Our Mission – Being Witnesses
Subject: How We Become Effective Witnesses as a Church
by Rick Welborne
Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
1. Our Mission should be clear.
--Our mission should impact all that we do as believers. Our mission should be what we are trying to accomplish, our target, what we hope with God’s help to be our goal…our mission given to us by God.
--As Christians our mission should not be that difficult because our Commander in Chief Jesus has already laid out for us what we should be doing.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Mark 16:15-20 (NIV)
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
--Our mission, according to Jesus, is to go! To go everywhere telling people about the good news of salvation and then, teaching them to be His disciples. It is not that complicated. How is that possible?
--Our mission can be accomplished by having an organized missions program where we faithfully support those who are being sent to the ends of the earth. We can’t go but we can send people.
Romans 10:13-18 (NKJV)
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."
--How shall they call? How shall they believe? How shall they hear without a preacher (a missionary)? How shall they preach unless they are sent? As Christians these questions have to be answered.
--With God’s help we are doing everything we can to make sure that happens. We need you to come along side of us to be successful. 100% participation would be awesome. We can do more than we are doing.
--God gave me a mandate almost 40 years ago on the backside of a mountain in Mexico as I prayed for Holy Spirit to anoint me for that service. I begged Him to let me stay there and be a missionary to those people.
--I had my own private Pentecost with a strong powerful wind blowing and God giving me specific instructions about what I would be doing with my life.
--He told me I would be going back to the United States and I was to be faithful to Him. I would eventually become a lead pastor and my job would be to make that church into a great mission’s church.
--Our mission can be accomplished by organized mission’s trips from Life Church…we have done this for years and have won the hearts of many toward missions…when you see the need you respond. Jamaica!
--Our mission can be accomplished by having strategic church ministries that have outreach written all over them…House of Hope, Street evangelism, going into the schools, Honor-bound motorcycle ministry.
--Reaching the lost and hurting should always be on the forefront of everything we do…every dept. head should prayerfully consider how their ministry can accomplish the mission. How to be inclusive.
--Our special classes for women, our men’s breakfast, our children’s ministry and youth should be opportunities for the lost to find Jesus and the found to be transformed into disciples.
--Sunday school teachers should take advantage of situations when new people come who do not know Christ.
We should never feel we have to wait on the main worship service to be their time. SS in Texas!
--The other day I had lunch with a new person in our church who started coming because some Life Church golfers invited him to play with them…He was a Christian but was looking for a church home.
--Dr. Lee, who was the main professor I had when I did my Master’s program said that one of the ways we reach those in our community was by meeting felt needs that they have presently.
--Growing to 1000 plus will not be difficult when we all are filled with God’s power and we figure out ways to help those in our community…who are you helping right now? They become your mission.
--Just imagine with me if every family in Life Church won just one family a year to the Lord. Growing to 1000 would be so easily obtainable. Prayerfully find a family and go after them.
--Your pastor has reached out to a family whose daughter just got out of jail and a man who was devastated when his wife had him served with divorce papers. These people are hurting and they need Jesus.
--We never want to just become another organization that is chasing the latest humanitarian cause but as we help people thru their mess we can lead them to the Master.
2. Our local mission can be realized by lifestyle evangelism.
--Wherever we are and whatever we are doing should always be a prospect for leading someone to Christ.
--Obviously we have not all been called to be on a mission’s trip or are we able to easily get people into church.
We must pray and look for and expect opportunities to present themselves every day.
--We are not a church who is always on a mission’s trip but we should always be a church that is on mission. Holy Spirit will guide us to wonderful opportunities.
Henry Blackaby – God is always on mission and He is just looking for those who will join Him to accomplish His will.
--God had in His heart to free the children of Israel from their bondage, so what did He do? He invited Moses to join Him in His endeavor. He always has deliverance on His heart.
--Who is God inviting you along with Him to reach? Think about that and pray God will direct you to the ones who need Jesus and who need you. Think about Zacchaeus.
Luke 19:9-10 (NKJV)
9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
--If your lifestyle is such that you only feel you can lead someone to Christ on a mission’s trip, at church, or a church related event…you need to raise your expectations and faith.
--Lifestyle evangelism is only effective when we are displaying the fruit of Holy Spirit on a regular basis…
That favorite restaurant you go to, you can lose your chance of leading them to Christ with one bad day.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
--How we present this gospel, the attitude and prayer behind our presentation, and even the verbiage we use is so important…listen to this man telling about when he was four and going to church.
3. My mission cannot just be what I do but it must be who I am. Who I am in Christ.
--Yes, I am a minister and yes my church is a great responsibility to me…but the church is not the whole world Jesus told me to reach in Matthew.
--Tennis or golf or shopping are no longer just activities we are doing but opportunities for our light to so shine before those we are coming into contact with…God wants to be glorified.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
--Your job, your recreation, your vacation, your doctor visit, your classroom, your whatever is not just you grinding out your day but you are on your mission field.
--When I realize that my purpose and mission are assigned to me by God and that He has plans for everyone to be saved…He sets me up with divine encounters…my perspective begins to change.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
--I know we always want to use these verses for ourselves but do we really believe God has plans for the lost to bring them out of their captivity.
--Life Church is here, not just so we can have our needs met…we invite Holy Spirit not just so we can get those goose bumps and go home feeling good.
--We should come to get empowered and so we can realize our mission to be witnesses. The lost need us.
Acts 1:8-11 (NKJV)
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
--Stop stand around gazing up into heaven for your prayers to be answered or for Jesus to come back…get busy and start fulfilling your mission.
--Support the General Missions of your church, start displaying lifestyle evangelism, and let missions not just be something you do but something you are! You are a missionary!
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