Mission: Possible

MISSION: POSSIBLE

INTRODUCTION:

IF YOU WALK INTO ANY OF THE THREE STAFF OFFICES IN THE CHURCH, YOU WILL FIND THREE FRAMED STATEMENTS ON THE WALL IN EACH ONE.

THESE STATEMENTS ARE PLACED ON THE WALL OF THESE OFFICES TO SERVE AS A REMINDER OF THE REASONS WE DO WHAT WE DO.

I HAVE THE THREE THAT HANG ON MY WALL WITH ME THIS MORNING, AND I’LL SHOW THEM TO YOU.

THE FIRST ONE STATES OUR MISSION.

THIS STATEMENT IS ALSO FOUND IN YOUR BULLETIN EACH WEEK.

BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY NOTICED, WE HAVE, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, REDESIGNED THE BULLETIN SO THAT IT IS MORE THAN JUST A WEEKLY INFORMATION SHEET.

THE INSIDE PART OF THE BULLETIN HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO HELP YOU TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR LORD, AND ABOUT THE LORD’S CHURCH HERE.

IT HAS ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION TO HELP YOU TELL OTHERS WHAT CHRIST IS UP TO IN HIS CHURCH, AND HE IS UP TO A LOT.

BUT BACK TO THE MISSION STATEMENT.

IT’S FOUND IN YOUR BULLETIN, BUT ALSO HANGS ON THE WALLS OF THE OFFICES.

AND THIS IS WHAT IT READS: THE MISSION OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IS TO MAKE MATURE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

- THAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH.

o THE WHOLE MISSION OF THE WHOLE CHURCH.

o IT IS A MISSION THAT DOES NOT CHANGE.

§ OUR MISSION HAS NEVER BEEN ANYTHING DIFFERENT, NO MATTER WHAT WE MAY THINK, THAN WHAT IT IS NOW.

§ AND IT NEVER WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT.

- THE MISSION IS NOT THE SAME AS THE INDIVIDUAL PURPOSE OF EACH BELIEVER.

o WE HAVE A STATEMENT FOR THAT AS WELL.

§ THIS IS HOW IT READS: OUR PURPOSE (INDIVIDUAL PURPOSE) IS TO KNOW CHRIST AND MAKE HIM KNOWN.

- SO EACH PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TWO THINGS:

o TO KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY

o AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN THROUGH THE DEPLOYMENT OF ONE’S SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

- AND THEN THE THIRD STATEMENT THAT HANGS ON THE WALLS OF OUR OFFICES IS OUR VISION STATEMENT.

o NOW LET ME SAY THIS ABOUT THESE STATEMENTS.

§ THE FIRST ONE WILL NEVER CHANGE.

· WE MAY CHANGE THE WAY WE PHRASE IT, OTHER CHURCHES STATE IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT THE BASIC TRUTH IS THAT WE ARE CALLED TO MAKE MATURE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

§ THE SECOND ONE MAY CHANGE A LITTLE, WHILE THE BASIC PURPOSE, TO KNOW CHRIST AND MAKE HIM KNOWN, IS THE OVERARCHING PURPOSE OF EVERY BELIEVER, THE WAY THAT IS CARRIED OUT CHANGES FOR EACH PERSON.

· AS A PERSON MATURES IN CHRIST, THEY ARE ABLE TO DO MORE, AND EXPECTED BY GOD TO DO MORE FOR THE KINGDOM.

· AS A PERSON AGES, THE WAY THEY CARRY OUT THEIR PERSONAL PURPOSE CHANGES, BECAUSE OF AGE AND ABILITY, BUT THE BASIC PURPOSE NEVER CHANGES.

§ THIS THIRD STATEMENT, THE VISION STATEMENT, IS DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST TWO IN THAT IT IS A FLUID STATEMENT.

o WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT IT CHANGES AS THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE CHURCH MAY CHANGE.

o IF YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF AN AUTOMOBILE, THE MISSION STATEMENT WOULD BE THE VEHICLE, THE PURPOSE STATEMENT WOULD BE THE DRIVER, AND THE VISION STATEMENT WOULD BE THE ROADMAP.

o IT’S WHAT DETERMINES WHERE WE ARE GOING FOR THE TIME BEING.

§ AND IF THE NEEDS CHANGE, THE ROADMAP – THE VISION – CAN CHANGE WITH IT.

o LET ME READ THE VISION STATEMENT…

BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS MORNING IS THE MISSION STATEMENT AND TAKE THE TEXT WE READ EARLIER AND UNPACK IT TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS.

