Missional Worship.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them up to Matthew chapter 28. [0:03] That’s where we’ll spend the majority of this morning. [0:06] If you’re new here, my name’s Steve. [0:08] Welcome to the Village. [0:09] It’s Labor Day weekend. [0:11] No natural disasters took place.

[0:14] We’re excited about that. [0:16] Most of you have power by the smell of you, and I am excited about that. [0:21] I didn’t lose power. [0:23] I don’t know how that happened, but I didn’t lose power, and my wife was thankful because [0:27] after about 12 hours, I really need a shower. [0:31] I’m a big guy, and we tend to sweat.

[0:34] So if you’re a big guy, you’re with me on that. [0:37] But this morning, I want to start a new series with us. [0:41] It’s called Missional Environments, and really the idea behind this series is really a question [0:47] to each and every one of us, and that’s the question of whether or not we are walking [0:53] environments intentionally to live the mission of Jesus in our lives. [0:58] What we’re going to be doing from now up until Christmas, that’s a long time, that’s a few

[1:03] months, is we’re going to be really unpacking who we are as a church, what our identity [1:10] is, what is it that we believe. [1:12] For the next four weeks, we’re going to be discussing missional environments, starting [1:18] today with missional worship, and then next week, what does a missional community look [1:23] like, and then the third week, talk about how we are to be cultural missionaries. [1:29] And then in the fourth week, at the end of September, we’re going to talk about everyone’s

[1:34] favorite subject, and that’s church membership, and what that is. [1:38] We’re going to answer the question, is it biblical? [1:40] If so, what does it look like? [1:42] What are church members to be responsible for? [1:45] How does the church act in the life of the people? [1:49] And then starting in October, we’re starting a series that I’m really excited about.

[1:54] During the countdown, it was up on the screen, and it’s a series that we’re just simply [1:58] entitling Doctrine, What Christians Should Believe. [2:02] And I’m really excited, we’re going to spend 13 weeks just unpacking what we believe as [2:09] a church about God, about His Word, about you, about Jesus, about what’s to come, about [2:15] the role of the church in your life, about what the Holy Spirit wants to do with you. [2:20] And we’re going to spend a lot of time there.

[2:22] So for one of two reasons you can come. [2:25] The first reason, which is my favorite, that is to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ [2:29] and grow in your relationship with Him. [2:31] Because really, the reason we’re jumping off of this series and that series is really [2:34] to look at what the knowledge of Scripture, what role does that play in the mission of [2:39] my life?

[2:40] That’s going to be the point of the series. [2:42] We’re not coming in just to get information. [2:45] We’re coming in to live a mission. [2:47] But then the second reason you can come is if you want to argue with me about the Bible. [2:51] If you’re just an argumentative person and you want to come and do that, I welcome you. [2:55] Just don’t do it during the service.

[2:56] We’ll go get coffee. [2:58] If you do it during the service, one of the ushers will tackle you and they will tase [3:02] you. [3:03] I’m just saying.

[3:06] We had to tase each of them so they could carry a taser. [3:10] If they may seem spirit-filled or it’s just electrocution running through their bodies, [3:15] all right, I’m just kidding. [3:16] We’re not going to tase you, probably.

[3:19] I don’t know if you rush the stage. [3:20] I don’t know what some people will do. [3:22] James might get crazy. [3:24] I don’t know what James carries around. [3:26] I can’t make any promises. [3:28] I’m not carrying a taser.

[3:29] My jeans are too tight for that. [3:31] That’s because I’m fat.

[3:34] It’s just the way it goes. [3:35] I don’t want to shop at the Big Boy store so I’m still holding out hope at the Gap. [3:40] I just can’t take it going into the big and tall store. [3:44] I can’t do it. [3:45] I can’t make that step. [3:46] I still try at the Gap.

[3:48] After about an hour of adding material, we have a pair of jeans that fit me. [3:53] I don’t know how I got there, but that was a pretty good place to go. [3:58] Let’s go to Matthew chapter 28. [4:01] Let’s start reading in verse 16. [4:05] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had directed [4:11] them.

[4:12] And when they saw him, they worshiped him. [4:17] Let’s stop right there and pray. [4:18] Father we love you. [4:21] God in this moment, we know that you are here.

[4:28] Spirit, your presence is in this place and we want to stop for a moment and do what the [4:33] disciples did right there. [4:34] We just want to worship and proclaim that you are worthy of our worship, more worthy [4:40] than anything else. [4:42] And I pray God that over the next few moments that you would teach us, that your word would [4:48] be edified God, that your majesty would be on display as it was that day on that mountain

[4:54] with your people. [4:56] May we be your people this morning. [4:58] In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. [5:01] We have right here in Matthew 28 one of the most famous sections of scripture. [5:06] If you spent any time in church, you’ve probably been through this passage and you even probably [5:12] know that it’s the great commission that we’re about to get into.

