The Mobilized Community

As You Go  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Introduction
Open your Bible to Acts chapter one.
Last week, I mentioned that Kristy and I represented Taylor Road as messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis. I know that many of you have probably seen a lot of headlines and news stories that have been written about some of the things we voted on. Typically, each year, I’ll write a summary of the SBC and we’ll send it out to all of you. This year, I’ve done something a little different—I talked about it on our Men’s Ministry podcast. That episode drops tomorrow in the church app so I encourage you to go listen to it.
Anyway, in recent years, especially, Southern Baptists and the annual convention have been really well known for controversial things. To be honest, it can be frustrating sitting in the room listening to debates, people who have axes to grind, etc. But…my favorite thing every year—the thing that reminds me of why I absolutely love being a Southern Baptist—is the commissioning of missionaries being sent out from local churches through the IMB to the nations. That’s the beauty of our convention of churches. Everyday followers of Jesus—just like you and me—are faithful members of their local church, go on short term mission trips just like we do here, and God calls them to give their lives to the cause of missions. And, it’s our church’s giving—along with tens of thousands of other SBC churches—to the Cooperative Program that financially supports these missionaries.
This year, we mobilized 83 missionaries to send with the International Mission Board to the nations.
The local church is the greatest missionary mobilization center in the world.
The title of this morning’s message is “The Mobilized Community.” Including today, we’ve only got two more messages left in this “As You Go” series. I pray that God has used this series to deepen your walk with Him and your understanding of what it means to be a disciple—a follower—of Jesus Christ.
What is a disciple? A fully devoted follower of Jesus who is developing into Christlikeness and who lives sent on Jesus’ mission to make more disciples.
Acts 1:6–8 (ESV)
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
And, so, they are going to be empowered and they are going to be sent/they are going to be mobilized.
Main Point: The empowered witnessing community of disciples is mobilized to advance the mission of God.
This mobilized community is ultimately born in Acts chapter two and they are now an army of witnesses. Two weeks ago—God is a missional God. Ever since the Garden of Eden when sin and death entered the world through Adam & Eve’s disobedience.
God is a missional God—the rescue mission begins in Genesis 3, culminates at the cross of Calvary and the resurrection, and is completed in Revelation 7 with the great multitude from every nation, tribe, peoples, and languages standing before the throne.
1) The gospel mission is the announcement of a kingdom.
Acts 1:8 is the great clarion call for missions. It’s the banner statement for so many churches and missions organizations. It has given us a framework for our missional engagement as a church. It’s an important verse. But…Jesus didn’t just drop this statement out of nowhere. It’s actually the answer to a question.
Look, again, at verse 6. They’re on the Mount of Olives with the resurrected Jesus. All of the Messianic prophecies have been fulfilled. If you were a Jew and you knew the OT prophecies…then you expected that this is when the promises to Abraham would finally and fully be delivered.
They were focused on the wrong kingdom. They wanted a king to conquer Rome. They wanted to be a conquering people.
Jesus was the King who conquers hearts & changes people.
Jesus’s first message: Mark 1:15
Mark 1:15 ESV
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The rule and reign of Jesus vs. the rule and reign of the kingdom of darkness. Repent—turn/change your ways.
2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Witnesses—not soldiers
The Message of Acts c. The Kingdom of God Is Gradual in Its Expansion

when the spirit came in power, the long promised reign of God, which Jesus had himself inaugurated and proclaimed, would begin to spread. It would be spiritual in its character (transforming the lives and values of its citizens), international in its membership (including Gentiles as well as Jews) and gradual in its expansion (beginning at once in Jerusalem, and then growing until it reaches the end of both time and earthly space).

I said this several weeks ago at the onset of this series (and I want you to lean in, here, especially in the climate of our country right now—the mission of the church is not to make Christianity popular. The mission of the church is not to make Christianity political. The mission of the church is not to make Christianity palatable.
The mission of the church is to announce to a lost and dying world the good news that God loves and saves sinners who repent and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Where our neighbors and family and the five people on your list are going to spend eternity should concern us and keep us up at night more than who they vote for in November.
Is there a place for Christians to engage in politics? Sure there is. I think that’s good and healthy. Should our striving be to make this country heaven on earth? No. Because that’s already started coming—all over this world—wherever the church of Jesus Christ exists (has staked its claim).
Now, look at the irony, here, too in Acts 1. The disciples are trying to put Jesus on a political throne. Jesus doesn’t belong in the White House. Jesus isn’t interested in meeting a political agenda. No. He has a throne. He’s had a throne for all eternity past and he will have that throne for all eternity future. And it’s not up for election.
Not only is the gospel mission the announcement of a kingdom…it’s a global kingdom.
2) The gospel mission is global.
One of the major problems, here in Acts 1:8, with the disciples’ question is that they had a very narrow focus regarding the scope of the rule and reign of God.
Jesus tells them that once the Spirit empowers them they will be his witnesses in JERUSALEM, ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. He’s kind of laying out this roadmap for them.
Now, I think we can read this both LITERAL for those in the book of Acts and as a framework for us, the Church, today.
First—verse 8 could be considered an outline for the book of Acts.
Acts 3. Christ’s Legacy: The Call to Witness (1:6–8)

The geographical scope of Acts 1:8 provides a rough outline of the entire book: Jerusalem (1–7), Judea and Samaria (8–12), the ends of the earth (13–28). As such it can well be considered the “theme” verse of Acts.

Jerusalem (the immediate around me)
Aiden Hatter
Your “5”
End of the service—you are “sent”
ALL Judea and Samaria (the ones around me that are “hard” to reach) // Not merely geographical
Samaria—Jew & Gentile
The people that make us uncomfortable
Those I’m prejudiced against//racial issues
Ends of the Earth
“the entire inhabited world”
Races, ethnic groups, languages, tribes
Isaiah 49:6 ESV
he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
This is why we are passionate about translating the scriptures into the Imalduk tribal language of Southeast India.
This is why we push so hard at Christmas time for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
This is why, in a few weeks, we’re going to commission and send a team to the Czech Republic.
This is why, next summer, by God’s grace we’re going to send a team to Africa.
Why we’ve sent teams to Poland, and Brazil, and Romania.
Habakkuk 2:14 ESV
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
3) The gospel mission is not finished.
At the end of the book of Acts, we see Paul in Rome preaching the gospel. But, Acts is an unfinished story.
59% of the world today is considered unreached — meaning Jesus is largely unknown among 4.6 billion people.
According to IMB research—there are 1,983 unengaged people groups in the world. That is over 148 million people.
North America—NAMB research—approximately 371 million people//281 million lost
Montgomery
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in Montgomery as it is in heaven.
Next Steps:
A) How can I join God in His global kingdom mission?
B) Who has God placed in my life that I can witness to?
“The 5” Card
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