Mission Possible
Notes
Transcript
The Mission, should you choose to accept it...
The Mission, should you choose to accept it...
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
It would seem that we have been given our instructions.... We have been given a mission… Literally every church I know claims to have this mission… We just have to figure out what to do… BUT…
Too often… to many times… We have gotten to this point and… STOPPED!
Why?
I don’t think it is because people don’t love God, or simply refuse to minister to others… I think it is because we simply don’t know where to start!
Let me tell you — It starts right here… Right now!
This is the perfect time!
You see… this week saw the beginning of Lent…
Lent is the time when we prepare for Easter.
Can I just tell you that Easter is my favorite holiday? It is in my opinion the most important holiday… because without Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving would be completely meaningless!
Without Easter… without the resurrection… there would be nothing to celebrate… nothing to give thanks for… no Grace… and no Salvation…
Yet, Easter does not get the enthusiastic fanfare that Christmas and Thanksgiving get!
The Lenton Season should change that… Lent is the 40-day period leading up to Easter. It begins on Ashe Wednesday (this past week) and marches through the Holy Week to the Resurrection.
But, what is Lent? (Seriously)
What is it’s purpose?
Lent is meant to be a time of preparation… Preparation for the Risen Savior!
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!
6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed.
Paul says to “Test Yourselves”… But what is the test?
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Lent is a season of soul-searching… of reflection… of taking stock of our lives.
It’s about asking yourself, “How is my love?”
In the early Church, Lent began a time of preparation for Easter… where individual believers imitated Christ’s time in the wilderness… by giving things up (usually food & time — cause let’s face it, that’s what Jesus did) for that 40 days…
Ask yourselves this:
How can we use the 40 days of Lent to prepare our hearts for Easter?
What can we do for the next 40 days to move ourselves from “business as usual” to “more spiritually attuned”?
Let me stop for a minute....
How many of you would say that you are very spiritually attuned? That you hear from God… are connected with God… completely? That you are completely, totally, comfortable and sure in your connection with God?
How many of you feel that way?
I think if we are honest, most of us don’t feel that way… In fact, we probably feel the opposite, right?!
— You see… most of us feel good enough to work 9-10 hours at a job on Wednesday, but not good enough to come to service....
— Most of us feel good enough to work 40-50 hours (or more) at our jobs during the week, but not good enough to come to church and worship on Sundays…
— We sit still during worship, talking about how we aren’t “an emotional person,” a “demonstrative worshipper,” a “song and dance” kind of guy....
— Yet we’ll go to our kids games, or watch our favorite team on TV, and we’re screaming and cheering like no tomorrow!
— let one of our favorite songs come on the radio and we’re singing along like it’s the greatest thing! No worries! No concerns!
Don’t get me wrong here… I’m not saying this to condemn anyone… we each worship in our own way… but we are all guilty of these things… Amen?
I want you to understand what a Spiritually Attuned Life is....
You see, a “spiritually Attuned Life” is a life that SCREAMS “God is my One and Only! And I don’t care what anyone thinks about that!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He told the Pharisees:
40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
Is that what your life does?!
Does your life shout out your love for God?
The Lenton season is meant to help us to be honest with God — and ourselves, and to become more connected with His will for our lives!
That is the 1st step in holiness!
The Christian Faith is about Imitating Christ… Amen?
Do you realize that Christ said and did some really radical things?!
You see… We tend to want to imitate Christ, as long as it appeals to us… as long as its comfortable… as long as it doesn’t require anything crazy of us…
We pick and choose the parts of His life that we are willing to follow, based on what is important to us…
“I’ll follow Christ, as long as I don’t have to leave my comfort zone…”
“I’ll follow Christ as long as it ‘feels’ good, and I agree with what He says…”
“I’ll follow Christ as long as I don’t have to sacrifice anything important to me…”
“I’ll follow Christ as long as He agrees with my preconceived ideas...”
But… That’s not following Christ!
26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.
I think many people often get caught up in the wrong things during Lent…
We try to make it appear as though we are doing things to deny ourselves and draw closer to the Lord… but really, we are doing nothing…
Think about it… Every year, we see people doing the same things over and over again for Lent:
— Daniel Fast
— no meat
— no TV
— no Facebook
— no movies
— no restaurants
Yet, every year they go right back to doing those things after Lent, and there is absolutely no change in their lives…
It’s like the big conference that T.D. Jakes used to host every year — “Woman Thou Art Loosed.”
The same women attend it over and over again…
How many times do you need to be loosed?!
How many times do we need to do the same things over and over again?!