[5:16] But what I want to do right now is I want to just talk about how did we get here where [5:21] Jesus is risen from the dead on a mountain being worshiped by people.

[5:28] When we come to this place in scripture, the cross has already taken place. [5:34] Jesus has died on the cross for the sins of humanity. [5:37] If you’ve been at the village, you know we talk about that all the time. [5:40] More than that, he didn’t just come, he wasn’t executed, rather Jesus gives his own life [5:46] over, gives himself on the cross for your sin and for my sin. [5:50] Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 says, he who knew no sin became sin on our behalf

[5:55] so that we might become the righteousness of God. [5:58] And what you’re seeing in Matthew 28 16 is that first semblance of what it is to have [6:05] the righteousness of God imputed onto your life through the work of Jesus Christ. [6:11] And what they’re doing is they simply respond in worship. [6:16] They are fulfilling the purpose of their lives first by worshiping. [6:23] So what I want us to understand, the first environment that we must walk into to live

[6:29] the mission that God has given us as his people to live for the purpose that we exist for, [6:36] it’s right there. [6:37] It is worship. [6:39] You exist to worship God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. [6:44] That is your purpose in life. [6:46] If you’re ever at a place and you’re like, I just don’t know what the will of God is

[6:50] for my life, worship.

[6:53] Because no matter what you’re doing in your life, no matter how you’re pouring yourself [6:57] out, you are worshiping. [7:01] Whether it be Jesus or something else, whether it be your family, your career, your finances, [7:08] whatever it is, it could be NCAA football, which started yesterday and there’s some [7:12] really good games on it. [7:13] It could have been that.

[7:15] But somehow through something you are worshiping and what Jesus came to redeem us for is his [7:24] worship. [7:25] In Ephesians chapter one, Paul puts it this way. [7:29] It says in him, we have redemption through his blood. [7:32] The forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished [7:37] upon us in all wisdom and insight.

[7:40] Look at verse nine, making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose, [7:48] which he set forth in Christ. [7:50] I don’t have time to unpack everything, but I want you to notice in verse nine that everything [7:55] that led up to the gospel, that means Genesis one through the gospels was so that God was [8:03] working history towards finally revealing to all people for all time. [8:09] This mystery, which is the will of God.

[8:13] In other words, what he’s saying right there is, is that whenever you stop in life and [8:17] you say, what is God doing?

[8:22] What was the purpose of that? [8:24] You read the Old Testament, what was he doing right there? [8:28] Working everything to and from the gospel is what he was doing because the gospel was [8:33] always his purpose. [8:34] It was always his will. [8:36] And when we come to him in worship, we have to understand that the mystery has been cleared

[8:42] up in Jesus. [8:43] That every question that you have in your life and out of your life ultimately must [8:49] go to Jesus to find an answer. [8:53] But we’ve got to get further than that. [8:55] So there is a purpose. [8:58] And so what is a big tendency for us to do is to sit back and say, okay, I’m going to

[9:03] look for that purpose in my life because God’s not that specific. [9:09] He says there’s a purpose and it’s in Jesus. [9:12] And okay, so Jesus died on the cross. [9:14] I know I’m not going to probably die on a cross and I know I’m not going to raise physically [9:18] from the dead. [9:19] But what’s his purpose in all of that?

[9:21] Does he get more specific? [9:23] Yes. [9:25] Yes. [9:27] Worship must propel you into a life of mission. [9:34] Worship is not simply what takes place in your songs. [9:39] That is worship.

[9:41] That is beautiful. [9:43] That is the majesty of God on display. [9:46] And we’ll get back to that a little later in the service. [9:48] But chiefly, what gets us to that place? [9:51] Because quite frankly, if you come into a place where you’re singing praises to God [9:56] and it never does anything to you, it never moves you, you never feel like I’m actually

[10:02] connecting with God, that is because what you do outside of those walls in your life [10:09] will impact you in here. [10:12] And I’m not saying everybody’s got to be raising their hands and crying and weeping with eyes [10:16] closed. [10:17] I don’t typically weep ever. [10:19] I can break limbs and I just don’t cry.

[10:22] My wife hates that. [10:24] It’ll be the most emotional point in our marriage and I’ll just be like, this is good. [10:29] I love you. [10:31] That’s all you got. [10:32] I’m sorry. [10:33] And she’s like, I love you too.

[10:34] And I’m like, thank you. [10:36] I can’t do that. [10:39] It’s just not how I’m wired.

[10:41] But whatever it is that awakens the affections inside of you, however your affections come [10:48] out, you’re to feel something. [10:50] I may not be weeping, but I’m feeling it. [10:53] I’m feeling this connection to God and our worship is directly connected to how we live [10:59] our lives and what we are living our lives for. [11:03] And if our worship of God isn’t pouring out into what God has defined as his mission,

[11:11] then we never feel that. [11:12] That connection is never made. [11:14] That’s because our worship was intended for mission. [11:19] It’s supposed to cause an action in your life. [11:22] It’s not simply an emotion. [11:25] It’s an action.

