The Mission
New Year • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewBig Idea: God has left the Church on earth with a mission. How are we doing at accomplishing the mission HE has entrusted us with?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Outline
Outline
Big Idea: God has left the Church on earth with a mission. How are we doing at accomplishing the mission HE has entrusted us with?
The Mission is Motivated by the Fear of the Lord - Vs. 11
The Mission Focus is Upward and Outward - Vs. 13
The Mission Compulsion is Love - Vs. 14
The Mission Rests Upon the Church’s Reason for Existence - Vs. 15
The Mission is Empowered by the Identity of the Church - Vs. 17
The Mission of the Church is the Ministry of Reconciliation - Vs. 18-21
Introduction
Introduction
Play Video - The Fishing Club (Igniter Media)
What observations, comments, questions, responses come to your mind when you watch this video?
Does it look a little too familiar?
Does it remind you, sometimes, of the church?
Consider, for a moment, what our modern culture uses to entice people to “attend church.”
Consider for a moment what “the church” does to make itself attractive to others.
Consider for a moment what people are looking for “from a church.”
I am not saying that all of the things are inherently wrong or do not serve a purpose or use.
HOWEVER, the compiled effect is this…I believe we are confused as to the purpose of the church.
Just this past week, my Father in law was sharing a post on Facebook that he saw of something inquiring about the churches ministries because their elderly mother has always loved the social aspects of the church but has never been particularly religious. In other words, she wanted a social club.
Truth is, sometimes, I fear that is what people think the church is or is supposed to be. Sometimes, I think that we we structure our church gatherings, our ministries, the way we “market” and promote ourselves does little to dissuade this thought.
I think…for both Christian and non, there is confusion as to what we are and what are role actually is.
Like this Fishing Club that has never actually fished, the church is a Fishing Club for man, but at times we fail to actually go fishing.
And, we are supposed to be fishing, right?
What is it that we are supposed to be fishing for?
What it is that we are supposed to be inviting people to?
Does it ever feel like to you, that we are inviting people to the WRONG things?
A fishing club that never fishes?
Not very useful is it?
It is about as useful as a church that never invites sinners to repent and believe.
When was the last time you actively shared your faith with an unbeliever?
When was the last time you works validated your words?
Sermon Body
Sermon Body
Big Idea: God has left the Church on earth with a mission. How are we doing at accomplishing the mission HE has entrusted us with?
Let’s look for a few moments this morning at 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
As we consider this passage, we need to consider that God has left the Church on earth with a mission. And we need to ask: How are we doing at accomplishing the mission HE has entrusted us with?
Six Elements of this Mission
The Mission is Motivated by the Fear of the Lord - 2 Cor 5:11.
The Mission is Motivated by the Fear of the Lord - 2 Cor 5:11.
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
Therefore…
Let’s go back…
2 Cor 5:1-10.
1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,
3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.
4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Paul is admonishing the church that despite present sufferings, despite persecutions, loss, etc, we have have great courage.
Though we long to present with God, the Spirit He has given us, assures us that WE WILL BE WITH HIM one day.
UNTIL THEN, the task is to please God in all we do.
We will face a judgment for our works. Condemnation for our sin…NO…but, we will give an account of our stewardship of the time, energy, resources, and ministry God has given to us. We will be called to give an accounting.
THEREFORE…
Having this fear of God
This fear of coming judgement/accounting of our deeds
A fear that is tied inexplicably with the promise of suffering’s redemption
Therefore, since we have this aim of pleasing God in all we do
Therefore, since we have the certainty of facing God to account for our actions on his behalf
Therefore, we persuade others.
Persuade
To cause to come to a particular point of view or action.
To convince that something is true
BECAUSE of our fear of God, BECAUSE we are certain a judgment is coming…
And for unbelievers, it will be condemnation and judgement,
For believers, we will still face this accounting.
BECAUSE this is true, we are motivated to seek to persuade others to repent, to come to Christ, to live for Him and Him alone.
Listen, the motivation for sharing the gospel, for admonishing a brother/sister in Christ is our fear of God. It is our love (our unselfishly choosing for their highest good) that compels us. Because we respect and fear God, because have a holy reverence for Him and a terror of His righteous anger, that did not even spare His own Son, we are compelled to live in constant pursuit of the mission God has given to us as a church.
Question is…how strong is your fear of God?
How strong is your reverential awe and respect for God?
How strong is your terror for those who will face the full weight of his just wrath for their failure to repent?
