Welcome To E.C.H.O. Church

Welcome To Echo Church

Welcome:

Good morning, Echo Church! Boy it is great to be with all of you this morning. This is something that I have looked forward to for a long long time. 

My name is Stuart Davidson, and I am the Senior Pastor at Eastern Shore Baptist Church in Daphne, Alabama. We are just around the corner from Echo Church. We are only separated by roughly 3,400 miles. Come January, I will celebrate 16 years as the pastor at Eastern Shore which is hard to believe. 

My family also sends their greetings to you. 

I have been married for 26 years to one woman who graciously puts up with me. Her name is Angela. She and I met in high school…well we actually met at church. 6 years of dating, 26 years of marriage, sharing many adventures, and on top of all of that…God has blessed us with three sons. 

Jay is 20 years old, and he is here with me this week. 

Jack is 17, and he came with us to Alaska a couple of years ago. 

Jett is 14, and he joined us here last summer. 

Let me tell you something friends, Alaska and the people of Anchorage have become very special to our family. We love this place and we love you.

Pastor Jax, thank you for allowing me the privilege of preaching today. I am grateful for your friendship, grateful for your ministry, and so thankful for your heart for the people of Anchorage.

Introduction of Today’s Message:

Have you ever wondered what causes an echo?

When we speak, our voices create sound waves. Those sound waves travel through the air until they strike something solid, maybe a mountain, or a cliff, a canyon wall, or even a large building. 

Instead of stopping, that sound reflects from that surface and bounces back to us. What began as one voice can be heard again in places beyond where the original sound was made.

You probably know this but Alaska is a wonderful place to experience an echo. 

There are so many mountains, cliffs, valleys, and wide-open spaces…if you can shout in the right place you will hear your own voice come back to you.

An echo begins with a sound, but it does not remain where the sound began. 

It travels outward.

In many ways, that is what God intends for the Gospel.

The good news of Jesus Christ was never meant to stop with the person who received it. Someone shared the gospel with us. We heard that Jesus loves us, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He rose from the grave, and that everyone who places their faith in Him can be saved.

Now God calls us to send that good news outward.

The gospel should echo from person to person, home to home, neighborhood to neighborhood, and from one generation to the next. This church is filled with a lot of new Christians. I would dare guess that many of you didn’t grow up in a Christian home. Your parents were not believers. Many of you are what I call first generation Christians. You are the first in your family to respond to the Gospel. You have a real opportunity to let your faith echo in your families. Your children will be exposed to faith at an early age because of your faith. 

I think of Joshua Davidson, circa 1790. He is the earliest known relative in my family line. He was a missionary to the western Indians. I was not even a thought in that man’s mind. I have no pictures of him. No idea what he looked like. However, his faith was passed down from person to person, age to age, era to era. Now, most if not everyone in my family are believers in Christ. His faith has echoed in the Davidson family for the past 230 years. 

I love the name Echo Church because it reminds us of the mission God has given every believer. God has placed this church here so that the good news of Jesus Christ can echo throughout Anchorage and beyond.

That brings us to the title of today’s message:

Today’s Message:

“Let The Gospel E.C.H.O.”

Introduction To Today’s Thought:

Echo Church, there on your outline you will find our Today’s Thought. This is really the thesis statement of my message this morning. 

You can fill in those blanks with me this morning:

Today’s Thought:

The Harvest Is Here, The Gospel Is Good, And Every Believer Has A Part To Play!

Sometimes when we think of the word “harvest”, we think that harvesting takes place somewhere far away, out of sight. Harvesting is done by farmers, men and women who are qualified to do that sort of work.Well friends, the harvest is right here. Right where you are sitting. Right here in this neighborhood, right here in this city. 

Right here in Anchorage!

The harvest that we are talking about this morning is in your schools, your workplaces, your families. 

Echo Church, remember that the Gospel is still the Good News and that Good New is that Jesus save. 

Folks, He forgives sin, He changes lives, He gives hope everlasting. 

God has not given the work of sharing that Good News to just me and Pastor Jax and a select few holy rollers. It is not just for missionaries or church leaders. Every person who has received the Gospel has a part to play in helping the Gospel echo into the lives of others.

Introduction of Today’s Quote:

There on your outline is a quote from Eugene Peterson. This is something that I do in my church. I love reading and sharing what I have read with my church. Before I came here, I was reading some of Peterson’s books. I ran across this quote the other day and jotted it down. It reminded me of Echo Church. 

Echo, do you know why you are here? Like right here, right now? Well, this quote gives you an idea. Check it out with me. 

