The Power For The Mission

[00:00:00] As many of you will be aware, we've been working through a series called the Mission of God and this morning we're wrapping up this series with the message, the power for the mission, our need of the Holy Spirit. [00:00:15] Let us pray. [00:00:20] Father, we thank you for this morning. [00:00:23] We thank you for the opportunity it is to be in your house, to celebrate, to worship and Lord, as we hear now the message from you, we pray, Lord, that you would open our eyes, ears and hearts to you, to hear what it is you are saying, to guide our lives and to encourage and bless us, to challenge us where we need. And Father, that you would indeed bless us through this time together. [00:00:48] In Jesus name we pray. [00:00:50] Amen. [00:00:55] Mattie kicked off this series back in June with posture, prayer and propel stating mission arises from the heart of God himself and is communicated from his heart to ours. [00:01:11] A big part of this series has been that we have had the privilege of hearing from a number of our people, each sharing their experience and knowledge of what the mission of God is. [00:01:25] We have heard some incredible stories from people serving in the mission of God, from Tenet and Claire on the work that they're in the thick of. Through Rahab, Craig spoke on how we are to live out God's attributes of compassion, mercy and justice. [00:01:44] Stephen brought us the challenging message of living out God's mission to save all people through his love. [00:01:52] Jared shared of the need to forgive and to be forgiven. [00:01:58] Belinda shared of God's faithfulness. [00:02:01] And Dr. Phil last week brought us declare his glory, sharing from Psalm 96 that the mission of God is to proclaim his salvation, that God is at work and how we can get on board. [00:02:20] I feel a little daunted to be the one to wind up this series after such great teaching. [00:02:28] But thankfully God is faithful and Mattie has asked me to speak on the presence, influence and the power of the Holy Spirit in the mission of God. [00:02:41] The mission of God is the mission of every Christian. [00:02:46] It is the work, the calling of God to be carried out by the members of his family. [00:02:54] If you are in Christ, you are in his family. [00:02:58] Jesus Himself said in Mark 5:35, Whoever does God's will is my brother, my sister and mother. [00:03:07] Who does God's will? [00:03:10] We do. [00:03:14] For me to do the will of God poses two questions. One, what is that will? What is the mission of God? [00:03:22] And the second is how do I do it? [00:03:27] Through this series we have heard what the mission of God is. [00:03:32] Each true according to the word of God. [00:03:36] God's mission is from the heart of God his mission is ministering to the broken, the lost and the lonely. [00:03:46] The mission of God is sharing the glory of Jesus. [00:03:49] His mission is living your life with love, compassion, integrity and sincerity, being a witness of God's love to those around you. [00:04:00] His mission is serving God obediently. [00:04:04] God's mission is declaring the glory of God and His mission is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. [00:04:15] In bringing each of these elements together. [00:04:19] The mission of God is His love being poured out through us into the lives of others with a longing to see them come to salvation and faith in Jesus Christ to His glory. [00:04:34] For some it is to be a living example of God's love, living an upright, loving and just life as a witness for Christ for God's Word says in Matthew 5:16 in the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. [00:05:02] For others it is a willingness to build relationships with family, friends and neighbours with an intent to use God given opportunities to share the Gospel message as Peter describes in his first book 3:15 but in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have and for others it is a specific intention to share the good news of Jesus with people more directly. As Mark records in his gospel from chapter 16, verse 15 go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. [00:05:50] Notice for each group their heart and desire is the same as that of Jesus to seek and save that which is lost. [00:06:06] Looking at the last two groups, those who could well have someone ask about their faith or will have opportunity to share theirs. [00:06:16] Have you ever thought about how you might explain the Gospel message? [00:06:23] The message of grace, repentance, confession and faith? [00:06:28] What might you say? [00:06:35] Also, may I just share a brief thought on the last group? [00:06:42] These are the folk we would most often refer to as the evangelists, those who are willing to speak directly into the lives of others. The Gospel of Christ Phil shared a great illustration recently of how he felt led in a situation in his life. [00:07:03] Philip talked to an unsaved friend who was seriously ill about Jesus sharing the good news of the opportunity for his friend to be saved. [00:07:16] Sadly, it seems in our society of wealth, less people appear likely to ask us about our faith. [00:07:26] Few people think about God and their need of him because they believe they already have all that they need. [00:07:39] So why would you ask about something you don't believe you need? [00:07:46] Would you go into a chemist and ask for a Tablet for cancer if you're 25 and healthy? [00:07:53] No. Why not? [00:07:58] Because you have no signs, you have no symptoms, and you have no sickness to indicate