Living Missionally
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· 5 viewsExplaining the call to make disciples here, near, and everywhere and calling them to pray for a ONE
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SLIDE 1 Greet and Pray
Last week we defined a disciples SLIDE 2 as someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and on mission with Jesus. And a key element of that was the call to live missionally, with the cliffhanger being - what does that look like? How can we in Northeast Iowa live on mission with Christ?
Lets start by looking at the early church’s commission back in the last words of Jesus. We looked at Matthew 28 last week
18 “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
Again that was Matthew’s recording of Jesus final words before he ascended to Heaven returning to the Father and sending the Spirit. This week we are going to look at Luke’s account of that same event… which isn’t in the book of Luke.... Crazy I know, but it is in Acts. So if you have your Bible’s feel free to turn to Acts 1. As you are turning there let me set the scene briefly - Luke lets us know that Jesus told the disciples at that same event to wait in Jerusalem for “The Father’s promise” which he explains was to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is essentially telling them - go back to Jerusalem, pray a lot, and when the time comes you’ll know. And then we sew in Acts 1:8 SLIDE 3 what will happen when the time comes:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Two important things for us to observe here.
1) there is a time when it is ok to pause, retreat, and wait on the Spirit - BUT -
2) After waiting, praying, and discerning - eventually we are to step out and be Jesus witnesses to “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Ok… context… Jesus isn’t telling us that we all need to go home after this, pack up all our belongings, sell our houses, and book one way tickets to the middle east… don’t get me wrong if any of you want to gift me some tickets for a Holy Land tour - I’ll gladly take them… as long as they include round trip tickets, not one way… I’d like to come back eventually (pause). Jesus talking to His disciples is aware of their geographic reality - They are based in Jerusalem SLIDE 4 that’s home base for them - that is here for them, that would be like Jesus telling us. Judea, meanwhile, isn’t Jerusalem - rather it is a region, which includes Jerusalem, but also includes towns like Bethlehem, Jericho, Emmaus. Gaza, etc.... Cities not where they are, but similar, a culture they already know. So far so good - the disciples are probably thinking, ok we can get behind this yeah - we’ll be your witnesses, I have friends and family in Gaza, I know a nice seaside condo we can camp out in… (pause) But then Jesus adds, Samaria to the list… Now Samaria is slightly further away, it’s a neighboring region. It is/was part of Israel… political geography got real weird in this time of Israel's history… The people had gone into and out of exile a few times - they had been controlled by the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and now Rome and each conquering kingdom divided land up differently among themselves - but Samaria is wedged between Judea and Galilee - both heavilly Jewish states - but Samaria had their own off branch of Judaism dating back to the exodus of Egypt claiming that God’s holy place wasn’t the temple but rather a certain mountain, called Mount Gerizim. And despite the political shifts this was the real problem - The Jews believed God was to be worshiped in Jerusalem the Samaritans believed He was to be worshipped on Mt. Garazim. Each cast each other as the villian and thus while very close geographically; culturally they were quite different. In the Gospels we can see Jesus interact with people from Samaria and many of Jesus followers are shocked and amazed that Jesus, a Jew, would stoop so low as to talk with them. Even the Samaritans he talks to are surprised that Jesus would talk to them peacefully, though truthfully with rebukes as needed. We even see a parable ‘The good Samaritan’ where Jesus uses this cultural hostility to drive a point home - that while most Jews of the first century would say a bad Jew is better than a good Samaritan Jesus is like - no - the good Samaritan could be better than your run of the mill priests or Levites - the religious elites of the day. The disciples were called to share the truth of Jesus with these historical, cultural, foes.
The disciple were to be Jesus witnesses in Jerusalem, where they are now - their home base, also to the surrounding communities - Judea - but now also to the neighboring communities, people unlike themselves… people sometimes antagonistic towards them - to Samaria. Come on Jesus you’re raising the bar a bit high now aren’t you?!
Then Jesus adds - even to the ends of the Earth! Now the last Sunday we were in Cedar Falls at Trinity we announced that Caitlin and I would be moving up here and how excited we were to be coming - and the church there gathered and prayed for us - but the guy who was emceeing the time, the morning ‘host’ - a great guy I’ve known since college - said before inviting everyone up to pray - Well, Brian is off to Fayette Iowa - It’s no the Ends of the earth… but you can see them from there… (pause) yeah we can laugh - because we have hills here… I didn’t realize how flat Cedar Falls really was until I came up here last fall! They are missing out. But NO this is not the ends of the Earth! We’re still in Cedar Fall’s Judea - and Caitlin and I simply found a new Jerusalem for our family - a new home base.
