Mission Church
A Prayer of Longing and Refocus | Psalms: An Exiles Prayer Book | Psalm 84 | Chasen Behrends
  • Crown Him

      • 1 John 1:9CSB

  • Grace Alone
  • We Give Thanks

      • Ephesians 2:13–14CSB

      • Psalm 84CSB

      • Psalm 84:4CSB

      • Psalm 84:1–2CSB

      • Matthew 27:50–51CSB

      • Psalm 84:3CSB

      • Psalm 84:4CSB

      • Psalm 84:5CSB

      • Psalm 28:7CSB

      • Philippians 3:20CSB

      • Psalm 84:6CSB

      • Psalm 84:7CSB

      • Psalm 84:8–9CSB

      • Acts 10:38CSB

      • Psalm 84:10–11CSB

      • Psalm 84:12CSB

      • Proverbs 3:5–6CSB

      • 1 Corinthians 11:28CSB

      • Psalm 139:23–24CSB

      • 1 Corinthians 11:23–26CSB

  • The Heart Of Worship
  • Better Is One Day

      • Numbers 6:24–26CSB

  • If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is John, and I have the great joy of serving as the Senior Pastor here at Mission Church. If you’re new around here, I want to personally welcome you … we’re so glad you’re here!
    I’d love the chance to connect with you. Right now, you can take out your phone, open your camera, and scan the QR code on the screen or text the number. It’ll take you to a quick form where you can share your info with us. Also, before you leave today, stop by the Welcome Table in the lobby. I’ve got a free journal I’d love to give you … just a small gift to say thank you for worshiping with us this morning.
    I also want to invite you to our Worship and Prayer Night happening Wednesday, July 23, at 6 PM, right here in the sanctuary. It will be a special time for us to slow down, seek the Lord together, and lift up our hearts in prayer and worship. I hope you can join us!
    And one last thing …. we have a new Book of the Month … Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus by J. Mack Stiles. This is short and practical book that … I believe … will encourage your heart and equip you to share your faith with clarity, confidence, and love. You can grab a copy at the Welcome Table or in our resource library.
    Now… go ahead and grab your Bible and open to 2 Timothy 2. We are continuing our summer sermon series through the book of 2 Timothy … a series we have called Entrusted. 2 Timothy 2…. when you find it and if you are able and willing… I invite you to stand for the reading of God’s Word.
    2 Timothy 2:14–19 CSB
    14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to fight about words. This is useless and leads to the ruin of those who listen. 15 Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. 16 Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them. 18 They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are ruining the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.
    This is the Word of the Lord. Praise be to God.
    Let’s Pray
    Are you living in a way God can use to help others know and follow Jesus?
    That’s a question worth slowing down for, isn’t it?
    Am I living in a way God can use to help others know and follow Jesus?
    If you’re a follower of Jesus … then you have been called to help others know Him and follow Him. In other words … we aren’t called to just learn more about Jesus….NO!…. as His disciples … we’re called to live in a way that helps others find life in Him too. And you know what!? That call isn’t just for pastors or church leaders … it’s for every Christian.
    But … if we’re honest … t’s easy to drift from that mission.
    Sometimes we settle for multiplying knowledge without multiplying disciples. We listen to sermons and podcasts, read theology books, take notes, and highlight verses. And if we’re not careful, we can settle for learning more and more about God without letting that knowledge transform how we live and love. We can quote Scripture, explain theology, and talk about spiritual things … but if we’re not loving, serving, and helping others know Jesus … then what is it all for? Understand… Jesus didn’t call us to be spiritual encyclopedias … He called us to make disciples.
    Other times, we can drift into multiplying arguments instead of multiplying disciples. It can happen in subtle ways. We get pulled into debates about secondary theological issues, church methodology, or cultural conversations with friends, family, or even within our Mission Church community. We end up in long discussions about who’s right and who’s wrong, what approach is best, or which opinion should carry the most weight. We tell ourselves we’re “standing for truth,” but if we’re honest, sometimes these arguments do more to divide and exhaust than to help people know Jesus. We can leave others feeling frustrated or discouraged, and we walk away feeling like we “won,” but in reality … nothing has changed … and no one has been drawn closer to Jesus.
