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Trinity Community Church
Trinity Community Church
Empowered for Missions
What does it mean to be empowered for missions—not just in theory, but in everyday life? In this special message, Ebenezer Asiamah shares his deeply personal journey from nightclubs in Ghana to Spirit-led evangelism across continents. It’s a story of transformation, calling, and the unmatched power of God to use ordinary people for extraordinary mission.
Eben’s story begins with a “prodigal son” moment—a turning point when he recognized his life was far from God. Through the guidance of a local pastor and a fresh hunger for the Holy Spirit, he found not only forgiveness but boldness to proclaim the gospel. From those early days preaching in village centers without electricity, to ministry work here in the U.S., Eben has lived the truth that missions begins when we say yes to God’s purpose and power.
Drawing from Acts 1:8, Luke 4, and Matthew 28, Eben outlines three foundational truths:
1. Mission is the heart of the Father. From Genesis, God has always been seeking the lost. Mission isn’t our idea—it’s His.
2. Mission is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus was anointed to do the Father’s work, we need the Spirit’s power to live and speak boldly.
3. Mission is our calling. Whether across the globe or across the street, every believer has a role in God’s redemptive plan.
Eben also walked us through practical responses to this call:
- Pray. Spend time before the Lord and let Him place His mission on your heart.
- Evangelize and disciple. Be a witness in your home, your church, your workplace, and beyond.
- Support missionaries. Through prayer and generosity, you can be part of what God is doing globally.
This isn’t about guilt—it’s about invitation. God’s mission is fueled by grace, and He desires to work through surrendered people like you.
The world is still full of “unpossessed land,” both spiritually and physically. But we go forward with Jesus’ promise: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me…and I am with you always.”
We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Thank you so much for this day. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. I'm really thankful for the elders here at Trinity for the privilege to stand here and speak to the people of God. It is very humbling and I'm really thankful for this great honor. It is very humbling and I'm really thankful for this great honor. My name is Ebenezer Esiama. I've yet to meet anybody called Ebenezer since I moved to America. I don't know why, but there is certainly Ebenezer Scrooge who messed it up for me, but out west I found a street called Ebenezer, so that was comforting. I'm really thankful that the Lord brought me here.
Ebenezer Asiamah:The journey that led me here is all about missions, so this morning we're going to look at missions and how the Lord empowers us for mission. I'm going to read the book of Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1, verse 1 to 8. In the first book, o Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up. After he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, he presented himself alive to them after his suffering, by many proofs appearing to them during the 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God, and while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they asked him. He said to them when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, to the end of the age, shall we pray. Abba, father, we thank you so much for your kindness. We thank you, lord, that you are the God of the harvest and this is all about you. O Lord, father, I ask, in the name of Jesus, that you would speak to us this day, that our hearts would be a federal soil for your word, that we would receive your word with understanding and that you transform us by the power of your word. Precious Holy Spirit, we ask for your empowerment also, help us, oh Lord, that we may be witnesses for you In wherever you've called us. May your name be glorified in us and through us, in Jesus' name, amen.
Ebenezer Asiamah:So I was born in Ghana, in a small community and was born to a Christian family, and I grew up watching my parents always go into church. As a matter of fact, my dad was a trader and also he was a teacher and he served in the church. And one thing I saw them do every morning, from Monday to Friday, before they would go to work, they would meet in a small church and they would share devotion, pray and have time in the Word before he would go to work. And we would always go to church. So I grew up going to church, but I didn't have any relationship with God. I was just going because my parents were going and at some point in my life, when I was a teenager, I had some friends who also didn't know the Lord, like myself, and so we would go to horrible places.
Ebenezer Asiamah:We'd go to nightclubs, wherever nightclubs, wherever. Wherever there is music worldly music you'll find me there, and at a point in around 2009 to 2010,. One time I was there, I was standing in a nightclub and I'm like what am I doing? It was like a prodigal son moment for me, and when the prodigal son came to himself, he said what is happening to me? You know, my father has servants who are doing so much better than I'm doing now. So the Lord did that for me in my life and I'm like, no, I'm just, I need to go back. And that was the last time I stepped foot in the nightclub and I'm thankful that I had a pastor then called Joseph Asante who kind of brought me very close to him and would ask me to read scriptures for him and he would take me along in ministry.