Do you care?
I would submit to you, that if you and I are not actively sharing the gospel with those around us, if we are not actively admonishing and encourage the brethren spiritually, then our fear of God is not very strong.
This mission is UPWARD and OUTWARD focused, contrary to what we have made it in the modern church today.
The Mission Focus is Upward and Outward - 2 Cor 5:13.
The Mission Focus is Upward and Outward - 2 Cor 5:13.
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
If we are beside ourselves…
to cause to be in a state in which things seem to make little or no sense, confuse, amaze, astound
be out of one’s normal state of mind.
of inability to reason normally lose one’s mind, be out of one’s senses
be amazed, be astonished, of the feeling of astonishment mingled w. fear, caused by events which are miraculous, extraordinary, or difficult to understand
If we are out of my minds with confusion, bewilderment, amazement, astonishment…we are so, for GOD.
If we are in our right mind…
It is for YOUR sake.
Point is…where is the focus put?
Upward and outward.
Where does our modern culture (and thus many of our churches) place the focus at today (Even unintentionally)?
Very little thought is given to how one can sacrificially serve the local body of believers they are blessed to call “church.” MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, the focus is on..HOW CAN YOU serve me? What do YOU have to offer me? And it better be good or else I will go somewhere else.
THAT Church, is not church. That is a consumer, a self focused pharisee who thinks they are entitled to be served.
NOW, for sure, we should come to the local assembly looking to have some needs met…
…solid biblical teaching
…equipping so that we go out and serve better
Prayer
Accountability
Support
Friendship…but friendship with selfless intent…to give to their benefit (AND LISTEN…when EVERYONE at the assembly comes with that intent, all leave being satisfied with what God chooses to give them through the assembly.
BUT, the point is…the focus of the Church is UPWARD first on God and then OUTWARD on others.
The Mission Compulsion is Love - 2 Cor 5:14.
The Mission Compulsion is Love - 2 Cor 5:14.
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
The Love of Christ controls us…
To hold together, to sustain
To press in/around and leave little room for anything else. To press hard
The hold guard
The intensely occupy one’s attention
To provide impulse for action
Many translations use “constrains” us. Personally, I like this word better.
BUT the idea is this…The love of GOD COMPELS…motivates…drive the behavior.
God’s love, which unselfishly chooses for another’s highest good
Which is also our model for love
IS THE COMPELLING FACTOR FOR THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
WHEN YOU FEEL THE FULL WEIGHT OF SUCH LOVE, we are compelled to SHARE and spread that love with ardent fervor.
When you truly feel the the full weight of divine love, we are literally PRESSED HARD to speak of it, share it, spread it.
This word, this controls us, compels us, constraints us bears the idea of having little choice NOT to…It bears the idea of a force so unyielding that we cannot resist it’s influence from exerting itself upon us…
We literally cannot stop ourselves from sharing
When was the last time you literally could not squelch the passion within you to share the gospel with someone?
When was the last time you could not keep silent but had to speak?
When was the last time the burning in your soul could not be ignored and you shared that with another?
When our souls have been flooded with the love of God, truly been flooded by the love of God, we cannot be silent.
The reason we engage in the mission of the church is driven by LOVE out of our FEAR OF GOD.
Listen, this is the only true and sustaining reason for why we serve, why we give…and why we keep doing it when little to no fruit or reciprocation comes.
The Mission Rests Upon the Church’s Reason for Existence - 2 Cor 5:15.
The Mission Rests Upon the Church’s Reason for Existence - 2 Cor 5:15.
15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
And he (Jesus) died for all…
That those who live
Might no longer live for their themselves
For their own purposes, their own wills, their own desires, their own agenda, their own plan
BUT
that they might live for the one who died for them and was raised.
Jesus DIED for us SO THAT we might LIVE FOR HIM.
He died so that we might live for a purpose bigger than ourselves.
He died for us, for our hearts, our affections…so that we might PUT HIM FIRST in our lives. That HE might BE our life.
Please, please, please do not miss this.
I know I say it over and over again, but I think that we sometimes FAIL to really get it.
Practically…
When our sibling takes the last piece of food that we were going after, AFTER hearing that we were going for it…
Who are you living for? Yourself or the kingdom of God?
Who are you living for? Your own will and desire or the one who died for you?
When your boss lies about you and cheats you at work…
Who are you living for? Yourself or the kingdom of God?
