this month’s theme: hey christian, what’s your mission?
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This month’s theme: Hey Christian, What’s Your Mission?. “It’s Important to Know Your Mission” Who You Are What You Are Doing Where You Are Headed. Our mission is to imitate Christ. Our mission is to be inspired !. Our Mission Is to Influence. Our Mission Is To - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
This month’s theme:Hey Christian,
What’s Your Mission?
“It’s Important to KnowYour Mission”Who You Are
What You Are DoingWhere You Are Headed
Our mission is to imitate Christ
Our mission is to be inspired!
OurMission
Is toInfluence
Our Mission Is ToMake An Impact
OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS INVOLVES
TRUST ANDTRANSFORMATION,
Our Talents, TEAMWORK,And OUR TIME!
Our Mission Is Here, There, and Everywhere
-Today’s Focus-“Our Mission:
Ready to Respond”
Matthew 16:24-2524 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
To respond to our mission, we have to be ready to die to ourselves! Sacrifice
is also expected.Today’s lesson is not to criticize
but to challenge!
Our Present Reality:Christianity and the churchare no longer at the centerof our culture. This means
it is not naturally the primary influence. It is simply
A influence among many.Are you aware? Do you agree?
This reality requires a response! That response
also has to be differentthan what we have alwaysdone. Our message is stillthe same but our method
has to change. Here’s why…
People aren’t coming tothe church as much so…We need to go to them!Why? Because we havebeen commissioned and
need not be afraid.
Remember Romans 10:14-15…14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
So, how do we do this?What stands in the way?What are the challenges?
#1 Are you a consumer or acontributor?
People are brought into thechurch because of whatappeals to them and thenumbers increase which appears to equal success(this in itself is not bad)
But when it comes with noreal expectations…
People leave when theproduct is no longer appealing
or when more is askedor expected!
This creates inconsistency inthe church and pressure tobe program driven rather
than purpose driven!
10% do 90% , 20 do 80, 30/70…These ratios don’t workin any other settings.
We can’t afford to have thembe this way with the people
of the church any longer!The calling and standard are the
same for all of us.
Matthew 9:35-38 “The Workers Are Few” 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
#2 We know the church isnot the building, but…How much of what we
do is all about what happens here?
That really limits usand creates more
challenges.
When the church’s primaryfunction or focus is to insulate
Christians, we isolate ourselves from the world around us
and by default becomeinwardly focused!
Somehow, we want to be thosewho include and interact
(not just when people come here)So that we can be about our
work of influencing, inspiring,and impacting.
But, in order for this to happenwe have to be intentional!
Think about whatpercentage of what we
do is here, and how muchof what we do here isfocused on ourselves
and our personalspiritual growth
and development.Can you feed yourself andthrive as a Christian with
less of this in favor of more outreach?
Hebrews 5:11-14“11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Hebrews 6:12 “ We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
#3 The contributors feelconflicted. How can we
possibly do it all? It’s not likethe ministries we are involved
in are selfish and we don’t want them to end.This is true, but…
Something has to change…(and remember why)
Either more consumerswill be contributors or…We will have to change
how much time is given overto certain “in house” ministries.
We have a big need forA NEW BALANCE
The opposite is instability
Let’s break down the barriersIndividualismConsumerismMaterialism
And evenTraditionalism
If necessary
If we are going to do somethingdifferent than what we have been
doing there will be TENSION before TRANSFORMATION.
Also, we will have to say NO tosome things that are for us
to be able to say YES to morefor God.
Includeourselves
in
The Body ofChrist
Identify what our
unique talents are
and use them for God
Involveourselves
in
ministry andmissions to
be done
Investtime and resources
and whatever’s
needed
LET’S BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THIS
A WELCOME CHALLENGE…PLEASE USE YOUR TALENTS
HERE IN THE CHURCH(SIGN UP/ SURVEY SHEET)AND FIND WAYS TO USE
YOUR TALENTS AS A MISSIONOUTSIDE THE CHURCH.
“As imitators of Jesus Christ, we want to be inspired to impact and influence our world. Therefore, we as Christians will include ourselves in God’s work to be done, identify what our talents and abilities are, and involve ourselves in missions and ministries for His glory.” Amen.