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Our Mission is Training

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audio/mpeg iconOur Mission is Training
Sermon Date: 
Sun, 01/31/2010 (All day)

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)
 
Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. 19Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20 (MsgB)
 
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: 19Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 20Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Introduction: I have been speaking to you about the “Mission” that God has given us for this New Year and the coming decade. “Our mission is transition, transformation, and training of common people of our region to become uncommon followers of Jesus Christ.” I spoke to you about “Transition” which is about harvest, which is passage from the world to the Kingdom. Then last week I brought you a message on “Transformation,” which is allowing God to change the way we think and act. Today, I want to continue with our “Mission Statement” and speak to you about “Training.”

What does training mean?

 1. Hebrew: chanak, to initiate or discipline; dedicate, train up.
 2. Dictionary: To coach in or accustom to a mode of behavior or performance.
 3. To make proficient with specialized instruction or practice.
 4. To enable to understand: educate, guide, instruct, school, teach, tutor.
 5. To impart knowledge or skill: coach, educate, equip, prepare, give instruction, discipline.
 6. Therefore, training is to coach, guide, teach, equip, and prepare common people of our region, to become uncommon followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ.

What are we training people to do?

1. To become disciples of Jesus Christ. Mark 8:34-35 (NLT) 
Then He (Jesus) called His disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. "If any of you wants to be My follower (disciple)," He told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow Me. 35If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. 

2. To do God’s work. Eph.4:11-13 (NLT) 
He (Jesus) is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. 

3. To stand before the judgment seat. Rev. 20:11-15 (MsgB) 
I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. 12And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there—before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books; by the way they had lived. 13Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. 14Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death—Lake Fire. 15Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire.

How are people trained to become followers of Christ?
1. By coming to church and hearing the truth of God’s Word.
2. Sunday School.
3. Prayer.
4. Reading Scripture.
5. Home groups.
6. Special meetings for men, women, and youth. 
7. Reading books and attending conferences & seminars.

Conclusion: Just as a child is “trained up in the way he should go,” so should we also. God’s desire is for every man, woman, and young person to be a follower of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is not enough for us to just be church goers. We are all called to be disciples and for that to happen there must be training. Jesus trained His disciples and we are here today to help train all of us. No one is exempt, not me or any of our staff or elders. Training, learning, and equipping are an ongoing process. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to equip us to do His work here until He comes again. There are no lay-offs or lack of work in the Kingdom. There is plenty of work to go around for all. Will you join in the process and be trained “to do God’s work?” Will you settle for being a church goer or will you train to be a disciple of Christ and a difference maker in this world? The choice is ours to make. Make a quality decision today!

Close: John 13:34-35 (NLT) 

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."