Our Mission

If you have your bibles open them up to John 16 this morning, and pray with me…

I have titled the Message this morning Our Mission…

Back in 2016 I went on on mission Trip with my church to Calgary, Canada. And its one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to, and when got there we had a meeting on top of this apartment building over looking the bow river and I remember something said during our time there and repeated multiple times throughout the week, and that is we live life on mission. And that really stuck with me, and several of the men who were with me, and I believe it was so impactful for us that it changed many of our lives forever, and I remember when we stayed that we week I had a horrible time sleeping I would often wake up super early and even ride this free train type thing in the middle of town so I could observe how people lived there life there, and what I began to see is the same thing I see now, and that is people didn’t seem to live with mission outside of themselves. Man you go anywhere now, and it has become harder and hard to reach people with anything, because they are so focused on other things, glued to their phones, and reserved often. and I wanted to tell myself in that moment I want to be about the mission of Jesus Christ, and his church.

So each and every week I say the same thing each and every time we gather, and I don’t say it just to say it, I want you to live out the mission for yourself. I think its so important and ties into the message today that I want to go deep into what our mission teaches us about how we are to live for God. If you have read the mission statement back there or online, this will be a reminder to you.

The first is to Exalt the Savior, and First and foremost our goal at Agape is to Exalt the Savior. To Exalt simply means to hold Jesus in very high regard. At Agape we make much of Jesus every time we meet and in our everyday life. We exalt Christ because of who is and what he has done. Christ is God and is worthy of worship, and he is our savior. He is our savior because he died for our sin on the cross, and rose on the third day proving he has dominion over the power of sin. 

We exalt the Lord the with all our heart, soul, and strength. Meaning we worship our savior with all we have. When we worship him we do so from our head to our heart. We exalt him in our deeds and actions. We exalt the Lord in praise, proclamation, and in prayer.

The Second. EVANGELIZE the Sinner At Agape we believe that every single person on earth needs the gospel. Every single person born is born into sin, and is in need of Jesus to save them. Our goal is that each and every person that walks through the door will hear the good news of Jesus Christ, and those who don’t know him will by faith, know him as Lord and Savior. 

We believe at Agape their is no strict way to share Jesus with someone, but sharing the gospel involves sharing about our creator, our problem, and our Savior. We believe we are called to share the gospel outside of these walls to the ends of the earth. We believe that Jesus wants us to focus on evangelism until he returns.

The Third. EQUIP the Saints  At Agape we believe we need to live out our faith. To equip means to prepare believers to live out their faith. Here at Agape we believe the word of God has life application. But in order to have life application you must be fed the word of God, and the word of God teaches you how to live our faith. This includes but is not limited to, how to study God’s word, pray, worship, evangelize, serve, stewardship, fasting, silence and solitude, etc… 

The result of being equipped means you're growing, looking more like Jesus. You are not wavering, your knowledge of God is helping you in every circumstance, and your character is changing, and you are apart of a community serving where God has called you to do what he has called you to.

The Forth. EDUCATE for Maturity  At Agape we believe we need to know about God. Christian education is to give someone training in or information on/or about God. The primary way one educates someone about about God is through his word. The word of God is inerrant and infallible. Meaning it is without errors. and it means the bible is 100 percent truth. Christian education starts with the idea that there is a God and he has something to say. Christian education goal is to glorify God, and to know Christ. So this means that the bible is the perfect way to teach someone about God, and how they can know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Christian education also takes place through a variety of other means. This includes, schools, books, sermons, teachings, podcasts, etc… God teaches his children about himself through a variety of different ways. But always does so with his word being the focus. To sum up the education for Agape, the higher the theology the greater the doxology. Which means the more we know about God the more we worship him.

The fifth. ENCOURAGE one Another  At Agape we believe the local church should be the most encouraging place in the world. We believe encouragement is the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope, and the persuasion to do or to continue something. We believe we need encouragement for several reasons, because we live in a fallen world, we are called to do it, it helps our faith, it gives us hope, it provides unity, it gives us joy, it gives us strength, and it helps us persevere. At Agape we want to be aware of those who need encouragement. Always encouraging others using the word of God and the hope we have in Christ.

How do we even fulfill this mission we have as a church well the text we are in today helps us do that very thing and be on mission for the Lord outside our own mission statement here… And the main Idea I want you to see this morning is this.. .

Jesus calls us on mission, and gives us the Holy Spirit to help us fulfill it.

And for us today I have three points that is going to help us understand that main idea today…

the first is this…

Jesus leaves so we can have the Holy Spirit.

Listen to the scripture starting in the second part of verse 4.

John 16:4–7 (ESV)

4b“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Jesus did not tell the disciples everything about his plan from the beginning. He didn’t day one say here is what is going to happen. I am going to call 12 of you, and you 12 are going to see me do some incredible signs, and hear me say I Am this and I am that, and oh about three years after I am going to be betrayed by one of you, and I am going to die on the cross for sins, and rise on the third day, and then ascend to the father, and then send you the Holy Spirit so you can continue the work I started.

