Sent:the Missional Church

A. THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI

1. What was great about this church?

a. Christ-centered. “For me, living is Christ” (Phil. 1:21, CSB).

b. Partners with Paul. “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you . . . because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (1:3, 5, CSB).

c. Great attitude. “Rejoice in the Lord always” (4:9).

d. Sent. “You sent gifts for my need several times” (4:16, CSB).

2. What barriers did Paul overcome to reach the Philippians?

a. Cross-cultural evangelism (Greeks).

b. No one to receive Him.

c. Arrested and imprisoned.

3. How is this church missional?

a. The gospel sent to them.

b. They sent the gospel to others. “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life” (2:15-16, NKJV).

B. CONSUMER CHRISTIANITY AND THE BIG CROSS

1. Too often Christians see themselves as a customer.

a. We want good service.

b. We want the best.

c. We want what we pay for.

d. We demand our rights.

e. We expect others to wait on us.

2. When we become the customer, we live self-focused lives. The missional church preaches, “Not I but Christ” (Gal. 2:20).

3. The American church arises because of Hurricane Katrina and other emergencies.

a. We recognize extreme needs.

b. But we should live in a constant state of emergency.

4. The shadow of the cross on us changes everything. “If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:25, CSB).

5. The church cannot be the church until it is willing to sacrifice for Christ. “I urge you to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Rom. 12:1, CSB).

6. Remember we are in the world, but not of the world (John 17). “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2, CSB).

C. ATHENS: ACTS 17:16-34

“Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: To an unknown God” (17:22-23, CSB).

1. Use cultural understanding as a bridge to share the gospel.

2. It’s inappropriate to throw out culture to promote the gospel.

3. You can find bridges everywhere.

4. Get over the fear of culture and use it as a tool.

5. This does not mean everything in culture is good and should be embraced.

6. Paul didn’t ask people to come to him, he went to them.

7. Meet people’s needs where they are, and give them the choice to go further.

8. Opening conversation about Jesus. “If you were to die today, do you know where you would spend eternity?” If God should ask you, “why should I let you into heaven,” what would you say?

a. 20% think about their eternal destiny daily.

13% weekly

12% monthly

44% never

b. 33% think about life’s meaning and purpose daily.

17% weekly

13% monthly

10% yearly

25% never, they just live day to day

9. How did Jesus open conversations?

a. Water (John 4:10).

b. Light (John 9:5).

c. Bread (John 6:27).

10. What can we learn from Christ? “Christ’s love compels us . . . if One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15, CSB).

a. The driving force is love, not other reasons.

b. Build authentic relationships.

c. Don’t lose confidence in the gospel.

d. People are searching for more than fire insurance.

e. Being missional is not about trips or actions, it is a lifestyle.

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

Dear Lord,

I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.

For more information on the TRBC Pastor’s Bible Class, log on to the Internet for TRBC Home page at www.trbc.org/pbc.