PURPOSE 5

YOU WERE MADE

FOR A MISSION
The !uit of the righteous is a tree of life,
   and the one who is wise saves lives.
Prov. 11:30
Monday 22 November 2010
 Becoming a World
Class Christian

Section 38, Pages 297-304

Monday 22 November 2010

 The great commission
is your commission
Mark 16:15 -He said to them, “Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to all creation.
Ps 67:2 (LB) - send us around the world with the
news of your saving power and your eternal plan for
all mankind

Monday 22 November 2010

 World class or worldly?
Worldly Christians: focus on
personal fulfillment. Saved
but self centred. Prayer focus
on their own needs and
blessings. A me first faith.
How can God make my life
more comfortable?
They want to use God for
their purposes rather than
being used by him, for his
purposes
Monday 22 November 2010
 World class or worldly?
Worldly Christians: focus on
personal fulfillment. Saved
but self centred. Prayer focus
on their own needs and
blessings. A me first faith.
How can God make my life
more comfortable?
They want to use God for
their purposes rather than
being used by him, for his
purposes
Monday 22 November 2010
 Pride is excessive belief in one's
World class or worldly?
own abilities- also known as Vanity.
Worldly Christians: focus on
Envy is the desire for others' traits,
personal fulfillment.
status, abilities, Saved
or situation.
but self centred.
Gluttony - desire toPrayer
consume focus
more
on their
than own needs
that which and
one requires.
blessings. A me first
Lust is an inordinate faith.for the
craving
How canofGod
pleasures make my life
the body.
more
Anger comfortable?
- also known as Wrath.
Greed
They iswant
the desire
to useforGod
material
for
wealth or gain - also called Avarice
their purposes rather than
or Covetousness.
being used by him, for his
Sloth - avoiding physical or spiritual
purposes
work.
Monday 22 November 2010
 World Class Christians: Saved
for a mission. Eager for
assignment. Fully alive.
Privileged to serve God. Joyful,
contagious, enthusiastic.
God invites you to take part in
the largest, most diverse, most
significant move in history - Rev
7:9 - After this I looked, and there
before me was a great multitude that
no one could count, from every
nation, tribe, people and language,
standing before the throne and
before the Lamb.
Monday 22 November 2010
 Jesus commissioned his disciples to go
everywhere and preach the gospel - we have
airplanes, ships, trains, buses, cars - we can go
anywhere in the world in a matter of hours -
and now with the internet we can
communicate with almost the whole planet
The only barrier is how we think - your
perspective and attitudes must change.

Monday 22 November 2010

 Jesus commissioned his disciples to go
everywhere and preach the gospel - we have
airplanes, ships, trains, buses, cars - we can go
anywhere in the world in a matter of hours -
and now with the internet we can
communicate with almost the whole planet
The only barrier is how we think - your
perspective and attitudes must change.

Monday 22 November 2010

 How to think like a
World Class Christian

Monday 22 November 2010

 1. Shift from self centred thinking to
other centred thinking
An eternal perspective stops you
focussing on minor issues -
distinguishes the urgent from the
ultimate.
1 Cor 14:20 Brothers and sisters,
stop thinking like children. In
regard to evil be infants, but in your
thinking be adults.
Php 2:4 not looking to your own
interests but each of you to the
interests of the others.
Monday 22 November 2010
 Most of us are self absorbed - only
God can deliver us from such
thinking.
1 Cor. 2:12 What we have received is not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who
is from God, so that we may understand
what God has freely given us.
Pray for unbelievers when you are
with them - 1 Cor 10:33
...even as I try to please everyone in every
way. For I am not seeking my own good
but the good of many, so that they may be
saved.

