Jesus Mission Our Mission

TEXT: Luke 9:51; 15:1, 2

“As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51, NLT).

"Now when the time drew near for Him to be received up again into Heaven, He proceeded with fixed purpose towards, Jerusalem, and sent mennengers before Him" (NT in Modern Speech - Weymouth).

“…a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. 2 The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." 3 Their grumbling triggered this story” (Luke 15:1b-3, MSG).

"Now the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners were everywhere in the habit of coming close to Him to listen to Him; and this led the Pharisees and the Scribes indignantly to complain, saying, 'He gives a welcome to notorious sinners, and joins them at their meals!" {NT in Modern Speech - Weymouth}

The two words that defined Jesus’ life

1. Missional (on a mission – God’s mission)

2. Incarnational (God in the flesh)

John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

We are called to live our life like this today. We are called to be a picture of Christ.

The heart of the gospel is that God became a man in order to rescue and redeem His creation. Among the religions of the world, only Christianity makes the incredible claim of God seeking the fallen race, rather than humanity looking for God. Instead of the hungry seeking for the Bread of Life, the Bread of Life came searching for the hungry, John 6:33 – “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

The essence of the gospel is that the Son of God became the Son of Man, so those who were sons of men could become sons of God (1 John 3:2). He became poor so people through His poverty might be rich, 2 Corinthians 8:9 – “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

These two words should define our lives.

What does it mean to be a missional, incarnational follower of Christ?

1. Is clear about the mission

John 5:30 – “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.”

Matthew 28:19-20 – “19Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 4:34 – Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Over 150,000 people die every day. That translates into:

• 1.78 deaths per second

• 107 deaths per minute

• 6,390 deaths per hour

• 153,000 deaths per day

• 56.0 million deaths per year

• 3.9 billion deaths per average lifetime (70 years)

The church needs to be missional.

As believers we are to be on a mission from God in our respective communities. We are called upon to be a visible representation of who Jesus is. To do this may require a new vision, new ways of thinking, and new patterns of behavior (Matthew 9:16, 17).

We are called to be missionaries where we live, the place where God has planted us. It is not by accident that you work where you work; it is not by accident you live where you live; it is not an accident your children go to the school they go to. God has strategically placed you there to be His missionary.

Since we are in Christ, we have a missionary identity. We are adopted into a missionary family. We serve a missionary God. Mission becomes part of our identity, because our Father is a missionary God and we resemble Him as a child of God. So the church is a missionary church, with missionary people, that do missionary things. It is who we are, and it is also what we do. Mission is not something we tack on to the list of options as a Christian. To be Christian is to be on mission. It's who we are, and it is what we do.