Commission
Acts 2:46-47
Digging Deeper
KEY QUOTES
"Jesus COMMISSIONS His Church from everywhere to everywhere to share and show the good news that, through His death and resurrection, He is making all things new."
"Jesus commissions His church to neighbors and nations because God is on mission to redeem a people from all peoples to reflect His glory in all spheres of life."
"Christ desires His followers to ENGAGE in His local church as they PARTICIPATE in God's Mission through the power of the Holy Spirit."
In the book Organic Outreach for Ordinary People, Kevin G. Harney shares ways for ordinary people to be commissioned and naturally share the Good News of the Gospel. Kevin shares ways that sharing our faith with others can organically happen. As believers, Harney writes how we can be:
Preparing the Soil
We are to prepare the soil that God gives you with love, grace and biblical truth, even though this may be messy, hard work.
Planting and Watering
We are to pray, encounter others, live as Christ's ambassador and take action in spiritually creative ways.
Bearing Kingdom Fruit
We are to rely on the Holy Spirit to have natural spiritual conversations telling others how God has worked in our lives and being willing to be bold, sharing the message of Jesus Christ.
Let us be commissioned to live a life that leaves a mark as we share our faith with others, knowing that people in our dark world are looking for ways to experience transformational living, which can only be found through Jesus Christ. May we be commissioned daily to share this love and light as we go forward in the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
WHAT NOT TO MISS
Main Point:
Jesus COMMISSIONS His Church from everywhere to everywhere to share and show the good news that, through His death and resurrection, He is making all things new.
Four Questions Regarding Jesus Commissioning His Church.
Why does Jesus COMMISSION His Church to neighbors and nations?
God has been on mission from the very beginning.
God is on mission to create a people for Himself to reflect His glory in all spheres of life.
Iteration #1 of God's Mission:
Life in the Garden/Kingdom of God. (As Image Bearers, they would Relate, Operate and Create)
Expand God's presence until God's glory would be reflected throughout the world by His image bearers.
Adam and Eve sin and are put out of the garden.
God is on mission to redeem a people for Himself to reflect His glory in all spheres of life.
Iteration #2 of God's Mission:
God promises a way of redemption. (Genesis 3:15)
God tells Noah and his sons to fill the earth. (Genesis 9:1, 2, 7)
Humans are scattered now into various people groups, tribes, and tongues/languages. (Genesis 10-11)
God is on mission to redeem a people from all people to reflect His glory in all spheres of life.
Iteration #3 of God's Mission
All the people of the earth will be blessed through Abraham. (Genesis 12:3)
This mission is fleshed out throughout the Old Testament and comes into high definition in the New Testament.
Jesus commissions His church to neighbors and nations because God is on mission to redeem a people from all peoples to reflect His glory in all spheres of life.
How does the Church engage in the COMMISSION?
Cost to the church of engaging in the mission:
New God
New Identity
New Family
New Direction
New Purpose
Demonstrated in Jesus' call to His disciples:
And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)
And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." (Matthew 8:18–22)
What are the two forces or sides of COMMISSION?
Centripetal Force - Drawing in
Centrifugal Force - Sending out
Partnering Peace—Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel partnered with Babylon and Persia to work for the common good.
Preservative Peace—Daniel cared for the Babylonians and sought to protect and preserve their life.
Prayer/Proclamation Peace—These men never bowed down to idols or did anything that would come between them and their allegiance to YHWH.
These two forces of mission will require:
Discipleship/Evangelism
Learning what it means to be human and part of the new human race after the image and likeness of Jesus. (Discipleship)
Inviting people into the good news story of King Jesus, who, through His death and resurrection, is making all things new. (Evangelism)
Exile/Suffering
Where is Jesus' COMMISSION going?
In the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22 addresses the healing of the nations.
The Church is from everywhere to everywhere.
Much work must be done to reach neighbors and nations with the Gospel.
Why do these four Cs matter?
God expects His people to engage in the four Cs.
Those who engage in the four Cs will experience deep joy and satisfaction.
Churches that engage in the four Cs will experience a concentration of God's presence, power and provision.
Churches that engage in the four Cs will experience micro transformations of individuals, families, communities, cities, and regions where their presence is concentrated.
Four levels of engagement:
Exploring Christ or Church (Connect)
Attending Church (Connect)
Involved at Church (Multiple Cs)
Partnered with a Church (All the Cs)
Church Membership:
Is a way to be a part of a church family.
Is a way for the church to know who is all in!
Alignment around the CONVICTIONS. (primary doctrines)
Alignment around the MISSION. (mission statement)
Alignment around the VISION. (the 4Cs)
Is a way to know who has permitted the church to OVERSEE/CARE for them.
Reminder: you don't have to be a member to attend Northland, to be involved at Northland, and membership is optional.
Christ desires His followers to ENGAGE in one of His local churches as they PARTICIPATE in God's Mission through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Are you engaged? Will you get engaged?
LIFE APPLICATION
This week, pray about how we are commissioned to share our faith with neighbors and nations through the power of the Holy Spirit. Consider the circumstances where you are in your spiritual journey. Is God having you prepare the soil for others who will be sharing the Gospel in the future? Are you planting and watering seeds of faith in soil that others have prepared? Could you be the person who has spiritual conversations sharing the love of God so that others are saved and brought into God's Kingdom?
The book Organic Outreach for Ordinary People by Kevin G. Harney provides commissioning areas for believers to focus on. It is an excellent resource that connects the dots between growing in faith and sharing our faith.
Also, take this opportunity to register for the Made for Mission Membership Class on March 2.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What is the best news that you have received recently?
What was God's plan for the nations to be redeemed and glorify Him, going back to the commands he gave in the Old Testament?
What are the costs to the church of being commissioned to share the Gospel?
What are the two forces of commission, and how do they interrelate?
Who is God commissioning you to pray for and seek opportunities to share your faith?
DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE PASSAGES
Day 1: Commission-Prepare the Soil-Psalm 65:10; Jeremiah 4:3; Matthew 6:33
Day 2: Commission-Plant and Water-Hosea 10:12; Mark 4:3-8; Luke 13:18-19
Day 3: Commission-Bear Kingdom Fruit-Galatians 5:22-23; John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 3:6-9
Day 4: Commission-Be Light to a Dark World-Matthew 5:16; Daniel 12:3; John 8:12
Day 5: Commission-Share the Good News-John 3:16-17; Romans 1:16; Matthew 28:19-20
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for commissioning me for the glorious and vital work of sharing the Gospel with others. I am just an ordinary person, so help me as I rely on the Holy Spirit to lead me and give me sensitivity to see the needs of those around me. Especially let me see others who need to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Give me the words to say and the courage to be bold as I go out into the world as Your disciple, sharing Your everlasting truth and love.
