Embracing Our Divine Assignments for Kingdom Impact
Summary
Today, I embarked on a journey through the book of 1 Timothy, focusing on the theme of godliness and the critical concept of assignment. The sermon began by setting the stage for our year-long exploration of godliness, emphasizing the importance of understanding our roles and responsibilities as defined by God's Word.
I introduced the series by discussing the background of Ephesus, where Timothy was stationed, highlighting the severe opposition Paul faced there, which included dealing with false teachings and various doctrinal disputes. This context is crucial as it frames the challenges Timothy, and by extension, all believers, might face when living out their godly assignments.
The core of the sermon delved into the meaning of being an apostle or being sent on a mission by God, as Paul was. I clarified the distinction between the original apostles and the broader application of being sent on a mission by God in today's context. This led to a deeper exploration of the term "apostle," emphasizing that while the foundational apostles, like Paul, held a unique role, each believer is sent into their environments with a mission to advance God's kingdom.
I stressed the importance of understanding our assignments not just as roles or jobs but as divine placements for kingdom advancement. I shared personal anecdotes and biblical insights to illustrate how every assignment, whether secular or explicitly spiritual, carries a missional component. This perspective challenges us to live out our faith actively, regardless of our professional or social spheres.
Furthermore, I addressed the qualifications necessary to fulfill these assignments effectively. Drawing from Paul's life, I explained that God equips those He calls into specific roles, ensuring they meet the divine criteria set forth in Scripture. This point was crucial in encouraging the congregation to rely on God's provision and guidance in their assignments.
As we wrapped up, I led the congregation in a time of reflection and response, urging everyone to consider their current assignments and how they might more effectively engage in them for God's glory. The service concluded with a call to action, encouraging each member to embrace their roles as part of God's strategic placement for kingdom impact.
### Key Takeaways
1. Understanding Apostolic Foundations
The term "apostle" means one who is sent on a mission. This understanding is crucial as it extends beyond the original twelve apostles to all believers, each tasked with a divine mission. Recognizing our role as modern-day apostles in various spheres of life empowers us to act with authority and purpose in our environments. [43:06]
2. Every Assignment is Missional
Whether in secular or ministry settings, every role we undertake is an opportunity for mission. This perspective shifts how we view our daily activities, highlighting the importance of intentionality in living out our faith. By seeing our jobs and roles through the lens of mission, we can impact our circles of influence more profoundly. [01:11:07]
3. Qualifications for Our Assignments
Just as Paul was equipped and qualified for his apostolic mission, God prepares each of us for our assignments. This preparation involves aligning our skills and experiences with His purposes, ensuring that we are not just physically but spiritually and morally equipped to undertake the tasks He assigns us. [01:09:20]
4. The Role of Opposition in Our Assignments
Facing opposition is a part of our assignments. Understanding this helps us prepare and endure challenges without losing heart. By studying how Paul dealt with opposition in Ephesus, we gain insights into handling resistance in our missions, ensuring that we remain steadfast and effective. [37:36]
5. Living Out Our Assignments with Hope in Christ
Our ultimate hope should not rest in the success of our assignments but in Christ Himself. This focus ensures that our motivations are pure and that we rely on His strength and provision rather than our abilities or resources. Such a stance is vital for persevering through difficulties and achieving lasting impact. [01:24:40]
### Youtube Chapters
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [36:21] - Introduction to 1 Timothy Series
- [37:36] - Background on Ephesus and Paul's Challenges
- [42:38] - Understanding the Term "Apostle"
- [01:07:29] - Discussing the Missional Aspect of Assignments
- [01:11:07] - Stories of Mission in Business
- [01:24:40] - Concluding Prayer and Reflection on Hope in Christ
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. 1 Timothy 1:1 - "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope."
2. Acts 20:28-30 - "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them."
3. Matthew 28:18-20 - "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"
### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul emphasize about his apostleship in 1 Timothy 1:1? How does he describe his calling? ([39:52])
2. According to Acts 20:28-30, what warnings does Paul give to the elders of Ephesus about future challenges they will face? ([37:52])
3. In Matthew 28:18-20, what command does Jesus give to His disciples, and what assurance does He provide them? ([01:10:34])
4. How does the sermon describe the difference between the original apostles and modern-day believers being sent on a mission? ([42:38])
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it significant that Paul identifies himself as an apostle "by the command of God" in 1 Timothy 1:1? How does this establish his authority? ([39:52])
2. How can the warnings in Acts 20:28-30 about false teachers and internal threats be applied to the modern church? What steps can be taken to guard against such threats? ([37:52])
3. What does it mean for every assignment to carry a missional component, as discussed in the sermon? How does this perspective change the way we view our daily activities? ([01:11:07])
4. How does the assurance Jesus gives in Matthew 28:20 ("I am with you always") impact the way believers approach their assignments and missions? ([01:10:34])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current roles and responsibilities. How can you view them as divine assignments for kingdom advancement? What specific actions can you take to live out your faith more intentionally in these areas? ([01:11:07])
2. Have you ever faced opposition in your assignments similar to what Paul experienced in Ephesus? How did you handle it, and what can you learn from Paul's example to better endure future challenges? ([37:52])
3. Think about a time when you felt unqualified for a task or role. How did you see God's provision and guidance in that situation? How can you rely more on God's equipping in your current assignments? ([56:00])
4. In what ways can you ensure that your hope remains in Christ rather than in the success of your assignments? How does this focus help you persevere through difficulties? ([01:24:40])
5. Identify one specific area in your life where you can be more missional. What steps will you take this week to intentionally advance God's kingdom in that area? ([01:11:07])
6. How can you support and encourage others in your small group to understand and embrace their divine assignments? What practical steps can you take to foster a community that lives on mission together? ([01:28:52])
7. Reflect on the qualifications for fulfilling assignments effectively as discussed in the sermon. Are there any areas in your life where you need to grow or seek God's help to meet these qualifications? What will you do to address these areas? ([01:09:20])
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Our Apostolic Identity
Understanding our role as modern-day apostles empowers us to act with purpose in our environments. The term "apostle" historically referred to one who is sent on a mission, a concept that extends beyond the original twelve to include all believers today. Each of us, regardless of our professional or social spheres, is tasked with a divine mission that calls for active faith and authoritative engagement. This perspective not only enriches our understanding of our daily activities but also challenges us to live out our faith with intentionality and influence. [43:06]
Acts 13:2-4 (ESV): "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus."