[11:26] Look further in Matthew 28 with me.

[11:31] Verse 18. [11:32] So they come and they worship, some doubt still. [11:36] And Jesus speaks to both crowds. [11:39] And he directly says what they’re worship, why they’re worshiping, and then why should [11:44] they worship. [11:45] And he says this, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

[11:55] That’s enough. [11:56] That’s it. [11:58] That’s all we need for him to be worthy of our worship. [12:01] What is Jesus saying there? [12:03] He’s saying what has been true for eternity. [12:08] He is God.

[12:10] But more than that, he’s letting them and filling them in on what he has just proven [12:15] through his resurrection. [12:18] See, if anyone raises up from the dead under their own power, there really doesn’t seem [12:23] to be any question in my mind. [12:24] That person’s God. [12:26] Because nobody else does that.

[12:28] Everybody else that raised up in scripture did so through another source. [12:32] Lazarus, Jesus told him to come forth in the Old Testament through Elijah and Elisha. [12:36] They, through the power of the Holy Spirit, told him to come. [12:39] In the book of Acts, the apostles, and scripture says through the power of the Holy Spirit, [12:43] raises them up from the dead. [12:44] But only Jesus in all of history just gets up.

[12:52] And what he’s saying is there is no doubt that can exist in your mind. [12:59] I am God. [13:00] And because of that, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [13:05] And that’s why we worship. [13:07] That’s why we stand in awe. [13:09] That’s why we say, whatever you want, you get.

[13:12] You’re the creator of life. [13:13] You clearly have a little more power than me. [13:15] You probably have the power to end me. [13:18] I’ll follow you. [13:20] But what I want you to notice is what Jesus does next. [13:24] He just gives this great ultimate revelation.

[13:27] And really, this is after the resurrection, this is how we’re closing the book of Matthew. [13:31] This is the cap end on this gospel account for his people. [13:36] So the question I have is what is he going to use his authority for?

[13:43] Does he just leave it clouded in mystery for us to wander aimlessly? [13:47] Like the Israelites in the Exodus account of them wandering through the wilderness. [13:51] Is that what we’re to do? [13:52] Not able to find the promised land until we get to heaven? [13:56] Or is there something more in this life that I can be living for under this great eternal power? [14:04] Because when he says all authority, what he’s saying is, is I have the ultimate power for all time.

[14:14] Nothing can ever defeat me. [14:16] And if you go in my power, nothing can ever ultimately defeat you because I am God. [14:24] I am in control. [14:25] I am the commander of your destiny.

[14:31] And then he says, in light of that, because whenever you see therefore in scripture, [14:38] I’m not going to make the joke everybody else makes. [14:39] OK, I will. [14:40] What’s the therefore, therefore? [14:43] What he’s doing is he’s jumping off of a previous statement, saying, in light of this truth, this is your response.

[14:55] In light of the fact that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, go.

[15:06] Make disciples.

[15:13] See, Jesus leaves way less mystery than we would like him to.

[15:19] See, I think we would like it to be very subjective. [15:21] I think we would like it to be shrouded in mystery, because then I have some say, [15:29] because then I can say at the end of my life, oh, that’s oh, I missed it. [15:36] I thought it was over here. [15:37] So I was over there. [15:40] My bad.

[15:42] I mean, sorry. [15:45] No, Jesus doesn’t leave it shrouded in mystery at all. [15:48] If you are to worship Jesus, it has a definition from him as to what it will look like. [16:00] And that makes me very uncomfortable. [16:02] I think it makes you uncomfortable, because it’s not always what I feel like doing. [16:07] That’s not always what builds the life that I am seeking.

[16:12] But Jesus, in response to that, will say, well, that would be great if you had authority. [16:18] But I have all authority.

[16:25] Therefore, do as I say.

[16:29] See, in light of the authority of Jesus, he says worship will be propelled through mission. [16:41] And then redemption, which is where Jesus brings us to a place in which we see him for who he really is. [16:49] And that is God. [16:51] We see the redemption that he has laid out for us. [16:54] We see all that he has called us from, chiefly the sin that condemned us, the sin that made it so that we could not have a relationship with God, [17:04] the sin that was going to cause us to be cast into outer darkness where God is not and where we would suffer for an eternity in hell.

[17:12] Jesus redeems us from that. [17:16] And he says, come to me and you have life.

[17:23] He says, I’ve done that.

[17:27] So that you could pour yourself into a life of mission. [17:31] See, if worship propels us into a mission, redemption is just that which wells up inside of us, connects us to Jesus. [17:39] We see him in his beauty. [17:41] The scales of sin are taken off of our eyes and we see him in all of his majesty. [17:46] We see him in all of his beauty and we treasure him. [17:50] We worship him.

[17:52] We want him. [17:53] We have the greatest gift that life has to offer. [17:57] And that is a relationship with God where he reconciles us to himself and he does not count our sins against us as a reason to not want us. [18:11] But rather, in spite of that, he says, I want you and I’m going to be just and I’m going to pour my wrath out on my son. [18:17] And I want you to come to me and I want you to be with me. [18:20] And so this is what happens.

