What’s Your Lane?

Please turn to Matthew 28. Thank you to all - cards, gifts – during Christmas.  We felt loved and appreciated.

Last week, Pastor John spoke about the Epiphany, which is part of the liturgical church calendar, mostly highlighting the arrival of the Magi – 1 to 3 years after Jesus’ birth.  The word

Epiphany comes from the Greek word epiphaneia (ἐπιφάνεια), which means appearing, and typically refers to a divine appearance. 

We see this in

Titus 2:11 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

And in

Titus 3:4–5 ESV

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

So, the idea of the Epiphany is that God appeared, made Himself known and visible though Christ – for the purpose of saving humanity.  And that appearance compelled the magi.

The Anglican Church (COE), which observes the church calendar and liturgy “religiously” says this,

“During Epiphany, we focus on the mission of the Church to reach all the peoples of the earth and the great gift of God’s grace in revealing healing truth and light to the world.”  Church of England

God appeared, came in the flesh to save humanity.  So

The mission of the Church is to continue the Epiphany – to continually make God visible to all people so all people may know Christ. 

Epiphany then becomes more than a date on the Church calendar, it becomes a way of living.  It should become a lens or a filter through which we look at our lives and the world.  Hold onto that.

In case you haven't noticed, we are a Nazarene church. Our history stems from John and Charles Wesley, 18th Century Anglican evangelists, hymn writers, and theologians. In an effort to reform the Church of England, they inadvertently began the Methodist church.  One hundred years after John’s Wesley’s death in 1791, the holiness movement in the U.S., which has its roots in Wesley’s theology began spreading across the land.  By 1908, the Church of the Nazarene was born out of that movement.  The early Nazarene church epitomized the Epiphany – they were very visible.  They were in the bars, brothels, ministered to the poor and sick …. 

The Church of the Nazarene was built upon going. 

The Nazarene church is still going today with 2.7 million members in nearly 31,000 churches in 164 world locations - with 51 Bible colleges, universities and seminaries around the world.  Not perfect ….

If you’re not familiar with our denomination, we affirm that

We are a Christian People.

We adhere to the essential doctrines of the Judeo-Christian faith and we are united with all Believers and denominations who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. This is just our tribe.

We are a Holiness People.  

We believe in the call to a holy life, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.  We call this Entire Sanctification, which is marked by a life separated from sin (not sinless, but empowered to sin less) and empowered to love God with all our heart ….   Lastly,

We are Missional People.

responding to the call of Christ to go into the world, witnessing to the love and power and grace and truth of Jesus Christ.  We are to be an epiphaneia people – people who make Jesus visible.

Before we continue, need to ask yourself some questions: 1) Am I Christian?  Have I confessed, agreed that Jesus Christ is who He says He is as revealed in His Word (Lord and Savior), and I have transferred trust from self and other things to Jesus?  2) If you are Christian, am I living a holy life?  Have I been baptized by the Holy Spirit?  Lastly, 3) Am I missional?

3 important questions.  If your answer is no or don't know, we have several pastors and mature Christians who would be more than happy to have a conversation with you, answer questions, and help work through.  Just let me know.

But for this morning, I want us to focus on being missional.  What does that mean?  This is Chad's definition:

Being missional means that I have purpose in life, and that purpose is governed and motivated by the mission of Christ. 

Being missional means that I want to know Jesus, be transformed by Jesus, I desire to serve Jesus, and help others know Jesus.  See, the missional person and the missional church says God's mission is my mission.

So, what is God's mission?  I think it’s already been stated – to bring salvation to all people. If you’re a follower of Jesus, that becomes your life mission and purpose.  How you go about doing that, that’s going to be a little different for each person.  We’ll get there later.  Gears should be turning.

Back to the Nazarene church.

The mission of the Church of the Nazarene is To Make Christlike Disciples In The Nations. 

We believe

“The Church of the Nazarene is a global community of faith, commissioned to take the Good News of Life in Jesus Christ to people everywhere and to spread the message of scriptural holiness across lands.”

Of course, our mission comes from

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

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.”

The “age” has not ended yet, thus the Great Commission is for every Christian and every Christian church. If you are a Christian, you have a commission to go, make, baptize, and teach.  It's that simple, but we make it complicated.

It’s simple, but how simple is it?  Let’s put baptism aside for a moment and think about the words go, make, and teach – all verbs, action words, something we do.  But there’s an implication here that we need to understand.  The word “go” has several nuances – it can mean to proceed, travel, journey, to walk, to live, to move.   Go and what?  Make disciples. 

“Make disciples” is one word in the Greek – mathēteuō – and it indicates the action of causing another to become a disciple. 

There’s an action by a Christian that causes or influences another to follow Jesus. 

In other words, as you go be the cause (the reason) of someone wanting to know Jesus. 

Are you capable of doing that?

The word teaching simply means teaching, to instruct.  How many ways can one instruct another?  Many ways - orally, written, being an example ….  You don’t have to be a professor of theology to teach people about Jesus. Just got to live your life the way Jesus wants you to.  One of my greatest lessons in life came to me, not through a classroom, not through a pastor or teacher, but through watching my grandfather exercise integrity.

So let’s put this together.  In essence, Jesus says to us - “As you go, live each day in such a way that causes or influences people to become disciples. And baptize them, bring them into the fellowship of the Church, and teach and instruct them to observe all that I have commanded you.”  To simplify that even more,

Be the Epiphany (the appearance) - make Jesus visible.

Notice something about the Great Commision.  Jesus says go, make, baptize, and teach, but He does not specify how.  He doesn’t say what “lane” to drive in.  See, your “lane” is different from my “lane,” and different than ….  My lane is taking care of my family, pastoring this church, and I recently joined the KAA - that’s my lane, that hopefully as I go along I can make some disciples.

What’s your lane? 

How can your life be missional?  How can your life make Jesus visible?

Take a moment and listen …

If you don’t know Jesus.  Admit.  Believe.  Commit.