Northland Church

Welcome to Northland!
Northland Church exists to glorify God as we participate in His mission of redeeming a people from all peoples by engaging neighbors and nations to be fully alive in King Jesus through the power of the Spirit.

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God is on mission to REDEEM a PEOPLE from ALL peoples to REFLECT His GLORY in all realms of life thereby bringing HEAVEN to EARTH.

MP:

There are many THREATS to God’s mission, but nothing can THWART God’s mission.

THREAT 1: INADEQUATE INABILITIES

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” (Genesis 17:15–18)

THREAT 2: CARNAL COUSINS / SYNTHETIC SIBLINGS
RIVAL / RELATIVES

Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains . . . He and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children . . .Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today.

The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today. (Genesis 19:30–32; 36–38)
The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” (Genesis 21:8–10)

The very ones who threaten God’s mission become the targets of God’s mission.

God’s enemies might be seen as OBSTACLES to His mission but they are actually OBJECTS of His mission.

THREAT 3: STRUGGLING SIN

Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her . . . Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”

And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?” Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”(Genesis 20:1–2; 9–12)

We can either be a partner that works with God OR a problem that God works despite.

THREAT 4: INVISIBLE IDOLATRY SELF-CENTERED PRESERVATION

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
(Genesis 22:1–2)

Abraham has two choices:

1) He can squander the Promises and Future by Self-Centered Preservation.

2) He can steward the Promises and Future by God-Centered Obedience.

THREAT 4: INVISIBLE IDOLATRY...

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son, Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance . . . When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy . . . I swear by myself, declares theLord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspringall nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:3–4; 9–10, 12; 16–18)

God tests (Satan tempts) to see if we’ll love…

- Blessings more then the Blesser
- Promises more than the Promise Maker
- Elements of Grace more than the Giver of Grace

To love anything or anyone more than God is called IDOLATRY.

To love anything or anyone more than God is called IDOLATRY.

Idolatry leads to unhealthy obsession, addiction, and self-preservation.

INVISIBLE IDOLATRY

We have a tendency to interpret Promises/Blessings as purely individualistic— meant for us and our personal enjoyment and comfort.

If we DIVORCE God’s promises and blessings for us from His mission through us—we DISTORT the reason why He gave us the promises and blessings to begin with.

God’s Blessings and Promises aren’t meant to stop with us—but to flow through us as we partner in His mission in the world.

THREATS TO MISSION

Weakens God’s Mission through us
Dims God’s Mission in us
Robs God’s mission from us
Creates competition and conflict for us