WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260
 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast.

00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:25.880
 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons.

00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:30.420
 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear

00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:31.260
 the latest message.

00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:32.460
 Thanks for listening.

00:00:46.220 --> 00:00:47.160
 Well, good morning.

00:00:47.940 --> 00:00:52.200
 Glad that you guys are here with us, whether you're joining us here in person or whether

00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:56.900
 you're online, regardless of where you are, I want to ask you to grab your Bible and open

00:00:56.900 --> 00:00:58.820
 it up to Acts chapter 2.

00:00:59.020 --> 00:01:03.280
 We're going to spend a lot of time looking at several different passages in Acts this morning

00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:06.480
 as we continue on with our series called Family Traits.

00:01:06.820 --> 00:01:10.060
 As you turn there, I want to kind of emphasize something that's going to happen this week,

00:01:10.100 --> 00:01:14.940
 because we didn't give you a ton of a heads up about this, but want to make sure that everyone

00:01:14.940 --> 00:01:17.160
 hears this and has the opportunity.

00:01:17.640 --> 00:01:21.720
 Normally, in the life of what we've done as a church over the last several years, that

00:01:21.720 --> 00:01:28.660
 this is the Sunday where we bring our kids up on stage, we recognize our teachers, we recognize

00:01:28.660 --> 00:01:34.100
 our homeschool parents, we recognize the workers in our school system, we recognize our college

00:01:34.100 --> 00:01:40.100
 students who are oftentimes away at school, and then we have an opportunity to pray for all

00:01:40.100 --> 00:01:40.440
 of them.

00:01:40.460 --> 00:01:44.600
 Because what we believe is there's no greater mission field than the school system.

00:01:44.600 --> 00:01:49.660
 Whether you're talking about public school, private school, homeschool, elementary school,

00:01:49.860 --> 00:01:51.420
 middle school, high school, college.

00:01:51.800 --> 00:01:57.940
 And what God gives us is the body of Christ is a wonderful opportunity to mobilize that group

00:01:57.940 --> 00:02:02.840
 of people to go and be missionaries at whatever school setting that you have.

00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:07.400
 Well, we're not able to do those type things right now, so we want to do something different.

00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:14.160
 And I hope you noticed it on the announcements, is that this Thursday at 7 o'clock, if you fall

00:02:14.160 --> 00:02:19.480
 into any of those categories, right, you're a parent with kids in school, you're students

00:02:19.480 --> 00:02:25.060
 in school, you're workers in the school system, you're a homeschool parent, maybe some of you

00:02:25.060 --> 00:02:28.220
 for the very first time as you're navigating down that path.

00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:33.740
 If you're a college student, if you're a grandparent with kids in school, and you just say, you know

00:02:33.740 --> 00:02:38.660
 what, this year maybe even more so than ever, we need to make sure that we're covering our

00:02:38.660 --> 00:02:43.580
 kids and our schools and our workers and our teachers in prayer.

00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:48.060
 And so what we're going to do this Thursday night from 7 to 8 o'clock is the staff is going

00:02:48.060 --> 00:02:52.700
 to gather out in the loop of the parking lot and to give you the opportunity to have kind

00:02:52.700 --> 00:02:54.300
 of a drive-through prayer time.

00:02:54.480 --> 00:02:58.100
 So you don't have to get out of your car, you don't have to roll down your window, you

00:02:58.100 --> 00:03:02.120
 don't have to do anything, but just to give us the opportunity to come through, to circle

00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:07.340
 up around you, to pray for you, to pray for your family, for teachers as you're going into

00:03:07.340 --> 00:03:13.060
 this, administrators, school workers, but for also our students at all ages, right?

00:03:13.220 --> 00:03:17.640
 We just want to make sure that you know that you're being prayed for and to give us the

00:03:17.640 --> 00:03:20.000
 opportunity to pray over you.

00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:27.920
 And so please make that an opportunity to come by this Thursday night so that we can pray

00:03:27.920 --> 00:03:28.380
 for you.

00:03:28.980 --> 00:03:36.460
 As we continue on in our study on family traits, we are looking at Acts chapter 2 and Acts chapter

00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:39.520
 4 each week as kind of our foundation scripture.

00:03:40.160 --> 00:03:46.660
 And what we're looking to is to see what it looks like to discover the traits and the characteristics

00:03:46.660 --> 00:03:48.220
 of the early church.

00:03:48.760 --> 00:03:51.040
 So there's been a movement of God, right?

00:03:51.140 --> 00:03:56.140
 God has been calling people, God has been using people all throughout scripture, but something

00:03:56.140 --> 00:03:58.680
 phenomenal happens in Acts.

00:03:58.900 --> 00:04:04.460
 It's the story of the development of the early church, and then what we see from that is the

00:04:04.460 --> 00:04:07.560
 growth of the kingdom of God like we haven't seen before.

00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:13.900
 And what we begin to also see is the development of the followers of Christ in a unique and different

00:04:13.900 --> 00:04:15.580
 way than ever before.

00:04:15.940 --> 00:04:20.580
 And so we're asking ourselves the question as we, as we navigate through these two passages

00:04:20.580 --> 00:04:23.920
 of scripture, what does that look, what did that look like for them?

