Crossroads Mission
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Three years ago we first outlined our mission as a church. We all have Matthew 28:19-20 as our great commission given by Jesus:
19 Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
As the local church, we have own unique way of living out that commission. Today, I want to recap the unique mission of Crossroads and challenge us in a few areas of that mission. Here is graphic that sums it up:
Crossroads will:
Worship Jesus
Grow in our Faith in Jesus
Serve Others for Jesus
Tell Others about Jesus
There are two common factors in all four of these. First and foremost is Jesus. He alone is center to reason we do what we do. The second is you and me. Without each other, we cannot do any of these. It requires a community of believers to do these things together. In fact, you could even put the word together at the end of each of these:
Worship Jesus Together
Grow in our Faith in Jesus Together
Serve Others for Jesus Together
Tell Others about Jesus Together
In the old testament, the 2 Hebrew words most translated into our word worship have slightly different meanings.
One is to bow down and the other is to serve.
Over half of the original Hebrew word meaning of worship in the Old Testament is summed up in these 2 alternate translations.
In the New Testament, the Greek word most translated into worship is the word proskyneo and it is found 51 times.
The literal meaning of this word is to bow down.
What is interesting is that this word is only mentioned in the Gospels and Revelation where the physical bowing at the feet of Jesus is possible.
When worship is mentioned in the New Testament, the emphasis is more about the status of our hearts and our focus than it is about our physical condition or location.
Jesus alluded to this as he spoke to the women at the well...
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Worship is not done in a specific place. It is not done in a certain sitting/standing/kneeling position. Worship is done in Spirit and in truth. Worship is done no matter where we are or what position we find ourselves in.
When we hear the word worship we generally think of singing and music, but worship is more than that. It is how we talk and live and work. Worship is our recognition of who God is and what he has done for us.
There is a passage in Colossians that does talk about worship in the context of music:
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Worship in the form of music has several purposes:
Teaches and admonishes one another - It is a source of learning as well as warning or admonishment.
We transfer wisdom to one another. Notice that there is this sense of together in the singing and worship.
Our worship through songs to God should have gratitude as a source.
Three types of songs are mentioned:
psalms (psalmos) - songs of praise - mostly a reference to the songs inspired and written in the book of psalms. We are to sing the Word of God
hymns (hymnos) - As much as we would like to think that the apostles liked to sing Amazing Grace and some of the other great hymns we know, that is not the case. These songs were written hundreds of years later, yet we read that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn at the last supper:
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
In this period of time, the word hymnos was a genre of music that was very secular. The hymns most often sung were about battles and the other gods that were worshipped.
hymn is a reference to a song that was a poem set to music that was a fairly catchy and memorable tune.
songs from the Spirit - this is a reference to all other styles and types of songs, with the qualifier that the songs are from the Spirit.
The key to worship, is the attitude of our hearts. We are to sing to God with gratitude in our hearts and we are to do it together, both for ourselves and for the building up of one another
That is what worship looks like. Although I spent a lot of time on music and singing as worship, worship is not just our songs, it is all that we do.
Grow in Faith Together
We have this definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1:
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
How do we grow in our faith together? I think there are 3 ways in which our faith is challenged and as such with grow:
Pray together.
Prayer is the exercise of our faith. It is asking and believing.
Prayer is also speaking to the God of the universe even if we can’t see Him. We know He’s there and by spending time in prayer, we are expressing our faith in Him.
Study God’s Word together.
God’s Word tells us His promises for us. How can we know those promises unless we read them?
By reading God’s Word together, those who are strong in faith can mentor and walk who are not into a deeper understanding and level of faith.
Share together
Talk with one another about how we are doing.
Don’t just ask how are you? Really ask How are you and wait for the answer.
Support each other in struggles and rejoice in victories.
Tell about Jesus
If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, you have received the greatest single gift in all the world.
Jesus is the hope that people are looking for. Jesus is the answer to many of people’s questions and struggles. Knowing Him and being known by Him is the most rewarding thing a person can experience this side of heaven.
Why wouldn’t we want everyone to know? Here is what the Bible says about sharing our faith:
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
19 Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
The Bible is very clear about us sharing Jesus with others. I know we struggle sometimes with having the right words to say. We wonder if there will be questions we can’t answer.
A really simple way to share our faith is to talk about who we were before Jesus and who we are after Jesus. If nothing else, this will spark further conversation…or not. And if not, you’ve done what scripture asks of you - to Tell Others about Jesus.
Serve Those In Need
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
There are plenty of people in this world that are in need. People need
Food
Shelter
Provisions for work/school
Help with taxes and paperwork
Physical help around the house
Help with relationships
The list is never ending. We just need to look for the needs and ask the Holy Spirit how we can serve that need.
So how do we do these 4 things?
Worship God Together
Grow in Faith Together
Tell about Jesus
Serve Those in Need.
Let me share how we do these now, ideas on how we might do them more and what the effects of these actions are.
Worship together -
Regular times sing and praise Him. Sunday mornings, Simply worship nights.
Additional worship nights in other places - homes, online.
The result is grateful hearts who have spent time with the Lord and as a result have other areas of their life in proper perspective. If our eyes are on Him and His greatness, the issues around us seem smaller in comparison.
Grow in Faith Together
Wednesday night prayer, Saturday Bible Study, Ladies Bible study, Sunday Morning service
Additional Bible studies, small groups in homes, Additional prayer times
A sense of community with one another - we are in this together. Strong relationships - both with the Lord and one another.
Tell about Jesus -
Sunday Mornings, inviting to church, gathering in homes with non-believers,
Workshops to further our ability to share our faith, intentionally going out and sharing with strangers.
Growth in the kingdom of God. Hearts healed and lives changed. Heaven populated.
Serve those in Need -
Supporting Connecting Hope, providing groceries/finances to those in need, helping each other in areas where one lacks skill/ability and another is strong
Intentional outreach to help community we are in - schools, nursing/assisted living homes...
A sense of being a blessing. We’ve be blessed in order that we might be a blessing.
What I hope you heard today:
We are a church that is about these things. We are not perfect, but we are striving toward fulfilling the great commission. These four areas Worshiping, Growing, Telling and Serving are things that a healthy church should be about. When someone thinks of a Crossroads, I hope that is what they see.
We will never be done doing these. I’m not asking that everyone do everything all at once, but I would challenge you to examine these four areas and determine if you are challenged by what you heard. If you are, what are you going to do about it?
One more time…we will be a church that will:
Worship, Grow, Tell and Serve.