Notes - 15th October 06 |
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| Made for a mission - The Purpose Driven Life #36 | |||||||||
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Bible passages: We come to the last great purpose for life as a Christian: You were made for a Mission. That mission is to reach a world filled with people who do not know or believe the good news of God's salvation, supremely revealed to us in Jesus Christ. The English word 'mission' comes from the Latin word for 'sending'. All Christians are sent into the world to relate God's message to all people, in word and action. In this study, we consider the general mission we share with every other Christian. Later, we shall look at the specific mission we have as individuals that is unique to us. What is your mission? *Your mission is to continue Jesus' mission on earth.
Jesus calls us not only to COME to Him, but also to GO for Him. This mission is considered
so important by the Lord, that it is repeated 5x, in different books of the Bible and in
different ways. Looking at these passages gives us the who, what, where, when and how
of mission.
At it's simplest, the mission is to introduce people to God - but that also involves sharing how God wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to himself, so as we can fulfill the 5 purposes he created us for: to love him, to be a part of his family, to become like him, to serve him and tell others about him. What is your immediate response to these verses which form a call to mission for each one of us? How does it exclude the 'Here I am, send him, her, them' response? *Your mission is a wonderful privilege (Read Mark 16:9-20) Notice how the message of the risen Jesus spread in ever widening circles. How far does your circle of influence for Jesus extend? As well as being a big responsibility, its also a great honour to be used by God. Do you agree with that statement? Generally we don't like being used by other people, what would you say the difference is when it's God who uses us for mission? God doesn't use us as mere tools in his service, He calls us to work with Him in mission. 'We are workers together with God' (2 Corinthians). Also, how wonderful it is to be involved in the greatest thing it is possible to do for others. We have the means to bring people the way to forgiveness, purpose, peace and eternal life - sharing this message is the greatest kindness we can show to anyone. Do you remember how hopeless it felt to be without Christ? *Your mission has eternal significance (Read Luke 4:14-28) How often do you think that the words you hear from the Bible on a Sunday have eternal significance for your life? Jesus spoke of freedom, liberation, release from Isaiah. How relevant are these words to you? What do you think the reaction was when Jesus said v21? Why did their response change by the end of v28? There is nothing more important than people coming to a saving relationship with God, but what does it require for people to enter into that relationship? *Your mission gives your life meaning 'The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.' (William James). That's why using it to bless others and the next generation with the message of the gospel is so worthwhile, for ultimately, only the kingdom of God is going to last. We want everyone to be included in the kingdom of God. Warren says,'There are people on this planet whom only you will be able to reach because of where you live and what God has made you to be. If just one person will be in heaven because of you, your life will have made a difference for eternity.' Do you look at your personal mission field and ask, 'Who has God put in my life for me to tell them about Jesus?' *God's timetable for history's conclusion is connected to the completion of our mission This is awesome, but read Matthew 24:14, which plainly states that Jesus will not return until everyone God wants to hear the good news has heard it. Our sharing of the mission is that strategic! If you want Jesus to come back sooner, focus on fulfilling your mission. What it costs to fulfill your mission: Basically, it costs everything. We must abandon our agenda for our lives (our rights, dreams, plans, ambitions) and accept God's agenda. You hand God a blank sheet with your name signed at the bottom and tell him to fill in the details. How prepared are you to do that right now, deep in your heart?
Point to ponder:
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