Power For The Mission
Acts 1:1-14
This morning we begin a brand new expositional sermon series in the Book of Acts I've entitled "The Church on Mission." But in addition to that, this is also the vision message for 2015 for our church. If you've been here any period of time at all you know that for the last seven Januarys I've preached a vision message at the beginning of the year to communicate to you where I believed, and where our elders believed God would have us go and move as a congregation.
Now these emphases are not just for the 12 month calendar year that we happen to be in, but during that 12 month time we have increased awareness and focus on each particular theme and Lord-willing we envelop and create that as an ongoing part of the life and ministry of our church. Here's how this has played out in the past:
One year was the year of community. We sought to build closer community in our congregation. Christian community is most clearly seen at the communion table. So one of the things we did was increase the frequency of when we take communion. We used to celebrate communion quarterly, now we do it monthly. We continue to do that.
Another year was the year of prayer. Just one of the things we did was we began to have a directed prayer time in our services - that was five years ago - and we continue to do that today.
2013 was the year of discipleship. We focused on fostering an environment where we are intentionally making disciples in D-groups of 3-5 people that will then replicate and start new groups. When I cast that vision we had 1 D-group; now we have around 15 or so adult d-groups meeting and we expect that number to multiply over time as those who are discipled then go and find others to disciple who will then go and disciple others. So this is an ongoing aspect of the life and ministry of our church.
Last year was the year of meaningful membership. We recognized that for many people their membership in the church is meaningless to them. We focused on the biblical mandate of church membership, entering into a meaningful covenant community. That is going to continue to be an ongoing process as we continue to pursue those who are listed as members of our church but are disconnected. We are seeking to bring them back through what we're calling "project reclamation." We introduced a membership class that will be required for any new member to take in order to become a member here.
My point is that with each of the church year themes that we've presented at the beginning of the year, we have had an intentional focus on that theme throughout the year, but then there are, Lord willing, lasting effects that become an ongoing part of the culture and life of this church moving forward.
This year we pray will be no different. This is the year of missions. At the end of this message I'll be presenting 8 different actions steps that - Lord willing - we will implement in order to create a missional culture in this church. My desire and the desire of our elders is that we will be a missionary sending church; that the heartbeat of our church will be one of missions - taking the gospel across the street and around the world.
You know everything we seek to do here at LVBC we seek to do based on the authority of the Bible. We hold the Bible up as God's revealed truth. It is our instruction manual for life and ministry. And so this morning I want to direct your attention to Acts chapter 1 as we will read a text that I believe perfectly lays out the missions mandate for us from Jesus himself. So look with me at verse 1 of Acts 1 this morning:
1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,
Now let me stop right there for a moment and explain what this introductory line is referencing. The author of the book of Acts is Luke. Luke was not an apostle, but he was a close associate of the apostles and was with them probably from around 30AD until his death. He wrote a detailed record of Jesus' life and ministry which he presented to the sponsor of his work, Theophilus (lover of God.) Luke gives a more detailed purpose for his writing his two-volume work in the introduction of the gospel that bears his name: 3It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Luke 1:3-4
So the gospel of Luke was volume 1 of his two volume work written for Theophilus, who was probably a believing Roman official. The book of Acts is volume two. And his purpose for writing them is so that he (and us) may have certainty concerning the things he had been taught. The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were written to give us certainty in our faith.
Back to Acts 1: 1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Allow me to emphasize one more thing here. Luke says in his previous book, the first book, he dealt with all that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach.
Now if you were Theophilus reading that phrase 1950 years ago for the first time and you had just completed volume one and you're starting volume two, and Luke says, "The first book was about what Jesus BEGAN to do and teach" - what would that indicate volume two is going to be about? It stands to reason that Theophilus would surmise that volume two is all about what Jesus continued to do and teach? But as we'll see in a moment by the time we get to verse 9, Jesus is gone, he's ascended into the heavens and the disciples are just standing there, mouths open, cloud-gazing. There's 28 more chapters of history to follow. But make no mistake about it - the book of Acts is all about what Jesus continued to do. This book of Acts that we'll be studying all year is all about Jesus. It's what Jesus did through his church. That's why I've entitled this series, "The Church On Mission." Let's keep reading:
1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
There is so much packed into these verses there's no way I can cover in detail all that is here. But I would like to give you five principles regarding Power for the Mission that emerge from this text that I believe will motivate and encourage us as we press in together to this vision of being a church on mission for the glory of God. The first thing to note is this...