SO LET’S WALK THROUGH THESE 3 VERSES OF AS WE LEARN THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH THAT, BY THE WAY, JESUS HAS MADE POSSIBLE.

1. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES.

a. AND JESUS CAME AND SAID TO THEM, “ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME.

b. THE WORD AUTHORITY IS A WORD THAT MEANS DELEGATED INFLUENCE:—JURISDICTION, LIBERTY, POWER, RIGHT, STRENGTH.

c. WHEN WE READ IT HERE, WHAT WE RECOGNIZE IS THAT JESUS IS COMMUNICATING TO THOSE WHO WERE GATHERED HERE THAT BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN GIVEN JURISDICTION TO MOVE AND ACT IN THE WORLD, THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAT SAME AUTHORITY.

i. THE BIBLE SOMETIMES REFERS TO BELIEVERS AS AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST.

ii. THEREFORE, WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, GOD MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. WE IMPLORE YOU ON BEHALF OF CHRIST, BE RECONCILED TO GOD.

iii. AN AMBASSADOR IS A PERSON WHO SERVES AS A RESPRESENTATIVE OF ANOTHER.

1. GOOGLE DICTIONARY

a. AMBASSADOR - AN ACCREDITED DIPLOMAT SENT BY A COUNTRY AS ITS OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY.

2. SO IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, YOU ARE AN AMBASSADOR, AND AS AN AMBASSADOR, YOU HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ONE WHO HAS SENT YOU

d. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN EVERYTHING WE NEED TO REPRESENT CHRIST HERE ON EARTH.

e. BUT WHAT ARE WE TO DO WITH THIS AUTHORITY?

f. THREE ACTIVITIES ARE OUTLINED IN THESE NEXT TWO VERSES.

g. AND THESE ARE THE VERSES FROMO WHICH OUR MISSION STATEMENT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED.

h. SO WHAT HE IS TELLING US HERE IS THAT THE MISSION IS NEVER IN “OFF MODE.”

i. WE ARE ALWAYS ON MISSION.

j. AND HE GIVES THREE TASKS TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE CHURCH.

k. HERE’S THE FIRST…

2. GO EVERYWHERE WITH THE GOSPEL.

a. :19A - GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS

b. THIS IS EVANGELISM.

c. IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, THE STATEMENT “GO, THEREFORE” CAN BE TRANSLATED “AS YOU GO,” OR “AS YOU ARE GOING.”

i. IT IS WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A PASSIVE PARTICIPLE, WHICH MEANS THAT THIS PHRASE COULD BE STATED SIMPLY AS “GOING, THEREFORE.”

d. IT CONTAINS IN IT THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU ARE GOING SOMEWHERE.

i. FOR CENTURIES, CIVILIZATION HAS BEEN ON THE MOVE.

1. ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE DONE FOR YEARS IS TO TRACK DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS.

a. CHURCHES DO IT, BUSINESSES DO IT, AND GOVERNMENTS DO IT.

2. BUT WHY?

ii. BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ON THE MOVE.

iii. PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GOING.

iv. JESUS UNDERSTOOD THIS, AND HE GAVE THIS COMMAND OF THE MISSION TO BELIEVERS THAT HE KNEW WOULD BE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF “GOING.”

e. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF UNREPENTANT SINNERS.

i. MANY CHURCHES ARE TRYING TO DO THIS, BUT THEIR EFFORTS ARE NOT MAKING TRUE DISCIPLES, THE EFFORTS OF THOSE CHURCHES ARE AT BEST MAKING MORE MORAL LOST PEOPLE.

f. SO WE ARE CHARGED WITH TAKING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE EVERYWHERE WE ARE.

i. WE ARE TO MODEL THE GOSPEL BEFORE OTHERS.

ii. WE ARE TO SPEAK THE GOSPEL TO OTHERS.

iii. AND WE ARE TO HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL.

g. WE ARE TO GO TO THE PEOPLE WITH THE GOSPEL.

3. THEN WE ARE TO HELP PEOPLE IDENTIFY WITH CHRIST.

i. - BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

ii. WHEN WE IMMERSE BELIEVERS IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM, WE ARE HELPING THEM STATE THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER GOING TO BE CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR OLD WAY OF LIFE.

iii. NOW THEIR IDENTITY WILL BE FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST.

b. AND HIS PRIORITIES WILL BE THEIR PRIORITIES.

c. HIS MISSION WILL BE THEIR MISSION.

d. THOSE HE LOVES WILL BE THOSE THEY LOVE.

e. BAPTISM IS A STEP OF OBEDIENCE THAT TELLS THE WORLD THAT A CHANGE HAS TAKEN PLACE IN MY LIFE, AND I AM NO LONGER IDENTIFIED BY THE WAY I USED TO BE, BUT BECAUSE I AM NOW IN CHRIST, YOU WILL WITNESS THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF JESUS IN MY LIFE.

