"Called to Mission" Luke 4:42-44

This week I had the opportunity to preach at River Community Fellowship, and I wanted to share my notes from the message. We will be back in Ephesians next week, but I thought it would be important for all of us to see what Jesus was up to in Luke 4, and hopefully be encouraged and challenged to strive to be a part of God's mission. Hopefully this will stir up your passion to reach out to your community in tangible ways.

Introduction– Isn’t it true that the more a Christian believer comes to comprehend all he/she has in Jesus Christ, the more eager he/she is to share Jesus with others? I’ve come to realize that there must be three non-negotiable factors for my life as a Christ follower. The first, is continually making sure that the Gospel is the content for everything I do as an individual. I must remain Gospel-centered. The second, is to strive to be missionally intentional (i.e. always on mission) because as the Gospel is truth, it must be proclaimed in real, tangible ways. The third factor I’ve found is to love my community in context, which practically means that I share my life as a Believer in Jesus with unbelievers in the places they belong, while building trust to create an environment or place where they can explore and examine the Gospel of Christ safely. These three factors must be the foundations for everything I do.

I realize that living these truths is intentional and requires a lot of time and effort, a lot of boundary bouncing, but it is so rewarding and so Biblical that it must be entwined into the DNA of our lives personally and the life of the universal church.

Contextual Overview
In Luke chapter 4, we learn of the good news of God’s kingdom. Jesus has been on an incredible journey: first, (v.1-13) He spends 40 days in the desert being tempted by the devil, but Jesus overcomes the temptations and never sins; then (v.14-30) Jesus returns to His home town and begins to preach and teach in the synagog, but the people get angry at Him and drive Him out of the city. Then (v.31-41) Jesus goes to Capernaum, a city in northern Galilee, and just blows up, He begins preaching the gospel; teaching about the sovereignty, majesty, goodness, and kingdom of God; heals the sick; and drives out demons. The people of the city, at this point, are glad Jesus is there, they’re excited about the work Jesus is doing, and they’re anticipating what Jesus will do next.

Luke 4:42-44– “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.’ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

We see three distinct things about God’s Mission in our passage today, but in order to understand these truths, we must have a working definition of the Gospel.

What is the Gospel?
The Gospel is God's plan to save his people from their sins and to bring his people fully and finally to himself (Ephesians 2:1-10). The great theologian J.I. Packer simply says, “God Saves Sinners.” Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God fully accomplishes salvation for us by the Holy Spirits regeneration, rescuing us from judgment for sin, into fellowship with him, and then restores the creation in which we can enjoy new life together with him.

THREE DISTINCT THINGS ABOUT GOD’S MISSION

1) Our Natural Tendency Is Not to God’s Mission (v.42)
The next morning, Jesus heads for a solitary place to spend some time alone with the Father (Mark 1:35-38). The people find out that He’s getting ready to leave. So they go to Him and say, “Don’t leave! We need you! We need your power in our lives! We need your presence in our lives. We need your preaching in our lives! Please stay with us!”

2) The Gospel Connects People to God’s Mission (v.43)
Jesus says in verse 43, “It’s not that I don’t love you. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. But my mission in life is to share the good news with as many people as I can! God’s kingdom is here right now, and I want the rest of the world to know about it!” The good news needs to be shared so that the people of the world can be reconciled back to God (See Romans 10:14). Notice that there is a need for Gospel proclamation. In verse 43, Jesus says to the people of Capernaum, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God!” Jesus was ready and willing to live out the mission of God in front of and in the midst of lost people.

3) The Gospel Sends People on God’s Mission (v.44)
In verse 44, Jesus “continued preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” In other words, he was doing everything He could to make the gospel as accessible as possible. Luke is trying to teach us that the good news of God’s love is accessible to everyone! (See 1 John 5:11-12)

For us, our Judea is right here in the Verde Valley. There are people right here in Cottonwood who don’t know that God loves them, that don’t know that God wants to do something beautiful and lasting in their lives, to bring reconciliation! There are people out there who have no idea about who Jesus is and what He has done specifically for them. No idea that they can be forgiven, restored, reconciled to God, all because of the substitutionary life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. People need to know that God has extended His grace to them, through the cross of Christ, and that because of Jesus, we now have access to the amazing majesty of the creator and sustainer of everything.

Those of us who have heard the Gospel and have been transformed by it are called to God’s mission. The question is, “will we graciously open up our hearts, our homes, and our lives for others to join us in experiencing the Gospel?”

CLOSING
The beauty of the Gospel is that it illustrates God’s missional heart very tangibly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God sends his son to live in the world of the lost, to live amongst them, and bring the Kingdom to his people.