00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:26.160
 And then what are those characteristics?

00:04:26.380 --> 00:04:27.080
 What are those traits?

00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:32.640
 And then what does that look like for us in the church of 2020, right?

00:04:32.640 --> 00:04:38.980
 The same bride of Christ from, from the early New Testament church in Jerusalem to Lexington,

00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:39.820
 South Carolina.

00:04:40.220 --> 00:04:46.900
 And while those things may, may play out application wise differently, the truth of what they're there

00:04:46.900 --> 00:04:52.280
 for, what they sought to accomplish of what God placed in their heart still rings true today.

00:04:52.280 --> 00:05:01.600
 There's been a lot that's changed, but the values, the traits, the DNA of the church remains

00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:02.480
 consistent.

00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:08.180
 And so last week, as we looked at these, what we began to focus in on was, was the idea of

00:05:08.180 --> 00:05:13.160
 truth, that God's word is truth and that they devoted themselves to that.

00:05:13.340 --> 00:05:17.260
 In fact, in Acts chapter two, which we'll read in just a second, it says that they devoted

00:05:17.260 --> 00:05:23.300
 themselves to the apostles' teachings as they taught on the truth of God and proclaim the

00:05:23.300 --> 00:05:27.400
 gospel of Christ, that the church as a whole devoted themselves to that.

00:05:27.520 --> 00:05:34.540
 Not to Greek philosophies, not to pagan teachings, but they solely based their lives on the truth

00:05:34.540 --> 00:05:35.160
 of the scripture.

00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:40.360
 And then in Acts chapter four, it says that the apostles were going and sharing the testimony

00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:44.720
 and as a result, people were getting saved, which the word testimony means that they are

00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:48.260
 speaking to what is true as is evident in their life.

00:05:48.260 --> 00:05:54.480
 So they spoke to the truth, but they live the truth and the power of what God does in that.

00:05:54.760 --> 00:05:56.640
 And this is what people had committed themselves to.

00:05:57.140 --> 00:06:01.580
 And so we as a, as a church wants to continue to model what is in scripture.

00:06:01.760 --> 00:06:09.820
 We've established that this is true 100% and fully that God's word is enough, that God's

00:06:09.820 --> 00:06:16.180
 word is perfect, that God's word is powerful, that God's word is accurate in you and I.

00:06:16.180 --> 00:06:21.380
 Not only can we allow it to be the foundation of our life, but we can allow it to guide us

00:06:21.380 --> 00:06:25.440
 and God's word is powerful and it works in through us.

00:06:26.460 --> 00:06:30.940
 And so this week, what we want to continue on looking at those same passages of scripture

00:06:30.940 --> 00:06:37.900
 is to understand that it also establishes the fact that every single person who is a follower

00:06:37.900 --> 00:06:45.980
 of Jesus Christ is a missionary, that you and I are giving the calling as sons and daughters

00:06:45.980 --> 00:06:48.240
 of God to be missionaries.

00:06:48.940 --> 00:06:53.920
 And so let's read starting in Acts chapter two by looking at verse 42.

00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:55.960
 It says,

00:06:55.960 --> 00:07:01.040
 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship and to the breaking

00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:02.460
 of bread and the prayers.

00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:09.120
 And all came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:13.220
 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

00:07:13.740 --> 00:07:19.180
 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any

00:07:19.180 --> 00:07:25.140
 they had need and day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes.

00:07:25.140 --> 00:07:32.440
 They received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all

00:07:32.440 --> 00:07:33.000
 the people.

00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:38.040
 And the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved.

00:07:38.180 --> 00:07:40.220
 Now flip over to Acts 4.

00:07:40.860 --> 00:07:42.300
 Start reading in verse 32.

00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:49.620
 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul.

00:07:50.400 --> 00:07:54.300
 And no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own.

00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:56.460
 But they had everything in common.

00:07:57.020 --> 00:08:01.940
 And with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the

00:08:01.940 --> 00:08:02.540
 Lord Jesus.

00:08:03.140 --> 00:08:05.600
 And great grace was upon them all.

00:08:06.140 --> 00:08:08.460
 And there was not a needy person among them.

00:08:08.840 --> 00:08:13.920
 For as many as were owners of land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was

00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:16.320
 sold and laid it at the apostles' feet.

00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.800
 And it was distributed to each as any had need.

00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:26.660
 Thus Joseph, who was called by the apostles Barnabas, which means son of encouragement,

00:08:27.020 --> 00:08:33.140
 a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and

00:08:33.140 --> 00:08:35.700
 laid it at the apostles' feet.

00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:42.360
 So we see this great work that is happening and taking place in Jerusalem.

00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:49.320
 And it's gained, it's been put into place because what the church has embraced, and we're

00:08:49.320 --> 00:08:54.200
 going to see how they get there and understand this word that we talk about often, is they

00:08:54.200 --> 00:08:58.920
 embraced the reality that they were all missionaries.

