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Wayne Manago

53 sermons

November 2008

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A Church with A Mission

1 Thess 1:8

*                  **"A CHURCH WITH A MISSION"*
*                             1 Thessalonians 1:8*
IMBC, Hobart; January 27, 2008
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
- What do you think the average person thinks about when he sees our church or comes in contact with one of our members or attenders in this community?  (do we have a strong testimony and are we having a definite impact for Christ?)
 
- In fact, I really wonder how many of our members and attenders really know why this church was established years ago and why we continue doing what we do?
 
-    Our current constitution states on page 1: “/The purposes of the Inland Manor Baptist Church are:/
/ /
/  1. To serve as a church home for those of like precious faith in this general area./
/  2. To conduct services of the church for the worship of God, edification of its members, and the administration of its ordinances./
/  3. To accept and fully implement the Great Commission as expressed in Matthew 28:19./
/  4. To earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints (see Jude 3-4)/.” 
 
- I am constantly thinking about and praying about ideas that might be used of God to make Inland Manor Baptist Church more successful in our purpose as designed by our church constitution; especially in the area of evangelism and outreach. 
 
- Our discussions on Wednesday nights have been especially helpful in assisting me to evaluate the overall impact our church is having, for Jesus Christ, in this community and ultimately in this world.
 
- *What’s your top priority today? For this week? This year? *
* *
*- Most of us have running “/to do/” lists steering us as we set priorities for our lives. But in Matthew 6:33, Jesus reminds us that no earthly priority is as urgent as our need to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” *
* *
*- Be encouraged to follow Jesus’ words as you are challenged from the Word today to be on a particular mission for Christ with your lives. *
* *
*- I want to encourage you that you’ll discover a renewed sense of eternal significance in your daily life as concerned with evangelism when you strive to make the Lord your first priority.*
* *
- Since evangelism is important, and it is, then it would be profitable for us to look at this verse this morning to determine how we as a church and we as individuals can change and grow in light of the Biblical directives found in this particular passage in God's Word. 
 
- Let's pray and seek God's direction and determine at the outset that we will do whatever it takes to improve in this all-important area of ministry.
 
I. */A MISSION TO PROCLAIM/* *I Thess. 1:8a* "for from  
*/    /*you sounded out the Word of the Lord"
 
A. The Thessalonian Believers Were Both Receivers 
    and Transmitters of God's Message.
 
1. In *vs. 5* it says that the Thessalonians received               
    the Word of God and in *vs. 8 *it says that they                
    were transmitting that Gospel to others; that is            
    the way that God intended it to be.
2. Some, maybe even here today, have received God's 
    Word but you have never transmitted that precious 
    message of the Gospel to any other person.
3. For IMBC and all of Christianity to be successful in 
    reaching this world for Christ each one of us and  
    each local church must receive and transmit God's 
    Word to others.

\\ 4. The Thessalonian believers were obviously doing 
    there part by spreading the Gospel from 
    Thessalonica to other regions.
5. Their methodology was very interesting; they                
    were actively spreading the good news via godly              
    Christian Living and personal testimony, rather                         
    than by an aggressive organized missionary~/ 
    evangelism program. 
 
B. The Mission of the Biblically Motivated Church
 
1. The verb translated, "sounded forth" actually means             
    "/to sound as a trumpet/" 
 
 
a. A trumpet or even a sounding board on a piano 
    does not in themselves create the sound
b. But they receive and then amplify the sounds and 
    send them on to the receivers.                 
   
2. They were trumpeting the Good News of                         
    salvation, and their message had a clear and                  
    distinct sound to it and many lives were                         
    changed by heeding to the Gospel message they 
    proclaimed. 
3. At the end of each of the four Gospels and then            
    at the beginning of the book of Acts; there are             
    commissions for the church to obey (*Matthew* *             *
*    28:18-20*; *Mark 16:15-16*;* Luke 24:46-49*; 
    *John 20:21 *&* Acts 1:8* ).

\\ 4. And I especially like the way that Warren                        
    Wiersbe puts that into Biblical perspective,                     
    "Many congregations are content to pay a staff to do the 
      witnessing and soul-winning.  But in New Testament churches, 
      the entire congregation was involved in sharing the Good News. 
      A recent survey of church growth indicated that 70 to 80 percent 
      of a church's growth is the result of friends witnessing to friends 
      and relatives to relatives.  While visitation, evangelism and other 
      methods of outreach help, the personal contact brings the 
      harvest"[1]  
 
a. Read *Acts 2:44-47*
b.* Acts 5:42 *"and daily in the temple, and in every house, they 
     ceased not to teach and preach JesusChrist."
 
 
 
II. */A MISSION FAITHFULLY TRANSMITTED/* *I Thess. *
*     1:8b *NIV "...not only in Macedonia and Achaia‑‑your faith in           
       God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say 
       anything about it,"
 
  A. Review from Last Week’s Message
 
1.   “Macedonia and Achaia”* *is a reference to the two Roman provinces which compromised Greece, Macedonia being to the north and Achaia to the South.
 
a.   /Macedonia/ included the cities of Thessalonica, Philippi and Berea) 
b.   and /Achaia/ hosted cities like Athens and Corinth
 
  B. “your faith in God has become known everywhere”
 
    1. By the use of the phrase, “has become known everywhere” 
        Paul is indicating the even beyond Macedonia and 
        Achaia people had heard the good news about  
        Christ because a group of Christians in one locale 
        took the initiative to get the word out to every 
        person they came in contact with.
    2. Whose responsibility is it to get out the Gospel                
        of Jesus Christ? (remember the quote we read from Warren 
           Wiersbe?)
    3. This church was so successful that Paul could hardly                
        utter a word wherever they had been without             
        someone saying, "/Someone from Thessalonica /
/        already shared that with us/."
    4. The strategic location of Thessalonica did much              
        to further this rapid spread of the gospel:
a. As mentioned earlier in the introductory 
    message, the city was an important center on 
    the famous Agnation Way running across 
    Macedonia.
b. It also was a main seaport that had con-                          
    nections with all parts of the Mediter-                            
    ranean world. 
c. That's why God led Paul to strategically plant                   
    a church in this important, particular city.
 
CONCLUSION:
 
- How quickly the gospel would spread today if each Christian would simply do what God commanded Christians to do hundreds of years ago!
 
- Let's talk about some specific ways that you can do a better job and reaching this community for Jesus Christ:
 
1. To your friends, relatives, associates & neighbors
2. Look for “doors of opportunity” 
3. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel
 
- Are you willing to avail yourself to God to be used to reach non-Christians with your speech and your life?
 
-  The community surrounding this church and your house is in desperate need to hear the Gospel message.
-  Who is going to tell them????

\\ ----
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Ready: 1 & 2 Thessalonians; (Wheaton, IL; 1979 Victor Books) page 29

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