Called Out and Sent Out

Website Editor • October 21, 2020

In Matthew 10, Jesus calls to Him His twelve disciples. 


Immediately after, He sends them out to proclaim His kingdom.


As the church, we know this to be true of us too. God has called us out to be His people. We are set apart from the world around us and called to a higher righteousness.


Because we are called out, we are also sent out.


The church has been given a mission to make Him known! This is an essential part of who we are and why we exist. Like the disciples, we are called to announce that the kingdom of God is here! God has placed us and our church in exactly the right time and place to share this message. It is essential that we share it.


The mission that we share is a shared responsibility. God designed for us to engage in mission together. In scripture, we see Jesus sending people out in groups… He knew that when something is scary, it’s easier when you don’t have to do it alone.


Our mission is ongoing. This side of Heaven, there’s no end point to making Him known. Over and over in scripture, we see people sent out on a specific journey who then come back and regroup. This is the reason we assemble on Sundays. We worship together and encourage one another so then we can go out -- into our everyday mission -- and do the work of proclaiming the gospel. Our lives are the mission.


The church’s mission is balanced. Jesus’ ultimate goal during His time on earth was to proclaim the gospel; as He was doing that, He was also seeing needs and meeting needs. We can follow Jesus’ example and be lights in our community by doing the same.


The church’s mission is strategic. In Matthew 10, Jesus sends His disciples to a specific set of people. He knew they could do a lot of things; but they couldn’t do everything. As a local church, we can mind this example. To engage strategically with our mission, we must evaluate how He gives us insight and favor in our community, so we can step in. We can ask… ‘what is the thing that Jesus has put right in front of us?’


Because we are sent out and on mission, we must engage with the world differently.


→ We must SEE people and needs around us. If you see someone who thinks differently than you, choose to see them as Jesus would. Instead of seeing differences, He saw helplessness. We are all helpless without Him.


→ We must CARE for others as Jesus would, with greatest compassion. When you see a person with a need, that should lead to a desire to point them to our Shepherd -- the only One with power to truly meet our needs. 


→ We must PRAY. Prayer is not preparation for the work; it is the work. Pray fervently and earnestly.


→ We must RECEIVE training and authority. Have you not engaged with your mission because you haven't felt prepared enough? On Sunday, Pastor Shu recommended a great book, “Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus” by J. Mack Stiles. Start there.


→ We must GO. Out of the 12 disciples Jesus called, He sent 12. Out of the 72, He sent 72. We are ALL called to go. It’s a mission for everyone.


The Christian life is Jesus calling us out and sending us out.


The task is great. 


The stakes are high.


The reward is everything.


-


How are you engaging with your mission this week?


Watch this sermon, here .

Freed to Serve

April 28, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:11-17 This is the beginning of a section addressing how God's people now function in this world. It begins with aliens and exiles and continues with servants, wives, husbands, and finally, all of you. 1.) Our identity defines our actions. We are sojourners and exiles (temporary, passing through, not at home) We have a heavenly citizenship Actions We abstain from the passions of the flesh Keep conduct among the Gentiles honorable (our conduct is for the benefit of other people) Honorable conduct wins souls… sojourners, exiles, and soul winners “Peter’s point is that believers’ behavior creates a context in which people will listen to God’s word. He is not teaching that ‘good deeds’ in themselves convert unbelievers, but they establish an environment for the Gospel-word to do so.” -Barnett 2.) Our identity defines our expectations (Unbelievers will respond to honorable conduct in 1 of 2 ways) Some will speak evil against us as though we are evildoers Some will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation 3.) Our identity defines our view of authority (Does anyone here ever just want to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it? That’s why laws exist) Be subject to every human institution (for the Lord's sake) This includes governors and emperors (no distinction between good/bad) The will of God... by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people 4.) Our identity defines our view of freedom Don't use freedom as a cover-up for evil We are freed to serve God Honor, Love, and Fear Discipleship Questions: 1.)Why is it so important to understand our identity before talking about our behavior? 2.) How might this reality impact your parenting? For real, what are 3 ways that you can apply that this week? 3.) How is good conduct a form of evangelism? 4.) What do these verses say that we can expect from others? 5.) How can we honor a government that isn't always honorable? Seriously, what are 5 things we should immediately stop doing and 5 things we should immediately start doing? 6.) What are some tangible ways to honor others? Love the brotherhood? Fear God? Honor the Emperor? 7.) Should we fear the Emperor?

Cornerstone

April 22, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?

Born Again

April 16, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:2-3 Why do our souls ache for certainty? We are so eager for certainty that we will look for it in all the wrong places. - Certainty in our Finances [show slide from news] - Certainty in our Jobs [Acts 17:24-27] - Certainty in our Health [Covid] - Certainty in our Abilities [Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”] “Things that have never happened before are happening every day.” -Morgan Housel In these verses, God gives us what our souls ache for! 1.) You must be born again of imperishable seed - We have all been born of perishable seed o Impure souls o Disobedient to truth o Unloving insincerity toward others o Lack of loving effort o Impure hearts - We are withering grass and falling flowers - The imperishable seed is the living and abiding Word of God o Does not wither o Does not fall o Does not let us down o It remains forever o It MUST BE PREACHED! But still, how can we be certain that we have been born again? 2.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your relationships When your relationship with God changes, God changes your relationships! - Sincere brotherly love - Love earnestly - Put away… o Malice o Deceit o Hypocrisy o Envy o All Slander 3.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your appetite for God’s Word - Like newborn infants - Long for the pure spiritual milk Discipleship Questions: 1.) Where are some unhealthy places where you look for certainty? 2.) Why do you do that? 3.) What were some evidences of your perishable seed before you came to Christ? Any of that still lingering that needs to be repented from? 4.) Why does Peter call the Word of God the imperishable seed? 5.) In light of the text, how would you describe being "born again" to a 5-year-old? 6.) How has imperishable hope proven itself in your relationships? OR How might it if you lean into loving others earnestly? 7.) Why does Peter tell us that hope will be seen in our appetite for God's Word?
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