Who are you living for? Your own will and desire or the one who died for you?
When that show comes on TV with inappropriate language, with explicitly dressed men and women…
Who are you living for? Yourself or the kingdom of God?
Who are you living for? Your own will and desire or the one who died for you?
When the lyrics to your favorite songs espouse ideals and philosophies that oppose biblical truth…
When that extra helping of food tempts you though you know to partake of it would be gluttonous and poor stewardship of your body…
When you feel the prompting to open a spiritual conversation with the stranger sitting next to you or the waiter/waitress serving you…
When you see a brother or sister in Christ living in open sin and disobedience to God and know that the loving and responsible thing to do is to lovingly confront, admonish, rebuke…
When money is tight and you are tempted to hold back your tithe’s and gifts to God to make ends meet…
When your husband/wife/son/daughter/friend is angry and impatient, being rude and you feel your hurt and anger rising at their behavior and you are tempted to responded sinfully…
Who are you living for? Yourself or the kingdom of God?
Who are you living for? Your own will and desire or the one who died for you?
Who are YOU living for?
Whose will are you in pursuit of?
Whose agenda means more to you?
Whose desires rule your heart?
Whose words dominate your mind?
The Church exists for God not God for the church.
Christ died that we would live for Him.
Christ did not die in order that he could cater to our every whim.
Are you living for yourself?
Or are you living Christ?
2 Cor 5:9.
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
WHOM are you most concerned about pleasing?
Yourself
Or
God?
How will this question shape the future of your growth in holiness in 2024?
The Mission is Empowered by the Identity of the Church - 2 Cor 5:17.
The Mission is Empowered by the Identity of the Church - 2 Cor 5:17.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
What things do we look to in order to find a sense of identity?
What benefits come from having a secured sense of our identity in Christ?
We are more free than ever to love and serve others because we are not looking to them for any sense of validation BUT ONLY to put their highest good first, to serve their best interest for the sake of making them more like Christ.
Being secure in our sense of identity is the most freeing and safe place to be because we do not NEED anything. We are not asking for anyone to fill us up.
Having a sense of our identity in Christ IS THE KEY to insecurity, to fear, to doubt, to loneliness, to belonging, to value, to acceptance, etc.
Listen, we are NEW in Christ.
We are not what we once were.
Eph 2:1-3.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
You WERE dead
You ONCE walked
You ONCE LIVED
You WERE children of Wrath
Eph 2:4-10.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
BUT
Our BUT bridge
Our YET bridge (if you refer back to our lament series)
We have been changed, by HIS grace.
We are NEW.
We are no longer sinners (in the sense of being defined our sin). We are SAINTS who still struggle with sin.
This is one of the downfalls, I think, of the AA ministry. It does MUCH good. But the part I wish they would change is this…You do not ALWAYS remain a recovering alcoholic. You CAN be set free and changed from it. I know and understand why they do what they do, but the truth is, we are not FOREVER and ALWAYS defined by our sin and our struggle. We are MADE NEW in Christ.
YES, we continue to fight and wrestle with the ongoing presence of sin, but we are not sinners. We are children of God, saints who still yield to old nature tendencies BUT WE ARE NO LONGER IDENTIFIED BY THOSE STRUGGLES.
This is a KEY distinction.
THIS distinction, this new reality, when understood, embraced, and owned…BECOMES a compelling motivation for living out the mission that God has given to us.
This mission, this ministry is that of reconciliation…
The Mission of the Church is the Ministry of Reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:18-21.
The Mission of the Church is the Ministry of Reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:18-21.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Everything we have been walking through today has led us here.
THIS, THIS is the high purpose of our lives. THIS is the mission, the ministry we have been entrusted with.
THIS ministry is built upon the foundation of our fear of God, it is driven by our upward and outward focus, it is compelled by love, impassioned by the reasons for our existence, and it is flowing out of the confident assurance of our changed our identity…we we are now because of what God has done for us…
SO radically is our live changed by it, that we are compelled by our fear of God, His love for Us, the assurance of our identity, the validation of our purpose, and the change in our beings TO INVITE OTHERS TO COME AND EXPERIENCE WHAT WE HAVE.
Let’s see it again…
God has reconciled us to himself
What does it mean to be reconciled?
To NOT have their sins counted against them.
To be RESTORED to a right, good, and intimate relationship with God.
To be reconciled IS TO resolve the outstanding differences between the two (or more) parties. It means to bring them back into union and oneness.
