YA Fall Kickoff 2022

Equipping for Mission

Introduce Leadership team

Thanks everyone for coming today! It’s really good to have you all! We are excited to start another year, and as we do I thought I would share a quick devotion, and the direction we are taking this year.

So, the passage for today’s devotion is Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew 28:16–20 ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28 clearly shows us the mission of God in the world: Restoration. Christ’s work on the cross restores our relationship with God, and paves the way for the full restoration of God’s creation. Spreading the restoring news of the gospel is part of God’s mission. He uses us to do that, and empowers us to be his hands and feet.

Pastor Jonathan shared this passage and the church’s mission with us at our last team meeting, and it inspired me to look at it here too. We looked in that meeting at how this passage corresponds to NPA’s three-fold mission to evangelize the sinner, exalt the Saviour, and equip the saint, all in service to the King. I wanted to take a moment to focus on one particular areas of that mission - the “evangelize the sinner” part. Jesus calls us here in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples. This doesn’t mean that we somehow save them, but rather that we disciple others. In other words, we walk alongside people, exposing them to the truth of the gospel both in our lives and through our words. We allow the Spirit of God to do the saving work inside of them, and continue to walk alongside those whom God places in our lives as they (hopefully) respond and are saved by Christ. I wanted to take a moment to focus in on that and allow God to speak to us about how we can spread the gospel and be Christ’s hands and feet to a dying world. That was just what was on my heart for today. Remembering the calling on all of us to go into the world and shine a light for Christ, no matter where we are placed, and why. As we come before God now, I’d like to ask you to take a few moments and ask God to show you someone that you can walk alongside of in their journey of faith.

Pray