Series: We are here!
Quick Summary of series.
Sermon 7: Mission minded
Video Illustration: Life in Sudan by Blue fish tv.
Question: What does it mean to be mission minded?
I asked this question to our missionaries this week seeking their wisdom an insight from the field where they are ministering.
Tom Kennington (south side of Chicago) – His response was and he will come share for 7 minutes!
1) Luke 4:18: Jesus so clearly tells us what His mission was and is. Our mission needs to be consistent with His. What are we here for? Many need to re-think -what are we doing? - Priorities need to be examined.
2) 2Cor 5:18-21: We have been called to share in the ministry of reconciliation. The Gospel "Christ death + Resurrection" needs to be preached constantly. We are called to be His ambassadors conveying this great Truth. Sin is no longer charged to them that believe.
Here is the response from our missionaries in other countries:
Jeany Schmidt (West Africa)
I see a Mission's Minded Church as one that invests in bring those lost and dying spiritually to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Mission's Minded people in the church have a deep desire for their friends, family and acquaintances to all know Jesus as well as those who live in far away countries-people they do not even know. It is the fulfilling of the Great Commission to see those close and far coming to know Jesus and become his disciples.
A Mission's Minded church cares about the missionary and those being ministered to enough that when they receive a prayer letter asking for prayer they get on their knees and bring the request to the Father and pray with ferverency. They care very much about the people and country being ministered to.
Christa McCartney (Burkin Faso, South Sudan)
Mission's minded means that you are focused on finishing the great commission of reaching the lost around the world and at your doorstep. You understand that it is the responsibility of every member of the church to reach those around them and to pray and support those who are reaching the unreached (Those without any access to the Gospel) around the world... Mission's minded means that you are not leaving the job for just those called to "missions" but that everyone is involved in some form with missions.
Jon Erickson
What can I do to make sure those outside my culture have an opportunity to hear about Jesus of Nazareth?
Glenda Skip Vogel (just back from Mexico)
Mission minded means:
1. Flex your "can do" muscles.
2. Don't wait to get started.
3. Fire up your engines.
My personal scripture is 2 Cor. 5:7 - "I live by faith, not by sight."
Tony Simon (Mexico)
To me "Missions Minded" means fulfilling the Great Commission with a "Global Mindset", meaning, not just thinking of our own lives, in the area that we live, and what effects just us as individuals. It’s like watching the news but we only care about the local news and we immediately change the channel when they begin to talk about something going on in Egypt or Africa or another part of the world. And of course to me the great commission is done thru the local church so "church planting" is a big part. So "missions minded" to me in a nut shell would mean "Let’s work together giving, going and praying from where we are at to get as many churches around the world as we possibly can!"
Barb Sobol (Mexico)
1. Make missions a priority, not a secondary goal for the church
2. Get the next generation out.
3. Help provide a setting for those who "feel" called to nail down the call of God in their lives, like short term mission trips
4. Don't forget the old guys who have been at it for years, keep them in the loop of support, prayer and encouragement
Anna Bastounas (Ywam)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV)
To be a mission-minded church is to have our minds focused on a mission. Jesus focused on the mission outlined in Luke 4. If we have “the mind of Christ,” then His mission is now ours.
Together, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we focus our living, our giving, and our praying on this mission…
To preach the gospel
Through our words, through THE Word, through our service, and through our lives, we commit to show and to tell the lost—in Tanzania and in Tinley—that Jesus came to seek them and to save them.
To heal the brokenhearted
Through our intercession, through our counsel, through our friendship, and through our acts of kindness, we commit to bring healing and restoration to broken bodies, broken hearts, and broken families.
To proclaim liberty
Through our teaching of God’s truth to everyone possible by every means possible, we commit to free those in bondage to the devil’s lies—the captives, the oppressed, and the blind.
T.S. - So let me add to what they have said and bring it home to you and I that are here this morning.
Let me start with a Scripture to helps us understand why this is a core value for Christian Hills Church:
Scripture:
Matthew 28:18-20: 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I. It means using the authority of Jesus to share His good news.
a. All authority is given to us by Jesus to do the work of the Kingdom of Heaven. To have a mission minded outlook is to understand that Jesus has given us the authority to go share His life changing message to everyone in this world.
i. Jesus had all authority and He passed it on to us to do the work of missions. The people also could see and understand when Jesus ministered that He had God’s authority behind Him.
