Embracing Our Mission: Every Believer as a Witness
Summary
In this message, the focus is on the call to mission and evangelism, emphasizing that every believer is inherently a missionary. The heart of the message is to inspire and equip believers to actively participate in sharing the gospel, not as a special calling for a few but as a fundamental aspect of Christian identity. The analogy of a colander versus a bucket is used to illustrate how easily our passion for evangelism can drain away due to life's distractions and challenges. The key is to ensure that the inflow of God's love and passion into our lives is greater than the outflow caused by worldly distractions.
The message draws from the Gospel of Luke, highlighting the importance of being prepared workers in the harvest field. The story of Zacchaeus is used to illustrate how Jesus engaged with those who were considered outcasts, showing that everyone is searching for Jesus, even if they don't realize it. The narrative of a charity auction serves as a metaphor for how God orchestrates divine appointments, reminding us that God is the Lord of the harvest, setting up opportunities for us to share His love.
The call is to be intentional in our interactions, to see people as individuals rather than categories, and to engage with them personally. The importance of knowing people's names and stories is emphasized, as it reflects the personal nature of God's love for each person. The urgency of the mission is underscored by the reminder that life is short and unpredictable, urging believers to seize every opportunity to share the gospel.
Key Takeaways:
1. Every Believer is a Missionary: Embrace the identity of a missionary, understanding that sharing the gospel is not a special calling for a few but a fundamental aspect of being a Christian. This involves being prepared and intentional in our daily interactions, recognizing that God has placed us in specific contexts to be His witnesses. [00:46]
2. The Importance of Being Prepared: The harvest is plentiful, but the prepared workers are few. Being prepared means understanding our role in God's mission and being ready to engage with those around us. It involves a heart posture of openness to God's leading and a willingness to step out in faith. [05:23]
3. Divine Appointments: God is the Lord of the harvest, orchestrating divine appointments for us to share His love. Our role is to be attentive and responsive to these opportunities, trusting that God is working behind the scenes to draw people to Himself. [15:17]
4. Personal Engagement: Evangelism is about personal engagement, seeing people as individuals rather than categories. Knowing and using people's names, understanding their stories, and showing genuine interest reflects the personal nature of God's love and opens doors for meaningful conversations. [33:28]
5. The Urgency of the Mission: Life is unpredictable, and the urgency of sharing the gospel cannot be overstated. We are called to make the most of every opportunity, understanding that eternity is at stake and that God desires all to come to repentance. [39:05]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:46] - You Are a Missionary
[01:55] - The Colander and the Bucket
[03:59] - The Harvest is Plentiful
[05:23] - Prepared Workers
[07:45] - Charity Auction Story
[09:24] - Divine Appointments
[11:25] - Encounter with Glenn
[14:36] - The Lord of the Harvest
[15:17] - God's Timing
[16:41] - Zacchaeus' Story
[18:33] - Mission in Everyday Life
[20:20] - Everyone is Searching for Jesus
[22:12] - Holding the Wrong Leg
[24:02] - Entering and Engaging
[26:35] - Being a Missionary in Your Context
[31:59] - Respecting the Context
[33:28] - Personal Engagement
[39:05] - The Urgency of the Mission
[41:28] - Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Luke 10:2 - "He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"
2. Luke 19:1-10 - The story of Zacchaeus, where Jesus engages with him personally and brings salvation to his home.
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Observation Questions:
1. What analogy is used in the sermon to describe how our passion for evangelism can be drained away? How does this analogy help us understand the challenges of staying focused on our mission? [01:55]
2. In the story of Zacchaeus, how does Jesus demonstrate personal engagement with Zacchaeus? What does this tell us about Jesus' approach to those considered outcasts? [16:41]
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of being a "prepared worker" in the context of Luke 10:2? How does this relate to our daily lives as believers? [05:23]
4. How does the story of the charity auction illustrate the concept of divine appointments? What role does God play in orchestrating these opportunities? [15:17]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of every believer being a missionary challenge traditional views of evangelism as a special calling for a few? What implications does this have for the church community? [00:46]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that life’s distractions can impact our ability to engage in mission work? How can believers counteract these distractions? [02:43]
3. How does the story of Zacchaeus illustrate the importance of seeing people as individuals rather than categories? What does this teach us about the nature of God's love? [16:41]
4. What does the urgency of the mission, as discussed in the sermon, imply about the way believers should approach their daily interactions with others? [39:05]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current context. How can you embrace your identity as a missionary in your workplace, neighborhood, or social circles? What specific steps can you take to be more intentional in your interactions? [26:35]
2. Identify a distraction in your life that might be draining your passion for evangelism. What practical steps can you take this week to minimize its impact and refocus on your mission? [02:43]
3. Think of someone in your life who might be searching for Jesus, even if they don't realize it. How can you engage with them personally and show genuine interest in their story? [20:20]
4. Consider a recent opportunity you had to share the gospel. How did you respond? What can you learn from that experience to be more prepared for future divine appointments? [15:17]
5. How can you make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel, given the unpredictability of life? What changes might you need to make in your daily routine to prioritize this mission? [39:05]
6. Reflect on a time when you categorized someone rather than seeing them as an individual. How can you change your perspective to align more closely with the personal nature of God's love? [33:28]
7. What is one specific action you can take this week to learn and remember the names of people you interact with regularly? How might this small step open doors for deeper conversations? [33:28]
Devotional
Day 1: Embrace Your Missionary Identity
Every believer is called to be a missionary, not as a special calling for a select few, but as a fundamental aspect of Christian identity. This means recognizing that sharing the gospel is an integral part of who you are as a follower of Christ. It involves being intentional in your daily interactions, understanding that God has placed you in specific contexts to be His witness. Embracing this identity requires a heart open to God's leading and a willingness to step out in faith, trusting that He will guide you in sharing His love with those around you. [00:46]
"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" (1 Chronicles 16:24, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your daily life might God be calling you to share His love with today, and how can you intentionally engage with them?
