Our Mission
Sligo Sabbath School Class
Larry R Evans
August 30, 2015
A
Introduction
In 1959, the USSR
leader Nikita Khrushchev made unprecedented visit to America. This was soon after the death of the Russian
dictator Joseph Stalin. Khrushchev had
already caused a global stir by denouncing Russia. He spoke strongly against the many atrocities
of his former leader: his genocidal policies against the Ukraine, cold-blooded
assassinations of anyone who could no longer serve him. When Khrushchev appeared before the National
Press Club in Washington he was expected to repeat the denunciations of Stahlin
and he did.
As he finished,
someone shouted out from the crowd, “Mr. Khrushchev, you have just given an
account of Mr. Stalin’s many crimes agains humanity. You were his right-hand man during much of
that. What were you doing?”
When the question
was translated, Khrushchev exploded in anger and responded: “Who said that!”
No one answered.
And again Khrushchev bellowed out the question but still no answer.
Then once again he
raised the question again but this time low and quietly. Everyone looked down.
After a few
moments of quiet and non-interrupted silence, Khrushchev said, “That’s what I was doing.” (See Hidden
in Plain Sight by Mark Buchanan, pp.41-42)
We sometimes give
the impression that we only witness when we speak up and say or do something
but this is a false impression. Even our
silence is a witness. This week we will be
directing our study and reflection to “Our Mission.” But the question I am asking myself is
this: “Is this ‘my’ really mission?” If so, then have I dwarfed the Great
Commission into something I do or don’t do?
Perhaps “my mission” is best understood when it is seen as part of a
bigger mission, God’s mission. When that
happens there is greater confidence that it will be completed. And what about my silence in the face of such
a mission? The words of Khrushchev to
the question “And where were you? strike at the core of who I am and what kind
of disciple I am. In the midst of the
greatest conflict and “genocide” the universe has ever known, I find myself
asking: “How can I remain silent?” I want to respond, “Here I am, send me!”
Reflective Questions
1.
Our mission differs from God’s
mission. True or False? [Isa. 6:1-8]
When Jesus was
recruiting His disciples He simply said, “Come, follow me.” Then he added, “and I will send you out to
fish for people.” (Mt 4:19, NIV) “Follow
me” literally means “come behind me.”
The disciples didn’t start out on their own mission. Their mission was to become and do what God was already doing. In fact, they
didn’t even fully understand the mission of Jesus. They would only learn what their mission was by
following Him and seeing Him mission in action.
So it is with us. This “calling”
carried with it a cost. It meant more
than leaving one’s profession. It also
meant setting aside one’s family responsibilities. In verse 22 we see that
James and John left their nets and their “father” behind. I don’t believe God intends for us to neglect
family responsibilities but at the same time it does mean certain family
priorities may change with the particular mission God calls us to.
2.
We are the light the world needs to see in
times of distress. “Let your light shine.” (Mt 5:14) True or
False? True and False [Jn. 8:12, 12:22; Isa. 43:10-12]
“You are the
light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Mt 5:14)
It has been said
that the church is indeed like a city set on a hill – it is inaccessible and
unapproachable! I often mention this
when presenting seminars on ministries for the disabled. Unfortunately this is more true than we would
like. No one that I know of intentionally wishes to make access to God
difficult. It happens but its not
intentional. The “light” that Jesus is
speaking about is rooted not in ourselves but in the Source of light or
revelation. Note Isa 60:1
1 "Arise,
shine, for your light has come, and the
glory of the LORD rises upon you.
The light of the
glory of the LORD is both an objective reality (a new dawn) and a subjective
experience (your light). The Lord’s redeeming work is the light or blessing
that falls on Israel who in turn shine light into the nations around them. We, as Israel of old, are to reveal God’s
word and glory to others and in so doing we share the “blessings” that He has
given to us. So while the “light” in one
sense is ours it didn’t originate with us.
It was shared with us.
In fact in Jn 8:12
Jesus says He is the light and then in 12:22 we find the Greeks coming to
Philip at worship and making that famous request, “Sir, we would like to see
Jesus.”
3.
Our witness is about us. True or False (but
with explanation) ? [Rev.
12:11; Isa 43:10,12]
In Isa. 43:10 we
see the Lord prompting His people by reminding them, “You are my
witnesses.” But the amazing thing is
that God says this after what He has said about them in chapter 42. In 42:7 we have an important insight into
God’s mission and ours! God’s people
were to be “a light for the Gentiles.”
But according to verse 18 and following these very Gentiles can look
around and see God’s witnesses as being as “blind” and “deaf” as they are and
even being plundered or punished by God.
