On Mission Week 4: In Our City and Around The World

Last week we talked about how our goal should not be to be “on mission” only as a corporate body, but rather how to facilitate mission in our own homes.

On Mission in Our Roles

On Mission in Our Routines

On Mission in Our Relationships

Today I want to expand our conversation to that of being on mission in our city and around the world.

Let me quickly remind you what we established the purpose of the church was at the beginning of our series.

The church exists for the gathering

The church exists for the gospel

The church exists for the globe

The church exists for His glory

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Transition to today’s content

Acts 1:8 NKJV

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Opening Illustration

I’ve been to Detroit multiple times…

I had bene to Atlanta multiple times…

But I had never left the airport.

If you don’t experience the intricacies of the city have you really been there?

If you don’t get benyais or eat cajun food have you been to New Orleans?

If you don’t eat Italian Beef and Chicago style pizza have you been to Chicago?

If you don’t go get some Hattie B’s Nashville Hot Chicken have you experienced Nashville?

If you’re in the city…be a part of the city.

Church in South Texas - I don’t think our town even knows were here.

We’re not commited to marketing, were commited to mission

We’re not commited to awareness, were commited to impact.

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Acts 1 Expound

Acts chapter one is Jesus final imploration to the church before he ascends into heaven.

Earlier he tells them to go to Jerusalem and tarry.

This is the closest thing we can find in Jesus encouragement to believers to our modern context.

Jesus initial message was to go to a place.

But very little of his plan for the church would be accomplished in that place.

His purpose for the place was empowerment to depart.

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What does “mission” mean?

This series is entitled “On Mission”

Mission is a noun derived from a latin word, mittoµ = to send

Derek did not stay at the recruitment office.

In the OT the Hebrew word is derek = way

1 Samuel 15:18 NLT

And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’

1 Samuel 15:20 NLT

“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else.

Saul was given a mission to go and accomplish a task, important note that even in the Hebrew context “mission” implied movement.

In the NT the Greek word is diakonia = service ministry

It is from this word that we get the term “deacon”

Acts 12:25 NLT

When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.

Again we see a pattern, the mission that God gives to the church consists of a going…

From these contexts and definitions we can arrive at the following conclusion

We do have a mission here on Sundays and we need you to accomplish it

We do have a mission at the house and it takes intentionality to accomplish it

But we have a mission outside of these walls and outside of our walls that we must be careful to accomplish.

In order to accomplish the mission outside these walls, we must change our mindset from how can we get them to come to how can we enable a go.

We don’t mourn people leaving we celebrate people going.

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In, not of, but for

Sometimes the church likes to quote the verse that says we are in the world but not of the world.

We hide away in our safe spaces until Jesus comes.

We are in the world but not of the world but we are for the world.

WE CAN NOT BE WHO WE NEED TO BE FOR THE WORLD IF WE ARE NOT INTENTIONALLY REACHING OUT.

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We all play a role - We are all partners

Our strategic partnership in the going really only has two outlets.

Involve ourselves

Invest our resources

There are some who don’t have any money…that’s alright, you have talent.

There are some who don’t have any talent…that’s alright, you have money.

That’s what kingdom builders is all about.

Through kingdom builders giving we get to play a role in missions around the world.

Today I want to highlight some of the things we do through our kingdom builders giving.

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World Missions

In America, we sometimes forget there are other nations in the world.

We do this all the time when it comes to our eschatology.

We only think the rapture is gonna happen when bad times hit the US.

The church is about to persecuted, Jesus is coming

{THE CHURCH HAS LITERALLY NEVER NOT BEEN PERSECUTED.}

We were not only intended to be intentional about reaching our city…we have a message that was meant for the world…

Matthew 28:19–20 NKJV

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

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Story of Snellville Investment

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Jordan and Michelle Wright

The first recurring payment that we ever made as a church was to support Jordan and Michelle Wright

Missionaries to Indonesia

This family left a comfortable position as youth pastors at a large church in Texas in order to answer the call of God on their life.

Bible College Teaching, Ministry Training

Preparing to launch churches throughout the country

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Rachel Williams

Last year at our Georgia ministry network of the Assemblies of God gathering a young girl got up and began talking about her commitment to reaching the Arab communities in hard to reach places.

She is a part of the Live Dead movement of missionaries that go to sensitive territories with one goal (sharing the gospel of Christ)

In her late twenties, she is not building a career, she is not waiting for the perfect husband, she is doing what she has felt called to do…share the gospel…

She lives in the UAE and is actively seeking opportunities to enter Pakistan any time the opportunity presents itself

She has identified a sizeable Pakitstani population in UAE and is ministering to them continually.

The immersion of these families into these cultures indicates one thing…preaching the gospel is not a momentary act, its a lifetime commitment.

Our giving helps enable their going.

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Convoy of Hope

We also have the privilege of being connected with relief organizations who are on the ground within hours of any natural disaster.

