As a church, we are seeking to grow in prayerfulness in the year ahead.  As we move into another calendar year of ministry, we are asking the Lord to do 6 things in us as His people.  This is our prayer…Wake Us.  Humble Us.  Change Us.  Anchor Us.  Unite Us.  Send Us.

Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:18: As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

The life of a Christ follower is the life of a missionary.  Of being an ambassador for Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21:  ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Earlier in that chapter, you see that we are compelled to be an ambassador because of the love of Christ.  His love compels us to show and tell of the Good News.  To show and tell contagiously, lovingly, and boldly

The life of a Christian is a life of being sent.  Sent into the world around us.  Sent into schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, family gatherings and friend circles, stores, kids’ activities, other countries, and as a way of life.

You’ve been divinely appointed to all of those spaces for such a time as this.  You’ve been uniquely placed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be an ambassador, a witness for Christ.  You are not, where you are by accident.

When it comes to showing and telling of the Good News, we are often stuck in fear of rejection or what will they think of me, or will I be able to answer their questions.  Or we are stuck in hopelessness or cynicism.  And we think, well they won’t respond or be open to this.

Have we forgotten that the Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of all who would believe?  That Romans 10 tells us how beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News so that people might call upon the Lord and be saved?

Lord send us.  Listen to…Colossians 4:2-6:  ² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

So again, we see that it begins with prayer.  Lord, you open the door for the message.  You give me the words to say so that your Good News is clear.  And you help me be wise in how I act toward others.  Lord, help me make the most of every opportunity.  Lord, help my words and my tone to be full of grace and seasoned with the truth of who you are, and who we are apart from you.

We want to be a sending church.  A church full of people who are convinced they are sent as a way of life.  So a sending church sends out missionaries, and sends out church plants, and sends out children, students and adults week in and week out, from every Sunday morning, to be scattered throughout the area the other 6 days of the week.

In Luke 15, we read that Jesus left the 99 to go after the one that was lost.  I pray that we would reflect that same passion and pursuit and love.  And where we have settled into this mentality of inward thinking, or a sense of fear, reluctance or unbelief in a nothing is impossible God, may the Lord wake us.  And may the lost be found.

Crosspoint, may we be a church full of people who say, we’ll go.  Who will pray, Here I am Lord, send me.  I’ll show and tell of the Gospel with my words and way of life.  I’ll pray for the doors to open up, and I’ll pray my words will be clear, gracious, truthful and loving.  Lord, I won’t go in my own strength or wisdom, but I’ll trust in yours.  Help me to plant and water, and trust you for the growth.