Living the Mission of God

Overview:

It is often said that God’s church doesn’t have a mission; God’s mission has a church. While slightly overstated, the point stands: We worship a God who has been on mission since the beginning. Our Triune God--perfect in love, unity, majesty, and delight--moves into the world He has created and through His people He has recreated. His aim? To draw people to Himself, healing our sin-sick world through reconciling people to Himself and teaching us to be with our Savior and follow His way of life. As we experience His grace, He compels back into the relational spheres to which He has called us as those who proclaim Christ as King and portray the goodness of life in His kingdom. In every neighborhood, workplace, nation, and corridor of culture, we--as His church--exist to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people.

This spring, we’re giving focused attention to the way that Jesus calls us to engage with the world around us. We start the year with a five—week preaching series (Jan 8--Feb 5). This will work in partnership with and as a springboard for specific “Calls to Action.” This guide helps orient us. In it you’ll find a brief summary of each of our five missional areas of emphasis. Below the summaries, we’ve listed Calls to Action (two per week) that we invite you to consider engaging. We must recognize that none of us is called to simultaneously grow and serve in equal proportions in every area of the Christian life. God intentionally gave us limits! But there are likely one or two areas that He is ushering you into throughout the series. We invite you to pray through and consider the areas of focus and what that might mean for you in the coming months.

Five Weeks:

The Global Mission of God (January 8)

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Where this is not yet reality, there is work to be done. Jesus has redeemed and sent us to preach Christ to every tribe, tongue, and nation so that all would hear the beautiful invitation of the Gospel. We are to be a church that prays, sends, and goes to the ends of the earth with the good news of Jesus.

Invitations:

  • Gather to pray for the nations and global missions
  • Write notes (or draw pictures, kids!) for our missionary partners just after each service

Hospitality & Neighboring (January 15)

God has sovereignly placed us within our neighborhoods, on our streets, and in our apartment complexes with intentionality. The simple practice of presence with our neighbors--knowing their names and sharing our lives--faithfully images the God who came to us in Christ. As we learn to become hospitable people, opening our living rooms and our relational bandwidth to those around us, we’ll find God’s transformative work on display.

Invitations:

  • Leverage the Neighbor Grid to get to know your neighbors
  • Generate ideas and opportunities through Gospel Communities

Restorative Justice (January 22)

Where there is cultural division, power can be wielded as a tool of oppression. When people ignore the cries of the suffering, the tender heart of God aches. And He calls His people to action. The vision of life together initiated in the Garden of Eden may now be increasingly restored through the presence of Jesus and the attentive work of His people. We are to be marked by justice—stewarding our voices and resources in a way that moves toward the good reign of King Jesus.

Invitations:

  • Serve with Denver Rescue Mission
  • Serve with Alternatives Pregnancy Center

Faith & Work (January 29)

The work humans do accounts for nearly half of our waking hours, occupies considerable mental energy, and is a key operative lens through which major life decisions are influenced and made. What’s more, God has designed and placed us in His created world to cultivate and make fruitful what’s He’s made so that it reflects Him and tangibly loves others. Let us press in with intentionality toward the beauty and breadth of everyday mission in our work.

Invitations:

  • Attend the Women’s Formation Event (Tuesday, January 31)
  • Attend the Men’s Formation Event (Monday, February 27)

Sharing the Good News (February 5)

Scripture is clear that there is no entrance into the kingdom of God without a confession of Jesus Christ as the King. Our world desperately needs a better allegiance, a truer creed, and a stronger invitation to hear that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. He Himself provides life and joy to the full--the life we were all made for. God has sent us as His everyday representatives to share with others this good news of Jesus.

Invitations:

More resources for sharing the Good News