Missional – Personal Mission
Mark Trubey

Good Morning everyone, it’s a real joy to be here with you today and to share a message I feel God has laid on my heart for you guys as a congregation.  I want to say a huge thank you for the leadership team entrusting me to come and minister to you guys – it’s a huge privilege and one I don’t take lightly.

When I was given the topic to preach on, I was thrilled as this is a subject that gets me fired up!  We’re going to look at the theme of living a missional lifestyle this morning.

Jesus commissioned us in Matthew 28 to GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL – if you’re a follower of Jesus you and I are called to live a missional lifestyle. 

For those of us have encountered Jesus’ love, we’re called to share His love and this Good News of the Gospel with those around us. 

WHAT A HUGE PRIVILEGE THIS IS – TO BE AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST!  TO BE CALLED TO LIVE MISSIONALLY IN OUR CONTEXTS.

You’re the missionary in your workplace, family, social clubs, neighbourhood – WE’RE ALL CALLED TO LIVE A MISSIONAL LIFESTYLE!

IT IS NOT FOR A SELECT FEW INDIVIDUALS, BUT EVERY CHRISTIAN!

To help us explore this theme of LIVING A MISSIONAL LIFESTYLE this morning we will spend most of our time focusing upon perhaps the most influential missionary to have ever existed outside of Jesus – the Apostle Paul.

So if you have a Bible would you please turn with me to the book of Acts, chapter 9 and we will read from verses 1-19.

If you’re new to this space and unfamiliar with the story of Scripture let me quickly update you where we’re at so far in the story.

Jesus has just died on the cross, rose from the dead, appeared to the disciples and commissioned them to continue the work He had begun on Earth – to spread the message of God’s grace, kindness and forgiveness to those who have rejected Him, are far from Him and don’t know Him.

The early followers of Jesus started to do this but have been met with great opposition from the authorities and religious rulers.  One person in particular called Saul, wanted to eradicate these Jesus followers and stop this message spreading any further so he began to persecute, imprison and kill them.

Saul is now currently travelling to a place called Damascus to persecute these early Christians and that’s where we pick up our story from.

ACTS 9:1-19

I want to explore three lessons we can learn from this story and the Apostle Paul’s life on how we can live missional lifestyles.

1. Paul had an ENCOUNTER with Jesus

Saul was on the way to persecute, torture and kill Christians – but he encounters Jesus and gets struck physically blind symbolising his spiritual blindness.  Jesus speaks to Paul audibly and changes the trajectory of his life forever.

Paul radically encounters Jesus and from that moment on EVERYTHING CHANGES.

If we’re going to live missional lifestyles, it begins and is sustained by an encounter with Jesus.

This encounter happened 2,000 years ago, but can I tell you He Is still encountering people today!

MY ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS STORY

An encounter with Jesus will change you and you’re never the same after one.

Before Moses received his missional calling, he encountered God at the burning bush.

Before Isaiah was commissioned to go, he encounters the Lord in the temple.

We can go through so many characters in the Bible who had an encounter with God before they were commissioned in their calling.

Some of my hero’s who lives out this missional lifestyle are a couple called Rolland and Heidi Baker.

Rolland and Heidi are long-term missionaries in Mozambique, Africa.  After fifteen years of living out a missional lifestyle in the slums of Indonesia, Hong Kong and London, and eighteen months among the broken children of Mozambique – Rolland and Heidi were burnt out and in desperate need of a fresh touch from God.

You can read their encounter with the Lord online – but in a nutshell they go out to Toronto and are profoundly touched by God in a revival that was happening there.

Heidi was so desperate before going out she cries out to God saying “God, if You don’t touch me, I am so tired that I’d just like to take a job at Kmart.  I don’t think I can continue in ministry without You touching me afresh.”

Heidi went out several times and had such a powerful encounter with God where she felt this fire go through her body and electricity leaving her paralysed from the neck down for a short period of time.  This lasted for several days – with such an incredible joy that when they returned to Mozambique their ministry took off to a new level.

They’ve seen incredible miracles, deaf ears opening, countless churches planted and over a million salvation responses!

WHAT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR THIS BURNT OUT COUPLE SEEKING TO LIVE A MISSIONAL LIFESTYLE?

AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD!

Some people said to me over the years I’ve never encountered God like that or had a Damascus Road experience though.

I want to encourage you that an encounter with God can look different for everyone.  HE KNOWS WHAT WE ALL NEED.

We must be careful not to minimise what we see as ‘lesser encounters.’

Sometimes an encounter with God does look like a weightiness that comes upon you or a fire you feel in your heart – but other times it can be a Scripture that burns within your heart – that’s an encounter.

It could look like a heart full of gratitude as you walk in God’s creation – that’s an encounter.

It can happen in the quiet like with Elijah – the still small whisper – but what’s important is we encounter Him.

NOT A ‘LESSER CHRISTIAN’!!!!

IN SAYING THAT THOUGH – can I encourage you that the Bible says THOSE WHO SEEK ME, WILL FIND ME.

DON’T LIMIT GOD!!!!

Ephesians 1:17 – I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

KNOW – EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE

Maybe some of you here today are feeling a little burnt out and need a fresh encounter – if that’s you we’re going to pray into that at the end of the service.

HOW CAN I HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD THOUGH LIKE THIS?

Bill Johnson – Set yourself up to be ambushed by God by maintaining a passionate pursuit of His Presence through prayer.

The Apostle Paul was continuously throughout his life, setting himself up to be ambushed by God.  ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE CAN DO TO ENABLE THIS IS TO PRAY.

WHEN YOU SEEK HIM, YOU WILL FIND HIM.

Lesson one – if we are going to live missional lifestyles we need an encounter with God, to EXPERIENCE HIM and have an ongoing lifestyle of encountering Him.

1. Paul was EMPOWERED for the Mission

We read in the story that after Paul was struck blind, God speaks to Ananias and tells him to go lay hands on Paul.

Ananias is terrified as he knew Saul’s reputation, but he goes – he’s obedient to the calling of God. When he arrives at the house, he prays for him, the scales fall off his eyes and it says in verse 17 Saul was “filled with the Holy Spirit.”

This is so important for us if we’re going to live missional lives.  WE NEED TO BE EMPOWERED AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

After Jesus was resurrected, He commissions the disciples to go into the world but then in Acts 1 – HE SAYS BUT DON’T TRY DO THIS ALONE! 

WAIT FOR THE GIFT MY FATHER PROMISED – YOU NEED TO BE BAPTISED FIRST IN THE HOLY SPIRIT!

The Apostle Paul teaches us this is not a one time event but commands us to KEEP BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

TO LIVE MISSIONALLY WE NEED TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!