[18:21] This is what happens when you’re in a relationship. [18:23] This is why marriage is such a beautiful example of the gospel in our lives. [18:28] What my wife wants, typically I want for her because I love her. [18:36] Not because, well, I guess I’m sure my wife will do it. [18:38] Now there are some of those things. [18:41] OK, laundry, vacuuming, lawn work, that kind of stuff.

[18:46] No, not you. [18:48] All right, I’m alone on that one. [18:50] The rest of you are liars. [18:53] It’s because you’re sitting by your wife and I’m not.

[18:58] Here’s the thing. [19:00] She comes to me and she says, I want this. [19:02] This would make me happy. [19:05] That’s the thing that would make me happy because I want if it will make my wife happy, I want to be happy because I’m happy because she’s happy. [19:12] And everybody knows she’s not happy. [19:14] I’ll never be happy again.

[19:17] But in some ways that helps us to understand God, not that he’s like your wife, even though maybe she thinks that. [19:25] Oh, there are too many women in the crowd for that one. [19:29] But here’s the key. [19:30] When we come into relationship, the teenagers laugh because they’re not married yet. [19:34] When we come into relationship with Jesus Christ, we’re so in awe of who he is and what he’s done for us. [19:44] This is what happens.

[19:46] Whatever you want, say the word. [19:50] That’s why when we look in the book of Isaiah, Chapter six, and Isaiah’s caught up into the presence of God and he sees him in all of his beauty and all of his majesty. [19:57] And God says, who will go for us? [19:59] Who shall I send? [20:02] Isaiah is just so caught up. [20:04] He says, anything you want, send me.

[20:07] I’ll go. [20:09] Because having you is all I need. [20:10] Having you is all I want. [20:11] I am filled and fulfilled by you. [20:17] So the big key to understanding the role of redemption in your life and why mission isn’t something that earns you God, but rather it’s something you do because you have God in your life. [20:30] You don’t live mission so that you can earn his love.

[20:33] You live the mission because he loves you already. [20:36] It’s because he’s your treasure and whatever he wants is your joy. [20:42] And redemption, when it wells up, it begins to pour out into this life of mission where we begin to set our life up and build our life around this concept of mission. [20:56] This concept of making disciples. [20:59] This concept where in the text, if you look at go make disciples, it is an imperative. [21:05] The imperative there is make disciples.

[21:09] That means that you’re living your life in such a way that as you enter into your career, as you enter into marriage, as you enter in to raising children, as you enter into buying a home, as you enter into your retirement years, [21:26] as you enter into going to college, as you enter into whatever it is that you are entering in your life, you are doing so because of the imperative. [21:38] Your goings in life will be for the purpose of making disciples if you are to worship Jesus in the way that he intends to be worshiped. [21:52] That’s just what the grammar means. [21:56] When he says go make disciples, the original language means go make disciples.

[22:03] That your goings in life are defined by making disciples is also how you yourself become a disciple. [22:14] There is this concept about going and then growing. [22:19] That we seek to grow in the grace of Jesus Christ. [22:24] We seek to be disciples. [22:27] So here is what we do. [22:27] We make it far more complicated than it ever meant.

[22:30] We set out like a 15 year plan. [22:34] Alright, year one. [22:35] I’ve got to learn how to pray. [22:37] So I’m going to spend year one on that. [22:39] Year two, I’m going to focus on learning how to study the Bible. [22:41] Year three, I’m going to focus on this.

[22:43] Year four, I’ll get to ceramics class. [22:46] Year five, I’ll take a break there because I need a vacation. [22:49] Year six, if I repent, I’ll come back and I’ll focus on ushering, then greeting, then maybe I’ll try to sing. [22:55] Oh, I can’t sing. [22:56] Let’s take that year off too. [22:57] See, we muddy the waters of discipleship to be so much more complicated than I believe God ever intended it to be.

[23:06] I’m not saying you don’t need to grow in those areas. [23:09] What I’m saying is, is the reason that you can’t figure out the purpose of prayer is because when you’re not living the mission, you’re not depending on Jesus for anything. [23:19] The reason you can’t get anything out of scripture is because when you’re not living the mission, you don’t need the knowledge in here.

[23:27] Let me tell you, you can be a great businessman without the scriptures.

[23:31] Just read a John Maxwell book.

[23:35] You can parent without the scriptures.

[23:39] You can do a lot of things that we call the purpose of discipleship without ever cracking the scriptures open. [23:49] But you cannot live a life of missional worship unless you are in the scriptures. [23:56] So if the scriptures are dead in your life, the reason is the mission or lack thereof in your life.

