The Goal is Whole: One Together, Part 1 Community Witness, O1.6: Mobilization

FULL STUDY:

Jesus is on a mission. He declared at the beginning:

“I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18)

What a majestic undertaking. Starting with just 120 people in Jerusalem, this has exploded to touch multitudes over the centuries, a movement of the Spirit that has continued and never been quenched. Today, mission organizations work in unison to reach every last unreached people group, and we know they will succeed:

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

“A great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10)

But, while the efforts of these organizations accelerate so that every last unreached group is reached, there remain multitudes of individuals in “reached” regions that remain unreached. There are representatives from these groups, tribes, tongues and nations that have received Jesus, but many, many are still not impacted. They don’t know Him. They are still in the fallen race. They are still “dead in trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1-2).

Every soul lost is a tragedy of injustice. The blood of Jesus is enough for everyone:

“He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” (Romans 10:13-15)

The door is open to whoever will call upon Him, but for that to happen they need to hear! We need a mobilization of believers who will be the bearers of the good news. There are plenty of believers that already know Jesus but the biggest, most urgent need of our time is mobilization of the body into the great harvest.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2)

The INN building vision seeks to be one potential answer in this challenge. Not just by trying to motivate people to go out and proclaim Jesus, but more by inviting them first into purposeful and focused new creation communities, where they can play a part in a group effort together and co-work with Jesus together, however He leads. INNs welcome believers into a new experience of community. Through this, the aim is to unlock the potential of who each one is in Christ, in the new creation, and release them into powerful fulfilment of gifting and calling. As this happens, so the body will begin to function and growth will come.

INNs help create environments where Jesus is manifested in the midst, so that community witness initiatives unfold as He outworks His passion from the inside out. INNs will help believers yield to the presence of Jesus together, catch His heartbeat, discern His will, and become channels of His life to the lost and hurting world around. We believe the space for creativity, spontaneity, innovative thinking, and insightful involvements can help unlock enormous potential, and unleash an unprecedented mobilization of believers into the harvest.

The strength of the INN vision is its lean-ness. As simple as a small-group community, INNs are committed to build something together, co-working with Jesus, the Architect and Builder, letting Him lead.

INNs build community first. This gives everyone a voice, tapping the gifting and grace in each one. So much more than just a program, this creates a secure base where everyone has value and is valued, where participation, contribution, and engagement can emerge.

In the vision, every INN Community becomes a safe place, where relationships can go deep. They also become an incubator for action, promoting “witness and mission by design”. Catching the urgency together, seizing opportunity together, and making a difference together.

INNs are both the launch pad and the entry lobby! By pursuing Jesus-centered community and the fullness of the new creation life, they develop a passion and power to reach out beyond themselves. By seeking union with Jesus, they are able to make an impact wherever He leads. People will hear, believe, call on Him, and be saved. They receive Jesus! And then they are welcomed into the family in the INN.

INNs must have a warm, welcoming entry lobby! As new believers come in, they can then “taste and see that Jesus is good”. They become nurtured into strength in Him, developing stability and fruitfulness. They grow into all they have in the new creation and begin to contribute as part of the pulsating, life-filled organism of His body. And then they join the call to help – to make Him known. Manifest, mobilize, multiply!

INNs are simply new creation communities that put Jesus and His passion back in the center, so that He energizes them into community witness. Each one can then be part of the answer.

A final thought in this brief study on mobilization. Jesus started building His church - His body, temple, bride - many centuries ago. Today He is nearing completion. Imagine a project to build a grand building like a museum, or palace. It starts with foundations, holes in the ground, and lots of mud. Not much to admire! But the shape is set, and the structure rises. The roof goes on, the enclosure is completed and then the electrics, plumbing and interiors follow along in sequence. Construction is a complex process. Lots of trades, materials, and details have to be coordinated together. Jesus is the master architect and builder. In the final stages, all the work is about finishes. Making it look and feel splendid. That’s where we are now with His church, and the glory is growing. These are the best days to be involved!

Finishes express a designer’s heart and vision. While everything else in the construction has been essential for the building to come together, the finishes display the designer’s style. Finishes are awesome. Things happen in finishing trades that have never happened before in that building project. That’s where we are right now in the building of the church. Finishes let the creativity of Jesus manifest. This is already all around us – exciting new expressions of His heart, stunning revelations of His will and purpose. His church is bounding towards completion. In previous studies we’ve highlighted two big “finishes” items that Jesus is unleashing – worship, with the restoration of the tabernacle of David, and the prophetic voice. There are, and will be, many fresh and creative expressions. INNs carry the goal to stay lean and agile, ready to connect, embrace and manifest all that Jesus is doing.

There is no point calling on the ironworker who put in the foundations to install finishes, or the carpenter who built the walls. We need to be liberated from the confines of church building of the past. While we rejoice in all that the past has given us, today is a different season and we need to be in tune. We need to lean into the heart of Jesus, and discern His next move. What part will He have us play? He knows. He wants to share it with us and engage with us. Jesus will finish strong. There’s still room for multitudes to join. There is still room for everybody!

Community witness is at the core of what INNs do!

There was a popular movement years ago that called us to ask, “What would Jesus do?” (WWJD). It’s a great concept – anything that puts the focus on Jesus is awesome. But today, we champion a shift of focus on that, towards, “What is Jesus doing?” (WIJD). This is at the center of the INN vision. Because of this, one of the most important parts of INN group times is learning shared discernment. This is the Mary of Bethany lifestyle, where the group waits on Jesus together for His word to them. As they embrace what He is saying, so faith comes, and they engage with Him together to outwork His passion for the fallen world around, just as He desires and leads.