Our Mission Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Today we will begin a four-week series on the subject of our DNA in Christ.

• SLIDE #2

• Collectively, as individuals, our Christ-centered DNA describes the center of who we are as a church, since the church is the individuals who come together in Christ.

• Our mission, values, vision, as well as our strategy for ministry are built off our DNA in Christ.

• DNA is the code of life. Your DNA defines (physically) who you are. It not only defines who you are, but also tells where you are from (your lineage).

• My DNA decides my eye color, gender, skin color, physical capabilities, and our ethnicity.

• DNA tells us who the killer is in a CSI episode. DNA is the center of the physical aspect of being human.

• Being is important. In our fast-paced world, where we are constantly doing, it is important to remember that we are human beings before we ever do anything. Who we are, proceeds what we do.

• When one becomes a Christian, we are born again with a new spiritual DNA that tells us who we are (people redeemed by God) and who we belong to (Christ).

• The New Testament uses this biological language to describe our new life in Christ. Christians are born again (John 3:3;1 Peter 1:23). In Christ we have become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

• This is one of the miracles of becoming a Christian, we are changed at our very core when we allow Jesus to be the Lord or our life.

• Too many people as well as many Christians waste their time trying to clean up the outside image.

• In an effort to earn a ticket to Heaven, we try to be good without God.

• In order to be able to change who we are, not just what we do, not just what people on the outside see, we need something drastic, something miraculous to happen.

• Of the miracles Jesus performed, turning water into wine, healing the sick, raising the dead, the greatest miracle is a changed human being.

• When we are born again, Jesus is the center of our DNA strand. Everything comes from Him.

• Who we are changes as over time as we grow in Him, what we are changes, where we will be going changes. This is all part of the new creation we are in Christ, this new creation is not simply new activities, (prayer, church, giving), it changes us at the depths of our soul!

• So today we begin our four-week journey together.

• The main idea of the message is that our mission to reflect Jesus and make disciples is written into our NEW DNA we receive when we are baptized into Jesus!

• One of the final things Jesus said to the disciples is called the Great Commission.

• We are talking about our mission (what we do) while we are talking about being the church. But mission (doing) is a part of our identity, our DNA is intertwined with our mission.

• Let’s turn together to Matthew 28:19-20 as we examine the core of our mission.

• SLIDE #3

• Matthew 28:19–20 (CSB) — 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 hope that you can keep up with me today as I unveil this extremely complex out line of three words. ?

• SLIDE #4

SERMON

I. Go

• Are you blown away? Once Jesus establishes that He has all authority, He tells His followers that they are to GO!

• He also tells them (us) that we are to go to ALL NATIONS.

• “Go into all the world.” We are commissioned to go. The word go means “going,” in the sense of “continuous action” (Kenny Burchard, Greek-Geeking the Great Commission in Matthew,” Think Theology.org, November 7, 2013, http://thinktheology.org/2013/11/07/greek-geeking-the-great-commission-in-matthew/).

• A better way of saying it is “as you are going.” As you are living everyday life—work, school, grocery store, family time, ball games.

• We need to constantly be reflecting Jesus. Just like my genetic code reflects aspects of my family lineage, my spiritual DNA needs to reflect who I belong to (Jesus).

• One of the things that is wired into us when we are in Christ is that we are called to GO.

• This simple word cannot be ignored because when too little is made of it when all attention is centered on the command to “go,” as in countless appeals for missionary candidates, so that foreign missions are elevated to a higher status of Christian service than other forms of spiritual activity.