8/10/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

The call of Missions

Why would churches spend hundreds of millions of dollars to send thousands of well-qualified people all over the world?  Many of these places are dangerous and thousands of these sent people have given their lives.  Why such an emphasis on what we call missions?
    What did Jesus have to say about this?  One day Jesus went to eat lunch with Zacchaeus, a well known reprobate.  When He was criticized for consorting with a “sinner”, Jesus replied:
Luke 19:10 NKJV
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
    This thought of being spiritually lost is at the heart of missions.  It must stir us and challenge us.
❏    What does it mean?
❏    What are the implications of a person being lost spiritually?
❏    How long does lost last?
❏    Is there an end to being lost?
❏    What impact should lost people have on believers?
    Jesus is the way to life and peace.  Jesus gives us eternal life.    He commanded and commissioned:
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
    Luke recorded:
Luke 24:46-48 NKJV
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.”
    What has missions accomplished?  Is the world any better off because of missions?  Let me share a missions update.
Tanzania Assemblies of God Celebrates 75th Anniversary
    One of the fastest growing national churches in the world, the Tanzania Assemblies of God, has planted more than 4,000 new churches in the last five years.  The church celebrated its 75th anniversary from the time the first Assemblies of God missionaries brought the gospel to Tanzania.
    In 1939, AG missionaries Paul and Evelyn Derr went and a few small churches were birthed.  Fourteen years later, the vision and passion of three African believers would result in the formation of what is now the Tanzania Assemblies of God.
    Driven by a sense of urgency, three men walked 160 miles to a missionary outpost to request that a missionary come to them.
    The missionaries sent a telegram to the Missions Department of the Assemblies of God. Wesley and June Hurst had already raised their funds and packed to journey as new missionaries to South Africa. After receiving the telegram, H. B. Garlock, regional director for Africa, called the Hursts and asked them if they would be willing to go to Tanzania instead. After praying, they felt God confirmed to them that this was His will. They arrived in 1953 and founded what became the Tanzania Assemblies of God.
       To lay a strong foundation for the churches, the Hursts opened a Bible school.  Soon they were joined by other missionaries.  The national church now celebrates 6,200 churches, 32 church planting schools and seven Bible colleges.
Information taken from article written by Kristel Ortiz, AGWM website
    I wonder if those three men who walked 160 miles to ask for missionaries had any idea of how it would grow.  A thought to ponder: Never limit God.
    We have been looking at the book of Acts.  We are going to look at a few verses that show us the launch of missions by the church.
Acts 13:1-3 NKJV
1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
    Paul and Barnabas were called by God into missionary service.  The believers commissioned them to go.  In the gathering we read about, God confirmed what He had been working in their hearts.  Paul and Barnabas knew that God wanted them to travel and win people to Jesus.
    God called Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel.  Their message was God’s good news of forgiveness and new life through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  They would lead people to a personal relationship with Christ.  The missions purpose was to bring people to Jesus as Savior and Lord so they would be rescued and freed from Satan’s power.
    As people were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, churches were planted.  They taught people to grow in the Lord and local leaders were trained and commissioned.
    God is still calling missionaries today.  The task is far from being completed.  As we think of missions, we must start at home and think around the world.  Wisconsin is as big of a missions field as Africa and Asia.
    The primary purpose of missions, wherever it is, must always be to bring people to Jesus.  He is the only One who can rescue them from the consequences of sin and from Satan’s power.
    As people are won to the Lord, they must be taught the Bible and helped to mature as new believers.  This is why we spent two months of our Wednesday Bible study showing you how you can help new believers.
    Verse 3.  The church sent them off.  We see the beginning of the Christian missionary movement.  The Bible says missions starts -- in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8).
    Sending missionaries.  We are blessed to be part of a fellowship that gives a high priority to sending people to every conceivable place and need.  This is the heart of God.  We are blessed because of having a heart to help people reach lost people around the world.
    Let’s look back again at Luke 24, one phrase.
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations
    Repentance:  repent - verb
1.  feel or express sincere regret or remorse.
2.  feel regret or remorse about.
    The thought that comes to me with repent is that I’m sorry I did it and I don’t plan to do it again.  Turn around and go the other way.
    Repentance must be proclaimed to the world, because the world is guilty of sin.
    Remission: the cancellation of a debt, forgiveness of sins.
    Sin must be forgiven, the debt of sin paid.  Jesus did it.
An old chorus: Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.
    Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
Anyone who has not had their sin washed in the blood of Jesus, who has not received the gift of eternal life from Jesus, is lost in their sin.  This is a powerful motivation for missions.
    Ask yourself: am I really listening to God’s call regarding my involvement in missions?
DISCUSSION
What questions do YOU have about missions?
Is this statement true?  Through our involvement in missions, we are changing eternity.  It is?  Then what impact should that have on us?
Prayer: what missions involvement is God calling YOU to?