    The truth is…. it’s easy to mistake winning an argument for winning a soul. But don’t lose sight of the fact that … you can win a debate and lose the person.
    Now … maybe for you … it’s not loud arguments … but a quiet sense of pride or a critical spirit that’s dividing your home, your friendships, or your church community. You find yourself internally critiquing others, rolling your eyes at how someone prays, or assuming you would lead better if given the chance. It’s subtle, but it creates a wall between you and others … a tension you can’t quite name, but everyone else can feel. And it keeps you from engaging in the mission of disciple-making because you’re busy judging instead of serving.
    And friends …. when we drift into these patterns, it can leave us feeling stuck, or even guilty, because deep down we know we’re meant for more. We know God has called us to something better than mere knowledge or winning arguments. He has called us to love, to live, to lead, and to belong.
    So what do we do? And….where do we go from here?
    Well … here’s the good news … God’s mission is not fragile. God is sovereign, His Word is not bound, and His purposes will never fail. And in His kindness, God has invited us … not only to see His kingdom come here in Northwest Las Vegas as it is in heaven … but to live in a way that makes us ready, useful, and effective for His mission. We’re going to see this as we continue in 2 Timothy 2. And … in this first installment … we’re being invited to become diligent workers who handle God’s truth carefully while avoiding arguments that can ruin others.
    Brothers and sisters, God doesn’t just want you to know more. If knowledge were the end goal, then the Pharisees would have been the standard … but we know they missed the point altogether. Rather, God wants us to become people who multiply holiness, love, and disciples of Jesus in a dark world that desperately needs Him.
    So… again…. as we survey our text…. let’s keep asking ourselves:
    “Am I living in a way God can use to help others know and follow Jesus?”
    Now… to help us answer this question … Paul gives us two clear instructions for becoming disciples who multiply disciples, not arguments. Let’s look at the his first instruction…
    Disciple-Makers Handle God’s Word Faithfully (vv. 14–15)
    Look at verse 14. Paul tells Timothy…
    2 Timothy 2:14 CSB
    14 Remind them of these things…
    Go ahead and underline or make note of the word… “remind.” And … understand … this isn’t a “one-and-done” command. Rather … the verb here is a present active imperative … meaning… Paul is telling Timothy … “Keep on reminding them. And you know what!?!?! Don’t stop reminding them!” You see … Paul’s command to remind is continual. It’s consistent. It’s essential. It’s of the upmost importance. It’s imperative … which now leads us to ask an important question…
    Remind who? And remind them of what?
    Remember … Paul charged Timothy to make disciples who would go on to make more disciples. And Timothy … he was leading the church in Ephesus … a city that was not an easy place to pastor. It was a place filled with spiritual confusion, idol worship, cultural pressures. And to make matters worse … there were also leaders who were rising up within the church, teaching distorted versions of the faith, and as a result…… they were stirring up controversy and confusion.
    And the truth is … Timothy’s context isn’t much different from ours. For ….we too….. live in a culture of confusion, distraction, and spiritual drift. And so we need to be reminded… and we need to remind others … of “these things.”
    Now… what are the “these things” that Paul is talking about?
    Look back at 2 Timothy 2:11-13
    2 Timothy 2:11–13 CSB
    11 This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
    In other words …. we meed to keep the gospel front and center …. we need to remind people over and over again of what is truly essential:
    That Jesus Christ is risen and reigning.
    That the Word of God is unstoppable.
    That we are called to endure so that others might find salvation.
    That even when we are faithless, God will remain faithful.
    We need to remember these truths … and we need to keep on remembering them … because here’s the reality … we are a forgetful people …and… it doesn’t take much before we drift into thinking that our faith is mainly about arguments, opinions, or theological soap boxes. The truth is … we can become so easily distracted by secondary noise that we lose sight of the gospel that saves and transforms lives.
    Paul knew this… so he tells Timothy … and he tells us:
    “Keep reminding them of the gospel.”
    And then in the same breath … he says… look back at verse 14
    2 Timothy 2:14 CSB
    14 … and charge them before God not to fight about words.
