My Role in the Mission

Today on Summit life pastor Jean Greer addresses the common concerns we talked about our God's will. It's not lost. The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

And your life is not part of that grander purpose. If your ambition is not part of that mission from God's perspective, you are living a purposeless life, a waste of life.

Even if you make a lot of money and do a lot of things with your life right.

I'm your host Molly benefits survey, 96% of teenagers that when asked about their hopes for the future that they want to make a difference in the world. We all crave a greater purpose and desire for our lives to leave an impact. How do we make. How do we find our calling pastor JD addresses those questions today on Summit light continues our survey of the Bible called the whole story.

Let's jump on then entitled today's message my role in the mission. You know specifically what God wants from you. You know specifically what God's divine purpose calling is on your life.

What is will is for your life.

See Paul in the book of Romans.

Romans 15 explains that he found just that for his life. He found this kind of specific purpose and while Paul's calling is not to be identical to yours very clearly. Paul's calling is not going to be identical to yours. He lays out the path for how you can discover yours.

So the path that he goes out of the exact type. You gotta go down if you want to figure out what yours is. You got your Bibles open on the Romans chapter 50. Let's go to verse 14, so Paul says I'm satisfied about you talking to the Romans, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another by the Paul's, definition of what a mature church is so he continues, but on some points I've written to you very boldly by way of reminder because of the grace given to me by got this point what Paul does is he starts to talk about his specific role in the mission resource.

She's very personal phrases like grace given to me by God. This is the role that I have God made Paul to be a writer and speaker in a leader and apostle.

I think that's the way that I fulfill the role. That's why I wrote to you so verse 16 now I'm to be a minister of crises to the Gentiles the prison service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

He sees his work here among the Gentiles is like a personal offering that makes the got an offer you my God, this is what I'm giving to you. This is my gift to you his offering to going in Christ Jesus. Then I have reason to be proud of my work for God in very personal for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and by deed verse 19 by the power signs and wonders by the power of the spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to it later I come. I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ that is Paul trying to say that everybody from Jerusalem to Lyrica modes. The gospel got saved and how is he saying he fulfilled the gospel ministry gospel price that he fulfill his role and that's what he means nothing to God.

He said I did my part, I do very specific assignment from God and I did it and so I can say I have fulfilled it like people in verse 20. Thus I make it my ambition what I want to do is preach the gospel now where Christ started and then I had a very specific place on preach the gospel, not everybody, but these people less I build on somebody else's foundation because it is written. Verse 21. Those who have never been told of him will see and those who have never heard will understand now know there are so so many things we can focus on that passage but here's what I want to highlight. Did you notice all the really personal phrases that Paul used to talk about his ministry. Verse 15 grace given to me by God for ministry were 60 by offering her 70 my work forgot verse 18. What Christ, me. Verse 99 ministry verse 20 not my ambition, Paul seems really really clear about what his divine purpose is, and that is for him to personally take the gospel the people who would never heard it now, hear me his particular assignment.

His role to take Christ remember the name was not the same assignment given everybody.

Peter was a man of God. Peter was filled the spirit Peter was called to stay in Jerusalem, not because he was less than Paul because he had a difference on Apollo's Apollo's was a guy that Paul refers to very favorably in his letter first Corinthians, and Apollo's was a guy that seems to be a build on other people's foundation got a guy. Furthermore, if you look at Paul's life you'll notice that he didn't have this ministry focus of the beginning of his ministry. Paul started out like I debating Jews in the synagogues. Many would like minister to church leaders and many would deliver food enclosed poor Christians in Jerusalem, but as Paul got older, you saw the focus of his ministry narrowing he got more more specific about those few things is one or two things that God had called him to do specifically and back versus 22 and 23 Paul explains that it kinda became a ministry grid or a decision grid for him to figure out what decisions to make. This is the reason also often enter programming to you what what is this not calling I will come see you guys always wanted to run one of the Coliseum to want to be fed the lines there, but I want to come in, but I couldn't even want to.

I couldn't because I was constrained by my calling is always good ideas out there but I had to say no to a lot of good ideas because of the yes I said to the got idea what you want to be able to all the good ideas your life and save a lot of good ideas but I'm saying yes to the got idea and say no to the good ideas because of the got idea that's what we all one Paul found so how did Paul find that narrow calling that he fulfilled and that gave him a a grid through which the make decisions. There are two things are to see in Romans 15 there now also misses the two-part path of discovery that all of us a gotta go down if you want to understand the will of God number one. You gotta understand the purpose of God in the world. Notice how Paul grounds his understanding of his purpose in what God had declared to be his own purpose. God's purpose in Scripture.

