“Your Mission…Should You Choose to Accept It…”
“From Ulster Plantation to the Carolina’s with the Gospel!” *
Russell H. McCullough / Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210
www.archdale.org / gospelcall.blogspot.com - Date:
05.28.2016
Text: Mark 8.1 - 9
Thesis: Being first compassionate and thankful, we
then can be sent away by Jesus.
1
Introduction
A. “Good morning, Mr. Phelps.
Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it is to …. As always should any member of your IMF force
be captured or killed, the secretary will disavow all knowledge of your
actions. This tape will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck, Jim.”
B. Being sent on a
mission is often fraught with danger, uncertainty and the possibility of
failure.
C. Work, preparation
and risk are required for the mission.
D. ARE WE READY TO ACCEPT?
E. Mark is all about action!
1) Action
is described by VERBS.
a.
The action verbs in this passage:
*
Have
*
Gave
*
Sent
2
JESUS
HAD COMPASSION – 8.1 - 3
A.
In
order to have compassion like Christ one must pray for it
1. (Jas 1:5 - 8) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God,
who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by
the wind. For that person must not
suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways.
B. In order to have compassion like Christ one must observe
others for good
1. (Mat 25:34 – 40)
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed
by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world. For I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in
prison and you came to me.' Then the
righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
you, or thirsty and give you drink? And
when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And
when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say
to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to
me.'
C. In order to have
compassion like Christ we must draw a true and righteous comparison.
1. Compassion is the opposite of vanity, arrogance, pride,
haughtiness and condescension.
a. INSTEAD OF LOOKING DOWN YOUR NOSE AT YOUR NEIGHBOR, LOOK
UP YOUR NOSE TO OUR SAVIOR ON THE CROSS.
3
JESUS
GAVE THANKS – 8.4 – 7
A.
In
order to be thankful like Jesus we must pray for it
1.
Prayer
for Christ was more than a recital, it was a continuous conversation.
2.
Prayer
for us should be the rule, not the exception
B.
In
order to be thankful like Jesus we must pray as individuals
1. (Col 3:15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
C. In order to be thankful like Jesus we
must pray collectively
2. (Col 3.16) Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts
to God.
4
JESUS
SENT THEM AWAY – 8.8 - 9
A.
In
order to be sent away by Christ on our mission we must understand the prime
directive of being sent away:
1. (Mic 6:8) He has told you, O man, what is good; and
what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and
to walk humbly with your God?
a.
We must do justice
1) Dr. King’s plea of “judgement on the content of character”
is justice
2) “Doing justice” is treating everyone the same, the “same”
being your very best
b.
We must love kindness
1) (Col 3:11 - 13)
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then,
as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,
humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a
complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.
5
The
Meaning of the Text
A. Individually and collectively, we have been sent on a
mission
B. In order to accept that mission we must first be
compassionate
C. In order to accept that mission we must be thankful
6
The
Challenge of the Text
A. Will we “accept the mission?”
B. Will I be compassionate?
C. Will I be thankful?
7
“The
Gospel Call”
·
My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was
rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County
Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book
of his time; Gaston’s Collections. It
allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.” Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died
prematurely of the measles. He is buried
just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting
House Cemetery.” Uncle Hugh continues
to inspire my ministry to this very day.
You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston
Ruins photo courtesy of:
ballywillanpci.org.
·
On Friday night, August 5, 2016 Russ will
dramatically portray the life and times of his 5th Great
grandfather, John “Justice” Gaston entitled; “A Patriot of the Revolution.” A
portion of the event will cover also the life and times of his brother, Hugh
Gaston. The event will take place at the
Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210 at 7
p.m. The public is invited to this free
presentation.
