Sermon Central
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Mission Possible
Contributed by Robert Stephens on Oct 26, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: God has given us an amazing task in the Great Commission, but what seems like an impossible task is actually mission possible if we explore what God says about how we approach this mission.
Mission Possible
I. Introduction
a. Mission Impossible video clip
b. How many of you like the Mission Impossible movies?
i. I like them b/c they take me back to my childhood.
ii. Explain how I used to invent missions for myself.
c. Well, tonight, I’m here to tell you that we’ve been given a mission… should you choose to accept it.
d. READ Luke 10:1 – “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.”
e. Notice that Jesus appointed these disciples to go out.
f. You guys have been appointed… I know this b/c of Matthew 28:19-20
g. READ Matthew 28:19-20 – “19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
h. We have all been called to GO and Make Disciples!!
i. The disciples here in our Luke passage were sent into specific towns and villages…
i. You guys also have a specific mission field… Your school!!
ii. Tomorrow is the big day… it is not the day you go back to school guys… it is the day you step on to the mission field!
j. You’ve been given a mission… and I’m here to tell you tonight that you CAN accomplish this mission… you CAN turn your school upside down for Christ… you CAN see God move in amazing ways this year!
k. How can we see God move in this way… how can we see Him take what seems like mission impossible and turn it into mission possible?
l. Let’s read on here in Luke 10 to find out.
II. By the POWER of PRAYER! (10:2)
a. READ Luke 10:2 – “2He 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.”
b. This should be the most encouraging task that you hear tonight… B/C we ALL can pray!
c. It’s funny how we talk so much about the importance of prayer and yet we do so little praying.
d. I’m a action guy… you know… I one of those dummies that jumps in a lot of times without doing the planning first.
i. How many of you have ever played paintball?
ii. I’m often that guy who doesn’t think a lot before I charge the battle field… and next thing you know, my braveheart battle cry/charge turns into a little girl scream and fetal position as I’m covered in paint and welts!!!!
e. Why do we go into this spiritual battle without praying first?!
f. Here is what prayer does for us in this battle:
i. It opens up the power of God to move in that place!
1. Here’s the deal… we are essentially powerless in this fight in our own strength.
2. You could present the gospel as clearly and cleverly as possible… but unless the Holy Spirit is at work… you ain’t going to see results!!
3. I’ve used this illustration before… but it’s a good one.
4. If you know anything about coon hunting, you know that the hound dogs do all the work.
a. They track the coon… they tree the coon… and they even finish off the coon when you knock them out of the tree!
5. So all prayer is doing is sicking the Holy hound dog on them… aka, the Holy Spirit!
6. Then all we have to do is follow His lead!
ii. It opens up our hearts for those we are praying for.
1. Guys, you cannot spend significant time pouring your heart out to God for someone, without your heart bursting for them.
2. When you start to pray… you start to develop a burden!
g. What else does he say here? Pray for workers!
i. Pray that others will step up to the task… as you yourself go!
h. So my question to you is this… will you pray?
i. My question to me is this…will prayer be a integral part of our strategy to reach Glenelg and River Hill and Oakland Mills and Marriotts Ridge and Resevior, etc.
i. It’s funny to me that we will go on mission trips across the globe and spend a lot of time prayer walking and then we will not even spend time prayer walking our own community and schools.
j. Who will it be?
i. Who in this room will step up and say “Rob, I’ll lead the prayer charge!” “I’ll organize prayer walks and prayer times and I’ll commit to pray for my school!”
