Missional Living

Open your bibles to Acts chapter 1. We are continuing in our series-Life in the Spirit-and today’s topic is Missional Living. Let’s read Acts 1:6-11.

In this passage, Jesus gives His disciples a commission. The rest of the book of Acts is the testimony of that commission happening; of the word going forth; the mission continuing. Over and over we hear of the activity of the word: increase, speaking, preaching, heard, received-the word. Jesus is setting His disciples up for this mission. Are we living this mission? Are we following Jesus in the continuation of the mission He came to accomplish?

I think there has been a shift in the evangelical trend of evangelism. At some point we have bought into the cultural belief that it’s ok for me to believe in Jesus and its ok for you not to. And it’s ok for us to know what each other believes and be friends but it’s not ok for me to tell them they should consider Christ. So we befriend an unbeliever, pray for them, drop subtle hints about church or being a Christian and wait for just the right moment to share the gospel, as if the sky was going to break open. We’ll call this relational missions.

It could be that this is a response to much of the antidotal and intimidation evangelism that has taken place in the last few generations. It’s also the influence of our culture which is increasingly open, accepting, and diverse until you start talking about Jesus and the gospel. Whatever the influence, it’s pervasive; in culture and church.

If you don’t think this has been an influence in your life (not everyone) just take a minute to think about the friends you have that are unbelievers that you have been in relationship with at work, grocery store, coffee shop, gas station, neighbors, gym, for 6 months, a year, 3 years. And you’ve observed things about them; their struggling marriage, losing a job, health issues, troubled kids, or even watching them happily dive head long into sin and a destructive lifestyle and still have not shared the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

I want us to see the impact this should have on our lives and how life in the Spirit coincides with missional living. If you’re taking notes here’s my outline, this is the mission: We’re saved, given power and set apart to preach the Gospel with urgency.

We are SAVED into the mission by the Spirit. (Luke 9-22-23)
Luke refers back to all that Jesus began to do and teach, and He did a lot, but everything He did was rooted in the gospel. In Luke 9:22-23 Jesus tells His disciples what it’s all about “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 23 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

(Deny) Jesus was sent from heaven, the Son of God, to die on a cross of shame. He took all of His power, righteousness, rights, glory and laid them down and died so that we could be freed from the bondage of sin and experience forgiveness and the removal of our guilt. (Cross) He died so that anyone who would call on His name, repent and trust in Him for salvation would not perish but receive grace, mercy and eternal life. (Follow) Deny and die to self rule and follow new master; follow in holiness; follow in His mission.

Jesus death and resurrection was the culmination of the plan of God to redeem sinful man. But it was also the beginning of the mission. The narrow path that leads to life is now in place and God has ordained that we would be the ones to make that announcement. But Jesus hasn’t just left us to do the mission by ourselves. We’re saved into the mission by the Spirit.

We receive POWER for the mission by the Spirit.
Acts 1:8-“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” In one act, the Spirit of God saves us, dwells in us and gives us power to witness. It’s all the same power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead saved you. The same power that saved you empowers you to witness (ambassador, rep.); same power saves those we witness to.

How do we tap into this power? You don’t “tap” into it, you have it; the Spirit of God within you. But we often are not experiencing this power. Though we know something’s missing, many of us have accepted a subpar mission; we think we don’t have what it takes. I think this is why it’s so easy for us to buy into the relational missions mindset; this is why preaching the gospel has been replaced with being good neighbors.

But Christian, you do have this power. The Spirit of the Living God dwells in you to glorify Christ in you and in the world through you. And His power is all you need! But it’s not your power, it’s not in your strength, it’s not on your terms. We have died, we have denied self. He is our Master and Commander and He directs us in His mission and we trust Him that wherever we find ourselves He (through the Spirit) will supply everything we need by His almighty power.

