"Mission" OR "God Uses a Garden to Plant Seeds"

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope

June 27, 2009

Larry R Evans

Introductory Reflections

I have a book entitled, “All Dressed Up and No Where to Go.” Could that be said of us . . . of our church? Is it possible to have organizational matters finely tuned, offerings over-flowing and training programs galore and still miss out on the real calling of the Church? This week’s lesson implies that it could happen. Without a clear mission the church can flounder. In recent weeks we’ve studied about discipleship and community. It is time for us to consider “mission.” The same God who “calls” also “sends” but sent for what purpose? The overarching question to many questions are best answered within the framework of another question: “Whose mission is it?” The answer to this question will help determine the content, its urgency and its outcome.

Reflective Quiz

1. To reach the world with the good news is “God’s” mission. [Jn. 3:16; 16:6-11; Matt. 28:18-20] True

2. Once the gospel has been preached to all the countries of the world then Jesus will come. [Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8] True or False?

3. The message regarding the mark of the beast is in reality a retelling of the gospel story in the context of the last days. [Rev. 14:6-12; 1 Ki. 18:20,21] True or False?

4. We cannot give what we do not have. [Acts 3:6; 2 Pet. 3:18] True or False?

5. Seventh-day Adventists have at least 28 ways of sharing insights into God’s character. True or False? [If true, name 5.]

Notes for Reflective Quiz

1. To reach the world with the good news is “God’s” mission. [Jn. 3:16; 16:6-11; Matt. 28:18-20] True

Whose mission is it really—God’s or ours?

John 3:16-18

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (NIV)

It is clear that the saving of the “lost” is God’s mission. So important is it to Him that He sent his Son. The suffering and humiliating treatment of Christ by those whom God sought to save has not detoured Him from His mission. Among those who do believe God has formed a band of disciples whom He has commissioned to carry on the mission of saving those who are bent on their own destruction:

Matt 28:18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV)

Perhaps one of the clearest passages summing up our commissioning with the desired outcome is found in

2 Cor 5:17-20

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. (NIV)

God’s mission becomes ours and it is no superfluous assignment – it is a matter of life and death. But we must remember this: “In this world, mission must be what God desires. It is not a man-initiated activity but mission Dei, the mission of God.” (Donald McGavran, Understanding Church Growth, p.31)

2. Once the gospel has been preached to all the countries of the world then Jesus will come. [Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8] False

Today, of the 229 countries identified by the United Nations, Seventh-day Adventists have a presence in all but 26! We can certainly praise the Lord for this but is that how we gage the success of our mission?

It is very important to start out on a journey headed the right way. For example, if you calculate your trip carefully and determined that it will take about 4 hours to get there you still have some planning to do! It is possible, for example, to travel four hours in the wrong direction. Just because you did your calculations and you got enough gas to take you 4 hours it is still important to head in the right direction. If we assume that getting into every country is the goal of mission then it would be possible to do just that and leave it to TV and radio to cover the bases for us. No doubt the Holy Spirit is using these mediums as part of the “finding” process but the sheer presence of a signal in a country doesn’t mean we’ve accomplished our mission. We must keep in mind that a critical factor in understanding the commission the Lord has given us is this: “. . . mission is a divine finding, vast and continuous. . . . Service is good, but it must never be substituted for finding.” (McGavran, p.32)

Enter countries with the message – yes, but keep in mind that there are right now 13,000 distinct people groups with not one Christian and 118 of these are 100,000 or more. The challenge before us is much larger than entering a country and erecting a church.

But lest we forget, this is God’s mission and He will see it through just as He was with the early church.

Acts 1:7-8

7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (NIV)

3. The message regarding the mark of the beast is in reality a retelling of the gospel story in the context of the last days. [Rev. 14:6-12; 1 Ki. 18:20,21] True

Rev 14:6-7

6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth-to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." (NIV)

1 Kings 18:20-21

20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (NIV)

In each setting attention is given to man’s response to God. The context of each situation was a matter of life or death. Such is the seriousness of this message. There can be no substitutes for God and faithfulness to Him.

4. We cannot give what we do not have. [Acts 3:6; 2 Pet. 3:18] True

Acts 3:6-7

6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. (NIV)

2 Peter 3:17-18

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (NIV)

6. Seventh-day Adventists have at least 28 ways of sharing insights into God’s character. True [If true, name 5.]

Some examples are:

Scripture – God is transparent. His Word records the good and the bad and how He relates to both.

Second Coming – God has an overwhelming desire to be with His people.

Hell – God will put an end to sin and suffering.

Jesus – God so identifies with each one of us that He was willing to put His life on the line for us.

Creation – God gave to us a royal beginning and has ensured that it will be given back to us.

Sabbath – God is interested in regular dialogue with us.

Death – We are not forgotten when we die and physical death is not the end of the road.

Millennium – Our deepest questions about God and the way He has managed His universe will be answered.

Growing in Christ – God doesn’t expect everyone to be at the same place spiritually but He watches over us giving us opportunities to grow in our understanding and relationship with Him and others.

Heaven/New Earth – God has quite a homecoming planed for us with special homes for each.

Concluding Reflections

We sometimes think of mission as sending individuals into the world. At first, we thought of it as sending missionaries across the sea. In more recent years we’ve thought in terms of everyone being a witness where they are, whether it be on the plane, at work or in a neighborhood. For a moment I would like to suggest that we change our paradigms realizing that this is God’s mission and not initially ours.

I would suggest that the Garden of Eden was God’s first mission field. In the first book of the Bible is outlined the steps God took to prepare a beautiful world for the climax of His creation-- when He would spend a full day with the creation made in His image. In reality, God used a garden to plant the first seeds of love in the heart of Adam and Eve. It was in the Garden, surrounded by the evidence of a caring God, where they first walked and talked with their Creator God that they were introduced to the plan He had for them. Like many mission fields today, not all was “successful” but also like today mission does not stop because of sin. It is sin that brings urgency to the work of mission. The Father continued His search and from a Father’s heart we hear the call of mission – “Where are you?”

Perhaps it would do us well to think how we can follow the example of our Heavenly Father and provide a garden where seeds are to be planted, where unselfish love is expressed and where we do not turn away because of sin or the lack of appreciation for all that we do to help. Perhaps the garden today is “the body of Christ” as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12 where each has a part to bring glory to God while tending the garden. Maybe the “recreation” is a place on earth (maybe on a plane, a bus, in a church) where true inner peace can be shared and experienced. Why not allow God to create a garden in our home or church. Imagine what will happen when He can plant the seeds of His kingdom.