8/3/14 Breakthrough Prayer

    Jesus said “My house shall be called a house of prayer”.  He expected His people to be people of prayer.
    James wrote in his book:
James 5:16 (B) NKJV
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
AMP
The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
MSG
The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
NLT
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
    Prayer is a powerful weapon God has given to His church.  Prayer accomplishes many things.  God expects his people to pray.
    Let me tell you two stories about prayer.  Several years ago, one night, I got extremely sick.  By the next morning I couldn’t take it any more and went to the hospital.  I was barely able to walk in, I looked horrible.  Early the next morning they determined I must have surgery and I went in as they discovered that I was poisoning myself with a major blockage.  They repaired it and the doctor said I would go home in a few days.
    Well, my inside system shut down and I was extremely sick.  I couldn’t even keep jell-O down.  Nothing they did worked.  On day nine of this saga, my brother, Roger, called me.  He asked how I was doing.  I told him how bad it was.  He prayed for me over the phone.  As he prayed I felt something lift out of my body.  The next morning I ate some kind of mushy cereal.  A few hours later I ate some ice cream.  Then the doctor came in and I told him about eating.  He said he was waiting for that to happen and I could go home.
    Fast forward to two years ago.  I got the call that Roger had a heart attack.  He was in the hospital and they did surgery to repair the blockage.  He laid there unresponsive.  We watched him for thirteen days, and then watched him die.  During this time there were literally thousands of people praying.  We had powerful times of the presence of the Lord in his hospital room.  Yet, he died.
    Why the two different results?  God knows.  Hold on to this thought as we look at the book of Acts again.
Acts 12:1-4 NKJV
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
    James was the first of the Apostles to be martyred.  Herod was an evil leader who was only playing political games.  When he saw he got political brownie points for James’ death, he put Peter next on the list and had him arrested.  If you are not familiar with the story, you are going to see that the outcomes were completely different.
    What was the response of the church?
Acts 12:5 NKJV
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
    The early church faced much opposition.  They responded with earnest and intense prayer.  Their situation looked impossible.  James had been killed.  Herod took Peter in custody and guarded him with  sixteen soldiers.  The church lived with the absolute assurance that “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”.  What did the church do?  They prayed.
    Let’s look at the story of what happened.  It is found in Acts 12:6-17.
    What do we learn from this?  We don’t always know the outcome.  We have to trust God to do what He knows best.  However, this is not an excuse to not do anything.  This is not an excuse to not pray and pray intensely.  The early church set the pace and this example is what has worked down through the centuries.
    This story is one illustration of what the church did.  They were serious about intense corporate prayer.  Remember, Jesus said His house would be a house of prayer.
    God’s powerful presence and prayer to together.  Prayer meetings are where the battle is fought.  Without prayer, preaching, teaching, singing or spiritual activities will never bring the true power and presence of God.
    Because we are in a spiritual battle, we must fight with spiritual weapons. The conflict is intense and the enemy is powerful.  God is more powerful.
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
    This describes the battle.  It is against evil forces that influence the world around us.  The battle we fight is not political.
    What are we to do?
Ephesians 6:13 NKJV
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
    Take up God’s armor and use it.
Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, God’s Word.
    Ending with:
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
    Pray in the Spirit.  Persevere with the saints and be a powerful force of prayer.
    I would guess that the majority of believers say their prayer life needs improvement.
Questions:
Why is it so hard to pray?
What can we do about the level of our prayer lives?
What is it going to take to make the necessary changes in our prayer lives?
    I don’t know if we can really answer this question with words, but -- do you really see the power of prayer and the necessity of growing in our prayer lives?  Do you really hunger to have a powerful corporate prayer life together?  Do you think God wants to fill us with His power and presence as we get serious about prayer?

Communion - a time of searching our hearts and remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Prayer

7/27/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

God wants to save him???????  Her???????