Today’s Quote:

“The Holy Spirit forms church to be a colony of heaven in the country of death. Church is a core element in the strategy of the Holy Spirit for providing human witness and physical presence to the Jesus-inaugurated kingdom of God in this world. It is not that kingdom complete, but it is that kingdom.”

Eugene Peterson’s “The Pastor: A Memoir”  

God planted Echo Church right here in Anchorage for a purpose.

Years ago, my wife and I traveled to China to adopt our youngest son, Jett. Before his adoption could be finalized, we had to travel to Guangzhou, where the United States Consulate is located. 

Although we were physically in China, walking through those doors quite literally meant that we were stepping into a little piece of America. We were surrounded by the symbols of our nation, represented by our government, protected by its authority. In the middle of a foreign country, the consulate stood as a visible representation of the United States of America.

In a much greater and more eternal way, that is what the local church is called to be.

Echo Church is a heavenly embassy planted by God right here in Anchorage. We live in a world darkened by sin. People suffer. Men and women living and dying under the influence of the enemy. 

Yet God has established His church, Echo Church, as a visible outpost of another Kingdom. 

Jesus is our King. 

The Bible is our authority. 

Heaven is our eternal home. 

We are called to represent the character, love, grace, truth, and hope of our King to the people around us.

Echo Church was not planted to just gather people inside a building each Sunday. God planted this church to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness. 

This church is called to love and serve the people of Anchorage. 

God put you right here to proclaim the Good News that forgiveness, salvation, hope, and eternal life are available through Jesus Christ.

God has placed this heavenly embassy in Anchorage so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will echo from this church, throughout this community, and into the lives of people who desperately need the hope only Jesus can give.

Introduction of Today’s Scripture:

Echo Church, today, we are going to be reading through Matthew 9:35–38.You can turn in your Bibles with me if you would like. Im sure that the Scripture will be on the screens and you can look up the Scripture on the Echo app. 

Here we are in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has been traveling throughout the towns and villages of Galilee.

He has been teaching God’s truth, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom. 

Jesus has been healing the sick. He has been demonstrating His authority as the promised Messiah. 

Everywhere Jesus goes, crowds gather around Him. You might think of Jesus as an ancient celebrity. Everywhere He went, people followed, Thousands of people. Well people and sick people. Healthy people and people exhibiting all sorts of illnesses. 

Jesus is different than me. I would look at all of those people and see nothing but pressure. Pressure to heal, to feed, to teach. Not Jesus. 

Jesus looks at the crowds, He sees more than all the pressure and burdens. 

He sees their pain, their spiritual needs, and their need for a Shepherd. 

Jesus then turns to His disciples and helps them understand that there is a great harvest of people who need the hope of the Gospel, but there are too few workers willing to reach them. I have felt that same feeling this week at Richardson Vista. So many people in need of the Gospel. So many hurting people living in darkness. 

In these verses, Jesus shows us how He sees lost people and challenges His followers to join Him in reaching them.

Before we read our Scripture this morning. I want us to do something that we do at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. I want to start with a statement. 

Statement of Belief:

Echo Church, I want to remind you that…

“We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Now, after I read the Scripture I am going to say this phrase, 

“This is the Word of the Lord!”

When I say that phrase you are going to respond by saying…

“Praise His name. Praise His Holy name!”

Let’s practice. Ok here we go. 

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord!”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His Holy name!”

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord!”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His Holy name!”

Ok, I think that you’ve got it. 

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 9:35-38 CSB

Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. [36] When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. [37] Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. [38] Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest."

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord!”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His Holy name!”

Jesus Commands The Disciples 

To Let The Gospel E.C.H.O.

I. Engage The Community vs. 35

Well, friends, we have now made it to the heart of today’s message. You can see there on your outline that Jesus commands His disciples to let the gospel E.C.H.O.

This morning, we are going to use the name of this church, ECHO, as an acrostic to help us understand how every follower of Jesus can help the gospel echo throughout the community.

The first letter is E, and it stands for:

Engage The Community

Look again at verse 35:

“Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.”

Here is the truth I want us to understand:

“Followers of Jesus intentionally enter their communities to serve people, build relationships, and share the Good News.”

Notice how intentional Jesus was. Jesus did not sit in one place and wait for people to find Him. Matthew tells us that Jesus was continually going into the towns and villages. He went where people lived. He entered their communities. He taught them the truth, proclaimed the good news, cared for the hurting, and met people in their places of need.

