Missional Church: Personal Mission 020225
Missional – Personal Mission
Mark Trubey
Good Morning everyone, it’s a real joy to be here with you today and to share a message I feel God has laid on my heart for you guys as a congregation. I want to say a huge thank you for the leadership team entrusting me to come and minister to you guys – it’s a huge privilege and one I don’t take lightly.
When I was given the topic to preach on, I was thrilled as this is a subject that gets me fired up! We’re going to look at the theme of living a missional lifestyle this morning.
Jesus commissioned us in Matthew 28 to GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL – if you’re a follower of Jesus you and I are called to live a missional lifestyle.
For those of us have encountered Jesus’ love, we’re called to share His love and this Good News of the Gospel with those around us.
WHAT A HUGE PRIVILEGE THIS IS – TO BE AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST! TO BE CALLED TO LIVE MISSIONALLY IN OUR CONTEXTS.
You’re the missionary in your workplace, family, social clubs, neighbourhood – WE’RE ALL CALLED TO LIVE A MISSIONAL LIFESTYLE!
IT IS NOT FOR A SELECT FEW INDIVIDUALS, BUT EVERY CHRISTIAN!
To help us explore this theme of LIVING A MISSIONAL LIFESTYLE this morning we will spend most of our time focusing upon perhaps the most influential missionary to have ever existed outside of Jesus – the Apostle Paul.
So if you have a Bible would you please turn with me to the book of Acts, chapter 9 and we will read from verses 1-19.
If you’re new to this space and unfamiliar with the story of Scripture let me quickly update you where we’re at so far in the story.
Jesus has just died on the cross, rose from the dead, appeared to the disciples and commissioned them to continue the work He had begun on Earth – to spread the message of God’s grace, kindness and forgiveness to those who have rejected Him, are far from Him and don’t know Him.
The early followers of Jesus started to do this but have been met with great opposition from the authorities and religious rulers. One person in particular called Saul, wanted to eradicate these Jesus followers and stop this message spreading any further so he began to persecute, imprison and kill them.
Saul is now currently travelling to a place called Damascus to persecute these early Christians and that’s where we pick up our story from.
ACTS 9:1-19
I want to explore three lessons we can learn from this story and the Apostle Paul’s life on how we can live missional lifestyles.
- Paul had an ENCOUNTER with Jesus
Saul was on the way to persecute, torture and kill Christians – but he encounters Jesus and gets struck physically blind symbolising his spiritual blindness. Jesus speaks to Paul audibly and changes the trajectory of his life forever.
Paul radically encounters Jesus and from that moment on EVERYTHING CHANGES.
If we’re going to live missional lifestyles, it begins and is sustained by an encounter with Jesus.
This encounter happened 2,000 years ago, but can I tell you He Is still encountering people today!
MY ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS STORY
An encounter with Jesus will change you and you’re never the same after one.
Before Moses received his missional calling, he encountered God at the burning bush.
Before Isaiah was commissioned to go, he encounters the Lord in the temple.
We can go through so many characters in the Bible who had an encounter with God before they were commissioned in their calling.
Some of my hero’s who lives out this missional lifestyle are a couple called Rolland and Heidi Baker.
Rolland and Heidi are long-term missionaries in Mozambique, Africa. After fifteen years of living out a missional lifestyle in the slums of Indonesia, Hong Kong and London, and eighteen months among the broken children of Mozambique – Rolland and Heidi were burnt out and in desperate need of a fresh touch from God.
You can read their encounter with the Lord online – but in a nutshell they go out to Toronto and are profoundly touched by God in a revival that was happening there.
Heidi was so desperate before going out she cries out to God saying “God, if You don’t touch me, I am so tired that I’d just like to take a job at Kmart. I don’t think I can continue in ministry without You touching me afresh.”
Heidi went out several times and had such a powerful encounter with God where she felt this fire go through her body and electricity leaving her paralysed from the neck down for a short period of time. This lasted for several days – with such an incredible joy that when they returned to Mozambique their ministry took off to a new level.