So no, we don’t tap into it. Here’s how we experience the power; in weakness and faith. If we want the power of God we’re going to have to follow the example Jesus, and Paul. Turn to 2 Cor. 12:9-10. If we want to experience the power of God in our witness we must embrace our weakness (boasts) and then walk in faith. Not just believing that He can empower us; you believe God and you step out and trust that He will provide the power needed. And we can trust Him in this. His power covers all the bases. The Spirit of God within you gives you the power for:

• for effectiveness in our witness, to know what to say, boldness
• Salvation; to act in unbeliever.
• The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Rom. 1:16
• Power in gifts to prove testimony. (next week)

We are saved, given power for the mission of Jesus Christ.

We are SET APART for mission by the Spirit.
By set apart, I mean that we are to be different than the world around us. Our lives need to reflect the message that we’re sharing. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this because we talked about this (holy living) a few weeks ago so. But we can’t ignore it when we’re talking about our witness. And Here’s why; we are His witness-Acts 1:8.

Turn with me to 1 Peter 2:9-12. Read and expound. The way we live privately and publicly will have a direct effect on the effectiveness of our witness; motivation for witness. I’ll end this point with this: if you are living with sin (sinful habits, desires)(hidden or known) repent. Because here’s where this leads us…we were saved, given power, set apart for the most glorious call-to preach the gospel.

To PREACH the gospel in the Spirit.
There’s a quote that has become popular over the last several years that goes something like this: “Preach the gospel often, use words if necessary” Not true. I get the idea, which was my last point; that the way we live is crucially important for the validation of the message we preach…but the way we live is not the message and will not save anyone. The gospel must be preached. Romans 10:17- “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

The lost need to hear the truth. Imagine that you’re a wilderness expert in Colorado or Alaska and you’re out in the middle of nowhere and run into a hiker, but you can tell right away their not really a hiker, they’re a tourist. And as you cross paths you stop and talk. Hey how’s it going? Good, enjoying the day, great day for a hike…But you know if this guy keeps going in the same direction he will be lost and in 3 days he’ll be dead.

What would you say? Would you assume that because he seems happy and isn’t asking for help that he’ll probably be ok, or it’s not your place to impose? No, I think you would tell him what you know. I think all of us would do all that we could to appeal to this guy to change direction.

That’s what our mission is; preach the truth to those who are lost. That’s what the lost people in our lives need. They need to hear the truth; that they are sinners; that they’re on the road to destruction; but that Jesus died for their sins; that if they repent and trust Him they will be saved.

1 Peter 2:9-“…that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness.” They need to hear about Jesus. They need you to speak the words. He loves those people and He died for them that they would hear the good news and be saved and not destroyed. They need us to speak the words. And they need us to do it now. We’ve been given this mission by Jesus to preach the gospel to all who will listen…

With URGENCY to accomplish the mission.
Read Acts 1:9-11. Two things happen here. Jesus ascends to heaven in a cloud of glory as the disciples watch and 2 angels tell them that He will return the same way. But why do they ask them why they’re looking into heaven? Jesus just floated through the air? Here’s why I think they asked, because Jesus gave them a commission and He’s not coming back until it’s completed. 

Do you long for the return of Jesus? Do we want to hasten the day of His return? Remember 1 Peter 2:11-we’re sojourners and exiles. Exiles don’t want to stay in a foreign land, they want a home, a place of rest. But not until all the sheep come. Jesus is the good shepherd and he’s sent us on a mission. It’s a glorious mission; vitally important and urgent. Do we want Jesus to return? Do we want to leave this place? Paul did. But he said it would be better for him to stay so that more might be saved.

But my problem is that I like it here too much, I’m comfortable, I’m settled. We’re not neglecting the mission because we’re looking in the sky waiting for Jesus; we’re making this our home. But Jesus is pressing us; He’s nudging us with His Spirit to pick up the mission; to feel the urgency of the mission.

I want to be like Paul. I want to follow Jesus well. And church, we can because of the Spirit of Christ resident in our lives. We have been saved (called out of darkness into light), received power and been set apart to preach the gospel with urgency in anticipation of His return.