Luke 15:4-7 Lost Sheep Ministries Leave - Go - Find - Bring Back - Rejoice

The People of God Called and Sent To this end, the Church has been called and sent to proclaim God’s glory and love to the ends of the earth. “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I also send you.” John 20:21 The fifth portion of our journey delves into God’s purpose for the Church. The Church does not exist for itself but to demonstrate the RENOWN of God.

The life of each church does not come from within itself, or because of what it is in itself. Life arises from its connection with Christ and its fear and awe of God and His purposes. God All peoples Creation People of God New Covenant Jesus Christ Commission Chaos As each church lives by Christ, it lives in Christ’s commission to widen His RENOWN from its locale to the very ends of the earth. As each church lives by Christ, it lives in Christ’s commission to widen His RENOWN from its locale to the very ends of the earth.

The Church is God’s people, called and sent for His renown. God calls a people to take His character and purpose, in order that He might make His name great through them. God commissioned the people of God to complete what was initiated at creation and demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 The Church is more than structure and programs. It transcends culture and context. It bears the distinction of God’s call. Peter draws the parallel between Christ, the “choice and precious” living stone and God’s chosen people, the living stones “built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:4-5), and thus links the selection of the Church to Christ.

Peter makes a bold point by referring to the Church as race, nation and people. This new entity embraces members from many different races, nations and people groups. Being the people of God up to this point had been biologically and culturally determined. If one was born a Jew, he was part of the people of God. Now, the people of God are made up of men and women who withdraw primary allegiance from their religion, culture and heritage to embrace the living Lord. They were once not a people, but now they are the people of God!

All its members have the right of direct access to the Lord God, the responsibility of service & the privilege of interceding for others. Every local church is a community of priests for the people of its language and culture. Holy Nation. The root meaning for holy is “separated,” This means that the Church belongs to God in a way others do not. Holy refers to the character of God. Holy Nation. The root meaning for holy is “separated,” This means that the Church belongs to God in a way others do not. Holy refers to the character of God. Leviticus 11:44 “You shall be holy, for I am holy” Instead of one person who functions as a priest for the nation, the whole Church is a priest for all nations.

The constituting element for the Church is its call to be holy and set apart. The Church has been called from darkness to light and yet remains in the world. The Church constantly lives in danger of being absorbed by the world! The people of God belong to a distinct culture. They have been placed on the side of God and no longer belong to the world. A local group cannot be the Church without distinctiveness of God’s Holy character. GOD CALLS THE CHURCH TO HIS CHARACTER!

The purpose of the Church is to proclaim the wonderful deeds of God. Proclaim means to “to tell out,” “to make widely known,” or “to publish abroad.” The picture is of a message being “proclaimed to those outside concerning what has taken place within.” “TELL OF HIS GLORY AMONG THE NATIONS, HIS WONDERFUL DEEDS AMONG ALL THE PEOPLES” (PSALM 96:3).

Sending is the divine way of operating. God sent angels (Genesis 24:7, 40; Luke 1:26; Acts 12:11; Revelation 22:16), God sent Abraham (Genesis 12:1), God sent Moses (Exodus 3:10; 1 Samuel 12:8), God sent prophets (2 Samuel 12:1; Isaiah 6:8; Jeremiah 1:7; Haggai 1:12; Zechariah 2:8;), and God sent John the Baptist to announce Christ (John 1:6-8).

Christ is the model for the Church. As the Father sent Jesus, so now Jesus sends the Church. Only God sends. The Church is not the sender, but the one sent. Sending is not the activity of the Church. Sending is the initiative of God. The word send is present and active and thus expresses the idea of continuously sending. The act of sending the Church that Jesus initiated with the disciples continues throughout the ages.

Jesus’ sending of the disciples was a continuation of His commission from the Father (John 3:17; 10:16: 17:18,21) and the sending of the Holy Spirit by the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 15:26; Luke 24:49). Jesus’ sending of the disciples was a continuation of His commission from the Father (John 3:17; 10:16: 17:18,21) and the sending of the Holy Spirit by the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 15:26; Luke 24:49). Acts 3:1-3 PAUL & BARNABAS: Sent from the Church

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 The sense of the Greek word used here is, “having gone” make disciples. Jesus was not commanding them to “Go!” The implied assumption is that they would already be going. He had called and sent them, and gave them a vivid example of the Father sending Him. The Church was already going and would continue to go. The breadth of the Church’s going is stated clearly as all the people groups of the earth meaning every ethnic, language and tribal group that exists.

The following diagram illustrates the spiritual dynamism of being called and sent. It could seem that the Church is the goal of the calling or that it is the terminus of God’s activity. However, just the opposite is true. The Church is the means or instrument for achieving the real goal -- God’s RENOWN. God’s People Discipled By the Church Sent as the Church by God’s Spirit to the ends of the earth Called to Christ  His Character  His Purpose

The life and vitality of your Church as well as the all churches in the world depend upon their faithfulness to God’s commission. The local churches in all places exist in a cross-cultural situation. Our American society is extremely secularized, and thus, your Church must clearly align itself with God’s purpose in contrast to the society in which it finds itself. When it does not, it will abandon its essential purpose and cease to be the Church.

What irrelevant agendas and purposes do you see crowding out the essential purpose of God? The RENOWN of God will be declared through the life and ministry of the local church. The following questions will help to clarify why your church exists. How is your church different from other churches? How is your church like other churches? What has God called the Church to be and to do? Whom has God sent to the nations?

Pray For the senior pastor of your congregation. Ask God to work within his understanding of God’s purpose for your church. For the senior pastor of your congregation. Ask God to work within his understanding of God’s purpose for your church. For the staff of your church. Ask God to establish His essential purpose throughout every ministry and activity of your church. For the leadership of your congregation. Ask that God will give them dreams and visions of His glory covering the whole earth. That God will give your church a vision of its Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. That the Holy Spirit’s presence and power will consume you and send your church for His glory.

Live out your calling! You have been called and sent to the nations! Be an Ambassador where God sends you! Be an Ambassador where God sends you!