"what Is Man's Role In God's Mission?"

Title: “What is the Role of Man in God’s Mission?” Script: various

Type: Thematic/Topical Where: GNBC 4-21-02/5-18-14/5-5-19

Intro: James Alexander Thom, on the fear of responsibility: “Have you ever had to paint some roof trim, high up? You get halfway up that 36-foot extension ladder and you start wondering about the ladder, its footing and your body weight. You stop and hug the ladder, looking neither up nor down. Your left leg begins a ridiculous but uncontrollable shuddering. At length you conquer that particular rung and inch your way to the next, then the next. Finally you're at the top, clinging for your life. How can you take one hand off the ladder to use the paintbrush? But you do. Tight as a fiddle you begin. The sky is clear. The sun is nice. The thirsty wood soaks up the paint. You whistle and think positive thoughts and do a good job and forget about the height. *You've learned an important lesson of life from this. No matter what higher responsibility you take on, it’s scary, very scary, until you start working. For many Christians, whole idea of missions can be very scary until begin! Yet is a responsibility.

Prop: The Christian man or woman has responsibilities to fulfill in relation to missions.

BG: 1. Church hasn’t always fulfilled – Acts 1:8 – yet did not leave until Acts 8:1

2. Did not fulfill during Reformation. Glorious period of Church, most Reformers thought not Church’s present duty. Missions was rare in 16th and 17th centuries, Protestant missions began to gain momentum in the 18th century.

3. Avg. Am. Evangel. Parent, kid can do anything, yet not missions….

Prop: Exam. various Script. we’ll see 3responsibilities the Xstian has in relation to missions.

I. The Christian is to be the Extension of God’s Presence

A. Created in His Image we are to Represent Him with our Lives. – Gen. 1:26

1. Wherever we are, we are to be a demonstration of God’s presence.

a. Man was created distinct and different from all the rest of the animal kingdom. Yes, in the animal kingdom one may see the beauty of God’s design, but only in man do we see His image! And as the highest order of creation, man. Man was created male and female. God created them. Man was given authority and dominion over the earth Christ created. “Truth is the bedrock of the Church’s Mission, and not just any truth, but the certainty of Jesus’s all-encompassing authority. Missions fundamentally begins and ends with a clear vision of Jesus as Lord and not necessarily with personal calling or passion for the lost. What we know and believe about Jesus shapes what we do for Jesus.

b. Do you know why man was made in God’s image? God made man in His own image so that He could have an object worthy of His everlasting love. God created man, twice emphasizing “in His image.” There is no room for harmonizing the Genesis account with an evolutionary origin of man. God created man distinct from animals. Only man is made in God’s image. What does it mean that man is made in God’s image and likeness? I take the two words as synonymous, used in combined form to add either intensity or clarification. While theologians debate the precise meaning of the image of God in man, I think the essential feature is that man (as male and female) is able to reflect “God-likeness.” Obviously, finite human beings, even before the fall, cannot reflect completely or accurately the eternal, infinite nature of God. But with his personality, intelligence, and ability to know and relate to God, man is able to reflect God-likeness in a limited way.

2. God Uses His People to Expose the Weaknesses of Pagan gods.

a. Illust- Moses – Ex. 7-11 – miracles of Aaron’s rod swallowing snakes of Egypt, the turning of Nile to blood so nothing could live in it, the plague of frogs, gnats (Egyptians could not copy – magicians warned Pharoah – “This is the hand of God”, plagues of flies, cattle – held cattle as sacred, boils – had a god for diseases, hail- god of the sky, locust – god of the field, darkness – attack “Ra” the sun god, and ultimately death of first-born were direct assaults on the various pagan gods of the Egyptians. Demonstrated Jehovah’s superiority.

b. Illust – Apostle Paul – Acts 17 – Mars Hill in Athens. Stoics and Epicureans debating views and philosophies, and Paul states: “The God Who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made of human hands…” (Acts 17:24) (What was he doing? Exposing their’ gods’ weaknesses. Illust- Pastor Thony Paul – “We digging a big hole to bury the voodoo!” Power encounters.