Sermon Cloud

7. A life of gospel intentionality is a life lived in community. Not only was Jesus choosing to live in community with the disciples but when he sent the disciples out to evangelize, he sent them in two's. Jesus was less concerned with the stuff he sent them out with and more concerned with sending the disciples out with people. This pattern continues by example of the early church in Acts.  And from the beginning we know that it is not good for man to be alone, and this includes being alone on mission.

There are some very practical benefits to doing mission in community. One often can battle despair, rejection, loneliness, fear and persecution when living a life of gospel intentionality and it is good for us not to take all these burdens ourselves but to remind each other as the church to cast our burdens on Christ. We need community to remind us of the gospel and to keep us from thinking it is all on us to fix the world alone. We need community to keep us from giving up, and accountability gives us the courage to persevere.  Also, practically, if we do mission in community we have more parts of the body to show off and to share. The body is to use different gifts, skills and interest to relate and reach more people as we point to Jesus Christ. Also it is our love for another and the way we care for and treat one another that will let the world know to whom we belong,  If we are not with one another on mission, this becomes impossible (John 13:34-35). 

This does not mean, though, that we are to only evangelize in pairs. This is descriptive and not prescriptive. God places us in classrooms, cubicles, teams, and clubs where we are the only believer. Not having other believers on mission in these places is not an excuse to not be gospel intentional. And we do not have to wait until someone else is there to have gospel conversations. Jesus met with Nicodemus and the woman at the well by himself and we see many one-on-one gospeling encounters throughout scripture. The question is, how do we get the benefit of community in these situations?

a)    Have the community pray for you and the specific people to whom you are trying to proclaim gospel.

b)    Be open with your community and Christ about the struggles, fears and other issues that are hindering your faith and ability to proclaim gospel.

c)    Share your victories and triumphs with community.

d)    Find opportunities to mix both worlds.

The church has made two grand mistakes throughout history. One is we live in a Christian bubble. Instead of seeing ourselves as not of the world but in the world, we see ourselves as out of the world and isolate ourselves from non-Christians and unbelievers.  This directly disobeys our identity to be a missionary and the call to make disciples of all nations. The other is the great dichotomy of living in two worlds: one with your Christian community and the other with just non-Christian community, fearing what either community would think or do to you if they knew people from the other one. We are instead to be a city on a hill, a light in darkness and the salt of the earth. We are to bring the two worlds together showing the unbelieving world the beauty of living in the light with one another. Practically this means having friends from your missional community recreate, serve, work and even vacation together with friends from your unbelieving worlds. This gives non-Christians an opportunity to see that we are not perfect, nor claim to be, and are regular people who enjoy many of the same things they do. We cry together, bleed together, laugh together and do life together amongst an unbelieving world. Often the most gospel intentional life is to invite people into a community of love and accept them regardless of their unbelief. Sometimes to be gospel intentional means to throw a barbeque and it may be someone else in the community who shares Christ for first time, while someone else answers tough questions, while someone else serves their needs, etc.  When we try to do mission completely on our own, we put on the burden of showing every beautiful part of the body of Christ all on our own. Do this together, do this in community. If you are not in missional community please become a part of one. It is necessary for a gospel intentional life (Mark 6:7-13).

8. A gospel intentional person is not satisfied with mere moral reformation but is committed to the hard work of heart transformation. We live in a society that judges everyone and everything on superficial appearances. We live in a region and city that takes this to a whole other extreme.  With Hollywood and sandy beaches nearby, Southern California is a place where plastic surgery, crazy diets, cleanses and fashions are normative. Here in the College Area, being buff, anorexic and tan is of utmost importance. We judge people based on race, looks, class, hair and nearly every outside surface thing we can think of. We live in a world where everyone’s worth is based on the outside.

