Sermon Tone Analysis

Today is Missions Sunday and that’s the subject for today’s lesson.

We will eventually ask for 1 or two people to share the question on the board.

Think about this question as we go through the discussion.

Lets start with a question to the class

Q: With Missions in mind, What is the difference between Missions and Evangelism?

Evangelism - To preach the gospel

Missions - Efforts to cross cultural and language lines to places where the gospel has not reached.

Lets see where things first started.

Genesis 1:28 (ESV)

And God blessed them.

And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it

God’s command to Adam and Eve, He gave similar one to Noah after the flood.

Let continue, after Noah we get to the passage describing Babel.

Do we see a problem between Genesis 1 and 11?

People did not want to be dispersed, against God’s will

At one point everyone spoke the same language.

Because of this people stayed in the same location, which is contrary to what God commanded man to do.

I have a feeling that if man dispersed over the land like God commanded that we may all be speaking the same language today.

Would it not be cool to be able to travel the world and not worry about being able to communicate with someone?

But this introduced a problem.

Q: How many people that now spread out from Babel do you think knew the one true God?

Probably few if any.

Multiple languages and cultures were formed.

Divisions among people groups was formed because of mans disobedience

Since then its been difficult to communicate with others from different languages.

Lets go to the question on the board

Q: Who of you here have ever been on Mission trips before?

Can you share your experience?

What kind of impact do you think your mission had on the people you visited?

The reason many of us go on Missions is because of verse like this.

While God’s heart was there for other nation in the OT, it becomes a more central part in the NT.

Why?

Because of Jesus.

As we saw the sin of man severed ties not only among God and Man but also among one another.

Jesus came and he is reuniting us with God first but also with fellow man, across all divides.

Back to the passage.

the first verse

Q: Why Jesus say this before he tells the disciples to go make disciples?

Has anyone ever been given an assignment by someone really high up at a company that you work for?

Maybe the owner or CEO?

I work at American as an Analyst, they have different levels for employees.

The lowest rank employees are at level 1.

I am at a level 4

Our Vice President of American is at level 11, she tells me that I should get some teams to complete a project.

I sometimes have to tell people 3 or 4 levels above me that they need to do some work.

Do you think that I am scared to tell tell them what to do when I know that I have the Vice President on my side?

No.

There are still times when those people dont want to listen to me.

What do I do?

I let the VP know and she steps in and guess what happens?

They start to listen very quickly.

I can be confident that I can instruct people anywhere to get the work done, even if the are many levels above me.

Jesus is saying

“I am in charge and I am sending you now go”

People may or may not want to listen but they will answer to him.

You are being sent by the highest power imaginable to complete your work.

Not only are you sent by Jesus but he also equips you to be able to do the work he is sending you to do, through the Holy Spirit.

Lets looks really quick at the disciples.

Right after Jesus was crucified but before he appeared to them

So what happend?

They were locking themselves inside somewhere out of fear.

Jesus then appeared and gifted them the Holy Spirit.

How did the disciples respond after this?

Peter went to Antioch and ended up in Rome

Andrew went to Greece

Thomas went to India

Matthew went to Africa

Philip in Asia

James in Persia

Simon to Egypt

Paul went everywhere.

What did they do?

They did the opposite of what the people in Babel did.

Did the disciples want to make a name for themselves like the people of Babel?

After they experienced the resurrected Jesus no, they wanted to make Jesus name famous.

Did the discplies want to stick together among those they knew, where its safe?

After they experienced the resurrected Jesus no, they knew that the One who has all power is sending them.

They can be bold

They went from sticking together locked in a room by themselves, in safety with the people that they know to completely splitting apart.

The question is, have you experienced the resurrected Jesus?

If so you do not have to be afraid!

I am thankful that the disciples did not keep to their own language and stay in Israel only.

I am thankful that they spread throughout Asia, Africa, Europe,

I am thankful that at one point in time someone in history reached out to what is now the Romanian people and preached the gospel

Those people in took the gospel and in spread throughout Romania and eventually my grandparents heard about Jesus and I then heard about Jesus and I can now also preach Jesus.

I am thankful that the historical Jesus wasn't kept only to the Jews.

We in turn should be that same stepping stone for those in other cultures, languages etc. that do not know Christ so that one day they can too be thankful for the work that you and I did by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring people to a saving faith.

I will leave you with this verse from the book of Revelation.

This is where the Apostle John has a vision of what heaven will be like.

Notice that people from ever tribe, and language are here.

This means this vision is a guarantee

If you have questions about how to get involved in Missions, the Church will guide you in how you can help.