00:08:59.380 --> 00:09:03.840
 Now they might not have referred to themselves as that, but as we begin to understand what

00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:10.400
 the word missions means, we begin to see this characteristic in the church, that it wasn't

00:09:10.400 --> 00:09:18.260
 just on the apostles, but that was the agreement, the posturing, the obedience of all to say,

00:09:18.260 --> 00:09:23.840
 hey, you know what, regardless of how young I am or how old I am, how long I've been a believer

00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:31.200
 or how new I am to my faith, that we accept the opportunity that God has granted us and

00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:37.680
 called us to and laid before us, that you and I are missionaries.

00:09:38.940 --> 00:09:42.280
 And so I want us to define the word missions.

00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:45.600
 When we talk about missions, what do we mean?

00:09:45.740 --> 00:09:51.980
 Now, for many of us, when we think of missions, we think of the people who are overseas.

00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:57.940
 We think of the missionaries who have left here and gone there to be missionaries for God.

00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:59.300
 And that's a part of it.

00:09:59.640 --> 00:10:06.060
 It's an aspect of it that I'm so grateful for, as God calls men and women to leave the comforts

00:10:06.060 --> 00:10:11.420
 of their own culture, to go to places where people speak a different language, where people

00:10:11.420 --> 00:10:12.400
 have a different culture.

00:10:12.780 --> 00:10:17.800
 And in many, many instances, people have never even heard the name of Jesus.

00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:24.500
 And so they go and they sacrifice and they leave to make known the truth of God.

00:10:24.880 --> 00:10:29.240
 And it's one of the things that I value that so much that it's the important piece that we

00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:30.760
 even see it as we leave.

00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:36.340
 So as we leave here today, if you're here meeting with us on campus, as you walk out,

00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:39.800
 there's the map of the world and there's crosses all over it.

00:10:39.800 --> 00:10:44.700
 And it represents men, women, and families who have answered the call in their lives to

00:10:44.700 --> 00:10:49.520
 go to another country, to surrender their life to the call that God has for them.

00:10:49.520 --> 00:10:54.280
 And as you turn down the hallway, you see the pictures of the faithful men and women who

00:10:54.280 --> 00:10:55.100
 have said yes.

00:10:55.360 --> 00:11:00.840
 But you also see the pictures of the lives that are being impacted by the gospel, which

00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:02.820
 is so very important.

00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:08.200
 So what does it mean, though, to think of missions more broad than that?

00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:15.300
 That it's not just them who are the missionaries, but it is us that we are the missionaries as

00:11:15.300 --> 00:11:15.580
 well.

00:11:16.160 --> 00:11:21.340
 And so I've got a definition that I've been working on that makes sense to me, that helps

00:11:21.340 --> 00:11:25.160
 me understand what is meant by missions, and it is this.

00:11:25.940 --> 00:11:33.720
 Missions we are going to define as this, the work of God done by the people of God so

00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:37.340
 that those who do not know God can come to know God.

00:11:37.920 --> 00:11:40.360
 Now, if you want to write that down, I want to repeat it to you.

00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:48.220
 Missions, the work of God done by the people of God so that those who do not know God can

00:11:48.220 --> 00:11:50.460
 come to know God.

00:11:50.660 --> 00:11:53.920
 It's a full piece of what that looks like.

00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:58.120
 If you take out any aspect of that, it ceases to be missions.

00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:02.200
 If it's just people doing work, then it's just people doing good work.

00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:06.500
 If you take out the Christians who are doing the work, then it is definitely not missions.

00:12:06.760 --> 00:12:10.400
 It is the work of God, which looks a lot of different ways.

00:12:10.920 --> 00:12:13.240
 You know, I've done missions where I put roofs on houses.

00:12:13.780 --> 00:12:17.120
 I've done missions where I've taught at pastors' conferences.

00:12:17.520 --> 00:12:20.260
 I've done missions where I've done VBS.

00:12:20.660 --> 00:12:24.020
 I've done missions where we've just gone and prayer walked in an area.

00:12:24.220 --> 00:12:27.700
 But it is a work that is done that God has called us to.

00:12:28.160 --> 00:12:31.060
 It is a work that is done by people who were saved.

00:12:31.300 --> 00:12:37.700
 And it is a work that is done with the hopes, whether directly or indirectly, that people who

00:12:37.700 --> 00:12:46.880
 do not know God know God, whether it's Lexington, whether it's Haiti, whether it's Greece, whether

00:12:46.880 --> 00:12:55.980
 it's India, whether it's North Africa or North Carolina, where people who do not know God can

00:12:55.980 --> 00:12:58.620
 have the opportunity to know God.

00:12:58.620 --> 00:13:02.460
 And so we see the fullness of that in it.

00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:09.600
 God's work done by God's people so that those can know God.

00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:14.760
 And that's what you and I are called to.

00:13:15.540 --> 00:13:21.580
 Whether you're a student that's going to head off in a couple weeks to go to your school for

00:13:21.580 --> 00:13:27.020
 the first time in five months, or to a missionary who will get on a plane as soon as the borders

00:13:27.020 --> 00:13:33.700
 are open and travel to a faraway place, that you and I, we have all been given the challenge

00:13:33.700 --> 00:13:36.760
 by God to do the work that he's set before us.

00:13:36.980 --> 00:13:37.200
 Why?