that anything is wrong, let alone that you might have cancer. [00:08:09] Friends, we know the cure to the most insidious disease in the world that most people don't even know they have. [00:08:18] Wouldn't it be right to be like Philip and let them know? [00:08:26] To be honest, initiating these conversations is not always easy. [00:08:32] And to be clear, an initial conversation doesn't make a disciple, but it can be the first step. [00:08:42] For you wouldn't board a plane without finding out where it was going, would you? [00:08:49] As we can see, the mission of God for each one of us can look quite different. [00:08:56] But as we heard earlier, every Christian is an active member in the mission of God. [00:09:02] So how do we do it? [00:09:05] How do we, as the sons and daughters of God, fulfill his mission? [00:09:10] Especially as we are fallen individuals still needing mercy and forgiveness in our own lives? [00:09:19] The Book of Acts is a good place to start. [00:09:24] It is the response to all that Jesus has taught, revealed and commanded through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. [00:09:32] It records how God uses ordinary everyday people to fulfil the great commission of go and make disciples of all nations. [00:09:44] It was written by Luke, who is also the author of the self titled third Gospel in the New Testament. [00:09:52] Although he wasn't an eyewitness of the events of Jesus life as Matthew and John were, he is believed to be a close friend of the disciple Peter. [00:10:04] And through the oral history passed on in that era, he was able to record not only the intimate details of Jesus life and ministry, but also way beyond that to explain in detail how the saving grace of God went out into the whole world through his disciples. [00:10:25] In what Luke has recorded for us, there is a vital element that we need if we wish to participate in the mission of God, and that is the infilling and presence of the Holy Spirit. [00:10:39] The Book of Acts has even been called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. [00:10:45] From the reading that Fiona gave us, Luke begins the Book of Acts. [00:10:51] In my former book Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven. [00:10:59] After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles, he had chosen verses 1 and 2. [00:11:06] Luke's gospel is a record of Jesus life from birth to ascension. And right from the start, Jesus instructions to the apostles are carried out through the Holy Spirit. [00:11:17] And as we will learn through the next verses, all that the apostles would go on to accomplish would likewise be done through the Spirit from verse three. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God, Jesus, crucifixion. [00:11:43] His death on the cross was cruel and effective. [00:11:48] There was never a recorded survival following a traditional crucifixion. [00:11:55] And because Jesus died reasonably quickly, he was pierced with a spear to confirm that he was in fact dead. [00:12:04] So it truly is a miracle that on the third day he was found to be alive. [00:12:12] There are many scriptures describing Jesus after His resurrection. [00:12:18] One being in John 20 and 21, where he was seen by Mary Magdalene, his wounds were touched by Thomas, and where he ate fish for breakfast on the beach with his disciples. [00:12:35] Acts 1:4 goes on to say, on one occasion while he was eating with them, he gave them this command. [00:12:41] Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about. [00:12:50] What had Jesus Father promised? [00:12:54] From Joel 2:28 has the answer. [00:12:59] And afterward I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out the Spirit. In those days, what the Father had promised was a pouring out of the Holy Spirit on his people. [00:13:23] From verse 5. [00:13:26] For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. [00:13:31] It would be 10 days later at Pentecost that they would finally receive and understand what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. [00:13:41] Reading on. So when they met together, they asked him, lord, are you at that time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? [00:13:49] The Israelites were under Roman occupation. [00:13:53] And from Jesus words they wondered, could this finally be the time God had instituted for their deliverance from Roman rule and that by his power may he be going to restore their kingdom? [00:14:06] He said to them, it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. [00:14:15] I feel sorry for Jesus. Through this interaction. [00:14:19] He is trying to explain to his disciples the importance of what his departure means and how they need to listen to his words as their lives and the world as they know it is about to change dramatically and forever. [00:14:35] For the kingdom of God under the new covenant is about to be revealed through the disciples and ultimately through all believers around the globe. [00:14:43] But their focus is only on Israel's immediate situation. [00:14:51] How many times do we act like the Israelites? [00:14:56] God is asking us to focus on the big picture of Service and obedience to step into a role or situation, to go in faith. [00:15:09] But we are bound up worrying about our own thing. [00:15:14] Jesus is with us as he was with the Israelites. [00:15:20] And in his patience he quietly reminds us, this is not your problem. [00:15:27] Follow me. [00:15:33] So in verse eight, Jesus tries a second time. