Cornerstone’s DNA: Mission

Introduction

Recap of Mission Statement, Vision statement, DNA-

MISSION: Connecting People with Jesus,

VISION: To see lives transformed by the power of the gospel,

DNA: Gospel, Community, Mission

Main Point: The Great Commission must be the central Focus of God’s People.

Body

Acts is the fifth book of the New Testament. It was written by a man named Luke.

Luke also wrote the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a doctor who traveled with Paul.

His writing is unlike other authors BECAUSE he is very DETAIL ORIENTED.

Luke wrote a two volume explanation of Christianity and it’s beginnings to a man named Theophilus.

The first half is the Gospel of Luke and the second half is ACTS!

Acts starts off RIGHT AFTER the resurrection of Jesus and covers roughly the first 30 years of Christianity. We see God move in SO MANY different ways in Acts! It’s POWERFUL TO SEE!

Acts 1:1-3 is an opening prologue of the book. Then, in Acts 1:4, we pick up with the MEAT of ACTS!

Acts 1:4-5

Acts 1:4–5 CSB

4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

Luke gives us the setting. Jesus is with his disciples.

Remember, after Jesus ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND DEFEATED SIN, SETTING US FREE, he walked the earth for 40 days!

He did this in HIS GLORIFIED STATE, which meant that He could go through walls, go wherever and we know that He appeared to people like JAMES his brother!

We see that in 1 Corinthians 15!

1 Corinthians 15:7 CSB

7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

So Jesus went around teaching and APPEARING TO PEOPLE!

Jesus was proclaiming what had happened.

And Acts 1:4-8 picks up as this time ends.

So in verse 4, Jesus tells the disciples that they are not to leave Jerusalem yet, but are instead to wait for the Father’s Promise.

In Hebrew culture, everyone went home after the Passover and then would return to Jerusalem about 40 days later for the Harvest Feast.

Remember, there was a SPRING AND A FALL harvest in Jerusalem. Both had celebrations with it.

But Jesus tells the disciples NOT to go back to Galilee.

Instead, they are to WAIT IN JERUSALEM!

Rather than being like everyone else, Jesus calls his disciples to BE DIFFERENT!

They are to stay in Jerusalem and wait for THE promise from the Father!

And Jesus tells them that He has told them about this promise.

The promise is simple.

THE PROMISE, that we see in verse 5, is the HOLY SPIRIT!

Jesus has promised that a HELPER will come!

John 14:26 CSB

26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

And Jesus tells them that the HELPER is WHO THEY ARE WAITING FOR in JERUSALEM!

Jesus also compares something in verse 5.

Jesus compares the baptism of John and the Holy Spirit coming.

I want to be really clear- this is not saying that as Christians we have two separate baptisms.

Instead, Jesus is showing the difference between what JOHN DID UNDER THE OLD COVENANT AND WHAT GOD IS DOING UNDER THE NEW COVENANT!

Under the Old Covenant John baptized with water.

John’s baptism was essentially about people publicly confessing their sin.

Matthew 3:6–11 CSB

6 and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 7 When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. 9 And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

But the baptism that Jesus comes talking about is not about confessing sin; it is a DECLARATION OF WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE!

In Acts 1, the Holy Spirit comes at this unique time. But throughout the rest of Acts and the NT is people getting saved and receiving the Holy Spirit at the same time!

A helpful way to look at this is that Acts is the center-point of a major shift- life under the Old Covenant has CEASED and now life under the NEW COVENANT- which says that we are saved by FAITH AND FAITH ALONE, has begun!

So, Jesus promises the disciples the Holy Spirit and He tells them to wait in Jerusalem for it.

Acts 1:6

In Acts 1:6, Luke shifts the scene a bit to a time when the disciples are all gathered together. The other place to read about this is Matthew 28:16-17.

Acts 1:6 CSB

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

The disciples gather together and as Matthew tells us they go out to meet Jesus on top of one mountain that he has told them to go to.

When they arrive, they ask Jesus a question.

They ask Jesus if he is going to restore the kingdom of Israel.

Let me be clear on what they mean by that- they want to know if Jesus is about to go down to Jerusalem and is about to go drive out the Romans!

The Disciples are still struggling to understand that Jesus did not come for a physical kingdom.

But before we judge them too hard for this, let’s understand where Israel was.

Israel was desperately waiting for its Messiah and the Israelites were convinced that the Messiah would come to establish a physical kingdom.

The Israelites longed for freedom from Rome and they assumed that the Messiah would do that for them.

There’s also another reason.

See, Jesus’s name in Hebrew was Yeshua. There’s another famous Yeshua in the Bible- we call him Joshua!

Joshua, or Yeshua, was a fairly common name in Israel when Jesus was born!