Monday 22 November 2010

 2. Shift from local thinking to global
thinking

God cares about the whole

world, Jn 3:16
Acts 17:26-27 - From one man he
made all the nations, that they
should inhabit the whole earth; and
he marked out their appointed times
in history and the boundaries of
their lands. God did this so that they
would seek him and perhaps reach
out for him and find him, though he
is not far from any one of us.
Monday 22 November 2010
 The world is already thinking globally -
media, businesses, clothes, sports teams
etc.
Christians thinking globally need to:
Pray for a specific nations by name (Ps 2:8),
Opportunities to witness, Courage to speak
up, Those who believe, Rapid spread of the
message...(Col 4:3, Rom 1:10, Eph 6:19, Jn
17:20, 2 Thess 3:1, Matt 9:38)
Missionaries - and all involved in the
global harvest
Read the news with “Great Commission
eyes” - change brings tension and openness
to the gospel
Get involved with a short term mission trip
Monday 22 November 2010
 Acts 1:8 - But you will
receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and
you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.”- is
simultaneous not
sequential - as a Christian
you should be on mission
wherever you are.

Monday 22 November 2010

 3. Shift from “here and now” thinking
to eternal thinking
An eternal perspective stops
you focussing on minor issues
- distinguishes the urgent from
the ultimate.
2 Cor 4:18 - So we fix our eyes
not on what is seen, but on what
is unseen, since what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal.
Luke 9:62, 1 Cor 7:31
Monday 22 November 2010
 3. Shift from “here and now” thinking
to eternal thinking
An eternal perspective stops
How
you much
focussing timeissues
on minor and
- distinguishes the urgent from
energy
the ultimate.
are you
wasting
2 Cor onfixthings
4:18 - So we our eyes
that
not will
on what notbutmatter
is seen, on what
is unseen, since what is seen is
a year from now?
temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal. Heb 12:1
Luke 9:62, 1 Cor 7:31
Monday 22 November 2010
 Luke
1 Tim.16:9 - I tellTM
6: 17-19 you,Tell
usethose
worldly
wealth
rich intothis
gainworld's
friends wealth
for to
quit being so
yourselves, sothat
fullwhen
of it is gone,
themselves and so obsessed
you will be welcomed into eternal
with money, which is here
dwellings.
today and gone tomorrow. Tell
Are you using “your” money
them to go after God, who
on self gratification or on
piles on all the riches we could
bringing people to Christ?
ever manage—to do good, to
You cannot
be rich take your
in helping money
others, to
to be
heaven - but you
extravagantly can be If
generous.
they do that,
reunited with they'll
those youbuild a
treasury
brought to that
know willtheir
last,Lord
gaining
and
life that is truly life.
Saviour.
Monday 22 November 2010
 4. Shift from thinking of excuses to
thinking of creative ways to fulfill your
commission
Forget your excuses and get
involved - age, skills, language
are only excuses:
Sarah said she was too old,
Jeremiah too young - God used
them both.
Many Christians miss God’s plan
because they spend their time
asking not obeying - God has
called you through the truth of
Scripture - now get on with it!

Monday 22 November 2010

 4. Shift from thinking of excuses to
thinking of creative ways to fulfill your
commission
Calling theexcuses
Forget your crowdand to join
get his disciples, he said,
involved
"Anyone- age,
whoskills, language
intends to come with me has to let
are only excuses:
me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am.
Sarah said she was too old,
Don't run
Jeremiah toofrom
young suffering;
- God usedembrace it. Follow me
and I'll
them show you how. Self-help is no help at all.
both.
Many Christiansismiss
Self-sacrifice the God’s
way, myplanway, to saving
because they spend their time
yourself, your true self.
asking not obeying - God has
What good would it do
to getyou
called everything
through theyou want
truth of and lose you, the real
Scripture
you? What - now get on
could with
you it! trade your soul for?
ever
Monday 22 November 2010
 Point to ponder

The Great Commission is my

commission

Monday 22 November 2010

 Verse to remember
Ps 67:1-2
May God be gracious to us and bless
us and make his face shine on us—
so that your ways may be known on
earth, your salvation among all
nations.
Monday 22 November 2010
 Question to consider

What steps can I take to prepare

to go on a short term missions
experience in the next year?

Monday 22 November 2010