Life on Mission 2

Intro

Students whats up!

The finale of our Life on Mission series!

We are doing things a little different as you can probably tell!

We are in the lobby, around round tables, eating some dessert and going to talk in groups!

Last week we talked about how you have a mission — to make disciples

To share the Gospel

Today at your tables we are going to talk about what it actually looks like to live a life that is on mission!

Salt and light

Listen to what Jesus tells us:

Matthew 5:13–16 ESV

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus tells us that we are called to be salt and light!

That we are called to live a life that is like a light bulb in a dark world

If you know about about a light bulb its entire purpose and design is to provide light and cast out dark

Jesus points to our life and tells us that this is what our lives should be looking like!

Man the reality is this:

You are the light of the world!

You as a child of God are called to be the light of the world

To cast out darkness in your schools, jobs, and life

Your life should be casting out sin

So at your tables I want to start the discussion tonight with this thought:

Question: Where in your life can you be a light for Christ? What would you have to do to be the light?

People are watching

Peter tells us something very interesting:

1 Peter 2:11–12 ESV

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Peter tells us that we need to live a life that causes non-believers to be unable to speak evil against us

We are meant to be following Jesus so closely that they cannot go against us!

This is so challenging because I would be willing to bet that for most of us we struggle to follow Jesus 24/7

We struggle to give Jesus everything all the time but Peter warns us that we must!

Why?

Quite simply because:

People are watching how you live

People are watching how you live!

Peter warns that the way we live will be scrutinized

The things we do, the way we say things, how we respond, everything is under the microscope

Rather you believe it or not, people are watching you

So here is the second prompt to discuss at your table:

Question: Did you know that people are watching you? How have you seen that play out in your life?

Faith requires works

The sad reality for a lot of people is that their lives don’t reflect Christ in all aspects

However, Jesus’ brother James tells us something very interesting about our life

James 2:14–17 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James tells us that our faith requires works

It isn’t enough to simply say that you believe in Jesus — that belief should spring out into a life that is changed by the message of Christ!

For us to live a life that is fully on mission for the Lord means this:

Our works must reflect our faith

Our works, or the things we do on a day to day basis needs to reflect what we believe in

If we know that people are watching us all the time, then that should make us realize more and more that our actions are important!

That our works and lives need to reflect Christ!

Take a minute to discuss this at your tables:

Question: If someone followed you around for a week, what would your life tell them about what matters most to you?

Question: What in your life needs to change to reflect your faith?

Urgency

Living a life on mission also needs to come with a certain level of urgency!

James 4:13–14 ESV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

We are told that we do not know how many days we have — our life is like a mist a vapor!

Psalm 90:12 ESV

12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

We are not promised tomorrow!

So for us living life on mission that means we need to make sure we spend every moment seeking to bring others to Jesus!

We need to spend all our time focused on the next

We must have urgency

We must have urgency because though we aren’t promised tomorrow on earth we all have eternity

Rope analogy

So here’s the last set of questions for your table then I’ll get back up and dismiss us

Question: Do you feel a sense of urgency to share the Gospel with people you know is lost? Why or why not?

Question: Who are you going to commit to reaching out and sharing the Gospel with this week?

Conclusion

Students the reality is we are called to be lights to the world!

We are called to live a life that is on mission seeking to reach others with the Gospel!

This week as you get back into school and surround yourself with people who don’t know Jesus, I want you to ask yourself:

“Am I leading people closer to Jesus? Or further from Jesus?”

Let me pray