You mad, bro?

Big idea: When you exchange mad for mission, you give thanks.

Missions Video:

Start with North Korea Video.

Good morning church family. Glad to see you!

Today we are having what’s called Missions Sunday. What that means is, this Sunday, we’re going to talk a little bit about the work God is doing around the world to expand His Kingdom . Bringing salvation to people through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not just here in Glastonbury, but in every country. Like what we watched in the video.

At The River Church, we have a 3-part mission (vision is what God is calling us to; mission is how we get there): Know, Grow, and Go. We believe it is our mission to know God, grow together, and go into the world with the gospel.

And Missions Sunday is all about that third part - the “Go.”

And while our primary mission involves “going” into all of Glastonbury to bring the gospel to our community, we also believe God wants us to be involved with His global mission.

And an easy, but powerful way we can do that is through prayer. Prayer is powerful, amen? And so, the organization that produced the short film we watched also put together a few slides on how we can pray for God’s work in the world - specifically for the persecuted church. Let’s look at those...

Go through each prayer request - Each prayer request has 2 slides (text and pictures).

And so these prayer cards are connected to these prayer requests. So be praying for our brothers and sisters around the world. Keep this in a place where you’ll be reminded to pray for them. Again, it’s an easy but extremely powerful way for our church to participate in God’s global mission.

We’re a church on-mission:

Here at TRC, we want to be about God’s mission. We value it.

It’s said that you can tell what people truly value by their check book. I wanted to share with you that in 2019 our little church plant has already given $7,102.72 to missions.

This includes $3,500 given to the Cooperative Program. CP is a designated type of giving that the churches in our network collectively give to because we believe we can do more together. For example, in New England, our Cooperative Giving goes to help these missionaries in Scotland. We may not have missionaries of our own yet, but a portion of our giving goes to support this family.

The remainder of that $7,000 has gone to other missions: four local church planting ministries and also helping two short-term missions trip, including Kyrie. We helped send her to Croatia to be a part of a team that was discipling youth and young pastors. In fact, let me read a letter that she wrote to us...

Read Kyrie’s letter...

We’re also talking about missions today because it’s connected to this morning’s message in our “Give Thanks” series.

Intro:

Two weeks ago, we started a brand-new series called “Give Thanks.” With Thanksgiving approaching, we thought it would be good for our church to focus on being thankful. Furthermore, we’re reminded of what the apostle Paul said...

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

That means that even when it’s not Thanksgiving, it is God’s will for us to be thankful!

... It’s God’s will!

...That means it’s important for us to do this! However, the truth is it’s hard to ALWAYS be thankful in the world we live in. at the same time, I believe God’s word give us instructions on how to do this well, even when it’s hard. So that’s what we’re spending the next couple of weeks doing.

Last week, we talked about how to give thanks, even when we have a million things to worry about. If you missed that message, the live-stream is still available on Facebook; or, you can visit our website and watch the YouTube version.

This week, we’re going to look out how to give thanks, even when we live in an unthankful culture and surrounded by people we don’t even like! The title today’s message is, “You mad, bro?”

Exegesis:

You know, Jesus lived in a culture like we just described. A time and place where it would be hard to give thanks. He was surrounded by people who didn’t see eye-to-eye with Him. Heck, they didn’t even like Him.

Who here has looked around your neighborhood, workplace, social media feed? “Man, I don’t even know if I have anything in common with these people. I don’t even know if they like me!”

And in those circumstances, it’s an easy jump to, “Well, if they don’t like me! I don’t like them!” It’s not the most mature attitude, but when we’re honest, it’s probably pretty common. And if that’s our mindset toward the people in our lives, it’s gonna be pretty dang hard to “give thanks always.” It’s like being trapped in a toxic bubble.

Warning to the Church:

Before we move on, I feel like I need to give this warning to us as the church...

Yes, we live at a time when it’s not easy to be a Christian. We’re not the most liked people in our culture. It’s a time when our society is moving away from biblical values, so our Christian values seem foreign. It’s no wonder people disagree or oppose us. But here’s where I’d like to issue the warning to us...

With that in mind… consider this...

Part of our current culture involves a high-level of customization. What I mean by that is technology has given us the ability to customize our lives due to the plethora of options available to us.

We don’t like the perspective the news gives us? I have 100 other options.

I don’t like the perspective of this person on my social media feed? I’ll just block, unfriend, or unfollow them.

Here’s my point: As Christians, we have to be careful that we don’t let this “customization” keep us from reaching our culture. Because the danger we face is customizing everything we don’t like out of our lives to the point where we no longer know how to interact (let alone - LOVE) people we don’t agree with.