00:13:37.400 --> 00:13:43.300
 Because we've experienced his grace, the good grace that we just sang about, so that others

00:13:43.300 --> 00:13:44.780
 can know him.

00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:50.920
 Not so that we can stand back and say, look at what we've done, but look at who God is.

00:13:50.920 --> 00:13:55.900
 So let's dive into this a little bit more and try to understand missions fully.

00:13:56.640 --> 00:14:03.800
 You and I need to begin with understanding that seeing missions as the work of God.

00:14:04.460 --> 00:14:07.400
 Seeing missions as the work of God.

00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:09.200
 Acts 2 27, what we just read.

00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:17.280
 And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

00:14:17.580 --> 00:14:20.740
 A little pop quiz for us, all right, as we talk about getting back into school.

00:14:21.340 --> 00:14:22.420
 Who added to their number?

00:14:23.260 --> 00:14:23.860
 God did.

00:14:24.900 --> 00:14:32.680
 We can't remove missions and view it as the work of man, as look at what I've done, look

00:14:32.680 --> 00:14:34.420
 at what I've gone and accomplished.

00:14:34.420 --> 00:14:42.400
 You and I have to see the work of missions, the salvation of man in beginning in the work

00:14:42.400 --> 00:14:42.960
 of God.

00:14:43.300 --> 00:14:52.920
 And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

00:14:53.400 --> 00:14:56.680
 Missions is not just a physical work.

00:14:57.480 --> 00:15:06.140
 Missions is not just a relational work, but missions is a spiritual work where God is active

00:15:06.140 --> 00:15:09.060
 and where God is moving.

00:15:09.060 --> 00:15:12.280
 Look back, turn to Acts chapter 1.

00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:21.180
 At the very beginning of this book, as we understand and see what it looks like when the men and women

00:15:21.180 --> 00:15:27.440
 of God are going to proclaim the truth of God and how nations are going to be impacted.

00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:33.600
 Do you understand that as you read through the book of Acts, what you're going to find is that

00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:40.180
 the gospel is going to spread from Jerusalem to North Africa to the Middle East to Asia and

00:15:40.180 --> 00:15:40.580
 to Europe.

00:15:41.540 --> 00:15:45.280
 This is the impact of this wonderful, wonderful book of what we see.

00:15:45.860 --> 00:15:47.000
 And it happens.

00:15:47.280 --> 00:15:53.180
 What begins to spark this forward is a verse that we've read so many times that for so many

00:15:53.180 --> 00:15:55.220
 of us, it falls on deaf ears.

00:15:56.340 --> 00:15:57.580
 Acts 1 verse 8.

00:15:58.940 --> 00:16:00.380
 Jesus is getting ready to leave.

00:16:01.520 --> 00:16:03.100
 And he's got a group that is there.

00:16:03.740 --> 00:16:06.260
 And he says, you're now my missionaries.

00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:07.720
 It's you.

00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:09.800
 I can't stay here.

00:16:10.640 --> 00:16:12.420
 So here's what this looks like.

00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.500
 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

00:16:18.160 --> 00:16:24.880
 And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the

00:16:24.880 --> 00:16:25.200
 earth.

00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:30.780
 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud

00:16:30.780 --> 00:16:32.040
 took him out of their sight.

00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:38.800
 And while they were gazing into heaven, as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white

00:16:38.800 --> 00:16:43.340
 robes and said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?

00:16:43.660 --> 00:16:51.240
 This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into

00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:51.760
 heaven.

00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.420
 There's a group of followers of Jesus.

00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.680
 This isn't a conference of 100,000 people.

00:16:58.400 --> 00:17:00.960
 It's a small group of faithful that have remained.

00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:03.120
 Everyone else is scattered.

00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:05.500
 Everyone else is in fear.

00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:07.560
 And even this group is afraid.

00:17:08.600 --> 00:17:10.180
 But Jesus was resurrected.

00:17:11.060 --> 00:17:14.300
 Their Savior, their Messiah, their rabbi, their teacher.

00:17:14.820 --> 00:17:16.060
 And he's back with them.

00:17:16.600 --> 00:17:19.000
 We thought you were gone, but now he's back.

00:17:19.540 --> 00:17:23.160
 And he comes back to him and he says, but I'm going to leave again.

00:17:24.080 --> 00:17:30.820
 And you, you're going to be the tool that's going to take the gospel.

00:17:31.340 --> 00:17:36.200
 You're going to be the one who has watched what I've done over my three years of ministry

00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:36.580
 here.

00:17:36.580 --> 00:17:38.360
 And you're going to go.

00:17:38.600 --> 00:17:44.080
 Now, I don't know about you, but you begin to feel the burden of what these men begin to

00:17:44.080 --> 00:17:54.380
 feel, but Jesus says, but here, but missions is spiritual because don't worry because you're

00:17:54.380 --> 00:17:55.260
 going to receive power.

00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:01.180
 Jesus says, I'm, I'm going to give you something and here's what I'm going to give you.

00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:03.720
 It's not knowledge.

00:18:04.780 --> 00:18:05.100
 Okay.

00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:07.580
 It's not wisdom.

