Sermon, Jan. 28, 2007--JESUS' MISSION STATEMENT...AND OURS

Synopsis:
What we can learn from Jesus' mission statement as we come up with our own mission statements--personally and as a congregation.

Text:Luke 4:14-21

An mp3 of the entire sermon is available for download or streaming at

http://www.mediafire.com/?ckw5znngnty

Guess whose mission statements the following are:

"To rule the world, get lots of cookies, eat the cookies, and then get more cookies."--Cookie Monster
"Our guiding mission is to deliver superior quality products and services for our customers and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships"—WENDY’S...unh?
"To boldly go where no man has gone before."--Star Trek

JESUS' MISSION STATEMENT

Would you believe that Jesus himself had a mission statement?
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour."

The word “mission” comes from the Latin “missio”, meaning to send. Therefore a mission statement is the message carried by the one being sent. If you read the passages in Luke immediately before today’s reading, you will first get to his baptism, where Jesus’ identity was confirmed by the voice from heaven: “You are my own beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.” Then comes a time of testing in the desert, where his identity is questioned. But Jesus emerges from this time of wrestling with the Tempter with a clear sense of his mission.

This morning, I am not going into a lot of detail about the content of his mission statement. I would like to point out three facts about this mission statement that I believe we too are called to incorporate into our personal and corporate mission statements.

The first fact is that he used words that were very familiar to the congregation, his hometown folks in Nazareth. They were all Jews who knew their Scriptures and had no problem recognizing the words. Chances are some of them would have recited them word for word as he spoke. He was quoting from the book of the prophet Isaiah chapter 61, words that referred to the long-awaited Messiah.

What it says to us is that our mission statements need to be phrased in words that strike a chord with those who hear them. They need to be easily understood, repeated and recited by others as well as ourselves. When we come up with a statement that has too much jargon or religious lingo that is only understood by the “in-crowd”, then we could be missing the boat!

In borrowing from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus gives us permission to “steal”, borrow, adapt the mission statements of others as well!

Secondly, I want to point out the fact that Jesus’ mission statement uses words such as “preach” and “proclaim” TO OTHERS. It shifts the focus away from ourselves and on to others within and outside our community. As you’ve heard it said before, the church is the only organization in the world that exists for the sake of its non-members. Jesus does not want his followers to be a country club where the primary purpose is to please the members and have satisfied customers…hello?

Thirdly, his statement includes the words “to release the oppressed.” All the others were about proclaiming, telling, using words. This is about adding feet to those words, about action. In other words, a mission statement should call us to concrete action. It is active, not passive. “Releasing the oppressed” means doing something that forces us to leave the “in-crowd” behind and rub elbows with those who may not be all to our liking. It pushes us outside our comfort zones, into areas where we’d rather not be.

Did Jesus live by his Mission Statement?
Matthew 4:23-24:
“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.”

Fast forward to Luke chapter 7: verses 19-22, where John the Baptist sends two disciples to ask Jesus: "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" Listen to Jesus’ answer: "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

See what Jesus did? He referred to his mission statement! Jesus was saying, in effect, “Am I fulfilling my mission or not, John?”

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

There is a reason why mission statements are so valuable. A few months from now, a year from now, five years from now, we can look at what we are doing and ask: “Are we fulfilling the mission we set out to do?” Because, you see that is the real question by which we need to evaluate what we are doing… That is how Jesus evaluated his ministry. Should we not also follow suit?

In John 20:21-23, Jesus says to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” In the same way the Father has sent Me, with the same authority given me, with the same power, so I send you to proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom of God.
But, they couldn’t do it in their own strength. So, in the next verse, Jesus turns to them and, according to John, breathes on them so they are filled with the Holy Spirit. And then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, they went out not only teaching what Jesus taught but doing what Jesus did… healing the sick, setting the captives free. If you want further proof, check out the Book of Acts!

In the passage from Luke, we read that "Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee..." to preach in his home town synagogue. Jesus rises to read scripture in the synagogue at Nazareth and he quotes the prophet Isaiah by saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ..."

Our Mission Statement comes out of the certainty that THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME...no mission without this! With the Holy Spirit, the impossible looks logical!

WE CANNOT DO IT ON OUR OWN...WE NEED THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT...

Receive an anointing today on your way out as we smear oil on your foreheads and ask the Holy Spirit to come upon you again and help you fulfil your mission in life and our mission together as a church.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUPS

1. Can you think of some well-known mission statements...of major corporations, businesses, other organizations or churches?

2. Do you have a personal mission statement? Would you mind sharing it?

3. Evaluate your personal statement or one of the others (from #1) using the three criteria from Jesus' mission statement.

