Sunday Morning Worship
October 2, 2011
Series: “I Am a Missionary”
Today: “Mission: Impossible”
Scripture: Luke 5:17-19 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 
Intro: Jesus was first to speak of a mission impossible.
A. Jesus was always aware of the fact that many would refuse the mission.
John 6:66-67 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
B. To accept Jesus is to accept His mission .
* Matthew 5: – “You are …salt and light.
* Webster on “missionary” = a person undertaking a mission . 
I. WE NEED EYES TO SEE THE NEEDS .
A. Look at the last verse of James, chapter one:
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
B. If we will ask God to clear our vision , it doesn’t take long to see someone around you under a lot of pressure or stress. 
II. MISSIONARIES MAKE A MAT .
A. There are always reasons people can’t or won’t come to Jesus.
B. An effective mat must fit the person you are praying for.
* Clue: look for their brokenness ; where they are paralyzed.
Conclusion: Our mission, if we choose to accept it, will take determination and creativity .
* Our mission seems impossible .
* We need to remember: Nothing is impossible with God.