1. Matthew 7:28-29: 28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
2. Matthew 9:6: 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.…” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
3. Luke 11:14-28: Jesus and Beelzebub
a. 14Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
4. Acts 1:8: 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
b. We need to remember in a world which is more and more hostile to the truths of the Bible that we have been given God’s authority to communicate His message.
i. Romans 13:1: 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
1. All authority in this world including governments is under God’s authority and His mission of John 3:16 over rides any other authority in this world.
ii. What kind of authority has Jesus given us – God the Father’s!
1. The authority of God from above the creator of the universe.
2. We have His ultimate all powerful authority to fulfill the great commission.
a. This is why in Acts 5 when Peter and the other apostles who were doing the work of the Lord and were told by the religious authorities to stop said they must obey God rather than men because the Lord Jesus gave them the authority to share the good news with all mankind.
iii. Question: Do you use His authority in your life and in your churches to get the message out about Jesus?
1. Story: William Tyndale
a. William Tyndale (sometimes spelled Tynsdale, Tindall, Tindill, Tyndall; c. 1492–1536) was an English scholar who became a leading figure in Protestant reform in the years leading up to his execution. He is well known for his translation of the Bible into English.
b. In 1535, Tyndale was arrested and jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde (Filford) outside Brussels for over a year. In 1536 he was convicted of heresy and executed by strangulation, after which his body was burnt at the stake. His dying request that the King of England's eyes would be opened seemed to find its fulfillment just two years later with Henry's authorization of The Great Bible for the Church of England—which was largely Tyndale's own work. Hence, the Tyndale Bible, as it was known, continued to play a key role in spreading Reformation ideas across the English-speaking world and eventually, on the global British Empire. His version also worked prominently into the Geneva Bible which was taken to the New World to Jamestown in 1607, and on the Mayflower in 1620. Notably, in 1611, the 54 independent scholars who created the King James Version, drew significantly from Tyndale, as well as translations that descended from his. One estimate suggests the New Testament in the King James Version is 83% Tyndale's, and the Old Testament 76%.
2. Story: Jan Hus, preached against papal authority over the Bible-Martyr
iv. The authority of the name of Jesus is powerful-it’s the most powerful authoritative force there is in this world:
1. Mark 16:15-20 speaks of the kind of authority we have in Jesus to deliver His message.
a. 15He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
b. My own story of understanding the authority of Jesus.
c. Stepping out is Jesus authority takes faith! To step out of our comfort zone and into the authority of Jesus by doing something mission minded usually brings us to a crisis of belief.
i. Quote Blackaby: When God invites you to join Him in His work, He has a God-sized assignment for you. You will quickly realize you cannot do what He is asking on your own. If God doesn’t help you, you will fail. This is the crisis of belief when you must decide whether to believe God for what He wants to do through you. At this point many people decide not to follow what they sense God is leading them to do. Then they wonder why they do not experience God’s presence and activity the way other Christians do.
ii. Quote Blackaby: The word crisis comes from a Greek word that means decision or judgment. A crisis of belief is not a calamity in your life but a turning point where you must make a decision. You must decide what you truly believe about God. The way you respond at this turning point will determine whether you become involved with God in something God-sized that only He can do or whether you will continue to go your own way and miss what He has purposed for your life. This is not a one-time experience. It is a regular occurrence. The way you live your life is a testimony to what you believe about God. (Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby)
T.S. – To be mission minded means I understand who has given me the permission and the authority to go share the Good News to those around me. It also realizes that once a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior then I should be willing to disciple them as well.
II. It means mentoring disciples for Jesus
a. Making disciples is part of being mission minded.
i. We are told and instructed to make disciples for Jesus.
1. This mean here and over there.
2. It means mentoring – training, teaching and yes even correcting those whom we mentor.
b. Definition of a Disciple - from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciple_(Christianity): A disciple is a pupil of a teacher or an apprentice to a master craftsman. A disciple is one who learns from a teacher or for another and they are students.
i. The church - we – the Church are called by God to mentor and disciple others in the faith.