00:18:08.420 --> 00:18:11.100
 It's not a way of how to talk people into things.

00:18:11.600 --> 00:18:12.960
 It's not a strategy.

00:18:14.080 --> 00:18:20.740
 Jesus says, I'm going to give you the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity.

00:18:21.220 --> 00:18:24.620
 That divinity is going to live inside of you.

00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:27.900
 The spiritual act of missions.

00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:31.540
 And Jesus says this, it's for a purpose.

00:18:32.080 --> 00:18:37.320
 It's for a reason, not so that we can run around and high five each other because of what

00:18:37.320 --> 00:18:39.720
 we have, which makes us different than others.

00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:41.700
 He says, no, no, no, that's not it.

00:18:41.800 --> 00:18:43.860
 I'm giving this for a reason.

00:18:44.080 --> 00:18:46.700
 So you have the Holy Spirit in you.

00:18:46.700 --> 00:18:50.780
 If you're a professing believer in Jesus Christ for a purpose.

00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:56.500
 And Jesus says, so, so that you'll be my witnesses, right?

00:18:56.740 --> 00:18:57.860
 This is the reason.

00:18:58.580 --> 00:19:05.360
 This is the plan of God of all that God could have done in his sovereignty and his grace.

00:19:05.360 --> 00:19:05.820
 And he said, no, this is it.

00:19:05.820 --> 00:19:07.000
 And he said, no, this is it.

00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:10.400
 The Holy Spirit in you.

00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:14.500
 And so they're standing there and they're kind of looking up.

00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:17.180
 They see Jesus leave.

00:19:18.120 --> 00:19:19.720
 And in that moment, they're waiting.

00:19:20.780 --> 00:19:21.540
 They're waiting.

00:19:22.040 --> 00:19:23.260
 Flip to Acts chapter two.

00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:24.120
 Flip back to that.

00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:25.540
 Look at verse one.

00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:29.160
 The Holy Spirit comes.

00:19:30.320 --> 00:19:33.520
 Continuing for us to see missions of spiritual work.

00:19:34.820 --> 00:19:36.620
 This is when the day of Pentecost arrived.

00:19:37.300 --> 00:19:39.400
 They were all together in one place.

00:19:39.840 --> 00:19:46.320
 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind.

00:19:46.320 --> 00:19:51.180
 And it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

00:19:51.340 --> 00:19:53.800
 I want you to picture this, okay?

00:19:54.820 --> 00:19:58.660
 Have you ever heard a storm coming, right?

00:19:59.180 --> 00:20:05.460
 So imagine you're in your house and you hear the thunder from the distance.

00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:09.340
 You begin to see the lightning pop.

00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:15.560
 You begin, as you look out your window, you begin to see the rain and the wind blowing,

00:20:15.560 --> 00:20:16.700
 the pine trees.

00:20:17.280 --> 00:20:22.540
 And then all of a sudden, you begin to hear the shingles of your house begin to flap.

00:20:22.760 --> 00:20:26.380
 You begin to hear the rain as it falls upon your roof.

00:20:26.540 --> 00:20:29.220
 Now, you're sitting there and you're watching it approach.

00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:32.140
 And then all of a sudden, it's in with you.

00:20:33.280 --> 00:20:34.280
 The windows aren't open.

00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:35.860
 The doors aren't open.

00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:37.420
 The roof is still there.

00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:44.160
 But now the storm that was approaching has filled the room where you sit.

00:20:44.800 --> 00:20:47.420
 And this is what the apostles find themselves in.

00:20:48.580 --> 00:20:49.500
 And it says,

00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:56.500
 And divided tongues as a fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:04.520
 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

00:21:05.040 --> 00:21:11.560
 Now, there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men of every nation under heaven.

00:21:11.560 --> 00:21:21.560
 And at this sound, the multitude came together and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

00:21:21.560 --> 00:21:22.680
 So here's what happens.

00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:24.000
 They're in the room.

00:21:24.220 --> 00:21:25.980
 The Holy Spirit falls on them.

00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:28.340
 They begin to speak in tongues.

00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:31.880
 Now, I want to clarify that because it can mean a lot of different things for a lot of different people.

00:21:32.600 --> 00:21:35.200
 They begin to speak in languages.

00:21:35.860 --> 00:21:37.480
 Not unknown languages.

00:21:38.080 --> 00:21:42.720
 They begin to speak in known languages that they didn't know before.

00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:44.560
 So, like, get this.

00:21:45.700 --> 00:21:48.760
 I don't know anything in Portuguese.

00:21:50.020 --> 00:21:57.780
 But imagine in this moment, for somehow that I can't explain, I begin to communicate in Portuguese.

00:21:58.280 --> 00:22:04.040
 And sitting right here in row number one, right in front of me, is a man who doesn't know the gospel.

00:22:04.300 --> 00:22:05.480
 He doesn't know who Jesus is.

00:22:05.560 --> 00:22:06.660
 And he doesn't speak English.

00:22:06.820 --> 00:22:07.600
 But he's here.

00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:11.220
 And when I began to communicate to him, you're all confused.

00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:12.660
 You've never heard it before.

