Mission of the Church

Mission of the Church

The Mission of the Church

I don’t like to garden. But I like people who do, because I like the fruit of gardening.
My parents didn’t garden much, so I didn’t develop any appreciation for gardening and plants until many years later.
Even PRUNING a tree. The first time I remember someone pruning a tree, I was about 20 or 21. This guy started sawing off branches.
My reaction was, “What are you doing? You’re going to kill it.”
I had no clue that the right amount of pruning is actually beneficial to a plant.

Plants in general are quite amazing.
I find it amazing that a small seed is planted, and out of that grows something quite large. Good soil, moisture, and sunlight. And it grows.
One acorn can grow into a 60-foot tall oak tree.
One pumpkin seed can overwhelm a garden with this vast spread of vine and pumpkins.

It’s like magic.

Spiritual growth is not unlike that.
When we believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, He saves us and sets his Holy Spirit in us. It’s like God plants a seed in us. And as the years go on, we grow in our Christ-likeness. We become more whole. More complete. Our lives bear the fruit of God. The fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of influencing other people for Jesus’ sake.
We look the same on the outside, but on the inside we are very, very different. Not unlike a tiny pumpkin seed turning into this massive vine with pumpkins.

And in the church, the same thing happens. After Jesus ascended into heaven, Acts 1 tells us that a tiny group of 120 fearful but excited believers began this organism called the church, and it began to grow. Grow in depth. And Grow in fruit. The roots go downward and the fruit goes upward.

In both cases— in our hearts and in the church— it is God who causes growth. The Apostle Paul made this quite clear in 1 Corinthians 3. He and another leader named Apollos both had roles. One planted, another watered. But God caused the growth. God saved.

We are in the middle of a 9-10 week series on outreach and evangelism. Spreading the good news of Jesus everywhere we go.

This morning we will see that the church—the local church—a group just like Stonebrook—is God’s vehicle for spreading the good news… for influencing the entire world for eternity. Each of us as part of the Church have a ROLE in that. And a PURPOSE.

What is “Church”?

Before we get into the Church’s role in spreading the good news of Jesus, I want to begin with a very basic question: “What is the Church?” If someone asked you that, what would you say?

When I speak of “CHURCH,” there are two possible meanings.
1. Capital “C” Church. God’s people all over the world. Millions.
2. Little “c” church. The local gathering, such as Stonebrook. Millions of people can’t meet together weekly in the SAME PLACE, so we gather in small, local groups called “church”.

These two “churches” are interrelated. Connected.

FIRST, What is “church”? Literally it means an assembly. A GATHERING.
It’s also described in the NT as:
• The Body. The Body of Christ. He is the Head, and we are His Body.
• His family.
Something has to distinguish us from the Moose Lodge. Or from FAN CLUB of the Green Bay Packers.
The bulletin insert is an attempt to summarize the essence of the Church. What it is.

BUT What ISN’T church?
NOT a building. I enjoy our building. It’s highly USEFUL. But we could SURVIVE without it. In some countries, Christians are hated, and they must meet in secret places to avoid arrest. It doesn’t really matter where we meet.

NOR is the church simply a meeting. “I am going to church on Sunday morning.”

So what IS the church? In its essence, the church is a group of believers in Jesus who commit to one another like FAMILY to follow after Jesus. To love Jesus together. To TRUST him. To obey him together. To walk like him. There is to be a Commitment in this group to one another. A DEVOTION. A Pledge of Allegiance. We say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. We should similarly have a Pledge of Allegiance to one another. To say, “I am going to follow after Jesus WITH you. LIKE A FAMILY.”

You will find that the NT uses FAMILY Language. Brothers and sisters. And God is our Father. When we believe in his Son, he adopts us as his sons and daughters.

John 1:12 ESV “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…”

One of the more remarkable TRUTHS he has given us.
Many of us didn’t have good family experiences growing up. But no worries: God has given us the Church to be like our heavenly family. And he is our Daddy. Our “ABBA FATHER.”

So what is the Church to Do?

