Compelled by God's Love: Engaging in His Mission

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we focused on the profound truth that the love of God compels us to be active participants in His mission. As we come together in worship and prayer, we are reminded that our service to God and our community is not out of obligation or guilt, but out of a deep love that God has first shown us. This love is the driving force behind our desire to be a light in our community and to engage in the work of God. We are called to recognize our dependence on God, acknowledging that apart from Him, we can do nothing. This dependence should stir within us a renewed passion for God, prompting us to seek Him first in all our endeavors.

We explored the story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19, where Jesus exemplifies His mission to seek and save the lost. Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, was drawn to Jesus, illustrating the concept of prevenient grace—God's grace that goes before us, drawing us to Him. Jesus' approach to Zacchaeus was not through condemnation or obligation, but through relationship and hospitality. This method of engaging with others is a model for us to follow as we seek to fulfill the mission of God in our own lives.

The mission of God is not optional; it is a calling for every believer. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves, a command repeated throughout Scripture. This love is not always easy, as some people are more challenging to love than others. However, we are reminded that God has placed us in our specific communities for a purpose, and we are to be His hands and feet, reaching out to those around us.

As we move forward, we are encouraged to adopt practical habits that align with the mission of God. These include beginning with prayer, listening to others, sharing meals, serving, and sharing our stories. By doing so, we can actively participate in God's work and be a blessing to those around us.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Love of God Compels Us: Our service to God and our community should be driven by love, not obligation. This love is a response to the love God has shown us, compelling us to be a light in our community and engage in His work. [22:13]

2. Dependence on God: Recognizing our dependence on God is crucial. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. This dependence should lead us to seek God first in all our endeavors, stirring a renewed passion for Him. [25:42]

3. The Mission of God is Not Optional: Every believer is called to participate in God's mission to seek and save the lost. This mission involves loving our neighbors as ourselves, even when it is challenging. [01:02:09]

4. Prevenient Grace: God's grace goes before us, drawing us to Him. This grace is evident in the story of Zacchaeus, who was compelled to seek Jesus. We are reminded that God is already at work in the lives of those around us. [56:54]

5. Practical Habits for Mission: To actively participate in God's mission, we can adopt habits such as prayer, listening, sharing meals, serving, and sharing our stories. These practices help us engage with others and be a blessing in our communities. [01:09:48]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [22:13] - Compelled by Love
- [25:42] - Dependence on God
- [27:16] - Seeking God's Presence
- [28:45] - Open Hearts and Eyes
- [30:33] - Offering and Announcements
- [36:44] - Meet Beatrice
- [43:18] - Prayer for Beatrice
- [44:18] - Introduction to Jesus Mission
- [46:31] - Corporate Slogans and Church Mission
- [50:14] - Evangelism in the Church
- [53:24] - Zacchaeus' Story
- [56:54] - Prevenient Grace
- [59:06] - Jesus' Method of Hospitality
- [01:02:09] - The Mission of God
- [01:09:48] - Practical Habits for Mission
- [01:14:17] - Covenant Relationship with God
- [01:17:10] - Communion and Covenant Renewal
- [01:25:48] - Closing Prayer and Call to Action

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Luke 19:1-10

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Observation Questions:

1. What actions did Zacchaeus take to see Jesus, and what does this reveal about his character? [53:24]
2. How did Jesus respond to Zacchaeus when He saw him in the tree, and what does this tell us about Jesus' approach to ministry? [56:05]
3. What was the reaction of the crowd when Jesus decided to visit Zacchaeus' house, and why might they have reacted this way? [01:00:24]
4. What transformation did Zacchaeus undergo after his encounter with Jesus, and how did he express this change? [55:02]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does Zacchaeus' willingness to climb a tree suggest about the nature of prevenient grace and its role in drawing people to Jesus? [56:54]
2. How does Jesus' method of engaging with Zacchaeus through hospitality challenge traditional views of evangelism? [59:06]
3. Why might the mission of God, as demonstrated in Jesus' interaction with Zacchaeus, be uncomfortable or challenging for some believers? [01:00:24]
4. In what ways does Zacchaeus' story illustrate the concept of being compelled by love rather than obligation in our service to God and others? [22:13]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt compelled by love to serve others. How did that experience differ from serving out of obligation? [22:13]
2. Consider your current level of dependence on God. What practical steps can you take to seek Him first in your daily life? [25:42]
3. Identify a neighbor or community member who might be challenging to love. What specific actions can you take to show them love this week? [01:03:15]
4. How can you incorporate the practice of hospitality, as Jesus did with Zacchaeus, into your interactions with others? [59:06]
5. What are some practical habits you can adopt to align with God's mission, such as prayer, listening, or sharing meals? How will you start implementing one of these habits this week? [01:09:48]
6. Think of a personal story of transformation or grace in your life. How can you share this story with someone who might benefit from hearing it? [01:11:05]
7. Reflect on the idea that God has placed you in your specific community for a purpose. How can you be more intentional about being His hands and feet in your neighborhood? [01:03:45]