How many times do we need to give up the same things?!
I watch people do this.... every year, year in and year out… giving up the same thing for Lent ritualistically, yet....
They still have not drawn any closer to God!
The definition of Insanity — “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!”
This is what Lent has become for many people!
— They think social issues are important, so they open soup kitchens, and addiction ministries, homeless shelters, and shelters for battered women, all the while pointing out that Jesus fed the hungry, and took care of the widow....
— They are drawn to moral issues, so they picket abortion clinics, send emails about “same-sex marriage”, and campaign against all kinds of moral issues… all the while pointing to how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees and money changers in the Temple…
— Others get excited about Doctrinal issues… so they hold classes and seminars… they spend hours pondering, discussing, and debating eschatology, Greek and Hebrew texts, and pushing the sacraments in an almost legalistic way, as if they are the ONLY way to true spirituality… They even write books about it!
All the while, they fail to grow one step closer to God!
You see… here’s the thing…
— Jesus did not open a soup kitchen… He only fed the crowds who came to hear Him two times!
— He didn’t fight the Roman authorities… or try to get legislation passed that would regulate sin or benefit the Church...
— He didn’t form study groups or publish books…
What did Jesus do?!
He Fasted and He Prayed!
39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him.
40 When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”
41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,
35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
What did Jesus do?
— Denied Himself
— Sacrificed All to the Father’s Will
8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”
How willing are you to go beyond your “comfort zone” to get closer to Jesus?
What are you willing to do to prepare your heart for Easter… for the Resurrection?
Lent is meant for “self-denial” in order to draw closer to God.
I can tell you this… when you give up time shopping, preparing elaborate meals, playing video games, watching TV, surfing the Web, on Facebook, … you will discover a lot of time that you waste!
Are you willing to spend that time in self-examination?
Can I tell you… self-examination is not pretty… it is not comfortable… it does not feel good…
— Most of us can easily identify the faults in others
— especially our spouses…
— But we don’t see anything wrong in us!
Marriage counseling is the perfect example.... You hear things like:
— My husband, or My wife, does this.....
— They always act like this.....
— They don’t speak kindly....
— They can give a very long list of everything the other person does wrong....
But, ask them to to identify what their part is… what they have done wrong that led to the point they are at… and the tune changes…
“Me! I’m an angel… I’ve done nothing wrong!”
Consider this — 1/3 of the angels were cast out of heaven.
Ask yourself this — “Is Lent a time of self-denial for me?”
You see… that is the first step in accomplishing the mission Christ has given us!
Jesus speaks to us through His Word, and He tells us that Self-Denial is important, BUT…
Can I tell you… Jesus isn’t concerned with — No TV — No Meat — No Movies — No Internet — That’s not what He is concerned with us giving up....
Christ’s concern is our hearts!
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Lent is a time to give up the Sin in our lives!
— Not those THINGS!
— It is time for us to give up the sin of HYPOCRISY — stop acting like a Christian on the outside, while being proud and selfish on the inside...
— It is time to give up the sin of DUPLICITY — Being a Sunday Morning Christian...
— It’s time to give up the sin of LETHARGY — “Someday I’ll get my act together… but right now I’m too busy for God”
Let me say this — If you are too busy for God, how can you expect Him to be there for you?!
Lent is a time for Mourning — Solemnity — Sadness… Not over Christ, or the condition of this world, but over our own spiritual condition… It is a time to lament over the SIN that separates us from God!
Self-examination is crucial, and fasting is one way that we do that.
Fasting means self-examination and denial… But… (now hear this)
Fasting anything without reflection — without intentional time with God, allowing Him to examine us and reveal ourselves to us — is just a bad diet!
Some people say that fasting is not an appropriate discipline for all people… because of health issues, or various other things, … but that is simply not true!
Fasting is vital to our spiritual life, and everyone can do it!
The purpose of Fasting is to strip away those things that clutter our lives, and impede our relationship with God. (repeat)
That is why so much of what we have learned to do during Lent is wrong and inappropriate… because after 40 days we go right back to — TV — restaurants — shopping — whatever we gave up for that 40 days… AS IF WE HAD NEVER GIVEN IT UP!
It’s like going to the altar with a need… with a sin… praying… begging… pleading with God to take it away… to take care of it… to provide the healing… but then picking it right back up again after saying “Amen”.
If we don’t give it to God… if we don’t leave it at the altar… then He CANNOT do anything about it!
Lent is a time for us to experience and reflect on the sufferings of Jesus — in the light of our own personal sin and unrighteousness… It is a time for repentance!