Rather he ministered to them and with them each and every day until it was his time to go. Jesus always had the end in sight, but he wanted to teach the disciples in the moment these things so that when he left they would be prepared for the mission they would be called out on.

But in the moment as Jesus is telling them he is going away they are not so worried about the mission he has called them to anymore, but more about where Jesus is going.

And Jesus knowing the heart of his disciples says sorrow has filled your heart. And they are experiencing that sorrow because their earthly life is about to change. Jesus is going away, and they didn’t fully understand how good it was that this was the case. They had a one tract mind about this. They wouldn't know until later the impact of him leaving meant they would do incredible things fulfilling his mission.

It’s a reminder to us that sometimes we get caught up more in the temporary than the big picture, if God is in something he is going to see it through, and for his glory.

And what Jesus does rather than rebuking them fully He leaves them with some of the most peaceful words to the disciples and us in the scriptures.

He says, I tell you the truth, I tell you the truth. It is for your advantage that I go away, How can this be Jesus was there Lord, and protector, and he did all these great things amongst them, well he is about to do something greater than all things. But he says IF I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you, BUT if I Go I will send him to you.

And we have talked about the Role of the Holy Spirit in believers life over the last few weeks, that he will Live in Believers, That he will remind believers of what Jesus says, that He will be a witness to them about Jesus, and that is just a few of the things the Holy Spirit does.

And the Holy Spirit will help fulfill the mission God has called us to. Don’t ever forget that. As I was preparing for my sermon this week, I ran across something that was really good for me, and I believe it will be for you as well. It says this, “The first time I really grasped the implications of this text, ( He is talking about verse 7)I literally began to dance in the street and jump over fire hydrants. I said: “Eureka! I can’t believe it! All this time I have felt like Abraham, living in the Old Testament, looking forward to the time of Christ’s coming, or wishing that I could have been alive during Jesus’ earthly ministry, because those people heard and saw Him and His miracles. If only I could have been an earthly eyewitness disciple of Jesus, my Christian life would be so much better than it now is.” Yet our Lord said our situation now is better than that of His disciples when He was walking on the earth. I think that is one of the most difficult statements of Christ to embrace. Certainly the disciples struggled with it, but between the time when Jesus announced his departure and the day He actually ascended to heaven, they took it to heart, for they were able to return to Jerusalem with joy (Luke 24:52). They saw that when Jesus left them, He was going to His coronation. He was going to enter into the heavenly sanctuary to sit down at the right hand of the Father and to be their Great High Priest.

The same man would go on to say this… I’m sure you’ve seen the victory celebrations that happen every time there is a presidential election. The candidate’s supporters gather together on Election Night, waiting for the voting results to come in. Gradually excitement builds as it appears the candidate is winning. Finally, when the outcome is certain, the opponent gives his concession speech, and when that happens, the winning candidate’s supporters all throw their hats in the air, confetti spills down, the champagne is uncorked, and the candidate steps up to make his victory speech. Just imagine if he were to say: “Hey, this is great. Let’s stay here. This celebration is so much fun, I don’t think I’ll ever go to Washington.” The candidate’s supporters would be sure to say: “Oh, yes, you will. That’s why we elected you. We want you in Washington to work for us.”

Jesus was going to a much more important place than Washington. He was going to the right hand of God. It was far better for Him to go there than to stay in Jerusalem. There He would be in a position of power, and one of His first acts would be to send the Holy Spirit to minister to the disciples.

Jesus won the victory church, We have it so much better now, and we are not living out the mission despite having God live in us… God did not leave us 2000 years ago without witness he gave us the witness of the Holy Spirit to go and fulfill his mission. We have a mission at this church which ties into the greater mission of Jesus Christ, if you are a believer you are not alone so go and fulfill what he has called you to. Knowing you are not alone doing it.

Second thing I want you to make note of is this.. First was Jesus leaves so we can have the Holy Spirit.

Second..

The Spirit convicts the world of their need for Jesus.

verse 8

John 16:8–11 ESV

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

So we begin to see more work the Holy Spirit does, and this is a crucial part of how he fulfills his mission. And we see three things, he convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement.

And he breaks that down so we can understand what he means by saying these three things. And he explains to them, concerning sin, because they do not believe in Jesus. They world does not believe they need Jesus to save them from their sins, and so the Holy Spirit comes and reveals to them their need for Jesus. No one can fully see who Christ is until they see how bad their sin is, we can tell people all day long they are a sinner, but its not until the work of the Holy Spirit comes into someone’s life where they can truly see it for themselves. The greatest sin problem is the sin of unbelief and the Holy Spirit helps sinners see that.

Secondly the Holy Spirit convicts of righteous because Jesus is going back to the Father. The world has a different idea of what righteousness is. There is a lot of self righteous in this world, but there is only one who is righteous, and he is at the right hand of the father. The world is often guilty playing the game of I am a better person than so and so and he claims to be a believer, so I should be good enough to be saved in that way, but no one and I mean no one compares to the righteousness of Christ. When we see Christ for who he is, we truly see in us their is no righteousness, and we need Jesus. Jesus righteous place with the Father shows just how righteous he is.