I. The MANIFESTATION Of Missional Power
3He presented himself alive to them...
What was it that gave the first followers of Jesus such confidence to move forward with the mandate they were given? They saw Jesus die hanging on a cross, the way people of their day had seen many others had die at the hands of the Romans.
Execution on a Roman cross was a common occurrence. Dead Jewish bodies hanging on Roman crosses helped to keep their subjects in line. They saw Jesus dead. They saw Jesus buried in the tomb. But Luke records that they saw Jesus alive. He presented himself alive to them. And the text says he did so by "many proofs." He manifested himself to them not as some kind of apparition, not as some kind of ghost, not as some kind of ethereal being or hallucination, but he appeared to them alive after his death by many convincing proofs. He really was alive from the dead.
I've said before from this pulpit, if you follow a dead savior, you'll end up just like him. But if you follow a living Savior, you'll end up just like him. How in the world could this rag-tag group of disciples have the confidence, the assurance, the courage to move forward with the mandate of the mission against such tremendous opposition? Very simply, they saw Jesus alive. They knew he was dead, they carried his dead body to the tomb, wrapped it in burial cloths and rolled the stone in front. But for 40 days Jesus presented himself to them alive with many proofs.
And it is this manifestation of missional power that Jesus demonstrated in his resurrection that gives US confidence, assurance and courage to move forward with the mission - from the MANIFESTATION of Missional Power. Secondly notice...
II. The MESSAGE Of Missional Power
Look at how verse 3 concludes: 3He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Consider this: what did Jesus do during the 40 days he was on the earth after his resurrection? If we consider this for a moment we will see what the thrust of missions must be if we are going to be a true church. During the 40 days after Jesus' resurrection we do not see him feeding the hungry; we do not see him clothing the naked; we do not see him assisting the poor; we do not see him healing the sick or caring for orphans. Now, I am not saying that we should not do those things - absolutely we should. Jesus did all of those things during his earthly ministry. But watch this - he did those things as a means of authenticating the message.
Many times when people hear the word "missions" they immediately create in their mind's eye this idea of feeding the hungry, assisting the poor.
And make no mistake – it includes that, those things are most certainly a part of mission work - but that is not the end of mission work, that is a means to the end of mission work.
The primary work, the overarching goal of missions is the message. The text says Jesus was appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
What is the kingdom of God? It's the realm of God's rule - his divine rule over the hearts of men. Jesus often taught about the kingdom of God throughout his ministry and now over the 40 days following his resurrection he expands on that teaching. Can you imagine how the truths of the kingdom of God were crystallized in the disciples' minds? The purpose and the unfolding of God's plan of redemption was becoming clearer and clearer to them as Jesus was preparing them to communicate this message.
Having seen the manifestation of missional power - Jesus is alive; and having heard the message of missional power - the gospel of the kingdom; the disciples were then told they would experience...
III. The MIGHT Of Missional Power
The Great Commission, part of which we have embroidered in this drapery here, it is recorded for in all four gospels. Now the disciples may have been tempted to assume that the accomplishment of the mission would have to be done through their own power and strength.
To prevent that error in verses 4-5 and then in verse 8 Jesus gave very clear instructions that they would receive the person of the Holy Spirit as an indwelling, empowering presence in their lives - for the very purpose of accomplishing the Great Commission: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...
In just a moment I'm going to give you eight actions steps that our elders will be leading us to undertake over the next 12 months. We believe these will give us direction and guidance as we seek to fulfill this mandate given to us by Jesus. But hear me very carefully - we can have 8 action steps, 80 or 800 action steps - if we do not have the divine enablement of POWER from the Holy Spirit those action steps are worthless - it's all for naught.
If you do a study of missions activity, particularly in North America during the last 200 years, what you'll discover is that much of the impact that has been made has been done through college and university students. Today there is the Passion movement which is an annual gathering of college students from all over the US who come together for worship but then also they are challenged to give their lives away for missions.
In the 1940s a similar gathering started by the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship called Urbana. This gathering still meets annually for one week with thousands of college students coming together to be inspired and encouraged to give their lives away to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
An early conference and organization in our history directed toward College students was the Student Volunteer Movement. In fact, here's a photo of a plaque commemorating the beginning of that movement: In this room in the month of July 1886, during the first international student conference, the student volunteer movement had its origin, and 100 young men signified their willingness and desire, God permitting, to become foreign missionaries.