    Now … good thing for us that we live in a time and place, and we have a church culture, where we never fight about words, right?
    __
    Actually … this is just as applicable to us today as it was to Timothy and the Ephesian believers. You see … Paul is pointing out how easy it is for us to get tangled up in debates over words … arguments over minor or secondary issues that distract us from the mission and stir up division rather than build faith.
    And let’s be clear … Paul is not saying that truth doesn’t matter. He is not saying we should avoid confronting false teaching or stop clarifying the gospel. In fact … in just a moment… he’s going instruct us to rightly handle God’s Word. And in other places … Paul calls us to contend for the faith. But …. we need to understand … there is a difference between rightly handling God’s Word and being contentious or divisive. There’s a difference between standing for truth and arguing to prove yourself right.
    Now… why is this so important? Well look back again to verse 14
    2 Timothy 2:14 CSB
    14 … This is useless and leads to the ruin of those who listen.
    Brothers and sisters … when we fight about words … we’re not helping people know Jesus… and we’re not helping them grow in their likeness of Jesus. Instead… when we waste our time arguing over secondary issues … we are distracting, dividing, and damaging… not only the faith of others… but our own faith as well. And we end up turning our community into a debate club rather than a disciple-making movement.
    Think about some of the ways this can play out in our context:
    It’s easy to debate about the style of songs we should sing on Sunday mornings, whether the lights should be dim or bright, hymns or modern songs… arguing about style and preference while missing the heart of worship.
    We argue about which discipleship philosophy is best … classroom, groups, one-on-one … while neglecting to actually make disciples.
    It’s easy to spend hours debating young earth vs. old earth …while missing the opportunity to help people know the God who created them and calls them to follow Him.
    We can get caught up in debates over whether churches should use screens, social media, or livestreams, fighting about the tools while forgetting the mission to reach people with the gospel.
    We watch Christian parents argue about the “only biblical” method of schooling their kids… public, private, homeschool … and it becomes more about proving a point than encouraging each other to disciple their children.
    Friends… these are the kinds of word fights that distract, divide, and drain energy away from the mission of making disciples. Think about it like this….
    It’s like arguing over which brand of water bottle is best while someone next to you is dying of thirst. You’re debating whether it should be a Yeti, Stanley, or Hydro Flask, but in the meantime, the person who needs water gets nothing. The point isn’t the bottle …. it’s the water. In the same way, when we turn secondary issues into battlegrounds, we miss the mission right in front of us … helping others know and follow Jesus, the Living Water they desperately need.
    And here’s the sobering truth … sometimes these arguments feel spiritual. They feel like we’re “defending the truth.” But Paul says these word fights are empty and dangerous. They produce neither godliness nor faith ….instead… they produce conflict, confusion, and spiritual ruin.
    That’s why Paul says, “Charge them before God.”
    Church… this is serious. God is watching how we handle His truth and how we speak to one another.
    So let’s honestly ask ourselves …
    “Are there ways I am engaging in word-fights that are doing more harm than good?”
    “Am I helping people know Jesus, or am I more focused on proving that I’m right?”
    Friends…. understand… disciple-makers avoid word fights not because we don’t care about truth, but because we care about building each other up, not tearing each other down.
    So, if disciple-makers avoid word fights, what should we pursue instead?
    Well… we are to teach God’s Word Carefully. Look with me at verse 15.
    2 Timothy 2:15 CSB
    15 Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
    According to the Great Commission … every follower of Jesus is called to make disciples. And part of making disciples is teaching others how to live like Jesus. That means … if you’re a Christian … this is your calling. Not just to learn God’s Word for yourself … but to pass it on and to help others grow too. And as we pursue faithfulness to that calling, Paul says … we need to be diligent. We need to work hard. We can’t just phone it in when it comes to handling God’s Word. We need to put in the time and the effort to know God’s Word deeply so we can teach others the Word of truth clearly.
