Launch: Mission Control
Launch Week One:
Mission Control
Jeff Jones, Senior Pastor
October 26/28, 2007
Have you ever seen a launch of a shuttle or a rocket? It is really amazing, because you don’t just see it, you feel it, just like we did…you feel the rumble and the thrust. Few things match the energy and excitement of a launch. This week we begin a new series called Launch, where we will look at the launch of the early church, those precarious but exciting days of the early church, this little group with a big mission. We will be focusing on the first few chapters in the book of Acts, those early days of the church. We are doing this because we too are in launch mode. We are about to hit the ignite button to re-launch this church as we not just relocate our church building but replant our church in this community. Whether you realize it or not, you have been caught up in something big. I don’t believe God has led you to our church right now at this time by accident. I really don’t. He wants to do some things in your life and through your life, and he couldn’t have picked a more engaging time than re-launch.
As we are re-launching our church, we will be looking at this much smaller group of believers just after Jesus resurrected from the dead and then later ascended to heaven. The story of Acts is the story of the first 30 years of the church, how this little group of 120 people ended up impacting the whole known world. The story of the book of Acts is one of the most amazing stories in history.
Today we are going to start at the beginning of the book in chapter one, where the little group begins to own their mission, the mission of God in this age. Today we are talking about the mission, about what it means to live a missional life, what it means to be a missional church. The sad reality is that most believers and most churches live a missionless life, just go through the motions of the so-called Christian life and church with a yawn…which is so sad because what God offers is the energy and excitement of a Spirit-empowered mission.
It’s a little like this Diet Coke I have up here. Anyone on the front rows a Diet Coke fan? Okay. I’m going to give you a choice of two Diet Cokes. One has been opened for a while and has lost its fizz; the other little can has not been opened and full of fizz. Why don’t you try both before you decide. Which is best? You can choose the fizz-less, but why would you? What’s the point? When it comes to the Christian life and to church life, you can settle for fizz-less, but God offers a life full of fizz, his energy and life pouring through yours to impact others. Today we are talking about that choice, about what it means to live a missional life, because it is not the default, it is not the norm. Let’s turn together to the beginning of the book of Acts,
Slide: _______________ ) Acts 1:1
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. Acts is part of a two book series, the first book the book of Luke. It would have been one book, but in those days they wrote on scrolls, so book size was limited. The biggest scroll manageable was about 35 feet long, which would have been the size both of Luke and Acts. Luke was telling the story from the birth of Jesus through the first 30 years of the church. He goes on:
Slide: _______________ ) Acts 1:3
After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. After the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples before he ascended to heaven. It says that what he did in that time was give instructions through the Holy Spirit, and over and over again, he gave them their instructions, or marching orders, or mission. We read in Matthew 28 that their mission was to go and make disciples of the nations. In John, they were to be sent into the world to seek and save the lost in the same way that Jesus was sent into the world. Over and over again, his goal was to make the mission crystal clear. Jesus came to this planet with a very urgent mission, to make a way for people to have a forever relationship with God and escape the forever punishment for their sin, and that’s why he came, died, and rose from the dead. As we saw last week, he came to provide the cure, but then he left for heaven, leaving the cure, the mission, with his followers to share to the whole world.
The disciples heard those words, but most of what Jesus was saying went right over their heads, because they were focused on something else. They had their own agenda, their own concern. Jesus had his agenda, and they had their agenda, and the two were not the same. We just heard Jesus’ agenda, but their agenda was vastly different. What they had been looking for all along when they understood that Jesus was the Messiah, the one sent from God, was for Jesus to establish his political rule on this planet, his kingdom on this earth as we talked about some in the heaven series. They expected that to come immediately. Remember that Israel had been under domination of foreign nations for centuries, and they were longing for God to restore Israel to her former glory. They expected Jesus to come as an earthly king right away, throw off Rome, and establish his kingdom on this earth. That’s why on Palm Sunday, when the people are waving palm branches and talking about how the king has come, they were so excited. They expected him to set up his earthly kingdom right then. But he didn’t, and in fact he was crucified on a Roman cross. That was confusing. But then he did raise from the dead, so now the time was at hand. They already had to wait 3 years, and they had been patient. All this mission talk is interesting, but they are looking for Jesus’ earthly kingdom to start. So, in verse 6, they ask their burning question,
Slide: _______________ ) Acts 1:6
“So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’” The disciples had barely heard about all the mission stuff, go into all the world and let the nations know about what God had done thing. They were fixated on the earthly kingdom, when Jesus would come back.