They’ve seen incredible miracles, deaf ears opening, countless churches planted and over a million salvation responses!
WHAT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR THIS BURNT OUT COUPLE SEEKING TO LIVE A MISSIONAL LIFESTYLE?
AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD!
Some people said to me over the years I’ve never encountered God like that or had a Damascus Road experience though.
I want to encourage you that an encounter with God can look different for everyone. HE KNOWS WHAT WE ALL NEED.
We must be careful not to minimise what we see as ‘lesser encounters.’
Sometimes an encounter with God does look like a weightiness that comes upon you or a fire you feel in your heart – but other times it can be a Scripture that burns within your heart – that’s an encounter.
It could look like a heart full of gratitude as you walk in God’s creation – that’s an encounter.
It can happen in the quiet like with Elijah – the still small whisper – but what’s important is we encounter Him.
NOT A ‘LESSER CHRISTIAN’!!!!
IN SAYING THAT THOUGH – can I encourage you that the Bible says THOSE WHO SEEK ME, WILL FIND ME.
DON’T LIMIT GOD!!!!
Ephesians 1:17 – I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
KNOW – EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
Maybe some of you here today are feeling a little burnt out and need a fresh encounter – if that’s you we’re going to pray into that at the end of the service.
HOW CAN I HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD THOUGH LIKE THIS?
Bill Johnson – Set yourself up to be ambushed by God by maintaining a passionate pursuit of His Presence through prayer.
The Apostle Paul was continuously throughout his life, setting himself up to be ambushed by God. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE CAN DO TO ENABLE THIS IS TO PRAY.
WHEN YOU SEEK HIM, YOU WILL FIND HIM.
Lesson one – if we are going to live missional lifestyles we need an encounter with God, to EXPERIENCE HIM and have an ongoing lifestyle of encountering Him.
- Paul was EMPOWERED for the Mission
We read in the story that after Paul was struck blind, God speaks to Ananias and tells him to go lay hands on Paul.
Ananias is terrified as he knew Saul’s reputation, but he goes – he’s obedient to the calling of God. When he arrives at the house, he prays for him, the scales fall off his eyes and it says in verse 17 Saul was “filled with the Holy Spirit.”
This is so important for us if we’re going to live missional lives. WE NEED TO BE EMPOWERED AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!
After Jesus was resurrected, He commissions the disciples to go into the world but then in Acts 1 – HE SAYS BUT DON’T TRY DO THIS ALONE!
WAIT FOR THE GIFT MY FATHER PROMISED – YOU NEED TO BE BAPTISED FIRST IN THE HOLY SPIRIT!
The Apostle Paul teaches us this is not a one time event but commands us to KEEP BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
TO LIVE MISSIONALLY WE NEED TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!
We see that throughout the Apostle Paul’s life the Holy Spirit helped him in his missional calling.
We see the crippled man in Lystra get healed, demons get cast out of people, healings through handkerchiefs and aprons, people raised from the dead and sickness’ being healed.
God backed up Paul’s message through signs and wonders.
IF WE’RE GOING TO LIVE MISSIONALLY – WE NEED THIS INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
LONDON TESTIMONY
1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
The Holy Spirit empower us and gives us supernatural power to fulfil the calling.
Peter denies Jesus, Pentecost filled with the Spirit, bold and courageous.
Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Prayer, encounter and power.
Lesson One – if we’re going to live missional lives we need an ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
Lesson Two – we need to be EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit
The final lesson, which is perhaps the hardest lesson and most difficult to hear. When God shared this with me I asked if we could have a different E, but this is what He gave me.
- Paul ENDURED for the Gospel
God tells Ananias Paul is called to live a missional life for Him but then in verse 16 he says – I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME.
I don’t feel it would be right for me not to mention this point, to live a missional lifestyle it will involve sacrifice, hardships, difficulties and for some even persecution.
Paul certainly did not have it easy and this came true in his life. We know numerous times Paul was imprisoned, flogged, beaten, shipwrecked, sleep deprived, without food and clothes – all for the sake of the Gospel.