Sadly, in the church it is not much different.  Not only is it not much different with looks, wealth and race but the church can even go to another extreme of judging surface morals. We are guilty of painting over tough issues like the ones we see listed in this passage with a mere white wash and a quick "Stop drinking and I will pray for that." We want a church full of people who stop doing big outside sins and can put on a pretty face for the world. In reality this is much easier. It is far easier to put porn block on a freshman's computer than to analyze the lies he believed while being molested as a thirteen year old boy. It is easy to say stop getting high; it is more difficult to find the sinful world the person is running from every time they get high. If we are lazy and settle for moral transformation we are allowing roots to grow deeper and cling tighter to a cold, sinful heart. This was even difficult for the disciples to see and understand. They walked with Jesus and still were perplexed by this concept of heart transformation. We must confess that we are quick to settle with changed behavior and not persistent on pursuing a changed belief. We are lazy and want to trim the tops of the weeds instead of pulling out the shovel, digging up the roots, and taking the ax to the sin that has gripped us.  A gospel intentional life is a life that won't settle for trimming weeds but is committed to excavating the entire grounds of sin. We must commit ourselves to digging up the roots of sin and praying for changed hearts that believe the truth and hope of the gospel. Behavior will always follow belief. This is a two way street, though. So many of us are running from community because we don't want anyone to point out the lies we have believed. We know that we worry a ton, or are in deep lust or worship things besides Christ and we know that if we put ourselves in real community these idols would be exposed. Repent of running from community. This work of a changed heart is for your joy. Quit believing the lies that you are fine on your own, can fix yourself and that you are not that bad. You are EVIL and wicked and foolish and need the church to help you find where the roots of these sins have gripped your heart (Mark 7:14-23).

9. A gospel intentional life is a life that asks good gospel questions and listens to the answers. Do we even know what the people we are trying to bring the gospel to believe? Do we have any idea of who they think Jesus is? Everyone has an opinion about Jesus. Whether you are atheist, Muslim, Hindu, JW, Christian, Mormon, black, white, Mexican, rich, poor or hippie, you have an opinion about Jesus. The world's timeline is divided by Jesus’ life. Jesus is a character in cartoons, a subject of songs, a swear word, the subject of artwork, a bobble head and prevalent on bumper stickers. Your friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family have heard of Jesus and have opinions about Jesus. Ask them. Ask them and share with them who you say that Jesus is - the Christ! (Mark 8:27-29)

10. A gospel intentional life is a life of sacrifice. Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice and we follow him by living a life of sacrifice. Our time, money and comfort must be sacrificed if we are to live a gospel intentional life. Those that consider themselves a part of Kaleo SDSU it will be your time, energy, tears, sleep and money that will take the biggest hit if Kaleo SDSU is to reach this community with the gospel. We must not be looking elsewhere for people to step up and serve, carry the financial load or gospel the broken hearts of SDSU.  But if we truly desire God to use Kaleo SDSU, then we must offer ourselves as a living sacrifice.  Are you willing to do God's will even if it means sacrifice?  In addition, we must understand that what we are calling people to when we share the gospel is a life of sacrifice. To follow Jesus means all else is considered nothing compared to the glory and joy of serving and knowing him. This means that a gospel that promises health and wealth is not the gospel but heresy. A gospel without the cross is not the gospel. The gospel is offensive. While we serve, love and care for the lost and listen for God's call and guidance of how and when to proclaim the good news of the cross of Christ, we must know that to be gospel intentional we must preach repentance and point to the cross. A watered down gospel is not the gospel. There is a heaven, there is a hell, we are rebellious and lost sinners in need of a savior and without the cross of Christ the wrath of a perfect, holy and just God would rest upon us. The gospel is not that we are good enough for heaven. It is not about what we have done, are doing or plan on doing; it is all about Jesus Christ and what he has done. We call people to a life of sacrifice not because that life will save them but because it is the very life of the one who has saved us and for our joy we imitate him! We do not proclaim a works gospel, a prosperity gospel or a doormat gospel, we proclaim Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. 

Don't you see that we are so easily satisfied with a give-me-stuff gospel? We run an endless race of pursuing the next thing that promises joy. We work our lives away so we can have a sliver of the world, when we can have the joy of a saved soul that is more valuable than the whole world. How much value do you put on souls? What would your life look like if you valued souls more than the entire world? How would that change your school, sports, work and family life?  Just think of what you would do for a million dollars and cry at the fact that you would not do half that stuff for a soul. We sacrifice tons to chase our sliver of the world but we are scared to death to sacrifice anything for the sake of the gospel. We must see that this life of sacrifice is not so we live miserable, depressed and empty lives.  It is the polar opposite. It is so we can really live. It is for our eternal joy. Joy is what is at stake. Live a life of gospel intentionality not because you have to but because it is the most fulfilling, abundant, rich and joyful life anyone could ever live! (Mark 8:34-37)