MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN, BROWNSVILLE, TX
If we were going to compose a mission statement for Central Christian Church, what do you suppose it should say? What is our mission?
Well, let me suggest that the mission of the church is very simple. Our mission is to reach a lost world with the saving message of Jesus Christ, & then to teach them so that they will be mature in their faith.
That’s our mission. That’s why we have been called into existence. But it’s so easy to get sidetracked, to start thinking that our mission is something other than what it really is. And instead, spend all our energy building buildings, championing causes, speaking out on social issues, or supporting political candidates.
So it vital for us to focus on what is important. The mission of Central Christian Church is to reach a lost world with the saving message of Jesus Christ, & then to help them mature in their Christian life.
Prop. With that in mind, lets look at the first 11 verses of chapter 1 of the book of Acts. And as we look at those 11 verses, I want us to consider the reason, the resource, & finally, the responsibility of the mission.
I. THE REASON FOR THE MISSION
A. First of all - the reason for the mission. Acts 1:1 begins with these words, "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do & to teach until the day He was taken up into heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen."
Luke says, "In my former book, the gospel of Luke, I was telling you about Jesus Christ. Now, I’m continuing the story."
The book of Acts is the continuing story of the ministry of Jesus Christ as He ministers through His church, which is His body - & through those of us who are members of His church. So the reason for our mission is Jesus.
B. Now there are a lot of people today saying that it really doesn’t matter what you believe. You can believe anything you want because it really doesn’t make any difference what you believe.
I disagree with that, because I think that belief determines behavior. What you believe is acted out in your life.
ILL. A few years ago teenagers stood up in churches throughout our country because they had signed "True Love Waits" cards, promising that they would remain sexually pure until marriage. Oftentimes these young people were given standing ovations by the people of their congregations.
Some of the mothers of teenage daughters who had made that commitment said that was one of the most moving things they had ever seen.
Furthermore, they said that when young men came to date their teenage daughters they were going to require them to show one of those cards first.
Why? Because they know that what you believe determines what you are & how you act. If you think that a girl is just a toy or an object to be used, then you will not be welcome in those homes. But if you believe that sex is something special to be saved for marriage, then you’re the kind of boy they welcome. What we believe affects the way we act.
That is why Paul wrote, "Watch your life & your doctrine carefully."
C. So what do we believe about Jesus? Well, I don’t want to be presumptuous.
So let me tell you what I believe about Jesus, & I hope that what I believe about Jesus is what you believe about Jesus, too.
I believe that Jesus is a literal person, God in the flesh. I believe that He was born of a virgin. I believe that He performed real miracles, that He fed the multitudes, healed the lame & blind, & even raised the dead back to life again. And I believe that all of these miracles were for a purpose - to prove that Jesus is indeed God’s Son.
I believe that He taught the truth. I believe that we will never find a better system of ethics than that presented in the Sermon on the Mount. And if we want to do away with prejudice, & see people live together in peace, we must go back to the Sermon on the Mount, & learn those basic lessons.
I’m convinced that until the hearts of men & women have been changed, & we follow His teachings, we won’t have racial harmony in our world today.
I believe that He left all the riches of heaven, & experienced all the things we experience in this world - hatred, ridicule, rejection, & death..
I believe He died, not just a martyr’s death, but a vicarious death. Which means that when He died, He paid the debt for all my sins.
ILL. It would be like the banker calling me up tomorrow morning & saying, "One of your church members thinks so much of you that they paid off the mortgage on your house." And I wouldn’t have to make any more house payments the rest of my life.
By the way, I can tell you the name of my bank if anybody is interested.
I believe that He arose from the dead. Vs. 3 says, "After his suffering, He showed himself to these men & gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days & spoke about the kingdom of God."
I believe that He ascended unto the right hand of God. Vs. 9 says, "After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, & a cloud hid him from their sight." He ascended & He is now at the right hand of God in heaven.
I believe that He’s coming back soon. Vs’s 10-11 say, "They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. `Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’"
SUM. So why are we here? Why do we worship? Why do we send missionaries? Why do we pray? Why do we give sacrificially? Because we’re compelled by the love of Jesus Christ & we’re convinced that He died for us all. So the reason for the mission is Jesus.
II. WE CONSIDER THE RESOURCE FOR OUR MISSION
A. Secondly, consider the resource for our mission. Vs’s 4-5 say, "On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’"
There is a principle in Scripture that I think we have often missed. The principle is, "Every time God commissions someone to do something, He always gives the means to do it. Always! He never asks us to do something but what He enables us to do it."
ILL. When He sent Moses to lead the people out of Egyptian bondage He gave Moses what he needed to do the job. Moses said, "I can’t speak. I’m scared. I’m sure I can’t handle it."
But God gave him words & power. God gave him power to turn a rod into a snake & back into a rod again. God gave him power to fill the Nile river with blood. God gave him power to bring on the plagues. And God gave him power & wisdom to lead the children out of bondage.
And his commission to the church is to go into all the world & to preach, baptizing them in the name of the Father & the Son & the Holy Spirit. And then continue to teach them.
That is not an impossible task because God who specializes in impossible things, is enabling us to do it by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, "I’ll never leave you alone. I will always be with you." So the Holy Spirit comes as our prompter to help us say the things that we need to say. The Holy Spirit comes as our comforter to encourage us. The Holy Spirit comes to give us power to do the job that is before us.
B. In Acts 3 is a wonderful example of this in a story of Peter & John going into the temple. As they enter they hear a lame man crying for alms. Peter & John walk up to him & Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
Suddenly, the man is leaping & jumping around, & a crowd is gathering because of the miracle. And the religious leaders realize they must do something to squelch this enthusiasm. So they summon Peter & John.
