The Mission of Crosspoint
Why we do what we do – Romans 1:5b
Crosspoint – Dave Spooner – Nov. 15th, 2020
Intro:
- Today is part 2 of our mini-series on the Mission of Crosspoint. Our mission statement comes right from the words of Scripture. We exist
Rom. 1:5b
to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations
- Last week we talked about the first phrase of this statement: “to bring about the obedience of faith.” We, as a church, are like a greenhouse where faith is grown, and faith is shown. This is what we do. This morning we are going to talk about the second phrase of our mission statement, which focuses on why we do what we do; we are to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His Name. And next week, we will talk about where we do what we do, among all the nations.
- My hope, from our time together in the Word, is that we will examine our motives so that we avoid making monumental mistakes, and we would fall more in love with Jesus and live to magnify His Name.
Your motivation matters
- As I mentioned last week, not only does what you do matter, but why you do what you do matters as well. It actually matters more.
1 Cor 13:1-3 ESV
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
- From the outside, this looks to be an incredible person. They are a supernaturally gifted communicator, they have incredible insight and understanding and are able to predict the future, they have amazing faith that sees results, they are enormously sacrificial givers, they even are willing to give up their life. If they do all these things without obeying the greatest command of loving God and people, they do nothing, they are nothing, they gain nothing.
- If I had to choose between the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit, I would choose the fruit of the Spirit. Now, I want them both. We are to pray for the gifts, and we are to develop the fruit. But this passage clearly teaches that in God’s accounting of value, our heart is of greater worth than our gifts.
- This is why the Holy Spirit, through the pen of Paul, told us what we are to do.
1 Cor 4:5 NIV
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
- We are to judge nothing before the appointed time because looks can be deceiving. The Lord has the final and authoritative last word on everyone’s life; He will bring to light what is hidden because nothing is hidden from Him, and He will expose not just our deeds but our motives. And that is when you will receive the reward you genuinely deserve.
- One of the reasons I believe Jesus called John the Baptist “greater” than all others (see Matt. 11:11) was not just his gifting and his calling, but his heart. At the pinnacle of his ministry, he said:
John 3:30 ESV
He must increase, but I must decrease
- John understood that his role was to prepare the way of the Lord; he lived and ministered not to draw people to himself, or make a name for himself, but prepare the way for the One who had the name that is above all names. He knew that his gifts and calling were for Him, but not about Him.
- Our aim should be this:
1 Cor 10:31 NIV
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
- Ask God now to examine your heart, ask Him to expose your motives, and act accordingly . . . then pay attention not just to what you do, but more importantly why you do it, because if you have the wrong motives, you will make monumental mistakes.
Don’t make monumental mistakes
Here is a list of people who made “monumental” mistakes. After God instructed the people to “fill the earth and multiply in it,” they did so for a while and…
Gen 11:4 ESV
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
- God’s plan is to go out, but our plan is to go up. Instead of making footprints, we are prone to make monuments. Instead of seeking to make His name great, we seek to make our name great. This is the tendency of our flesh, our old nature, that we need to crucify.
- Here is another example. This time, it is a king chosen and anointed by God. Instead of honoring the name of the Lord and obeying his command,
1 Sam 15:12b ESV
“Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal”
- Saul wanted to take the glory of what was accomplished for himself, not to give honor to God for what had taken place; he set up a “monument for himself.” Because of the hardness of his heart due to his pride and desire to make his name great, God took him down and chose a king after His own heart.
- Another group of people who had a monumental problem was the religious leaders in Jesus’s day.
Matt 23:5-7 ESV
They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
- They do all their deeds, not to honor God and been seen by Him, but because they wanted to honor themselves and be seen by others. We must be careful of the same things, especially in the church, because we are the ones who have been called to represent Him and to make His name great. If we choose to represent ourselves and make our name great, Jesus will reserve His harshest words for us as well. Remember,
Matt 23:12 ESV
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- Choose to humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:10 NIV). We are to think and act like Jesus.
Phil 2:5-11 ESV
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Magnify His Name
- Why should we “magnify His Name”? Because,
Acts 4:12 ESV
there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
- No one will be saved for eternity from the wrath of your name, or any other name . . . The only name given among men that we may be saved is the name of Jesus. This is why God is jealous for His own glory, because His name is the only hope for us all.
- This is why we are to pray,
Matt 6:9 ESV
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
- Because where His name is honored and lifted up, people will be drawn in, transformed and made new.
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because Jesus is
Heb 12:2 NIV
the author and perfecter of our faith
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because Jesus is
John 10:14-16 ESV
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because
Deut 32:4 ESV
“His work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because
2 Sam 22:31-33 ESV
His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 32 “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? 33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because
1 Chron 16:34 ESV
For he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because He is worthy
Rev 4:11 ESV
to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because
Rev 15:3-4 ESV
“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! 4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
- Why should we magnify His Name? Because He is
Rev 21:5 ESV
making all things new.
Conclusion
- Crosspoint exists to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of His name, among all the nations.” We do what we do because we want His name to be glorified among all the nations.
- So let us purify our hearts and test our motives, let us become more obedient to our faith, for the one who we exalt and point to is worthy of all our praise, and honor, and glory among all people everywhere. There is no name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved.
- And so we honor Him also by remembering who He is, what He has done as we live for Him and wait for His return when He makes all things new.
Communion
