Local

#1 -- God Initiates Mission

God does this by sending His Son

Romans 8:1-3 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

God the Father, Son & Spirit Send the Church

Read Genesis 12:1-3. This passage reveals a few things about God’s mission. First, God initiates redemption: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you”. Second, God’s mission extends throughout the world and down through time. Third, God expands His blessing through the people that He blessed. From the very beginning His people are given the privilege and responsibility of participating in His mission activity in the world.

#2 -- Mission is a part of our new nature

Matthew 5:14-16 -- “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

#3 -- Mission is Local and Global

Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 – “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.”

We are called first to ‘go’ where we live. We need to trust that God in his wisdom and love has placed us right where we reside. It is not an accident that you are in Virginia Beach (Acts 17:26-27) and as long as you live here you are called to care about the welfare of this city and live on mission locally. Tim Keller writes, “we encourage our people not to Despise the city (withdrawing, like a turtle), nor Reflect the city (blending, like a chameleon), nor Use the city (for their own purposes), but Love the city, live here, and serve it as good neighbors.”

#4 -- Mission is an Act of Proclaiming the Gospel

#5 -- Mission is carried out in the context of loving Community

John 13:34-35 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

If the community loves one another, and does so in full view of the culture, then the culture will see this love and attribute this difference to them being Christ followers.

#6 -- Mission is lived out in Ordinary Life

Read Jeremiah 29:4-7 - God’s people are in exile. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God tells the people why he is keeping them in exile and what he wants them to do while they are there. He wants them to live ordinary lives and while doing so live on mission to reach the Babylonians. Your job, home, hobbies & passions all matter to Christ and His kingdom. Ordinary life is the place to live out the mission.

Where Do We Start?

Start by prayerfully getting to know your city. If you were going to a foreign culture as a missionary you’d begin by getting to know the culture: what sort of clothing is appropriate, what is their perception of foreigners, what do they listen to, what place does Jesus have in their society, etc. We should do the same as missionaries to our culture. We need to get involved, build relationships, love, and pray continually that God would open a door for His message and draw friend, family, and coworker into his Kingdom.

Colossians 4:2-6 – “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

#7 -- Mission is for God’s Glory

Ephesians 1:11-14 – “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

1 Peter 2:12 – “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”