There is a wonderful verse in Acts 4:7. Here’s the question that is asked in this verse: "By what power or what name did you do this?"
Listen to the answer in vs. 8. It says, "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: `Rulers & elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple & are asked how he was healed, then know this, you & everyone else in Israel:
"`It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you completely healed. He is "the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone." Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’"
Now listen to vs. 13, "When they saw the courage of Peter & John & (now don’t miss this) realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished & they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
APPL. Here’s the point, ordinary people, those who have never been to great schools of theology, who don’t know all the inner workings & all the answers - ordinary people filled with the Holy Spirit, have more power than all the governments that have ever ruled in this world.
SUM. The Roman Empire could not stand against ordinary men like Peter & John when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The world today doesn’t stand a chance when the church recognizes that its resource is the power of God.
ILL. Tony Campolo tells of being invited to speak at a ladies meeting. There were 300 women there. Before he spoke the president of the organization read a letter from a missionary. It was a very moving letter.
In the letter the missionary expressed a need for $4,000 to take care of an emergency that had cropped up. So the president of the organization said, "We need to pray that God will provide the resources to meet the need of this missionary. Bro. Campolo will you please pray for us?"
Tony Campolo, who is very outspoken said, "No." Startled, she said, "I beg your pardon."
He said, "No, I won’t pray for that." He said, "I believe that God has already provided the resources & that all we need to do is give. Tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to step up to this table & give every bit of cash I have in my pocket. And if all of you will do the same thing, I think God has already provided the resources."
The president of the organization chuckled a little bit & said, "Well, I guess we get the point. He is trying to teach us that we all need to give sacrificially."
He said, "No, that is not what I am trying to teach you. I’m trying to teach you that God has already provided for this missionary. All we need to do is give it. Here, I’m going to put down all of my money I have with me."
He wrote, "I only had $15 in my pocket so I wasn’t too worried about that." So he put down his $15 & then looked at the president of the organization. Reluctantly, she opened her purse & took out all of her money, which was about $40, & put it on the table. One by one the rest of the ladies filed by & put their money on the table, too. When the money was counted they had collected more than $4,000."
Tony Campolo said, "Now, here’s the lesson. God always supplies for our needs, & he supplied for this missionary, too. The only problem was we were keeping it for ourselves. Now let’s pray & thank God for His provision."
SUM. The resource is the Holy Spirit. And I believe with all my heart that God has given everything this church needs to accomplish the mission that God has placed before us. He has given us spiritual gifts, & talents. He has given us financial resources. He has given us everything we need to do the work that God has called us to do.
III. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MISSION
A. Finally, there is the responsibility of the mission. Acts 1:7-8 says, "He said to them, `It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you; & you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the ends of the earth.’"
As Christians we are to be God’s witnesses. In other words we are to have relevant testimony, testimony that this world desperately needs to hear. Do we have words for a world that seems to be so far away from God? Do we have a testimony for this world?
ILL. 2 Kings, chapters 6 & 7, contains an amazing story. King Benhadad of Aramea is besieging the city of Samaria, & the people there are starving.
The Bible says that a donkey’s head was selling for 80 shekels of silver, seed pods for 5 shekels. Some people were so hungry & desperate that they were killing & eating their own children. It’s a terrible situation.
Chapter 7 tells us that there are 4 lepers at the city gates who are trying to deal with their situation. They’re saying, "We’re going to die. All of us are going to die."
Finally, they decided to surrender. "The enemy might kill us," they reasoned, "but we would die anyway. So it doesn’t make any difference. Or, they might take us as prisoners. If they do that then we’ll get something to eat, & we’ll be better off than we are now."
So they go into the camp of the Aramean army to surrender. But in the meantime, the Bible tells us that God had caused Benhadad & all of his army to hear the sound of hoofbeats & the rolling chariots of a mighty army coming. Frightened, they reasoned that Israel had signed a treaty with Egypt & that the Egyptian army was coming to Israel’s aid.
Fleeing for their lives, they left behind tables full of food, plenty of food. These 4 lepers walk into the enemy camp to surrender, & nobody is there. They go into the tents of the enemy & see tables full of food. They are starving, so they begin to gorge themselves.
Then they find silver & gold & fine clothing & start carrying it away & hiding it. Then suddenly, there is this wonderful verse in chapter 7, vs. 9. It says, "Then they said to each other, ‘We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news & we are keeping it to ourselves.’"
So they run back to the city & tell the people the good news. But at first the people are suspicious. It’s too good to be true. So they send spies to investigate, & they find that sure enough the enemy is gone & there is food enough for everyone.
So the starving people come & they’re fed & they’re satisfied. That is a picture of our world, isn’t it? We come to God’s house & we’re fed. We can turn on the radio or TV & listen to Christian sermons & teaching almost any time you want.
But isn’t it sad that you & I are eating so much & the rest of the world is going hungry? It’s the day of Good News & it’s wrong for us to keep it to ourselves. The mission of the church is to take it to the world.
That’s what we have come to remember today - that we have a mission. God has called us, & God will give us the resources to fulfill the mission. And now that we realize we have a responsibility, it is up to us. What are we going to do with the great commission God has given?
CONCL. This morning if you’re here outside of Jesus Christ, we want you to know that Jesus went to the cross & died for you. He shed his blood for you. And His death & His burial & His resurrection is the Good News that we have to share with you.
We don’t want to keep it to ourselves. We want to share it with you & we want you to know that even in this moment you can be saved from you sin & you can begin to walk in a new life that you have in Jesus Christ.
We offer you that opportunity as we extend the Lord’s invitation.