[24:07] Because when you’re living the mission, when you’re going and you’re making disciples and you’re seeking to make as many disciples as possible in your lifetime, [24:16] because Jesus doesn’t put a bookend on that and say, once you’ve made three quota filled, you’re done. [24:24] He just says, go make them, of all nations. [24:28] So when you reach India, maybe you can stop, but probably not even there because you haven’t even hit the tip of the iceberg on that one.

[24:39] See, the role of a disciple, and this is how crazy God is. [24:45] The role of becoming a disciple is all wrapped up in making disciples. [24:51] So if you want to grow, you need to go. [24:57] That’s poetry right there. That’s good stuff. You remember that when you go home today. [25:01] You’ll say, I forgot one thing. It was the one that rhymed. I got that.

[25:08] But if you are not going on the mission of Jesus, which is to redeem people, to worship him. [25:19] If you look in Revelation, Chapter 7, the end of all things where the earth is concerned, what do you see a picture of? [25:24] You see a picture of God on the throne and it says, and people from all tribes, all tongues and all nations were gathered around the throne of God, [25:31] worshiping him and saying salvation belongs to our Lord. [25:35] So where is God ultimately working history towards? His own worship.

[25:40] How is he going to gather those worshipers? You living a life of mission. [25:45] What is God’s purpose for your life? To live a life of his mission, of gathering people for his worship. [25:54] Now, when that begins to flesh out, we’re confronted with the reality that you can’t do it on your own. [26:06] I mean, how hard is that? Have you ever tried it? [26:10] Just mustering up your own strength and saying, OK, I’m going to live for Jesus this week. [26:16] I’m going to tell everybody at my job about Jesus, because that’s where I spend most of my time.

[26:21] After the first one, you might get reported HR. [26:26] And then you’re like, well, maybe I shouldn’t do that anymore. [26:31] And very quickly, you can get deterred from this life of mission. [26:34] You get the sniffles, you’re deterred. [26:36] Whatever it is that deters you and that is currently deterring you from living your life, obsessed with the mission of Jesus, put it there. [26:45] So what did God do to help us stay encouraged and to help us get discipled and learn how to study the scripture and learn how to pray as we’re going in this mission?

[26:59] Because if you notice in the New Testament, when the church was coming into existence, people didn’t stay alone. [27:08] People formed relationships for the purpose of redemption. [27:14] That is what the church is. [27:18] The church finds its definition in the mission of Jesus. [27:22] Here’s what the church is. [27:23] There’s a good definition.

[27:24] The church is the sent people of God.

[27:31] If you are struggling to live a life of mission, the church is your refuge and your home base so that you can grow and maybe follow someone who’s poor. [27:43] You’re pouring their life out into your life so that you can then learn how to pour your life into someone else’s life. [27:50] And before you know it, you’ve got a small group. [27:54] Before you know it, you’re living hand in hand with other believers, worshiping side by side. [27:59] Where you have weaknesses, someone besides you has a strength. [28:03] Where you don’t have gifts and abilities, someone besides you has those gifts and abilities.

[28:08] Where you don’t know what to say to that person who you want to know Jesus the way that you know Jesus, whom you want to have the passion that you have in your life. [28:18] Maybe they have the word that you can give them. [28:21] Maybe they have some scripture that they can pour into your life. [28:25] But as long as you are avoiding the people that God has designed to live his mission together in community with one another, [28:33] you’re not going to have all of the tools that God has given for you to live that mission.

[28:42] His strength is seen in his people. [28:46] You say, oh, then what are you, this is just all about you building a church. [28:49] No, this is about how God defined it. [28:52] Look in Ephesians chapter one. [28:58] Reading starting in verse 19.

[29:02] And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. [29:25] Paul is basically reiterating what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 28, that it’s all about Jesus and that he is God and you must be redeemed through him and follow him. [29:39] But notice what he says. [29:40] And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body. [29:54] The fullness of him who fills all in. [29:59] It’s interesting how God has designed redemption to work.

[30:04] You see, Jesus comes and he does this great work and he even tells Peter, he says, on the basis of what you have said about me as God, that is what I’m going to build my church on. [30:15] That is that impenetrable fortress. [30:17] That is that rock that will never be defeated is the pronouncement that I am God. [30:24] And he says, in that I find my own fullness in my people living my mission as the church.

[30:38] You see, Jesus finds joy in us coming together in his worship. [30:43] Jesus finds joy when we come together for the purpose of discipleship. [30:49] Jesus finds joy in his church. [30:51] Here’s the key. [30:53] And I hope this doesn’t offend you. [30:54] But if it does, you are not enough for God.

[31:03] You’re not enough.

[31:06] He’s enough for you. [31:08] But you’re not enough for him. [31:10] What do you mean? [31:10] I thought I was the apple of his eye. [31:13] Doesn’t the song say he thought of me above all? [31:16] Well, that song is not scriptural.

[31:18] Number one, he thought of the glory of the Father above all. [31:24] But understand, he specifically tells us in his word, Steve, you’re not enough. [31:30] I want more. [31:32] That’s why Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and 11, he says, [31:35] whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [31:38] And then he immediately says, as I follow Christ, you follow me because I’m setting up my life in such a way

[31:42] so that I can reach more and more and more and more people.

