God's Mission

INTRODUCTION

Welcome

Good morning CrossPointe

We are in the final week of our series entitled, “We Are the Church.”

Next week we will return to our study through the book of Acts for a series entitled, “Witnesses.”

We left off at the end of so next week we will pick back up in

2. Series Overview

a. The big idea of our January Series is “rediscovering God’s purpose and plan for his church”

b. Week 1 -

Purpose of the church is to display God’s glory among all peoples (, )

“so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known”

c. Week 2

God empowers his church to live in a such a way that it displays his glory to all peoples

Another Statements: Love, Unity, Encouragement, Humility

d. Week 3

As disciples we must surrender our preferences and idols to live these one another statements by the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. This Week

Connect all of this back to the purpose of the church - displaying the glory of Jesus among all peoples because he is worthy

The goal is to make much of Jesus, not to glorify of the church

Not to build CrossPointe or have people recognize our name

IT IS: God’s Mission is given the church

b. The church exists to go into all the world to declare and demonstrate the good news of Jesus

How the church as a whole has gotten it wrong at times

How we get it right

Where do we go from here

4. Pray

a.

HOW WE’VE GOTTEN IT WRONG | WHEN THE CHURCH IS LIKE A ZOO

Have you ever seen the movie Madagascar by Dreamworks

The movie begins with a bunch of “wild” animals in a zoo. all the spectators are in awe of these powerful and exotic animals. Everyone’s favorite is the lion and the kids cheer every time he roars. Most of the animals love this setup. They are extremely well cared for. Trainers wait on them hand and foot, bringing them everything they need and ensuring that their habitats, which are carefully designed to look like “the wild,” are safe and comfortable for the animals.

But the zebra, he’s a day dreamer and dreams about really being out in the wild and has this feeling that he wasn’t mean to be in a zoo but was meant to roam free.

His restlessness creates a situation where several of the animals escape the zoo and later find themselves stranded in the jungle of Madagascar. The movie is hilarious, mostly stemming from watching domesticated animals trying to survive in the wild.

These animals were born to live free, born with the instincts and physical characteristics required to thrive. But their zoo environment had made them tame, useless in the wild.

2. The Caged Church

3. The Caged Church

a. Have you ever felt like the zebra who longed for something more in the freedom of the wild when it comes to church?

b. Maybe you had a taste of something more during a missions trip or while boldly reaching out to others in your neighborhood.

I remember going on a missions trip as a teen and returned with a renewed zeal and passion.

I walked into the sanctuary of the church on sunday and someone asked me about the trip and I excitedly told them all about it.

Her response, “don’t worry, the excitement wears off and you’ll be back to normal soon enough.”

Ticked me off

Yet there is truth her as well

Why is that the exception rather than the norm

c. Francis Chan asks the question:

Are we sure our churches aren’t zoos

Rather than producing powerful and fearless missionaries who go to the ends of the earth, we are left with thirtysomethings who live with their parents and complain about not having a singles’ group.

Christian families are busy reassuring one another that God wants us to do what’s safest for our families and to pursue God in a way that looks suspiciously similar to what we’d naturally do if our only concern was our own comfort and happiness.

d. So churches build bigger and nicer cages. We renovate our buildings to look like the wild while making sure everyone is comfortable inside.

Cultural Expectations

Good Service, Age Specific Ministries, Well-Communicated Sermon, Parking, Clean Building, A Building, Coffee

Am I being fed?

Growing

What if the church was unleashed - uncaged?

I’m not being fed...

What if the church was sent out rather than just inviting people in?

What if the way we live out the one another statements isn’t so we can become a holy huddle but a band of brothers and sisters sent out on mission together? THE PURPOSE OF LIVING OUT THE ONE ANOTHER STATEMENTS

3. The church is meant for more

a. To make much of Jesus because he is worthy

b. Equip the Saints for ministry

b.

c. Sent out into the world

HOW DO WE GET IT RIGHT...

Read

THE CHURCH IS ABOUT GOD’S GLORY (THE CHURCH GLORIFIES GOD)

1. God’s Glory is the Goal

Our vision of the church as the body of Christ must begins with a glorious view of God, not ourselves.

God Sovereignly Holds the Future of All Things in His Right Hand

Not what we want

Not what we do

Both of these are wrong

From God and To God

“Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to received glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and because of your will they existed, and were created.

God is worthy

Worthy to receive glory, honor, and power

2. Even our salvation is about God’s Glory

“For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

Who is central in this passage? God or Us

This comes from a worldview of honor and shame, not just right and wrong

The redeemed are saved for God’s glory and their joy.