Ebenezer Asiamah:So it kind of stirred my heart for God and when I started out I was very shy and timid. I never thought that a time would come I'll be able to stand before people to speak. But the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edges sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and the word is a descent of the thoughts and intents of the heart. When I read the word I just Lord, your word says that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and we will be witnesses. So I started to seek the Holy Spirit and I started to seek the Holy Spirit and I started to seek the power of God and the Lord was gracious to me to give me his Holy Spirit who has been working in me, giving me power to stand before people and declare the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. Testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ebenezer Asiamah:So I started 2010, when I started to be in ministry and minister the gospel, and that same year I was praying. I said God, surround me with your people, because the friends that I had didn't know the Lord. At that same time, too, I was getting ready to go to college and the Lord did something, because in my little town, usually when they finish high school, that's it, that's the end. But by the grace of God, he helped me to make it to college and while there, he surrounded me with people who loved God and will always be talking about the things of God. The Lord answered my prayer that he was so gracious in giving me friends who loved God. And while there, there were prophecies that the Lord has called you to ministry and you will be a missionary preaching the word. And so first year in college, they started calling me apostle.
Ebenezer Asiamah:So I spent four years in college and after graduation I was praying. I'm like, if the Lord is going to use me, then I need to make a decision and commit. So I applied for ministerial apprenticeship program in the capital of Ghana, a place it's called Accra, and there was a missionary from America, it's called Pastor Richard Whitcomb, and he was doing apprenticeship program, where he invites people and trains them and then send them out. So I'm like I'm going to go for this program. So I applied and I didn't know where I was going to stay, I didn't know how I was going to be provided for. I just applied and went and, by the grace of God the Lord was so gracious they provided a place of stay for me and they were giving me monthly allowances and took care of me and trained me in the things of God. It was there that I met my father-in-law, pastor Mark Medley.
Ebenezer Asiamah:In 2017, early 2017, he came to Ghana and I was part of the students that he trained and I loved him. The very first time I met him, I saw that there was something. I loved him. The very first time I met him, I saw that there was something different about him and he loved the Lord. So we went to villages, communities and bringing people who are in ministry pastors and church workers together for training, because they didn't have that in the villages. So I was part of the team that organized that conference, sitting on motorbikes, going on very hard roads and bringing all the pastors. So while we were there he got sick. He ate something that didn't really settle well with him, but anytime he would stand to speak, god would give him grace to teach. And so I said to myself this man may never come back to Africa again Due to what he was going through. But he came again.
Ebenezer Asiamah:He came the following year and he didn't come alone. He came with my wife, katie, and when I met Katie in the village I knew that the Lord was doing something. I knew that God has something in mind and I just thank God that the Lord brought us together and he's so merciful and gracious. When I started out in my little village sharing the gospel, going to homes and people will ask me are you a Jehovah witness? I'm a Jesus witness and I didn't know that a time would come I'd be standing here before you sharing the gospel.
Ebenezer Asiamah:But God's word is so faithful and true that when he gives us his Holy Spirit and he gives us his power, there's no telling where God will take us. And it's so amazing watching what God is doing. His word is true and he is faithful, jesus Christ, when he started his ministry and at the age of 30, when he went to that place where he grew up, nazareth, they gave him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and he found a place where it was written the spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to proclaim the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the oppressed. When he said that, he sat down and every eye was upon him and he said Today this word is fulfilled in your ears.
