MISSION MINDED
 
 
The only way we are going to reach our world with the Gospel is to become mission minded.  We must go and make disciples of all nations.  Jonah struggled with this… much like we struggle with this.  In this four week series we see a little about what it means to have a mind focused on the mission of reaching the world with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. 
 

Nov 22, 2020
Mission Minded Part 4: God’s Plan For Missions
God's plan has always been for every tribe, nation, and tongue to be redeemed and gathered together under one banner; the banner of Jesus Christ.  What are you doing to reach those around you with the Gospel?  How are you praying for those who have gone to other contexts to share the Gospel and reach the unreached?  Are you sending, going, reaching?  This is God's plan.  How will they hear unless someone preaches, and how will someone preach unless they are sent?  Missions Is The Heartbeat of God! 
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  • Nov 22, 2020Mission Minded Part 4: God’s Plan For Missions
    Nov 22, 2020
    Mission Minded Part 4: God’s Plan For Missions
    God's plan has always been for every tribe, nation, and tongue to be redeemed and gathered together under one banner; the banner of Jesus Christ.  What are you doing to reach those around you with the Gospel?  How are you praying for those who have gone to other contexts to share the Gospel and reach the unreached?  Are you sending, going, reaching?  This is God's plan.  How will they hear unless someone preaches, and how will someone preach unless they are sent?  Missions Is The Heartbeat of God! 
  • Nov 15, 2020Mission Minded Part 3: The Completely Unfair Mercy of God
    Nov 15, 2020
    Mission Minded Part 3: The Completely Unfair Mercy of God

    This whole thing started with Jonah running from God and his mission and going to Tarshish instead of Nineveh, right? Why did he run? Not because he was scared of the people, not because it would be uncomfortable, although that probably played a part, but the main reason was because he didn't think it would be fair if the Assyrians repented that God would be merciful and save them. He knew that if he took the message of salvation to the Ninevites that they would probably repent and if they repented God would save them... and he didn't think that that was fair. Is he right? Is it fair? Perhaps you are like Jonah this morning and you struggle with the mercy of God poured out on sinners. Perhaps you are aware of this struggle... most likely you are not.

    Of course that's not fair. None of these are fair. And that's the point. The love, forgiveness, and mercy of God to save us sinners is utterly and completely unfair. And in order for us to embrace the mission of taking the Gospel to the lost, we must accept this fact and more importantly understand why it's not fair. Why? Because if we are to become mission minded, we must understand the mind of Christ in saving those who do not deserve salvation. The point today is clear... The Mercy of God is Completely Unfair. That's Why It Cost An Equally Unfair Price

    But what if you struggle with the unfair mercy of God and you don't even know it? I think most Christian would say... what's wrong with Jonah... why's he being like that... of course God mercifully saves sinners and thats a good thing. Why would we think of it as unfair. Okay, I get that... but let me ask you this. What about someone like Samuel Tannyhill who while robbing a dinner in 1955 was recognized by one of the waitresses who called out his name. He took that young waitress to a bridge where he shot her in he head and dumped her in the river. That waitress was someone's daughter... and Samuel just murdered her in cold blood. Surely he deserved the electric chair and the hot embers of hell that awaited him right? But he never felt the burn of those embers. You see, he repented of his sins while in prison and accepted Christ and now dances the streets of glory for all eternity. Is that fair?

    So get this... God gave himself over to the most excruciating death anyone could ever endure to take his wrath upon himself... the wrath that we all deserved. We the creation who deserved hell, are spared hell, because God the creator endured hell in our place. Now, Is it fair that God had to send himself in the form of Jesus Christ to die in our place... the sinless for the sinful? Is that fair? Nope... it's the most unfair thing ever! So be careful when you ask for fairness. You've been given salvation, the most unfair mercy of all time.

  • Nov 8, 2020Mission Minded Part 2: The Miracle of Missions
    Nov 8, 2020
    Mission Minded Part 2: The Miracle of Missions

    It is a miraculous thing to see God working through frail and fallible people like us in order to see pagan people turn from their sin and turn to the salvation of our Lord. Think about it. If the goal of all life is to see God glorified, then why doesn't God just speak his message from Heaven and then let the lost determine whether or not to trust him in salvation? Why does God want us to be a part of the process?  He doesn't need us... so why does he want us? 

    It makes me think of Mopsy.  Mopsy is a stuffed animal dog that was given to me when I was two years old... almost 39 years ago. Mopsy has been through a lot. He doesn't have any stuffing in his body anymore, he's missing an eye.  He has loose threads, his leg is barely hanging on,  he's a wreck.  But for some reason I've decided to keep him around all these years.  Call it nostalgia... but i just couldn't get rid of him.  And it's a good thing I didn't, cause when Vera turned two years old, I introduced her to Mopsy.  Now Mopsy lives on her bed and gets snuggle times with Vera every night. And I love to see that my favorite stuffed animal as a child gets to be loved by my kids.  I didn't need to keep Mopsy but now I can use Mopsy to show love to my daughter.  

    We are like Mopsy.  We are worn out, ragged, and pretty much useless... but God keeps us around anyway.  God is kind of nostalgic about us.  And instead of just throwing us in a storage bin or taking us to Goodwill he says, you know what... I'm going to use you to share my love with others. Not because I need you, but because I love you and want you to be a part of the process. God is glorified not just when people are saved but when we are obedient to be his messengers of salvation and are a part of the process of seeing the lost come to salvation. 

    And this is exactly why he keeps giving Jonah second chances. Because he wants Jonah to be a part of the blessing of missions. He wants Jonah to be a part of the miracle. God wants to use Jonah and he wants to use us too.

    As you can see, God will draw men, women, cities, and nations to himself, if only we would be obedient to answer the call and be obedient to the mission. The struggle isn't whether or not God will save people, the struggle is whether or not we will surrender our lives to be used by God to see people saved. This morning I want us to see that The Miracle of Missions Isn't That God Saves Sinners, But That He Uses Saved Sinners To See People Saved.

  • Nov 1, 2020Mission Minded Part 1: Missing The Boat On Missions
    Nov 1, 2020
    Mission Minded Part 1: Missing The Boat On Missions

    The great commission isn't a special mission for those who have ascended to the greatest heights of our religion. Rather, it's like learning your shapes or colors in kindergarten. It is the most basic thing we are called to do. To be a Christian is to accept the great commission as our most basic mission. Rookie Christians are expected to be missionaries - to go and make disciples, and yet here we are where statistics show us that 90 percent of professing Christians in America have never shared their faith to a non-believer and only 1 percent of us have actually led someone to faith in Christ. Suffice it to say, we aren't mission minded. In fact, I think it's safe to say that we've missed the boat on missions.

    And so, we need to recommit to the mission of the great commission and learn what it means to be mission minded. Jonah was called to go on a mission very similar to ours, but just like many of us, he didn't want to go. He, like many of us, decided to make up his own mission and missed the boat. So as we begin this series by looking at the first two chapters of Jonah I want us to recognize this; Reclaiming The Great Commission Takes Repenting Of Grave Convenience.