Discovering Life's Mission

Thank-you for the invitation and opportunity to talk to you tonight about Outreach.

My name is Mark.

I am the Pastor at Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth for just over 2 years.

I will share a few more things about myself as we go along.

The title for tonight is “Discovering Life’s Mission”.

Emphasis

The Lord has a calling on each our lives

The more abundant life is through heeding that calling.

I hope you will find this helpful in your walk with the Lord

Let us pray.

Slide

Outline

See slide

Those who like GPS during a presentation.

Slide

What is the Basis for Mission?

Click

What is meant by Missiology?

Missiology is the study of the Mandate, Message and Mission of the Church

Why do we do Mission?

Or why should we do Mission?

Degrees, even doctorates, on Missiology.

The 3Ms.

The Mandate (authority) for Mission.

The Message (contents) of Mission

The scope and demographics of Mission

If Mission is about Relationships, especially the relationship of an Unbeliever to God, then it must start with our relationship with God and our relationship with others.

Or people will see right through us.

Click

We are convinced that you must be committed to membership in a church family, committed to the habits for spiritual maturity and committed to ministry in a local church, as the basis for mission.

Example

Lady who is now in one of our congregations, approached by the JW, even had bible study with them.

What she remembered most was how one of the JWs talked about a certain dysfunctional relationship they had in their family, with anger in the voice.

It totally undermined the witness.

Slide

I WAS CREATED TO GLORIFY GOD AND ENJOY HIM FOREVER

We all have our testimony about God’s work and faithfulness in our lives.

We will talk more about that later.

I became a Christian at 16, was baptised at 16, full immersion at a village Baptist church, on the outskirts of Cardiff, in Wales. So my background is not SDA. I still remember the baptismal classes I took with the Lay Pastor of that Baptist Church. It went through what is called the Shorter Westminster Catechism, or fundamentals. Series of questions and answers. I distinctly remember the first one, it has stuck with me ever since.

What is the chief end of a person? A. A person’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Click

To glorify God!

To enjoy God!

Forever!

That is a good basis for Mission.

That is a good message.

Click, Click

What is the basic questions in everybody’s heart?

What is the meaning of life?

And what is my place in life?

Looming over those questions is our mortality!

Because God has put the desire for eternity in our hearts.

Slide

The Universality of Sin and its Consequences

Against that chief end that God has for us, is the reality of this world, this life and sin.

Click

We live in a dying world, among people who are dying, physically and spiritually.

We live in the armpit of the Universe

Churchill famous quote, “death is what defines the state of living”.

Turn to,

2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Look at.

Ecclesiastes 12:3–7 NKJV

3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim; 4 When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low. 5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets. 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. 7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Click

The Apostle Paul outlines the descent into sin and judgement in his classic passage of Rom 1

Romans 1:18 NKJV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Person choses to suppress the truth of God

Romans 1:21 NKJV

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Become futile in their things, Foolish hearts are darkened.

Romans 1:24 NKJV

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,

God gives them up or over to various uncleanness and lust of the flesh.

Romans 1:32 NKJV

32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

They become approvers or encourage those who practice such things.

It is a grim picture.

Slide

My Life Mission

That is the backdrop and basis to Mission.

That grim picture of sin Vs what God intends for us

The universal call of God to a real relationship with Him Vs the separation and the consequence of sin.

We know as believers that the only answer to this is Jesus.

The Mandate for Mission is from Jesus, the initiative is from God.

The Message is Jesus, in us, the hope of glory.

The Mission field is the whole world.

But, this is key, it is where God has put you today.

John 3:16–17 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

In Rev 14, this is called the everlasting Gospel, the first Angels message.

It is the loud cry.

Paul, the chief theologian of the early church, even calls it “My Gospel” as it was revealed directly to Him by Christ during those three years in Damascus and Arabia,

So what about our role ?

What about discovering my life mission?

Click

Universal Elements

There are universal elements to our calling, common to all.

What God calls every Christian to do.

These do not change.

What would be an example of that?

The Gospel, today is the same gospel Paul preached.

That is why Paul defends it so vigorously and in his letters.

Unique elements

But There are also unique elements to our life’s mission.

What God has custom designed for you to do.

Your unique word of testimony

It is about being real and authentic

The Lord will uniquely engineer your circumstance and your testimony.

Your unique mission can change and evolve over time.

Your testimony will/should grow over time.

The methods we use change and evolve!

Call on our Lives

You have a call on your life from God!!!

What will you do with it?

What will you do for the next five years?

Will it make a difference?

From Director at HP to Pastor at SEC.

