The Loop

The Real Mission Behind Every Church

Let me take you back to a moment that changed everything. In Matthew 28:18, "Jesus came to them, them as the disciples. And he said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." What Jesus said next wasn't just a suggestion – it was a battle plan.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” - Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

"Authority, language is spiritual warfare language. Jesus is announcing to the disciples that you're literally going to go into enemy territory, the entire world, and you're going to take back what is mine. So in the Biblical narrative, this world is not our home, and Satan is considered the “Ruler” of this world. As a result, he has set up strongholds all over His creation.

When Life Gets Hard, Remember This Truth

This past week, I experienced firsthand why this mission matters so much. "I had a rough week. In my heart, I was sad... I kind of felt like my family was maybe under spiritual attack in some ways, because I wasn't the only one in my family who had some sad moments."

"I was feeling busy and overwhelmed and had too much to do, not enough time. And honestly, feeling like a failure. Feeling like a failure for all of you. Feeling like if Kingsway just had a better pastor, if my kids had a better dad, if my wife had a better husband..."

Sound familiar? Am I the only one who ever hears these lies from my enemy? This is in large part what spiritual warfare looks like, right? Spiritual warfare in other countries might look like persecution, and the ability to be courageous and bold in the face of being thrown in prison or potential death. But in America, a lot of times it looks like really just believing who God is and what he's like and what He wants to do in and through me. Sometimes, we have to fight to remember – He loves us, and cares for us!

The Answer We All Need

While writing this sermon, God stopped me in my tracks with 1 John 4:16: "And we rely on the love that God has for us." I stopped, sat on my couch in my office, and thought, this is the answer that all of us need. This is the answer that the world needs. This is the answer that your kids need, and your neighbors need, and your co-workers need. We must rely on the love that God has for us, the love that was revealed to us in Jesus Christ, His Son."

"So the mission of every church, the goal, if you will, of every Christian, is very simple. It's to go and make more and better disciples. And the way we do that is by sharing this love with the world. We take the love that God has given us, and we give it away over and over and over again."

The Game-Changer Moment

Let me tell you about Peter – yes, the guy from all those "when you get to heaven and Peter's at the gates" jokes. On the day of Pentecost, something unprecedented happened. Peter preached to hundreds of thousands of Jews gathered in Jerusalem, and in Acts 2:37, "when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart. And they said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers, what shall we do?"

Peter's response in Acts 2:38 changed everything: "Repent and be baptized. Every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

"The Holy Spirit is a game changer." Unlike in the Old Testament where "the Spirit would come upon a person, they would perform the duty and the Spirit would leave," now "the Holy Spirit is entering into the heart and soul, the mind of a person, taking up residence, filling them from inside out, so that now the thoughts in their mind, the works of their hands are used and inspired by Him."

What Happens When Churches Get It Right?

The result? Acts 2:41 tells us "those who accepted his message were baptized and about 3,000 were added to their number that day." Think about that – somebody had to count all those people! What that tells me is that it's okay for churches to count numbers, that numbers are a good thing. Numbers are a godly thing... Numbers represent people.". And if you want to celebrate numbers with us, click this link https://www.kingswaychurch.org/vision-report/

The Blueprint for Church Done Right

Acts 2:42-47 gives us the blueprint: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship... to the breaking of bread and to prayer." This wasn't just a Sunday morning thing – "every day they continued to meet together in the temple court. Notice every day. The early church was so excited about Jesus that they rearranged their calendar, their finances, their entire life around Jesus and His church.”

But here's what really set them apart: "All the believers were together and had everything in common... because they sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. See, the early church at its best understood this world is not our home. This is enemy territory. So, therefore, we'd better live like we're leaving."

"Have you ever noticed that when you die, everything that you accumulated stays behind?" The early church got this. "They apparently thought, “what do I need more for?”  And that's a really hard message in America because you're told every day you need more.”

The Secret to Church Growth

Here's the key principle: "When the church's activity continually lifts up Jesus, the world is drawn to him. They don't even necessarily understand why. They just know there's something special about that place."

Jesus promised this in John 12:32: "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." "If a church is lifting up itself up, it'll die within a generation. If a church is lifting up its pastor, it only lasts as long as the pastor has enough energy... But if the church lifts up Jesus from every member, male, female, young, old, we keep lifting up Jesus. Jesus draws everybody to himself."

Putting It Into Practice

So what does this mean for your life today?

Remember What God Has Done "There's a repeated phrase throughout the Old and New Testament, and it's the phrase, remember, remember. Because I believe that when we remember what God did in the past, it encourages us for what God can do in the future." What has God done in your heart, your family, your life?

Find Your One "Who is your one? Who is that one person that God has put in your heart, in your life, that he wants you to share Jesus with, that he wants you to lift him up in front of them." Don't let fear stop you – "It may be scary or intimidating. You don't know what to say... We can help you with all of that."

Live Like You're Leaving Ask yourself: "What does God want from me? What does God want me to do?" Remember, "this world is not our home" – we're just passing through on a mission to take back territory for God.

Keep Lifting Up Jesus "Let's just keep lifting up Jesus. Let's lift him up until he comes back or calls us home. And if we should die before he returns, let's hand this thing... off to the next generation and say, keep going."

The church exists for one reason: to put God's glory on display by making disciples who make disciples. Everything else is just details. The question isn't whether God can use your church to change the world – He already proved that 2,000 years ago. The question is: what is He asking you to do about it?

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