What kind of “light”, what kind of “witness” are God’s servant
witnesses? Isaiah is doing two
things: He is pointing out the need for
a Servant that supersedes his people servants but he also points out the deep
spiritual need Israel has. Israel hasn’t
been forsake but Israel is neither the light nor the witness God needs. The nations of the earth need to know from
God’s people whether it be in good times or in bad that God is God! He says of the mission given to His chosen
and called people:
“You are my
witnesses,” declares the Lord, that I am God.”
In whatever experience(s)
we are going through, can God point to us and with confidence say, “You are my
witnesses?”
Our witness is
about us in the sense we have personalized how God has intervened and brought
us hope and confidence in the midst of our chaotic lives:
“They triumphed over him by
the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love
their lives so much as to shrink from death.” --
Rev. 12:11
4.
Those sent will do greater
things than the One who sent them. True or False? [Jn 14:12; 11:11; 20:12; 17:17-19]
“Very truly I tell
you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they
will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
– Jn 14:12
Before we answer
our questions we need to review what works Jesus had been doing. In other words, in context what “works” had
Jesus been doing that the disciples would be doing “even greater things” than
Jesus had been doing. We find the
ministry works of Jesus as being #1 the
evangelizing of the Samaritan won (4:34); #2 the healing of the lame man at the
Pool of Bethesda (5:20); #3 the healing of the man born blind (9:3,4); #4 the
miracles of Jesus in general (eg. 7:3, 10:25, 32, 33); #5 Jesus’ teaching (chp
10) and #6 Jesus’ entire ministry (5:36; 17:4).
How could the work of any disciple exceed these works!! Jesus says this would be possible “because”
of what will happen when He returns to the Father.
When Jesus went to
the Father His disciples now empowered by prayer (vss 13-14) and obedience (v.
15). The Holy Spirit (vss16-17) extended the work of Jesus on a scale not
possible before. Of John the Baptist it
was said he was the greatest but he was also the least. How so?
John
was the the messenger spoken of Malachi 3:1. In Malachi the wording is ‘before
me’, and his role is to prepare for the coming of God for judgment. Jesus’
application of this text to John implies that his own (Jesus’) coming, for
which John prepares, is the coming of God himself. In our passage (Jn 14:12) we see Jesus’
ministry preceding another divinely appointed and even greater expansion of
God’s work in preparation for His 2nd coming! That next expansion is the coming of the Holy
Spirit in a new and exciting way. This
was of special comfort to the disciples then but would be an even greater
encouragement after the cross and partially fulfilled at Pentecost!
5.
When leading someone to Christ, the process
ends with the person’s baptism. True or False? [Mt 28:19,20]
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." (Matt 28:18-20)
The all-universal
authority given to Jesus (v.18) now demands a universal mission!! The issues raised first in heaven and then
transferred to the earth are being resolved.
An integral part of this ongoing battle and ultimate victory is the
testimony or witness of God’s people.
The going, the teaching and the baptizing (all participles) underscore
the one verb: make disciples! Disciples of “all nations and peoples of
every language” (Dan. 7:14) are possible because of the universal authority
given to Jesus! Indeed the climax of
both Daniel 7 and Revelation 14 is the worship of Jesus and the supreme
universal God, Saviour and King! It
becomes clear, then, that witness and worship are linked and together speak to
the vindication of God to the charges brought against Him. The witness of His disciples is indeed a voice
that needs to be heard.
6.
Privileges given to disciples protect them
from judgment. [Rom
2:17-29; Isa 58:1-3]True or False?
We must never
assume that because we have been entrusted with a special message from God that
we ourselves are not also judged by the same message we deliver to the world on
His behalf. Note the sobering words of Paul to the Jews:
17 “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if
you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of
what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced
that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in
the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others,
do you not teach yourself ? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22
You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You
who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you
dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As
it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of
you." (Rom.
2:17-24)
Concluding Thoughts
for Reflection
John the Baptist
had preached, he had warned and rebuked.
He counseled those who had become curious and even alarmed to “Look” at
the Lamb of God. (Jn. 1:29). He himself
said, “I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (v. 34). No doubt such teaching had its impact but
when Jesus was asked if He was asked about His activities He simply said, “Come
and you will see.”
There is something
powerful about the way we live, the way we interact with life’s challenges and
the way we related to others, which speak louder than words! Our mission needs living proof that once
Jesus is accepted into one’s life a difference can be seen. Words of teaching, yes! Going into all the world, yes! Baptizing, yes! But our mission is best told, shown and
experienced when we can say, “Come and see!”
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