So why the Church? Why are we even here? We do we gather and call ourselves “Church”?
Together as a Family and a Body—a Living Organism—we have three relational directions:

UPWARD—towards the Lord. Jesus said

Matthew 22:37–38 ESV “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.”

We tend to think of this FIRST and perhaps MAINLY on an individual level. “I am to love the Lord. To know him. Walk with him. Obey him. Pray to him.”
This is certainly true. It’s one of my passions. I think about that almost every day.
But in our American way of independent thinking, we tend to NEGLECT or DOWNPLAY our calling to Love the Lord as a whole. As a FAMILY. As the Body.
We are to love the Lord TOGETHER. And we are to HELP each other Love the Lord more. This is the first and greatest commandment.

This is why we meet on Sunday mornings. This is why we have Life Groups. We are meant to RELATE UPWARDLY together. As the church.

INWARD—to build up one another.
There are about 50 verses in the NT that command us in our relationship with one another. Love one another. Teach and admonish one another. Encourage one another.

In one of the more comprehensive of those commands, Paul speaks profoundly in Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4:15–16 ESV “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

We speak to one another so that we GROW UP into Christ. He is the Head. We are the Body. And each part is to work, helping the whole body to grow up in love.

We have an INWARD relationship in the Church….to help one another grow together in Jesus. To grow in character. In deeds. In love.

OUTWARD—to the world.
Jesus has given us a Charge. A Command. A Mission.
It is more than Family-wide in its scope.
It is more than Neighborhood wide.
It is more than City wide
It is worldwide in its scope.
Jesus’ last recorded words on earth before he ascended into heaven was this:

Acts 1:8 ESV “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We are to do this an individual level: I am to love and influence others. But we are also to do all this TOGETHER.

The Church: Outward

For several weeks, we have talked about neighboring. Loving our next door neighbor. Loving people who we are regularly near, like a co-worker.
This is our INDIVIDUAL outwardness.
Today I want to talk about our outwardness TOGETHER. As a Church. As a Family.

Turn to Acts 1.
Let’s look again at Acts 1, but let’s get the fuller picture.
We are told, these are Jesus’ last words.

Acts 1:6–11 ESV “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Someone’s last words are precious, aren’t they? If you were sitting by the bed of someone you loved, and they were dying, their last words would be precious. Valuable.

These are Jesus’ last words on earth. Obviously not at his death bed. But consider what he told his disciples to do.

In a way, Jesus is talking about GROWTH of the plant. He is saying, “Take me….Take the truth about me….Take your story of your encounter with me…and go all over the world. To the ENDS of the EARTH. And do your part to help this plant grow.” The disciples did just that. It is believed from ancient history that the Apostles ended up in other parts of the world. For example, Thomas the Apostle ended up in India and was martyred there for his faith.

Do we believe Jesus’ words for ourselves? Do we take his command personally? That somehow and in some way we are going to be a part of the CHURCH obeying this?

As a sophomore at Iowa State, I was brand new to my faith in Christ. I met up with this group of people we now call Stonebrook. A few months later, by the spring of that year, I was profoundly impacted by Scriptures like these.
I was 19. And a man in the church asked me if I wanted to go with him to the Union. He was OLD. Really old. Probably 23. His name was Tim.
We went into the Union, and walk up to people we didn’t know and talk about Jesus. Well, TIM would talk about Jesus. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was partially shocked by his boldness. And partially challenged.
Then just a few months later, at one of our church meetings, they were talking about these 3 groups of people moving away.
I didn’t understand what was going on. Afterwards, I asked Tim, “These 3 groups are moving to other cities to start new churches.” And Tim was going to be in one of those groups. He moved to Gainesville, Florida.
I was inspired by this. I thought, “These people are SERIOUS about obeying Jesus’ last words!!”

So in that first year of my new faith in Christ, I clearly remember being struck by this: I had a purpose in life. And that purpose was from God. But it wasn’t merely MY purpose. It was OUR purpose.