00:22:12.800 --> 00:22:14.860
 But it resonates to him.

00:22:16.080 --> 00:22:17.700
 And his mind is blown away.

00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:25.420
 Because in the language in which I speak, speaks the truth of the gospel to his heart that he's never heard before.

00:22:26.580 --> 00:22:29.100
 The wonderful work of what God begins to do.

00:22:29.820 --> 00:22:35.940
 This cannot be explained as anything else other than the mission of God.

00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:37.360
 And verse 7 says,

00:22:37.540 --> 00:22:40.560
 And they were amazed and astonished, saying,

00:22:40.940 --> 00:22:44.560
 Are not all these who were speaking Galileans?

00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:51.840
 And how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language?

00:22:52.060 --> 00:22:53.780
 The power of God.

00:22:54.840 --> 00:22:58.240
 Where it begins, in the mission of God.

00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:06.160
 That missions, what you and I have to understand, is that God is at work.

00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:12.080
 The most honest that you and I can be when it comes to missions is to admit to ourselves this.

00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:13.560
 We can't do it.

00:23:14.580 --> 00:23:15.440
 We can't do it.

00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:17.600
 We can't fulfill it.

00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:19.140
 But God can.

00:23:19.900 --> 00:23:27.340
 In that passage of scripture, we see that because missions begin in our work of the spirit of God, that God is with us.

00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:31.100
 God's with us in that the Holy Spirit living in us.

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:34.740
 That God gives us the power to fulfill what he's called us to.

00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:38.820
 And even more importantly, God provides us.

00:23:39.540 --> 00:23:46.960
 He provides us the people, the situation, and the means to fulfill the mission of God.

00:23:47.580 --> 00:23:50.280
 God appoints it all for us.

00:23:50.980 --> 00:23:53.620
 God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit.

00:23:54.320 --> 00:23:58.580
 God gives us the people that we interact with on a day-to-day basis.

00:23:59.060 --> 00:24:04.080
 And God gives us the means to fulfill the mission.

00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:11.620
 God is going to see the work through you that he began in you, both in your salvation and in the work that God calls you for.

00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:15.180
 That's what God is going to do.

00:24:15.320 --> 00:24:16.980
 But there's another aspect of it.

00:24:17.660 --> 00:24:21.640
 Yes, missions is the spiritual work of God, and it's what we see.

00:24:22.020 --> 00:24:27.760
 But we also see that missions is the obedience of man.

00:24:28.740 --> 00:24:30.700
 In Acts 4.32 that we've already read,

00:24:31.080 --> 00:24:36.080
 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul,

00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:41.120
 and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him were his own,

00:24:41.280 --> 00:24:44.100
 but they had everything in common.

00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:48.520
 So when we see the early church that is formed during this time,

00:24:48.520 --> 00:24:53.640
 we see that it is men who have come from all over the known world.

00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:55.900
 And here is where they find themselves.

00:24:56.180 --> 00:25:00.660
 In Acts chapter 2, it said that within Jerusalem represented every nation.

00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:02.720
 And they get saved.

00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:04.920
 And they get saved.

00:25:05.700 --> 00:25:15.540
 And within the church, there's this level of unity as there's the investment of the men and women of God of what they've come to do.

00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:18.080
 You see, here's the point for us, guys.

00:25:18.520 --> 00:25:25.720
 Is that for us, we need to begin to see missions as the obedience of man.

00:25:26.500 --> 00:25:30.200
 God did not intend for us to be spectators.

00:25:31.060 --> 00:25:33.800
 God intended for us to participate.

00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:41.140
 But so many of us want to sit on the sidelines and encourage those that are in the game.

00:25:41.800 --> 00:25:43.780
 And God's saying, no, no, no, no, no, no.

00:25:43.780 --> 00:25:45.920
 You want to encourage those that are in the game?

00:25:46.100 --> 00:25:47.260
 Then go get in the game.

00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:49.620
 Go get in the game.

00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:51.320
 This is what we're here to do.

00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:53.800
 And it's an obedience that he set before us.

00:25:54.280 --> 00:25:58.820
 When Paul talks about salvation and what it looks like in Ephesians chapter 2,

00:25:58.920 --> 00:26:03.280
 he begins to walk through and explain what we were like before Christ.

00:26:03.660 --> 00:26:06.120
 He then explains the work that Christ does.

00:26:06.120 --> 00:26:15.300
 And then in Ephesians 2.10, Paul sets before this group of believers that is there the expectation that God has for those who are now saved.

00:26:15.740 --> 00:26:16.440
 And here's what he says.

00:26:16.520 --> 00:26:25.560
 He says, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should what?

00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:27.000
 That we should walk in them.

00:26:27.520 --> 00:26:36.160
 So Paul is saying, like, look, you and I, as messed up as we've been, as messed up as we are, and as messed up as we will be, right?

00:26:36.300 --> 00:26:39.860
 You and I are the story of God.

00:26:39.860 --> 00:26:49.280
 When we were created in him for a reason and for a purpose to go and do good works, which God prepared beforehand.

00:26:49.620 --> 00:26:59.040
 And the phrase that I love that Paul uses in Ephesians and in Galatians, that we will do something with these works, that we will walk in these works.