But Jesus did call some of the disciples to the Ends of the Earth - Jesus may even call some of us to the ends of the earth - Caitlin’s giving me that - ‘Brian I’ve already moved 1,000 miles from Texas; you better not be called to the ends of the Earth (pause) I’m joking… But I’ve learned that our church does sponsor people who accepted this call. We have missionaries in China, Africa, Haiti, Japan, and more! Some of our own have even gone abroad on trips of their own long term, midterm, and short term!
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
So what is Jesus calling us to today? How are we to understand the words of Jesus to his disciples echoed through history to us today? Well… where is your Jerusalem, where is your here, your home? it’s Fayette - it’s West Union - It’s Maynard - It’s Sumner - It’s Wadena - It’s Elgin - It’s wherever home is for you! You are to be a witness for Jesus - proclaiming the Truth of Christ to those who share your geographical home. My brother and I used to lift weights together early in the mornings at our local rec center and there was an old retired guy who hung out there for an hour or two a day - and he made the Rec Center his Jerusalem - the first time he saw someone new he’d introduce himself. The second time he’d learn more about them. The third he’d ask certain questions. The fourth he’d invite them to church. If they didn’t take him up on it, the next time he’d see them he would offer to show them a five minute illustration that summarizes the gospel. If they didn’t take him up on that… he’d be polite and talk with them whenever he’d see them again and if the opportunity arose - he’d invite them to church AGAIN or ask AGAIN if he could share the Gospel with them - but most often he’d simply say ‘I’m a praying man, is there anything I can be praying for you?’ - This retired guy brought more people to church than all the pastors I had growing up combined… He was living missionally in his Jerusalem!
We are to be God’s witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea
So where is our Judea? Where are the people like us, but not us? Now Jesus doesn’t give us a simple definition to play with here - we can’t be like - where can we go for a day trip but not an overnight journey - like that would be awesome if we could - but I think Jesus may have left some intentional ambiguity. Where can we - where can you - where can I - go where the culture is familiar, but the people aren’t ours? Now we can each have very different answers for this. I’m a nerd. Some of you have learned this - don’t worry I have limited the number of Super Hero and star wars references I’m allowed to use as sermon illustrations - but I can go to any game store or comic shop in the US and probably have a good conversation with someone even if we don’t read or play the same things - we have a common interest. We share a culture. I have a buddy who LOVED nascar… I don’t understand it, but he LOVED it. In college if he saw anyone else with a nascar hat or shirt he’d stop and talk with them - I think there were few enough of them out there that they had to take any opportunity to share their interest… I’m Joking - if you love NASCAR I’m sorry. But Josh could also go anywhere in the US and talk with another NASCAR fan he shared that element of their culture. One last example here - I had a friend in college, Weir, that’s his name, I’m not asking where he was, Weir was of mixed ethnicity; he was Chinese-American - now to me China is the ends of the Earth, I don’t speak the language, I don’t know the culture, it’s literally foriegn to me; to him, however, it was his Judea - growing up he spent his summers in China. Mandarin was the language he spoke when he was at home with his parents and family, English whas what he spoke to everyone else at school or work… He shared and understood their culture; they were his Judea. Now Weir is the exception - typically our Judea would be somewhere near, a day or weekend trip away. Where is your Judea? Where can you go that is familiar but not here…
We are to be God’s witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.
I’m new enough to this area that when I began plotting out this sermon I had an all caps lign that simply said SAMARIA EXAMPLE? I don’t know what areas here have rivalries with other areas. But then as I was praying and thinking over this sermon I felt like God was saying, good news Brian… the world is so broken you don’t need to look far to find conflict. You don’t need to look far to find Samaria. People who were once like you and now are not. People both near, yet far. Just start talking politics - pick a tribe donkey or elephant - and the other will show up and attack you.... (pause). Talk religion to loudly, and others will come attack you. Talk sports… seriously - put a packer and a bears fan next to each other on a plane - they can each be from the same town - but they can go at each other like cat’s and dogs! But you know what. Those people are our Samaria. Those people are the people we need to be a witness to. Imagine reaching across the political aisle, the sports loyalty aisle, any cultural divide and saying - I don’t agree with you, but for now I’m going to choose not to care - because I have something - someone - greater than this divide to share with you, and His name is Jesus. What is your Samaria?
