BOLDLY GOING
ACTS 1:8
LAST WEEK, WE TALKED ABOUT THE WHO AND WHY OF MISSIONS.
WE LEARNED THAT ALL OF US ARE MISSIONARIES AND THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE TASK OF BEING ON MISSION FOR CHRIST.
THIS MORNING, I WANT US TO LEARN ABOUT THE “WHERE OF MISSIONS.
TAKE YOUR COPY OF GOD’S WORD AND TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF ACTS, CHAPTER 1. LET’S HONOR GOD’S WORD BY STANDING AS WE READ VERSES 6 THROUGH 8.
STAND – READ - PRAY
THAT MISSION HAS BEEN DEFINED FOR US IN II CORINTHIANS 5:18-20 - 18 NOW EVERYTHING IS FROM GOD, WHO RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF THROUGH CHRIST AND GAVE US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION: 19 THAT IS, IN CHRIST, GOD WAS RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF, NOT COUNTING THEIR TRESPASSES AGAINST THEM, AND HE HAS COMMITTED THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION TO US. 20 THEREFORE, WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST; CERTAIN THAT GOD IS APPEALING THROUGH US, WE PLEAD ON CHRIST’S BEHALF, “BE RECONCILED TO GOD.”
THE LAST COMMAND HE EVER GAVE ON THIS EARTH WAS THE GREAT COMMISSION.
THE LAST WORDS JESUS EVER UTTERED WHILE HE WAS ON THIS EARTH WERE THESE: "TO THE END OF THE EARTH." WHEN JESUS LEFT THIS EARTH HE HAD MISSIONS ON HIS MIND.
JESUS CAME AS A MISSIONARY FROM HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT MAKE US MISSIONARIES FOR HEAVEN.
GOD HAS GIVEN CHRISTIANS THE JOB OF TELLING THE WORLD ABOUT HIM AND THAT JOB IS GETTING BIGGER EVERY YEAR.
ONLY 8% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION ARE CHRISTIANS 92% ARE NOT.
I WANT OUR CHURCH TO BE INSPIRED TO HEAR GOD CALLING US TO MISSIONS BECAUSE I BELIEVE WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS THAT PEOPLE WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST ARE L-O-S-T.
WHEN HUDSON TAYLOR WAS ON HIS WAY TO CHINA HE WAS CONFRONTED ONE DAY BY THE SHIP’S CAPTAIN. HE SAID, "TAYLOR, DO YOU THINK THE HEATHEN WILL BE LOST IF YOU DON’T GO TO CHINA?" TAYLOR REPLIED, "I THINK THE HEATHEN ARE LOST, THAT’S WHY I AM GOING TO CHINA."
NOW GOD HAS NOT LEFT OUR MISSION ENTERPRISE TO CHANCE OR TRIAL AND ERROR. GOD HAS TOLD US PERFECTLY HOW WE ARE TO CARRY OUT THE WORK OF MISSIONS, AND HAS ALREADY GIVEN US ALL THE TOOLS WE NEED TO DO IT.
I. CAPTURE GOD’S PASSION
THIS IS THE FIRST STEP AND IT IS THE MOST CRITICAL. BEFORE A PERSON GETS CONCERNED ABOUT REACHING OTHERS FOR CHRIST THEY MUST UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH GOD CARES ABOUT IT.
THE VERSES WE HAVE ALREADY READ ARE JUST A FEW OF THE WINDOWS INTO GOD’S HEART OF CONCERN FOR THE LOST.
1 PETER 3:9 - GOD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL COME TO REPENTANCE.
THAT’S GOD’S PASSION, AND IT SHOULD BE OUR PASSION.
2. TAP INTO GOD’S POWER
HERE IN ACTS 1:8 - JESUS LEAVES US WITH ONE OF THE GREATEST PROMISES HE EVER GAVE, "BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME UPON YOU."
GOD HAS GIVEN TO EACH ONE OF US SUPERNATURAL RESOURCES TO CARRY OUT THE WORK OF MISSIONS.
THE FOUNDATION OF MISSIONS IS NOT MONEY, NOR MANPOWER, NOR METHODOLOGY. IT IS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THAT’S WHY EVERYBODY CAN BE A MISSIONARY RIGHT WHERE THEY LIVE.
YOU SEE, WITNESSING IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON YOUR PERSONALITY. IT’S NOT DEPENDENT UPON YOUR PERSUASIVENESS. IT’S NOT DEPENDENT UPON YOUR POSITION.
IT IS DEPENDENT UPON THE POWER OF GOD AND EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS AVAILABLE TO HIM THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND IF YOU HAVE THE POWER OF GOD YOU DON’T NEED ANYTHING ELSE.
GOD WILL SUPPLY THE REST.
SO WE NEED TO TAP INTO THE POWER.
3. COMMIT TO GOD’S PLAN
NOW NOTICE THE PURPOSE OF THIS POWER. POWER IS GIVEN SO THAT "YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES."
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NEVER GIVEN FOR OUR ENJOYMENT. HE IS GIVEN FOR OUR EMPLOYMENT.
THE REASON WHY GOD GIVES TO EACH ONE OF US THE PERSON, PRESENCE, AND POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT IS SO THAT WE MIGHT BE A WITNESS FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
"THE GOAL OF THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS TO BE SO VITALLY CONNECTED TO CHRIST THAT YOU CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM."
JESUS IS THE PERSON OF MISSIONS.
