This morning we’re beginning a series of Sundays where our focus will be on the beliefs and practices of the Armenian Evangelical Church. From time to time we all need a reality check - to think through who we are - where we’re going - and how we’re doing at getting there. A guide to measure our progress by.

Otherwise - we could just come here Sunday after Sunday - event after event - and be just “spinning our wheels” - going nowhere. What purpose is there to our being here as the Calvary Armenian Congregational Church - and what does it mean to be an Armenian Evangelical?

During the next few Sundays we’re going to look together at our basic beliefs as a guide to measure ourselves by. We’re going to be looking at the Confession of Faith of the Armenian Evangelical Church - looking at our forefather’s beliefs and practice and the teaching of the Bible - and in comparison - thinking through who we are and where we are.

Today, we want to focus on article 12 - the great statement of our purpose as an Armenian Evangelical Church. Article 12 states: “I believe that the Gospel is the chief instrument appointed by Christ for the conversion of men and for the edification of his people, and that it is the duty of His Church to carry into effect the Savior’s command, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.’”

I would also invite you to turn to with me to Matthew 4:18-22. Our purpose is to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, how are we to do that? And is there a way to tell if we’re doing it? - a guide to measure ourselves by?

Matthew 4:18-22: (18) As He - Jesus - walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew His brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. (19) And He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (20) Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. (21) And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. (22) Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

A priest who had spent a fruitless day fishing picked out three fat fish in the market. “Before you wrap them,” he said to the store manager, “toss them to me, one by one. That way I’ll be able to tell the monsignor I caught them and I’ll be speaking the truth.”

I’ve never been much of a fisherman - I’ve never had much success at catching anything. Someone has said, “There’s a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.”

Jesus is showing us how to reach the world with the Gospel - “how to fish”. In the words of Jesus and the actions of the disciples there are three guideposts we need to focus on:

1. THE DISCIPLES FOLLOWED JESUS - They left everything behind and followed after Him

I’m challenged by our Armenian Evangelical forefathers who were vital members of the our Mother Church - who were willing to leave everything to follow Jesus - regardless of the cost - even expulsion from families - church - and nation. And, they had a powerful impact with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

On July 1, 1846 there was one Armenian Evangelical Church with 40 members and 1,000 adherents to the evangelical movement. By 1914, there were 137 churches with a combined membership of close to 14,000, and almost 51,000 adherents. If this type of growth took place today, people would come from around the world to find out why. Armenian Evangelicals would be on Christian television programs and giving seminars around the world.

One major reason our forefathers were so successful was that they gave 100% of everything they were to the accomplishing of God’s ministry through them, to sharing the Gospel with others.

Bdv. Antranig Bedikian - in a pamphlet entitled - “The Rise of the Evangelical Movement Among Armenians”, writes this, “....the evangelical church rests on two pillars. The first is the Gospel’s impersonal and sovereign authority; the other is a pattern of personal life which is in harmony with the letter and the spirit of the teachings of the Gospel. Pull down these two pillars and you destroy the entire structure. Organization, the scheduling of church activities, doctrines, liturgy, etc. cannot maintain the integrity and continuity of the Evangelical church. It is the life of the individual Evangelical Armenian that determines whether or not the church will continue as a vital institution. Today, more than ever, the Evangelical Armenian must assume greater responsibility for maintaining the vitality of the church. Without this vitality, historic Evangelicalism will wither and die.”

Jesus said, “Follow Me...” The question for us - the guidepost to measure our progress by - is this: Have we left everything to follow Jesus?

2. THE DISCIPLES ALLOWED JESUS TO MAKE THEM INTO FISHERMAN - they were willing to learn from Him

These disciples were simple Galilean fishermen - rough - unlearned - elementary men - governed by Jewish passions and prejudices - narrow in their outlook. Before they could become fishers of men, they would have to learn how to live in a way that relied upon the power of the Spirit of God. Jesus says, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

This is an encouraging thought, because it means that when Jesus calls us to a ministry - He assumes the responsibility to teach us everything we need to learn in order to fulfill that calling. And as we yield to Him - follow Him - He will equip us and use us - our abilities and personalities - what makes us uniquely us - to fulfill His calling.

Matthew records what the disciples were doing at the moment Jesus called them. Peter and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea - that is what they knew how to do and what their abilities were. Jesus teaches them to cast nets for men. As the account goes on we see how Andrew becomes the disciple who brings people to Jesus - even as he’s brought his brother Peter to Christ. Peter becomes the great evangelist when, on the day of Pentecost, he preaches the gospel to three thousand people.

James and John were doing something else - they were mending their nets. This is their skill and ability. The Greek word for “mending” has the idea of equiping - preparing. Just as James and John were equipping their nets - getting them ready - when Jesus called them - he teaches them to mend nets as fishers of men. They would do it as teachers, equipping the saints. Again, this is what we see in the lives of these men throughout the Bible.

When we make breakfast - we have a toaster and a waffle iron plugged into the wall socket. They draw power from the same source and yet they do different things.

So it is with Jesus. He is the power in the Christian life, the One who is able to live in us and manifest Himself through us - whatever the demand of life may be - but the result always retains something of our individuality. The glory of the call of Christianity is that we are all empowered by the same mighty One, but that we lose nothing of the distinct flavor of our particular personality.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I an Armenian?” Or, someone could ask of themselves, “Why am I Russian?” or Chinese, or Greek...?

Why has God created us to be of the ethnic group we are? Why has God given us the individual personalities and abilities that He has - the opportunities and experiences that have shaped our lives? Why the social standing and education? Why has God given us these tremendous gifts?

