GOD ON MISSION - August 28, 2016

Introduction

Have you ever seen someone on mission? Someone passionately pursuing something that they just have to attain? Something they have to accomplish no matter what?

  ·      Pregnant woman in need of chocolate

  ·      Maybe the obvious one – football team

  ·      Corrie cleaning on a Saturday morning

  ·      STORY: But never have I quite seen it like my first dog Beth with a tennis ball

o   Add more and more details – embellish her energy a little

o   Tug of war

o   This way and that

o   Slammed into the door

o   She was so passionate about her mission to get the ball that not even pain would stand in her way.

I want to let you in on a secret today: God is ON MISSION

God has been passionately pursuing something since before the foundation of the world… no pain, no obstacle, no enemy can stop him. Father God is the most “missional leader” that creation has ever experienced.

  ·      He doesn’t get distracted

  ·      He doesn’t decide to do something else

  ·      He doesn’t get so frustrated with his mission that he takes “breaks”

  ·      He isn’t worried that some obstacle in his way will conquer him

  ·      He won’t quit until the fullness of his mission is accomplished.

Let’s PRAY and then I’ll tell you what that is…

 

Today, I think its important to understand that’s God is On Mission – and His mission is US.

Through frustrations, obstacles and even pain… God is in passionate pursuit of every human being that walks the face of the earth… 

  ·      But I think that there are 2 questions that arise when we hear this…

  ·      Q1 – do I believe that this is true?

o   true of those still deciding

o   working out their salvation

  ·      Q2 – what is my role?

o   Anything

o   Calling

o   am I to help

o   does he want me

So, when did God choose to go “on mission” for us?

Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

The Word

Is God’s mission really me?

  ·      YES – He chose you… he wants you… he actually likes you J. Go deep here.

  ·      He created us best – for relationship – for friendship – for long walks in the garden.

  ·      When we sinned, he came searching for us.

  ·      When we rebelled, he made new covenants to cover our sin… and even to bless through certain families and countries in spite of their sin problem.

  ·      When all the covenants didn’t work, he came HIMSELF in the person of Jesus.

  ·      Nothing could stand in His way… Romans 8: 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)

  ·      God loves you and me… He doesn’t see our sins, our disappointments, our frustration or our “falling short.” He just sees us through the lens of the finished work of the cross & it drives him toward relationship with us.

  ·      STORY: Take time w/ more details – extend.

o   When my wife was in HS, her life was a mess… she was addicted to tobacco, alcohol, drugs and other things. She had run so far from the faith of her parents that she no longer looked like the person that Jesus had designed for her to be… and she, like most people, thought that she wasn’t “good enough” to be a Christian.

o   But that didn’t stop the Father from pursuing her – tell story of finding her way to LCC and God’s radical kindness (Romans 2) bringing her back into relationship.

  ·      Today…

o   Some of you need to hear that you are not “too far gone.” – take this deeper

o   Some of you need to know that Father God is on mission just for you.

o   Some of you need to understand that even if you were the only human being ever, God still would be “on mission” for you.

o   …AND some of you need to stop trying to earn the favor of Father… AND start receiving his grace and mercy to live your lives.

A lot of us are here this weekend & we’re not asking if God is for us…

            RATHER we are wondering: Now, what do I do?

This next part is about activating our church… but if you are not a “Christ follower” or a “church member” … then just listen and maybe get excited about what could become YOUR mission.

If you begin to believe the first part of this, most of the second question gets answered!

  ·      Yes, you are to help.

  ·      Yes, HE wants to use you.

  ·      Most people get tripped up in that they think they need a “personal call” and/or a Moses Moment or a Paul Encounter… the truth is, those things are great, but they were only for the stubborn J people like me.

  ·      We don’t need a great big moment; we just need to believe what’s already been said.

  ·      AND GET TO WORK ON IT. (exercise illustration)

If our hearts are tender and open, we will respond the call that is already on each life of those who call themselves followers of Jesus.

Empowered by HS to demonstrate and proclaim the mission.

When Jesus began His public ministry in Luke 4 he read these words from the book of Isaiah:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

Jesus freely gave us the same mission.

When Jesus sent for the 12 disciples in Matthew 10, he said these words:

⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

Jesus kept empowering more and more to the same mission.

When Jesus sent out 72 “others” in Luke 10, he said these words:

⁹ Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 

Jesus, the disciples and Paul kept releasing the mission until the entire world was affected.

  ·      In Matthew 28 Jesus tells them to “Teach them (new disciples) to observe all that I have commanded you.

  ·      In Mark 16, Jesus tells them to make new disciples and perform miracles.

  ·      Acts 1 tells them to take it to their city, their region and all the world.

  ·      Paul tells the believers in Philippi “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things”

The mission of the church is the mission of God… the mission of God’s people is loving more people into the family…

1.     GO with all authority into whatever situation you dwell in… family, school, neighbors…

2.     Preach the gospel (the good news that the cross was a smashing success!)

3.     Heal the sick

4.     Raise the dead

5.     Cast out demons

6.     DO WHAT JESUS DID!

7.     NEED a story or real world example? HOTS?

Quit waiting for some kind of calling that never comes… Jesus may narrow your focus (or audience) but He will never give you a different mission than what HE already gave!

  ·      His call is nothing short of a WORLD Changed!

Paul and Barnabas…. they weren’t sent because they were looking for it… they heard the call and cooperated with it… we need to learn the 2 most important things are “filling and going”.

God’s heart is always for mission - it always extends outwards beyond ourselves, including beyond our immediate cultural or geographical context. We don’t live unto ourselves, we are on God’s mission.

STORY: Twice now been sent ourselves (Corrie and I) – Ohio and B-N

  ·      God birthing our hearts for Maineville/Morrow

  ·      God birthing our hearts for Bloomington/Normal

  ·      The “Call” wasn’t different… just the location

  ·      Preach the gospel – demonstrate the gospel

  ·      We bring wholeness for mental, physical and the soul.

Wrapping it up…

NOTHING more terrifying and frustrating… than starting a new work.

NOTHING COMES ANYWHERE CLOSE to being better than this.

FEW THINGS are more terrifying and frustrating… than walking w/ Jesus every day in His work.

NOTHING comes anywhere close to being better than experiencing His fullness in His mission.

We have something that every person needs – the answer to LOVE & PURPOSE!

Today, we want to see the BN campus activated to mission.

  ·      Believe that Father God is 100% in pursuit of YOU.

  ·      Believe that Father God is in pursuit of your family, your neighborhood, your town… OUR CITIES. BN, Eureka, Clinton, El Paso, Goodfield… more

  ·      Believe that Holy Spirit lives in YOU and has empowered YOU. We are not alone.

  ·      Believe that Holy Spirit wants to us YOU to change the world right where you are!

  ·      Believe that you can LIVE JESUS… both in proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel.

  ·      Believe that you will be the greatest part of God’s Mission in your sphere of influence.

  ·      NO ONE has the circle that you have.

Rest of the series

  ·      We will be discussing our church’s broader vision… Here, Near, Far Away

  ·      We will be looking at how we can have global impact.

  ·      We will be looking at how in ONE DAY we can make life-changing impact.

But today, we must settle that it STARTS with US.

  ·      HE is on mission for US – He’s chosen every one of us for relationship.

  ·      OUR mission is His mission – and we do it through proclaim/demonstrate.

God is “on mission” and he’s inviting each of us to jump on board to change the world.

DO we want the ball?

1.    Come back next week.

2.    Commit to inviting at least 2 people.

3.    Pray for someone inside your circle… distance/face to face.