“And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and the hedges and press upon them to come in, so that my house will be filled.” (Luke 14:23 NASB)
I didn’t forget ya! Here’s your Sunday Share meditation! Pastor M.R. King started a four-part series entitled, “The Jesus Franchise” this past Sunday. Yeah, I took my notes! I’ll share some, that’s right, some of the things I wrote down. Yet don’t stop with my “share.” You will need to visit the Salt of The Earth (Indianapolis) Facebook or YouTube site and listen to the whole sermon.
The Pastor started out by letting is know what is meant by a franchise. The word franchise is of Anglo-French derivation – from franc, meaning “free” and it is used both as a noun and as a transitive verb. For the franchisor, use of a franchise system is a business growth strategy.” Side note: The church must grow. Jesus gave us the strategy!
Sunday, Pastor pointed out that with a franchise, you follow a model, follow operational procedures, and abide by the way of doing things as authorized by the one granting the franchise. Keep in mind, we are part of “The Jesus Franchise.” Yes, we are.
The sermon series title got the attention of those who had ear to hear what saith the Lord, right away, as Pastor tied the title into the Great Commission given by the One with all authority, Jesus Christ. Jesus prescribed what we need to do as His disciples, part of “The Jesus Franchise.” He used the verse above to stress the following points, all three taken from the text. He was specifically sent messenger, preaching with a specific purpose, preaching a specific message sent by the Lord at that specific time. Look! With empty pews or even churches who have plenty of empty benches or chairs; houses of God who have not reached their seating capacity, this message was indeed for their congregations. The points from the sermon:
- Go beyond the recognizable! (This means you have to go to places where you are not comfortable going, in order to win the lost and even go places where we are not like “those folks,” or place where folks are not like you. Don’t ignore the hedges! Don’t limit the distance that the gospel can reach.)
- Go without delay! (For Christians to make disciples, we need a sense of urgency when it comes to evangelism. Pastor said, in reference to witnessing for the Lord, “All the time is the right time.” He went further to state that delaying what we should be doing in obedience to the Great Commission is, of course, disobedience.)
- Go with determination! (Think of these words as you consider this third point: compel, press, strongly persists, persuade. Friend, be motivated by your care for others. Stop thinking about your stuff and thinking about the souls of others.)
Well, the review of the of my notes were beneficial to me and I hope to you. Let’s go ye therefore, my fellow saint. Have a fantastic day! Be blessed!
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
I didn’t get to hear the message in church, Sunday. I had the privilege of working with the children in Children’s Church. I can’t wait to tune in and watch the recording. Your notes were beneficial to understand what the title meant, The Jesus Franchise.
Thanks Dr. King! Thank God for the virtual recording that allows you to watch when you are servings, training, teaching children. May God bless you!