We are to be God’s witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, (and) to the ends of the Earth
I feel ‘to the ends of the earth’ of these four is the easiest for many of us to wrap our mind around - it’s the distant land, a place not like my own, I probably don’t speak the language naively, I was not raised in the culture - it is a world away. For my dad in the early 90s, the ends of the earth was Russia. He went there I think 3 times with Wesleyan World Missions, now called Global Partners, to work with Russian Teens in summer youth camps. Then in 1998 he took a one year leave of absence from his job as an engineer at John Deere to move our family to Ryazan for a year. For me in the summer of 2006 the ends of the earth was Indonesia. When I went on a month long missions trip to the remote sea tribes. The ends of the earth are not typically the places you would go on vacation, but when you grasp the mission and vision of God, and when God calls you there - you want to go, you want to follow. Not all of us will be called to the ends of the earth. But we have all been called
to be God’s witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, (and) to the ends of the Earth - I’ve heard it summarized greatly like this - be God’s witnesses here, near, and everywhere.
OK pastor Brian - I’m ready - I’m sure… I’m hoping - at least one of you is thinking that right now. I know who my Jerusalem, or I know who my Judea, or ugh I guess I know who my Samaria is… now how do I be a witness?! For that lets turn to 2 Timothy 2. Paul wrote second Timothy as a letter to a young man he had discipled. A guy who grew up as a Greek, though was trained in Jewish scripture by his mother and grandmother was serving as a respected member of the church in Lystra and Paul used the two letters we have in First and Second Timothy to teach the young man how to lead and serve the people God brought to his church. in 2 Timothy 2 we then get this amazing encouragement and command.
1 You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
The encouragement - be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Paul isn’t telling Timothy to rely on his own strength or ability. In fact a lot of scholars think Timothy was timid, which we can see hinted at a lot in these two letters, but Paul is encouraging him to put timidity behind him and embrace the strength and authority of Jesus! But why? Why is Paul offering Timothy this encouragement? Because he then issues this command… perhaps command carries the wrong connotation - Paul issues this strategy, this tool.
2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
A lot of pastors, me included, love this verse when it comes to talking about discipleship because it gives a simple model and a simple example. We often highlight this passage and talk about the four spiritual generations we see represented.
What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Paul > Timothy > Faithful Men > Others. Each generation investing in and creating a new generation. It struck me one day, however, Paul wasn’t one of the original disciples. In fact Paul was very antagonistic against the original disciples - Paul was persecuting them. It wasn’t until Jesus confronted Paul in a blinding light that he began to question his previous beliefs and began to follow Jesus - and was initially trained and discipled by the disciples in Damascus and many assume by one named Ananias, the one God sent to heal Paul of his blindness following the encounter with Jesus. So we actually see here five generations
Ananias > Paul > Timothy > Faithful Men > Others!
While it would be easy to look at Paul and Timothy and thing - ah - this is a command, a strategy, a tool for Pastors, the rest of us can ignore the call! There are two problems with that… first; this first generation - Ananias - to the best of our knowledge wasn’t a church leader, just a passionate knowledgeable disciple. Secondly the books of First and Second Timothy do share a decent bit about church leadership and the roles of pastors, deacons, and overseers - but in this passage Paul does not write
What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful deacons who will be able to teach overseers also.
Pause - no - the command is simple
commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
So this is a command that pastors can’t ignore - we’re the Timothy's we have to be doing these things - but it is also a command that the rest of us - those not up here right now - also need to observe as the Faithful men and women of the church! All of us are to be taking what we have heard and entrusting it to others who can teach others - who can teach others - who can teach others - who can teach others - who can.... I can go all day…
So this passage gives us two positions. We can be a person being trained - one who someone is investing in or we can be an investor - committing what we’ve learned to faithful others. All of us fall into one of these two categories - you are to be invested in - or you are to invest in another. But we have finite time right - we can’ just invest in everyone with a pulse - so Paul gave Timothy a qualifier - faithful - some translations use the word reliable. We should invest in people we can trust will take what we’re teaching and apply it, live it, share it.