The fires in Maui

Hurricanes that hit

Tornadoes that ravaged Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama

Convoy of Hope and Mercy Chefs are organizations that make sure those effected by the tragedies have adequate clothing, shelter, food, and water.

They are on the ground before the government can even convene to formulate a plan.

We have been able to give to ministries like these because of kingdom builders.

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US Missions

Arc investment

Just this year we have been able to invest in the following church plants.

Activation Church in Costa Rica

Promise City Church in Salisbury, NC

Legacy Church in Fayetteville, AR

One City Church in Nashville, TN

Storyhill Church in Mukwongo, WI

The Cause Church in Prosper, TX

Blueprint Church in Houston, TX

Momentum Church in Sugar Land, TX

CMN training

Twice a year through kingdom builders my wife and I are able to go invest time and teaching into church planters preparing to launch churches in their cities.

We invest in church planting because it is the most effective way to reach people for Jesus in our cities.

People who are out of church are nearly twice as likely to attend a new church plant as to visit a traditional church.

People are drawn to the concept of new.

We value it because we’ve done it…so we invest in it.

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Transitional Statement

We are going to continue to give and be active in maintaining ministry around the world because one of our commitments to being on mission is the fact that we will be about the globe.

But where I am especially stirred heading into this third year is in the area of making a difference locally.

My prayer has been God what role do we play in Cartersville?

Why are we here?

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Bartow County Burden

I wish that I could tell you I have a detailed list of things we are going to do within the confines of our region this year.

I wish that I had a five step plan of how to affect the group of people that I am going to speak about for the next few minutes.

But the truth is, I don’t have a clear plan…I simply have a concentrated burden.

My goal today is not to get you bought into a step by step process but get you praying with me into a burden from heaven.

I believe as we invest our prayers into this burden that the proper action steps will reveal themselves.

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Practical Needs Met

For Cartersville

Donation Spots available for non perishable food items

Donation of new and gently used winter coats, clothing etc…

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James 1:27 NKJV

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

It’s worth noting that this verse mentions holiness as a footnote to helps.

As conservative Bible believing Christians we can become so satiated on holiness that we miss that we are called to help people.

That doesn’t mean that we enable destructive behavior but those who are helpless are in desperate need of the people of God to rise up and help them.

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The Unborn

We invest in those who don’t have a voice

For the last two years we have invested thousands of dollars into the ministry of BFR

We celebrated in 2022 as Roe V. Wade was overturned

In the first year 32,000 lives were saved by that one act of legislation!

We absolutely value and propogate the sanctity of life

It begins at conception.

________ The Uncared For

While we celebrate those 32,000 lives, we understand that a large percentage of them were probably born into less than favorable environments.

Unwanted pregnancy is just one of a plethora of reasons for a child to be robbed of a safe environment for upbringing and thrown into the world of foster care.

The Foster System in the US is overwhelmed

As such it has yielded some very disturbing trends.

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Foster Statistics

An average of 1 in 4 youth who age out of Foster Care will become homeless within 4 years.

27% of 17 year olds in Foster Care have been referred for substance abuse

By age 17 over 50% of foster children have been involved in the juvenile justice system through arrest conviction or detention

25% of youth in foster care will be involved with the legal system within 2 years of leaving foster care.

20% of the US prison population spent time in the foster system.

20% of foster youth immediately become homeless after aging out

40% become homeless within 18 months of emancipation.

Within this one demographic we have a concentrated avenue of

Homelessness

Substance Abuse

Loneliness

The most recent data that I could find says that there are 86 kids in foster care in Bartow County.

That is a number low enough that we can make an impact on every child.

How do we do that? I don’t know.

Maybe it’s providing a suitcase or backpack for each one so they have something of dignity.

Maybe it’s paying the registration fee for them to do an extracurricular sporting event they wouldn’t otherwise get to do.

Maybe it’s finding out how we can volunteer and mentor these kids

Maybe it’s providing a team who opens our facility to provide supervised visits

MAYBE IT’S BECOMING A FOSTER FAMILY

Based on the statistics above…

there are at least 20 kids in this community we can preemptively effect to keep out of prison.

there are at least 20 kids in this community that we can preemptively prepare to avoid homelessness

In our city this year our focus and our efforts are towards two people groups.

The unborn and the uncared for.

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Close with a Concept

James 1:27 NKJV

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Care = epmeliomai = to take care of

This word is the same word Jesus uses in the parable of the good samaritan.

Luke 10:34–35 NKJV

So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’

The word James uses to describe the churches role in the lives of widows and orphans implies that we are to

We are to intentionally look for ways to meet their needs and provide space for healing.

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Closing - You Are Not Forgotten

I feel the Holy Spirit directing us to focus on the forgotten

Because that is a people group that are always prevalent on His radar.

Psalm 34:18 NKJV

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

If you feel forgotten today, know that the reason we are preaching about this need is because the Holy Spirit does not overlook anyone.

Your friends may have forgotten you

Your family may have forgottten you

You may have been abandoned by every relationships before now

But God has not forgotten you, He loves you and has a plan for your life