Who Will Go? Series

WHO WILL GO?

A famous preacher visited a Nursing home that had some patients with Alzheimer's in it. He went around and greeted the people who were very glad to see him. He walked up to one lady and asked, "Do you know who I am?" She said, "No Dear, but if you go to the Front Desk, they can tell you."

Let me ask you a question today, do you know who you are? What I mean by that is, do you understand who you are in Christ? Today we are continuing in our series Made for Mission. We have asked the questions “why do we go” and “where do we go.” Today I want to ask another basic question, ‘Who will go?’ What are the qualities of the people that Jesus wants to send?

Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Before we discuss this passage let me speak to those of you who are brand new to this whole Church and Jesus thing. As you’re trying to figure this out I think it’s important to understand that Jesus is inviting us into a Chicken Pot Pie relationship not TV Dinner one. You know in a TV dinner the food comes it their own compartments. So you could devour the steak but completely avoid the broccoli because it’s from the devil. In the same way we can easily break our lives into their own distinct compartments. You’ve got one titled family, one titled work, one titled friends one for spiritual beliefs.

In this image you could have strong spiritual beliefs that come out on Sundays but they really don’t mix naturally with the other parts of your life. The problem is that Jesus is not just interested in your spiritual life, He is interested in your life. With Chicken Pot Pie all of the food is fixed in so there is no picking and choosing. The broccoli, chicken and carrots are all in every bite whether you like it or not. The same is true with our walk with God. He wants our relationship with Him to touch every part of our lives and for us to get rid of the compartments.

When Joshua and I went to Lebanon we went threw Istanbul airport and I ate at Carl’s Jr, a burger place. They had a catchy slogan, “If it doesn’t get all over the place, it doesn’t belong in your face.” The same could be said for us and our relationships with God. “If it doesn’t get all over the place, it doesn’t belong in your faith.”

John 13:1-4 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

If you are going to go and do what Jesus did, you have to know the same three things about yourself that Jesus knew.

1. Jesus knew WHERE He was – it was time

Notice again what the first few verses that we just read say;

John 13:1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.

Notice what it says. It describes WHEN it was - just before the Passover Feast. It describes WHAT is happening - the meal is being served and Judas had gone out to betray Him. Understanding all these things, Jesus knew that it was time to act. Jesus understood the time.

1 Chr 12: 23 These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, as the LORD had said: … 32 men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do