    Because …..here’s the reality … you can’t pass on what you don’t know. You can’t teach others to live like Jesus if you aren’t learning to live like Him yourself. You can’t lead others to truth if you aren’t walking in it. Disciple-makers handle God’s Word carefully because people need truth, not our opinions. They need the hope and the life that only Jesus can give.
    Now… It’s helpful to know that this phrase “correctly teaching the word of truth” is translated more literally as … “to cut a straight path with God’s Word.”
    Think about a farmer plowing a straight line in a field. Think about a road-builder cutting a clear, direct path through a mountain.
    In the same way … as we make disciples … we are to handle God’s Word faithfully. Which means that we are to make sure that we don’t twist Scripture to say what we want it to say….and not only that but we need to make sure that we don’t use God’s Word as a hammer to win arguments or to push our preferences. In other words… we get it straight, and we give it straight.
    Why?
    Because there are people all around us … in the neighborhoods surrounding this church, in our schools, workplaces, coffee shops, and grocery stores… who are thirsty for truth, for hope, for Jesus. Listen … they don’t need your opinions. They don’t need your politics. They don’t need your preferences or piety. They need God’s Word … given to them clearly and faithfully… because faith comes by hearing ….hearing the Word of God.
    So, brothers and sisters, may we be a people equipped with the Word of God and ready to point people to the Savior who alone can give them life.
    Because here’s the thing …. If we don’t handle God’s Word with care … it doesn’t just slow down disciple-making or distract us from the mission. It can cause real damage. And …. that’s exactly what Paul warns Timothy about next.
    You see… it’s not just that arguments and empty debates are a distraction. If left unchecked … they can spread, divide, and even destroy people’s faith. This is why Paul moves from our calling to teach God’s Word carefully to a sobering warning about the consequences of empty, irreverent arguments, and false teaching.
    2. Disciple-Makers Avoid Arguments That Ruin Others (vv. 16–19)
    2 Timothy 2:16 CSB
    16 Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness,
    Now… Paul is warning Timothy … “Look … as you pursue your mission to make disciples of Jesus who make disciples … you need to make sure that you avoid worldly and empty talk at all costs!”
    Why?
    Well … because it doesn’t build up the church. It doesn’t help people know Jesus, love Jesus, and grow in Jesus. Instead … it distracts people, divides people, and ultimately leads them further into godlessness.
    And … this “empty and godless speech” is exactly the kind of word-warring that Paul has been warning us about. And I think he brings up again here in verse 16 … because it’s easy to get sucked in! Let’s be honest… it feels spiritual…. it feels smart and intellectual. And it’s everywhere … especially in our day when we have endless access to everyone’s side conversations and spirtual soapboxes on YouTube, podcasts, and social media.
    One moment you can be watching a sermon video to grow in your faith, and before you know it, you’re three hours deep in videos bashing pastors, listening to heresy hunters, watching denominational drama unfold, getting caught up in Christian nationalism, or chasing end-times predictions. It feels like you’re being “spiritually serious,” but it’s actually pulling your heart away from loving Jesus and helping others know Him.
    And Paul is telling us, “Don’t get sucked into the noise!”
    Because what might feel like a harmless debate can quickly become a trap that feeds your pride, stirs division, and leads to more godlessness, not godliness. That’s why disciple-makers avoid irreverent and empty speech … because we care more about helping people know and follow Jesus than winning arguments that don’t matter.
    ___
    Friends … don’t miss … or dismiss the seriousness of this. You see… if these conversations and habits go unchecked … they will not stay contained. They will spread. They will infect. And they will damage the church.
    In fact … Paul compares it to something pretty gross and gnarly. Look back at verse 17.
    2 Timothy 2:17 CSB
    17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene.
    Think about gangrene. It happens when a part of your body starts to die because it isn’t getting the blood and circulation it needs, or because of a serious infection. It usually starts small … maybe in a finger or toe … but if it’s not treated, it spreads, destroying healthy tissue. Sometimes the only way to stop it is amputation. If it’s left unchecked, it will ultimately take your life.