[31:49] You see, God wants us to come together and build his church, which is multiethnic, multicultural. [31:56] It’s all of us coming together under the banner of Jesus Christ for the purpose of mission. [32:03] See, the church is not an organization. [32:05] The church is not a club. [32:07] The church is not the end. [32:09] The church is the means of the glory of God.

[32:13] The village is not the totality of the purpose of God. [32:18] The village is identified as a people coming into the grace of God through Jesus Christ [32:24] so that we can be the people of God on mission to the people of Melothi and Richmond and beyond [32:31] so that more and more people can be redeemed. [32:34] So that in Revelation chapter 7, we took some part in that great gathering of worshipers of God [32:41] because that is what God designed us to do.

[32:44] Because here’s the key. If you have the church, well, the church exists for worship. [32:52] And worship is carried out through mission. [32:55] And mission brings discipleship. [32:58] And discipleship forms community among believers for the purpose of going out for more mission. [33:07] Here’s the key. If we begin to lose any of those points, everything crumbles. [33:14] Think about this. If worship is defined by the mission of discipleship,

[33:23] well, let’s take away mission because it seems to be the one no one wants to focus on. [33:28] Well, if you take away mission, where are the disciples going to come from? [33:32] Well, discipleship is not taking place. And if mission is what we’re supposed to be discipled towards, [33:37] discipleship is gone. Well, if discipleship is not taking place, then there’s no relationships. [33:42] And if there’s no relationships, we’ll all pretty much retreat into our careers and into our households [33:47] and we’ll just be people separated. So community, it completely falls apart.

[33:51] There’s no community. There’s no relationships. I’m not known and I don’t know. [33:55] Maybe you’ve been to churches like that where it’s just a meeting place where nobody really knows anybody else. [33:59] We’re just here to do what we’re supposed to do. Well, community is taken apart. [34:02] Well, when you take away community, discipleship and mission, we’ve taken away everything that God has defined [34:09] through Jesus that makes worship happen. So worship is gone.

[34:16] If you take away those things, the church, it’s gone.

[34:23] Because now you’re just a bunch of people coming together and forming a religion that doesn’t connect anyone to God. [34:29] At best, they get you. And if you’re anything like me, that’s frightening.

[34:38] You see, we exist to be the sent people of God.

[34:46] But we will not live his mission. [34:51] We will not do it unless we are setting up intentional environments in our lives of mission. [35:01] You see, we must walk into intentional environments. Mission, making disciples. [35:06] It does not happen by accident. You’re not going to fall one day and land on a disciple. [35:13] Oh, it’s a good thing that banana peel was there. [35:17] You know, I’ve stepped on banana peels and I’ve never slipped on one. The cartoons lie.

[35:25] But it doesn’t happen by accident, folks.

[35:29] You must walk into intentional environments for it to happen. [35:33] That’s why he says, Go make disciples. That’s why it’s such an imperative. [35:37] Because you’re a walk into ways in your life for it to happen.

[35:44] We must do it as the church. [35:47] I think we get really uncomfortable with that. [35:51] We don’t want to be told what to do. [35:53] We don’t want people telling us their problems. And God knows I’m not going to tell them my problems. [35:58] What if I can’t trust them? What if they’re a bunch of liars? [36:02] Let’s hold together in this thing. Forget it.

[36:05] Like I said, you take one of those things away. [36:09] Everything starts to fall apart.

[36:12] Maybe it’s about more than people. [36:15] Maybe it’s about the worship of Jesus. [36:18] And maybe he wants you to think that his authority is enough. [36:23] And his power is enough. [36:25] Maybe it’s greater than your distrust. [36:27] Maybe it’s greater than the hurt you’ve experienced at another church.

[36:31] Maybe his power and his authority is the only thing you should depend on. [36:37] And that’s reason enough to walk into intentional environments of mission. [36:44] As the church.

[36:47] See, he closes the commission off.

[36:52] He says, go therefore make disciples of all nations. [36:55] Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. [37:00] Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. [37:04] In other words, you live the mission, then you teach others to live the mission. [37:10] Behold, I’m with you always to the end of the age.

[37:15] He says, I have all authority, and I’ll be with you to the end of the age. [37:21] Nothing will triumph over you, because it can’t triumph over me. [37:26] So here at the Village,

[37:30] We are attempting to set up missional environments for all of us to walk into. [37:37] But the key is, is that we must walk into them. [37:39] And we have some people walking into them, and we have some people kind of walking into them. [37:43] But my goal is for everyone to walk into them. [37:45] And this morning I just want to end by talking about one. [37:47] And the next week we’re going to talk about that one again.

[37:49] And then the final week we’re going to talk about how that propels us into the culture. [37:53] But here’s the key, Sunday morning.

