The Mission of the Church

Three Important Questions

• Who Are You? (Identity)
• Where Are You Going? (Mission)
• Why Are You Going There? (Motivation)

The Defining Narrative

Recap: Everyone relies on some sort of story or defining narrative to make sense of the world. 

• Those stories shape our understanding of who we are, why we’re here, and where we fit in.

If we aren’t living out of the Biblical narrative, we are going to end up with the wrong answers to life’s most important questions.

• The good news is we can always turn to Jesus for a fresh start.

Past, Present, and Future

Coming to faith in Christ and responding in baptism affects our past, present, and future.

• Past — Our sins are washed away.
• Present — We are united with Christ, we receive the Spirit, we are born again.
• Future — We are given a new purpose in life and are assured of our future salvation.

Key Point: God has a Kingdom purpose for your life. Baptism is just as much about committing to that purpose in the future as it is about being rescued from the sins of your past.

• Coming to Christ is not just about being saved; it’s also about being sent.

Today’s Message: The Mission of the Church

Jesus commissioned the church to continue his plan and purpose by sharing the Gospel all over the world.

Example: The Life and Teachings of Paul (Acts 9, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21)

The Apostle Paul

Paul was not always on Team Jesus.

• He knew about the story of salvation (Jesus’ death and resurrection) but rejected it as a dangerous myth that subverted the truth.
• Acts 9:1-2 — Paul is on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus.

Paul’s Answers to the Soldier’s Questions:

• Who Are You? A Pharisee and expert in the Law of Moses.
• Where Are You Going? To put an end to this Christian nonsense.
• Why Are You Going There? I’m right, they’re wrong, and I’m doing God’s will.

Paul was very clear about who he was, where he was going, and why he was going there. But he was also very wrong.

• Nevertheless, God still had a big plan for Paul’s life.
• By Acts 9:20, Paul was already embracing God’s true plan as a new disciple of Jesus.

How Did Paul’s Life Change So Much?

• An encounter with the risen Jesus proved that the Gospel message was true.
• Paul experienced a fresh start and a new birth in baptism (Acts 22:16).
• Paul was commissioned by God to pursue a new mission in life.

Scriptures: Acts 26:15-18, Acts 22:14-16

• God appointed Paul as a servant and a witness. He is sending Paul to preach the Gospel and save others.
• Paul hears this message from God and from his fellow Christians. 

Paul’s baptism involves being forgiven of what happened in his past and being commissioned to do God’s work in the future.

Where is God Sending You?

• We all have the same mission, but not the same mission field. You might be sent to your school, job, home, or the other side of the world.
• Every disciple of Jesus is being sent to develop lifelong disciples of Jesus. Where is God sending you?

Ambassadors for Christ

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:211-21. 

• Paul says that we are ambassadors for Christ — we are sent to accomplish God’s purpose.
• Ambassadors are sent to do the work of the one sending them. 

How The Bible Answers the Big Questions:

• Who Are We? Ambassadors for Christ.
• Where Are We Going? Into all nations to share the Gospel message.
• Why Are We Going There? Because the love of Jesus compels us. 

Application — Embrace the Mission.

• God has big plans for the world, but he always chooses men and women of faith to put those plans in motion. We need to rise to the occasion and step out in faith to do God’s work.

Study and Reflection

Read: Ephesians 2:1-10. These words were written by the man we heard about in today’s sermon (Paul). 

1. This passage does a great job of telling the story of our salvation in a succinct way. What does this passage tell us about the way our lives as humans have been transformed by Jesus?
2. What does this passage say about God’s motivation for sending Jesus to die on the cross?
3. Paul wants to make sure we know we can never earn our salvation. That being said, he also says God has prepared good works for us to do. What kind of heart or motivation does God want us to have when it comes to doing good works for him?
4. According to this passage, what did we deserve before we came to Christ, and what have we received instead because of our faith in him?
5. Thinking back to the three questions the man was asked (which Bryan mentioned at the beginning of the sermon), what does this passage teach us about our identity, our mission, and our motivation?
6. Bryan mentioned that everyone has the same basic mission, but we all have our own unique mission field. What kinds of opportunities do you think God has given you to share the love of Jesus and/or make disciples?
7. What kind of impact would we see in Omaha if every member of Southwest was passionately pursuing God’s mission for the church?
8. How do you think God would respond if our church members largely ignored or neglected the ministry opportunities he provided us?
9. Who in your life needs to hear the good news about Jesus, and how can you start sharing it with them?