Culture - ethnicity - ability - and experience - can be powerful weapons in the war to redeem mankind. In the Bible, we read how Jesus, Paul, and others used these to communicate the Gospel.

What we learn - by following Jesus - is how He uses all of these - by Hs power flowing through us. Response to the normal - ordinary demands of life - and the power to cope with it - must come from our reliance on Him at work within us. This is the secret - all power to live the Christian life comes not from us - doing our dead-level best to serve God - but from Him - granted to us moment by moment as the demand is made on us.

The question for us - the guidepost to measure our progress by is this: Are we learning to rely on Him to work within us or, are we serving Him under our own power?

3. THE DISCIPLES BECAME FISHERS OF MEN - they learned to catch a different type of fish

Two Texans went to Minnesota one winter to do some ice fishing. After setting up their tent, they pulled the cord on their chain saw to cut a hole in the ice. Then they heard a mysterious voice from above saying, “There are no fish under the ice.”

“Is that You, God?” they asked in awe.

“No,” came the reply, “But I know that there are no fish under the ice. I’m the owner of this ice-skating rink.”

Sometimes I go out to Pacifica and walk on the pier. I’m amazed at how complicated a simple thing like fishing can be. To me it seems simple - get a hook - put it on the end of a line - maybe add something for bait - and drop it in the water. Now you know why I never can catch fish.

You have to have the right stuff - lots of it - bait, hooks, rods, sonar - stuff for every type of fish - and every type of condition. Its even important to know what time of day it is and whether the tide is in or out.

Cultural relevance is one of the greatest areas of struggle within the Armenian church - whether Evangelical, Apostolic, or Catholic. We all struggle with this - Who are we to reach with the Gospel and what method will best communicate the Gospel message?

Married couples trying to survive in an anti-marriage culture, businessmen - with time and life stretched to the limit, working mothers and stay at home moms. People confronted with alcohol abuse, drug abuse, spousal abuse and often overwhelming circumstances - empty, hurting people.

Kids hooked on Beevis and Butthead - MTV - Nientendo - and the surrogate parent of the 90’s - the Internet. Its been said - statistically - that at least 20% of Americans would rather spend time with their computer than a real person. And, statistically - most kids are exposed to the same amount of information by the age of 5 that we were exposed to by the age of 18. The difference is that at age five they don’t have the tools to process it.

Imagine what our youth are confronted with. Consider the people around us who are searching for significance in their lives and answers to the question of their eternal destiny.

Today we proclaim the Gospel alongside local American churches and in the American culture. Its safe to say that many of the methods we used in the past will not work today.

Years ago our members came to the Armenian Evangelical Church because it was the place to be for community life, Armenian culture, and spiritual growth. When people lived closer, and in many cases within walking distance, they came together 4 or 5 times a week. Church was like the “field of dreams,” “If you open the doors they will come.”

Things have changed. Often our members feel compelled to come because they are Armenians and this is the only Armenian Evangelical Church around. Or, honoring their parents and grandparents, like it or not, compelled by duty and obligation they come.

We need to learn how to fish - to know fish and what catches them. The question for us - the guidepost to measure our progress by - is this: Are we learning to be the Church which God has called us to be and to uphold the uniqueness of that community in a way which compels all men to come to Jesus as their Savior. A church in which Armenian culture - programs - schools - events, and a commitment to our nation are placed alongside a firm commitment to Jesus Christ in such a way where people can see how a relationship with Jesus Christ transcends the limitations of our culture, rises above the mediocrity of today, and gives significance and purpose to our lives.

During the early days of Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico, Cameron Townsend, the founder, had gone to Mexico to try to get permission from the Mexican government to translate the Bible into the languages of the Indian tribes.

The government was adamant that this should not take place. The official to which he had to appeal said to him, “As long as I am in this office, you will never be given permission. We don’t want the Bible in the Indian languages.” Townsend did everything he knew - went to every official he could find - had all his Christian friends praying that God would open this door. But it seemingly remained totally closed.

Finally he decided that he would give up pressing the issue, and he and his wife would go and live in a little, obscure Indian village - learn the language - minister to the people as best they could - and wait for God to move. So, the two of them lived in a tiny trailer in this village. It wasn’t very long before Townsend noticed that the fountain in the center of the plaza produced beautiful, clear spring water, but that it ran off down the hill and was wasted. He suggested that the Indians plant something in an area to which the water could easily be diverted, and make use of it. Soon they were growing twice as much food as before and their economy was booming. Townsend wrote this up in a little article and sent it to a Mexican paper he thought might be interested.

He didn’t know it, but that article found its way into the hands of the President of Mexico, Lazaro Cardeñas. He said, “What is this? A gringo, an American, coming here to live in an Indian village, where we can’t even get our own people to live, and helping them this way? I must meet this man!”

He ordered his limousine and his attendants, and they drove to that little Indian village, where they parked at the plaza. It happened that Townsend was there and saw the car. He asked who it was, and was told it was the President of Mexico.

Cameron Townsend was not one to miss an opportunity. He went up to the car and introduced himself and, to his amazement, heard the President say, “You’re the man I’ve come to see!” He invited him to come to Mexico City and tell about his work, and when he heard what it was, he said, “Of course! You can come to Mexico to translate the Bible into the Indian languages.” That began a friendship which continued throughout the lifetime of President Cardeñas. His power and authority were used by God all those years to open doors to Wycliffe translators throughout Mexico.

Only God can do things like that - bring the President down to see the peon! And this is what we need to be aware of for our lives today - to measure ourselves by. This is the example Jesus and the disciples give to us. How God can work in His unique and wonderful way - open doors that nobody can anticipate - empower us - use us - if we are instruments ready and prepared to respond to that kind of power within.

This is what Jesus says to us, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”