Living the Vision
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Missional Church
Missional Church
Last week we heard a great presentation and testimony of the need to reach the unreached people for Christ.
Pastor Tejano gave a presentation about the region of the world that has not been reached by the gospel.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:
Pastor Ramon, do you mean that we all have to pack our bags and go to Turkey, or Egypt? That not what we are encouraging everyone to do.
During World War 2.. America joined late in the war, although millions joined the war against Nazi Germany, almost 90% of Americans stayed home,, didn’t live lives detached from what was happening in Europe. It wasn’t life or business as usual, those who stayed here, mostly the women left their normal lives and worked in factories building weapons, tanks and airplanes to be deployed in the war..
Image of planes being built here
Image of tanks
Image of weapons
There was unity of purpose for a common mission.
That’s what the church should look like, we have to be joined in one heart towards missions..
Vision School starts on March 23.
Vision School starts on March 23 - who has so far signed up?
I encourage those who
Vision School is a program where you will be awakened to the reality of God’s purpose and heart for His people and all nations. The weekly lectures will impart the Father’s heart for the unreached people group and open students’ eyes to what God is and has been doing all over the world to advance His Kingdom
“Missional”
The word Missional has become a buzz word.
We talk of becoming a missional church.
We want to be a church that sends out people to other parts of the world, we are a church that supports missionaries and church plants financially. We call our church a missional church by what we do in countries like the Philippines and Mexico.
There is a problem though, calling ourselves a Missional church connotes that..
Problem with the phrase being a “missional” church:
Being missional is only a characteristic of the church.
Being missional is only an option of the church.
Missions are but a program of the church
Let me submit to you this morning that being missional is not a characteristic, nor is it an option, nor is it tied to a program given to the church of Jesus Christ..
Being Missional is God’s Vision for the Church.
Which means that if a church is not or ceases to be missional it stops living the vision of God, that it may remain to be gathering of people, it can still be an organization but if the church is not missional it actually is no longer a church.
Here is the right definition of the church.
Church is the gathering of the people of God living the Vision of God.
The original church of Jesus Christ during the apostolic age was missional, they had a strong love for the lost, and they had a strong witness for Jesus.
The church was marching on, they were excited about not only reaching the world for Jesus but they thought Jesus was coming very soon as they continue to proclaim the gospel because after all,Jesus said, that the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.. which means Jesus is gonna come.
What happened to the church?
What happened to its testimony?
Just two verses before these words of Jesus from , we read:
12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew
There were already signs in the Bible of the church losing its first love..
If Jesus was going to write us a love letter today, giving us a review of how Crosswind is doing, what will we read in that letter?
Actually Jesus sent a letter out to the seven churches...
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
This was Jesus, He told John to write a love letter to the church at Ephesus. Do you notice something different with how He started the letter?
Who did He address?
The angel of the church...
Some say the angel of the church is the pastor of the church..
What is an angel? common ideas..
But an angel is a messenger..
The angel is the personification of the message of the church.
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ 8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ 18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ 8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ 18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
;
We have to go back to chapter 1 of Revelation:
The church exists to hold the light of the Gospel up high for all the world to see.
John had a vision...
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
Pictur
20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 1:20
The angels are the personification of the message or the witness of the church.
Picture of the seven golden lampstands here.
The church exists to hold the light of the Gospel up high for all the world to see.
Jesus had praises for the church..
2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
What it means.. (what people think and why it’s not that)..
It’s not that you have less love for Jesus - it says you have totally lost..
On the other hand, it does not say you have lost your love for ME.. - they still did all these works..
Jesus isn’t saying “you’ve stopped loving me.” He’s saying “you’ve stopped loving the lost.”
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
You are no longer holding the light of the message of Jesus for the world to see
Your witness has lowered, the mission of the church has become a mere program and then in the end the church had totally fallen..
6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Jesus said repent, and do the works you did at first, if not I will come to remove your lampstand from its place..
Jesus said repent, and do the works you did at first, if not I will come to remove your lampstand from its place..
What does it mean? Remember what the lampstand symbolizes?
The lampstand is the church.. you have ceased being the church..
Does it mean that if the church lost its witness then the church spirals and starts dying? That is not what I am saying.
What I get from this is that if the church totally lost its witness it is already dead.
Jesus isn’t saying “you’ve stopped loving me.” He’s saying “you’ve stopped loving the lost.”
May this never be an indictment to our church.
6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Works of the Nicolaitans - some say they taught the church to commit immoral acts,, some say they believed they were about having a select group of people dominating the church - it is the precursor to the rise of the clergy..
Church that had kept or regained its doctrinal purity, teaching about grace..but had lost its purpose.
What about our discipleship program?
We need to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, we have to be equipped, to what end?
We need to be equipped for the work of ministry, we need to have a strong witness
What happened? //Maybe they had become more afraid of losing their purity than their purpose.// Maybe they had just forgotten why Jesus had left them in the world.
The message of the gospel..
We have been given a mandate to reach the unreached, it could be in your place of work,,
Being missional is not what we do. It is who we are.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’