4. AFTER THIS, WE ARE TO TEACH PEOPLE THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST.

a. :20A - TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.

b. PASTOR, ARE YOU REALLY SAYING THAT AS A BELIEVER, I AM EXPECTED TO OBEY EVERYTHING JESUS COMMANDED?

i. NO, THAT’S NOT WHAT I’M SAYING, THAT’S WHAT JESUS SAID.

ii. AND JESUS OUTRANKS BRO. DAVE TEN OUT OF TEN TIMES.

c. THINK OF IT IN MILITARY TERMS.

i. IN THE MILITARY, EVERY SOLDIER HAS A COMMANDING OFFICER, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT COMMANDING OFFICER IS TO GIVE COMMANDS TO HIS SUBORDINATES IN SUPPORT OF THE MISSION.

ii. AND IF A SUBORDINATE DECIDES NOT TO FOLLOW THE COMMANDS OF HIS SUPERIOR OFFICER, HE IS SUBJECT TO THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE BECAUSE HE HAS DISOBEYED A DIRECT ORDER OF HIS COMMANDING OFFICER.

1. IF FOUND GUILTY, HE IS IN DANGER OF PUNISHMENT.

a. HE COULD LOSE RANK (INFLUENCE).

b. HE COULD BE IMPRISONED (FREEDOM).

c. HE COULD EVEN BE REMOVED FROM SERVICE (DEEMED UNFIT TO SERVE).

iii. JESUS IS OUR COMMANDING OFFICER, AND HE EXPECTS US TO LEARN AND OBEY EVERY COMMAND THAT HE HAS GIVEN US.

1. AND IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO DO THIS, WE COULD LOSE INFLUENCE, WE COULD LOSE OUR FREEDOM IN HIM, OR WE COULD BE DEEMED UNFIT FOR SERVICE AND SIDELINED.

2. WE WILL NEVER CEASE TO BE PART OF THE NATION OF BELIEVERS, BUT WE COULD CEASE TO BE EFFECTIVE WITNESSES FOR HIM.

d. THEREFORE, WE ARE TO TEACH PEOPLE BIBLICAL TRUTH.

e. AND WE DO ALL THESE THINGS WITH TWO MEANS OF SUPPORT.

f. ONE WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IN THE AUTHORITY WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

g. BUT THE SECOND MEANS OF SUPPORT IS…

5. THE PRESENCE OF JESUS.

a. :20B - AND BEHOLD, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE.”

b. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT AS WE CARRY OUT THIS COMMISSION FROM CHRIST, HE DOES NOT LEAVE US TO NAVIGATE THE MISSION ALONE.

i. HE IS OUR CONSTANT COMPANION.

c. WE ARE NEVER WITHOUT THE CAOMPANIONSHIP AND GUIDANCE OF OUR SAVIOR, BECAUSE HE HAS SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE US AS WE LIVE FOR HIM AND WITNESS TO A WATCHING WORLD.

CONCLUSION:

TWO-FOLD

FOR THE BELIEVER:

- RECOMMIT YOURSELF TO THE SERVICE OF THE LORD AND BE HIS WITNESS IN THE WORLD.

o LIVING OUT THE GOSPEL

o AND SPEAKING THE GOSPEL TO THOSE YOU CROSS PATHS WITH.

- COME AND KNEEL BEFORE THE LORD AND ASK FOR HIM TO REIGNITE THE FIRE THAT ONCE BURNED IN YOU FOR HIM, FOR HIS WORD, AND FOR THE LOST.

- ASK HIM TO MAKE YOU A USEFUL SERVANT ONCE AGAIN.

FOR THE ONE WHO HAS NOT YET PLACED HIS OR HER FAITH IN CHRIST:

- COMMIT YOUR LIFE TO JESUS TODAY.

o RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR SINS SEPARATE YOU FROM GOD.

o AND THAT ON YOUR OWN, YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO RIGHT THE WRONGS YO HAVE COMMITTED.

o THEN RECOGNIZE THAT JESUS DID EVERYTHING NECESSARY FOR YOUR SINS TO BE FORGIVEN.

o AND THAT IF YOU WILL PUT YOUR FAITH IN HIM, HE WILL SAVE YOU TODAY.

o AND GIVE YOU THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM.