FOR the NATIONS- LIVING ON MISSION
FOR- THE PURSUIT OF GOD’S VISION • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
last week- new series- FOR. For the pursuit of God’s Vision.
We are for REACHING THE NATIONS WITH THE GOSPEL.
Generally think of that as “MISSIONS”. - even heard of term - MISSION MINDED CHURCH.
Bethel gives 13.3% of our budget to Missions. You could say we’re “MISSION MINDED”.
Prob w/term— MORE PROGRAMMATIC. you can DROP IN and DROP OUT. Missions meeting, mission trip, mission/ministry project..
I BELIEVE IF WE’RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE ALL GOD HAS FOR US AS A CHURCH, WE MUST BE MORE THAN MISSION MINDED. WE MUST LIVE ON MISSION. (missionally)- challenge the Lord has given us is to
DEVELOP A MISSIONARY CULTURE.
(one of 6 areas in God’s great vision for Bethel— increase Direct mission involvement. in that, we are beginning already. Expand footprint (Nicaragua-(interest meeting after church), next week Interest mtg for SOUTH DAKOTA. also working on fall trip to NYC. and very excited about this- APRIL- Community Serve day. BUT LIKE I SAID, these are events, trips, tasks,
in order to DEVELOP A MISSIONARY CULTURE we must RECOGNIZE THAT living life on mission is more than going on a mission trip 1 week/yr or serving a rotation in the nursery, or volunteering to help lost, least, lonely.
SO, WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT “MISSIONS”?
We can define MISSIONS AS:
GOD’S PEOPLE CARRYING GOD’S MESSAGE TO GOD’S WORLD FOR GOD’S GLORY.
GOD’S PEOPLE CARRYING GOD’S MESSAGE TO GOD’S WORLD FOR GOD’S GLORY.
That’s the WHAT, WHERE, WHY?
MISSIONS’ HAS A GOAL OF PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS TO ALL NATIONS.
14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
MISSIONS HAS A STRATEGY
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 THIS IS MY FAVORITE:
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all peoples.
MISSIONS IS ALL ABOUT THE GLORY OF GOD.
not helping build orphanages, not feeding hungry, not providing medical services. all those are good— — but LIVING ON MISSION IS ALL ABOUT LIVING OUT THE GOSPEL IN EVERYDAY LIFE. God’s People carrying God’s Message to God’s World for God’s Glory.
Jesus explained it in an encounter as he was going from towns and villages in Capernaum— Matthew 9:35-38
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. 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.”
He was doing what he normally did, teaching, preaching, healing—
here’s the first thing I want you to see:
LIVING ON MISSION TAKES PLACE IN OUR REGULAR ROUTINE OF LIFE.
LIVING ON MISSION TAKES PLACE IN OUR REGULAR ROUTINE OF LIFE.
taking care of kids/grandkids (carting them everywhere)
working in plant or office
going to school.
Jesus didn’t tell disciples— LET’S GO ON A MISSION TRIP. He didn’t sign up to VOLUNTEER to serve food to the hungry— HE WAS GOING ABOUT HIS NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE—
HE SHOWED US THAT A MISSIONARY CULTURE LEVERAGES YOUR NORMAL ROUTINE AND SCHEDULE OF LIFE TO BRING GOD THE GREATEST GLORY.
How can we make that shift? from MISSION MINDED to LIVING ON MISSION?
Jesus’ words show us
SEE PEOPLE AS JESUS SEES THEM
SEE PEOPLE AS JESUS SEES THEM
What did Jesus notice? CROWDS. lots of people.
we have a LOT OF PEOPLE who are living life apart from relationship w/Jesus.
FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THAT CHRISTIANITY IS MINORITY IN THE WORLD. (statistics)
crowds around us are UNCHURCHED and DECHURCHED people
QUESTION: HOW DO YOU SEE THEM?
(STATS FOR LOST- HOCKEY STICK)- the world population is growing exponentially while Christianity is shrinking (WE HAVE THE BETTER STORY-last week).
I’m afraid we see people the way the world has conditioned us to— in the way, adversarial, different politics,etc. —
what does it mean to SEE PEOPLE LIKE JESUS SEES THEM?
AS IMAGE BEARERS OF GOD, AS PEOPLE FOR WHOM HE GAVE HIS LIFE (JOHN 3:16. )
WHEN WE SEE PEOPLE THE WAY JESUS SEES THEM WE WILL
FEEL ABOUT PEOPLE AS JESUS FEELS ABOUT THEM:
FEEL ABOUT PEOPLE AS JESUS FEELS ABOUT THEM:
Matthew 9:36 (CSB)
36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.
FELT COMPASSION (PICTURE OF DEEP EMPATHY IN YOUR GUT)- MOVED TO COMPASSION.
why did He feel this way? because they were
DISTRESSED (σκύλλω [skullo /skool·lo ) troubled, possibly by decisions they made that caused them trouble.
DEJECTED (ῥίπτω [rhipto /hrip·to)- be rejected, alone, cancelled.
who are the DISTRESSED/DEJECTED TODAY?
Today they may look like people with ANXIETY, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, ADDICTIONS, DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL, ANGRY, HURTING, CONFUSED.
DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM THE WAY JESUS FELT ABOUT THEM?
LIVING ON MISSION MEANS WE DEVELOP A HEART OF COMPASSION.
(ILLUS- SOME OF YOU SAY “I’M NOT A MERCY PERSON”. - SERVES THEM RIGHT, they made those decisions, i’m NOT going to help them— —
ONLY ASKING YOU TO GIVE THEM AS MUCH GRACE AS JESUS GAVE YOU.
JESUS SAW THE CROWDS, FELT COMPASSION BECAUSE THEY WERE DISCONNECTED.