You see, verse 20 Paul says I make it my ambition to bring treasuries a name repulses. Here's what I'm doing that.

He goes verse 21 because it was written.

Those people never told him will see in those who never want to stand on a seal at this point I would've expected Paul Bible I would've said no one preaching Christ remember the name because Gabriel or Jesus usually knocked me off my horse on the Damascus road and told me that's what I was going to do policy years that Paul take is that the Scripture why does Paul around what he's doing in Scripture. Here's why. Listen to this is for you. Not all of you been knocked off a horse on your way to Damascus. Anybody know that all you got the same Bible in your hand. Paul has Paul says God's purposes in Scripture are the foundation for my purposes in life. God's purposes in Scripture are the foundation for Paul's purpose in life. I start here because we got a lot of people in this church trying to figure out the will of God for their life never stopped to ask what God's purposes in the world you get all this question about what what what what God told me to do what you hate what God doing in the world because you never again understand your your personal purpose and ambition. Do you understand got bigger purpose. All God is doing something on earth that he is told us very clearly about in Scripture and our understanding of our personal ambition has to begin with his stated mission. We talked about how I gotta find God's will. It's not lost. The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. And if your life is not part of that grander purpose. If your ambition is not part of that mission them from God's perspective, you are living a purposeless life, a waste of life.

Even if you make a lot of money and do a lot of good things with your life. You see Paul recognize that with the with the discovery, shall we say of the gospel comes the responsibility to be a part of spreading the gospel. Here's all Paul laid the foundation of his life is back in Romans one, you stay there. Romans 15 I think about it. Romans one. Here's how Paul describes it, because I'm under obligation both to the Greeks and the barbarians to the wise into the foolish. Now barbarians as anybody is not a Jew or Greek onboarding uses under obligation is a word that you would use when you were under pretty severe debt with somebody else present so you owed half million dollars to the Mafia, you got an extra $50,000 in your paycheck. You got a bonus or you inherited some money. Eight. Bad news will get to do that $50,000, whatever you want to do by the Mafia has a first claim in a $50,000. You can't take a nice vacation there to take the majority of that they get your first in your best because you are under obligation. You are a debtor to them.

Paul said I am a debtor under obligation to the Greeks in the barbarians that you say what what a boatload of them in Paul's answer will be nothing specifically but see here's the thing. Jesus save me and I wasn't any more worthy of salvation than the Greeks in the barbarians and would like goblet to me is that he's more worthy. That's why I gave it to him because I've been selected for grace that with that comes a responsibility to spread that grace and the people who were no less worthy to receive and that I was with the gospel comes the responsibility to spread the gospel. You are not sitting here because you are more righteous and worthy than somebody else. It is grace that you are sitting here and that you understand the gospel and with that comes responsibility to take it the people around the world have never heard of faith where would you be without Jesus was human without Jesus you be lost. Where would you be without Jesus to be exactly the same place that millions of people in the world are without you shall see. It wouldn't matter. Jesus died a thousand times and nobody ever heard about it in the way that God extends the message of the gospel.

Paul understands is by the sacrifices of his people, like our friend David Platt says every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every unsaved person person beside a hell you are no longer free to do with your life what you want because you are under obligation to Jesus could see the gospel to give would grace the way that you been given grace. You understand that we really came in with you guys for a minute. I used to think the gospel is really unfair to be totally honest, I have was unfair or a lie because it was a was like God was holding people responsible for something they never had the opportunity to hear had his vision of like you know my God showing up in people's bedside insane. You can believe in Jesus like Jesus series likes to light. Now their soul group tumbling down into hell Jesus.

You know he's like this tough cookies in Latin or some but as they go talk to animals and it's something fair sounds like God is holding them accountable for something they had no chance to experience.

See, Paul explains in the book of Romans that people listen to this. People will only be judged according to the light. They had access to people will be judged only according to the light.

They had access to you. So okay the men are responsible to receive Jesus, since they never heard about them. See here's the thing Paul explains in Romans one that every human being that is overlooked in the world has heard about him because they're created in the image of God and from their conscience and from creation. God is testified about his glory and his authority in Romans 118. Every person was ever live to suppress the truth about God's glory and his authority that they do know Romans 118 to 23 says every human being knows about God from creation in their conscience and our hearts have rejected his authority and his glory and we stole it in for ourselves.

We are not condemned for not hearing about Jesus. We are condemn because we rejected the authority and the glory of God that we proceed with our hearts would rather have used ourselves. The gospel is an undeserved second chance.

