2. Where Your Mission Awaits
Notes
Transcript
Welcome to part two of our sermon series, Into the Storm. If you have a Bible or device find Matthew 14. If you are using the YouVersion Bible app, look for Events, then Iowa City Church, and all of the sermon notes and Scriptures will be available on your device.
There’s a term the Bible uses for someone who is a follower of Jesus. It’s a disciple. Here’s a simple, yet effective example from Scripture about what being a disciple is all about. It comes from Mark’s gospel when Jesus called his first disciples:
17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” ~ M 1:17
A disciple is one who is devoted to following Jesus. A disciple is one who is being transformed by Jesus. A disciple is one who is on mission with Jesus.
So when we say that the best way to live life comes through following Jesus…that is what we are talking about; devoting ourselves to Jesus, allowing Jesus to change us, and then joining Jesus in his mission of making more disciples.
Last Sunday we talked about those first two aspects of discipleship. In Matthew 8, Jesus takes his disciples into a storm to discover their devotion, as well as transform them for the life of a being a disciple. What we learned is this:
When you know who Jesus is, you discover the boldness you need to walk into the storms of life.
Today we are going to focus in on that last part of being a disciple: living on mission with Jesus…and guess what? It includes a storm.
Living on a mission is what life is all about. Living on a farm going up, literally everyday felt like a new mission. We were building forts, fighting imaginary enemies, going on adventures in the hay barn or crossing creeks down in the pasture.
Every day felt like a life of mission. Then you grow up and what we find is that it can be hard finding one’s mission!
Adulting is hard. Working just to pay bills, and you wonder: Is that my mission?
This is a big question for all people. I did some research and found meaningfullife.com, not a Christian website, but one devoted to helping people find their life mission. Here is a quote from their article on mission:
“Every human being also has a mission. But the human is unique: whereas all creations except for humans have been told their specific mission, the human being has to figure it out. Indeed, the human even has the luxury of denying the idea of a mission altogether. It would have been nice if we came with an instruction manual stating our mission. But we weren’t! The fact that we don’t have that luxury tells us that part of the mission is to discover the mission on our own.”
The struggle for humanity is that apart from God, yes, it’s a struggle to find one’s mission. However, through Scripture and through Jesus was have found not only the best way to live life, but also our mission. Through Jesus we have the luxury to not only know life, but know how to live on mission.
In Matthew 28:19-20
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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Therefor, as you go. So in other words, as you live your life as a teacher, farmer, coach, banker, dad, mom or carpenter…make disciples of Jesus. That’s the mission. That’s our mission. That’s your mission. For too long, too many Christians have neglected their mission, or out sourced it to the professional Christians or thought that simply giving money to the church was the mission. The truth is that following Jesus means joining him in his mission. Does it seem scary? Intimidating? You are not alone. This morning we are going to look at how Jesus taught his disciples about what living on mission with him was all about, and yes it includes a storm.
Jesus has just found out about his cousin, John the baptizer being beheaded. He needs to get away and lay low. So he takes his disciples and heads to the country side near the Sea of Galilee.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
The crowds have a way of finding Jesus. We will see discover that the crowd is in the thousands. the problem is that they are in such a remote spot that it will take a long to find food enough for all of the people. So the 12 disciples present Jesus with this problem. His solution startles them: They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.
Jesus has just put his disciples in a storm. How our they supposed to feed this massive crowd? Panic sets in. They want to perform for their rabbi, but how? They don’t have much. Look at the next verse.
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus takes what they have, looks up into heaven and gives thanks, and begins to multiply the food. We have no explanation of how this happens. Matthew just says that he breaks the food and here’s the key, he hands it to the disciples to distribute among the people. Jesus didn’t have the people walk by him like a buffet line, instead he invited his disciples to be a part of the mission. There’s a problem. Jesus partners with his disciples to solve the problem and accomplish the mission. Not only is every person satisfied, but there are 12 baskets full of food left over! In other words, there’s a basket for each disciple. They started with five loaves and two fish and they wrap up with abundantly more then what they started with.
What do we learn? When the mission seems impossible, Jesus supplies abundantly more then what we need to carry out the mission.
