The Mission

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and 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 lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matt. 28: 18-20

When Jesus entered the world the angels in heaven proclaimed his arrival as the Savior of the world. His life was a mission from God. When he crossed the Jordon River after spending 40 days in the wilderness, he came announcing the kingdom of God was at hand. He was not looking for just the healthy, wealthy or righteous. He was not concerned with starting a program that would attract nice, middle class suburban couples with 2.5 kids to a country club church. His calling to the kingdom of God was for his followers to do spiritual warfare. He promised that the church would be the one place where the body of believers could stand united in opposition to the gates of hell. The church is not a just place for people to be served; but, a place for servants to discover that washing one another's feet is the example and command of our Lord. The one who wishes to be the greatest in the kingdom is the one who serves the most. The church is not a building or a place; but, people who are called by God to be sent on a mission to join the Savior in seeking and saving those who are lost.

Evangelism, or mission, is not just another program of the church. It is not some peripheral activity. The church is mission. We are called out of this world (ekklesia) by the spirit of God. At at the same time we are sent back into the world (apostolos) to witness and to seek to expand the borders of the kingdom of God so that God's will is done on earth. We are to be holy, set apart and different in our character than those who do not know God. Yet, we need to be a friend of sinners. The battle is always about how to be "in the world" but not "of it". The irony of Jesus's ministry is that sinners loved him. They wanted to be near him and they pressed hard to gain his attention and favor. Today, our churches tend to be ghettos for those who already saved. We must figure out how to be able to make people feel welcome and "visitor friendly". Our calling is to be the "salt of the earth", a "city on a hill" and a "light unto the nations".

The mission of the church is tied to community. The gospel of John shows us that the unity of the church is vital if the world at large is to believe and experience that Jesus was sent from the Father. (John 17:21-23). Further, the mark of a Christian is tied to love for one another. Jesus said it this way John 13:34-35:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

The gospel can only become real when the community of believers is grafted into the vine. It is about God and not about us. When we are in fellowship with God, the Spirit produces "fruit". Our calling is simply to "abide" in Him. That same vine connects all of us into one body. The hand can't say to the foot "I don't need you!" When visitors come to a church and discover that brothers and sisters don't like each other, it inhibits the growth of the kingdom. The way we treat people is of major concern to our God.

It is much too easy to become content attending our bible studies, Sunday morning worship and small groups thinking that in these we are doing church correctly. The power of faith comes not in making our lists of things we do or don't do correctly, but in taking up the cross daily in each of our lives. When people see the power of one changed life, the evidence of faith becomes a reality. Mission is hard work. It is much less stressful to hang out with people who look me, smell like me, and believe the same thing as me. It is a lot more out of my of comfort zone to hang out with people who hold different world-views. But, that is what we are called to do. We each must be willing to get out of our own comfort zones because we are the church. If we wish to the be the body of Christ, we need to behave and act as Jesus did when he was here upon the earth. We need to constantly ask ourselves "What would Jesus do"?