So, Jesus responds, and it is the last thing he says to them before he ascends to heaven. Jesus says,
Slide: _______________ ) Acts 1:7-9
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. What was Jesus saying? He was saying, “When I set up my kingdom on the earth and come back is none of your business. That is my Father’s job and my concern, not yours. I’ve given you your one thing to be concerned about—the mission. You are the ones who will let the world know what I have done, how they can come to know God through me. So, get busy. And that is the last thing he says to them. No goodbye. No see you later. Just, get to work. I think he wanted it to be very clear, no ambiguity, so that is the last thing he says.
In the first few chapters of the book of Acts, we see the apostles struggling for a while to really get the whole missional way of life, but they do. They make the shift. It is not natural to be missional. A missional way of life is a complete shift of orientation, but once the early church got it; they really got it, and Christianity exploded. Today, we want to talk about what it means for Chase Oaks Church to get it, and what it means for you and me to get it. A missional way of life is not natural and demands several big shifts in our thinking and lifestyle. As we see these early believers shifting, we must do the same…so we are going to look at three essential shifts for us to be able to live a life of fizz.
Slide: _______________ )
- Stage One: From Consumer to Missionary
The basic shift required for missional living is a shift of overall orientation. It is a realization that my life is not about me, but about God and his mission. Every one of us by nature are consumers. We think of our own desires, needs, and concerns first. We want what we want, and we expect to those wants to be served. For the disciples, they wanted the kingdom of God so that they could rule and be big shots with Christ. Once they realized that was going to take a while, there challenge did not get easier.
A huge struggle we will see in Acts was how the church grew into Gentile areas. “Gentile” is the Bible word for any race other than the Jewish race. Most of us in this room are gentiles, and now there are many more gentile Christians than Jewish Christians. Yet, in the early days of the church, all the Christians were Jewish Christians…so much so that Rome considered Christianity to just be a little segment of Judaism, until Christianity outgrew Judaism. Because of this reality, they did church in a way that was very relevant and engaging for long-time Jewish believers. They kept many of the same traditions and ways of doing ministry that they were used to from their Jewish days, but their mission was to extend the good news about Jesus to the nations. Once that started happening, they struggled for a while. It took them some time to figure out that if they were going to reach the Gentiles, that they had to think about church differently. At first, they just expected the Gentile cultures to adjust to them, but they soon figured out that was backwards. They were called not to be consumers but missionaries.
The same is true of us as we replant this church. This is not a consumer shift, us getting a better building for ourselves. That’s completely insignificant. This replant is a missionary shift, which is far more significant but also challenging…challenging because we have to shift our thinking from consumer mode to missionary mode. Think of it this way. What if we were all going to start a church in Peru? How would we do it? We get on a bus and drive down to Peru. How would we do ministry? In our language? No, that doesn’t make sense. We’d learn Spanish. How would we teach? The way we are used to or the way that is most effective in that context? What kind of music would we worship with? Our favorite worship songs in English? No! We’d do it in Spanish, and we’d do Peruvian styles of music. How would we lead small groups? How would we share about Jesus? You get the idea. We wouldn’t do church for us, but in a way that was most effective for the people we are reaching as we plant this church in Peru. Now, let’s all get in the same bus and drive to North Dallas, up to Legacy and Chase Oaks. How are we going to church there? What is most comfortable for us or what is most effective for reaching and discipling the people we are engaging? You see: two very different ways to think. So, when we designed the overall look and feel of the building, we didn’t ask the question, “What is most comfy for us?” but instead, “What design would help us best fulfill the mission of bridging people to a growing life in Christ, in this area at this time?”
