RE:Membership

Week 4. Sent by God

Mission comes from the latin word for ‘sent’. We want to understand that ALL christians are sent
by Jesus. In this study we want to consider, from the Bible that God sends his people, with a
message, to everyone. We want to think how this can be applied to our local church & community.

Sent
Jesus sends his followers:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by
two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. Luke 10:1

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you. Matthew 28

As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. John 20

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

Jesus calls us and sends us. Notice that he sends all of us, not just a few. He sends us and equips
us by His powerful Holy Spirit. The Spirit powerfully works within us and draws people to
Jesus.

With A Message
Jesus sends us with the Gospel message. The Gospel message is outlined in various ways in
scripture, here, Paul outlines what the gospel is.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in
which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached
to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also
received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared
to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one
time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-6 ESV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
(Romans 1:16-17 ESV)

The gospel is
Important
Is from the Scriptures
Jesus died - for our sins
Jesus was buried
Jesus rose again (for our eternal life - Romans 6)
This happened in History not secret.
It is to be trusted and believed.
RE:Membership
Week 4. Sent by God

To Everyone
Jesus sends his followers to everyone... here it is in quotes...

“into every town and place where he himself was about to go”

“...of all nations...”

“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you”

“Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”

In response to these words, we need to recognise that we are sent to all people around us. For
some of us that might mean a call to move overseas, for ALL of us it means to share the gospel as
individuals whenever we get an opportunity. And as a church it calls us to understand and
engage with those around us so that we can share the good news of Jesus with them.

Paul says
“I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the
gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and
also to the Greek.” Romans 1:14-16

RE:Think
Consider one or two of the following and do one or two:
Get To Know the Gospel - Understand the depth of what God has done for you & others.
Get To Know Your Neighbors - Who lives around you? What are their needs? Can We Help?
Get To Know Your Community - What makes North Belfast/Ballysillan tick? Who lives here?
Get To Know Your City - Jeremiah 29 plants the people of God in City. We are just the same!
Get To Know A Full Time Missionary - Some FT mission workers can help us think better.
Learn To Say Hello - Learn to see people as humans. Make eye contact and say hello.
Open Up Your Home - Are there people in our street who could do with a cuppa or meal?
Pray for Opportunities - Ask God for a chance to share the Gospel. He loves to answer this!
Leave A Book Behind - Buy a christian book or leaflet and leave it in a waiting room!
Park Well On Sundays - How we drive and park can speak volumes.
Smile -
Join Something - Christians just hang out with other Christians, if that’s you join anything!
Buy A Badge or T-Shirt - What does that say on your badge? I’m glad you asked!
Offer To Pray For People - Peter and John prayed for a lame man, he got healed trusted Jesus
Get Your Story Straight - What if someone asked you how or why did you become a Christian?
Listen To Stephen Nolan (and ask yourself WHY?) - Talk radio teaches loads about people!
Open Your Eyes In Tesco etc. - Everyone goes shopping, take time to look at others.
Listen To your/our younger people - Trends start with them, they can teach us so much!
Important Local Contacts - Shop workers, teachers, reporters, estate agents, etc
Break Your Routine - We don’t bother with mission because we are trapped in humdrum!

How does this challenge us as individuals in mission and as a congregation?