You see, if the only people who are responsible receive Jesus are those who have never heard about them or those who have heard about them than you might say to Paul Paul back down there. Powell maybe you shouldn't go be telling all these people about Jesus because maybe it's better if we leave him in ignorance and know God has mercy on because when you tell him about Jesus certainly don't become responsible to receive them, and you put them under jeopardy. So maybe it's better just leave them ignorant Romans one is Paul's answer that all these people he says are already without excuse not condemned because they had heard about Jesus or condemn because they rejected the authority of God in their heart.

Romans one is written about those nations who've never heard showing that they are already under condemnation or rejecting the light that they did have here this summer church. There is only one hope for every person in the world. Hearing and preaching and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I first understood this and what I was late in college and shortly after college I had a crisis of faith as I realize in a bit that I only had three options three rows 1.

This is the most attractive option to me.

I could deny parts of it and take the path that we call liberalism, which means that you get to choose what part Jesus you like and we will port you don't. Jesus is the great divine buffet.

Were you just pick parts and leave the parts, but I knew y'all I knew that wasn't intellectually consistent ICT the word of God or is not Jesus and come to give suggestions to the Lord are hidden and if you're the kind of person feels like you take what you like Jesus and leave what you don't. I don't think you get the concept of wardship so I knew that it wasn't intellectually consistent to deny different parts of the truth and how one I wanted to go down that path. Also, several my friends get on that path. But I knew I could, which limit option number two to ignore the truth. This was appealing because I thought 98.4% of the church live this way. Like out here. This is of course what we believe but let's just one play in church.

Let's get into singer God songs into our national comfortable groups and let's talk about Jesus of the completion of our lives in a Christian radio stations and wishes for Tim, the world not dining going to just pretend that's not true. That seem worse to me than did not get a lease with denying you work it was some kind of like emotional consistency with what you believe this is thing like utter hypocrisy.

I remember I am not sure in Christ. One, the girl from New England who was born in America, but that she literally never heard the gospel. After talking with her for an hour. She looked back at me. She's very intelligent. She said she did you actually believe this and just a wee guy. I believe this will.

The Bible says she think is your life like you believe it, choose for your very passionate about what you believe your good debater you try to show me that you're right and I'm wrong. She said I don't really hear a lot of compassion in you, toward me. She said if I believe what you say you believe I would go on my hands and knees to every person I know. I would say you got to listen to this and you act like this is an argument to be one and it just doesn't match up. I knew she was right.

You see there's a lot of us to say I believe this but functionally speaking the limits of is not true and nothing is worse in denying it, which led me to the third and really the only option which was to embrace this to say, God, I'm going to use my life as best I can to make a difference with the knowledge of the gospel comes the responsibility to take in those around the world never heard it. You see, I started out thinking the gospel was unfair. Paul explains to you know the gospel is fair.

In fact, it's a whole lot more than fair. It's grace that you don't deserve what is not fair.

Paul says what is not fair is that those of you who have received the grace of the gospel not be doing everything you can to extend the grace of the gospel to people who haven't heard it, so here's my question for you, and you examine the priorities of your life you that Lynn's have you looked at your life is one under obligation to make choices about your career and your future and your resources based on that obligation.

Again, I'm not just talking to college students here, but let me talk specifically to you for a minute so you guys are very sensitive to the world's needs and that's good you want to make a difference.

The greatest need in the world is for people to hear about Jesus you want to relieve suffering. That's good. Eternal suffering is the worst kind of suffering and that suffering is prevented by hearing about Jesus Christ.

You got a specific part in this mission. It may not be identical to Paul's mission or his ambition. You may not be gifted to ride in the preacher Laura key was or may not be called to go personally to live in unreached people group. By the way, you might be, and probably a lot more of you are that are actually think about that now. That's what we got teams one out all the time to places with no gospel witness.

It might be for you to stay here and reach your neighbors and coworkers with Jesus and be a big part of the summer church's mission of reaching discipling and sending from the triangle and be to get engaged financially and otherwise, it might be for you to help reach an underserved part of our city.

Like almost orphan. The prisoner of the unwed mother of the high school dropout might be for you engage in that what I'm not sure what your part is specifically what I know is that each of you have a part which leads me to number two. I discover that part number two. Sensing the gifting of the spirit in you.

What you see in Romans 15 is that after Paul recognize the overarching purpose of God spelled out in Scripture. He began to learn from the spirit of God. His specific role. So we talked about his ambition, his calling, his ministry is offering what Paul developed. Listen was an ability to fear from the spirit of God.