We are all sinners in need of a Savior. The reason why Jesus came to earth preaching the good news is because we ALL need the help of God! We ALL need salvation! Jesus was looking for lost people and had to leave His comfort zone in order to reach them. He had to be sent to us, we were not naturally going to go to Him. In this same way, we must intentionally go after people with the Gospel because they are lost.

CHALLENGE
Answer these questions, (please close your eyes): Imagine if Jesus were to walk into this room right now and say, “Come on, get up, and come with me.” Where do you picture him taking you first? Maybe it’s someplace you’ve never been. Where? Why would he take you there?

This week I’d like to challenge you to practice being “called to mission” by crossing two barriers of your normal life:
1) Cross Your Fence – Do something to bless or simply converse with one neighbor on your street.

2) Cross Your Street – Do something to connect with someone who is close to your home, but with whom you haven’t built a relationship yet.

STUDY QUESTIONS
Personal – Jesus was well known for his love for people, which brought his people great joy. Jesus was actively involved in ministering to other people in a way that had profoundly encouraged them. Who are you encouraging, and how is your life impacting others?

Spiritual – We must react to the Gospel. We live in a fallen world where believer’s need to be refreshed, and unbelievers need to experience what it means to be refreshed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What are we doing to actively seek the deeper things of Jesus?

Missional – Experiencing God’s mission must be an intentional part of our lives. What specifically are you doing to further the mission of God in the lost world? What about your life will compel people in the Verde Valley to want to know more about Jesus?

Preaching this Sunday at RCF in Cottonwood

This week I have the great honor of preaching at River Community Fellowship in Cottonwood, Arizona. The text we'll be working from is Luke 4:42-44, on a message I've entitled, "Called to Mission." Should be a really cool time and I want to invite all of you in the Verde Valley area to join us at 10 a.m. this Sunday, November 8th for a time of worship, fellowship, pray and preaching/teaching.

It would be great to see as many of you and any friends/family you could bring out to support the work of this solid ministry. River meets at Tavasci Elementary School. Check out the church website for more information or directions to the school at: www.rivercommunityfellowship.org

Hope to see you there!

Bob Greene

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 9)

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Paul, in this section of Scripture, makes the point that because Jesus has regenerated us (through the power of the Holy Spirit's work) we now have the ability and opportunity to model our lives after Jesus and act like Him. It's important to stop acting/behaving like we did before regeneration (habitual/willfully sinning) and start being "imitators of God." We partner with Jesus in living lives of submission, repentance, and faith. We now can put the old/past sins away (because of the cross) and live lives that are pleasing and honoring to God.

Also, be careful with words, thoughts, and actions. Paul says not to be "foolish" (v.17), but to live in such a way as to honor God, not disrespect Him. Jesus has made it possible for us to be in a right relationship with God emotionally, physically, spiritually, and the Holy Spirit is empowering us to live that spirituality out everyday. We are God's Ambassadors and we represent Him to this world. We need to walk, talk, and look as much like Jesus as possible, so that we can direct others to Him for their salvation and God's Glorification!

Final Thoughts– Be thankful to God for all He has given to us, not covetous for what we see others have that we want and wish we had. When you do get down, look at all the blessings God has given you/me (because they are many), and rest in the sovereignty of God's will. Trust in His character to make all things right and just in His perfect time.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 8)

"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Because God has regenerated our hearts, we get to be continually transformed and can put off the old life, nature, self, because the Holy Spirit replaces those old things with new, glorified, redeemed ones. We now (because of Jesus) have been created after the likeness of God and therefore have the ability (through the working of the Holy Spirit) to live a new and transformed life of faith. This is all part of the regenerated work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us, while progressive sanctification is continuing to take place.

We must remember that our struggles and sins no longer have control over us. When they do creep up on us, we need to take them to God through prayer, while continuing to search the Scriptures, remembering that Jesus died to conquer all sin, separation from God, and all death (which is what sin ultimately leads to). We must remember that Jesus has accomplished our salvation and has reconciled us back to God, Jesus is our continual advocate to the Father, and the Holy Spirit is continually working out our salvation and sanctification, so that we can be new creations that worship God and Glorify Him with our redeemed lives.

The encouragement today is to believe that we are new creations in Christ. Start to practice the truths found in the Scriptures, and live as though these truths are actually TRUE. Forget the past, forget what we used to be (before Jesus), and remember that God sees us washed by the blood of Jesus. While we often fail and don't see ourselves whole, God sees us in the light of Jesus, completely spotless and sin free. Live in the moment and truth that God is working everything out through the power of His Glory and Grace. Believe that you are changed and new, and let that truth be lived out in radical submission to the mortification of sin and the Glorification of God.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 7)

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, 'When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. 'In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Paul now speaks on the unity that is found in the body of Christ (the church). Paul continually talks about love being the motivation behind everything we do as believers. Understanding that God has made grace available to us as a gift through the subsequent life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (v.7) will help us realize who truly is in control. Because of Jesus' great love for us and His great sacrifice of Himself, we can now experience a truly wonderfully, grace filled, Holy Spirit led existence.