Devotional

Day 1: Love as the Driving Force
Our service to God and our community should be driven by love, not obligation. This love is a response to the love God has shown us, compelling us to be a light in our community and engage in His work. The love of God is transformative, urging us to act not out of duty but from a place of genuine care and compassion. When we understand the depth of God's love for us, it naturally overflows into our interactions with others, inspiring us to serve and uplift those around us. This love is not passive; it actively seeks to make a difference in the world, reflecting the heart of God in every action. [22:13]

1 John 4:19-21 (ESV): "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you acted out of obligation rather than love. How can you approach similar situations with a heart full of God's love in the future?


Day 2: Dependence on God
Recognizing our dependence on God is crucial. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. This dependence should lead us to seek God first in all our endeavors, stirring a renewed passion for Him. Acknowledging our limitations and the necessity of God's presence in our lives is foundational to our spiritual growth. It is through this dependence that we find strength, guidance, and purpose. By prioritizing our relationship with God, we open ourselves to His wisdom and direction, allowing Him to work through us in powerful ways. [25:42]

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV): "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you have been relying on your own strength. How can you intentionally seek God's guidance and strength in this area today?


Day 3: The Call to Love and Mission
Every believer is called to participate in God's mission to seek and save the lost. This mission involves loving our neighbors as ourselves, even when it is challenging. The call to love is not selective; it extends to everyone, regardless of how difficult it may be. Embracing this mission means stepping out of our comfort zones and reaching out to those who may be different from us. It is through these acts of love and service that we fulfill God's purpose for our lives, becoming His hands and feet in the world. [01:02:09]

1 John 3:17-18 (ESV): "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Reflection: Think of someone in your community who is difficult to love. What practical steps can you take this week to show them God's love in action?


Day 4: The Power of Prevenient Grace
God's grace goes before us, drawing us to Him. This grace is evident in the story of Zacchaeus, who was compelled to seek Jesus. We are reminded that God is already at work in the lives of those around us. Prevenient grace is the divine influence that prepares our hearts to receive God's love and truth. It is a reminder that God is actively pursuing each of us, inviting us into a relationship with Him. As we engage with others, we can trust that God is already working in their lives, softening hearts and opening doors for His message to be received. [56:54]

Titus 2:11-12 (ESV): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt drawn to God in an unexpected way. How can you be more aware of God's prevenient grace at work in the lives of those around you?


Day 5: Practical Habits for Living the Mission
To actively participate in God's mission, we can adopt habits such as prayer, listening, sharing meals, serving, and sharing our stories. These practices help us engage with others and be a blessing in our communities. By incorporating these habits into our daily lives, we create opportunities for meaningful connections and spiritual growth. Prayer keeps us aligned with God's will, while listening and sharing meals foster genuine relationships. Serving others and sharing our stories allow us to demonstrate God's love in tangible ways, making a lasting impact on those we encounter. [01:09:48]

Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV): "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Reflection: Choose one of the practical habits mentioned and commit to practicing it this week. How can this habit help you engage more deeply with those around you and participate in God's mission?

