Jesus is Sending You
“ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:19-21
Intro: Do you value the same things that Jesus places a value on?
People in the world are eternally lost apart from Christ.
Yet these same people are of extreme worth and value in the eyes of God.
What is just as surprising is that, “Jesus is Sending You” to become involved in redemptive relationships…
Redemptive means: “to take action to regain possession of something in exchange for payment.”
That is what Jesus did on the cross.
Among the first words Jesus said to the disciples who were gathered in the Upper Room after his resurrection was “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Do you have a passion for God?
Do you have a love for people?
Do you have a burden to share the gospel?
Ten little Christians, standing in a line, one disliked the preacher, then there were nine.
Nine little Christians stayed up very late, one slept in on Sunday, then there were eight.
Eight little Christians on their way to heaven, one took his own road, then there were seven.
Seven little Christians chirping like some chicks, one disliked the song they sung, then there were six.
Six little Christians seemed very much alive, but one lost his interest then there were five.
Five little Christians pulling for heaven’s shore, but one stopped to rest, then there were four.
Four little Christians, busy as a bee, one got her feelings hurt, then there were three.
Three little Christians knew not what to do, one couldn’t forgive another, then there were two.
Two little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done, quarreled over petty stuff, then there was only one.
One little Christian, can’t do much ‘tis true; brought his friend to Bible study – then there were two.
Two earnest Christians, each won one more, that doubled the number, then there were four.
Four sincere Christians worked early and worked late, each won another, then there were eight.
Eight splendid Christians, if they doubled as before, in just a seven more weeks, we’d have 1,024.
The mission of the church is to reach lost people with the love of Jesus.
In the book “Building a Contagious Church” Mark Mittleberg says that churches talk about evangelism
but 86% of the pastors he surveyed said their churches fall short of actually doing something about it.
Think a moment about the things that God values.
If you have to make a list of Valuing What God Values what would be on your list?
Instructing from God’s Word.
Mobilizing for ministry.
Praying with faith.
Adoring God in worship.
Caring for each other.
Telling others the Gospel.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit
Value statements unite people and help communicate where they are heading.
Ben Hooper was born in Newport, TN in 1870 out of wedlock, to Sarah Wade.
As a result, he had a tough childhood, often being taunted by others.
When he went into town, he could see people staring at him, making guesses as to who his father was.
At school children said ugly things to him.
In his early school years, his grandfather died,
and his mother was forced to place Ben in an orphanage in Knoxville.
At age 9, he was adopted by Dr. L H Hooper, and had to move back near his Newport home.
At age 12, he recalls going to Church.
He would go in late and slip out early.
But one day the preacher said the Benediction so fast he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.
Just about the time he got to the door, he felt a big hand on my shoulder.
He looked up and the preacher was looking right at him and Ben knew exactly what he was doing.
He was going to guess who his father was.
He trembled in fear.
A moment later he said, “Well, boy, you’re a child of….”
He paused and Ben knew what was coming.
He knew his feelings were about to be hurt and he would never return to church again.”
But as he looked down at Ben, studying his face, He began to smile a big smile of recognition.
“Boy, you are a child of God. I see a striking resemblance!’
With that he patted him on the back and said, ‘Go and claim your inheritance.’
Ben said he left a different person.
It was the beginning of his life.
Years later Ben Hooper would write about that event saying,
“That was the most important single sentence ever said to me.”
Ben Hoover gave his life to Christ and became a faithful member of that Church in the hills of Tennessee.
In 1911, He became a lawyer and later was elected as the first Republican Governor of Tennessee.
That single event at church.
The one moment of pause and encouragement became Ben’s life story which he lived the rest of his life.
A fatherless child who had been ridiculed and shamed by the other children in his town,
heard of a loving Father, Almighty God, who claimed him as his own.
That became his life story.
Our lives are made up with stories.
We are a people of the story.
We love stories.
We were raised with stories.
When something happens to us, we turn it into a story.
How often is it that you get together with a friend and say, “Have I got a story for you!”
But stories are more than just that.
They are what our lives are based on.
Our story helps to explain our world,
how we are to live
and what our lives are about.
In fact, they help us to make sense of everything in our lives,
help us to navigate our world,
help us understand what is right and what is wrong
help us find meaning.
They guide and direct our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, words and actions,
sometimes even without us knowing it.
Our spiritual formation in Christ is one of gradually, and intentionally, and increasingly identifying our life
And our values with the life of Jesus and the values of God.
In other words, Jesus’ story becomes our story.
to fill your mind with the words, thoughts and ideas that filled the mind of Jesus himself.
The church is the body of Christ.
The living breathing, walking-around presence of Jesus in the world today.
It takes an active, intentional, determined, effort to be a Christian.
When Christ is us…
then the life and Spirit of Jesus the Christ becomes our unique narrative masterpiece of God.
To be a follower of Jesus is to share his life and his cross.
To live not only as a disciple of his teaching but as a continuing incarnation of his life, death, and resurrection.
That what Jesus is sending you out to be.
A Master Piece.
A work of God’s art.
John Wesley called it a life of Sanctification.
The imitation of God to the point we are sent out into the world to teach others the meaning of Grace.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”John 20:21
What this means is that the presence of God in you creates this transformed human being.
Together as transformed human beings we form an unmistakable community of faith.
Capable of transforming the world into a Jesus kind of place.
It has been said, “It takes a world to dance the dance of life.
It only takes one first follower to start a world dance.”
To dance with the Lord of the dance is to put both feet forward.
To move in the rhythms of the Holy Spirit.
What this world needs is more dancing with the Lord.
And more going forth of people who are followers of Jesus.
A pastor who was had been very successful in over 40 years of ministry.
Was asked what is your secret to success?
He answered, “You might find it hard to hear what I am about to say, but most of the time I had no idea what I was doing.” I went where the wind of the spirit blew.
Are you willing to get rid of the life you have planned so that you can live the life God has planned for you?
If you advance in the direction of how you imagine God wants your life to be…
It will change everything you have ever thought or imagined about life
How do you take the Church outside the walls of the church?
When you find the answer to that question you will going where God the Father is sending you.
I could go on, but time doesn’t permit.
I am just talking about touching hearts and transforming lives.
You know what…, you haven’t seen anything yet.
The best is yet to be.
Henry David Thoreau said,
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put the foundations under them.
The Upper Room was where the followers prayed without ceasing.
Where they waited for the power of the Holy Spirit.
A church needs large Upper Rooms.
Goals that are so impossible that only God can make them come true.
That is how foundations are built.
Not by things we can do ourselves.
But by things we can not do unless we put our whole trust by faith in God.
It is hard enough to believe the possible.
It takes faith to believe in the impossible.
When things are of God miraculous things begin to happen.
And so we must turn to Scripture to test our own life story.
Who do we understand Jesus to be?
What do we believe he calls us to do?
We must thoughtfully take the word of God in,
Receive it into our own life.
Dwell upon it,
Think about its meaning,
explore its implications- especially as it relates to our own lives.
God has a great vision for this congregation in the future
Just as God has had a great vision for this congregation in the past.
And you know what
I can hardly wait to hear what next new idea God has placed in the hearts of people around this church
And people who are can do kind of people have said, not why, but why not.
Why not be the church in this community that God want it to be?
Because God is sending you out to be the church he want you to be.
Let Jesus story be your story.