00:26:59.120 --> 00:27:02.380
 We've talked about this before, and we'll continue to talk about it.

00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:06.140
 What does it mean to walk in what God has for us?

00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:12.240
 It means this, missions is not just something I go to, but missions is who I am.

00:27:12.760 --> 00:27:19.720
 That the works of God and obedience do not exist, for me, solely when I get on a plane and go somewhere,

00:27:20.100 --> 00:27:26.020
 but exist in my life, in every aspect of my day-to-day life.

00:27:26.020 --> 00:27:39.440
 That my life of obedience to God is found more in what I do and what I've gone and who I am in my life than in a gathering of a worship service or getting on a plane and going to the other side of the world.

00:27:39.600 --> 00:27:49.700
 I can't tell you, I cannot wait until the time comes in the reality in which we are, where I can get to an airport with my passport and take off and go.

00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:53.260
 I'm supposed to go to India this year, killing me because I can't go.

00:27:53.620 --> 00:27:58.680
 But the truth is, the mission of God didn't stop for me because I can't take my passport and go somewhere.

00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:05.920
 Because God's given me a unique opportunity now to be a missionary exactly where God has placed me.

00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:12.200
 In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus is talking to a group of Pharisees, and he's preaching a message.

00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:16.640
 I read a pastor that used this way to describe Jesus' message.

00:28:17.460 --> 00:28:20.340
 He said, this is one of the messages that got Jesus killed.

00:28:21.060 --> 00:28:26.540
 Meaning this, that Jesus is going to say a lot of things in Matthew 23 that a lot of people didn't like.

00:28:27.140 --> 00:28:34.360
 And that caused a lot of people to want to bring harm to Jesus, to shut him up and to shut this movement down.

00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:41.720
 And Jesus is standing there with a group of scribes and Pharisees, and he says, woe to you.

00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:43.640
 And here's what he means when he says that.

00:28:44.040 --> 00:28:47.960
 You can't escape hell with who you are right now.

00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:50.800
 And he begins to describe them.

00:28:51.920 --> 00:29:11.740
 And he says, even though, like, even though you tithe, and you tithe on, even to, on mint and dill and cumin, meaning this, like, even though you tithe on all that you bring in with your money and all that you have and all that you've been gifted, you neglect what matters to the heart of God.

00:29:13.140 --> 00:29:19.480
 Even though you do all these religious things, your heart's not right with God.

00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:21.940
 He describes them in two different ways.

00:29:22.060 --> 00:29:30.320
 The first way Jesus describes them in Matthew chapter 23 is he says, you're like a plate and a cup that's dirty on the outside.

00:29:30.620 --> 00:29:34.520
 And when you clean it off, it comes back to being dirty again.

00:29:34.520 --> 00:29:45.380
 Meaning, like, you do a really good job of cleaning up the outside of it, but where the stain really lies is underneath the surface, and it just resurfaces again and again and again.

00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:59.260
 Jesus also says, he says, look, if that doesn't get you enough, he says, you're like whitewashed tombs looking good on the outside, but on the inside, you're dead and you're hypocrites.

00:29:59.260 --> 00:30:06.420
 Because all of your religious actions don't matter if your heart isn't surrendered to God.

00:30:07.340 --> 00:30:24.600
 You see, when missions begins to come from us, when missions begins to be who we are, we find that it's in our internal obedience to God to begin with that is found in repentance and brokenness for who we are that God transforms us.

00:30:25.220 --> 00:30:31.700
 So here's the thing, like, you and me, we're missionaries.

00:30:33.340 --> 00:30:34.400
 We're missionaries.

00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:36.740
 We can't ignore it.

00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:40.240
 We can't say that we don't know that.

00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:42.660
 God's word tells us that.

00:30:43.280 --> 00:30:44.280
 We're missionaries.

00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:46.600
 And so you've got to make the choice.

00:30:47.740 --> 00:30:48.400
 Are you ready?

00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:50.580
 Are you willing?

00:30:51.700 --> 00:30:52.640
 And where are you going to go?

00:30:54.560 --> 00:30:56.160
 Where are you going to go be a missionary?

00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:05.320
 And I think an important part for us to see in Scripture, and we're going to close with this, is that we're called to be missionaries to all.

00:31:06.360 --> 00:31:06.900
 To all.

00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:13.260
 Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 is dealing with a difficult group of people.

00:31:13.860 --> 00:31:20.220
 With a group of people who are fighting for what they want and what they want to do and how their world and their life should be.

00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:24.040
 And Paul paints a perspective for them.

00:31:24.040 --> 00:31:26.980
 And he says this in 1 Corinthians 9, 19.

00:31:27.960 --> 00:31:31.660
 For though I am free from all, here's where it comes.

00:31:32.660 --> 00:31:50.040
 Paul says, look, even though I've been set free from the burden and the obligation that man has placed upon me,

00:31:50.040 --> 00:31:54.440
 I surrender myself and become a servant for all.

00:31:55.440 --> 00:32:00.320
 Meaning I think less of me and more of you.

00:32:00.880 --> 00:32:02.060
 For a reason.

