People are the Mission

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I recently heard Paul David Tripp, pastor and author, detail a conversation he had three weeks after the attacks of 911with the manager of the Top of the World Restaurant, which was located on the top floor of the Word Trade Center. The man had 250 employees.

As he recalled his relationship with those employees, he noted how he viewed each of them. They were waiters, busboys, hostesses, and chefs. To him they were titles and tasks. To him they were a means to an end. To him they were the job. The job necessary to run a restaurant.

As he attended funeral after funeral after funeral, he realized the mistake he had made, and for the first time viewed each of them as people. Real people with families, passions, stories, fears, hopes, dreams…but they were gone…forever.

People. Real, human beings created in the likeness of God, loved by God…pursued by God… worthy of Jesus dying for.

When you look around your workplace… or your school… or the store you’re shopping at… or the hospital you’re receiving care at… or the street you live on… or your neighborhood… or all of Punxsutawney… or PA… or the USA… or Guatemala… anyplace…

What do you see? Functions? Jobs? Services?

Or… do you see a “WHO?” Do you see a person. People. Real, human beings created in the likeness of God, loved by God… pursued by God… worthy of Jesus dying for.

Missions, and the work of the church… the work of a mission organization… the work of a Christian… is to reach people. And to reach people… is beautiful.

As a member in the body of Christ we call ‘The Church,’ you are on that mission.

And to reach people… requires a plan… requires action steps taken by believers.

4-16 Scripture

Romans 10:13–15 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Romans 10:5–17 NLT

For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Romans 10:11–15 ESV

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

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Romans 10:11-

Faith…but who can?

The Difference of People

Now, in the original hearer’s of this message, Roman Citizens, there was a stark difference noted in the heritage and religion and race and belief of what could be received from God.

Now, in the original hearer’s of this message, Roman Citizens, there was a stark difference noted in the heritage and religion and race and belief of what could be received from God.

In college I had the opportunity tour the NBA team Indiana Pacer’s facility. We walked right past Larry Bird’s office door where he worked as the President of Basketball Operations. Larry Bird is widely regarded as the one of the greatest basketball players of all-time.

Native American’s in White Clay, NE.

Two starkly different people in our day and age.

Where we live there are more differences of class and demographics that we often realize. From country to townie. From upper class to middle class to lower class. We have our own lines we’ve drawn.

People are different and always will be different.

Everyone Who Believes/Calls

And yet… twice in these early verses it says the word everyone. “Everyone who believes...” “Everyone who calls...”

Everyone can come to faith. Everyone can call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

Role of the Believer

While there is responsibility in the response and belief of the person, the Bible also lays responsibility on those who already believe.

With a series of rhetorical questions, the Holy Spirit Inspired Author, Paul, outlines the chain of events necessary for a person to be saved, but in reverse order.

Let’s right-side it:

preachers are sent

preachers proclaim the good news

people hear the message

people believe the message

How will your loved ones hear about it unless someone tells them? Is God calling you to take part in making his message known in your community?

We are sent to our neighbors and friends, compelled simply by knowing the open secret that can transform their lives and their eternity.

When God calls a person or a group of people to Guatemala he doesn’t call them to a nation or a government or a mountain range or a city…he calls them to reach a people. A people, sure, that make up a city in a mountain range, under the government of a nation called Guatemala, but a people nonetheless.

People whom God loves and Jesus died on the cross to save.

Every Christian can be and should be a missionary and a preacher, regardless of vocation or location, everywhere there are people the Gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be preached so they can hear it.

Whether called to the people of Guatemala, or Mexico, or Canada, or the USA… or your street… go on a mission trip… even if that means walking next door.

Every believer has been given a mission by God to advance his kingdom and get back his lost children.

We will share the good news with others when we have a people-mindset, a mission-mindset.

People are the mission.

Communion

18 - Communion

One of the practices we’re taught to do as the ‘church’ is to come together and share in the Lord’s Supper, Communion.

See Jesus died for people, you and me, and as one body with many members we must take time to remember his sacrifice and proclaim his death and resurrection until he comes back for his church.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.