Our mission as a church is to make disciples of Jesus who love God, love people and serve others. As I look around our area see that we don’t have a road, we live in a community where people are ambivalent about coming to church, we live in a time when the Covid-19 virus is still an issue, and I look at limited resources and I think: Jesus, how can we carry out this mission? He reminds me that it’s not my mission, it’s our mission. We roll up our sleeves and he supplies the bread and fish! So we can sit around a fret about mission impossible or we can remember that we are partnered with the one who calms the storms and multiplies food.
Most of you know Pam Thompson, she might even be watching right now. She and Bill were always in charge of our big meals. I remember one of my first big Thanksgiving meals here and the place was packed and it looked like we weren’t going to have enough food. I said, “Pam, we’ll skip out on eating so there’s enough food.” She said, “Thomas, I learned a long time ago, that God always provides just what you need.” She knew what Jesus was teaching, when you get on mission with Jesus, no matter what the storm looks like, he will provide what you need!
After this amazing miracle of food Jesus sends his disciples into another storm. Listen to what happens.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Jesus does it again. Just like what we read last week in Matthew 8, Jesus has sent his disciples into a storm to help transform them…however, this time they are running solo.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
So once, again the disciples are caught in a storm, this time as Jesus is in a time of prayer all by himself. However, while his disciples battle the storm, they are not forgotten. Jesus goes to them in the most unusual of ways…walking on the water. Anyone who thinks that following Jesus is boring, hasn’t read the gospels, nor have they joined him in his mission. Not only are these men battling for their lives, but they suddenly are terrified at an image that they have no context for. People don’t walk on water, so this must be a ghost. Take courage, it’s me Jesus! Listen to Peter’s response.
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
A disciple wanted nothing more then to be like their rabbi. Peter is thinking that if this is truly Jesus, he can do what Jesus can do. So if it’s truly Jesus, he will call Peter to join him on the water. Jesus does exactly that.
So Peter climbs out of the water and puts his foot on the water…and he doesn’t sink! He takes a step, then another step, he’s walking on water! But then his eyes leave Jesus and he sees the storm, he sees the waves and he feels the wind and fear overtakes him and he begins to sink and he calls out to the one who can save him, and in a flash, Jesus is there.
As Jesus steps into the boat, the storm immediately stops and this time, they don’t question who Jesus is, because they recognize who Jesus.
Jesus invites us to join him out on the waters. Jesus calls us to be on mission with him. But to do that, we need to get out of the boat.
About two months ago I heard this interview with author Michael Easter. He had written this book called The Comfort Crisis. It’s not a Christian book, however it’s a book about our current culture of comfort. In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort.
Now, as much as I would love to talk about comfort and our culture, I want to focus more closely in on comfort and Christians. Our American version of Christianity has become a sheltered, temperature-controlled, underchallenged experience. But to life that kind of life means you stay in the boat, and worst of all you never live a life on mission.
Let me say it this way: You can’t follow Jesus and stay where you are. Your mission is waiting for you, outside of the boat.
What this means is you need to embrace a life of putting yourself in uncomfortable positions because it’s there that you will experience the power of Jesus and join him in a life of mission.
So let me take a few minutes and help you begin to think about some areas of your life where maybe Jesus is calling you to get out of the boat.
You’re tied down with sin, brokenness or addiction.
You go help that neighbor who looks like they are struggling.
You begin to pray for a friend or co-worker, and look for opportunities to share why Jesus is amazing.
Figure out a way you can be more generous.
The Holy Spirit leads you to a key conversation with a stranger where you can share your faith.
Don’t be afraid to tell your friends why following Jesus is the best way to live life.
Get into a small group or discipleship relationship.
Invite someone to join you in reading the Bible.
Invite someone to join you in church.
Walk around your neighborhood and pray for your neighbors that they may be open to knowing Jesus.
These are just a few of the ways you can keep your focus on potential mission opportunities.
Here are three challenges I have for you to do:
1. As you drive by the homes being built in our neighborhood, pray for God to put the right people in those homes to who we can disciple.
2. Prayer walk your neighborhood. Prayer for opportunities to live on mission in your neighborhood.
3. Be on the look out for ways the our church can be a blessing to our community. We want to love and serve our community.
You can’t follow Jesus and stay where you are. Your mission is waiting for you, outside of the boat.