We have been brought back into this place of union with God, from our place of rebellion and opposition due to our sin, by the work of Jesus and by our repentance and faith.
AND we are given the ministry of reconciliation.
We are AMBASSADOR’s of God.
What is an ambassador?
One who represents another.
We make OUR APPEAL on God’s behalf to others…
Be reconciled to God.
Come and be restored to God.
He loves you
He wants you
Your sin puts you at odds with Him
You sin puts you in danger of just judgement
BUT God has made way
He wants to forgive you
He wants to restore you
Will you come?
You can have the righteousness of Jesus…
SO changed are we, have we been by the work of Jesus…
We ought to be compelled and driven to share the news and invite others to come and know what we know, to experience what we experience.
We are given the task of inviting others to come and know God intimately.
Why are we not inviting them?
Why are we not telling them?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Play Video - Mark Cahill
Invitation
Church, do you care enough?
Do you love God enough?
Do you fear Him deeply enough?
Have you been radically and deeply impacted enough?
Does the work that God has done in You matter enough for you to invite another?
I want to ask us to do something today…
I want to ask us to make the commitment to actively praying for and searching out opportunities to share the gospel with someone (more than one) this year.
I am going to lead in making that decision. I already have at least one whom God has laid upon my heart to reach towards and share with. I am going to praying for more.
If you are willing to publically make that same commitment, I am asking for you to stand with me. Yes, I am asking for a public commitment, so that we can have the support and accountability of one another.
I am going to go one step further…if you know the name of someone already, I am going to ask you write it down on a piece of paper and slide into this slot on this box. Be sure to include your name. I am going to commit to pray for you throughout the year and praying for God to lead these souls to salvation. If you are comfortable making the name of the person you are praying for public, check the box on the slip of paper and I will make the list available for others to pray for as well. If not, we will leave the name anonymous BUT either way, if you are committing to purposefully and intentionally reach out to someone with the gospel, put your name on a slip of paper and slide it into this box.
This box will be here all here. as new names come up, new contacts are made, add a new name to the box, I will add the new name to the list and we will commit to prayer this year for God to bring souls to salvation.
Close in Prayer
Big Idea: God has left the Church on earth with a mission. How are we doing at accomplishing the mission HE has entrusted us with?
The Mission is Motivated by the Fear of the Lord - Vs. 11
The Mission Focus is Upward and Outward - Vs. 13
The Mission Compulsion is Love - Vs. 14
The Mission Rests Upon the Church’s Reason for Existence - Vs. 15
The Mission is Empowered by the Identity of the Church - Vs. 17
The Mission of the Church is the Ministry of Reconciliation - Vs. 18-21
Application
Application
What prevents us from regularly sharing the gospel?
Fear
Busyness
Lack of knowledge/skill
Selfishness
Pride
Apathy
What steps can we take to strengthen our compulsion to share?
Build deeper intimacy with God
Meditate more deeply and richly on the word of God
Pray for eyes to see people with more compassion
What steps can we take to strengthen our effectiveness while sharing?
Get training
Read, increase knowledge
Practice sharing with others who can give feedback
Do it. Just do it.
How do we go about altering our focus to upward and outward?
When tempted to focus on self, purposefully reach out and find someone else to serve.
Eliminate distractions and personal priorities in our lives that place the focus on us.
Regularly and deliberately sacrifice something you enjoy to serve another.
Based upon the churches current structure and priorities, what reasons are being conveyed for why the church exists?
Social
Amusement and entertainment
Fellowship
Our comforts and pleasures
To meet physical needs (as the primary objective)
How does understanding the reason for the churches existence help challenge us toward mission?
The REASON we exist determines the very objective we are supposed to be accomplishing. Something that is created for a specific reason has a very specific purpose. So, knowing why something was created helps one to understand is role and objective.
Understanding the reason for the churches existence then has a very informative affect on why we exist and what we are to do.
How does our security in our identity as Sons/Daughters of God empower us for mission?
When we are secure and not looking for others to provide anything TO us, we are never more to give sacrificially.
Why is the ministry of reconciliation the highest and noblest mission?
What greater purpose can exist than to help man restore their relationship with their creator? This is the highest good
In what way(s) can we more effectively live out the mission entrusted to us?
Do it.
Partner with others in the body to do it.
Get training to increase knowledge and practice skill
Deepen intimacy with God, strength fear of God, abide more in his love as a means to strengthen one’s compulsion to share.