1. It means you care enough to invest your life into another life for the Kingdom of Heaven.
ii. But we must realize discipleship is more than just a teacher student relationship it is a mentoring relationship for the purpose of helping another person grow and mature in the faith of Jesus.
iii. Discipleship is about a relationship with another where you speak into their lives and God uses you to be there as a spiritual guide for this other person.
c. Listen to these following thoughts on discipleship:
i. Quote: Discipleship is the process of learning about the teachings of another, internalizing them and then acting upon them... (So) What Makes Christian Discipleship Different?...
ii. Since you want to be a Christian disciple you are a student of the teachings of Jesus. But in Christianity a lot of the focus is also on following Christ's teachings, not just learning them. This is a very important distinction... a student is someone who just learns theories while a follower is someone who learns and then does. To be a disciple of Jesus you have to learn what Jesus taught. But more importantly you have to do what He taught. That is how you can determine if you have really committed your life to Christ, you start taking seriously His commands and actually doing them. And once you have learned Christ's teachings, you have to pass them on to others. You have to become a discipler. From Read more: http://www.christian-discipleship.com/christian-discipleship/chrisitan-discipleship-definition.html#ixzz1sOwLACdi
d. Quote: “Biblical discipleship is a model of how Christians could and should live their lives in reflection to Jesus' example and His mission. It involves not only a personal faith with God, but sharing that faith with other people, and building up more disciples.”
i. Jesus style discipleship focuses on obeying and applying His teachings and commands to our lives and this includes being willing to pick up our own cross for the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus also made it clear that we are responsible as His disciples to go develop more disciples for the Kingdom of Heaven.
e. The process of multiplication in discipleship is a God ordained.
i. Jesus modeled for us the process of multiplication by mentoring, teaching and equipping his disciples.
1. He focused on 12 people during his 3 years of ministry time.
2. Then they focused with Him on the 70!
3. BY the time we get to Acts 2 we are up to 150.
4. They that increases into the thousands.
5. Over time the process of discipleship has reached into the Billions coming to Jesus!
ii. It’s the concept of establishing relationships with other people like Jesus did with his 12.
1. Eddie Snipes states, “Discipleship = friendship with a Christ centered focus. The relationship is the most critical today. This is not because it is the most important, but it is the most neglected…Most people are intimidated by discipleship.”
a. Proverbs 27:17: 17As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
2. Eddie Snipe adds, “Friendship is the key for accountability.” It’s also the main key in the discipleship process.
f. 2 Timothy 2:1-3 – The “Timothy Principle” modeled by Paul is noted in these few verses.
i. 1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
1. Paul’s relationship and friendship with Timothy shows the importance of discipleship and a need to connect relationally with others.
2. Paul mentored Timothy into the man of God Jesus wanted him to be.
3. Eddie Snipes in “3 Principles of Discipleship” stated: The ultimate goal of mentor discipleship is to give our ministry away. We see leaders jealously guard their position because they forget that it doesn’t belong to them, but has been entrusted to them by God for His glory. If God exalts someone over me or raises up someone who takes my place, that is His will. If I fight against God, what value does my position hold outside of God’s plan? How do I know that God isn’t raising up someone because he has bigger plans for me? Even if God doesn’t, the greater benefit is not the position I hold, but the fruit God produces through my life for His eternal purposes. What could be greater than to be chosen by God to touch someone’s life that will go where you cannot go and do what you cannot do?