4. See if you can come with a mission statement for your small group (if you have not already done so in an earlier session).

5. Lay hands on one another and ask the Holy Spirit to anoint everyone afresh again!

Sermon, Jan.21, 2007--THE POWER OF UNITY

Synopsis:
This is the last sermon in the series: THE THREE GREAT POWERS.

Scripture: I Corinthians 12:12-31a

An audio file of this sermon can be streamed or downloaded by clicking on
http://www.mediafire.com/?2myz2ab1mut

It is commonly accepted that there is power in unity...
"United we stand, divided we fall."
Two horses pull way more than what they can each pull on their own.
During children's time, we demonstrated the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:12--"a rope made of three cords is hard to break."

The unity Jesus desires in the church is organic, not organizational

The analogy of the human body demonstrates that unity is not an option, it is an essential for the church. When one part of the body is not functioning well, the rest is affected. Does not have to be a major organ like the heart, could be just a pinky!
On the other hand, a well-co-ordinated body, where all the parts worktogether is wonderful!

When EVERYONE in a church uses all their spiritual gifts together in serving Jesus, WOW!

God blesses unity
In Psalm 133, which we sang during the medley, God lets us know that he loves and blesses unity. It is as pleasant as the fragrance of the oil running down Aaron's beard...and it causes God to command his blessings.

Experience the power of unity in Prayer:

John 15:7: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." Remaining united to Jesus is the starting point

Matthew 18:19: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."
Husbands and wives, pray together.
Get together with another member of the church and pray together.

The Early Church experienced the blessings of unity
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Acts 2:44-47:
All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 4:32-33:
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

Acts 6: Following a restoration of the unity in Acts 6 with the neglected widows, notice verse 7, "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith."
SO CAN WE!

Jesus' prayer for unity
John 17:20, 21: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me..."

Our unity is a witness that the world sees and then believes Jesus for who he really is...WOW!

Unity is oneness in purpose, not in practice

Philippians 2:2
"…make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."

This is the week of prayer for Christian Unity...often our divisions have to do with uniformity in practice rather than unity in purpose.

Oneness in spirit comes from acknowledging Jesus as Lord.

We are beginning work on a mission statement...so we may have unity in purpose.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will bring us the unity Jesus desires

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUPS

1. Give examples from your own life (experiences in the home, workplace, sports teams, etc.) where you have clearly witnessed thepower of unity as well as the mess of disunity.

2. Repeat #1 and give examples from church life this time.

3. Look at our church...would you say there is unity? Give some illustrations of unity in our church.

4. How can you experience the power of unity in greater measure than before in your life?

5. How can we experience the power of unity in greater measure than before in our life together as a church?

Conclude the small group time by practising in prayer the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:19. Pair up with one other person and tell them a prayer request. Let them agree with it and take it to the Lord in prayer. Then ask them for a prayer request they have, agree with it and take it to the Lord in prayer.

Sermon, Jan.14, 2007--THE POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD

Synopsis:
This is the second of three sermons on THE THREE GREAT POWERS God has given us to change our lives for the better.

(You can download or listen to the sermon in its entirety at
http://www.mediafire.com/?8g2ywnxm2yw

In the very first chapter of the Bible, we read over and over again that when God created the world, He said...and it was so.
The word of God has the power to bring to birth new realities that never existedbefore.
Isaiah 55:11:
So will my word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to me empty without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

How about the words WE speak? What kind of power do they have?
Proverbs 18:21:
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Romans 10:9,10:
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Mark 11:23-24:
I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain,'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Jesus certainly demonstrated the power of the spoken word very vividly, particularly when he drove out evil spirits..(e.g. Mark 1:25, 5:8, 9:25) and in resisting temptation (Matthew 3:10)

How do we put the power of the spoken word to use?

#1. For salvation (as in Romans 10)

#2. We speak to the mountain rather than simply talk about the mountain... "Well, your problem sounds like Mt. Kilimanjaro, let me tell you about my Everest :)

#3. We resist temptation as Jesus did by telling the Evil One to take a hike!

#4. We speak into our minds on a daily basis words of power (affirmations), such as:
Psalm 23:1: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?"
Romans 8:1: "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...including me. I am forgiven and set free from guilt and shame."
Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good for those who love God."
Romans 8:37: "I am more than a conqueror through him who loved me. (Jesus)."
Romans 8:39: "Nothing can separate me from the love of God."
Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:19: "My God will meet all my needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
1 John 4:4: "Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world."

When we are faced with certain situations, these words come to mind, we speak them out aloud and experience God's power in the spoken word.