[37:57] We’re here. [37:59] We’re in an environment. [38:02] We’re worshiping. [38:04] We did it through song. [38:05] We’re doing it now through His Word. [38:08] But here’s the key.

[38:08] I want you to understand that this Sunday morning worship service doesn’t exist for people simply who belong here. [38:18] And we know what that means. [38:20] You know, the members.

[38:24] People that volunteer.

[38:27] People that give their lives. [38:29] You ever stop and say, why do they do that? [38:32] Why do people use their trucks to pull big trailers here every Sunday morning? [38:37] Set all this up. [38:39] Set up a pipe of drapes. [38:40] Why do these musicians come and use their abilities up here so that you can halfway sing with them?

[38:48] Why do people out there get spit up on in the nursery? [38:52] Why do they change diapers on Sunday morning of children that oftentimes don’t even belong to them? [38:58] Why do they do that? [39:00] And then afterwards, guess what? [39:01] You know, once most of you leave, we got to tear it all down.

[39:07] But my question isn’t how. [39:09] My question is why? [39:11] Why do we do that? [39:13] I believe this is the number one stepping stone of discipleship in this church. [39:22] Of mission in Midlothian is this Sunday morning worship experience. [39:28] You say why?

[39:30] Because here’s the key. [39:32] In Romans chapter 10, here’s what it says, starting in verse 13. [39:36] I want you to hear this and then I want to explain it. [39:40] It says, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. [39:44] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? [39:46] And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?

[39:49] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [39:51] And how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written? [39:54] How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? [39:56] We typically look at verses like that and we think overseas. [40:01] We think sending someone away from the church. [40:05] But what if that, which it does mean that,

[40:07] but what if it could also mean right here, right now on Sunday morning? [40:13] You see, the United States, the culture that we have, [40:16] at least in this town of Midlothian, affords us a great opportunity. [40:20] Even people who don’t believe in Jesus are accustomed in their culture, [40:26] they’re taught by cultural understanding, at least in this generation, [40:31] that on Sunday morning there are people who get together

[40:35] in order to hold up the name of Jesus in worship [40:40] and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. [40:43] Now there are some churches that do it and some churches that don’t do it, [40:46] but the culture believes that there are churches out there that are doing it. [40:50] So if they want to go hear the gospel of Jesus, [40:54] they go to Sunday morning church.

[40:57] And you say, no, they don’t. Yes, they do. [40:59] I talk to them all the time. [41:00] Almost every Sunday there’s someone in here that doesn’t believe in Jesus. [41:04] So here’s what I believe. God has given us gifts, [41:07] and we’re going to really unload on that next week. [41:09] He’s given us all gifts.

[41:11] What if we could come together as a church, put those giftings together, [41:17] where I have weaknesses, you have strengths, where I have strengths, you have weaknesses, [41:21] but we come together for the purpose of preaching the gospel [41:25] to as many people as possible, [41:27] and we set the stage in such a way to steward those gifts, [41:34] to tell people who come to hear the gospel.

[41:38] Because here’s what I believe. [41:40] When we don’t take advantage of what the culture believes the gospel will be at,

[41:48] we’re terrible stewards of the gifts God has given us. [41:52] If I can reach people who don’t believe the gospel

[42:01] by doing everything that I can to put on a quality Sunday morning worship experience, [42:08] why wouldn’t I?

[42:14] Can you ever think about that? [42:16] Why wouldn’t I take advantage of a great opportunity that I believe God has given us? [42:22] I didn’t just kind of beg a bunch of musicians to come. [42:27] They all just showed up.

[42:31] Wouldn’t I be an idiot if I was like, [42:33] well, music’s just not a thing we’re going to do. [42:37] You’ve got to find something else.

[42:40] No.

[42:43] The glory of God.

[42:46] God’s given us His Word, so we preach it. [42:49] Does the New Testament say we have to do it this way? [42:52] No, but I believe in this culture we’re morons if we don’t.

[42:57] Nobody goes on Thursday morning to worship, do they?

[43:02] I had a great Thursday morning worship experience. [43:05] Wasn’t that something? [43:05] How many people were there? Three? [43:08] It was me and my brother and my sister. [43:11] Why didn’t they show up on Thursday morning? [43:13] Maybe if you went out and begged them all.

[43:15] Wouldn’t it be a lot easier if you just had the service when people are attuned to show up? [43:20] Yeah, it would make a lot more sense. More people might show up. [43:23] Why did you come this morning? [43:25] Why did you show up? [43:27] What went off in your head that said, hmm, it’s Sunday morning.

[43:33] Do any people that are Christians do anything on Sunday? [43:36] I don’t know. [43:38] It’s a mystery. [43:39] No, you knew there would be churches. [43:41] Maybe you saw the signs. [43:42] There’s a reason we put up signs.

[43:44] People are looking for a church to go to, even those who don’t believe.

[43:50] So here’s my thing. [43:51] Right now, as a church, we’re what I would say, we’re about 25% capacity of what we could do in an intentional, missional environment on Sunday morning. [44:02] So I think there’s about 75% of the stewardship that’s not taking place. [44:07] If you could reach more people by getting up a little earlier.