And it was because of what Joshua had done for Israel.

Joshua led the people into the promised land and was seen as a military hero for Israel!

So the disciples- and up until the crucifixion, many Israelites- think that Jesus is coming to be the next great general!

I say all of this because the disciples weren’t crazy. There was a reason they thought Jesus was going to restore the Kingdom to Isreal!

But Praise GOD that Jesus didn’t come just to free Israel!

Jesus could have freed Israel, but Jesus came for a FAR GREATER MISSION!

Acts 1:7-8

Acts 1:7–8 CSB

7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus hears the disciples and He responds.

Jesus does not directly answer their question. He doesn’t say yes or no. Instead, He says that THEY ARE NOT TO KNOW THE TIMES OR PERIODS THAT GOD HAS SET.

These are in GOD’S HANDS, not the hands of man!

And specifically, Jesus is talking about the restoration of Israel as a kingdom here.

But can I encourage you with something?

This same truth applies today. We don’t need to fret, or worry, or panic, because we will NEVER know all the times.

I think our VBS said it well to the kids. “GOD’S PLAN IS ALWAYS BEST!”

God’s plan will ALWAYS be best. That includes God’s plan for us and God’s plan for our country and world!

Make no mistake about this Cornerstone family- God is very much in control today.

I know it can feel like the world is spinning out of control, but hear me; GOD IS IN CONTROL RIGHT NOW!

So God first tells the disciples that GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Jesus reminds the disciples of God’s sovereignty and that is going to be VERY IMPORTANT for the mission that Jesus is about to give them!

Jesus doesn’t just tell the disciples that God is in charge, Jesus then gives them instructions.

Jesus tells them what is to come. There are 3 things that will happen:

First, the Holy Spirit will COME ON THEM!

Second, they will RECEIVE POWER

Third, THEY WILL BE CHRIST’S WITNESSES!

And then, they are to do something.

After they receive the Holy Spirit, they are not going to stay in Jerusalem, because they are to be CHRIST’S WITNESSES!

They are to be witnesses- which means they need to TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY SAY- in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth!

Now listen to me on this- those locations matter.

Jerusalem is obviously the central location for the Old Covenant. It’s also where they are!

They need to reach Jerusalem!

Secondly, they need to reach Judea!

Judea was the region that was around Jerusalem and that David ruled!

At this point in time it was seen as where THE “TRUE HEBREWS” lived, because it’s where the exiles had returned to.

Then, they are to reach Samaria.

Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom that God had established under Jeroboam after Rehoboam rebelled.

However, when the Assyrians conquered the Israelites, the remnant in the Northern Kingdom intermarried.

So, the residents of Samaria were seen as like “Half-Jew, Half-Gentile” and were looked down on.

But that doesn’t excuse the disciples from WITNESSING TO THEM!

They are to take the Gospel EVEN TO THE SAMARITANS WHO ARE SEEN AS WORSE!

Gospel proclamation isn’t done based on how GOOD someone is or what someone’s position is!

We are to proclaim JESUS TO EVERYONE!

Finally, they are to go to the ends of the earth!

In other words, ALL OF THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR ABOUT JESUS!

Want to talk about something wild? JESUS IS TELLING THE DISCIPLES THAT THEY NEED TO GO TO THE PAGAN GENTILES!

Once again, background and man-made distinction can’t be a reason that we don’t proclaim Jesus!

Instead, the disciples are to travel AROUND THE WORLD PROCLAIMING JESUS!

But obviously this can’t be done in one lifetime.

And that’s because this command doesn’t end with the disciples! It continues on with us!

We need to reach our Jerusalem, our Judea, our Samaria, and the ENDS OF THE EARTH!

Unreached people- The most recent research shows 7,391 unreached people groups- yet only 1% of missions funding goes to reaching those people. YET WE SEE A BIBLICAL MANDATE TO REACH THEM! (THIS IS OUR WORLD! AND FRIENDS, WE CAN’T NEGLECT IT! LISTEN TO ME- WE HAVE TO REACH OUR COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE TO REACH THE WORLD AS CHRISTIANS! AND THAT’S PART OF WHAT MAKES COLLEGE MINISTRY SO STRATEGIC!- explain)

In Acts 1, we see that we are TO GO AS WITNESSES, but Luke doesn’t give us as many details about what that LOOKS LIKE PRACTICALLY.

Matthew 28:19-20 gives us a more clear picture of what it means to be Jesus’s witnesses. It says:

Matthew 28:19–20 CSB

19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So in Matthew’s more detailed account, Jesus gives the disciples 5 things to do.

They are to GO- remember- this could also be translated as “AS YOU GO, or WHEREVER YOU GO.”