The Scriptures are quite clear that while there is an individual component to that purpose, it is lived out….it MUST BE LIVED OUT…in community. In the FAMILY of God.

God’s plan for influencing the entire world with the message of his Son, Jesus, is lived out through the Church. Certainly the worldwide Church. But it comes down to the thousands of LOCAL churches. Small bands of men and women like Stonebrook.

That year…my infancy and toddler year in the faith…laid a foundation for me. A foundation of a deep conviction. A conviction that God has a PURPOSE and a PLAN for me….and for the Church.
It is an OUTWARD purpose.

Does each of us have a conviction on this? Do we believe this? Are we acting on this?

Apostle Paul’s Example

Open your Bibles to Acts 13. The Apostle Paul now serves to us as perhaps the greatest example of a Christ-follower. His influence on the Church back in the 1st Century has continued on for the past 2000 years.
½ of the Book of Acts is about him.
13 of books of the NT are written by him.

He was COMPLETELY committed to the Church in its 3 relationships:
UPWARD with the Lord.
INWARD with helping the church to grow in Jesus.
OUTWARD in doing his part to help God’s FAMILY to expand across the world.

It behooves us to pay attention to his life. And to be inspired by his life.

Acts 13:1–5 ESV “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.
They traveled to other regions and cities and preached the good news of Jesus, FIRST to the Jews in those cities.”

Then turn to Acts 14:

Acts 14:21–23 ESV “When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

“Many disciples” were made. Churches were established. Elders (or Pastors) were appointed.

For the next 7-8 chapters, we see Paul travelling around the Mediterranean world talking about Jesus wherever he went. He planted seeds. And wherever those seeds grew, he had the beginning of a church. The message of Jesus is meant to be spread. It is something organic, like a SEED planted that grows and produces many more seeds.

Most gospel-preaching, Jesus-loving churches I know are, in some way, involved in this work. Perhaps they have actually started new churches. Perhaps they support missionaries like Paul and Barnabas.
My mother-in-law’s small Baptist church in Eagle Grove— about 40 people— are participating this way.

Most churches know that the Gospel message is not to be kept to themselves. The message of Jesus is MEANT to be exported.
The spreading of the message of Jesus ought to be something quite natural and normal.

Jesus met this man who was possessed by MANY Demons. A “LEGION” of demons.
Jesus ordered the Demons to leave, and the poor man—after years of terrible oppression—was finally set free.

Luke 8:38–39 ESV “The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”

LET’S DWELL ON THIS. This is so simple. I was reading that this week, and I thought, “Oh, I can do that. I can go to my neighborhood and elsewhere in the city. I can declare how much Jesus has done for me.” Fundamentally, this is all that evangelism is. We can make it this big, scary thing. But it’s actually quite straightforward.

It’s like the stories we have heard the past 7 weeks, like Terri Huffman’s. They are beautiful stories. Each one is unique. Wonderful. The stories make us smile.

But the stories are actually quite simple. Each person is simply “declaring how much Jesus has done for him/her.”
And even if the Lord had not commanded us to spread it, i.e., to make disciples of all nations, how could we not help but spread it? It is a glorious message that is too good to be kept to ourselves.

What this man in Luke 8 on a MICRO level is essentially the same thing that the Apostle Paul is doing on a MACRO level.
Paul is traveling around the Mediterranean world, declaring what Jesus has done for him.

At its simplest level, that is what CHURCH PLANTING is. It is God’s people EXPORTING the riches in Christ that have been granted to them.

Look at these passages from Acts:
Acts 6:7 ESV “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”
Acts 9:42 ESV “And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”
Acts 12:24 ESV “But the word of God increased and multiplied.”
Acts 13:49 ESV “And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.”
Acts 19:10 ESV “This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

I could show you 5 to 10 more verses like this in Acts. It’s a remarkable statement.
It is natural for a plant to grow. It produces seeds. Those seeds produce more plants. Those plants produce seeds.

There is no command in the NT with the words, “Go plant new churches.” But we do have a command to make disciples of all the nations. We do hear Jesus commanding them to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. And we see churches being started geographically far from the FIRST CHURCH, Jerusalem.