Christian historians consider A. T. Pierson - a Presbyterian pastor in New York, to be the man God used to spark this missionary movement in the 1880's. He continually called for a dependence upon the Holy Spirit to empower the church to accomplish the unfinished task of global missions. He wrote the following to identify that need: "To do this work in twenty years, we must get more Gospel and more vitality. The church has money, brains, organizations, rivers of prayer and oceans of sermons, but she lacks in POWER."
Why do we need Holy Spirit power? Because without it all of our plans and strategies will prove to be futile; they're pointless without the empowering of the Holy Spirit. There's several reasons why - they aren't on your outline but they bear mentioning. The empowering of the Holy Spirit brings a...
A. Deep Conviction
When the Holy Spirit falls upon you in power your witness to Christ comes with deep conviction. Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. 1 Thessalonians 1:5
When God clothes his witnesses with that special power from on high the effect is a deep certainty and confidence and conviction about Christ and the reality of his life and work. The power of God comes upon you, wraps you up as though in a garment of strength, and carries you with conviction and assurance.
B. Courage and boldness
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31 Where does boldness come from? It comes from the fullness of the Holy Spirit. When you're filled with the Holy Spirit you will speak the gospel with courage.
C. Converting Effectiveness
In Luke 1 we have the record of the angel Gabriel's message to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Gabriel told Elizabeth that the power of the Holy Spirit would be upon John which would result in converting effective-ness: And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. Luke 1:17
No one is converted to Christ apart from the converting power of the Holy Spirit. And our missionary efforts will be for naught if we are not empowered by the Holy Spirit - he is the might of Missional Power. Two other things I want you to see from this text real quickly, number 4:
IV. The MANDATE Of Missional Power
As Jesus continues in verse 8 he says...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Herein lies the mandate of the mission. To be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. What is Jesus communicating here? Where are they going to be when they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit - in Jerusalem. When they are empowered from on high for the mission, they are to begin their mission work in Jerusalem. But the missional mandate is not that they just stay in Jerusalem, but that the expand out from Jerusalem into all of Judea. Judea is the region of Jewish population. So still among their countrymen.
But get this, then Jesus tells these Jews that they are to expand their witness outside of the Jewish region into Samaria. This would be crossing not just national lines, but racial lines, religious lines, social lines, ethnic lines, political lines. And then Jesus doesn't stop there, the mandate is to take the gospel to the end of the earth. Every corner on earth where Jesus is not named and where the gospel has not been heard - that's our target.
And it's this Acts 1:8 strategy of concentric circles of influence and witness that we believe God is calling us as a church to embrace with greater purpose and intentionality. To take the gospel to our neighbors and to the nations; to be on mission locally and globally and everything in between. This is the mandate of missional power.
I mentioned earlier that there are 8 action steps that we believe will help us in trying to fulfill this mandate. I want to share them briefly with you now. You may want to jot these down on the back of your outline and keep them in your Bible so you can reference them and be reminded of them. The first one, we've already begun.
1. Sermon series through Acts.
Over the next 12 months we will go verse by verse through the 28 chapters of the book of Acts. I've already outlined the entire book of Acts and have each sermon plotted on the calendar. Acts is the history book of the early church and it describes for us in dramatic fashion how Christ worked through his church in the first century to accomplish his kingdom mission. I believe this study will be not only informational but inspirational; not only descriptive but prescriptive for how we can accomplish the mission.
2. First Annual Global Impact Celebration (GIC)
This will be our very first ever missions conference. Our plan is to do this every year around the same time of the year. Here's what that conference will look like: We will kick things off with a blowout service on Wednesday night with praise/worship, our choir will be singing and we'll have a guest preacher. Additionally we will have 8-10 missionaries with us throughout the conference. Here's the goal of the conference: To expose everyone in our congregation to God's global activity and to excite us to get involved.
A big part of the conference will involve your small group being connected to a missionary throughout the conference. You'll have special meetings with the missionary, encourage them and learn from them. Every small group will be assigned a missionary.