(like a SHEEP w/o a SHEPHERD)
living life on mission is all about connecting those distressed/dejected with the Good Shepherd- Jesus Christ.
Luke 15, lost sheep— left 99 to find the 1. (shane pruitt insta quote)—
Jesus showed us that we should SEE PEOPLE, FEEL COMPASSION, AND THEN
RESPOND WITH PRAYER AND URGENCY
RESPOND WITH PRAYER AND URGENCY
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.”
there is a HARVEST of souls available BUT not enough OF GOD’S PEOPLE CARRYING GOD’S MESSAGE TO GOD’S WORLD FOR GOD’S GLORY
JESUS REVEALS THIS GAP AND SHOWS US SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE
So Jesus compels us to PRAY and ACT.
Church, we have heard this call before— THE NEED IS GREAT, THE WORKERS AREN’T THERE, SO PRAY THAT THE LORD DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT— WE PRAY FOR A HARVEST. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO KNOW JESUS, PLUG INTO CHURCH AND BE DISCIPLED IN THE WORD AND THEN LIVE ON MISSION AS THEY GO INTO THE WORLD AND MAKE DISCIPLES.
LORD, SEND THE HARVEST…
ONLY ONE PROBLEM- WE’RE IN A DIFFERENT TIME. used to be EVERYONE HAD SOME KIND OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE, HISTORY.
TODAY— UNCHURCHED/DECHURCHED OUTNUMBER CHRISTIANS.
HERE’S OUR PROBLEM- WE WANT OUR CHURCH TO GROW, WE WANT TO REACH PEOPLE, WE ARE PRAYING FOR A HARVEST, EVEN VOLUNTEERING TO GO INTO HARVEST FIELD,
WE’RE ASKING GOD FOR A HARVEST (lord, grow our church, let us reach people, (last week- let us reach the next generation)
BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR A HARVEST IN AN UNSEEDED FIELD.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR A HARVEST IN AN UNSEEDED FIELD.
May have had a garden before, seen great harvest, but you know from season to season— you have to sow the seeds (
if you want green beans- sow green bean seeds; you want okra, sow okra, if you want corn, sow corn)— if you don’t, you can’t expect to come around fall and see anything—
here’s the PRINCIPLE:
GOD WON’T GROW WHAT WE DON’T SOW.
GOD WON’T GROW WHAT WE DON’T SOW.
we can’t expect growth to happen in our church unless we are willing to SOW SEEDS OF THE GOSPEL, display
RECOGNIZE THE NEED IS URGENT
Pray, Go- plant seeds, tend field, be part of the Lord’s harvest.
we can no longer afford to sit idly by and hope God sends us some people for our church. THE CALL OF GOD IS TO GO, LIVE ON MISSION— —
WILL YOU BE GOD’S PEOPLE -who carry- GOD’S MESSAGE- to- GOD’S WORLD- for- GOD’S GLORY.
What does that look like?
ch 9 Jesus said PRAY FOR THE LORD TO SEND WORKERS, but then
ch 10 Jesus SENDS THEM.
Matthew 10:1 (CSB)
1 Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.
Matthew 10:5 (CSB)
5 Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan town.
7 As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Here’s what that means:
WE HAVE AUTHORITY THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT EMPOWERS US TO DO EVERYTHING HE CALLED US TO
WE HAVE INSTRUCTION TO SHOW US WHERE TO DO, WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO SAY.
WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO DECLARE HIS GLORY AND PROCLAIM HIS KINGDOM AS
WE GO.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US?
we must do the things IN HERE (church) to EQUIP US to go OUT THERE and plant seeds, tend field, invest time and energy so that when THE LORD OF THE HARVEST SAYS IT’S TIME— WE CAN SEE A HARVEST OF PEOPLE WHO GIVE THEIR LIVES TO FOLLOW JESUS.
that seems hard, not sure I can?
ENCOURAGE YOU:
IF YOU ARE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS- HOLY SPIRIT ENDWELLS IN YOU AND YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GO IN HIS NAME AND SOW SEEDS OF THE GOSPEL AND DECLARE HIS GLORY.
EQUIP YOU:
WE WILL give you INSTRUCTION to prepare you with tools for the harvest.
TRAIN YOU TO HAVE GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS
HELP YOU DEVELOP A HEART FOR THE HARVEST
ENGAGE YOU TO SERVE IN CHURCH and IN COMMUNITY (OJT)
ENLIST YOU:
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO SOW SEEDS INTO THE HARVEST FIELD
giving supports ministries and missionaries- church planters like Britton Latham (oaks), this year began supporting BANNER church (Malachi Cole) spoke w/him this week, thanks us, He will come speak to us soon. Planting on college campuses that reaching baptizing ppl.
NICARAGUA- interest meeting today
SOUTH DAKOTA (interest meeting next sunday)
New York City (fall)
SERVE DAY (April 14th) Missions/Ministry fair (March 17th)
Go plant seeds of the gospel so that our ministry partners can see a GREAT HARVEST.
THE NEED IS GREAT, SUPPLY IS SHORT, WHEN YOU PUT YOUR LIFE IN HANDS OF JESUS OUR OPPORTUNITIES BECOMES LIKE ISAIAH-HERE AM I, SEND ME.
DO YOU SEE PEOPLE THE WAY JESUS SEES THEM?
DO YOU FEEL COMPASSION FOR THE LOST, LEAST, LONELY?
WILL YOU PRAY FOR A HARVEST FOR HIS KINGDOM (that’s why we spent some time PRAYING at top of service- praying for this.)
Jesus tells disciples to pray that laborers would be sent, next breath He’s sending them.
ARE YOU WILLING TO BE THE ANSWER TO YOUR OWN PRAYER?
so you can be GOD’S PEOPLE carrying GOD’S MESSAGE to GOD’S WORLD for GOD’S GLORY.