And this is not just about church services or church buildings, but even more so about how we live outside these walls. If I am living missionally, then I am looking for opportunities to inconvenience myself for the sake of the gospel, the good news about Jesus. That’s what Christians do. In much of the world it is the way it was in the first century, where Christians often faced intense persecution for naming the name of Christ. Because of that, Paul said, “I endure all things for the sake of the gospel.” In our case, we don’t face persecution, but we are called to inconvenience ourselves for the sake of the gospel. What does this mean? It is not always convenient to serve the needs in our community. I could watch a movie Thursday night, or I could serve in the free medical clinic or mentor a student in one of our partner schools. It’s not always convenient to hang out with people who are far from God; sometimes easier to hang out with fellow Christians who all think alike. We have a family in our life group who is working with another life group to build a free house for a needy family in our area. They could spend the same amount of time remodeling their own house. But they are living the mission. Our sports ministry could play in church leagues, which would be easy and even fun...fun to beat up on the Baptists or Presbyterians. But they are involved in a regular league, where they can build friendships with those who aren’t churched.
If you ever feel inconvenienced for the sake of the gospel, whether in a church service or outside the walls of this building, realize this:
Slide: _______________ )
- You are never more like Jesus than when you sacrifice your own comfort for the sake of those who are far from God.
That’s why it is an honor to live missionally.
Slide: _______________ )
- Stage Two: From Passive to Active
The reason the early church had such huge impact in such a short amount of time is that they were all engaged. The mission wasn’t just given to the disciples, but to the whole church, and everyone was engaged. Jesus said to all of them, and to all of us, “You shall be my witnesses…” God’s strategy for reaching the world is through you and me, ordinary people whose lives are being changed to share with others the reality of a God who wants relationship with us. That’s what Jesus is saying when he says we are his witnesses.
What is a witness? Someone who has seen something or experienced something that they can share with others. In a small way, it is like these Krystal hamburgers. Have you ever had one of these? I grew up with them, and they just came to the Dallas area a couple of years ago. These little guys will change your life. They are awesome! If you haven’t had one, you’ve got to try it. To tie this in to our last series, Krystals will definitely be in heaven, you just won’t get the bad breath from the onions like you do here on a cursed earth.
Even I have to admit that being a witness to the greatness of Krystals is kind of shallow, but far more profound is the privilege and opportunity I have to be a witness of the reality of Jesus Christ in my life. Why wouldn’t I share that? Why wouldn’t I let others know about what God has done? Do you know who the best evangelist in the world is? Not Billy Graham, but you and me whose lives are being changed. As we get to know people and live out our faith, people see the reality of God at work. As we share our story and invite people to at least try out church, we are a witness to the reality of Jesus Christ. Chances are, you are here today, whether you have become a Christian or still deciding or trying to figure it all out, because of some ordinary person whom you respect and who shared their story or invited you here.
The truth is God has placed you where you are on purpose; in your family, at your work, in your school, in your neighborhood, on your sports team…all because of the mission. Even your life circumstances are opportunities for the mission. When Paul was imprisoned for an extended time because of his Christian faith, he didn’t see himself as a victim. He said,
Slide: _______________ ) Philippians 1:12-13
He saw every new occurrence in his life as a new opportunity for the mission.
The reason the early church grew so rapidly in those early years is that everybody caught the vision of reaching the world for Christ and reached out to people one at a time. Everyone owned the mission. I want to share with you one great example of that here at Chase Oaks, of someone who owns the mission. Tangy is a great example of someone who has taken one of her passions and abilities and thought, “How can I make this missional? How can I reach people through this part of my life?” Tangy came to our church a few years ago, after moving here from Oregon, and her passion is reaching and discipling kids through a cleaned-up version of hip-hop dancing. Interview.
Think about your own life? Do you own the mission? Who are you relating to? What bridges are you building? When we move to our new location, our prayers are to reach lots of new people…but that won’t happen just because we get a new building. That will happen because we who are Christians act as witnesses, share with others what God is doing in our lives and invite them to pursue the same. Who are you relating to? Who are you inviting? Write down their names, right now. If you can’t, then you know you have work to do. A missional life is not a passive life, but an active one, realizing that we are the ones God will use to link people up with him.
