An apostolic people | Vision & Values | Fusi Mokoena Part 2

  

This is part of a series of messages that were preached at the Regions Beyond  India Leaders meeting at Igatpuri . This message  was preached by  Fusi Mokoena .Regions Beyond, is a part of Newfrontiers Intl. You can listen to the audio by clicking here.

P       PART 2

         Unity in the Church is escatological because it goes beyond this age.

h             This unity is not something for now but goes beyond it. The Jews had 2 ages- the age gone by where Israel was the chosen nation and brought out of slavery into freedom and fellowship with God and the age to come when Jesus is going to return. We live in the tension between the fallen world where the powers and principalities still operate but has been won by Jesus Christ. In such a world, the church displays the beauty of the age to come. So we need to fight for it.We don't just worship, we worship together. We don't just plant, we plant together.Paul took Timothy and Silas with him and both are from different churches. We need to learn to work together.At conferences we get time to spend with each other and from around the world.

Cautions:

a.      Guard yourself against insecurity- we need to allow the gospel to shape our togetherness and not have unreal expectations. It means that when we come together, we learn from one another. We may not see one another as much as we would like to, but let that not be a reason to feel insecure.

b.      We can’t allow relationship to be the reason we are together. We want to be here for the gospel and for Jesus. we are gathered for the gospel.It would be sad it we are good friends and not spread the gospel.

We need to keep remembering why we are together otherwise some will go back to what they were. In the phase that Regions Beyond is it is important that you are clear or when we do mission you will get left out.

2       Apostolic Partnership:

John 14:24 reflects the Trinity which is one and which is on mission. Jesus is our great apostle. The blessing that God gives us is for mission. Do not let it hinder us from actually doing mission.   Sometimes we see a church that gets so full of the Spirit and they don't want anything else. The blessings that God gives us can actually hinder us from doing mission. We need to be sold out for mission that is why He sent Jesus to the cross. So if God is sold out so should we. The mission of God is at stake.

The church of Jerusalem chose men who were full of the spirit and full of wisdom to go out on mission. The reason they did that is so that the word of Jesus is preached. Advancing of the kingdom in different places- this is our mission.We need to know the reason for gathering so we can go.Joined together we strengthen one another, equip the saints and the gospel will go. We need to train our churches for mission. We should have mission in our DNA. The church exits for mission.

 All of us are on this mission- some are sent and the others send or equip them to be sent.  We bring our churches with us.We need to keep raising leaders.We have the freedom  and the commission to preach the gospel .

Cautions:

a.      Don’t make mission a department in the church. Every single person in church is for mission. Mission is not just for apostles/ teams.

b.      Don’t be selfish saying you go on mission and I will build the church.

c.      Mission has t be made a new and fresh topic. We need to refresh it in the church.

d.      We need to model mission as leaders. It’s for all of us.We need to continue to make mission a new fresh topic or we will end up with stories that are 5 years old.

e.      Don’t do mission for the sake of mission or competition or just to perform. Do it for Jesus.

We need to do mission well and go out of strength. We are partnering for the sake of the gospel. New frontiers transition is going to take time.  There are some churches still feeling their way. We are going to multiply and grow and we  need skill and faith to maintain what we have and also grow. The great news is that you’ve got a part to play.

In the 19^th and 20^th century, we saw the church grow like never before yet experience more problems than ever before. Nelson Mandela said- "sometimes, it falls upon a generation to be great". We can be that generation. We are one under the banner of Jesus Christ and the gospel. We need to be that generation!