Nothing Jesus did was accidental. Every place He went, every person He met, and every conversation He had was filled with purpose. Jesus lived with the intentional mission of seeking and saving people who were lost.

That is actually one of the things that first drew me toward wanting Eastern Shore Baptist Church to partner with Echo Church.

Last summer, while our mission team was serving at Richardson Vista, Pastor Jax came out to spend some time with us. I was impressed that he showed up, but that was not what impressed me the most.

What caught my attention was what happened when he arrived.

The children knew him. The families knew him. People ran up to hug him. They stopped to talk with him. He shook hands, remembered people, laughed with the children, and spent time visiting with the families.

As I watched, I remember thinking, “This is not a pastor who decided to visit this community for one afternoon. He has been here before. He has spent time with these people. He knows them, and they know him.”

Pastor Jax had intentionally entered their community. He had shown up, built relationships, loved people, served families, and earned the opportunity to share the hope of Jesus with them.

That reminded me of the ministry of Jesus.

Jesus did not wait for people to come to Him. He went into their towns and villages. He walked their streets. He entered their homes. He sat at their tables. He listened to their stories. He cared about their struggles. Jesus intentionally placed Himself among the people He came to save.

Think about the woman at the well in John 4. Many Jewish travelers avoided Samaria, but the Bible tells us that Jesus “had to travel through Samaria.” Jesus knew there was a woman beside a well who needed hope. She had a painful past, a complicated life, and a spiritual emptiness that only Jesus could satisfy. Jesus intentionally entered her community, met her where she was, spoke truth into her life, and offered her living water.

By the end of the story, that woman returned to her community and told everyone about Jesus. One intentional conversation became an opportunity for an entire town to hear the good news.

That is what Jesus did throughout His ministry. He went to people others ignored. He touched people others avoided. He welcomed people others rejected. He entered homes, walked through villages, sat beside wells, ate with sinners, cared for the hurting, and proclaimed the good news of the kingdom.

Jesus did not wait for the community to come to Him. Jesus intentionally entered the community.

Echo Church, if we want the gospel to echo throughout Anchorage, we cannot simply wait for the people of Anchorage to walk through the doors of this church. We must follow the example of Jesus. We must intentionally go where people are, build relationships, serve with love, and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

I love what Jesus tells us in Mark 16:15. Its our marching orders. 

Mark 16:15 GW

“Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to everyone.”

Jesus Commands The Disciples 

To Let The Gospel E.C.H.O.

I. Engage The Community vs. 35

II. Care With Compassion vs. 36

Again, friends, Jesus commands His disciples to let the gospel E.C.H.O.

We have already looked at the letter E, which reminds us to Engage the Community. Now we come to the letter C:

Care With Compassion

There on your outline is an explanation of this point:

“Followers of Jesus care for lost and hurting people because we see them through the compassionate eyes of Christ.”

Matthew tells us that when Jesus looked at the crowds, He felt compassion for them. Jesus didn’t just see a large group of people. 

He saw individuals. 

He saw their pain. 

He saw their struggles. 

He saw their loneliness. 

Most importantly, He saw their spiritual condition. They were all distressed and dejected. Scripture tells us that they were like sheep without a shepherd. Sheep require a lot of care. They require someone to take them to food and water. They need someone to protect them otherwise they will fall prey to predators. 

Folks, that is all of us. We are like sheep. Everyone in this room has a “spiritual condition”. We are all sinners and because we are sinners, we are all born in darkness. 

The truth is that all of us are hurting in some way. 

All of us have experienced pain. We may not suffer from leprosy or have a withered hand like some of the people Jesus encountered, but every one of us has been affected by the disease of sin.

Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 

None of us is better than anyone else. 

None of us can stand before God and claim that we have earned His love. None of us deserve His grace. We are all sinners in need of a Savior.

Echo Church, that truth should change the way we see people.

It is easy to look at someone else’s life and focus on their failures. It is easy to notice their addiction, their anger, their choices, their lifestyle. All of their broken relationships, or bad decisions. 

Yet when we remember how much grace Jesus has shown us, it should cause us to look at others with a lot humility and compassion.

Think about the woman who was caught in adultery in John 8. The religious leaders brought her before Jesus. They didn’t see a hurting woman who needed forgiveness. They saw a sinner who deserved to be condemned. They exposed her sin and demanded judgment…PUBLICLY!

How did Jesus respond?

“The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”

One by one, they all walked away.

Jesus reminded them that although her sin was real, they were sinners too. She wasn’t innocent, not by a long shot. But those Holy people were in no position to judge her because they were sinners too. None of them was righteous enough to stand in judgment over her.