God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
    Last week we looked at the fact that God wants to use all believers.  Today we look at the fact that God wants all to come to Him to receive salvation.
Some historical foundation.  A quick review of thousands of years of history.
    God spoke to a man named Abram.
Genesis 12:1-4 NIV
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
    This began an amazing journey that is still impacting the world today.  Abram and Sarai were old, too old to have children. Their descendants today are too numerous to count.  God promised to be with them and their descendants.  God promised a Redeemer, a Messiah to restore what was lost when Adam and Eve sinned.  The prophet Isaiah wrote:
Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

    Abraham’s descendants had their spiritual ups and downs.  But, they looked forward to the time when the Messiah would come.  Finally, that day arrived.
Luke 2:6-7 NKJV
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
    There was a heavenly celebration.
Luke 2:13-14 NKJV
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
    Jesus went to the cross and rose from the grave.  He ascended to heaven and the church was born.  Many miraculous signs were happening and thousands were believing.  There was persecution against the believers by those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.  Yet, the church moved on.
    ***One very interesting fact: the church was made up totally of Jews, the descendants of Abraham.  Jesus was Jewish and the Jews were looking for the promised Messiah.  Many believed in Jesus.  They didn’t realize that something was missing.  That something was the rest of the people in the world, known as the Gentiles.
    ***Continuing to look at the Book of Acts --
Enter: Peter and a man named Cornelius.
    Peter was visiting a friend in Joppa.  It was lunch time and God gave Peter a vision.  It included many animals the Jews were not allowed to eat.
Acts 10:13-16 NKJV
13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
    Cornelius had been seeking God, to know the true God.  God gave him a vision to send to Joppa to find Peter.  He did this.  Peter responded to the invitation and went to his house.  He began to preach to them.
Acts 10:34-43 NKJV
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all-- 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
The response of the hearers: they believed the message and believed on Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Acts 10:44-48 NKJV
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
    After this adventure to the home of a Gentile, Peter was in trouble with the folks at the home church in Jerusalem for going to the home of a Gentile.  But, when he told them the Gentiles were baptized in the Holy Spirit just as they had been, they accepted the fact that Jesus could save Gentiles as well.
    Question:  What’s the point of what I have talked about so far?  There are many ways we could go.  I want to focus on two things.
1.  God loves the whole world and Jesus died on the cross for everyone.
    The early church had a steep learning curve to recognize that Jesus really did die for the whole human race.  They had to grasp the concept that “whosoever” calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  There was no elitism that put them above the rest of the nations.
    So, we see the concept of missions.  That is both home and foreign missions.  Efforts must be made locally, regionally and internationally.  We must see people in the same way Jesus sees them. Without salvation, they are lost.  This includes the “strange” people you see regularly.  There is one way to heaven, His name is Jesus.
    There is no one we see that can’t be saved. The foundational need for anyone is to be saved.  That decision will put them on the right track to turn their life around.  Yes, Jesus died for EVERYONE and our heart must be focused on that.  We must be involved in activities that will help lead people to Jesus.
Jesus said:
Acts 1:8 NKJV
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
    This verse ties these two thoughts together.  We are to reach out to all people.  And, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to do God’s work.
2.  The baptism in the Holy Spirit is for all believers.
    What happened at Cornelius’s house?  They were saved.  How did Peter verify that to the skeptical church in Jerusalem?  The Gentiles received the baptism in the Holy Spirit the same way they had.  They had the sign, the evidence of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance.
    The power in the early church was the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers.  The battle was hard and nasty back then.  There was persecution.  There were many unbelievers.  Yet, the church grew and overcame the forces of evil.  The power of the Holy Spirit gave them what they needed to do God’s work.
From the writings of one of our AG missionaries, Denny Miller:
In the Purpose of His Ministry
    The Bible says that one of the purposes of Jesus’ coming was “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). Even the demons understood that He had come to destroy them: “Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?’” (Mark 1:23-24).
In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus revealed His agenda for ministry. He would focus on six things:
1.  Anointing:  He would minister under the anointing of the Spirit. (“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me...”)
2.  Preaching:  He would preach the gospel. (“...to preach good news to the poor.”)
3.  Setting the prisoners free:  He would liberate those bound by sin and the devil. (“He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners...”)
4. Healing:  He would heal the sick. (“...and recovery of sight for the blind...”)
5.  Releasing the oppressed:  He would liberate those in bondage—spiritually, physically, emotionally, religiously, and socially. (“...to release the oppressed...”)
6.  Proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God: He would announce that the time had arrived for the coming of God’s kingdom. (“...to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”)
Power Encounter, Denzil R. Miller, pp 19-20
    Jesus came to give salvation to the world.  He gave the power of the Holy Spirit to the church to equip us for God’s work.  How can we apply this today?
Two statements we looked at.  Think: What do they say to you?  What difference should they make in our lives?
1.  God loves the whole world and Jesus died on the cross for everyone.
2.  The baptism in the Holy Spirit is for all believers.
    Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.  What specific works of evil do you see that need to be destroyed in our area?
1 John 3:8 NKJV
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
PRAYER. Lord, we know that it is through your power that the victory will come.