If love is the driving factor in the church, then everything we say and do should be clothed in love...especially where issues of methodology and practice are seen differently. We are all called to be witness of God's grace and message of reconciliation, but the ways we go about doing that may be different, actually should be different. The issue is not the message, but how we proclaim it. We are all created with different gifts and talents, and we are all called to reach different people, in different contexts, with differing ways of communicating the Gospel. Understanding our diversity within the body of Christ will help us to keep love the focus, and most likely help us realize how God wants to use us in the culture He has placed us in.

Final Thought– May we build on the essential things we agree on, in love, to build the church up (v.16), and be gracious to others when secondary matters are discussed.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 6)

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Paul's prayer is that since God has Sovereign control over everything, we should look to Jesus because He is the fullness of God, essentially the fullness of God Dwelling in human form/flesh. We look to Jesus for strength to understand the vast love, grace, mercy and Sovereignty of God. Not only is Jesus the example we look to, but the very source of who and what we are looking to. Paul's desire is that we all would be filled with the fullness of God, receiving it because we have experienced the love of Jesus that surpasses all human knowledge.

This work is clearly done by God, through Jesus, imparted to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we realize that we have no part in the "doing" or "work" it frees us up to focus on God as ultimate. He will do the work through us as vessels when He's ready, and how He desires. Our responsibility is to continually look to Jesus for everything, realizing that God works through Jesus to impart what he has for us.

Paul's encouragement is for us to be strengthened with God's power (by keeping Him Ultimate in our lives) so that three things can happen in our lives:

1) So that Jesus will Dwell in our hearts through Faith.
Jesus wants to take up residence in our lives, and Paul prays that we would desire to have Jesus dwell in us. The motivation is for loving relationship, the outcome is a deeper relationship and understanding of who Jesus is and what faith in Jesus looks like in our lives.

2) So that we can comprehend the love of Jesus.
Again, the driving factor is love. When Jesus begins to dwell in us, we begin to experience the amazing depths of God's essence. When we realize how much God loves us, how much He sacrificed when Jesus had to die for me and my sins, so that I could be reconciled back to God, I have a deeper love for others. No sacrifice is greater than Jesus' sacrifice and therefore (because I have personally experienced His love) I should desire to love others regardless of what they have done to me. Through the working of the Spirit, we are enabled and empowered to love in this sacrificial way, which draws us into partnership with God in His mission of reconciling the world.

3) So that we may be filled up to all the Fullness of God.
When we experience the fullness of God, it leads to a greater understanding of God and his works. Experiencing the fullness of God brings us to a realization of who we are, who Jesus is, what God has done for us through Jesus, and how we are empowered by the Spirit to live out the reality of God being ultimate in our lives. God wants to give us understanding of spiritual matters, He wants us to know Him deeper and fuller, and He desires to equip us for mission. Some people believe that God doesn't want us to know things, yet Paul makes it very clear that God desires to teach us and for us to learn more about Him. This brings God great glory and honor, and makes Godliness a reachable goal.

Final Thought– Try to understand and experience how powerful God truly is. Rest in His Sovereignty, knowing that His will will be done, and that it will be perfect. Truly purse and desire God's glory, and you will find yourself filled with the Fullness of God.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 5)

"For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory."

God's Sovereign will is realized and experienced through Jesus revealing the mystery of God's grace. God chose this specific time to send Jesus and the full revelation of God's sovereign plan. It's interesting to me how Paul explains that the fullness of Jesus hadn't been previously revealed, but was now (in Paul's time). It must have been hard for God's people before Jesus showed up, to understand and have complete revelation of God's plan. Like Paul, I'm so thankful that He sent Jesus when He did and gave life to me when He did.

It's great to know that everyone (both Jew & Gentile) are accepted by God on the basis of God's sovereign election through the work of Jesus! I'm so thankful for Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, and for God choosing to make me an heir for eternity! Do you have the same appreciation for God's timing and call for your life?

Final Thought– Continue to walk close with Jesus in this season of joy that we're in. Stay as close as you can to Him and accept that God's plan is perfect and designed to draw us closer to Him. Regardless of what our circumstances and situations look like today, we must remember that they are ordained by God to work for His glory and praise. God's redemptive plan has been revealed in and through Jesus, so rest in Him and take refuge in the truth that God has provided us a way to be reconciled to Him.