Then Jesus looked at the woman. He did not excuse her sin, and He did not pretend that her choices did not matter. Jesus extended grace to her and called her to a different life. He told her:

“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

That is compassion. Compassion does not ignore sin. Compassion sees the person behind the sin. Compassion speaks truth, extends grace, and points people toward the new life found in Jesus Christ.

I love how Matthew 14:14 describes Jesus’ outlook of broken, sinful, hurting people. Matthew’s description of Jesus should be our prescription for living. 

Matthew 14:14 ESV

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Echo Church, if we want the Gospel to echo throughout Anchorage, we must learn to see people the way Jesus sees them. We cannot look at people with pride, anger, disgust, or condemnation. We must remember that every one of us is a sinner saved only by the grace of God.

The people around us are not problems to avoid. 

They are not projects to complete. 

They are people created in the image of God, loved by Jesus, and in need of the same grace that we have received.

Jesus Commands The Disciples 

To Let The Gospel E.C.H.O.

I. Engage The Community vs. 35

II. Care With Compassion vs. 36

III. Hopefulness For The Harvest vs. 37

Echo Church, let’s move to our third point.

Again, Jesus commands His disciples to let the gospel E.C.H.O.

We have already seen that E reminds us to Engage the Community.

We have learned that C reminds us to Care With Compassion.

Now we come to the letter H:

Hopefulness For The Harvest.

Look again at verse 37.

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.’”

Again, there on your outline, you’ll see an explanation of this point:

“Followers of Jesus look at their community with hope because Jesus says that the harvest is abundant.”

When Jesus spoke those words, He wasn’t looking across a field of wheat.

He was looking into the faces of people.

People who desperately needed God.

People living in spiritual darkness.

People burdened by sin.

Think about the world Jesus was living in.

Israel was under the oppressive rule of the Roman government. The people were weary. Many were poor. Many lived with fear and uncertainty.

Spiritually, things were no better.

The Pharisees and religious leaders had taken God’s beautiful Law and buried it beneath layers of man made traditions and impossible religious expectations. Instead of helping people know God, many of them had made people feel as though they could never measure up.

There was spiritual confusion everywhere. False religions and pagan worship surrounded God’s people. There were lots and lots of religious people, but very few had a genuine relationship with God. Everywhere Jesus looked He saw broken people.

He saw people suffering physically.

He saw people struggling emotionally.

He saw people who were spiritually lost.

Jesus never looked at those crowds and throw up His hands in despair. He didn’t say, “This place is hopeless.” Now friends, that is what I would be tempted to do. Just see the size and the scope of the problem and say “man, that’s just way to big for me.”

Not Jesus…no sir, He looked at all that darkness and made an incredible statement.

“The harvest is abundant.”

Jesus saw what everyone else overlooked.

He saw people who were ready to hear the Good News.

Echo Church, not much has changed in two thousand years.

God has planted this church in the heart of Anchorage for a reason.

Think about where we are sitting this morning. Within about one mile of this church are roughly four thousand homes. Four thousand front doors.

Thats four thousand kitchens.

Four thousand living rooms.

Four thousand homes filled with people created in the image of God.

Some of those people are battling addiction, trapped by alcoholism. People wrestling with depression and anxiety. Think about how many people are overwhelmed by loneliness. You’ve got individuals that have been deeply wounded by life.

Lots have even been wounded by religion. There is nothing that hurts worse than church hurt. 

I would dare say that most of these people have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel.

Others have heard about Jesus but have never truly understood His grace.

Friends, I have seen that this week.

Again, most mornings while I have been here in Anchorage, I have gone out for a run through the neighborhood surrounding Echo Church. Running past all these homes, I found myself praying.

I prayed for the husbands, for the wives, for the children.

I prayed for the grandparents.

House after house after house, I kept thinking the very same thing.

These people are so close.

So close to hearing the Gospel.

So close to hope.

So close to Jesus. So close to Echo Church.

Then every afternoon, our team went to Richardson Vista.

We saw the harvest with our own eyes.

One afternoon I tried to start a conversation with a woman who wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. She was guarded. Her walls were high.

Later we learned those walls had been built because she had been hurt by someone that looked like me. It was another team on a different trip. She held their offense towards me. She deflected someone else’s slight and put it all on me. 

I hated it, but the door was closed to me. 

One of the ladies on our team, Laura Johnson, simply walked over, she loved her, she listened to her story, and shared the hope of Christ with her.

Little by little, those walls began to come down.

We saw stories like that all week long.

