means to “obey the great commandment in
          order to fulfill the great commission”. First, let’s discuss some distractions that
          keep us from hitting the church’s ‘bull’s eye’.

III. Distractions that keep us from hitting the ‘bull’s eye’ 

     1. Failure to love one another  

  • Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
  • People will not listen to us talk about God’s love if they don’t see us loving each other.
  • Internal squabbling, gossip and strife are the quickest and surest ways for a church to miss the ‘bull’s eye’.

     2. Personal agendas

  • When individuals only want it their way. They’re not willing to compromise.
  • Putting self above the good of the congregation.
  • Remember, when it comes to church, it’s not about you. It’s about serving Jesus and doing His work.
  • ‘Personal agendas’ lead to ‘failure to love one another’ and that leads to missing the ‘bull’s eye’.

     3. Fund raisers  

  • A church’s monthly bills should be paid with money from tithes
  • When a church doesn’t receive enough tithes to pay monthly bills, it resorts to fund raisers.
  • When a church puts its efforts towards fund raisers, it’s putting less effort towards ‘obeying the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission’.  The church misses the ‘bull’s eye’.
  • A fund raiser should be held to raise funds for a specific ministry that contributes to ‘obeying the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission’. Fund raisers should not be conducted to pay monthly bills. Tithes should pay the monthly bills.

     4. Social gatherings   

  • Church fellowship gatherings (covered lunches, picnics, Sunday school parties etc…) are not bad. They are good.
  • However, they are a means, not an end. We use these gatherings to bond so that we can more effectively ‘obey the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission’.
  • How much time does the church spend on social gatherings vs. how much time does the church spend on ‘obeying the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission’.
  • Too many social gatherings can cause a church to miss the ‘bull’s eye’.

IV. ‘Obeying the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission’.

     1. Obeying the great commandment: Matthew 22:37-40 – Love God and neighbor

  • Another applicable passage Matthew 25: 37-40
  • As a church, we demonstrate love by seeking to meet the needs in our community.
  • As we demonstrate love in our community, we develop relationships between us and the families in our community.
     2. Fulfilling the great commission: Matthew 28: 19-20, Mark 16:15-18 & Acts 1:8 –
          This involves two steps
  • First: Introducing people to Jesus. This is done by sharing your faith, giving your testimony, telling people about Jesus and introducing people to church (Evangelism)
  • Second: Helping people to grow in their relationship with Jesus. This is done through worship, small groups and Bible studies.

V. How are we doing as a church? Are we hitting the ‘bull’s eye’?
 
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