    Gangrene …it starts small, but it spreads silently, violently, destroying everything in its path until it brings death if it isn’t stopped.
    In the same way, irreverent and empty speech and godless talk may seem small at first, but if left unchecked, it will quietly and violently destroy faith, divide the church, and pull people away from Jesus.
    In other words… false teaching and a critical spirit within the church are far more dangerous than any opposition from the outside. You see… it’s one thing for the church to face challenges from the world … it’s another when the infection is inside the body.
    And… Paul … he feels the weight of this. Just like a farmer watching weeds threaten to choke out his healthy crop, Paul is deeply concerned about the damage false teaching can do to the people he loves.
    So what does Paul do? Well…. he names names.
    Look back at verse 17:
    2 Timothy 2:17–18 CSB
    17 … Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them. 18 They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are ruining the faith of some.
    Who were Hymenaeus and Philetus?
    Now… we don’t know much about Philetus, but we know Hymenaeus was someone Paul had already disciplined for blasphemy (1 Tim. 1:20). Now Hymenaeus has a partner, and together they’re spreading teaching that Paul compares to spiritual gangrene.
    And notice … these guys weren’t outsiders attacking the church from the outside. No! They were inside the church … they were members who had gone astray. And…. maybe their drift started with “irreverent and empty speech” that sounded spiritual or intellectual, but it ultimately led them to twist God’s Word.
    Look back at verse 18 and see that they were teaching that the resurrection had already happened. And understand… they weren’t speaking about Christ’s ressurection…. No! … they were talking about the final resurrection of believers! And while that might sound harmless … it was actually deadly. You see… they were saying believers had already received the fullness of the resurrection and there was nothing more to look forward to … no future bodily resurrection, no final victory over death, no coming kingdom where all things would be made new.
    And here’s the problem… if you remove the resurrection, you remove the gospel. Understand… the resurrection of Jesus and the future resurrection of believers is the keystone of our faith. Without it, we have no hope, no victory, no gospel.
    Also… if believers have already been resurrected ….. then that means that we’re already in heaven … and if we’re already in heaven … then we can’t sin. Which is exactly what Hymenaeus and Philetus were getting at … it’s the idea that… “If we have already been resurrected, then our desires are right, and we can do whatever we want.”
    Now, this might sound absurd, and you might think, “There’s no way I’d believe I’m already resurrected and living in heaven.”
    (And by the way, I know we’re not in heaven yet because I don’t think heaven will have Las Vegas summer heat!)
    But seriously … there are multiple modern versions of this false teaching threatening the church today…
    First, there’s Perfectionism. Which is the belief that Christians can live sinless, perfect lives now. We pursue holiness… yes…. but the Bible is clear we will battle sin until we see Jesus face to face. Perfection only comes in the resurrection.
    Then there’s the Health-and-Wealth Gospel. Which makes the claim that God wants you to be healthy, wealthy, and successful now. But friends…that’s a picture of heaven, not God’s promise for today. Yes… God is a good Father who may bless us in many ways, but He never promises us a pain-free, problem-free life now.
    And finally, there’s Radical Autonomy. This is the belief that you are your own authority and your desires define your identity. It says, “If I feel it, it must be right.” But the Bible is clear … we are not the ultimate authority over our lives … God is. And… following Jesus means submitting our desires to Him and trusting that true freedom and identity come from Him … not from chasing whatever we feel in the moment.
    Dear friends … false teaching is not a minor issue. No… Paul says that it was “ruining the faith of some.” And the word Paul uses here for “ruin” … it’s a strong word… it means to overturn, to destroy, to wreck someone’s faith. And it speaks to the truth that these false teachers… they might sound clever or spiritual… but they’re ultimately leading people away from the truth, leaving them confused, hopeless, and spiritually shipwrecked.
    And that’s exactly why Paul tells Timothy… and why he is telling us too… “Look, as you pursue making disciples who make disciples … handle God’s Word carefully….avoid irreverent and empty speech….and… don’t get caught up in arguments that don’t matter. Because if left unchecked …. not only will you lead people into error…but that error will destroy their faith, divide the church, and damage their souls.”