4. Who led Billy Graham to Christ? Consider this chain of God’s providential events: A layman by the name of Edward Kimball led Dwight L. Moody to Christ. Dwight went on to be one of the greatest preachers of modern history. It was D.L. Moody that impacted F.B. Meyer and Meyer touched Wilbur Chapman. Chapman partnered with Billy Sunday and Billy Sunday had a major impact on Mordacai Ham. Mordacai Ham felt like a failure in his ministry and decided to quit. He felt burdened to do one more revival circuit. A sixteen year old boy with little interest in the revival was persuaded to go on one of the last days. That boy was named Billy Graham. From: http://www.exchangedlife.com/Sermons/topical/discip-2.shtml
a. We see how it is imperative that we connect with others to create disciples and raise them up – disciples are mentored, trained, taught, encouraged, corrected and loved by another person who wants to see this person be all they can be for the Lord.
g. Question: How do you disciple someone?
i. First you have to have a personal relationship with them!
ii. You need to make sure they have a relationship with Jesus.
iii. You need to help them renew their minds with truth and even correct them in a loving way.
iv. You need to be willing to provide information for the one you are discipling by using the Bible.
v. You need to teach them were to find wisdom for decisions in life - The Bible.
vi. You need to promote specific skills and effective behaviors from the Bible.
vii. You need to be willing to provide feedback to the one you disciple.
viii. You need to coach them through stages of crisis, growth and life situations.
ix. You allow the disciple to ask questions and you become a sounding board for them.
x. You need to be willing to be a safe person for your disciple.
xi. You need to be willing to assist the disciple in devising their plan for life.
xii. You need to nurture curiosity, possibilities and opportunities with your disciple.
T.S. – We need to be mission minded and part of that means being willing to invest into the lives of others for the purpose of discipleship. It also means being willing to be obedient to the process and the testimony of Water Baptism.
III. It means baptizing new converts for Jesus and being the witness Jesus wants us to be.
a. Baptizing new converts is part of being mission minded and being Jesus witnesses to the truth in this world.
i. Being a disciple encompasses more than just asking Christ in, and goes far beyond baptism. Our conversion, our acceptance of Christ as Savior, our election, is the beginning, the entrance, into the faith and Christian life. It is not the only act of being a Christian! It would be like joining a club, but never venturing into the club. Baptism is initiation and public dedication. It is to be the door through which we go in our walk of faith, as is also our profession and testimony of our faith publicly. It does not stop there! It starts there! http://70030.netministry.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=31693&columnid=3844
ii. It’s all about testifying to what Jesus has already done in your heart.
b. Illustration from sermoncentral.com:
i. Story: Paul Harvey wrote in Guidepost Magazine about his own baptism. He said that even though he had received almost every reward for his broadcasting ability that he still felt empty inside. One summer, however, he & his wife were vacationing in a place called Cave Creek, AZ. Sunday morning came & they decided to go to church. So they went to this little church, & there were only 12 other people present. He believed in Jesus, but he had never gone forward in a church service. One night he had prayed in his hotel room & asked Jesus to come into his heart, but he felt that there was still something that was missing." He said that the preacher got up & announced that his sermon was going to be about baptism. Paul Harvey said, "I yawned. But as he started talking about it I found myself interested. He talked about the symbolism behind it, & how it symbolized the complete surrender of one’s life to Jesus Christ, & how there was nothing really magic in the water. But there was this cleansing inside that took place when you yielded yourself to Jesus.” He went on to say, "Finally, when he came to the end of his sermon he said, ‘If any of you have not been baptized in this way, I invite you to come forward & join me here at the pulpit.’" Paul Harvey said, "To my surprise, I found myself going forward. The preacher had said there was nothing magic in the water. Yet as I descended into the depths & rose again I knew something life changing had happened - a cleansing inside out. No longer did there seem to be two uncertain contradictory Paul Harvey’s, just one immensely happy one. I felt the fulfilling surge of the Holy Spirit in my life.” Paul Harvey went on, "The change this simple act made in my life is so immense as to be indescribable. Since totally yielding to Him in baptism, my heart can’t stop singing. Also, perhaps because baptism is such a public act & because one’s dignity gets as drenched as one’s body, I discovered a new unself-consciousness in talking about my beliefs."
c. Let me ask you a challenging question – “Would you be willing to to give up your life to be water baptized?”
i. Story: In 202 A.D., five young people, some of them teenagers, were in training and preparation for baptism and were arrested—three men and two women. The father of one of the young women tried to persuade her to save her life by abandoning her faith. She answered that, just as everything has a name and it is useless to try to give it a different name, she had the name of Christian and this could not be changed. After a long, drawn-out trial, in which they all continued to stand firm, all five were thrown to the beasts in the arena. (Source: Gonzalez, Justo, The Story of Christianity, Volume 1, Harper San Francisco, 1984.)