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. [00:15:46] This is no small thing. [00:15:50] Here, a small group of Jesus loyal followers having a meal with him. They have just seen him be beaten and then crucified. [00:16:00] They felt lost. They believed he was the Messiah who had come to redeem his people and now he was dead. [00:16:08] Then on the third day, he appears to them alive. [00:16:12] And like Thomas, they were not sure if this was truly happening. [00:16:17] Now he's telling them that they are going to be the ones who will take his message of salvation not just to their own town, but to the world. [00:16:25] Can you imagine how they felt? [00:16:29] Jesus, are you out of your mind? [00:16:34] We heard earlier how difficult sharing your faith can be with one person. You know, this would be like Jesus calling each one of us here to go and share the Gospel. [00:16:47] Firstly to Launceston, to Tasmania, then Australia, and then the world. [00:16:55] The words of Jesus must have initially sounded unbelievable. [00:17:00] How could such a small group cover and impact the whole world? [00:17:07] I smiled when I read the very next verse after he said this. He was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. [00:17:20] Jesus doesn't stay to see their responses or answer their many questions that they must have had. [00:17:26] He quietly ascends to his home. [00:17:32] Have you ever had a time like this when you believe God has simply asked you to do, say or respond to something and then it feels like he has disappeared? [00:17:47] You have received the instruction, it was clear. [00:17:50] But then it feels like you're on your own. [00:17:55] Maybe you're in that situation like that right now. [00:17:59] God has asked you to move, to speak or to act. [00:18:05] And you're still waiting and waiting and waiting. [00:18:16] God has not disappeared, but he has asked us to be obedient and trust Him. [00:18:23] And he will never let us down. [00:18:29] Which leads us back to verse eight. [00:18:31] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. [00:18:36] The Holy Spirit is a third individual in the Trinity of God. [00:18:40] He is referred to as the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Christ, the comforter, advocate, helper, counselor, or simply Spirit. [00:18:52] The Nicene Creed of AD381 says he is the Lord and the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. [00:19:12] He is holy, that is, he is set apart and without sin, and he is Spirit, that is he is immaterial. [00:19:24] The Holy Spirit enters us when we submit our lives to Christ. [00:19:30] So what does that mean? [00:19:31] Like the disciples, it means we have received power from on high. [00:19:36] Jesus disciples received the Holy Spirit and it was in his power that they did what he called them to do. [00:19:44] It was by the mighty power of our God at work within them. [00:19:50] We are never alone, we are never without hope, and we are never without the power of God in us. [00:19:59] This is his promise. [00:20:01] Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. [00:20:04] Matthew 28:20 as an intimate part of our being he does many things. Firstly he counsels John 14:26 but the counsel of the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said. [00:20:23] The Holy Spirit reminds us of God's commands and provides us with the wisdom for his mission. [00:20:30] He convicts John 16:8 when he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment. [00:20:40] The Holy Spirit illuminates our sin. [00:20:45] When we see our broken and fallen state, we can look to him for the strength to repent, confess and move forward uninhibited. [00:20:56] He intercedes on our behalf before the Father in the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. [00:21:03] We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. [00:21:12] Romans 8:26 7 have you ever felt in sadness or weakness like you wanted to pray but couldn't find the words? [00:21:24] It is in those moments the Spirit who knows your heart speaks to the Father on your behalf. [00:21:33] The Spirit also reveals the deep things of God from 1 Corinthians 2:9 10 however, as it is written, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed to us by His Spirit. [00:21:49] As we seek to become more like Jesus, the Holy Spirit brings insight and clarity, helping us understand not only the will of God, but also the heart of God. [00:22:03] Lastly, and importantly, the Holy Spirit strengthens us to go in his power. [00:22:09] 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self discipline. [00:22:19] The mission of God in each of its forms takes a deliberate commitment. [00:22:27] It is often not our nature to love as Jesus loved, to always show mercy, grace, forgiveness, to share the good news of Jesus saving grace or minister to the broken, lost and lonely. [00:22:43] It is often not in our nature to be the witness to the glory of God or to go make disciples. [00:22:52] But regardless of whether it is our nature or not, the Holy Spirit is not a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, love and self discipline. [00:23:08] It is in his power that we are able, as he says in Matthew 28:20 to obey everything that he has commanded. [00:23:21] Let us pray. [00:23:26] Dear Heavenly Father thank you for your word that reveals your mission to us. [00:23:34] Thank you Jesus for your cleansing us and saving us through your death on the cross and thank you Holy Spirit that you empower us and strengthen us to serve you boldly for it is only in your power are we able to fulfill the mission of God. [00:23:54] Amen.