    Understand … this is not about “winning arguments” or “having the right opinion.or preference” No! This is about protecting people. It’s about keeping the gospel front and center. It’s about helping people see and know Jesus.
    And Paul … he wants to make sure we feel the weight of this danger. False teaching and arguments that twist or distract from the gospel are serious. They can spread like gangrene and ruin faith.
    But church ….. Paul doesn’t leave Timothy … or us … in fear or despair.
    Here’s the hope ….. false teaching may damage some …. but it will never destroy God’s church for God will keep His own! Look at verse 19
    2 Timothy 2:19 CSB
    19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.
    Paul gives us this strong … hope-filled reminder….. Yes, false teaching is serious. Yes, it damages faith and hurts people. But listen ….
    God’s solid foundation stands firm.
    Paul pictures the church as a household built on a firm, unshakeable foundation. What is that foundation? Well… it is the truth that God knows who truly belong to Him. And here’s the promise … No one who truly belongs to Him will ever fall away. In other words… If someone claims Christ but later abandons the faith, it doesn’t mean God has failed or that His church is crumbling. No! It reveals that their faith was never genuine in the first place.
    This reminds me of 1 John 2:19
    1 John 2:19 CSB
    19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
    John is saying the same thing Paul is saying … Those who truly belong to Jesus will remain with Jesus. God’s foundation is firm. His people are secure.
    And friends, it’s true … Some people have and will defect from the faith. And in a room this size, there may be some here who are drifting, or who one day might walk away from the faith they profess today. We pray that will never be the case. We pray that you would know and cling to Jesus deeply. But the reality remains … those who permanently walk away, rejecting Jesus, were never truly saved in the first place.
    What does Jesus Himself say?
    Matthew 7:23 CSB
    23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’
    Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “I knew you for a while, but then you lost your salvation.” No! He says, “I never knew you.” You were never truly a part of the people of God.
    Let’s be honest…. that’s pretty sobering.
    But …. it’s also clarifying and deeply encouraging. Because it means that if you truly belong to Jesus, you are secure… and there is nothing that can change that! It means that your hope is not found in your performance but in the fact that God knows His people. Brothers and sisters…. He will keep you. And … the evidence that you truly belong to Jesus isn’t just that you say you know Him, or that you come to church occasionally, or that you grew up in a Christian home. No! The evidence is found in a life that bears the fruit of knowing Jesus……
    That you are Devoted to Jesus in worship and obedience,
    That you are Developing the character and competencies of Jesus as you follow Him daily.
    That you are Deployed into the ministry of Jesus, reaching the lost and making disciples who make disciples.
    Church… this is what it looks like to truly know Jesus and to be known by Him.
    Look back at verse 19 and underline or make note of the phrase
    2 Timothy 2:19 CSB
    19… The Lord knows those who are his…
    You might notice that in some of your Bibles, this phrase is in italics or in a bold font. Why? Because Paul is quoting and pointing us back to a key moment in Israel’s history … a story found in the Old Testament book of Numbers, chapter 16:4…which records the rebellion of three guys named Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
    These men rose up against Moses and Aaron, questioning their leadership and, ultimately, questioning God’s authority. They gathered a group and said, “Who put you in charge over us? Aren’t we all holy? Why should you lead?” They were stirring division, causing confusion, and leading people away from God’s appointed leaders.
    And in the middle of that rebellion, Moses fell facedown before the Lord and then he said to Korah and all of his followers
    Numbers 16:5 CSB
    5 … “Tomorrow morning the Lord will reveal who belongs to him, who is set apart, and the one he will let come near him”…
    In other words…. “The Lord knows who are His.” And the next day … God made it clear. The earth opened up and swallowed the rebels, showing Israel … and us … that God will always preserve His people and purify His church.
