Recap:

How we doing today? Come on, it might be gloomy outside, but let’s not bring that gloom in here. I’m fired up to kick off our Missions Series this November. I believe God has something specific He wants to say to us today ,  not just about missions, but about His heart for the nations.

Let’s pray:
“Lord, thank You for this church, for this moment. Speak to our hearts. Challenge us to live not just personally or locally, but globally, for Your glory. Amen.”

  1. The Origin Story of Missions

When we think about missions, most of us go straight to the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” But the truth is, missions didn’t start in Matthew 28. It started way before that.

Today we’re going to zoom in and zoom out ,  to see God’s heart through Scripture: personal, local, and global.

  1. My Origin Story

I’ll never forget the moment God called me into ministry. It was the summer after my junior year, at a camp in Wyoming. And let me tell you, it was the worst camp setup ever. We slept in a barn on stacked wooden pallets. But the worship? The messages? Powerful.

At the end of the week, Pastor David Perkins gave three altar calls: one for missions, one for pastoral ministry, and one for business leaders called to ministry. I meant to respond to the pastor call but ended up walking up during the missions call.

And I remember saying, “Lord, you know what I meant!”
And He whispered, “I know exactly what I meant.”

That moment planted a seed in me ,  a call to ministry that eventually brought me here to Cross Points. God’s plans often start in confusion but lead to clarity.

  1. The Gospel Is Deeply Personal

Before we can go global, the gospel has to go deep.
Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Galatians 2:20 ,  “The Son of God, who loved me, gave Himself for me.”

You hear that every Sunday, but it should never become routine. Jesus died for you. The gospel is deeply personal.

But if it stays there, if your whole faith is just about you and your cycle of falling, repenting, and coming back, you’re missing out on the bigger story. The cross isn’t meant to stay local.

If Jesus only came for me, the cross is local.
But because He came for the world, the cross is global.

  1. From Local to Global: Scotland

Fast forward to my senior year. I went to Scotland for a missions trip with our youth group. Our team led a kids’ camp, and on the final night, my youth pastor told me I was giving the altar call.

I was terrified. Heart pounding, standing behind the curtain, praying no one noticed me sweating through my shirt. I stepped out, told everyone to close their eyes (and then I closed mine, too), and shared the simple gospel:
“Jesus loves you, He died for you, and He wants to be your Savior.”

When I finally opened my eyes, hands were raised all over the room. That moment changed everything.

That was when the gospel went from in me to through me.

  1. God’s Global Heart

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
And Revelation 7 shows us the end of that story:
A multitude from every tribe, tongue, and nation standing before the throne.

That means the gospel doesn’t stop with me, it moves through me.

And I’ve seen it all over the world, Kenya, Nepal, Argentina, Taiwan, Hungary, Scotland, different cultures, different worship, same God.

He’s the God of the barn in Kansas and the tent in Ethiopia.
The God of the cathedral in Europe and the house church in China.
Our God is not small.

  1. Too Small a Thing

Isaiah 49 says, “It’s too small a thing for you to restore only Israel. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”

Did you catch that? Too small a thing.

If it’s too small for God to reach just one nation, it’s too small for us to reach just our neighborhood. Yes, we start local, but God’s heart is global.

I remember when Pastor David first came on staff here. He asked me, “What’s your dream?”
And I said, “A second projector.”
He said, “That’s too small. Dream bigger.”

That conversation birthed RevCon, our youth conference that now brings in hundreds of students every year. All because someone challenged me to dream bigger.

And I believe God is saying that same thing to His Church:
“You’re dreaming too small.”

It’s too small just to make your life better.
Too small to only reach Shawnee.
Too small to just “make America Christian again.”
God’s dream is the nations.

  1. The Real Origin of Missions

The origin of missions actually starts way back in Genesis 12.
God told Abraham, “Through you, all nations of the earth will be blessed.”

One chapter earlier, Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel, human pride led to division. Different languages, nations, separation.

But in the very next chapter, God says, “I’ve got a plan.”
And His plan wasn’t more speeches or systems, it was a Savior.

From Genesis to Revelation, God’s plan has been the same:
To bring unity through His Son, Jesus.

  1. The Call to Zoom Out

The American church has been zoomed in too long, focused on comfort, convenience, and control.

But God’s saying, “Zoom out.”
See the nations.
See the mission.
See your role in My story.

You may never stand behind a pulpit in Scotland, but you can pray, give, go, or send. You can be a light where you are.

Because it’s too small a thing to live for less than what God died for.

Closing Prayer

“Lord, we don’t want to dream small dreams.
Challenge us to see the world as You see it.
For those who don’t yet know You, reveal Your love today.
For those who do, give us courage to carry the gospel, to go, to give, to send.
It’s too small a thing for You to stay local.
You are the God of the nations.
And we say yes to Your call.”

Amen.

 

Group Questions:

Icebreakers

  1. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go, and why?
  2. What’s one moment when you felt small compared to something bigger (nature, a crowd, a big dream, etc.)?
  3. Share about a time you said “yes” to something small that God used in a big way.

Discussion Questions

1. The Origin Story of Missions

  • Why do you think it’s important to know that missions didn’t start with the Great Commission but in Genesis 12?
  • How does seeing God’s plan for the nations from the beginning change how we view the Bible’s big story?
  1. My Origin Story
  • Have you ever felt like you “accidentally” ended up where God wanted you, like the speaker did when he responded to the wrong altar call?
  • How has God used confusion or unexpected moments in your life to bring clarity about His calling?
  1. The Gospel Is Deeply Personal
  • Romans 5:8 and Galatians 2:20 remind us that Jesus died for me. How does remembering that truth personally affect your relationship with God?
  • What are some ways we can make sure our faith doesn’t stop at “me”, that it moves through us to others?
  1. From Local to Global
  • What are some ways you’ve seen God work locally, in your family, community, or church?
  • What are practical ways we can partner with what God is doing globally, even if we never go overseas? (Pray, give, send, encourage, etc.)
  1. God’s Global Heart
  • Revelation 7:9 paints a picture of every tribe and tongue before the throne. What does that reveal about God’s heart?
  • How does that vision challenge the way we think about church and mission today?
  1. Too Small a Thing
  • God said, “It’s too small a thing…” (Isaiah 49). Where might you be dreaming too small right now, in your faith, family, or purpose?
  • How can we as a group help each other dream bigger for God’s kingdom?
  1. Zoom Out
  • What happens when we only “zoom in” on our comfort, convenience, or control?
  • What’s one area where God might be asking you to “zoom out” and see His bigger picture?

Closing Prayer & Response

Ask group members to share one sentence that completes this thought:

“God, help me zoom out by…”