The Mission of the Church

Acts 1:8

Introduction

The Mission of the Church is not a suggestion; it is a divine assignment. Dr. Terry LeQuieu preaches from Acts 1:8 to remind us that Christ left us with a clear job description: to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. This message calls us to renew our commitment to the Great Commission, to understand how Jesus modeled mission-life, to obey His commands, and to finish what He began by using the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. As believers who hold to the KJV and who desire to live faithfully in a local church, we must see missions as the heartbeat of our congregation and personal lives.

I want to encourage you. If you don’t have that secret place, if you don’t have that time with God, you really need to start to develop that. You need to find a place where you can get along with God and let God work in your heart and work in your life. And it’s going to be amazing to watch what he does. It’s going to be amazing. The peace that he gives, the strength that he gives.

Outline

Follow What Christ Illustrated
1. Christ’s purpose was rescue
  Jesus declared His mission clearly: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10). His life demonstrated reaching the outcast (the woman at the well), the unworthy (tax collectors and sinners), and the unreceptive (the religious leaders).
2. Christ went where others would not
  Jesus purposely traveled into Samaria and ministered to social outcasts. He set an example: the church must go where people need Christ, even when culture rejects them or prejudice blocks the way.
3. Christ’s death was still mission-minded
  Even on the cross He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). His concern for lost souls did not stop at suffering. Our sacrificial service should echo that same heart.
Fulfill What Christ Instructed
1. The Great Commission is command, not option
  Jesus commanded the church to go, baptize, and teach (Matthew 28:19–20). Acts 1:8 gives the empowering plan—start local (Jerusalem), then regional (Judea), cross-cultural barriers (Samaria), and finally global (uttermost parts).
2. All ministries point to soul-winning
  Children’s ministry, education, benevolence, and media are valuable—but they exist to lift Christ and to produce converts who are taught and discipled. The church’s first concern must be the souls of men.
3. No cultural exclusion in evangelism
  Mark 16:15 commands preaching to every creature. The gospel is for every nation and every person — sinners like Hitler or the president of any nation need the same Savior. Our mission does not discriminate.
Finish What Christ Initiated
1. He gave us the Holy Spirit
  “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). The Spirit empowers boldness, endurance, and the ability to witness where the flesh would run.
2. He gave us the Scriptures
  God gave the Bible to save and to sanctify: “The holy scriptures…are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15). Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word (Rom. 10:17). The Word is the seed.
3. He provided the sending solution
  Romans 10:14–15 shows the chain: people cannot call on Him unless they hear, and they cannot hear unless a preacher be sent. Churches send missionaries (go), partner with missionaries (co), or financially support them so others may go. Finishing the task requires all three kinds of participation.
Faith Promise and Sacrificial Giving
1. Give of self first
  Paul praised the Macedonians who, “first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Cor. 8:5). True missions giving grows out of surrendered lives. If we will give ourselves, giving of finances follows more naturally.
2. Give by faith, according to ability
  “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” (2 Cor. 8:12). God honors faith promises; He multiplies what is given in surrendered faith (e.g., widow’s mites, five loaves and two fishes).
3. Perform the promise
  Paul urged the Corinthians to complete what they had planned: be ready to perform the doing of it (2 Cor. 8:10). Promises to missions without follow-through leave fields unseeded.
Practical Perspectives on the Mission
1. Start local, think global
  Begin in your own town (Jerusalem), then extend to nearby regions (Judea), then to places of cultural barriers (Samaria), and finally to the unreached (uttermost parts). The strategy is sequential but comprehensive.
2. Use what God has given
  We have the Holy Spirit, the Bible, technology, and the church. The command and the resources match — so failure is not for lack of power but for lack of obedience.
3. Participation is expected
  The biblical ideal is full participation. Whether you go, partner, or send, every believer has something to do. A church that neglects missions forfeits its biblical purpose.

Summary

The Mission of the Church is concise and clear: to be witnesses for Christ in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). Jesus modeled a life of seeking and saving the lost, commanded His followers to make disciples, and empowered the church by the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. Our local ministries should feed into soul-winning. Our giving should be sacrificial, faithful, and practical. We must send and support those who go where we cannot, and we must personally witness where God places us. The urgency is real: multitudes die without Christ every year. The resources and the solution are given — now we must obey.

We give so others can go.

Application for the Week

Put the sermon into practice with these actionable steps this week. Choose at least three and keep a short accountability note for each.

Begin a daily “secret place” devotion
1. Action: Set aside 10–20 minutes each morning or evening to read the Bible (start in John or Acts), pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to make you bold to witness.
2. Why: Dr. LeQuieu emphasized the need for a secret place—this is where burden and boldness grow.
Make a Faith Promise
1. Action: Decide an amount you will give monthly or weekly to missions for the coming year. Write it down and place it where you will remember it.
2. Why: Giving by faith leads to participation in sending and supporting missionaries (2 Cor. 8). If you lack funds, pray and trust God to provide as you commit.
Share the Gospel with one person
1. Action: Identify someone in your circle (neighbor, co-worker, classmate) and ask to share your testimony or simply ask if you can pray for them. Use Romans 10:9–13 or John 3:16 as a clear gospel presentation.
2. Why: Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17). The scripture chain shows hearing requires a preacher — that can be you in your Jerusalem.
Support a missionary practically
1. Action: Send a note, an encouraging email, or a small gift to a missionary your church supports. If you don’t know one, ask the missions committee for a missionary prayer letter to take home.
2. Why: Encouragement sustains those who go, and personal involvement reminds you why you give.
Invite someone to church or a missions event
1. Action: Bring one unsaved friend, family member, or neighbor to an upcoming service or missions conference event. Pray beforehand for boldness and for their heart to be prepared.
2. Why: The church is the deployed instrument of God to present the gospel corporately. Personal invitations open doors.
Fast and pray for God’s provision
1. Action: Choose one meal or one day this week to fast and pray specifically for missions giving and for a missionary who cannot come without support.
2. Why: Fasting and praying enlarge our faith and sensitivity to God’s leading (Acts 13:2–3 style dependency).

Keep a simple record this week of what you commit to do and any doors God opens. Bring your notes to church next Sunday so we can rejoice together in what God is doing in response to obedience.

Preacher: Dr. Terry LeQuieu — Sermon Title: “The Mission of the Church”