I had the privilege to serve as the camp pastor at the Fuge Combo Camp at North Greenville University on June 25-30, 2018. Here is the outline of the sermons I preached. Pray these notes drive you to reflect on the truths of God’s Word as it propels us to His mission!
OPENING: Focused soldiers
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2 Tim. 2:1-4; 4:9-10
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Make sure whatever you are living for is worth the one life you have to offer.
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You must learn how to live from Christ’s love rather than for Christ’s love (2:1).
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If there is a true profession of faith, there must be a true progression of faith (2:2).
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Discipleship is taking everything you know about Jesus and passing it on to another (2:2).
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Soldiers who forget they are at war are those most prone to become a casualty (2:4).
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Make your life’s sole obsession is to be pleasing to Jesus (2:4).
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Don’t be a Demas. – Col. 4:14, Phile. 1:23-24; 2 Tim. 4:9-10
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You cannot love the perfect Savior and the present world at the same time (4:10).
DAY 1 AM: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS
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Rom. 5:6-8
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Paul changed from someone who persecuted Christians to someone who was persecuted as a Christian.
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Paul accepted the mission to spread the very gospel that dramatically changed him.
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Jesus sought Paul in his rebellion – not his repentance.
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Jesus’ love for you is not dependent upon your love for Him.
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Jesus didn’t postpone His death until we could validate our worth.
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But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
DAY 1 PM: COUNT IT AS LOSS
- Phil. 3:4-11
- Bad Reasons to Have Confidence in the Flesh
- Family’s Faith
- Religious Involvement
- Biblical Knowledge
- Passionate Convictions
- Morally Superior
- Confidence in your flesh does not provide assurance of your faith.
- Salvation is knowing Christ – not knowing about Christ.
- Our greatest attempts at righteousness are rubbish compared to knowing Christ.
- Salvation doesn’t come by doing good things but by believing the good news
- Righteousness comes from God and obtained through faith.
- The gospel in 15 words:
- God creates us.
- God convicts us.
- God saves us.
- God sends us.
- God rescues us.
DAY 2 AM: LIVING THE MISSION
- 1 Cor. 11:1
- The Great Commission is go into all the nations and make disciples – not converts.
- You cannot be living the mission if you are not making disciples.
- Discipleship is intentionally investing yourself into another for the purpose of Christian maturity.
- Discipleship is simple imitation.
- What is a person’s entire Christian maturity depended upon studying your example and applying it into his or her life?
DAY 2 PM: DOABLE DISCIPLESHIP
- We have prioritized crowds over congregations, fans over followers, and devotees over disciples.
- We are really good at teaching people what to do without teaching them how to do it.
- The mission is to present every disciple as completely mature in Christ.
- Col. 1:27-29
- 6 Categories of Discipleship
- Delight – “Christ in you, the hope of glory” – How can I ensure that one’s delight is in knowing Jesus?
- Disobedience – “warning everyone” – What are the most dangerous leanings of disobedience in that specific person?
- Doctrine – “teaching everyone with all wisdom” – What are the key areas of doctrine that need to be studied?
- Development – “present everyone mature in Christ” – How does this person need to be equipped for ministry development?
- Discipline – “For this I toil” – Which specific spiritual disciplines are essential to growth?
- Dependence – “struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” – What are we depending on God to do through prayer?
DAY 3 AM: ROADBLOCKS TO THE MISSION
- 2 Cor. 12:7-10
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If God is testing me, let me be found faithful.
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If Satan is tempting me, let me be found faithful.
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If enemies are trying me, let me be found faithful.
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If consequences are troubling me, let me be found faithful.
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How could I ever resent anything that pushes me closer to Jesus?
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When reasons for the roadblocks seem non-existent, I trust that His grace is still sufficient.
DAY 3 PM: Racism and the Mission
- Eph. 2:11-22
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The greatest roadblock to the mission in the early Church was racism.
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The early Church was originally predominately Jewish, and they initially struggled with how to accept Gentiles.
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The Church is full of closet racists who justify inward prejudices and separate from different people.
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The Jews unfortunately believed themselves to be the end rather than a means of God’s redemption (Eph. 2:11-13).
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Racism is not a skin problem but a sin problem (Eph. 2:14-16).
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God doesn’t play favorites in His family (Eph. 2:17-18).
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The Church is a multiracial family that should celebrate diversity rather than condemning it (Eph. 2:19-20).
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The closer we are to Jesus, the closer we are to all people (Eph. 2:21-22).
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Stop desensitizing feelings that you have never felt.
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Don’t rebuild racial walls where the cross of Christ has knocked them down.
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Don’t let your associations become your identity.
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Beware of the youth group clique that keeps people made in God’s image on the fringes.
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Repent of the closet or blatant racism present in your life.
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If you are a racist, Heaven is going to feel like Hell to you.
DAY 4: CONTINUING THE MISSION
- Col. 3:1-4
- What Christ wants for your life is vastly different from what culture wants for your life.
- Heavenly aspirations should consume our earthly opportunities.
- Jesus will never settle to be a part of your life.
DAY 4 PM: REFUSING MEDIOCRITY
- 2 Cor. 5
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Don’t put significant effort into merely temporal matters.
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Live for that which outlives you.
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Your faith should direct you more than your sight guides you.
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Missional Christians integrate the unseen areas of faith into the routine areas of life.
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If Christ was pleased to die for your soul, you should be pleased to live for His cause.
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By receiving the reward of Christ’s death, I am surrendering the rights to my life.
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How can we be mediocre Christians if we follow such an incredible Christ?
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It is a pathetic goal to live for myself if I have been loved by Jesus.
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Salvation rids us of our old ways and recreates us to His new purposes.
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We shouldn’t have to convince ourselves to change others with the gospel if it has changed us.
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You will find the meaning of your life in the mission of Christ.
CLOSING: RUNNING THE REST OF THE MISSION
- 2 Tim. 2:22
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Run From
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“Fleeing” doesn’t mean seeing how close you can get to something without actually touching it.
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How could I live for what Christ died for?
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Run To
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Fleeing lusts and pursuing righteousness is one motion.
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Replace your unrighteous habits with righteous pursuits.
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Run With
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In pursuing Jesus, you must align yourself with relationships who are going in the same direction.
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Which relationships are taking you closer to Jesus or further from Jesus?
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In order to flee youthful lusts, you have to run somewhere with somebody.
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Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.