The Heart of our Faith 6.        World Mission

Our Mission Statement says:-

“We have a heart for God’s world….through engaging in the task of World Mission.”

Are we “Worldly Christians”, or are we “World Class Christians”?

“Worldly Christians” are basically selfish, seeking to have their own needs met, putting their own preferences first, considering their own tastes and desires as primary.

“World Class Christians” put others before themselves, and ask what they can do for God, not what God can do for them.

If we are going to have a true World Vision, we will need to change.

1. We will need to change from “self-centred thinking” to “other-centred thinking”.  See 1 Corinthians 14.20.   This is about growing up, and becoming mature Christians!
2. We will need to change from local thinking to global thinking. Our society now works globally – we are influenced by all parts of the world. We need to start thinking and praying and working for a world won for Jesus.
3. We will need to change from “here and now” thinking to “eternity” thinking. Do we spend much of our time and effort on things that are unimportant and temporary? God wants us to concentrate on things that will last – things of eternal significance! This is what Jesus meant by “treasure in heaven”.

Are we ready to change our way of thinking?

Are we ready to become World Class Christians?

Are we ready to be a part of a World Vision Church?

Try using this prayer this week :-

“Lord, forgive me that I am so often self-centred in my thinking, so often lacking in a vision for world mission, so tied to the here and now that I forget to think in the eternal dimension. Forgive us, as a Church, for being narrow, parochial, and for lacking in compassion and love for your world.

Teach us what it truly means to be “World Class Christians”, with a vision for the whole world to be reached for you.

Help us to do what we can to share in the task of mission, so that your children in every part of the world may have the opportunity to hear about Jesus, to come to know him, and to love and serve him as we do.

We ask this in your great and wonderful name – Amen.”

The Heart of our Faith                   5.  Service

As well as reaching out to the world with the Good News of Jesus, God also wants us to become servants, just as Jesus came to serve.

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…”   Matthew 20.26-7)

Our first calling is to serve God – but how do we serve God? By serving others, in his name. The Bible calls this MINISTRY.

We need three things in order to be a faithful servant.

1.    We need availability. We must be available to God and others – not afraid to be interrupted. This can be disrupted by self-centredness or perfectionism or materialism

2.    We need an attitude of gratitude. We will be willing to serve if we have a right attitude towards ourselves, and see what God has done for us.

3.    We need to be faithful.  That means not giving up, but keeping going. It means recognizing what is significant, and not just prominent. It means never belittling the little!

God needs you to be available as his servant! You cannot leave it to others – your gifts are essential, whoever you are.

Ø     How is God calling you to serve?

Ø     What gifts has he given you to use?

Ø     Are you ready to be a part of our Church’s ministry of service to the world?

Try using this prayer this week –

“Lord, thank you for placing your trust in me so much that you want me to serve others in your name. Help me to be available to you this week, whatever that may mean. Forgive me that I am so often selfish, and prefer to put myself first. I want to use the gifts that you have given me – so help me to find out what they are, and how best to be a servant of others in your name – Amen.”

The Heart of our Faith               4. Evangelism

Our Church Mission Statement says that we must have a heart for God and a heart for God’s world. The first way that we show  we have a heart for God’s world is through evangelism amongst our neighbours. Jesus said “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1.

1.    We are called to share the Good News in our own world (Jerusalem) – which for us is the place we live and work. Mission starts at home.  Do we lack confidence? Do we think people are not interested? Well, we are not called to be experts or spin doctors – just witnesses of what we have seen and heard in our own experience. God changes lives – not us!

2.    We are called to share the Good News beyond our own world.  Judea was nearby to Jerusalem, and its people were similar. Samaria was very different, and its culture was foreign, its people enemies. We are called to “cross-cultural” mission, as well as mission to those who are “like us”. Where would Jesus be, if he was here on earth today? He would be caring for the poor and needy and the outcasts…so must we!

3.    We are called to share the Good News with the whole world!  We will look at World Mission another week.

Is anyone going to be in heaven because of you – because of us?  Are you using your time here on earth for the purpose God has given it to you?  You cant say God without saying “Go”. You cant say Gospel without saying “Go”. It is our task to “go and tell”.

Try using this prayer:   “Dear Lord, thank you so much that Jesus came to die for me, and that I know I am your precious child. Forgive me for keeping that Good News to myself. Help me to share it with everyone that I can this week. Give me opportunities to speak a few words for you to someone close to me this week. Use me to bring others closer to you. In Jesus’ name – Amen”.