They are to MAKE DISCIPLES

They are to BAPTIZE THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

They are to TEACH THEM TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING JESUS COMMANDED

They are to REMEMBER that Jesus is with them always!

These 5 commands form the basis of how we are to WITNESS! We are to witness WHEREVER WE GO, and we are not just to TELL SOMEONE ABOUT JESUS AND THEN LEAVE, we are to intentionally DISCIPLE THEM; walking with them, teaching them what Jesus taught.

And, just as we are going to do this morning, we are to BAPTIZE THEM!

But notice, Jesus doesn’t just tell them to do things; Jesus also reassures them. Jesus reassures them that HE WILL BE WITH THEM ALWAYS- and God is with them always!

The Holy Spirit comes down in Acts 2 and from that day on, the Holy Spirit has been MOVING and has been with EVERY CHRISTIAN EVER!

Application

We have Hope Because of Jesus (Our response)

We Bring Hope Because of Jesus (Our Mission)

WE HAVE HOPE BECAUSE OF JESUS (OUR RESPONSE TO JESUS)

(As a missional church, we don’t have to worry about TODAY, because our hope RESTS SECURELY IN CHRIST! Our focus can be FULLY ON JESUS AT ALL TIMES! WHAT PEACE THAT BRINGS!)

As Christians, we have HOPE because of what Jesus did for us. See, intrinsic in us having a MISSION to proclaim the gospel is UNDERSTANDING THE GOSPEL AND WHAT JESUS DID FOR US!

The Gospel is really simple. Romans 6:23 says it well. Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 CSB

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are all sinners. We are all guilty and we ALL face PUNISHMENT because of our sin.

The punishment for sin is simple- it is eternal separation from our HOLY GOD WHO CREATED US!

Yet, this is not a message without hope. Because although we have EARNED death, God has offered us a gift- ETERNAL LIFE; the FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS, through JESUS CHRIST!

(EXPAND AS YOU PREACH IT! LET GOD MOVE)

Salvation isn’t a get out of jail free card. Salvation changes our entire lives and it changes us TODAY! 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

Think about that! No longer are you trapped by sin- you are MADE NEW! No longer do the cares of this world need to dominate your life. Instead, we HAVE HOPE BECAUSE OF JESUS!

As we keep our eyes on what Christ has done for us, on how we have been MADE NEW like we’ve talked about so much this summer, then we can REST SECURE, in GREAT JOY because we know where our HOPE TRULY LIES!

This is the best news ever! No matter what we face, we know that we will NEVER BE OVERWHELMED! It’s like Romans 8:38-39 that we read last week says-

Romans 8:38–39 CSB

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is the HOPE THAT WE TESTIFY TO! We testify to the world about the HOPE THAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST BECAUSE OF WHAT HE’S DONE FOR US!

We BRING Hope because of Jesus (This is OUR MISSION)

Our world NEEDS HOPE!

And we are called to be witnesses of Jesus, who is the only TRUE SOURCE OF HOPE!

It’s our job to CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JESUS AND HELP THEM MEET JESUS!

Acts 1 lays out a few different places that we are to do this. Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 CSB

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jerusalem- Savoy, Tolono, Champaign- these are the people we see every day (Main Point: The Great Commission must be the central Focus of God’s People.Main Point: The Great Commission must be the central Focus of God’s People.) PRACTICALLY- it is so good to invite our neighbors to church (and I’ve been encouraged to hear so many stories recently about this), but like we’ve seen the last few weeks, we must love them through our actions and we MUST pray for them!

Judea- We’ll call this Illinois- This is why we as a church are a part of ECIBA (Say the full name) and IBSA (say the full name). We work together with other churches to support each other and to reach ILLINOIS! (COLLEGE MINISTRY IS INVOLVED IN THIS! Students from across the state, country and world and we can minister to them!)

Samaria- We’ll call this the USA (Why we are part of the SBC- it’s not just a title, there’s a purpose that we all share! And that’s the GREAT COMMISSION!)

Ends of the earth- this is all over the world!

And I know, that seems like a crazy mission- like how can we as an average sized Illinois church reach the ends of the earth?

But we can! Because we can PRAY EVERY SINGLE DAY!

We can pray for the Fathauer family that we support, we can pray for the missionaries that the Cooperative Program supports and we can pray for specific people groups- Joshua Project app- it will give you “an unreached people group of the day” that you can be praying for. Even without going, we have a HUGE role in missions! We need to pray!

As William Carey said famously- he would go, but he needed churches back home to “HOLD THE ROPE!” Part of our job in Bringing THE HOPE THAT JESUS PROMISES AND IN BEING CHRIST’S WITNESSES IS TO HOLD THE ROPE FOR MISSIONARIES FINANCIALLY AND IN PRAYER!