It was just over 2 years ago, my wife and I, newly emptied nesters, living in California, felt a strong call in our lives to full time ministry. I had been working for Hewlett Packard for nearly 28 years. We had been involved in a church plant in California. I was a Lay Pastors.I have been attending seminary at Andrews whilst still working, going on intensives.But I do not want to make this about me.

I was called to be a Lay Pastor for a number of years in California. The universal nature of the Mission was the same in California, as it is here in Lowestoft and GY.

The unique element is it is now in the UK. The unique testimony is how God engineered all that.

Slide

FULFILLING MY MISSION BRINGS HONOUR AND GLORY TO GOD

I really liked Dr Byrd presentation during Virtual Camp Meeting

We need to get out of the boat and take some risks for God

If God checks, we stop.

Click

John 17:4 NKJV

4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

Slide

MY PRIMARY TASK IN LIFE IS TO FULFILL MY MISSION

Click

Acts 20:24 NKJV

24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

The call of God in our lives is often an upstream swim.

But it is an upstream swim with Jesus.

Slide

What about our SDA Mission?

See Slide.

Slide

Jesus Life Mission

Let’s move on to the next section.

Jesus Life Mission

How did Jesus view his mission on earth?

We need to look at what Jesus said about his mission.

There are numerous texts.

Here are 5.

Click and Read *5

Jesus came as Prophet, Messiah, Savior, Son of Man...

We can use many other titles to designate His mission.

NCV – New Century Version, LB – Living Bible, ICB – International Children Bible

Slide

How did Jesus view our Mission?

What did Jesus say about our Mission?

Jesus 5 Great Commissions

Click and Read * 5

LB - Living Bible, NLT – New Living Translation

Slide

Why Jesus’ Mission Must Matter to Me

See Slide

Slide

World Views

I would like to take a slightly different track on the next section.

When we look at Jesus and how he interacted with people, there is so much we can learn about outreach.

Jesus was an expert at asking leading questions, even when they were not direct questions. “Give me a drink…”, “Which commandments are the most important?”, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

Jesus has incredible discernment.

We often do not.

That is why we always need to pray as we talk with people for the Holy spirit’s work.

Click

I would like to talk about World Views

It is trying to understand where a person is at, and then speak to that.

Read slide

Slide

Human Layers

Simplistic View, but a start.

We react to behaviours, need to go deeper. Jesus always went deeper.

“Good Teacher”“. “No one is good but God alone”.

That goes to values and belief, it challenges your whole worldview

Slide

World Views Grid

There are many ways to classify world-views.

I have found the following useful.

As with any classification scheme, it has its limits.

Rows

Top is Divine, Middle and This World

Columns

Personal, Impersonal

Bridge can be the middle.

Making that connection if you believe God is active in everyday life.

That is what your testimony does!

Preaching in the middle is characteristic of growing churches.

Types

Agnostic / Atheist? Accepts only bottom level, this world. Does not believe in God.

Deist? There is a God, maybe personal. But Lets the world run on its own. Watch and watchmaker. Top and Bottom, this world only. Major challenge in our modern world and in our Adventist church especially among intellectuals.

Magical. Using principles to control God. Spiritualist Sharma. Learn how to manipulate the divine with right actions, or right herbs, etc… You say the right words, follow the right steps, prayed over by right person, touch the right thing and then God will act. Have enough faith, say the right prayers, then person will get well.

(Faith is important but not always the issue. Always pray for physical, emotional and spiritual healing).

Medieval or Fatalist. Top and Middle. All is done by God. All his will. We are just play things for the Gods.

Where are you in this Chart?

Careful listening is principle for mission.

Show how Jesus fills those needs.

I was talking with someone recently. An SDA. Going through a difficult time. Said all the right things about end times. But it became apparent that this person was struggling to with the middle layer for this world for today. The person said I need a miracle in this situation. I replied we have a miracle worker, the Son of Man. I think that is why Jesus called himself the Son of Man so many times. It is that middle layer. Personal.

Slide

Conversion happens when behaviors, beliefs, values and world views become centered on a relationship with the Lord Jesus

It must get personal for a person!

It must get absolute for a person!

Well glad that works for you, but this works for me..

Focuses on Middle and bringing top and bottom together. That is what Jesus, as the Son of Man, did!

That is where our testimony fits.

Apostle Paul. Conversion happened quickly, but working that out was the rest of his life.

Slide

Your Life Message

Click

My Testimony (Unique)– The story of my relationship with Jesus. The one most relevant to the other person (IF a relationship has been nurtured).

Click

The Good News (Universal) – The Gospel

Be Authentic. Be Vulnerable. Be Real.

Slide

THE VALUE OF YOUR TESTIMONY

See slide

We all having a calling

God has placed you where he has placed you for a reason!

As you show God’s love, in words and in actions, at home, at work, in church, in school

Ellen White Quotes

Slides * Three quotes