Children hungry for love.

Parents carrying burdens.

Families searching for hope.

People living in darkness, longing for light.

Echo Church, you don’t have to travel 3,400 miles to find a mission field.

You simply have to walk out these doors.

Jesus said it this way:

John 4:35 NASB

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest.”

Jesus Commands The Disciples 

To Let The Gospel E.C.H.O.

I. Engage The Community vs. 35

II. Care With Compassion vs. 36

III. Hopefulness For The Harvest vs. 37

IV. Obey The Call vs. 38

Well, friends, we have finally made it to our last point this morning.

We have made it to the letter O.

Jesus commands His disciples to let the Gospel E.C.H.O.

E reminds us to Engage the Community.

C reminds us to Care With Compassion.

H reminds us to have Hopefulness For The Harvest.

Now we come to the final letter.

O…Obey The Call.

Look again at verse 38.

“Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

There on your outline is the explanation of this final point.

“Followers of Jesus pray for the mission and willingly obey when God calls them to enter the harvest.”

Notice what Jesus did not say.

Jesus did not simply tell His disciples to admire the harvest.

He did not tell them to study the harvest.

He did not tell them to talk about the harvest.

He told them to pray that God would send workers into the harvest.

When you turn the page to Matthew chapter 10, Jesus answers that prayer by sending the very disciples who had been praying.

Isn’t that just like God?

Sometimes the answer to the prayer is the person doing the praying.

Friends, it is one thing to know there is a harvest.

It is another thing entirely to step into the harvest.

Many of you have heard the famous story of Charles Blondin, the great tightrope walker who crossed Niagara Falls.

He amazed crowds by walking across the falls again and again.

Sometimes he crossed blindfolded.

Sometimes on stilts.

Sometimes pushing a wheelbarrow.

According to the well known story, after one of his crossings Blondin turned to the crowd and asked,

“How many of you believe I could carry a person across the falls in this wheelbarrow?”

The crowd erupted.

“We believe!”

“We believe!”

Then Blondin asked,

“Who will volunteer to get in?”

The cheering stopped. The entire crowd went deadly silent.

Nobody stepped forward.

You see, there is a difference between believing something is possible and being willing to trust enough to obey.

There is a difference between knowing what should be done and actually doing it.

Echo Church, what good does it do to know there is a harvest if we never step into the field?

What good does it do to recognize the need if we never tell anyone about Jesus?

What good does it do to pray for workers if we are unwilling to become one?

Jesus isn’t simply looking for believers who agree with His mission.

He is looking for disciples who will join Him in His mission.

That is exactly what I have seen this week.

I have watched many of you leave the comfort of this building.

I’ve watched you love children.

I’ve seen you serve families.

You’ve prayed with people.

Your pastor is working hard to build relationships.

You are all sharing Christ.

That is exactly what Jesus has called His church to do.

Echo Church, I want to commend you.

God has done something special here.

You have a faithful pastor who loves you.

Pastor Jax cares deeply for Anchorage.You do as well. I believe that.

You have facilities.

You have room.

God has given you everything you need to make an eternal difference in this city.

Don’t stop.

Don’t grow comfortable.

Don’t be satisfied.

There are still homes that need the Gospel.

There are families waiting for hope.

There are children who need someone to tell them that Jesus loves them.

There are still prodigal sons and daughters waiting to come home.

The harvest is still abundant.

The workers are still few.

Keep praying.

Keep serving.

Keep loving.

Keep sharing.

Keep going.

Jesus gave His followers these final words before He ascended into heaven in Acts 1:8.

Acts 1:8 NLT

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 

Echo Church, don’t let the Gospel stop with you.

Let it echo through your home, your workplace, your neighborhood, your school, through Anchorage.

One day, by the grace of God, let it echo around the world.

The Gospel was never meant to be hidden.

It was meant to be heard.

It was meant to be shared.

It was meant to echo.

So, Echo Church…

Why Be Silent When You Can ECHO?

Closing Prayer:

Father God,

Thank You for Your Word and for the Gospel that has changed our lives. Thank You for the privilege of gathering together as Your church today.

Lord, give us the courage to obey what we have heard. Help us to engage our community, Father God to care with compassion, and Lord to see the harvest with hope, obeying Your call to go wherever You lead us.

I pray Your blessing over Echo Church, Pastor Jax, and every person here today. Use this church as a bright light in Anchorage. May the Gospel continue to echo through this congregation, throughout this city, and to the ends of the earth.

We ask all of this in the powerful name of Jesus.

Amen.