2. The Goal is the Glory of God Among All Peoples

Scroll -

4:11

3. God is Sovereign and Doesn’t Need Our Help

“Our God is in the heavens; he does as he pleases.”

Declaring the end from the beginning and from the ancient times things yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purposes.”

Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps...”

It is important that we remember that sovereignty of God because:

God’s mission is to glorify himself among all peoples but…

too often we think of ourselves or the church as primary with a mission to help God

AW Tozer’s ‘Knowledge of the Holy,’ Chapter on the Self-Sufficiency of God

Quote:

Almighty God, just because He is almighty, needs no support. The picture of a nervous, ingratiating God fawning over men to win their favor is not a pleasant one; yet if we look at the popular conception of God that is precisely what we see. Twentieth century Christianity has put God on charity. So lofty is our opinion of ourselves that we find it quite easy, not to say enjoyable, to believe that we are necessary to God.

Probably the hardest thought of all for our natural egotism to entertain is that God does not need our help. We commonly represent Him as a busy, eager, somewhat frustrated Father hurrying about seeking help to carry out His benevolent plan to bring peace and salvation to the world...

Too many missionary appeals are based upon this fancied frustration of Almighty God. An effective speaker can easily excite pity in his listeners, not only for the heathen but for the God who has tried so hard and so long to save them and has failed for want of support. I fear that thousands of younger persons enter Christian service from no higher motive than to help deliver God from the embarrassing situation His love has gotten Him into and His limited abilities seem unable to get Him out of. Add to this a certain degree of commendable idealism and a fair amount of compassion for the underprivileged and you have the true drive behind much Christian activity today.

In truth, God is primary, God’s purpose is his own glory

God established the church (universally), CrossPointe Church (specifically), as a means of displaying his glory to our neighborhoods and the nations.

We “get to” be part of God’s mission

2. God is the Goal

a. “Is the way we do church worthy of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?” Jeff Vanderstelt

We aren’t trying to earn our salvation but we desire to live lives worthy of the call

Zealous for the glory of God in Orlando

Can you imagine if Jesus came to you today and said hey, I’m going out at Pizza Hut with some friends later today - do you want to come along with me?

b. God’s Glory is the Goal of the Church

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.

Self -> Name -> Glory -> Praise (God’s supreme zeal/commitment - for his own glory)

Often times - we hear much made about God’s love for us - and this is true but we can emphasize it in such a way that makes ourselves central.

So how does God’s love relate to us?

I defer and restrain my anger

I may not cut you off

I refined and have tried you

Praise

Self

Glory

Would we say, “oh man, I’d love to stay home and watch the probowl today but Jesus invited me out...

GOD’S REDEMPTION (THE CHURCH IS SAVED BY JESUS’ BLOOD)

THE CHURCH IS EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT | The Church On Mission Together

In the Fall of 2018 we began studying through the Book of Acts

Big Idea: The gospel will be proclaimed among all peoples through witnesses empowered by the Holy spirit.

When the church began the instruction we clear:

Wait...

At the end of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they are clothed with power to tell others about Jesus.

Receive...

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jersualem, Judea, and to the end of the earth.

Make Disciples...

“As you go, make disciples...”

2. This is what we see throughout the Book of Acts, from the birth of the Church until today

Disciples who are empowered by the Holy Spirit

Are sent out into the world, “As the father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

The church isn’t caged or huddled in a corner.

Sometimes I feel like we view the church like our homes during a hurricane.

There’s a defensive posture, trying to withstand of the forces of the world that would seek its destruction.

Instead, we see God on the move, expanding, inviting, renewing

We see the forces of opposition in Acts: the threats, imprisonment, killing

What you don’t see - people saying don’t worry, that zeal will wear off and we’ll make ourselves a comfortable spot in the corner of the city and people will leave us alone

Rather, we see the disciples praying for boldness to go back out into the story and for God to move miraculously.

As we’ve journeyed through Acts so far:

We’ve see the gospel proclaimed to the Jews

To the Gentiles

And we are about to see the gospel continue out to the ends of the earth.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE...

RELEASING THE CHURCH INTO THE WILD

EQUIPPING vs

Ephesians 4:11

2. RELEASING vs CONTROLING

Go, as you go (Matthew 28)

f

Work, play, family life - understanding what it means to be a disciple in everyday life.

How do you work to the glory of the God

How do you play, vacation, BBQ, Superbowl Party for the glory of God?

3. ENCOURAGE BOLDNESS VS COMFORT

a. Gather

b. Build Up, Encourage, Train

4. REPEAT

ACTION STEPS

Partnership Covenant

Prayer & Dependence

How should we engage the world around us?

2. Trust in His Empowerment

3. Partner

a.