“OUR MISSION”
Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 2:2
FBCF – 2/9/25
INTRO – “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” – Famous movie line – “Mission Impossible.” Most people think about Tom Cruise when they hear it. But us older folks remember it from way back when. Was actually a TV series that started in 1966 & ran until 1973. The 1st movie w/ Tom Hanks came out in 1996 & there have been 7 of them so far w/ another one coming out in May of this year.
In the original TV series, Mr. Phelps, the team leader, would receive a tape that would have the instructions for the next mission. The tape would begin w/ the statement, “Your mission…” – then after instructions were given, end w/ this statement: “This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.” Smoke would rise from the tape player as the tape disintegrated.
What would follow that first line would be an important mission for the secret agents. There would be those along the way who would try to stop them – would attack them – would try to sabotage them – would oppose them in every way possible, just as there are those who want to oppose, stop, attack, & attempt to sabotage God’s mission for His Church.
I submit to you today that you & I have been invited to be on a mission. As Dan Akroyd said in “The Blues Brothers” movie, “We’re on a mission from God!” And while I’m not suggesting the John Belushi & Dan Akroyd were preachers or evangelists or theologians, I will tell you that that statement from Elwood Blues is absolutely a true statement. We ARE on a mission from God! And we see that in His Word.
EXPLANATION – Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 2:2
If you’re one of those folks who take notes in your Bible & write the date that I preach certain passages of Scripture, you’ll find that I’ve preached the Matthew passage at least 3 times here (5/2/20, 7/20/21, 7/23/23, & once at Black Jack last July) – Acts 1:8 at least once (2/6/22 – have quoted it a bunch more times) – 2 Tim 2:2 at least twice (1/23/22, 1/28/24). And truth be told, you’re going to hear all 3 of them many more times if the Lord allows me to be your Pastor for a while longer.
Why return to these passages time & time again? Simply put: Because they sum up our mission as Christ-followers & our mission as a church. Did a quick Google search of words “mission sermon” & every one of the top hits had the Great Commission verses somewhere in the sermon – either as the main text or quoted & referenced in the sermon. And, NO, I didn’t just pull one of those sermons off the internet & use it today! ;)
You’ve heard it before & I will say it again today & many times in the days to come – We are on mission with God & for God. Individually we are on mission & corporately we are on mission. It’s interesting to note that, although the word “mission” is not found anywhere in Scripture, it is a thoroughly Biblical word. Kevin DeYoung preached about this word:
The Latin “mittere” is from, where our word “mission” comes from. “Mittere” simply means “to send out.” You have at the end of a service, or the end of a class, you have a “dismissal,” it’s from that Latin word “mittere,” “to send out..” (https://christcovenant.org/sermons/what-is-the-mission-of-missions/)
Acts 1:8 also makes it abundantly clear to us that it is the expectation of Jesus that EVERYONE of His followers be sent out on mission to be His “witnesses.” We like that word b/c it feels safe b/c we take it upon ourselves to decide the different ways we want to witness – ways we feel comfortable witnessing – leave tracts at restaurants or at gas pumps – “I witness w/ my lifestyle.” – Put a Christian bumper sticker on our car or an ichthyus fish symbol. Those are all valid ways to witness & I encourage you to do those things. We will even provide you w/ the tracts to use.
But the Gk word for “witnesses” in Acts 1:8 is actually a lot more serious than we normally think. Means “martyr” – “a witness for Jesus who dies b/c of that witness”
- Acts 22:20 – Paul said, “And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by & approving & watching over the garments of those who killed him.”
- Hebrews 12:1 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
- Revelation 2:13 - “I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, & you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”
o Church tradition says that Antipas was a physician suspected of secretly propagating Christianity. Accused of disloyalty to Caesar. Condemned to die by being placed inside a copper bull, which was then heated over a fire until it was red-hot. (https://www.gotquestions.org/church-in-Pergamum.html)
2 Timothy 2:2 – You’ve heard me say before that this verse is the classic definition of discipleship in the NT. Our mission is to take the biblical things that we are taught & turn around & teach them to others, so that they might do the same thing. It’s not just about leading someone to faith in Christ – though that’s very important. It’s about leading someone to faith in Christ, teaching them what it means to live for Christ, then leading them to do the same thing w/ someone else, while you go find someone else, too.
- FAITH Evangelism Strategy
APPLICATION – Every Christ-follower & every Church must be committed to God’s mission.
So what does that look like for us here at FBCF? Here’s how we will state it as a church:
OUR MISSION: Our mission is to be a healthy church that is committed to making much of Jesus by constantly sharing the Gospel & making disciples who make disciples.
5 PIECES OF THE MISSION: Like a puzzle – incomplete w/out all the pieces
BE HEALTHY – All of us want to be healthy. We don’t want to get sick – we don’t like to be sick - & we want to get well as soon as we can when we are sick.
But it’s better to be preemptive & proactive to stay healthy as much as we can. How do we do that?
- Exercise – make our muscles stronger – our hearts healthier – our endurance greater
- Eat right – Hard for us to do in the South!
- Avoid unhealthy habits – Doing those things that we know are harmful to our bodies.
- Stay away from folks who are sick if they’re contagious – Not saying that we shouldn’t take care of sick folks, but we have to be careful when they’ve got a contagious sickness or disease.
As much as that is true physically, it’s also true spiritually.
- Exercise – You & I need to be working our spiritual muscles all the time
- Eat right – A steady diet of the W of G, the worship of God, the fellowship of God’s people
- Avoid unhealthy habits – What is it in your life? Jeff Parker – Fresh Start – “What’s THE sin for you?” – Heb 12:1 – “…that so easily entangles…”
- Stay away from folks who are sick if they’re contagious – Gossips are contagious…bad attitudes…backbiters & backstabbers…
o Galatians 6:1 – “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”
BE COMMITTED – In other words, we ain’t playing around! Not going to waste our time & waste our lives doing things & pursuing things that are detrimental to the mission of God for our lives & our church.
- Being committed means being intentional
- …influential – Back to Galatians 6:1
- …inspirational – An adult man recently said, “I want to be like him” – he was talking about being like Swayze Bozeman.
- Sometimes it means being inconvenienced
BE MAKING MUCH OF JESUS – Our VISION Statement sums it up - "First Baptist Flora is making much of Jesus by being a people & a place of GRACE where anyone can meet Jesus & grow in their relationship with Him."
BE CONSTANTLY SHARING THE GOSPEL – Being on mission is not a one-time, flash-in-the-pan decision. It’s not just being on a spiritual mountaintop for a little while. It’s not just doing it when I feel like it or when I think I’m ready (lots of “Ready? Aim…Aim…Aim…Aim…” Christians in a lot of churches).
Being on mission does START w/ a one-time decision – a commitment to place your faith in Jesus Christ & be saved. Then THAT decision is followed by a LIFESTYLE of being on mission of constantly sharing the Gospel w/ those who are lost. And they’re everywhere!!!
- Get a piece of paper out right now & write down the name of 1 person you know needs to hear the Gospel. Bring that name up here during invitation today.
BE MAKING DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES – The 2 Timothy 2:2 mandate! What a joy to see this happening all across our church!
- I am in a discipleship relationship right now. Just started a new one this past week.
- Staff is expected to be in a discipleship relationship w/ someone
- Deacons are expected…Ask them every month & hold them accountable.
- Small group of men at Martin’s at Livingston on Monday AM…here in prayer room in CLC on Sat…others meet in homes…Older men discipling younger men…Older women discipling younger women…it’s happening all over our church & it’s just so cool! – AND IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN A LOT MORE!!!
