The Invitation to Missional Living
The God of Mission • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
Missional Living
Missional Living
“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”
“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon
― Charles H. Spurgeon
When we think about missions we think about Robert and Diane. Not every Christian is called to do what they did for their career.
Today my hope is that you would embrace the mission of God and live out his plan for your life.
Phrase that Pays: The Missional God invites us into His Mission!
When is the last time you really had a mission the you were all in on?
Was it when you were younger?
Was it with your family?
A Sport.
A Church.
Your work?
Something you gave yourself to in college?
When is the last time you were on mission?
I had a mission. I wanted to get my black belt from master Garza. It took about four years before you could go through the black belt test. Finally I was 6 months away from testing. It was an all day test, composed of physical fitness, all the katas you knew, self defense and much, much more.
Because I was so sold on getting my black belt I would devout every night to preparing for my black belt test. But you know what else, those around me were also willing to do whatever it took to get me to accomplish my dream of being a black belt.
Because this was my mission I was willing to make just about any sacrifice.
When the church gets off mission we just become a social club.
But what about when the church is on mission.
We love the unloveable.
We start hospitals.
We feed the poor.
Listen to what happened in the NT, Jesus disciples were sharing the good news of the gospel that people could have a relationship with him, and could have their sins forgiven if they would turn to him and receive his gifts. They were sharing this with their family members, but remember their family were the very ones who killed Jesus. And now they wanted to persecute their very own people. Their very own people took them to the council.
How would you respond to this?
Here is how the disciples respond:
So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
When we are on mission, the way we live will be different.
Is their any wonder why this early church changed the world?
Today God wants our church to be a world changing church.
This will only happen if we jump on board with his mission.
Three Reasons we must live on mission with God!
1. We must embrace missional living because the Bible Paints the greatness of God.
1. We must embrace missional living because the Bible Paints the greatness of God.
We have a small vision of God and we like to make God small.
But don’t we also like to give ourselves to small things.
And when we read the Bible instead of seeing God as the main character we often times see ourselves as the main character.
We have what I like to call the Christian Cold.
Fake sneeze, over and over.
And instead of making it all about God-we have made it all about ourselves.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
"When I look at myself, I don't see how I can be saved. But when I look at Christ, I don't see how I can be lost."-Martin Luther
"When I look at myself, I don't see how I can be saved. But when I look at Christ, I don't see how I can be lost."-Martin Luther
2. We must embrace missional living because the Bible clearly shows the heart of God.
2. We must embrace missional living because the Bible clearly shows the heart of God.
a. We are blessed
a. We are blessed
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
“But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
“For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.
b. We are blessed to be a blessing
b. We are blessed to be a blessing
Now let’s look at these same passages again.
Application:
Houston is the most diverse city in the USA. Isn’t it great that we do not have to all go the the nations, but God has brought the nations to us.
3. We must embrace missional living because the Bible empowers people (Word of God + Spirit of God = Unstoppable)
3. We must embrace missional living because the Bible empowers people (Word of God + Spirit of God = Unstoppable)
Who wants to be inspired?
Don’t you love when someone inspires you.
The movie 12 strong-
I read the book, Horse Soldier and then watched the movie. I thought to myself the fact that 12 men on a mission can defeat an entire country, that is amazing.
Have you ever been fully committed to a mission.
Examples:
Daniel and the Fiery Furnace
Daniel and the Fiery Furnace
Daniel 3:29 ““Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.””
David and Goliath
David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:46 ““This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,”
The early Church
The early Church
So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Jesus is the greatest inspiration:
He left comfort to come here
He came as a king that the world has never seen before.
He was willing to obey the father’s command even when it meant his he would die the most painful death the world had seen at that point.
Matthew 26:39 “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.””
This is the God we serve.