Ebenezer Asiamah:There's nothing that Jesus did without the Holy Spirit. Everything that he did, he did it by the Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who empowered him to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cast out devils. And if we are called to missions, we cannot do it without the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to empower us. We need the Holy Spirit to give us boldness to be witnesses in our own Jerusalem. I believe that our Jerusalem could be our home with our family, where we share the gospel with our family. And it doesn't end there. He said in all Judea, and Judah means praise. So I believe you could be in your place of worship where you see opportunities, in a place of worship where you avail yourself of God to use you for his glory. And then he said to Samaria and I think Samaria, sometimes in our workplace it looks like Samaria Because the Samaritans, they are mistress of the Jews and Gentiles. In our workplaces we find people who are some are believers, some are not. So even there we can be witnesses for Jesus. And so thankful that my friend Luke from our work has joined us this morning. So the mission is the heart of the Father morning. So the mission is the heart of the Father.
Ebenezer Asiamah:When you look at Genesis, when man fell, it was God who took the initiative and sought for man. Adam was not going to seek for God because he had obeyed the devil and was lost in sin, dead in sin, but the heart of the Father was pursuing him. So I believe that mission is the heart of the Father. And he said Adam, where are you? He wasn't asking this question because he was ignorant of where he was. It's just giving him an opportunity to recognize his state and to repent and turn to him. But he did not. Instead he blamed God and we all know the story.
Ebenezer Asiamah:And later on, when Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him because his sacrifice was not accepted and his brother Abel's sacrifice was accepted before the Lord, he got angry and killed his brother. And even that God was still seeking him, asked him, king, where is your brother? He said am I my brother's keeper? So the heart of the father is always to seek the lost, to give us the opportunity to turn to Him. And that is what he does, because he loves us and that is why he sent Jesus Christ, his Son, to come and seek and save the lost. And so today, I believe that the Lord is still seeking His lost children, and I know that it may be a long time coming, and maybe you've been praying for a relative, a loved one, to come to the Lord. Just know that your prayers will not be in vain, that the Lord, who is always seeking for the lost, will seek and find the lost loved one and bring him back to him. In Jesus name, amen.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Missions, it's also the father's work. It's what he does. He's always working. When Jesus came, it said of him in Acts, chapter 10, verse 38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. So this mission that we are called to is our Father's work, and he gives us all that we need to to is our Father's work and he gives us all that we need to do what he has called us to do. We just went through the book of Nehemiah and we saw how God worked in the life of Nehemiah. I loved it when the words were coming. This morning he actually Nehemiah spent more time in prayer before the Lord. He did spend more time than the actual time it took for him to complete the walls. It took 52 days to complete the assignment, but we heard this morning that three months he was seeking the face of God and asking the Lord for help to execute his mission.
Ebenezer Asiamah:I also found a man that I love so much in the scriptures, called David, and this man is a man after God's own heart. And it's for a reason, because I look at the life of David at the most difficult time in his life, where he had fallen into sin and he was praying and repenting before the Lord. His prayer is recorded for us in Psalm 51. When you get to verse 10, he says Creating me a pure heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore also unto me the joy of salvation and uphold me with a free spirit. So will I teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be converted to you.