Finally though the Holy Spirit he convicts concerning judgement because the ruler of this world is judged. The world Judgement on Jesus is wrong, and Satan and the world are judged through Jesus Christ. I like what one man said, “Now the case is completed. The verdict of the court can be rendered. It is “Guilty!” But the guilty verdict did not merely apply to the opponents of Jesus—the world. John saw the bigger picture. There has been an evil hand at work in the world, and any modern attempt to demythologize this prince of the world will receive the same verdict as the evil ruler.”

These things taken as a whole can be seen clearest at the Cross. Because at the cross you see sin dealt with through Jesus Christ the Son. If God did not think sin, righteousness and judgement where important to deal with then he would not have send his Son into his own creation. But he did, and on the cross we see the seriousness of sin, and its need to be dealt with, and Jesus Christ lived a life free from sin unlike you and I he was righteous unto death living out the law of God perfectly, and showing in that death the judgement of what lies to those who don’t believe in him, including the judgement of satan himself. And its by the power of the Holy Spirit and Jesus work that we see our need for him.

But its important for us to understand that its through us the Holy Spirit does these things. Christians are people who have seen these things for ourselves and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can confront others on these things when we witness to them. The Holy Spirit will help us with our mission.

The Holy Spirit is our ultimate witness to the world, all we have to do is be faithful to the mission he has called us to do, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can show others who Christ is.

second point, The Spirit convicts the world of their need for Jesus.

Third and Final point is this..

The Holy Spirit will show believers how to fulfill their mission.

v 12

John 16:12–15 ESV

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Again we see that Jesus is not going to leave the disciples without help. Remember the disciples were sorrowful. They could not handle what was about to take place, but the Holy Spirit was going to come to them, and help them with the mission to the lost world.

Jesus is telling them I have so much to tell you, but right now in the moment I know you can’t handle it, but I am going to make sure that you will have the Holy Spirit and he is going to guide you.. I love that God is our guide into all the truth. He is not going to leave his disciples nor us without giving us all we need to know about fulfilling the mission. There will not be a guessing game about what God has called the disciples to do, because the Spirit is going to guide them. Teaching them everything Jesus has said, And the Holy Spirit does all these things in the name of Jesus, and Just as the Father is glorified through the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus.

We see that the Work of God is Triune, and the Triune God is working to this day.

Today we have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God guiding us… We do not need to look long for how can we fulfill our mission because we have it in us and in front of us.

I am afraid the capital c church and this church maybe even this church has lost its since of mission. Why do we exist in the first place. Our mission is what I hope each and every one of us desire to fulfill together.

WE are to be like Christ who as we will see in two weeks was one who fulfilled the mission he had on his life. Just as a sneak peak it says this.. John 17:4

John 17:4 ESV

4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

I was driving in my car on Friday after I dropped my daughter off to daycare and went to the gym, and ate some lunch and was overcome with this burden, and this thought came to mind as I was thinking about the message this week, but it goes beyond just this word for today.

And its this… At the end of my life am I going to regret the things I didn’t do like taking a trip somewhere or taking a different job, or buying this car, or this house, or I am going to regret most not living out the salvation before God and man that was freely given to me, and the mission he has called me to.

The answer is pretty clear its the latter. Jesus loved me so much to live a perfect life, die on the cross, and by the Holy Spirit show me my sin, my unrighteousness, and where I would be without him. And he made me alive in Christ. For what reason to live for him, and glorify him.

How can I not help but fulfill the mission he has given me, and if you are in Christ the same goes for you. I have said this a million times I feel like already, but only you can live the life God has called you to. only you can live the life God has called you to. And if you are in Christ what a wonderful life he has giving you. Fulfill the calling he has on your life. Knowing you are not alone to fulfill it.

For me years ago, I told this a few weeks ago when I talked about starting my own ministry, my mission was to help disciples of Christ become Rooted in God, Rooted in Faith, and Rooted in Love. But what’s your’s? We have a mission statement as a church but make one personally for yourself share it with me in the upcoming weeks.

However today I know you may be like the disciples. full of sorrow for one reason or another let me tell you I have been there even this week. But I have a Lord and Savior who made sure I did not stay there, and a Spirit telling me, I am not done with you or the work I have for you. And even through this sorrow I can rest because I know him, and know he has a plan on my life, and the same goes for you.

But do you know the one who the mission is about? See we can talk about the mission, but if you dont know the one who the mission is about than you are not apart of the mission. In verse 7 Jesus said its to your advantage that I go away. and boy was it, because he went away going to the cross we can have life. He went to the cross for all of his children who would ever believe in him. So today if you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior let today be the day if you feel the Spirit showing you your sin, your unrighteous, and judgement for not knowing Christ let today be the day of Salvation for you.

And church and those who know him, let not another day go by not fulfilling the mission that he has called you to do. Jesus calls us on mission, and gives us the Holy Spirit to help us fulfill it.

The next few weeks are so important in the gospel of John be sure to make plans to be here and invite others to hear about the good news from it.

Let us pray…