Slide: _______________ )
- Stage Three: From fear to power
The other huge shift that took place with the disciples in Acts 1 was from fear to power. After the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were afraid, holed up in a little room. It took them a while to break out of that insecure place. They were just 120 people, and now Jesus gave them this new mission. Jesus was going to leave for heaven, and he was handing the mission to them. That was pretty scary. Yet, he told them to wait until the Spirit came. And even before he gives the mission, he reminds them about where their power for that mission would come from. He says, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” We will look much more at the coming of the Spirit in a coming week.
What we need to understand for today though is that the mission is a supernatural one. It isn’t our mission. It is God’s mission. We are partnering with him. That’s why the believers were to wait for God’s empowering Spirit to come, and the Spirit did come. What this means is that we don’t have to be so afraid, so nervous, when it comes to being missional and sharing the story and being engaged in people’s lives afraid that we will do the wrong thing or say the wrong thing.
God is the one who is at work, and he invites us to join him. He is already working in people’s lives. One time Jesus was talking about this with his disciples, and he said,
God causes the growth, the spiritual interest. We are the ones who get to pick the fruit, who get to be part of the process of helping connect people to God.
I can’t even count how many times I have sensed God’s presence as I was sharing with someone how they could come to know Christ, or engaged in a spiritual conversation, where there is a really hard question or a tricky issue, and something comes out of my mouth that surprises me, because it is really good. “I need to write that down!” It is my words, but yet I can tell that God is at work. He is giving me the right words to say, because he knows the real needs of that person. You and I are not on our own out there. God is the one who is working, and we partner with him.
A couple of months ago, I experienced God at work with a friend of mine for whom I have prayed for years and years. He doesn’t know Christ, and has been in the past very cynical about Christians and church and Christianity. But God has been working on him, creating spiritual interest. Life has humbled him here and there, and made him more open. God is at work. I’ve shared my story with him. I’ve invited him to church, and not too long ago he did come. It was really cool because I could tell that he came reluctantly. He didn’t expect to be engaged, to like it, or get anything out of it. But he did. He got hooked, and it bothered him. What he sensed was people connecting to God, and that God was in the room. That’s not the way he said it, but he did say to me after the experience. He said, “Jeff, I liked it. What you said really made me think, and something was very unique in that room. I had the feeling that everyone there really wanted to be there. They weren’t there out of guilt, or a feeling that God would get them if they didn’t go to church. They were there because they were excited about being there.” I said, “That’s the presence of God. That’s where we connect with God together, in that time.” I could tell the whole experience bugged him all day. He didn’t expect it. Later that night, he asked me question I never in a million years would have expected him to ask. He said, “Jeff, talk to me about heaven. How do you know if you get to go there or not? How does that work? How can you really know?” What a great question, and I was able to share.
Did I make that happen? No. Did God use me in the process? Sure. He also used you who were gathered in this environment to make it happen. Yet, God has been at work in his heart and life for years. Because I was in his life and he knew I am a Christian, as God was pulling on him, he felt I was the one to ask. But God made it happen.
So, don’t be so afraid. Along with the mission comes the power of God, and that is a lot of horsepower! He is the one doing the heavy spiritual lifting. We get to be part of the process.
That is why you are here. You and I are here with a mission. Between now and when Jesus comes, he has not left it ambiguous. His last words were, “you shall be my witnesses.” Are you living that mission? He could have done it without us, but he didn’t set it up that way. We get to be part of what he is doing in the world. Our Christian life can be a life full of fizz, or flat. So, how fizzy is your Christian life, really? The answer is very much your choice. You can live with fizz or without. You know, it’s an interesting thing about a soft drink. When you first open it, it is always fizzy, but after a while it begins to lose it. Often new Christians are so excited to be his witnesses, and after a while they just lose their fizz. For some of us, we need a new shot of CO2. We need a fresh commitment to the mission.
Think about the shifts we have to make, from consumer to missionary. That’s a perspective shift. Where are you at? Where do you need to be? The next shift is from passive to active? In your world or relationships, what would it look like to be 20% more intentional in the mission? 40%? And is fear holding you back? Remember this is God at work. Quit being afraid, and be bold enough to live missionally.
Over these next few months we are restarting our church, we are launching the next phase of this church for the next 30 or so years of ministry. Imagine what can happen these next 30 years. How cool to be one of the 120 2000 years ago, and how cool to be us. Let’s pray.