Ebenezer Asiamah:This is a man who is repenting of his sin and he's talking about teaching God's word to transgressors that sinners will be converted to God. He knew the heart of God. He knew that it's the heart of the Father that sinners will convert to him, because God doesn't take any pleasure when a sinner dies in his sin. If there's anything that grieves the heart of God, it's when people die in their sins. But for his people, he says, precious in the sight of God are the death of his sins. The death that is not pleasing in God's sight is the death of the sinner. But he knows that his own people are coming to him, so he rejoices to welcome them. So this morning we will pray the heart of David that sinners will turn to God, because his arms is always open. That is why Jesus was nailed on the cross, so that his arms will always be open to anyone who turns to him and he never forsakes. He never leaves his children. His arms are always open. The mission is also our calling as children of God. God has called us to be in his mission.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Jesus said in Matthew, chapter 28, verse 18 to 20,. Jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Now, this scripture saved my life, because where I grew up, I was raised up in a lot of fear. I was always afraid of demonic presence and all kinds of things. But when I read this scripture, jesus said all authority, not only in heaven but on earth, is given unto me. Like well, there's no need to be afraid of demons, there's no need to be afraid of the devil, because Jesus has all authority. He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords. All power belongs to Jesus and at the mention of the name, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah. He said. Therefore, go make disciples of all nations. Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you, always, to the end of age. We are not alone. I'm not standing here alone. He is with us. He has not called us to be alone. He is right there with us, giving us all the power, all the authority, all the grace that we need, even as we work with him.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Missions is an opportunity to work with God, and I love how the gospel of Mark ends. He says that. And they went forth preaching the word, the Lord working with them, confirming the word with signs following. So wherever we go, we don't go alone. The Lord is always working with us in the mission. The gospel is for the world. It doesn't end with us. It is not just what God does for me and that's it. No, god has a plan for the whole world. For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. But whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. It's also said in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 19,. It says that in Christ, god was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Ebenezer Asiamah:God wants to reconcile with man, and at the cross is where the reconciliation takes place. I have a little bit of background in accounting and we studied what we call bank reconciliation statement. And we studied what we call bank reconciliation statement and in that sometimes the customer's cash book may not agree with the bank statement. So they try to figure out what's the difference, what caused the differences, so they prepare bank reconciliation statement. God wants to reconcile us to himself and that is why he gave Jesus Christ and he said he has made us ministers of reconciliation. We bring people in agreement with God. Because of sin, man is no longer in agreement with God. But at the cross our sins are forgiven, but at the cross our sins are forgiven. The blood of Jesus is enough to wipe out all our sins and bring us into harmony and agreement with the Father. God intends that everyone who has embraced the gospel become part of the great enterprise of spreading the gospel. It may look different for each and every one of us, but we are all called Hallelujah. We are not left out. There is an assignment for us. God desires that his son, jesus Christ, reign in every heart, that Jesus be exalted and be lifted up in the hearts of men, because he is indeed our savior. He is the one who delivers us from the domain of darkness and he has transferred us into the kingdom of his son.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Pastor Tyler mentioned that very soon actually, when I immigrated from Ghana to the United States, I have to be resident here for three years before I can apply for citizenship. I'm not a citizen yet, but there is a time where I can apply for it. And now I'm still a citizen of Ghana and someday I'll be a citizen of the United States of America. The Bible says that we have another citizenship. It says our citizenship is in heaven, where we eagerly await a savior from there, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control. So, everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, there is an instant transference. We are transferred into the kingdom of God and we are transferred into the kingdom of God and we are citizens of the kingdom of God. Now in the United States I have to wait for three years, and sometimes it's even longer, but in God's kingdom we don't have to wait that long. That moment that we believe in the Lord, we become part of the family of God.
Ebenezer Asiamah:So to conclude, there's a scripture that I read in Joshua, chapter 13. Now Joshua was very old and in the previous chapter, the last verse, it talks about how they have defeated 31 kings and they have conquered a lot of lands. But in Joshua, chapter 13, verse 1, he says Now Joshua was old and advanced in years. And the Lord said to him you are old and advanced in years and there remains still very much land to possess, very much land to possess. There are still many lands to possess and the Lord is willing to empower His people, however that looks like in the land that he wants us to reach for Him. He wants to do that.
Ebenezer Asiamah:So how do we respond? Respond like Nehemiah, in prayer. So mission is his birth in prayer, that we spend time before the Lord. Jesus told the disciples wait, spend time, wait for the promise of the Father, don't be in a hurry, wait. And they waited for 10 days and the Holy Spirit came and they became different people. Peter, who previously would not want to identify with Christ. He was very timid and denied the Lord. After that he was a different man. Saint Peter stood and spoke the word and 3,000 people were converted. That's the difference that the Holy Spirit makes in our lives.