THE SPIRIT IS THE POWER OF MISSIONS.
WITNESSING IS THE PLAN OF MISSIONS
WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF MISSIONS.
GOD’S PLAN IS TO USE US. GOD HAS CHOSEN NOT WIN THIS WORLD TO HIMSELF WITHOUT US.
I WANT TO SAY TO YOU THIS MORNING IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW GOD INTENDS TO REACH A LOST WORLD FOR JESUS CHRIST, GO HOME AND LOOK IN THE MIRROR. THERE IS NO PLAN B. IF WE DO NOT DO IT IN THE POWER OF GOD’S SPIRIT, IT WILL NOT BE DONE.
NOTICE CAREFULLY THAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE WITNESSES.
NOT LAWYERS.
NOT PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS.
NOT JUDGES.
HE SIMPLY CALLED US TO BE WITNESSES.
NOW ALL A WITNESS DOES IS SIMPLY TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT HE KNOWS, AND WHAT HE’S SEEN.
WHAT THIS WORLD NEEDS IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE SUBJECT OF MISSIONS. HE IS THE SOURCE OF MISSIONS. HE IS THE SUSTAINER OF MISSIONS. HE IS THE STRENGTH OF MISSIONS.
OUR GREAT GOD HAS NO OTHER PLAN, NO OTHER METHOD, AND NO OTHER IDEA ON HOW LOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE RECONCILED TO HIM EXCEPT THAT WE TAKE A SAVING MESSAGE TO A LOST WORLD THAT HAS YET TO HEAR THE WONDERFUL GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
SO YOU AND I NEED TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO GOD’S PLAN.
4. FOLLOW GOD’S PATTERN
HERE IN ACTS 1:8, WE READ GOD’S PATTERN FOR MISSION. WE ARE TO BE WITNESSES TO JESUS "IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDEA, AND SAMARIA, AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH." (V.8)
THERE IS NO PLACE TOO CLOSE AND NO PLACE TOO FAR FOR US TO TAKE THE GOSPEL.
THE LORD HAS NOT ONLY TOLD US HOW TO GO, HE HAS TOLD US WHERE TO GO.
A. WE ARE TO GO TO OUR COMMUNITY
1. NOW JERUSALEM WAS WHERE THEY WERE WHEN THE LORD SPOKE THESE WORDS. HE SAID TO THEM IN EFFECT, THE FIRST PLACE YOU OUGHT TO GO IS NEXT DOOR.
THERE’S AN OLD SAYING THAT GOES LIKE THIS: "THE LIGHT THAT SHINES THE FARTHEST, SHINES THE BRIGHTEST NEAREST HOME."
I WANT US TO BECOME A CHURCH THAT PRAYS FOR MISSIONS, GIVES TO MISSIONS, AND GOES ON MISSION TRIPS, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING IF WE ARE TO BE THE CHURCH GOD INTENDS FOR US TO BE WE MUST LIVE MISSIONS.
B. WE ARE TO GO TO OUR COUNTY AND OUR STATE
AFTER OUR OWN CITY WE ARE TO "JUDEA" THIS WOULD REPRESENT OUR COUNTY AND OUR STATE.
C. WE ARE TO GO TO OUR NATION
SAMARIA - UNITED STATES
WE HAVE OVER 100 MILLION PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO DO NOT KNOW JESUS AS SAVIOR AND AS LORD.
YOU DO REALIZE DON’T YOU THAT CHURCHES IN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE SENDING MISSIONARIES TO THE UNITED STATES. THEY SEE THE DOWNWARD MORAL DECAY OF OUR NATION AND WANT TO BE USED OF GOD TO GET THIS NATION BACK TO GOD.
4. ENDS OF THE EARTH.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE PROGRESSION OF MISSIONS GIVEN IN ACTS 1:8 IS EXACTLY THE SEQUENCE IN WHICH ACTS WAS WRITTEN. IN CHAPTERS 1-7 THE FOCAL POINT IS JERUSALEM. IN CHAPTERS 8-12 THE DISCIPLES GO TO JUDEA. THEN IN CHAPTERS 13-28 THEY SCATTER TO SAMARIA AND TO THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH.
I HEARD A STORY ONE TIME OF A MILITARY PATROL THAT WAS OPERATING IN ENEMY TERRITORY.
THE BULLETS BEGAN TO FLY AND ONE OF THE MEN WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED. ONE YOUNG RECRUIT, CRAWLING ON HIS FACE, PLUNGED AHEAD TO HIS DYING COMRADE. HE, TOO, WAS SHOT. BUT IN EXTREME PAIN AND MUSTERING HIS EBBING STRENGTH, HE DRAGGED HIS FRIEND, WHO HAD DIED, BACK TO THE UNIT, AND COLLAPSED.
THE SERGEANT LOOKED AT THIS SOLDIER AND SAID, "WHY DID YOU GO AND GET YOURSELF SHOT FOR A MAN THAT WAS DYING?" THE RECRUIT SAID, "BECAUSE SIR, I HAD TO HEAR HIM SAY, ’I KNEW YOU WOULD COME.’"
THERE IS A LOST WORLD OUT THERE THAT NEEDS US TO COME EVEN THOUGH THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW IT. BUT WHAT MATTERS IS WHEN WE STAND BEFORE GOD, GOD LOOKS AT US WITH A HEARTBEAT OF HEAVEN, AND SAYS, "I KNEW YOU WOULD GO."
CONCLUSION:
BRING MISSIONS COMMITMENT CARDS