Reflection: How can you embody your apostolic role in your current environment to influence those around you for God's kingdom?
Day 2: Mission in Every Role
Every assignment we undertake, whether in secular or ministry settings, is an opportunity for mission. This understanding shifts our perspective on daily activities, emphasizing the importance of living out our faith intentionally. By viewing our roles through the lens of mission, we can profoundly impact our circles of influence, making every task an act of worship and a step towards kingdom advancement. [01:11:07]
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."
Reflection: What is one way you can turn a routine part of your day into a missional opportunity?
Day 3: Equipped for Our Assignments
God does not call us to tasks without also equipping us. Drawing from the example of Paul, we see that God prepares us spiritually, morally, and practically for the assignments He gives. This preparation aligns our skills and experiences with His purposes, ensuring we are ready to undertake the tasks He assigns. Trusting in God's provision allows us to engage in our assignments with confidence and effectiveness. [01:09:20]
Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: In what ways have you experienced God equipping you for a specific task or role in your life?
Day 4: Steadfast Amidst Opposition
Understanding that opposition is part of our divine assignments helps us prepare and endure challenges without losing heart. By studying how early apostles like Paul handled resistance, we gain insights into managing difficulties in our missions. This knowledge not only prepares us for the inevitable challenges but also ensures that we remain steadfast and effective in our endeavors. [37:36]
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (ESV): "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."
Reflection: Recall a recent challenge in your mission. How can you apply Paul's example to remain steadfast in your current trials?
Day 5: Hope in Christ Through Our Assignments
Our ultimate hope should not rest in the success of our assignments but in Christ Himself. This focus ensures that our motivations are pure and that we rely on His strength and provision rather than our abilities or resources. Such a stance is vital for persevering through difficulties and achieving lasting impact, keeping our spirits aligned with God's purpose and timing. [01:24:40]
Colossians 1:27-29 (ESV): "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
Reflection: How can focusing on Christ's presence and power in your life change your approach to your current assignments?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "I don't force myself into rooms and relationships. If I'm supposed to be in a room, I'm supposed to have the relationship, it'll happen. I don't need to manipulate situations to get in spaces with people. So I'm gonna go sit somewhere else, mind my own little business in the room I'm supposed to be in and be happy there." [59:21]
2. "I remember when I was working, just got married, I was working a job making upward seventy, and I remember I would rock, I would listen to my Christian music at my station. I would wear my graphic tees that had Jesus-like statements on them. And I remember they would come for me hard. But I stayed on my ground and ain't nothing happened." [01:15:05]
3. "I've never thought a job is my resource. I've never thought who pays me is the reason I'm actually able to sustain myself. When I got laid off and made a decision to go into ministry, we took a $30,000 pay cut. I woke up in the middle of the night praying to God, and then I woke up in the morning with money. Literally, people put money in my hand because the job wasn't my resource, God has always been my resource." [01:26:12]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Every assignment carries a missional component. And that's really the heartbeat of the message. I was just at a Christian businessman prayer breakfast this week, and I'm sitting with millionaires, and literally, they're telling stories of how they use their resources to advance the Kingdom of God. How they look at their assignment as a kingdom, as a tool or a vehicle to advance the Kingdom of God." [01:11:07]
2. "Do not let the benefits of the assignment cause you to forsake the mission in order to protect the assignment. We all know that our assignments also benefit us, typically they pay our bills. So sometimes what begins to happen is we get silent in the assignment because we don't want to lose the job. And God didn't send us there to be quiet. If assignment is mission, then wherever you are, regardless of what rule they put in place, you're supposed to be on mission." [01:13:59]
3. "If it is not the will of God for our life, it is not the assignment of God on our life. Like Paul, we want to be able to say, 'According to the will of God.' Because whatever our assignment is, we should feel that it is what God wants us to be. And this is where some people like, but I don't really, that's real. This is where Psalms 37:4 & 5 gets real critical: Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." [01:20:04]
4. "We need to have an established hope in Jesus Christ, not our assignment if we hope to walk preserve, persevere missionally while walking in our assignment. Paul said that he was commanded by God and Jesus who is our hope. And his point is critical because we have to remember that God's assignment is never separated from God's mission." [01:24:40]
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