    Brothers and sisters….false teachers will come. There will be confusion. People will be led astray. But don’t panic. Don’t lose heart. The Lord knows those who are His. He will always protect His people, purify His church, and make clear who truly belongs to Him.
    Church … this is good news for us …because lets be honest…. we live in a world full of confusion, false teaching, and spiritual noise … but we can take heart……God is not confused about who truly belongs to Him. He knows His people, and He will keep His people. Praise God!
    So what do we do now? How do we respond? Well look back at verse 19
    2 Timothy 2:19 CSB
    19 …. let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.
    In other words, Paul is saying … “because God knows who are His … let’s live like it.”
    Friend, if you bear the name of Jesus, then turn away from sin and turn toward Jesus. If you belong to Jesus, pursue holiness … and… not just in the big, visible moments, but in the quiet, unseen corners of your everyday life. If you belong to Jesus, then with every breath you have, tell people about Him, love people like Him, and do whatever it takes to be faithful in making disciples.
    Church, hear me clearly….
    This is not a call to perfection … but it is a call to direction. If you have truly called on the name of Jesus, your life will reflect repentance and faith. You will be quick to turn away from the things that pull you from Him and quick to run toward the One who saved you by His grace. And your life will be defined by the mission of Jesus.
    So let me ask you today, gently but seriously:
    Is there any area of “wickedness” you’re tolerating in your life?
    Is there a sin you’re excusing, a compromise you’re making, or a habit you’re clinging to?
    Is there any “empty speech” or a critical spirit that’s distracting you from the gospel and pulling you away from making disciples?
    Brothers and sisters… if the Lord is bringing something to mind, don’t brush it aside. Confess it to Him. Turn from it. Turn to Jesus.
    Because the Lord knows those who are His … and if you are His …. live like it.
    Communion
    Church, as we move to the Lord’s Table, let’s take a moment to slow down and remember and reflect….
    Communion is a gift Jesus gave us to help us remember Him … His body broken, His blood shed, His resurrection that secured our hope, and His promise to return. It is a moment for us to look back to the cross, look around at one another as His family, and look ahead to the day we will share this meal with Him face to face in His kingdom.
    But Scripture also calls us to examine our hearts before we take the bread and the cup. This isn’t about coming perfectly; it’s about coming honestly. It’s a moment to ask:
    – Is there sin I need to confess to the Lord today? – Is there an area of disobedience or compromise I need to turn from? – Am I harboring any bitterness or unforgiveness toward someone, and do I need to pursue peace or reconciliation? – Is there any distraction pulling my heart away from loving Jesus and helping others know Him?
    Brothers and sisters…. if the Spirit has revealed anything to you…. take it to Jesus. Listen…God’s grace is sufficient. The blood of Jesus is enough. And if you belong to Jesus by faith, this table is for you …and not because you’ve earned it … but because He gave you a seat at His table.
    Now… if you’re here today and you’ve not yet trusted in Jesus … I want you to know …. We are so glad you’re here. You are welcome here. But … I’m going to ask you to hold off on taking Communion today and instead take Jesus. Don’t take the bread and cup just yet … take the Savior they point to. Repent of your sin, trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and receive the forgiveness and eternal life He offers you today.
    And listen … we would love to celebrate that with you and walk with you as you follow Jesus. If you make any kind of decision today, or if you need prayer, would you let us know? I would love to follow up with you personally.
    Did you make a decision today? Do you have a prayer request? Email Pastor John: John@missionlasvegas.com
    Church family…. we’re going to do Communion a little differently today. When you’re ready, you can come forward and take the bread and the cup and bring them back to your seat. Hold on to them … we’re going to eat and drink together as a sign of our unity in Christ.
    Take this time to reflect, confess, and thank Jesus for His grace before you come to the table. And when the time is right, I’ll come back up and lead us as we partake together.
    1 Corinthians 11:23–26 CSB
    23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Mission Church
mission@missionlasvegas.com
(725) 204-6370
http://www.missionlasvegas.com
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