Sermon Tone Analysis

We are sort of picking up where we left off last Sunday.

Over the past several weeks we have been reading through the book of Acts together as a church.

And last week I began highlighting a few of the themes we see woven throughout the stories in Acts.

Last week we looked at all the ways that community is so vital to the identity of the church in Acts; that the church is essentially about people in relationship—relationship with one another and with God.

Today we are looking at another theme we see throughout Acts; that the church has a purpose—a mission given by Jesus.

We are going to pick up on the theme of this mission in a few different places in Acts, and elsewhere in scripture as it comes forward into Acts.

But I want us to start at the very beginning of Acts because Luke gives a nod toward this mission theme in the very opening words to Acts.

Acts 1:1–11 (NIV)

Mission.

I imagine some of you are familiar with the Apollo 13 mission.

In the 1970s NASA launched several missions to the moon using the Saturn V rocket.

The Apollo 13 mission was significant because of the mechanical failure that occurred along the way.

The commander of the Apollo 13 mission, James Lovell, wrote about it in a memoir entitled “Lost Moon” which was made into a movie starring Tom Hanks in 1995.

The Apollo 13 mission never made a landing on the moon’s surface.

When one of the rocket’s oxygen tanks exploded on route to the moon, the astronauts worked quickly to stabilize the damage and shut down the Odyssey before any more damage occurred.

The astronauts then closed themselves into the lunar lander and used the guidance rocket engines on the lander to redirect course.

They maintained a course toward the moon coming into an orbit around the moon, and then used the moon’s gravity to slingshot the rocket around and back towards earth.

Upon approaching the earth, the crew was able to restart just the essential instruments in the damaged capsule to make reentry back into the earth’s atmosphere and successfully splash down in the ocean.

The Apollo 13 crew never successfully landed on the moon.

But when President John Kennedy first commissioned the Apollo moon program through NASA, he said it this way in a speech to congress in May 1961, that the US “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

For Apollo 13, the moon landing was out of the question.

But the question that remained was whether the astronauts could return safely to the earth.

Everything about the Apollo 13 mission turned to that one mission goal.

The tactics and procedures had to change because the circumstances surrounding them changed.

But the mission of getting those astronauts safely back to earth, that mission stayed the same even though NASA had to completely reorganize the way they went about it.

Even though Apollo 13 never landed on the lunar surface, the mission was considered a success because they did, in fact, send a crew to the moon and return them safely back home.

The mission remained, but the way they accomplished that mission had to adjust when the surrounding circumstances adjusted.

consider what the stories in Acts show us about the mission of God’s people in the church

We talk quite a bit in the church about mission.

We have certain people we appoint and support as missionaries.

We have a committee here in this church called the MCC (missions and community connection).

We have catchy phrases like ‘being on mission’ or being a church that is ‘missional.’

There are conferences and books about that topic for churches.

Let’s spend a few minutes today considering what the stories in Acts show us about the mission of God’s people in the church.

What does it mean that your life as a Christian has a purpose?

That you have a mission?

Like the Apollo 13 mission to the moon, I think we see a picture in Acts of a mission that keeps the same direction and directives that have always been there (in a bit I will connect it all the way back to Genesis).

But the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus dramatically adjusted the circumstances surrounding that mission.

The mission and purpose of God’s people remains the same as it has since the creation of the world, but the tactics and procedures adjust as the circumstances and surroundings of God’s people adjust.

Let’s take a look at that in Acts, and then consider how a constant and unchanging mission remains for us today as well, but ask the question, are there adjustments we need to make because our circumstances and surroundings are changed?

Same mission; different strategies.

recommissioned — disciples’ question shows they are misdirected

I am calling this message a snapshot of a church recommissioned.

Recommissioned because we see the mission of God’s people being realigned and set back straight again.

See how Luke points to this right here in this opening passage from Acts.

There is so much packed into that one question that Luke records from the disciples.

It’s in verse 6.

Acts 1:6 (NIV)

It is not the first time a question like this comes from the disciples.

On another occasion Jesus catches his disciples arguing about who will be the greatest in the kingdom.

Another time the disciples inquire of Jesus who will have the seats of power to the right and left of Jesus in the kingdom.

So very often God’s people got the mission wrong.

So very often God’s people have slipped into mistakenly thinking that the mission is about power—kingdom power to be specific.

They wanted a Messiah who would help them overpower the Roman Empire so that they, the kingdom of Israel, could be in power.

the mission of God’s people is not about kingdom power

It's not the only time that God’s people mistakenly pursued a mission of kingdom power.

The scandals of the Roman Catholic Church during the middle ages shows us the corruption that occurs when God’s people think the mission is about kingdom power.

If any of you spend time following podcasts, perhaps you are aware of a rather popular podcast put out by Christianity Today over the past few years called, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” which documents the abuse and corruption at a Seattle megachurch whose leader promoted and embraced a mission of kingdom power.

In 2016 a candidate for political office made a campaign stop at Dordt College in Northwest Iowa—a small Christian college affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.

At this campaign event at Dordt College the candidate told the people there “and by the way, Christianity will have power.

If I’m there, you’re going to have plenty of power, you don’t need anybody else.”

A candidate for political office appealing to kingdom power as fulfilment of the mission.

The highlight on this conversation in Acts 1 is not just addressing the misdirected mission of the disciples back then, it is just as much for us in the church today as well.

Jesus places power in its proper context for the mission of God’s people

But look at the answer Jesus gives to his disciples.

He calls out exactly what they are thinking about.

He knows they are losing sight of the real mission and purpose with a mistaken focus on kingdom power.

Jesus mentions power in his response, but Jesus places power in its proper context for the mission of God’s people.

So you want power?

Jesus says, you will indeed have power.

But it is a power which comes from the Holy Spirit.

And it is a power which is not for the purpose or mission of kingdom dominance.

No, what does Jesus say in this passage that the power of the Holy Spirit is for?

Look at verses 7-8.

Acts 1:7–8 (NIV)

power of the Holy Spirit equips God’s people for the mission of being a witness

You will be my witnesses.

The mission of God’s people is not about pursuing kingdom power.

The mission of God’s people is about being a witness.

It is about knowing and embracing and finding identity in who we are because of Jesus, and then living in ways which give testimony and witness to Jesus.

The recently retired president of Calvin University, Michael LeRoy, referenced this passage in the commencement address he delivered at Calvin University this past spring.

LeRoy contrasted it against the idea of heroes.

The Greco-Roman culture and mythology of the day was full of hero legends.

Our television shows and movies today also largely revolve around hero stories.

Everyone loves a hero.

Who wouldn’t want to be a hero?

The disciples in Acts 1 are asking Jesus if it is finally hero-time.

And Jesus says, no.

The power that I am giving to you is not power to be a hero.

The power I am giving you is power to be a witness.

Greek martyres = witness, martyr

The Greek word in Acts translated into English as ‘witness’ is martyres.

It’s where we get the English word martyr.

It is not the mission of God’s people to be heroes.

It is the mission of God’s people to be martyrs.

We don’t have a mission that says look at us and what we can do.

We have a mission that says look at Jesus and what he has done.

Let me wrap this up by pointing us to just a few ways we see this happen in Acts, ways that give us some direction for mission yet today.

how the church is Acts gives witness to Christ

Acts 3 — healing in the name of Jesus