Brief summary of church history in the last 50 years
- Plentiful denominations
- Stuffy tradition/religion
Christianity when from PUBLIC to PRIVATE
About 25 years ago, A new church movement began
- The Seeker-sensitive church
- This is how we started
This was an answer to a generation problem
- The leaders in that generation trying to solve problems
We are in a series called, “IN MY GENERATION”
Asking the question:
What do we want to see God do in OUR GENERATION?
We have to ask new questions to solve new problems
Our Problem:
There are no more seekers
Will be difficult staying a “Seeker sensitive church with no seekers”
- We must find a NEW WAY to reach people with the message of Jesus
This does not worry me; it CHARGES ME
- We get to see God do something NEW
- And we get to be A PART!
I believe that God is calling us and will equip us to reach our generation
- But it won’t look like the past
- It will take us SEEKING HIM
Today, I want to talk about:
LIVING ON MISSION
Most of us have heard of the Great Commission
- Last instructions of Jesus before he ascends to heaven
Matthew 28:19-20
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 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
I want to add to it…
- Jesus also said…
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
So we have a calling to have a Faith that is PUBLIC
- It isn’t something we keep only to ourselves
So that means doing whatever is necessary to reach people who are in need of Jesus
- because people REALLY need Jesus
Let’s look at a story that shows what LIVING ON MISSION looks like
Luke 10:25–37
25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”,
28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’
36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
Living on mission is:
1: Looking for opportunities to share the Hope you have
When something is kept private, you can make up your own rules
- Only you know, so only you judge
But that’s a problem when looking for opportunities
- If an opportunity comes your way, you have a CRISIS
So a private faith means:
- You follow Jesus as long as it stays quit
- You follow Jesus as long as it doesn’t draw attention
- You follow Jesus as long as it doesn’t make you step out of the “NORM”
Priest and Levite
We don’t know what their reasonings were, but…
- They choose to go out of their way not to help
I compare their actions to PRIVATE faith because, like them on the road, no one saw them pass by the opportunity to show compassion and help
What good is faith if it does not help change things…
- It’s not just about you
Faith isn’t about feeling or “GOOD ADVICE”
- It’s about making a REAL DIFFERENCE
- In the HERE AND NOW
When these two men had the opportunity to put faith in action, they literally walked right on by
- That is what a PRIVATE faith does
- It moves on by…
1 Peter 3:15
…in your hearts, regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
Jesus is the cure to what ails us all. Who are we to keep it to ourselves?
Living on mission is… Looking for opportunities to share the Hope you have
Living on mission is:
2: Serving those sent your way
Modern Marketing
Tries to convince you that you NEED this to be BETTER
To get fit, you need:
- Workout equipment
- supplements
To be important you need:
- Special car
- Clothes
To be happy:
- Product
- Vacation
- Food
The fact is…
- IT’S NOT TRUE
- You don’t need any of those things…
You need to be happy with what you have
- Or what God has sent you
It’s the same with Serving others
Here’s what I’ve noticed
We usually only want to help those who can benefit us later
- That person will brag about us
- That person who can owe us a favor
- That person who we can use their influence
The hero in this story is the…
Samaritan
- Enemies
- Seen as “Half-breeds”
When Jesus said “SAMARITAN,” His listeners would have groaned
- He picked one of the WORST
But that’s the whole point of the story
- In God’s kingdom, we serve those whom we are sent
For some of us, that will be a real challenge
- That difficult co-worker
- Family member
- Old friend
- Frustrating neighbor
Want to see God move in OUR GENERATION?
- Serve who you are sent
We don’t get to choose who — God Does that
- We get to choose to be faithful…
Living on mission is:
3: Costly
Changing my own car oil
- I always did it myself – A source of pride
- Until my wife’s latest car
Younger – Had time but no money
Getting older – Let time, more money
- I can pay for things that I had to do before
What makes this story impactful is how much the Samaritan did for the injured man
- he didn’t just go get a rescuer
- He WAS the rescue
His costs:
- He used his expensive materials to bandage the wounds
- Paid 2 days wage to put him up to heal
- Promised to pay any remaining balance
- His time
Being used by God will require what you have
- Your time
- Your Resources
Which is more important to you?
Matthew 6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
We must decide as individuals and as a church
- WHOM WILL WE SERVE
- Who will be master over our life
If we want to see a move of God in OUR GENERATION, it will take:
- Praying like never before (Seek 2023)
- Doing what we haven’t done before as God leads
- Being KINGDOM minded and EARTHLY minded
Matthew 6:33
33 But SEEK first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
SEEK 2023:
- Corporate Prayer Wednesday from 12-12:30 pm
FASTING FOCUS:
Time specific time out of your day to get away and pray
- During lunch
- At home
- after school