[44:12] If you could reach more people by using a gift that God has clearly given you. [44:15] And maybe you’re saying, well, you don’t do anything that I’d be good at. [44:20] Maybe we would if we knew what you were good at. [44:23] I don’t know. [44:25] Maybe I just have no clue what you’re good at. [44:28] And if you just told me one day, I’d be like, man, we could really use that.

[44:34] Now, there are some things I might make.

[44:39] How do you know?

[44:42] How are you stewarding what God has given you? [44:45] To make disciples. [44:49] Because here’s the key. The church is more powerful together than we are apart. [44:53] And you say, oh, so it’s all about Sunday morning. [44:55] I believe in one way. [44:56] Yeah.

[44:57] You say, why? [44:58] Here’s what we do. [44:59] We intentionally set an environment on Sunday mornings that is comfortable for people who don’t go to church. [45:06] And you say, why do you do that? [45:07] How does that teach me? [45:08] How are you not just simply trying to reach the lost, but you’re also discipling me?

[45:12] Because I believe that you need to set up your life like we set up the Sunday morning service. [45:17] You say, what do you mean? [45:18] I take we try to take away all traditional barriers that could be offensive to non-Christians so that they feel like we’re being hospitable. [45:27] So they can come and be in relationship with us before they ever have to believe anything. [45:34] And you know, I think I think that teaches you a great lesson about your life, because I think that’s how you need to live your life. [45:40] I think some of you live your life to intentionally offend lost people.

[45:45] You say, well, sin, sin. [45:46] That’s not what I’m talking about.

[45:50] Are you hospitable?

[45:52] Maybe on Sunday morning, we could learn a thing or two about servanthood.

[45:57] You see, Jesus, he looked at his disciples at the Last Supper, and he went to wash their feet. [46:02] And they said, oh, you’re better than that, Jesus. [46:04] And he said, if I don’t do this for you, you’ll have no clue what I’m like. [46:11] Jesus came to serve, not to be served. [46:14] Maybe on Sunday mornings when you come and get sweaty with us at seven thirty in the morning, eight o’clock, eight fifteen, eight thirty, whenever.

[46:23] Maybe you’re learning how to be a servant. [46:25] Because it’s interesting when people say, oh, well, you’re just pouring everything into Sunday morning. [46:29] You never do anything out in the community. [46:31] I’ve noticed that when we do do things out in the community like football cleanup, the people that show up are the people that serve on Sunday mornings. [46:38] I find that very interesting. [46:41] So here’s my question.

[46:42] I’m not saying to be a servant, you have to do anything on Sunday morning. [46:46] I’m asking if you’re not doing it on Sunday morning, when are you being a servant?

[46:51] I’m not saying that in order to live the mission, you have to give your gifts on Sunday morning. [46:56] What I’m saying is, if you aren’t doing it on Sunday morning for the worship experience, when are you doing it?

[47:03] Are there any intentional environments in your life so that Jesus is being worshiped the way that he said, worship me?

[47:16] Because here’s the key. [47:17] Jesus didn’t say when you pop in a CD that’s Christian and you’re a CD player, I’m being worshiped.

[47:26] Now can’t he be worshiped in that way? [47:27] Yes. [47:28] But he didn’t define it like that. [47:30] He defined it by saying the only reason you can really, without a guilty conscience, worship me in your automobile is when you’re living the mission outside of your automobile.

[47:42] Are you creating environments in your life for the mission of Jesus? [47:49] If not, as a church, we have one on Sunday morning.

[48:00] Father, we love you.

[48:04] You’ve called us to live your mission.

[48:09] You’ve called us to be your people.

[48:15] Lord, and you’ve done it through Jesus.

[48:18] Lord, this morning may our worship be in repentance of not living your mission. [48:27] Lord, there are so many areas that your grace has not touched in my life. [48:33] Lord, may I begin to experience transformation all over again and again and again every day until I’m home with you.

[48:45] And may through it,

[48:48] may I leverage my life to make more disciples.

[48:53] May I leverage my life so that I know that I’m growing, so that I know I’m depending on you.

[49:02] Because apart from your mission, I can typically depend on myself.

[49:11] This morning, as a church, we respond to the Word through communion. [49:17] We have tables in the front, tables in the back. [49:21] And if you’re a believer, these tables are open for you. [49:27] If you’re not a believer, if you’re in here this morning and you don’t trust him, you don’t know Jesus and you want to, [49:33] I’d love to introduce you to him this morning. [49:36] And then you can take communion for the first time in relationship with Jesus where it means something.

[49:43] But if you’re in here this morning and you’re a believer, I want you to come forward, [49:47] and I want you to go to the back, and I want you to take communion and preach the gospel [49:52] that will give you a mission to live for in your life. [49:58] Where you sacrifice it all because he’s better than anything else.