But, through all Paul’s suffering and trails – he remained true to the mission and praised the Lord!
We see Paul in prison in Acts 12 due to his determination to live out a missional lifestyle – singing and worshipping God.
Later Paul will command us to REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!
When Paul wrote this commandment – he was in a Roman prison for living out his missional lifestyle calling. Paul was being falsely accused and facing an early death. After everything he had been through though, he writes – REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!
HOW COULD PAUL REJOICE IN THE LORD LIKE THIS?
Supernatural over-filling of the Holt Spirit!
This attitude of gratitude is what helped sustained him through his calling and listen to these words Paul writes in Philippians 1:12-14:
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
If we’re going to live missionally, we must endure sufferings and hardships for His name sake – but the way Paul was sustained was to remember the bigger picture.
Even though he is suffering – the Gospel is advancing, his life was not his own – his life had taken on a bigger purpose.
JOSPEH THE MASAI WARRIOR STORY
Joseph was a proud Maasai Warrior living in eastern Africa when he first heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the side of a hot, dusty road. In that moment, he dedicated his life to Christ and immediately made plans to share the Good News with members of his tribe.
But this warrior had never been in a fight like the one he was about to walk into.
Joseph went from door-to-door telling everyone about the cross of Jesus and the salvation it offered. He expected them to eagerly embrace Christ as he had, but to his amazement, the villagers not only rejected the Gospel, they became violent, as well. The men of the village seized him and held him to the ground while the women beat him with strands of barbed wire. Afterwards, he was dragged from the village and left to die alone in the bush.
Joseph managed to slowly crawl to a watering hole, and there, after several days of passing in and out of consciousness, he gained enough strength to stand up. He was perplexed by the hostile reception he received from people he’d known all his life and decided he must have left something out or told the story of Jesus incorrectly. So after rehearsing his important message over and over, he went back to share his faith again.
Joseph limped into the circle of huts and began to proclaim Jesus’ love. “He died for you, so that you might have forgiveness and come to know the living God!” he cried. Again, he was flung to the ground by the men of the village while the women beat him; wounds that had just begun to heal were reopened. Like the first time, they dragged his unconscious body away from the village and left him to die.
To have survived the first beating was truly remarkable. To live through the second one was borderline miraculous. But several days later, Joseph awoke in the wilderness, bruised, scarred…and determined to go back yet again.
He returned to the small village and this time, they attacked Joseph before he even had a chance to open his mouth. While they flogged him the third time, Joseph pleaded with them to seek the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Before he passed out, the last thing he saw was the women beating him had begun to weep.
When he regained consciousness the third time, it was in his own bed. The men and women who had so severely beaten him were now trying to save his life and nurse him back to health. The entire village had become Christians because of Joseph’s willingness to suffer on their behalf.
The encounter Joseph had with Jesus caused him to fall so in love with Him and caused a burning desire in him to share His love with others.
Jospeh was empowered by the Holy Spirit and lived out a missional lifestyle. His suffering was part of his message, he endured for Christ and was a witness to his enemies.
If we’re going to live missionally we need an encounter with Jesus – that He becomes so precious to us, that we are filled by His Spirit and through His strength we suffer for the sake of the Gospel if necessary.
Joseph’s suffering caused a whole village to turn to Christ, I wonder how God will use your suffering and mine to advance His Gospel.
I may never be called to endure what Joseph the Massai Warrior endured but I am called to share my faith with those around me. I am called to be bold with this Gospel message and live a missional lifestyle.
Maybe for us enduring for the sake of the Gospel will be counting it all joy when someone rejects us and the message or when someone is rude to us for reaching out.
Maybe enduring for the sake of the Gospel will look like being the first to forgive and turn the other cheek to show Jesus to others.
Maybe enduring for the sake of the Gospel will look like stepping out in faith to pray for people on crutches on the streets. Where we may need to face our fears and step out of our comfort zone.
What I do know is though if I want to live missionally I need:
- An Ongoing, Lifestyle of Encountering God
- An Empowerment from the Holy Spirit
- An Endurance for the Sake of the Gospel