00:32:02.740 --> 00:32:05.860
 The fullness of the heart of the missionary found in here.

00:32:06.300 --> 00:32:10.980
 Not so that people can look back at Paul and appreciate all that he's done and all that he's accomplished.

00:32:11.500 --> 00:32:19.740
 Not so that Paul can raise more money for his church planning goals that God has placed before him.

00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:27.500
 But for Paul, there's a very specific reason for everything that he does in his surrendering of his rights and his goal to serve all.

00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:29.000
 And he doesn't hide it.

00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:31.680
 He doesn't write it in a complicated way.

00:32:32.100 --> 00:32:39.440
 He says very clearly that I might win more of them.

00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:41.480
 The heart of the missionary.

00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:46.900
 With all that he longs for and all that he desires.

00:32:48.340 --> 00:32:53.480
 So do we embrace the work of God done by the people of God?

00:32:54.120 --> 00:32:57.420
 So those who do not know God can come to know him.

00:32:58.320 --> 00:33:02.540
 The call of the missionary that all of us have been given.

00:33:03.580 --> 00:33:04.340
 Would you pray with me?

00:33:08.860 --> 00:33:10.240
 Lord, we come to you this morning.

00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:16.880
 We thank you for this wonderful, wonderful calling that you've placed on our lives.

00:33:17.780 --> 00:33:23.920
 The opportunity that we have were to be a part of the work that you were doing.

00:33:24.520 --> 00:33:33.540
 That we begin to see and understand missions as your work and your plan and your timing, Lord, and your power.

00:33:34.040 --> 00:33:35.520
 It's the work of God.

00:33:36.040 --> 00:33:37.160
 But it is not done.

00:33:37.260 --> 00:33:42.980
 Missions is not done by the sunset and the mountains and the trees and nature, Lord.

00:33:42.980 --> 00:33:48.140
 Lord, that the mission of God, the work of God is done by the people of God.

00:33:48.820 --> 00:33:51.040
 Who gather in your churches.

00:33:51.220 --> 00:33:53.140
 Who sing praises to your name.

00:33:53.420 --> 00:33:56.420
 And who many walk out of their gathering.

00:33:58.020 --> 00:33:58.460
 Ignoring.

00:34:00.460 --> 00:34:00.980
 Disobedient.

00:34:01.660 --> 00:34:19.640
 Lord, my fear is that for so many of us, we're a plate that's been cleaned on the outside, but it's still dirty within its core.

00:34:21.560 --> 00:34:30.380
 That we're a whitewashed tomb that looks pretty from the outside, but on the inside is dead.

00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:46.180
 Lord, can we acknowledge that our first step of obedience is surrender to you.

00:34:46.180 --> 00:34:53.460
 It begins with repentance and confession.

00:34:55.100 --> 00:34:57.140
 Jesus, you died for us.

00:34:58.820 --> 00:35:00.920
 That you offer us salvation.

00:35:02.300 --> 00:35:04.680
 When we recognize that we're a sinner.

00:35:05.900 --> 00:35:07.180
 That you are holy.

00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:10.880
 And that we need you to save us.

00:35:13.300 --> 00:35:19.720
 And God, for those of us who have made that cry, that statement of our life.

00:35:21.940 --> 00:35:29.480
 Lord, could we embrace that we need to live our life in such a way and with such a purpose.

00:35:30.560 --> 00:35:34.560
 So that those who do not know you can come to know you.

00:35:36.620 --> 00:35:39.720
 Lord, may we be a mobilized group of missionaries.

00:35:40.940 --> 00:35:42.440
 And it's in Jesus' name we pray.

00:35:43.180 --> 00:35:43.460
 Amen.

00:35:44.920 --> 00:35:47.360
 In just a minute, we're going to stand and we're going to worship.

00:35:48.700 --> 00:35:49.800
 Just like we do every week.

00:35:51.200 --> 00:35:53.720
 And just like every week, you're going to leave.

00:35:55.100 --> 00:36:00.980
 In just a minute, you're going to be done watching the service online, taking part of it here.

00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:02.400
 And you're going to make a decision.

00:36:05.400 --> 00:36:07.420
 It's the work of God that God is doing.

00:36:08.920 --> 00:36:09.900
 But are you in it?

00:36:11.800 --> 00:36:12.540
 Are you in it?

00:36:13.860 --> 00:36:17.260
 Are you a fan on the sideline or are you a player in the game?

00:36:19.640 --> 00:36:23.460
 I want to say, no, I surrender all my rights.

00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:34.960
 I surrender all that I am so that I can serve all so that they may know him.

00:36:36.260 --> 00:36:39.340
 The cry of a missionary, the heart of God.

00:36:40.220 --> 00:36:41.400
 Would you stand as we worship him?

00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:58.220
 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast.

00:36:58.740 --> 00:37:01.020
 We hope that you enjoyed listening to this week's message.

00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:05.020
 If you'd like to learn more about who we are or explore additional resources,

00:37:05.640 --> 00:37:10.080
 visit us online at www.willowridgechurch.com

00:37:10.080 --> 00:37:13.640
 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram.

00:37:17.140 --> 00:37:21.580
 Willow Ridge Church