Quotes

"We do it. We come here. We worship him. We walk out these doors and we serve him because the love of God compels us. And so as we as we come in prayer in just a few moments. You're always welcome to come here to the front if you'd like to come and kneel. But I pray that you would come here not out of obligation. But we'd come out out of love that we want to meet with the living God who reigns and rules from on high." [00:22:17]

"Your love demonstrated to us in coming to join yourself with humanity, to come and to die on a cross and to pay the price that we couldn't pay, to make a way of salvation and freedom, to make a way where we might be reunited with our creator God. Your love compels me. I pray that it would compel, I pray that it would compel Hernando Church of Nazarene. I pray that we would be moved by love exclusively and that we would recognize that it's only when we are connected together with you in love that we are able to be used by you, that we are able to serve you. Apart from you, we can do nothing. We desperately need you. God, I pray that you would stir within our hearts a renewed passion for you." [00:25:42]

"Father, I pray for our church that as we desire and work and make plans and spend money to reach the community, to be faithful to the mission you called us, I pray that first of all that we would recognize our dependence upon you. We as a church, we can do nothing apart from you. Forgive us for being about busyness and work and effort trying to go out on our own. When we arrogantly think that I've got this God, I know how to do this. Forgive us." [00:26:44]

"In the church, we've been given a mission from God, and this mission of God is to reach the lost. It's to go out and make disciples of all the nations and teach them everything that Jesus has taught us. And so we know that mission, and many of us can recite that mission. We know that's in Matthew 28. And yet when it comes to putting it into practice, well, that's where we kind of fall short." [00:49:47]

"If God's love truly compels you to reach out into the world, if we genuinely care about our neighbors who are not like us, if we decide to love our neighbors, to love our enemies, you know, what would change in our church or in our world, in our culture, in America?" [00:53:24]

"Theologically, we talk about prevenient grace. We talk about the grace that goes before that compels us. It's the Holy Spirit that draws us, that gives us this desire to want to open our eyes, to want to see Jesus, to want to seek out Jesus. You know, it wasn't that I was so smart one day that I decided to climb a tree. It was the Holy Spirit that drew me to Jesus. It was the Holy Spirit that decided I'm going to become a Christian." [00:56:54]

"Jesus, his way is, let me go to your house. Let me spend some time with you. Let me have a meal with you. Let me interact with you. And we see in Luke's gospel in particular, over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, Jesus is going to somebody's house. Jesus is sharing food with somebody. Jesus is eating a meal with somebody over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. This is the Jesus method." [00:59:06]

"The mission of God is not to entertain the church. I know I wouldn't get a lot of amens on that one, but the mission of God is not to entertain the church. The mission of God is not to make the church happy. The mission of God is to please God. God so loves the world that he sent his only son, Jesus, on a rescue mission here in this world." [01:01:16]

"So the mission of God has a church to carry out that mission when Jesus ascends to heaven. And you and I are part of this church. And we have this mission to carry out. It's not an optional mission. It's not an optional mission. It's not an optional mission. It's not an optional extra. Hey, if I've got extra time in my hands, I'll go ahead and I'll do the mission of God. No." [01:02:09]

"Some people are easy to love. And some people are not quite so easy to love. Does anybody know that? You figured that one out already? We're not all the same on this, right? And the entire town of Jericho knows that Zacchaeus is not one of those easy to love kind of people. And that's one reason why they want to mumble and grumble and complain." [01:03:54]

"Research shows that the people who don't attend church, about 25 % of them, are curious about Christianity, but they don't know anybody that they can have these kinds of spiritual conversations with. And so if you don't know your neighbors, it's going to be difficult to love them." [01:05:03]

"To eat, the third practice is going to be to eat. I'm all, sign me up for that. I had a neighbor across the street in Wichita that he had a family from Cambodia and they were Buddhist, but they had some different foods that I was used to. And so they would holler at me, come over, and I'd come over and go get Stephanie. I'd say, eh, she's sleeping. And now if it's unidentifiable, she's not going to want to, eat it. But eating together a meal is one of the ways to sit down and, and what they would do sometimes would be sitting down in the garage with the garage door open with their, with their beer, drinking their beer and, and invite me to come over and I would sit down with them and I would eat with them and talk with them, interact with them. I never did partake of their same beverage, but I would drink water while I was there, but it'd give me an opportunity to get to know them and interact with them a little bit." [01:10:42]

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Transcript
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