Jeeva's personal stories

#1. Ministry in Brazil:
Asked to pray for a young woman who had "no light in her eyes." Not knowing enough Portuguese, could not figure out what the problem was. Guessing depression, started to pray, but no change, felt like staring at the devil! Then, prompted by the Holy Spirit, commanded the evil spirit to leave (as Jesus did). She fell to the floor, lay still for several minutes, when she got back up, she was smiling and started to laugh...her family and friends were in awe, as they had not seen her smile in 3 years!

#2. Personal Crisis:
Going through a time when there was a lot of uncertainty about the future and fear would grip, every night before going to bed reading out aloud words from Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Was able to sleep in peace and face the crisis with confidence.

Discover the power of the Spoken Word for yourself!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUPS

#1. Where and when in your life have you experienced the power of the spoken word?
a. through words that others spoke to you or over you?
b. through words that you spoke to or over another person?

#2. Can you think of other examples of the power of God's word in the Old Testament?

#3. There is one dramatic instance of Jesus demonstrating the power of the spoken word. Read Mark 11:12-14, 20-22 and discuss.

#4. What are some ways in which you can "harness" the power of the spoken word in your life today?

#5. What other affirmations (if any) would you add to the list given in the sermon?

Sermon, Jan.7, 2007--THE POWER OF VOLUNTARY WEAKNESS

Sermon, Jan.7--The Power of Voluntary Weakness

SYNOPSIS
This is the first of three sermons on the THREE GREAT POWERS God has given us to change our lives for the better.

Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22--The Baptism of Jesus

An audio file of this sermon may be streamed or downloaded by clicking on http://www.mediafire.com/?5yiqjdli0uj

Jesus, always fully God and fully human, chose voluntarily to stand in line with the other "sinners" who wanted baptism for the repentance of their sins from John the Baptist...i.e. Jesus chose to operate from a position of VOLUNTARY WEAKNESS (I first heard the use of this term at a "Father Loves You" Conference at the Toronto Airport Church http://www.tacf.org/ by Ed Piorek http://www.fatherlovesyou.com/) The apostle Paul confirms this in Philippians 2:5-8:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

When he offered himself in voluntary weakness, then the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove (with power).
The way to receive power from God is to offer ourselves in voluntary weakness.

Remember Jesus' parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector who went to pray in the temple one day? (Luke 18:9-14). The Tax Collector, who in his day, would've been the wealthier, more powerful one, beats his chest and prays in voluntary weakness: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." He goes home justified, not the Pharisee, who is full of himself. "Those who humble themselves will be exalted" says Jesus. Paul reminds us that because Jesus chose to empty himself,
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:9-11)
Yes, there is power in VOLUNTARY WEAKNESS.

The apostle Paul says in II Corinthians 12:10--"When I am weak, then I am strong."

Three ways in which we can follow Jesus' example of Voluntary Weakness:

#1. FASTING--taken for granted as a spiritual discipline in both the Old (Moses, Elijah) and New Testaments. Jesus, in addition to fasting himself, says in Matthew 6:16: "When you fast", not "if perchance, you may wish to choose the option of fasting" :) In voluntarily weakening our body, we experience the power of God in a way that is not possible otherwise.

#2. TITHING is an act of voluntarily weakening our financial position, yet a certain power of blessing is only experienced when we tithe (as in Malachi 3:8-12)

#3. SOAKING is a time of just being still in the presence of God, in a very relaxed, receiving posture (such as lying down). It is a time to simply receive all that the Holy Spirit wants to give us and allow him to draw us closer in intimacy with the Father, transforming us more and more into the likeness of Jesus (while we play some anointed music in the background.... (http://www.soaking.net/)

From all the reading I've done on those with incredibly anointed healing ministries, it is very clear that spending quiet time with the Father, offering themselves in voluntary weakness, is what allowed the Holy Spirit to fill them with power to minister. For over a year now, I've made a habit of spending at least an hour "soaking"...and know for sure that it has made a big difference to my life and ministry, particularly in the area of healing.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
See yourself standing beside Jesus at the Jordan.
Say to him: "Jesus, I am standing with you in all my weakness."
Pray: "Holy Spirit, fill me with your power in my weakness."
Wait...let the heavens open...let the Holy Spirit clothe you in power.
Hear the Father say: "You are my beloved; in you I am well pleased."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUPS

1. Can you think of other times in Jesus' life when he displayed "voluntary weakness?" (Hint: toward the end of his life)
2. Are there other "characters" in the Bible who illustrate the power of voluntary weakness?
3. Do you relate to any or all of the three expressions of voluntary weakness mentioned in the sermon? Why? Why not?
4. What other expressions of voluntary weakness do you practise?