Sermon Tone Analysis

It was a few years ago, (in high school and college) but I used to be in track and field.

One of the most adrenaline-filled moments is the moment a sprinter gets into his blocks and gets ready to go.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re that sprinter, or just a teammate or spectator watching—and you hear those words--“Runners to your mark, set…”--and the starting gun goes off and the sprinters jump out of their blocks and start running!

And of course, the excitement is only beginning as you wait to see who wins.

At the same time, there’s nothing more anti-climatic than a false start.

The official says, “Runners to your mark, get set…” but then the sprinter is so excited that he jumps out of the blocks too soon.

He false-starts.

One false start and you’re disqualified.

You’re done for the day.

At the same time there’s nothing more anti-climatic than a false start.

The official says, “Runners to your mark, get set…” but then the sprinter is so excited that he jumps out of the blocks too soon.

He false-starts.

One false start and you’re disqualified.

You’re done for the day.

The official then lifts his starting gun in the air.

“Get set…” The adrenaline is flowing and you’re ready to go!

When all of a sudden someone false starts.

Talk about anti-climactic.

One false start and you’re disqualified.

One of the most anti-climactic moments in sports is when a sprinter false-starts.

One false start and you’re disqualified.

One false start and you’re disqualified.

He started running too soon.

Well, Grace, Tecumseh, you’re off to a good start!

At my installation here we all voiced our commitment to God and each other to faithfully carry out the Lord’s work.

I wanted to be a part of this—seeing the notes from your District President and the Call meeting here a year ago; you said you saw yourself in somewhat of a “mission re-start mode.”

I took that as a sign that Grace, Tecumseh was ready for a comeback!

Having said that, how anti-climatic it would be after a great start to then slide back into stagnancy and decline over time.

Some of us might start working on a bucket list of all the things we wanted to do before we check out—skydiving from a plane, a cruise, world travel—whatever—do all the things you never had a chance to do and do it now!

Your heart is pumping, the adrenaline is flowing.

And then all of a sudden, someone false starts.

There’s nothing more anti-climactic than that.

The runner who false-started is disqualified.

He started running too soon.

In his Word today Jesus gets 72 disciples ready and set to go out on mission work.

I imagine the emotion and excitement stirring in their hearts as they do His work together.

(v.2)  “The harvest is plentiful,” Jesus said, “but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus compares lost sinners in the world around us as being like a harvest of souls just waiting to be gathered in.

That’s the first fill-the-blank today:

A church’s growth cycle can look like this.

Initial growth, plateau and then decline.

But notice the three dotted lines there?

Anywhere along the way the congregation has the opportunity to tap back into a God-given sense of mission.

At my service of installation we all voiced a commitment out loud to faithfully carry out the Lord’s work.

Even before coming to Grace your DP shared hand-written notes with me from his Pre-Call meeting with him in which you said you saw yourself in somewhat of a “mission re-start mode.”

I don’t know who said that in the meeting, whether it was the consensus of all, or the voice of one.

I took that as a sign that you all were in agreement: Grace, Tecumseh is ready for a comeback!

That’s something I want to be a part of!

Now we’re all going to find out just how serious we are about that.

That brings us to the first fill-the-blank today:

Jesus knew the Father had sent Him here to go to the cross at Jerusalem.

It’s out of a love for souls and devotion to His loving Father in heaven that He goes.

Jesus understood His mission.

At my service of installation we voiced that commitment out loud to each other.

Even before coming to Grace your DP shared hand-written notes with me from his Pre-Call meeting with him in which you said you saw yourself in somewhat of a “mission re-start mode.”

I don’t know who said that in the meeting, whether it was the consensus of all, or the voice of one.

I took that as a sign that you all were in agreement: Grace, Tecumseh is ready for a comeback!

That’s something I want to be a part of!

Now we’re all going to find out just how serious we are about that.

That brings us to the first fill-the-blank today:

That’s the first fill-the-blank today.

Jesus understood his mission.

Do we?

To what extent is it ALL HANDS ON DECK here at Grace for the Great Commission?

We need to take some cues from Jesus this morning when it comes to the laser-like focus He had on his saving mission, and note what that looks like when it comes to the mission of our church.

In the verses just before this Luke writes,

() “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”

() “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”

Like I said, Jesus had a laser focus on the mission His heavenly Father had given Him.

Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing full well what was in store for Him there.

The Father sent Him here to go to the cross to save us all by dying there for our sins and rising the third day.

Jesus understood His mission from beginning to end.

How about us?

Do we understand our mission?

We might know it chapter and verse from the Bible—you know—, “Go and make disciples of all nations, etc.” but how does that show up in congregational life from week to week?

It is obvious by what we do?

I mean if aliens landed and observed our congregation for a while, would our mission be obvious to them based on what they saw us busy doing Sunday by Sunday?

What would they see?

Any given Sunday they’d see about 18-20 of us showing up an hour before worship for some Bible study.

But is Bible study our mission?

It’s important to our mission.

I once heard that the Bible is “Basic-Information-Before-Leaving-Earth!” Everything we learn in Bible motivates us and provides us with something to share with others on our mission, but it Bible study is not our mission.

If aliens landed and observed our congregation for a while, would our mission be obvious to them based on what they saw us busy doing Sunday by Sunday?

What would they see?

Any given Sunday they’d see about 18-20 of us showing up an hour before worship for some Bible study.

Is Bible study our mission?

It’s important to our mission.

I once heard that the Bible is “Basic-Information-Before-Leaving-Earth!” Everything we learn in Bible motivates us and provides us with something to share with others on our mission, but it Bible study is not our mission.

If the aliens kept watching us after Bible study they’d see a lot more of us filing into church for worship.

But is worship our mission?

Take a look at our next fill-in-the-blank:

Simply defined:

Simply defined:

A mission is a temporary task handed down by someone in authority.

Worship isn’t a temporary task.

Worship is the whole purpose of our existence—to worship God is to bring Him glory for all that He is and has done for us—worship is not a temporary assignment—it’s something we’ll be doing right into eternity.

Evangelism, telling the good news about Jesus is our God-given task for this life.

After Judgment Day there won’t be any more time for you and me to reach out to lost about Jesus.

By then their eternal fate will be determined.