It’s rather obvious from the NT—both in Acts and from Paul’s letters—that the global Church and the local church, like Stonebrook, have a role in spreading the story of Jesus all over the world. PRECISELY HOW that happens?? There is some flexibility. A couple of leaders like Paul and Barnabas could go out. A small team like we are hoping to send to Rochester could go out.

So the HOW has some flexibility. Scriptures don’t command every detail. But Scriptures are rather IN-flexible as to IF we SHOULD participate. The answer to SHOULD we is, “YES!”

Stonebrook’s History

On the MICRO level, Stonebrook has always made efforts to influence our city and campus one person at a time.
Individuals loving and serving and speaking to individuals.
In the classroom. In the neighborhood. In the workplace.
On the MACRO level, one thing Stonebrook has done is PLANT CHURCHES.
What Stonebrook has done?
Stonebrook’s past.
Since this PLANT called Stonebrook was planted 45 years ago, we have planted seeds in other parts of the U.S. and one seed in Asia.
And then those seeds grew into plants, and then THEY planted seeds. Some seeds grew very well and became a huge plant. Other seeds didn’t grow that well. There have been successes and failures.
And it pains me a little that we’ve actually slowed down in this process. Our last church plant was 7 years ago to Decorah in northeast Iowa.
Our VISION is to increase that frequency.
Next Spring, we are planning to send a team to Rochester, Minnesota. Rochester is anticipating significant growth in the next 10-20 years, and we see a great opportunity there.

And for the first time, we are joining with another church to make this happen.
One of our “Granddaughter” churches in Lakeville, Minnesota, is going to join with us.
In fact, interestingly, one of their pastors, Charlie Meyer and his wife Roxanne, are from Stonebrook.
Charlie and I were very close friends when he was here.
Then in 1986, Charlie and Rox moved with a team to Minneapolis to start a church there.
Charlie later moved to another suburb to help start a church there.
And now we’re sort of coming full circle and joining back with Charlie.

What is church planting?
It is simply taking what the church is and is to do and doing that in another place. Goal: seeing the kingdom of God grow. The Great Commission. Making disciples. Church planting is one part of that. It is simply taking what we do here and doing it elsewhere.
Next week, Paul Johnson will talk more specifically about our plans for Rochester, Minnesota.

Application

Let me give you three applications.
1. Conviction
Deepen your conviction that Jesus’ last words are for you.
“Be my witness in Jerusalem…Judea and Samaria…to the end of the earth.”
Be convinced that this is for you.
This is for you on a personal level.
This is for you joined up with a local church, like Stonebrook.
Read Jesus’ last words. Ask the Lord to help you be MORE CONVINCED

2. Participation
Jesus calls us to participate in this great OUTWARD purpose to our faith.
Like he did to the formerly demon-possessed man, he calls us to go and tell others what Jesus has done for you. That’s on the MICRO level.
But he also calls us to participate on the MACRO level.
Participate with what Stonebrook is doing as a Church Family. Including this Church plant.
I don’t want us to merely view the church plant as what others are doing. I want us to view it as what WE…WE….are doing.
A relatively small number will actually be moving from Ames to Rochester, but this is for all of us.
When we talk about it on Sunday or other times, pay attention. Its part of what this family called Stonebrook is doing. You’re part of the Family, so you are part of it. Consider yourself an OWNER. Say, “WE…” not, “THEY.”

Participate with your INTEREST. Participate with your PRAYERS.
Participate with FINANCES. Participate with ACTION.

3. Prayer
Jesus commanded us to pray.
One of the few specific things he told us to pray for is LABORERS.
Matthew 9:37–38 ESV Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Both individually and collectively, we should pray that the PLANT of God, his FAMILY, would grow. That more seeds would be planted. That we would water and fertilizer and do all we can, by the strength of God.

And that in the end, God would increase his family size. Like planting a seed in the ground, it grows. It’s a remarkable process. It’s like magic.