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.