Ebenezer Asiamah:During the COVID time, I was in prayer See my little town praying and the Lord spoke to me. He said take the gospel to the communities around you. I said, okay, I will do that. So I started going to the community centers and we shared the gospel. They were in lockdown, but in these communities some of them they don't even have televisions, but they had a PA system where I could go there and speak and everyone would hear me. So I'll go and speak and we'll go to homes, ask them how they are doing, share prayer with them, ask them what they thought about the way that was preached, and many were encouraged. Now it cost money to go to all those communities and so while I was on the mountain I knew some people that I wrote their names down Say, oh, maybe God will touch their hearts to support the mission that he has laid on my heart.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Now, as I obeyed the Lord and went after we have reached about 12 communities, I went back to my notes and I looked at the names and these people. I haven't talked to them about what the Lord had put it on my heart to do. I haven't asked them to support it, lord, and respond to what he's calling us to do. We can also respond in evangelism, making disciples I did mention it In our homes, our church, here at Trinity Community Church, and also at our workplace workplace. We can be a light Jesus in our workplace, and also to foreign lands very soon.
Ebenezer Asiamah:There are people from here currently who are on foreign lands for the mission of God. Maybe God may be calling some of us to that. We should be open to what God wants to do with us and also we must intentionally support missionaries with our prayers. I'm so thankful this morning the elders and the prayer team how they covered me in prayer and it's amazing because we need prayers of the saints, because without the people of God we can't do it. I believe that there are some of us that the Lord will be calling to just intercede for people who are on the fields doing missionary work and if that is us, let us respond to it and invest time in praying for people in missions and also support missionaries with our resources and support missionaries with our resources. I don't have to talk more about that because this is a missionary church and that is already done here.
Ebenezer Asiamah:But this morning I want us to enter into a time of prayer because I believe that there are some here that the Lord is doing a work in our hearts. I believe there are some here who wants to reconcile with God. You may have believed on the Lord, jesus Christ before, but right now you are at a place where it feels like it's stopped and it feels like you've hit a wall in your walk with God, and the Lord wants to make a way right now. So the prayer team will be coming right now, I believe. If you are like that and you want to renew your relationship with God, I want you to come forward and we will share a prayer. The Lord wants to renew commitments and he wants to make a way in the hearts of his people. He is a faithful God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, abba, father. He is a faithful God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, abba, father. We bless your name. We give you praise, lord. We give you all the honor. I'll be open as they come, just praying that the Lord will take whatever has been a hindrance, whatever is stopping us from going forward in our walk with God. The Lord will remove it.
Ebenezer Asiamah:I also want to pray for some people. You know that you've been called to missions, but you don't know where to start or how that looks like. You can also join us in prayer. And the final group of people that we want to pray for this morning is for those who never had any encounter with the Holy Spirit and you desire the Holy Spirit to come, to come and reign in your life. Because without the Holy Spirit to come, to come and reign in your life, because without the Holy Spirit, there's nothing that we can do.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Paul went to a place and they had believed and they were baptized. He asked them so since you believed, have you received the Holy Spirit? They said we don't know. We don't know about any Holy Spirit. So if we are here and you've never had any encounter with the Holy Spirit, the prayer team will be praying for you in the name of Jesus Church. Let's stand up and worship the Lord and bless His name.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Father, we give you praise.
Ebenezer Asiamah:If you need prayer, you can walk forward In Jesus' name.
Ebenezer Asiamah:Thank you, lord. We bless your holy name. Lord, we give you praise. We magnify your name. Oh Lord, we exalt you, lord. Thank you, holy Spirit. We magnify you, lord. We give you all the praise in the name of Jesus. Thank you, lord, for what you are doing in your church. Oh Lord, calling us to your mission, lord of the harvest, we pray to you, lord, in the name of Jesus, for all those that you are calling this morning. Father, we pray in the name of Jesus, that you empower us with the Holy Spirit. You help us, oh Lord, to fulfill that which you've called us to do. Paul said Say to our keepers that he may lay hold of the ministry which he has received from the Lord, that he may fulfill it. Father, we pray, in the mighty name of Jesus, that the ministries that you've given us empower us, oh Lord, that we will fulfill it to your glory and to your praise. We give you all the glory, oh Lord. We give you all the honor. We thank you, father, in Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