I told you before, but most Christians and churches like ours aren't exactly sure what to do with the spirit of God. Hey, I hear that they fall jingling the two camps right yet Christians you know that are obsessed with the Holy Spirit.

Everything is a spirit thing to them. Then you got a probably a larger group of us that are like I believe in the Holy Spirit, but always said that you relate to him like I relate to my pituitary gland. I know that it's in their somewhere on nicer doctor appointment, I know it's in there somewhere. I know that I know that it's it's really necessary for something I don't want to be without it, you can have it but I don't really relate to my pituitary gland. That's all most Christians are about the Holy Spirit.

I know it's in there and bounce around with them there for something but it's I don't really relate to him.

You know, our Trinity. It churches like this one are usually God the father, God the son God the holy Bible. That's how we think about it. The Holy Spirit is the forgotten member of the Trinity. What you see from Paul and the early churches that is not how they depended on the Holy Spirit.

They they depended on the Holy Spirit to show them the specific part of the ministry that God had for them. You know in the book of acts. I've explained this in the book of acts. The Holy Spirit shows up 59×59.he's the main character next in 36 of the 59 you is doing the speaking he talk is a frustrating thing for me and probably not one time. Does it ever really clearly tell us how he speaks it exporting to the Holy Spirit, said the Barnabas is said to the tertiary mourners involved in ministry and I like how do you tell it on Telus animal why document it has to be intentional be ambiguity, and here's why think it's intentional because more havoc has been wreaked in the church and on the world.

Following the words God just told me and probably any other phrase in history. So I think God wants us to have some ambiguity about what we think he is saying unless and spelled out in Scripture. But what is also clear is that while there may be ambiguity to how he speaks, he speaks. You cannot convince me that the only book ever written about what it looks like a walk with the spirit of God is filled with a bunch of stories of people whose experiences have nothing in common with us with the way that he spoke to the way that he speaks to us today and so yes there might be some ambiguity in it, but they depended on the spirit of God to reveal to Bim their specific role in the mission of God.

So how do we hear that now he doing this but actually I wrote an entire book on this question is how Jesus continued to promote the book but the reason I wrote it was trying to get in and really unpack this question.

How we hear the spirit of God speak to us. How do we hear is what I know is that I'll never know. My role in the mission of God until I understand the gifts of the spirit of God.

I never know what he wants from me until I look at what he has point ending how you know what God wants from you is by understanding what he has put in you. Do you understand that calling. You gotta begin the discussion of finding the will of God for your life to wait upon the state's purpose is an opinion as spirit of God were you specifically give new meaning and how he wants me to play a role in what is my subject today from Pastor Jeannie Greer if you miss any part of this message, or if you'd like to catch up on the rest of our series called the whole story you can listen online@jeanniegreer.com JD one of my favorite things about this series is how your challenging us to take a fresh look at his familiar Bible story yeah okay so you know you know this about me Molly, but I grew up in church, like my parents were saved in the year that I was born and they didn't get say they had like really save like became full on 3 to 5 Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night José going drug problem I had growing up was getting drug to church multiple times every week so I've heard every Bible story multiple times and I sat through Miriam boring Bible sermons in one of the things I felt like I've just made a resolution. When I get called in the ministries I got. If you give me grace to be able to to preach and teach the stories in an engaging way. That's certainly entertaining and engaging.

But really, shows you what it means for you. I hope that this is as we preach the whole story we work away to the Bible, you'll see the stories in a different way.

It's not just David and Goliath. It's not just I'm stories about heroes. It's it's how these things point you to know and love Jesus. It's how that experience with Jesus and hoping in him will change how you see that the battles that you're facing, so I know that the series that we've done the one that one of the ones that cause the most reflection and make the biggest difference in me was working our way to the Bible for all year and the whole story you as a listener have an advantage. You can actually go through this teaching with the Bible that will help you in your personal reading time shared with your family and friends. So reach out to us changing their.com get a copy of this I promise you even if Yorty already have a Bible, you will not regret having this one that will take you deeper in the teaching of Scripture is this custom Bible is our way of saying thanks for your financial partnership with this ministry. When you give a gift of $25 or more, you are helping more people learn and grow through these gospel centered programs as well as make our free resources available online when someone might think is for this program thinks really belongs to you when time gift today or join monthly supporters, not partners. And remember to request the custom Senate might your gift for supporting you can ask for it when you get today. I currently think think think 550 228-663-3524. Again, you can request a new Bible when you sign up to the gospel partner online.com I'm only minutes inviting him next time. After Jane describes another message from our series of the whole story Thursday on my 19