Earlier this week, we looked at what we as a church believe about God and complementarianism. Today, we look at another tenet: mission. The following is adapted from the sermon, "Urban and Missional," from 2007's Nehemiah series. The whole reason for the establishing of Jerusalem was the preparation for the coming of Jesus so then it could be that strategic center, that urban upstream place from which the good news of Jesus, the gospel of Jesus could ring out to the world. Jesus himself practices and demonstrates this: He relocated from Heaven to earth to demonstrate for us how to be missionaries in our city. This is a big undergirding value of Mars Hill. Missionaries are not just people we send to far away exotic places like China; missionaries are also people we send to far-away exotic places like Capitol Hill. Not only do missionaries need to be sent around the world (which they do), they also need to be sent around the region, which we are. The percentage of Christians in Seattle is likely the same as mainland communist China. Seattle is now among the least-churched cities in the country.

"He paid the ultimate price to be a good missionary to a culture that initially rejected him, but now people have come to know and love him."

Our view is that Jesus has sent us here. That’s what it means to be a missionary. Jesus says more than 39 times in the Gospel of John alone, he says, "I’ve been sent." "The father has sent me." He’s God, come from Heaven. He’s come down to the earth and he’s come here on a mission to seek and to save those of us who are lost in our sin. So Jesus – our God – relocated, right, just like these people in Nehemiah, just like some of you, he relocated to a place that was very inconvenient for him. Earth is not like Heaven. He was certainly treated better in Heaven than he was on earth. He paid a great price to come and do ministry on the earth. Not only did he live in poverty, opposition, criticism, he also shed his blood and died. He paid the ultimate price to be a good missionary to a culture that initially rejected him, but now people have come to know and love him and a few billion on earth today worship him because of the success of his mission. Jesus says this in John 20:21, "As the Father has sent me" on a mission from Heaven to earth, "so I am sending you." So I send you. So God the Father sends God the Son on a mission to live without sin, to die for our sin, to rise conquering our enemies of sin and death. … I want you to have a sense of why we exist as a church. I want you to have a sense of why we’re doing multiple campuses and multiple church plants. I want you to have a sense of why we send ten percent of our dollars out. I want you to have a sense of why we send hundreds, and by God’s grace, eventually thousands if not tens of thousands of people out into the world. Why? Friends, Jesus Christ is alive. Jesus is actually alive. Jesus died for sin and rose and that Jesus Christ can take away sin. People don’t need to go to hell. They can go to Heaven. They don’t need to be disconnected from God. They can be connected to God. They don’t need to live lives of sin. They can live lives of transforming grace. People don’t need to do anything to merit the love of God. "God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The good news is that Jesus is alive and that he is seated on his throne in Heaven. He’s ruling and reigning over all creation. That means that every nation and every city and every neighborhood and every block and every suburban and rural area and every cul-de-sac and every coffee shop and every condo is under the lordship of Jesus,

And there are people there that he loves.

There are people there that he’s willing to forgive.

There are people there that he’s willing to save.

There are people there that he’s willing to befriend.

There are people there that he’s willing to change.

There are people there that he’s willing to be with forever in the New Jerusalem, the great city that he’s created for us.

So I urge you today: if you don’t know Jesus, give him your sin, receive his salvation, and get connected to Jesus.We implore you to be connected to Jesus’ mission, to become a member of our church and let us get you plugged in through our [Doctrine] class so that you can formally be connected to Jesus’ mission. Also, we would just encourage you to be in prayer to informally be about Jesus’ mission. Just owning your block, your condo, your apartment, owning your neighborhood, owning your cul-de-sac and prayerfully thinking through how you and/or you and your family could bring the love of Jesus there and say, like the people in the days of Nehemiah, "We nominate ourselves to love and serve the people here on behalf of the God who loves us so well." I’m going to give you a chance to repent of sin. The Holy Spirit may have brought some to mind. I want you to give yourself to the Lord Jesus and his mission, spend time praying for our city,

to pray for the cities around our city,

to pray for the places that we have yet to go,

to pray for strengthening in the areas that we presently do have campuses,

and to also be praying about where God would have you to live and what God would have you to do to be a part of this amazing opportunity that God has given us. Friends, I want you to see. This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m not just a salesman in a hack giving a pitch, but think of the place we are, think in the time we are, think of the opportunities we have, think of the resources we have and think of the ground we’ve already covered. Wouldn’t you love to see what transpired in the book of Nehemiah, in the city of Jerusalem happen right here in our own place? That’s what we want, because Jesus Christ is alive.