August 24th: It's Time to Send Someone

Sermon Notes for Small Group Leaders
It’s Time to Send Someone / Sermon Series 3 of 3
Teaching Pastor, Jim Zippay
August 24, 2008
Scripture Passage: Acts 13:1-3

Outline
I. Establish a Kingdom Community (Diversity – 13:1)
II. Engage in a Heavenly Ministry (Worship – 13:2)
III. Embrace a Global Mission (Following the call – 13:2-3)

Content
1. God’s faithfulness in the past should give us faith in the present about the future
2. Christian community should reflect the kingdom of heaven in its diversity (“all tribes and peoples and languages” – Rev 7:9)
3. Diversity is not just racial, but spiritual and cultural
4. Worship should involve “wasting time” on God, because once God has the priority, things align themselves around Him.
5. God meets with His people and speaks to His people when we are worshipping.
6. We will spend the next year focusing on worship
7. John Piper – “…missions is not the ultimate goal of the church, worship is. Worship is ultimate, not missions because God is ultimate...Worship therefore is the fuel and goal of missions.”
8. Our mission is global, not just in location, but in scope (reaching into all areas of the community and life)
9. God’s call often has at the same time specificity and vagueness – specificity as to who (e.g. Barnabas and Saul), vagueness as to what (e.g. “the work to which I have called them”)
10. We will send as God calls (international missions, urban ministry, etc)

Aim
Worshipping God should be our focus, so that we will be ready to hear His call and send those whom He has appointed to do His work.

Application Questions
I. How diverse is your “circle”? What are some ways that you could increase this diversity?
II. Think about how much time we spend ooing and awing at things in life (Sunsets, babies, etc). What can we do to spend time on the Creator of all those things?
III. Is God saying something to you? What has He been calling you to?