1. They choose to be baptized even though it meant giving up their lives. Would you have done that?
ii. Bruce L. Shelley shares this story about a famous world leader from history, “From the year 312, he favored Christianity openly. He allowed Christian ministers to enjoy the same exemption from taxes as the pagan priests, he abolished executions by crucifixion; he called a halt to the battles of gladiators as a punishment for crimes; and in 321 he made Sunday a public holiday. Thanks to his generosity, magnificent church buildings arose as evidence of his support of Christianity. This public Christianity was matched by changes in Constantine’s private life, making no secret of his Christian convictions, he had his sons and daughters brought up as Christians and led a Christian family life. Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia baptized him shortly before he died in 337. After his baptism, Constantine refused to wear again the imperial purple and thus left this life dressed in his white baptismal robes” (108, 109).
1. Baptism – being committed to following the instruction of the Lord is all about having a mission minded focus in life.
d. Baptism is defined as baptizo which comes from the Greek word bapto or to dip. This word was frequently used to designate the cleaning of an object by dipping it into water.
i. Steve Atkerson states this about Water Baptism: The OT is replete with examples of ceremonial cleansings accomplished through the use of water (Nu 19:11-21; 31:21-24). Thus, the Jews were not surprised that John the Baptist used water graphically to portray repentance and forgiveness of sins (Mk 1:4). Further, water is nature’s detergent, a cleansing agent well suited to the symbolism of purification. Notice how Ananias told Paul to "be baptized and wash your sins away" (Ac 22:16), and that Peter associated baptism with forgiveness in Ac 2:38.
1. Paul used this same Greek word in Romans 6 to signify the same process which occurs in Water Baptism.
T.S. – The step of Water Baptism is centered on having a missions mindset and it’s about proclaiming to the world, your friends and family that you have made a life changing decision to live your life for Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven.
IV. It means teaching people to obey Jesus words.
a. Teaching people to obey the teachings of Jesus is all about being mission minded.
i. Few will dispute that a man named Jesus Christ lived 2,000 years ago and that He was a great teacher who impacted the world. Christ made a controversial claim—that He was the very Son of God, the long-prophesied Messiah—causing religious authorities in Jerusalem to reject Him, hate Him and eventually succeeded in having Him put to death.
ii. Likewise, the local Roman civil authorities also saw Him as a threat and became complicit in His execution. The religions of His day, both Judaism and paganism, opposed the growth of His teachings and used unlawful and violent means to try to destroy the Church He founded. The government of Rome also came to vigorously persecute the followers of this Jewish teacher from Galilee.
1. Quote: http://www.ucg.org/bible-study-aid/jesus-christ-real-story/?s=2&gclid=CPPd2rO_3LUCFShgMgod0CwA7g
b. The sermons or teachings of Jesus:
Matthew
Sermon/Discourse Matthew Related Teachings
Sermon on the mount 5:1 - 7:29 Luke 6:17-49
The 12 commissioned 10:1-42 Mark 6:6-13
About John the Baptist 11:2-30 Luke 7:18-35
A house divided 12:22-50 Mark 3:20-30
Parables by the sea 13:1-53 Luke 8:4-21
Kingdom greatness 18:1-35 Mark 9:33-50
Authority of Christ 21:23-22:14 Luke 20:1-19
Woes to leaders 23:1-39 Mark 12:38-40
The end of time 24:1-26:2 Mark 13:1-37
Upper room discourse 26:26-35 John 13:1-17:26
Mark
Sermon/Discourse Mark Related Teachings
Parables by the sea 4:1-34 Matthew 13:1-53
Traditions of men 7:1-23 Matthew 15:1-20
Warnings 9:30-50 Matthew 18:1-35
Concerning divorce 10:1-12 Matthew 19:1-12
Return of Christ 13:1-37 Luke 21:5-36
Luke
Sermon/Discourse Luke Related Teachings
