Mission: Impossible
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
Fulfillment of Jesus prediction in 5:10 (fishers of men)
Disciples are being moved up in importance in this chapter
Commissioning of the disciples
Feeding of 5k executed by disciples
Peter’s (disciple) Acknowledgment of Christ’s identity
Jesus shares his mission with the Disciples
Disciples witness the transfiguration
Disciples unable to heal a demon possessed boy
Jesus shares his mission with the disciples again
Important background characters in a movie :: disciples (Stars in a background role)
This makes this text important for us because we are starting to move towards seeing our role in Jesus’s mission
This text is the a mission briefing
What are you living for?
A Delegated Mission
A Delegated Mission
1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
The mission of the church comes from God and he controls that mission
The disciples are called to carry on his mission
Everything they are commissioned to do, he has already done
This is the root of the disciples role as “apostle” (“sent” is the same root)
Negatively: As agents on a mission we are limited
Negatively: As agents on a mission we are limited
Our master sets our mission
He has the absolute right to determine what we are called to do
The church is his and we must do what he calls us to do
Positively: As agents on a mission we are empowered
Positively: As agents on a mission we are empowered
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The gospel is able to penetrate into the hardest places
Culturally hardest
The expanse of the gospel to the nations
Jesus comes to his own who should have known he was coming but is rejected
Yet, the gospel goes to the nations who opposed his people in the OT
Personally hardest
The hardest knot requires the sharpest wedge (Sibbes)
This empowering is enacted through dependence on God
A Dependent Mission
A Dependent Mission
3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.
This is a necessary connection, if our mission is effective because of God’s authority, it is only effective in dependence on him.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
God uses broken people
Abraham
David
Peter
Paul
God doesn’t need us to accomplish his plan
Recruiting scenes in a heist movie (Muscle, safe cracker, IT guy, mastermind, master of disguise, comic relief, ninja)
God’s mission is accomplished through his power not ours so out participation in it is an act of worship rather than filling a needed role
This is empowering (I can be a part of the plan) and humbling (I’m not good enough for the plan)
An Urgent Mission
An Urgent Mission
5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
The disciples must keep moving rather than fight resistance.
Pause and consider the recipients of the disciples message rather than the disciples
A warning to recipients of God’s mission – there is a time when it is too late to respond
In evangelical theology there is a broad consciousness of a “too late” for repentance – death
This implies that death isn’t the only “too late”
God is extraordinarily patient but
Biblical examples of “too late”
Proverbs
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
The door is shut
24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
Judgment surprises
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Turned over to our desires
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
God’s patience leads towards repentance so respond
3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
A Successful Mission
A Successful Mission
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
Crippling fear of failure (What could you do if you knew it would be successful?)
Jesus mission will be accomplished
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Note that the mission being accomplished includes the death of a great servant
Hinge points in God’s mission
When there was one offspring
Roman persecution
Christ on the cross
Conclusion – Our place in the mission
Conclusion – Our place in the mission
Aspects of this mission were particularly dedicated to the time and place of the disciples
However, Christ still has a kingdom mission and we are invited to participate in it
A mission is a priority
Olympics
You are similarly called to a mission
It is a mission that belongs to Christ
It is a mission empowered by Christ
It is a mission of urgency
It is a mission that will succeed