John the Baptist cried out...
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Christ Himself said:
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
The purpose of Lent is to separate ourselves from our SIN and draw closer to the Kingdom of Heaven!
Because… that is where we begin to prepare ourselves for the seemingly impossible mission that Christ has given us!
We need to be like the tax collector who stood at the back of the Temple, refusing to look up to Heaven, beating his chest saying… “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Lk 18:13)
Instead of like the Pharisee who exalted himself and proclaimed “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” (Lk 18:11)
— Lent is a time for us to be like the man who stood at the back of the Church...
— Lent is a time for us to give up our sinful habits...
— Lent is a time for us to give up our sinful attitudes…
— Lent is a time for us to stand before God and beg His forgiveness…
— Lent is a time for us to stand before God and have our sins washed away…
— Lent is a time for us to stand before God and be empowered to turn away from our sinful past…
— Lent is a time for us to stand before God and to live new lives… filled with His Glory!
Lent is a time for us to be prepared for the MISSION God has called us to!
But that requires and attitude of Honesty and Humility — as we confess our sins to God.
AND… it is an attitude of Relief and Joy — in knowing that our sins are forgiven… that our slate has been wiped clean… that we have received Grace…
We need to learn to pray with the Psalmist:
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
What sin are you giving up for Lent, and for the rest of your life?
Jesus will forgive that sin… He will wash it clean at the Cross…
Jesus promises to empower you to live a new life that brings Glory to Him…
If people want to temporarily give up things to show their love for Christ, that’s OK!
But… what Christ is really concerned with is your heart.
Christianity is about more than outward behavior — it’s about the heart!
We need to prepare our hearts for Easter — and for Christ’s call on our lives — by setting aside time for self-examination… for repentance… and for change…
Too often we focus on outward appearance…
— on how we look...
— on how others view us...
— on being all shiny and perfect...
— on being just the way the world says we should be...
— and on doing all the “right things”....
But THAT’S NOT WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS ALL ABOUT!!!
8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
What is your heart saying?
Let me tell you...
God does not desire outward obedience… His desire is perfect inward obedience!
— He commands our total love and trust in Him…
— He commands that His Name be continually on our hearts…
— He commands that we never neglect His Word…
— He commands obedience to those in authority… because of our Love for Him…
— He commands us to help those in need, and defend those who need defending…
That is what Holiness is — That is what Faithfulness to God is — That is what being a Christian is!!!
A Christian is someone who stands before God — in total submission — and proclaims, “There is everything wrong with me!”
“… But Jesus… But Jesus… has overcome my sin…”
“… Christ has taken away everything that is wrong with me…”
“I am a REDEEMED Child of God!”
Brothers and Sisters… I want you to understand… Lent is not a legalistic, or compulsory act… it is a fantastic opportunity for us to set apart time for spiritual cleansing… for renewal… for preparation… for the mission God has called us to…
Lent was meant to be a temporary interruption to our normal … regular… schedule… to prepare us to once again hear that great story of God’s salvation work in Christ Jesus!
But somewhere along the way, Lent got lost....
— Somewhere along the way, the Church obscured the Resurrection Reality and never recovered from it...
— Somewhere along the way, the Church became comfortable inside herself...
— Somewhere along the way, the Church laid down the shining banner of Resurrection and put on the sackcloth of lent, and forgot to take them off again....
— Somewhere along the way, Resurrection became the exception, and Lent became the Rule…
Church… It was not meant to be that way!
Lent is supposed to be a time when we — Pursue what we don’t yet have — Journey to new depths in our walk with God — Experience more and more an inexhaustible God — who pursues us relentlessly with His Love… and bids us “Stand up, Stand up, for Jesus!” And calls us to His Mission!
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
Can I tell you — That is why I am giving up Lent for Lent this year!
Will you join me? Will you walk with me?
Let’s take Jesus’s words seriously… when He said:
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
And do Lent differently this year…
Let’s take off the dreariness and put on the Joy of the Lord that is our strength!
Let’s learn to Live out Loud — to Live in Love — to Live in Praise of our Lord!
Let’s “Give up” and Give in”
Let’s “give up” those things in our life that are keeping us from focusing completely on our relationship with God, and “give in” to our Loving Father!
God is calling us to a “seemingly impossible mission” — to “Share His Word with the World” (Mk 16:15) — We are equipped to do this when we relearn what it means to be —
— Loved
— redeemed
— Sanctified
— Empowered
— Strengthened
— Cherished by a God who Loves us!
(time of reflection and prayer)
(communion)