Sermon on the plain 6:17 - 7:1 Matthew 5:1 - 7:29
About John the Baptist 7:18-35 Matthew 11:2-30
Parables by the sea 8:4-21 Matthew 13:1-53
Seventy sent 10:1-24 Matthew 10:1-42
How to pray 11:1-13 Matthew 6:5-15
A house divided 11:14-36 Mark 3:2-31
Pharisees rebuked 11:37-54 Mark 7:1-23
God cares 12:1-13:9 Matthew 10:5-33
Discipleship 14:25-35 Matthew 10:34-42
The lost parables 15:1-16:31 John 9:35 - 10:21
The second coming 17:20-37 Matthew 24:32-51
Parables on prayer 18:1-14 Luke 11:1-13
The end of time 21:5-36 Matthew 24:1-26:2
John
Sermon/Discourse John Related Teachings
Meets Nicodemus 3:1-21 Romans 6:1-14
Woman at the well 4:5-38 Colossians 3:16
His equality with God 5:17-47 Matthew 28:18-20
Bread of Heaven 6:26-58 John 8:12-59
Light of the world 8:12-59 John 6:26-58
The good shepherd 9:35-10:21 Luke 15:1-10
Son of God 10:22-39 Matthew 25:31-46
Upper room discourse 13:1-17:26 Matthew 26:26-35
c. The Basic Teachings of Jesus from Joseph Hyman:
i. Jesus taught much during his short lifetime and His teaching ministry lasted about 3 ½ years. What he left this world he had laid down a set of basic principles that a Christian should live by.
1. These teachings can be categorized into three groups:
a. Faith in the Lord
b. Universal love
c. Not judging others
ii. His teaching on faith:
1. Molloy notes, “While the idea of accepting Christianity as the one true faith underlies his teachings, as well as all the works that have been written around his beliefs, one does not necessarily have to be a Christian to accept all of Jesus’ teachings. Many of his parables and speeches define what it is to be a good person in the eyes of the Lord. “Much of Jesus’ advice is good psychology, showing that he was a keen observer of human beings.” (Molloy, 348)
2. While he is talking more about Christianity than not, Jesus’ ideas can be understood by a man of any faith or no faith at all. Jesus laid down a set of guidelines for living. “…he preached basic principles of human treatment, particularly of the needy and the oppressed.” (Molloy, 349 [Matt. 25])
3. Jesus’ main teachings were love for and faith in the Lord. If a person has faith in the Lord, then they are headed in the right direction. Love for the Lord is so essential to the teachings of Jesus, that it is one of his Two Great Commandments. (Molloy, 350)
4. If one does not have faith in the Lord, then they will never be able to accept Jesus’ teachings. Faith in the lord requires putting the Lord and His kingdom in front of everything else. According to Jesus, it is the highest priority. It comes before oneself and even one’s family. That is how devoted a true follower must be. “It is the heart which must be changed and renewed, so that love for God and for God’s creation always takes precedence over selfish desires or commitment to a specific family or ethnic group.” (Ward, 114)
iii. His teaching on love:
1. Another important teaching that Jesus stressed over and over again, was that of universal love. This idea stresses that a person be open and accepting to all other people. According to Jesus, every person is a child of the Lord. Because of this belief, it is essential to treat everyone equally and with care. In the Lord’s eye, we are all brothers and sisters. As Ward states, “To enter the kingdom requires renunciation of pride, renunciation of the love of money, the cultivation of innocence of mind, and compassion for friends and enemies alike.” (Ward, 114) Treating others with disrespect is a sin.
2. If everyone treats all others with respect, then the world we live in will be a peaceful place. Everything would be in harmony.
iv. His teaching on not being the judge of others:
1. Lastly, there is the concept of being nonjudgmental. Jesus would be extremely saddened to find that some people judge others. This goes against his teachings. If we are all the children of the Lord and are all brothers and sisters, why treat anyone differently from the next person? Would you disrespect your own family?
