Spark Notes (5/20)

Taking Our Place in the Story

On 5/20, Justin Vande Water shared with us about local missions.

Vision of God:
- "To make His name know and worshipped in the earth by all nations" Psalm 86:9
-- "To fill the earth with His glory like the waters cover the sea" Habakkuk 2:14

Mission of God: 
- "Be fruitful and multiply" Genesis 1:26-28
- "make disciples of the nations" Matthew 28:18-20
- Who I am determines what I do...I am a missionary! John 20:21

Strategy: How did Jesus carry out the mission of God? (Boots on the ground)
- Prayer. Luke 10:2
- Seek the Lost. Luke 19:10
- Bring the presence, the power and the proclamations of the Kingdom. Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1-2
- Depend on the Holy Spirit for growth/development. John 14:12 + 1 Corinthians 3:6
- Gather the Harvest. Acts 2:44
- Empower the ordinary men to continue the task. 2 Timothy 2:2
- Illustrated in Mark 4:26-29 "The Parable of the Seed Growing" : 4 Fields of the Kingdom Growth.
"The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he know not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blad, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." 

It's all about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit:
- "and when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement." John 16:8
-"He saved us, not by works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" Titus 3:5-6
-"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth." John 16:13-15/1 Corinthians 2:13
-"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses." -Acts 1:8

Partnering with the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission:
-Matthew 28:18-20: "I am with you always..."
-Mark 16:20: "The Lord worked with them..."
-Luke 24:49: "I am sending the promise of my Father upon you..."
-John 20:21: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. He breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit."
-Acts 1:8: "And you will receive power with the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses..."

Prayer (resting in God, depending on His Spirit) is the beginning and fuel of mission. 
-Our prayer lives are a litmus test of our dependency on the Holy Spirit
-My House shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Mark 11:17

Action/Obedience
1. When, hwere with whom will you begin/continue to pray for the harvest?
2. Make a list of the people you know that are far from God.
3. Who's one person from you list that you can share the Gospel with this week?
4. For more information, training and practice in the 4 fields for you or your church, please contact Justin Vande Water at Justin@ourprimary.com/(605) 759-3943

For the full teaching, click here. 

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