Together We Go

Introduction:

This past April I had the opportunity to go with Q to the Philippines. Now, in principle I have always acknowledged that we should support missions. I’ve even acknowledged that some should go on missions. I’ve gone on several mission trips myself. But in a way, I’ve supported missions with my head. I believe that the Bible says to go. I believe the Bible says to send, to give, to pray for missionaries.

It wasn’t until I was there on the ground, that I was able to support the Filipino missions with my heart. When you meet people and love them like Jesus does.

Now for many of us here today, may have never been on a mission trip, but if you are a part of North Hills, you have supported Missions. We have taught about the great commission. We have sent money and we have prayed for missions.

I know that we have engaged your mind in talking about the importance of missions. But it is my hope that today, we have also begun to engage your heart.

We want you to fall in love with God’s mission. We want you to love to give. We want you to love to send others. And if possible, our hope is that you will love to Go.

However, whether you go, whether you give or whether you pray, we all have a part to play in missions.

Transition to Scripture: Turn with me in your Bible’s to . One of the best metaphors for the church is the idea that the church is a body. I love the interconnectedness of the church in that whether we go or whether we stay, we all have a part to play in the mission.

Read:

1 Corinthians 12:12–27 ESV

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Transition to Big Idea: In our hyperindividualist world, the idea that you are a part of something may be hard to understand. But there is no getting around it if we truly want to follow Jesus. We might have to have a massive paradigm shift if we truly want to change the world.

Big Idea: See yourself as a part of something bigger than you.

Transition to Points: There is a lot of discussion about who the Church is for. Many think of it as a western type religion. I’ve heard it said that Christianity is the religion of the white man. This is partly due to really inaccurate (and perhaps blasphemous) paintings of Jesus during the renaissance. Jesus was a darker skinned Jewish man living in the Mediterranean. He wasn’t white. Christianity was originally a Hebrew Faith of which everyone else has been invited to be a part of.

So regardless of the color of our skin, the language we speak, the nation we come from...

Main Point #1 - We can all belong.

Explanation: This is why going around the world to share Jesus is so important. Because no one nations or ethnicity owns Jesus or his mission. One of the clearest things that Paul teaches us with this analogy of the Body is that the church is not a building. It’s not a nation. It’s not even a pastor and an awesome band. The church is the....

People. And from a missional standpoint, we know that it’s from every tongue tribe and nation. black and white, hispanic and Filipino and many more of the more that 3,000 people groups that make up the population of our world. We all need one another…and yes, we need our Chinese brothers and sisters and our filipino brothers and sisters.

Now Paul makes some assumptions here that we already know some things. The church is made up of people have embraced the saving power of Jesus. There are certain things we need to conform to, but there is so much value in the unity that comes in our individuality. So there is an acknowledgement that the church is made up of believers. That’s not to say that unbelievers, seekers or outsiders aren’t welcome. In fact they are expected, but our hope is to welcome them into the church by their faith in Jesus as the only way to God.

We don’t go to church. We are the church.

This is so important. Because that means that the world does not revolved around you and your preference, but our focus shifts not to what I want, but what Jesus wants!

Illustration: Now 5 times when talking about the body, he talks about how there are no unimportant parts. You can be you. You can be important. You don’t have to be something you’re not.

Application: So why do we take the gospel to the nations? Because God’s kingdom is made up of people from every tongue tribe and nation. We take the gospel to those nations to invite them into God’s bigger story. And it starts at home here in Vallejo. Because here in Vallejo, the nations have come to us.

I know that a lot of people have been hurt by churches because they felt like they couldn’t belong until they measured up or met a need. Can I just say that I am so sorry for that. And can I say that if you have embraced Jesus as your savior, you are welcome here. But know we will push you to grow deeper in your knowledge, love and and action for Jesus.

If you are a seeker or a skeptic. You are welcome here. It will be hard to fully belong until you embrace what is so important to us: Jesus, but we want you to feel accepted and welcomed here. Jesus calls us from where are.

Main Point #2 - We all have a role.

Illustration: Being a kid was awesome. My laundry was done for me. The house was cleaned for me. My bed was made for me. My food was prepared for me. I didn’t have to do anything. But then around 5or 6 years old, my dad had the talk with me.

It’s time for your to earn your keep around here. This isn’t a country club and I’m not a maid. You are a part of this family which means you have a role. And thus chores became a thing in my world. I had to start picking up my clothes and putting them in the hamper. I had to start setting the table. Eventually had to start cutting the grass (which as a 7 year old is something you look forward to, but when you are old enough to actually do it, it really cut into my video gaming time).

In a family we all play a part. It’s no different in the church. If you belong here you need to be doing something.

You might hand out bulletins. You might get here early and open up the campus. You might count money. You might lead a Life Group. Work with children or youth. You know that almost a third of our congregation is under the age of 18. We desperate need people to help with children and youth. But we are very picky, but because with so many kids, it’s our responsibility to protect those kids.

But while we are called to serve at home, some are called to go oversees to tell the nations about Jesus. And even if you don’t go, you still have a role in that. You’re role in missions might be to give (More than 10% of what you give here, goes to missions here and abroad) We model what the Bible expects of people in their own budgets. So please give to North Hills. Your role might be to encourage others to go. Parents, you might be raising the next world changing missionaries. Encourage them. Build them up. Expose them to the cultures of the world. And teach them to look at the world through the lens of the Bible. Teach them a language.

Explanation: Now if the idea is that “we” are the church, Paul begins showing that a body is made up of many parts and each part has a function. Every part in the body is important.

Well unless you are the appendix or tonsils, or wisdom teeth. But for everyone else your role is vital in the church so you have to play that part. I’m amazed how most of the things that happen in our physical bodies happen automatically. Does your role in the church come so naturally that it happens naturally.

There is a passage of scripture that always strikes me as profound.

Matthew 25:31–40 ESV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:31-

The act of serving Jesus came so naturally to these people that they didn’t even realize that they were doing it. I think if you were to ask some who have shared today, this is how they would feel about their service to God. That’s how it should be in the church.

But when we know our role that means we have to acknowledge the roles of other people as well. We can’t think of ourselves as better (or worse) than anyone else. We say that we don’t need others. We acknowledge that we need others and accept that they need us to play our part in the body.

What role do you play that it just comes naturally?

Illustration:

Application:

Conclusion - Together We Move.

Explanation: Now if we are one body and we all have a role to play, that means that we aren’t going anywhere unless we move together. You can’t leave any part behind. The head might want to go somewhere but if the feet are asleep, there is no moving.

If we want to share the Gospel with the nations, we are going to do it together or not at all. If we want to move together that means there must be unity. You can’t have division. If you have division in the body that means something is dangerously wrong. If your body starts attacking itself there is a problem.

But when the body is healthy movement is easy.

So when everyone is playing their part, not only can the body move easily together, the body should move together. Bodies weren’t meant to be immobile. Our bodies are meant to move and act.

And if we are to fulfil the great commission, we must fully realize our part in God’s family and in the mission.

Reflection: What role do you have in missions?

Application:

Reflection: What role do you have in missions?

Conclusion:

Let me give you 3 suggestions in closing.

Go:

Give:

Pray:

In different seasons of life you may be more apt to do one, but may I challenge you to do all 3.

Go across the world and across the street.

Give with a joyful heart.

But more than anything pray that God would use you and others to change the world.

Let’s pray.