Day 2: Be Prepared for the Harvest
The harvest is plentiful, but the prepared workers are few. Being prepared means understanding your role in God's mission and being ready to engage with those around you. It involves cultivating a heart posture of openness to God's leading and a willingness to step out in faith. This preparation is not just about having the right words to say but also about being spiritually attuned to the opportunities God places before you. As you prepare, remember that God is the Lord of the harvest, orchestrating divine appointments for you to share His love. [05:23]
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take today to be more spiritually prepared for the opportunities God might present to you?
Day 3: Recognize Divine Appointments
God is the Lord of the harvest, orchestrating divine appointments for us to share His love. Our role is to be attentive and responsive to these opportunities, trusting that God is working behind the scenes to draw people to Himself. Recognizing these divine appointments requires a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's prompting and a willingness to engage with those around us. As you go about your day, be open to the unexpected encounters and conversations that God may have arranged for you. [15:17]
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, ESV)
Reflection: Can you recall a recent encounter that might have been a divine appointment? How can you be more open to recognizing these moments in the future?
Day 4: Engage Personally with Others
Evangelism is about personal engagement, seeing people as individuals rather than categories. Knowing and using people's names, understanding their stories, and showing genuine interest reflects the personal nature of God's love and opens doors for meaningful conversations. This personal engagement requires a willingness to listen and to see others through the eyes of Christ, recognizing their inherent worth and value. As you interact with others, strive to build authentic relationships that reflect the love of God. [33:28]
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life can you engage with more personally today, and what steps can you take to show genuine interest in their story?
Day 5: Seize the Urgency of the Mission
Life is unpredictable, and the urgency of sharing the gospel cannot be overstated. We are called to make the most of every opportunity, understanding that eternity is at stake and that God desires all to come to repentance. This urgency should compel us to live with intentionality, seeking to share the hope of Christ with those around us. As you reflect on the brevity of life, consider how you can prioritize the mission of sharing the gospel in your daily life. [39:05]
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific way you can prioritize sharing the gospel in your life today, considering the urgency of the mission?
Quotes
To kick off mission month, I thought I'd make us all mission attorney and neighbor and say, you are a missionary. That's who you are. I want to talk to you and I love how to message. So this is how to win people to Jesus. Now I want to say this off the bat so you know where I am. I am an evangelist, but an evangelist does two things. [00:00:00]
And I want to say this as well, just so you understand my, I don't know what the word is, my burden for lost people or my compassion for the plight of lost people. In that regard, this is a bit of honesty for you. I am more like a colander than a bucket. Do I need to unpack that for you? [00:01:07]
So I don't, and I, I don't know whether it's the hostility of the world that just keeps robbing my passion for this. It's the devil, you know, keeping me busy. And I'm an evangelist. I want to see people come to Christ. And yet a lot of my world is about me, me, me, me. [00:01:55]
So these were Jesus' instructions to us. The harvest is great. But the workers are few. Now have a look all around you. You say, there's lots of people here. No, you've got to understand the unpacking of that workers is prepared ones. It's not people on the bus. It's people who know why they're on the bus. [00:04:48]
So I'm picking that up today and say, God, would you allow me to bring some preparation to the workers? All right. Now, here's a little note. I've got a story here. Because I sometimes feel like Jesus has done all the work. And now I've got to do all the work. He's like the principal sitting in the office. [00:06:04]
I'd like to suggest to you that God's setting up appointments like that for all of us. But are we, are we prepared workers? Are we noticing it? If you were to ring the pastor of that church, now and I've got his number, he will tell you that that man, it's some 15 years later, is one of the key volunteers and workers and leaders in that church. [00:15:21]
I want to, let's forget the word missionary because that sort of conjures up some faraway place. Let's just call it mission. Your mission. Your mission is to win people to Jesus. I understand that we are more like a hole with a bucket than we are, you know, that it drains out of us. [00:18:33]
You got to know that every single person that you meet, every single person that you know, in fact, maybe you want to write someone's down, you know, want to see come to Jesus. If you've got an iPad or an iPhone or a piece of paper or some lipstick in your handbag, write down someone you want to see. [00:19:32]
I said, because we're at his house, Andy. He wasn't at ours. Jesus went to Jericho. So when he got there, he respected Jericho and he entered and he's made his way through the town. We don't need you all working at the church serving Jesus. We need you as a school teacher. You're a missionary. [00:32:07]
Look what it says in verse five. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus. He looked up at him. I know that's just the sentence, but I think it's important. We've got to start looking up them. Those stupid youth vandalizing the public toilet. I'm digging deep. We've got to start looking up the people, but here's the more, you've got to call them by name. [00:32:41]
You cannot win a category you can only win a person I dare you to call him a prisoner with his mum listening she calls him Nathan not that one you call her a drug addict in front of her dad that will go well he calls her Natasha what did the people say he's going to be the guest of a notorious sinner see they categorized him can't reach him now you can you can work in prison ministry but give me names because if it's just prison ministry you're not you're not doing it if it's if you wrote someone's not someone down before and you said my neighbor you've got a homework you got work to do my boss yeah but what's his name and what's his wife's name and if his name is mister you don't know him yet Jesus said Zacchaeus I don't think anyone had even used his name for years means pure and it struck right to the heart because that's what his mum called him prophetically I'm sure [00:35:41]
And they basically say, Marty, you're dead. Get your affairs in order, mate. He's not 50. He's got a young family. And then the doctors go off to deliver some news to someone else. I'm sure they didn't do it as bluntly as I did, but you get it. And so the room is quiet. They didn't have an organ. [00:40:21]
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