And we’ll find ourselves cutoff from our neighbors, mad at them from a distance, and maybe unintentionally killing our ability to be thankful - it’s hard to be mad and thankful at the same time.

That’s not God’s will. And it’s definitely not part of God’s mission. So what do we do? Well, like everything in our lives, we look to Jesus for answers!

How did Jesus react?:

Guess what? … Jesus didn’t live in a Christian culture. He lived in a society that He had nothing in common with when it came to perspective and values. But what did he do? Did he get mad and keep them at a distance?

If you have your Bible/app, turn to .

is an interesting chapter.

It starts off with John the Baptist sending a delegation to Jesus to asking, “Hey, are You really the Savior, because we’re starting to doubt it.”

This is crazy because the Bible tells us that John was the prophet God sent before Jesus to tell the world, “Prepare yourself for the King, for the Savior, because He’s coming!”

So when this happened, imagine how Jesus felt. I think He would’ve been like, “What the heck?!? Dude, I thought we were on the same team! What do you mean am I the Savior? Tell John all of these things are happening - things only the Savior could do!”

Then Jesus describes the culture surrounding Him as one that was always negative, always nit-picking, always criticizing! Even more, He compares them to one of the most wicked cities in Scriptures and says, “You’re worst than them!”

At this point, none of us would blame Jesus being like, “I’m out! I give up. I can’t stand you! These people trippin. Father, I can’t believe You would send Me here...” But He doesn’t. In fact, look what He says...

Matthew 11:25–30 ESV

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:25 ESV

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

Jesus says, “Father, I give thanks that you sent me here to these people.” Yes, the ones that doubted Him, didn’t agree with Him, and hated Him. The ones that had nothing in common with Him.

Why is Jesus thankful for being surrounded by people like this? Because Jesus knew it was part of the mission!

It says He’s thankful for the way God is setting up things. For God’s plans. How God does things in His own perfect and unique way. How He reveals things to the humble and not to the know-it-alls.

He’s thankful that God’s plan of salvation comes through the Son of God.

And He’s thankful that this offer of salvation is not limited to a select few, but to ALL who are willing to come to Him. Any who are willing to do it God’s way.

No matter how you start off, if you are willing to humble yourself, turn from your sins, and put your faith in Jesus, you will find rest for your souls.

Why is Jesus thankful that He’s surrounded by a bunch of rebellious sinners? Because Jesus knew the MISSION.

God had given Him a mission. And Jesus gives thanks because He was in the perfect place to live out His God-given purpose! Jesus said...

Furthermore, Jesus gives thanks because this was His purpose! He said (talking about the cross)...

John 12:27 ESV

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.

When Jesus was surrounded by people who He had nothing in common with, He didn’t get mad, He got on-mission! And He gave thanks because this was His God-given purpose. Because there’s nothing more fulfilling in life than to be operating in God’s purpose for your life!

I know we’re still in Thanksgiving season, and this is a Thanksgiving series, but I’m going to mention a Christmas story. Who knows this guy (Hermey)?

Hermey is one of Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer’s homies. And he’s an elf that’s finding it hard to “give thanks always,” even though he lives in the North Pole and works in Santa’s workshop. The main reason he’s discontent is because he doesn’t like making toys - something every good elf does. What he really wants to be is a dentist. That’s his passion!

And when we fast-forward through the movie, we’ll see that Hermey’s finally becomes a dentist. And he’s filled with joy, and works with a passion, because he’s like, “This is what I was made for! This is my purpose!” Purpose makes a huge difference in perspective.

Many of you know that my son Kade plays football - mostly because I talk about it all the time. We had a rough season. We went 1-8. And it was an especially tough for Kade. Not because of the record, but because of his experience.

You see, Kade isn’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest kid. Actually, he’s probably close to the back of the pack when it comes to those categories. But one thing he excels at is catching the ball. The boy catches everything throw to him. He’s a perfect slot receiver - which if you don’t know what that is - is usually the smaller receivers that run shorter routes and gain yardage little by little. The New England Patriots are great at using this strategy. They’ve had great slot receivers like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman that have helped them win Super Bowls.

However, you don’t find a lot of slot receivers in 4th grade football. Just not the type of position they use at that level. So Kade didn’t really get to use his skill set this year - and it was hard for him. Even though he played other positions, he never felt like he was playing with purpose. And it was hard for him to be thankful, even while playing the game that he loves.

When we live life without purpose, it’s hard to be thankful. As Christians here in New England, in Glastonbury, living in a culture that has nothing in common with us… it’s hard to give thanks always. It’s easier to just get mad at the people around us.

But don’t… what did Jesus do?

Jesus didn’t get mad. He got on-mission. He let purpose change His perspective!