2. In Christianity, it is up to those who believe in Jesus to accept and express this thought to the rest of the world. Again though, it is clear to see that while this is a Christian ideal, it can apply to anyone. Any person can see that treating everyone with respect is not only a nice thing to do, but something that is completely logical. If everyone treated everyone else with respect, the world would be a more peaceful place. Imagine a time and place where war is something learned about only in history class. Imagine a time when the word argument cannot be found in a dictionary. Perhaps it is difficult to see that time and place today. Today’s world is complicated. However, Jesus teaches that if one strives to make a difference, then he will. Jesus was a one man. Look at what he did during the short time that he taught. Jesus’ life in itself teaches yet another lesson. That lesson is the power of thought. It is possessed by all and everyone has the ability to pass it on. Think about the positive impact Jesus had. One man and his mind changed the face of this earth as we know it. Imagine if just one more person acted in the same fashion today. Jesus teaches that we must all act like this. Now imagine how different the world would be if we all took note and acted as Jesus did. That would certainly be a site to behold. (from Joseph Hyman http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~hngo/basicteachings.htm)>
d. What were Jesus primary teachings?
i. He preached on the Kingdom of Heaven the most which included thoughts on faith, love, and hope.
ii. He preached about money/finances/treasures and the condition of one’s heart.
T.S. – To be mission minded means I follow the teachings of Jesus and I realize as I do He is always with me.
V. It means knowing that Jesus is with us daily (our subject next week).
a. Helping people understand that the Lord is with us always is essential in having a mission mindset – (It’s all about Experiencing God).
i. When we do the Great Commission He promises to be with us.
ii. When we really have a mission mindset we understand that Jesus lives within us and is there to direct us by Holy Spirit.
Conclusion:
Practical application of the message:
Being mission minded means getting involved like Jesus got involved with those who do not know the message of Jesus Christ.
Story: Jim Elliot (1927-1956)
Success for a missionary is not taking the Gospel to new lands and establishing the Christian church there. That is what God does, and He does it in His way and in His timing. Success for a missionary, as for any Christian, is being obedient to God's will.
Jim Elliot always wanted to be a missionary. He grew up in a family which read the Bible daily and lived a Christian lifestyle. He went to college with his focus on those activities which would help him to be a missionary.
After he graduated, Elliot had the opportunity to go to Equador to work amongst the Quichuas peoples and he went there in 1952 with Peter Fleming. For more than three years they worked amongst the people establishing a missionary post and an airstrip. Of course they had the task of understanding the language of the Quichua people as well. Jim Elliot married to Elisabeth Howard in 1953.
In 1955 they began their attempts to get to know the mysterious Auca tribe. They decided to drop gifts to the Auca tribe from Nate Saint's aeroplane. Eventually they agreed that the time was right for them to go into Auca territory. They flew in and established a base. They made initial contact with some members of the tribe and contacted the missionary post by radio to tell them that things were going well. That was the last time that contact was made.
The five men were Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, Roger Youderin and Peter Fleming. Their bodies were recovered and their equipment and personal property was brought back.
To many people it would seem that Jim Elliot's dream and the aspirations of the other men had ended in failure. But they had done what was expected of them and it was now time for God to continue with His plan. Amongst the personal possessions was a camera and amongst the pictures taken were some of the Auca Indians who had initially made contact with the missionaries. The people in the photographs were recognized by an exiled Auca woman who had helped the missionaries learn the language. They were relatives that she thought were dead!
She made contact with them and before long Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint (Nate's sister) were living amongst the tribe. They established a church and many of the Aucas became Christians. Elisabeth returned home to America after several years but Rachel stayed with the Aucas for many years.
The story of Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, Roger Youderin and Peter Fleming has become one of the great missionary tales throughout the world. Many, many people have been inspired by these men. They have also been inspired by the wives, and sister, of these men. Marilou McCully set up a school for missionary children in Quito. Barbara Youderin went to work with another tribe. Elisabeth Elliot has produced many books, including an excellent on the Christian principles on raising children.
The deaths of these men, a personal tragedy for their families, has become a world-wide testimony of faith in Christ and dedication to the work of God, which is much, much bigger than the conversion of a jungle tribe to Christianity.
Thesis: Christian Hills Church believes that we must have a mission mindset so as to remember that we are called as Christians to be witnesses to those here and over there. To be mission minded means we are fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus with our lives and in our church. It means we are out and about telling people about what Jesus has done for us in our lives.