We will also have special events and activities for our children and our youth. The conference will conclude on Sunday. That morning we'll have another guest preacher, Dr. Bobby Atkins, and then that evening we'll conclude the conference with a commitment service with a third guest preacher, Dr. John Avant. That concluding service will ask you to consider to committing to three things: 1. Praying for missions. 2. Going on mission. 3. Giving to missions. And that really leads to the third action step...
3. New process for funding missions - "Faith Commitment Offering."
Here's how this will work. At our Missions Conference you will be given a missions budget that will be 100% funded by this offering. We will ask you to pray about pledging an amount to give to that offering for the next 12 months.
Depending upon how we give will depend on what type of missions efforts we can support. But there is a BIG part of this FCO I want you to understand - this one offering will replace all of the individual offerings we take throughout the year.
So for instance, we take up a Lottie Moon Christmas offering every year. Instead of taking that up in December, we will take it up all year long via the Faith commitment offering.
Instead of taking a special offering for North American missions at Easter, we will take it up all year long. The same goes for our support of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, Hacoba Care, Choices Pregnancy Center, the Hamilton county Baptist association and many others. Instead of taking up individual offerings throughout the year, each of those offerings are including in the FCO budget. So what is pledged at the missions conference will be vital. Now why would we do this?
There's a couple of reasons - first of all, churches that have made this adjustment to their missions offering process have seen the giving to these individual offerings dramatically increase. Now while we are thankful that last year we met our goal of giving $5,000 to International Missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas offering - our goal for Lottie Moon in the FCO is $10,000! Why? It's called synergy - synchronized energy.
Additionally, often these offerings pop up and we haven't budgeted for them. If each of us commit to giving to missions regularly through the FCO, we can give in small amounts throughout the year and it will accomplish much more.
200 X $10 X 52 weeks = $104,000
4. Increased number of short-term mission trip opportunities.
We've got several short term trips we are planning on this year. We'll have all of those ready and available for you to sign-up for at our missions conference.
5. Formalized partnership in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Several of our trips will be to Argentina as we formalize our partnership with the Mega-Cities Missionary group in that city of 15 million people. I encourage you to come back this evening at 6 as James Morrow and I will be sharing about our trip to BA.
6. Send Conference August 3-4 in Nashville.
This is going to be an awesome gathering of 20,000 people for the purpose of being inspired and equipped to be sent on mission with the gospel. Guest speakers will include Louie Giglio, David Platt, Russell Moore, Ronnie Floyd and many others.
7. Fall Small Group Bible study to help you discover your unique design by God for being on mission with your life.
As always we will have a church-wide study in the fall in all of our small groups. This study will focus on helping you discover your unique design by God and how he has equipped you through your personality, experiences, talents and Holy Spirit distributing spiritual gifts. That way you can be on mission with your life with greater intentionality.
8. “Ministry Exchange” providing simplified process to be on mission.
Wade has already begun the process of putting together a Ministry Exchange that will be available on our church website. This exchange will be a hub of information where you can go and discover needs within our church and outside our church where you can plug in and be on mission with your life.
These are some of the things, Lord willing, we hope to put in place that will prepare us to be used by God in powerful ways. That's a lot of stuff isn't it? I mean I get tired just looking at all that. Why in the world would we do it? Why would we devote so much energy and effort and emphasis to become so missions focused? Well that leads to the final point from the text this morning I want you to see.
V. The MOTIVE Of Missional Power
As these disciples saw the resurrected Jesus ascend into heaven, they stood there, mouths wide open, just in complete awe at what they had just witnessed. Then two angels show up and kind of shock them out of their stupor and Notice what they said: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
That's the motive of missional power - Jesus is coming back again. No one knows the day or hour when Jesus will return, but the angels' promise of Christ's return is a compelling and powerful motive for being on mission. We don't know when, but we do know for sure that he is returning. And this sobering reality should move us from complacency to commitment; it should motivate us from apathy to action.
Notice how Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 5: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 1 Corinthians 5:10
When Jesus returns for his church, we will stand before him, the Holy, righteous judge. And we will give an account to him for what we have done with what we have been given in this life. Will we be found faithful when he returns?
The task of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth is a daunting one. But the Lord in his mercy, from the very start in Acts 1, has provided all the necessary resources to accomplish the job. It's up to us, Lookout Valley Baptist church, to decide if we will appropriate those resources and put them to use. And that leads to my last thought...
Last Thought: The gospel taken to the end of the earth is an UNFINISHED TASK. We must RELY on God’s power to accomplish this mandate.
