On Mission Week 3: On Mission at The House

Opening Illustration: Gym Memberships

There are 64.19 million people in America with gym memberships right now.

12% of these memberships are purchased in January

20% of people with gym memberships never go

The person who never goes to the gym does not benefit from the gym.

The person who walks on the treadmill and then eats four donuts and an ice cream cone doesn’t accomplish their weight loss goals.

Belonging to an organization doesn’t change your life…Daily habits change your life.

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More than Sunday

One of the primary issues with American Christianity is the fact that in large part it’s adherence has been relegated to Sunday.

Many people love to be a part of a Sunday worship experience but it has no real effect on their lives.

I found some stats that show just how little our Sunday services have on every day life in many Christians.

According to Pew research

39% of Church attenders attend more than one church on a regular basis

This will minimize accountability

This will maximize synicism

75% of that group attend various churches of different faiths

James 1:8 NKJV

he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

This means that many people have taken on the idea that…Jesus is a path to heaven, but he is not THE path to heaven.

_______ Supernatural Deception

This sample size gave way to some interesting numbers in these regards as well.

While much of this group believes in the supernatural, many of them are experiencing supernatural realities that are not biblical in nature.

29% have been in touch with the dead

18% have had a ghostly experience

15% have consulted a psychic.

26% believe in spiritual energy in trees and nature

25% believe in astrology

24% believe in reincarnation

23% use yoga as a spiritual practice

16% believe in “evil eye” or the casting of curses. The real testament of this statistic is that our Sunday only church culture has produced an absolute BIBLICAL IGNORANCE.

Deception thrives in ignorant environments.

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How do we fix it?

The remedy to ignorant Christians is not better programs or more excellent worship experiences.

The remedy to biblical illiteracy is to be a person who reads the Bible.

You cannot properly “study” the Bible until you have completely “read” the Bible.

The only way to become immune to the scripture based deceptions of the enemy is to be well versed in the Word yourself.

If we are going to live a life on mission…we must become a people of the Word.

I firmly believe that understanding and implementation of the Word will fix much of the problem within the American Church as a whole.

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It’s one thing to have issues and not know how to deal with them!

It’s another thing to identify the solution and do nothing about it.

As we become people of the Word, I believe that we will begin to see these three things as vital to being on mission within our homes.

1. On Mission in our Roles

Colossians 3:18–21 NKJV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Fathers

Men have been fashioned to lead…

SO LIVE A LIFE WORTH FOLLOWING.

(Provide)

One of the greatest issues in our society is that we highlight the act of procreation much more than we highlight the act of provision.

You don’t see many scenes in movies wherein a man is putting in work to provide for his family

You just see the glorified practice of one night stands.

Men, before we start thinking about the bedroom…we need to consider how we are going to pay for the house that holds it.

_________ Master

I tell my sons to pursue romance in this order.

Find your master first

The most important thing you can do in order to be the mate that God intends for you to be is develop your walk with Him.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

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Mission Find your mission next

If you don’t discover your calling first…your playing russian roulette with your destiny when you start dating.

It takes a very specific type of person to walk in the type of ministry that my wife and I have walked in over the last fifteen years.

We’ve moved 18 times in 15 years

We have lived in 6 different states

Have had probably no less than 400 relationships come and go.

Being married to me has meant helping me paint walls, put trim in, lay carpet, all while wrangling kids.

My mission wouldn’t be suitable for just any mate.

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Mate

Once you’ve found your master and he’s given you your mission. He will provide you the mate.

Eve was a “help meet” her purpose to was to enhance Adam’s ability to accomplish the task that God had put in front of him.

(Promote)

Mothers

Ladies don’t often realize the power that they possess in the power dynamic of purpose.

Our culture would like us to think that women just frivolously spend money for the wealthy husband

They just spread gossip.

Or they become the primary bread winner and make all the money.

Both of these are misrepresentations of how it was supposed to take place.

Scripture uses a word that 2024 does’t like to much…submission.

Ladies, the mission of heaven for your life is submission.

Ladies, find a man with a God mission and get sub or under that mission and help him carry it.

Help him carry the mission by finding your role.

For some thats contributing in earning

For some that’s simply creating an environment of sanctuary

For many that role is developing the legacy of the family by investing into the early education of the children.

Walking in submission is not a devaluation.

Children

Proverbs 13:24 NLT

Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

Proverbs 15:5 NLT

Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.

If you have parents that address your misbehavior with correction…consider yourself loved.

We don’t “punish” our kids…but we do discipline them…

We lead into our times of discipline by saying “the way that you talked to me earned what’s about to happen.

There is too much potential in your kids for you to only praise them

Discipline is far more important to purpose than celebration.

2. On Mission in our Routines

Personal Routines

Scripture has a tendency to tie the fulfillment of promise to faithfulness of practice.

God tells Joshua he will bless him and elevate him as long as he is willing to faithfully practice a routine of consulting God’s Word.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Parents two practices will most benefit you… Prospective parents two practices will most benefit you…

Satisfied singles two practices will most benefit you…

the greatest practice you can insert into your life to facilitate purpose is a weekly routine of faith community and a daily routine of prayer and Bible reading…

Family Routines

One of the great parts of early Jewish practice was that of families having spiritual experiences together outside of organized religious gatherings.

It wasn’t left to the priest to explain the significance of the memorials (it was left to the fathers.)

It was up to the fathers to each transcribe their own copy of the Torah for the purpose of teaching their kids

The discipleship of our families was never intended to be outsourced to the church.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 NKJV

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Look at the context of this verse, make scripture and it’s truth a regular part of your family routines.

Understand the importance of teaching values

What you value is what your kids will value.

If you view church as a non essential part of your life, your kids will make it a non existent part of theirs

If you view prayer as a non essential part of your life, your kids will make it a non existent part of theirs

If you view scripture reading as a non essential part of your life, your kdis will make it a non existent part of theirs.

We must create a consistent pattern of instilling values by implementing routines within our personal lives and family rhythms.

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3. On Mission in our Relationships

Once you’ve established your roles within your home.

Once you’ve created rhythms and routines that are instilling values in your kids

One of the most beneficial thing you can do for your family is find life giving relationships.

Who you hang with is who will reinforce your value system.

Find friends for your family that share your values

Kids that don’t bring the worst out in each other.

Find relationships that when you leave them you feel refreshed…then invest in those relationships.

Proverbs 12:26 NKJV

The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 13:20 NKJV

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

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Kindred Spirits

Philippians 2:20 NASB 95

For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

Cancerous Spirits

2 Samuel 13:3–5 NKJV

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man. And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ”

No matter which direction you are going…you will go farther with a friend.

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Relationships are a mirror

Your close relationships will begin serving as a mirror, meaning you will reflect who you hang with.

There are some people you need to cut out of your life because they are starting to literally make you look bad.

If you want to nix your opportunity to be close to me, consistently talk negatively.

Negative mindsets produce negative environments

You will find what your looking for. (SO FIX YOUR FOCUS)

I like to hang with people who are visionary and always looking to improve.

When you look for improvement you will find it.

1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT

Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

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Be a part of connect groups

We are launching connect groups again in February.

Mens Group

Womens Group

Prayer Group

Young Adult Group

These are great places for you to find and develop relationships with others who are aiming at purpose.

We understand that we all have a mission to accomplish as a church, but we individually have missions to accomplish as well.

If we are going to be on mission on Sunday, in our city, and around the world…it is vitally important that we all live on mission at the house as well.