He understood He was sent here for a reason. And He was thankful because He believed, “This is exactly where God wants me. This is exactly where the action happens. This is where I can truly live out my life-purpose.”

If you find it hard to give thanks ALWAYS because you’re surrounded by people you’re mad at, maybe it’s time to get on mission!

Let me tell you something, God knows what He’s doing. If He’s your God, your King, your Lord, your Father… then He’s got a plan for your life. He’s got a purpose. And He has a reason for putting you right where you’re at. Your neighborhood, church, workplace, and school.

You may be thinking, “No way! There’s no way He’d put me here with a bunch of people I can’t stand! I have nothing in common with any of these people!”

Two things:

Jesus said in , “You are the light of the world!” You know what that implies? It implies there’s darkness around you. Light is different than dark. That’s why it stands out. If we are the light of the world, we’re supposed to be surrounded by people radically different than us.

God is love. God’s people are commanded to love. But Jesus added, “What good is it that you love people who love you (, )? Everyone knows how to do that! God’s love is loving people who hate you - those radically different from you!” That’s supernatural love!

You wanna know the best place for us to live with purpose, to live on mission, to be a light, and to have opportunities to show supernatural love to the world? It’s right in the midst of people who have nothing in common with us. Surrounded by people who hate us! If that’s you, get excited! God’s put you there to impact the world around you.

If we’re finding hard to give thanks because of the people surrounding us, we’re missing something glorious. God isn’t punishing us. He’s trusting us! He’s sending us on mission! He’s put us in the perfect place to make the biggest different. A place where we can live with God-given purpose!

Don’t be mad, be on-mission. And give thanks!!!

We are a church in the middle of Glastonbury. There’s a lot of people who don’t agree with the things we believe. Guess what? Get excited! And give thanks. God has put us in the perfect place to make a real difference. To me, there’s not better place to be part of a gospel preaching church! I believe God’s going to do something BIG in and through our church. And if we’re on mission instead of being mad, we’re gonna see God do miracles. To see lives changed, people healed, the broken restored, the weak strong, and people living purpose-filled lives. Most of all, regardless of the culture, we can be and we will see people giving thanks always.

Response:

As we close, I want us to begin to give thanks.

We are a church in the middle of Glastonbury. There’s a lot of people who don’t agree with the things we believe. Guess what? That’s okay. Actually, get excited! Give thanks! God has put us in the perfect place to make a real difference in our world.

It’s like Hermey living among a bunch of elves who have teeth problems.

It’s like Kade being able to play on the Patriots.

It’s like Jesus, the Savior, sent to a world filled with people who need to be rescued from their sin!

To me, there’s not better place to be part of a church! If you’ve ever had the thought, “God I want you to use my life in a powerful way. I want to live with purpose!” If you go to this church, live in this town, or are hearing this message… I think God’s answering that prayer. Because I’m 100% positive that you’re surrounded by people who need Jesus - and you can tell them about Him. You can invite them into the Kingdom.

Well, I don’t know how to do that. I want to live with purpose. I want to live on-mission, but I don’t feel like I know what to say. You know what the disciples said? They said, “Come and see!”

And if we’re on mission instead of being mad, we’re going to see God do miracles. To see lives changed, marriages healed, broken people restored, the weak made strong, and outcast empowered and given purpose. This morning, let’s “give thanks,” especially if we’re surrounded by people who desperately need Jesus.

Because I believe that means God is trusting us with His mission. He’s sent us to a place that really needs us - that really needs Him! He’s giving us an opportunity to not only talk about Jesus, but to live like Jesus.

Normal to feel irritated by the people around us.

Maybe God put you there to make a difference. Work. School Neighborhood.

Thank you God for this opportunity. To be a light. To love people and introduce them to Jesus. If you read the gospels, you’ll noticed that most of the disciples were invited to follow Jesus outside the church. Hey tax collector, follow me. Hey fishermen follow me. Then, the fishermen found their friends (outside the church) and said, “Hey come check it out!”

Thank you God for trusting me with this mission! A glorious mission that even angels are like, “Whoa.”

Don’t be mad, be on mission. Give thanks that you’re participating in the greatest purpose ever! To invite people to find LIFE in Jesus.

I’m going to invite the worship team up and maybe as your hearing this you’re like, “I don’t know about all this mission stuff yet, but I’ve heard you talk about Jesus and how He’s wanting to rescue us from our sin. I need that!”

Gospel presentation...

For the rest of us, on this Missions Sunday, think about the community God has placed you in. Ask yourself, “Am I mad or on-mission?” And then begin praying for you neighbors, co-workers, and friends. It’s hard to be mad at people you’re praying for. And as you begin to realize how many people you’re praying for, give thanks! Because it means God has placed you in the perfect spot to live with purpose!

Let’s pray.