How do we identify these people? Reliable, faithful potential disciples ready to be trained into disciple makers? When I was in college I was part of a ministry called The Navigators and we used to say - look for FAT people… we didn’t mean in size - we menat people who were Faithful Available and Teachable. Eventually they realized this could be taken poorly and changed the term to look for people with FAITH. Faithful Available Initiator Teachable and Heartfilled. Now. As we are called to be disciples. People following Jesus. People being changed by Jesus. And people on mission with Jesus we need to do so by being people of FAITH.
Faithful meaning - both in that we have our faith, our trust, placed in God, but also faithful in that we will do what we are asked to do. If you are being discipled and the person disicpling you says - read Mark 5 for next time - you will have actually read that chapter by your next meeting. Or if they say, pray for me that I will handle this tough conversation with my neighbor well; you will actually be praying tha tthey handle themseleves well in that conversion. We need to be faithful to our word and our God.
Available meaning two things. One - we’re busy - but we need to want to be a disciple of Jesus more than an entertained American. It may mean we give up watching the news one night a week to meet with someone… or we watch one fewer show each week… we play one fewer game… we read one fewer book....
Initiators - this can be the hardest one - some groups that study the church world have reported that a lot of us, I would often fall in this camp, are afraid we will loose a friend so don’t invite others into discipleship. I would rather my friend stay my friend and doesn’t grow in their faith than risk taking our friendship to a deeper level as they grow in faith beside me, because there is a chance they won’t want that and it will make things awkward… We need to be people who will take the initiative, and in so doing step out of our comfort zone into the life God called us.
Teachable - are we open to being rebuked… when we are wrong will we accept it - will we listen when someone corrects or challenges our current thoughts and teaches us the truth? I can guarantee not all of us here know everything. And half of what we think we know may be… probably is… wrong. My Dad once told it to me like this. When he got his Bachelors degrees in electrical AND mechanical engineering - he realized he knew EVERYTHING about mechanical and electrical systems. Then when he got his Masters degree… he realized he knew NOTHING about mechanical systems… (pause) Then when he got his PhD. in mechanical engineering he realized it was ok… no one else knew ANYTHING either (pause). Sadly the same is true with theology in far too many ways! I thought I knew A LOT about God… and then as I started to work on my Masters of Divinity - I realized just how little I knew!
(Piper on Edwards and Lewis)?
And Finally we need to have Heart - We need to have a heart for Jesus and for those around us. When asked the greatest commandment in all of scripture Jesus didn’t spew off one of the ten commandments - Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6.
“5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (and Mt 22:37)
Then just for good measure Jesus adds the second greatest commandment y quoting everyone’s favorite book… Leviticus (pause) I can tell who has and hasn’t read it based on whose laughing.... I’m kidding, I have a friend who is a Bible translator and Leviticus is actually one of his favorite books. but Jesus then quotes Leviticus 19.
Lev 19:18 “18 […] love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” (and Mt 22:39)
As we become and make disciples we need to be people of heart - people who love God and love our neighbor.
So when you think about people of faith I have two questions. Are you living out these attributes? Faithfulness, Availability, Initiative, Teachable, and Heart filled? if not maybe your next step in becoming a disciple Jesus is thinking, who do I know that excels in the area I lack? And then ask that person - ‘hey you always seem to be available to help those in need, and I know how busy you are, can you teach me how you do that?’ or ‘hey you are super faithful; I’m struggling in this area can you guide me?’
We need to be people of faith, so question one - are you living these attributes out?
Question two - who do you know that fits this mold, but is ready to grow; ready to be discipled? Who do you know that is Faithful, Available, Initiative, Teachable, and Heart filled that you can say hey - you’re a faithful person - I want to teach you what I have learned so that you too can begin to teach others.
We have two lanes happening here Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
and 2 Timothy 2:2
2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Now lets merge these lanes.
We are to be Jesus witnesses in OUR Jerusalem, Fayette, West Union, Sumner, etc - OUR Judea, Fayette County, Northeast Iowa, the midwest - Our Samaria - those who don’t look, think, or act like us - but aren’t too far away. And to the ends of the earth! Who are those people for you?
And we do so by taking what has been taught to us - and teaching that to FAITHful people who can then teach those onto others - making generations of disciples making generations of disciples.