The Heart of our Faith                    3.      Obedience

Matthew 7.21 says “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”

Obedience to God’s will is a crucial part of our lives as Christians, and as a Christian Church. Our Church mission statement says “We have a heart for God..through obedience to God’s will and to God’s Word”

But how can we know what God’s will is?

God uses certain ways to guide us into his ways

1.     He gave us common sense

2.     He gave us His Word – the Bible.

3.     He guides us by the wise counsel of other Christians

4.     He guides us through our feelings and emotions

5.     He guides us through circumstances, when we commit them to God

All of these have dangers, and can be misleading – for example, we may be tempted to listen only to the parts of the Bible that say what we want to hear – or only to listen to the advice that agrees with what we want. Our feelings can often mislead us too. But if we prayerfully ask God to reveal his will to us, and commit all our ways to him, he will not fail to guide us in his will and purpose.

Once we know God’s will, we must then obey it – listening is not enough we must become doers. “Trust and Obey”

Try using this prayer this week:-

Dear Lord, forgive us that we are not always obedient to your will. We much prefer to go our own way, and do our own thing, without listening to you. Help us to seek your will – to pray, and study the Bible, and listen to the advice of others, so that we can discern what you are saying to us. Then Lord, help us to trust and obey, both in our own lives and in the life of our Church family. For Jesus’ sake we pray, AMEN.

The Heart of our Faith                                       2.   Prayer

Our Mission statement says “We have a heart for God …through prayer that is passionate and consistent.”

How passionate is your prayer life? Do you pray as if your life depended on it? Do you long to spend time with God? Or is prayer more of a chore or a duty that you feel you must fulfil?

How consistent is your prayer life? Do you pray regularly? Do you pray whatever the circumstances? Or is prayer something you turn to when your need is great, or when you feel “in the mood”?

Matthew 7.7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

1.  Jesus offers us a pattern for our praying -

            Ask -  acknowledge your need

            Seek -  put in some effort on your own part

            Knock – the idea of effort plus persistence

2.  Jesus offers us a promise for our praying

            You will receive…you will find…the door will be opened

3.  Jesus offers us a proof for our praying

            v 9-11 – God loves to give good things to those who ask him.

            The proof that prayer is real lies in God himself – who he is and

            what He has done. He is our loving Heavenly Father.

Three Practical Steps to a better prayer life this week:-

1. Find a time to be quiet with God each day this week. It need only be for 10-15 mins, but make time to talk to God and listen to Him.
2. Ask God to help you pray for what He wants, and not just for what you want. Pray that his will may be done.
3. Tell God what you are going to do to try to be the answer to your own prayers.

Here is a prayer that you can use this week:-

“Lord, please help me to pray as Jesus prayed. Help me to pray with real passion, instead of from duty or habit. Help me to pray consistently, instead of just when I feel like it, or when trouble comes.

Lord, when I get to heaven, I don’t want you to say to me that you don’t recognize my voice. I want to spend quality time with you every day – listening as well as talking. Help me to be a Christian who loves to pray. And help us to be a prayerful Church, as we serve you together. Amen.”

The Heart of our Faith.                  1. Worship.

Margate Baptist Church Mission Statement (adopted November 08)

“Margate Baptist Church – the Church at the heart of Margate.

            We have a heart for God

            We have a heart for God’s World

            We have a heart for God’s Family”

“We have a heart for God – through worship that is real and relevant.”

Mark 12. 28-34 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”

1. We must worship God thoughtfully (with all of our mind).

Ø      This means giving our full attention to worship

Ø      It means focussing and not being distracted

Ø      Having a daily quiet time with God will help with this

Ø      We might try thinking about God during the day

1. We must worship God passionately (with all of our heart and soul)

Ø      God loves us – the most important thing we can do is to love him back.

Ø      God is passionate about us! If we understood how much he loves us, we couldn’t fail to love him too.

      3.  We must worship God practically (with all of our strength)

Ø     Love can never be just words – it must become actions too.

Colossians 3.23 – “ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.”

Its not what you do that matters as much as who you are doing it for.

All of life can become worship, if we do it all for Him!

When you get up tomorrow, say to yourself:-

“Lord, whatever I do today, I’m going to do it for you. It may be the same things I have done for many years, but from now on I’m doing them for you. I want you to be my Lord; and I want to start living – not for myself – but for you. Help me to make my whole life an act of worship to you.”