Our Mission Statement Series

Just before midnight on April 14th, 1915 – the British Ocean Liner Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in less than 3 hours’ time. To this day, the tragedy of the (supposedly) UNSINKABLE Titanic still captures our imagination. On April 15, the news spread that the “unsinkable” Titanic had hit iceberg and sank, but several newspaper editors did not believe the telegraph reports coming in, so they just made up their own versions of the story.

The Christian Science Monitor’s headline: “Passengers Safe and Steamer Titanic Taken in Tow.”

The London Daily Mail banner read: “Titanic Sunk, No Lives Lost.”

Obviously, that’s wasn’t true. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 passengers died that day, but perhaps the saddest thing was - many of them didn’t have to die. A lot of people climbed into the twenty lifeboats, many of which were only half full. Hundreds of people were in the cold water with life preservers and most of them didn’t die from drowning; they froze to death. The people in the lifeboats heard the cries of those dying people, but they chose not to go back for fear of capsizing. Only one lifeboat returned - after it was too late. Of the 100s who were in the water, only six people were rescued.

Those who were already saved didn’t go back for those who were dying.

Today we’ve read something that is called “The Great Commission” – Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and 1. make disciples of all nations, 2. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of Son & of Holy Spirit, 3. teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mt. 28:18-20

These were among the last instructions He gave His followers before ascending to heaven. Essentially, they were told: GO BACK AND RESCUE THE DYING!

Paul says Jesus gave him a version of Great Commission where Jesus said: “I am sending you to OPEN THEIR EYES, so that they may turn from DARKNESS TO LIGHT and from the power of SATAN TO GOD, that they may RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:17-18

GO BACK Paul… and rescue people from darkness. Rescue them for the power of Satan. Rescue them from their sins so they can find forgiveness from God.

That’s been the mission statement of the church for centuries. We rescue people from Satan, and darkness and from sin. How can we do that? By bringing them to Jesus (make them disciples/followers of Christ); By baptizing them into the name of the Father/Son/Holy Spirit (making them Christians); And teaching them to follow Jesus. THAT IS OUR MISSION!

Now, that said - there’s a problem!

ILLUS: Seven years ago (Oct. 2017) Barna research discovered that over half (51%) of the churchgoers they surveyed said they have NEVER HEARD of the Great Commission; Only 37% of them could pick it out from a list of verses. And only 1 in 6 (17%) said that they had heard of the Great Commission and then could tell you what it was. In other words – a lot of church goers didn’t realize this was important to Jesus, and many churches (seemingly) didn’t make this a priority for their people.

Why was there such ignorance about their mission? Why were they all so unaware of why Jesus died on the cross? Why were they unaware of why we (as the church) exist?

Well, one reason is - the Great Commission doesn’t fit a lot of people's theology. Let me repeat the theology of the great Commission: Our job is to open the eyes of a lost world, so that they might turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and so they can be forgiven of their sins. THAT’S WHY JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS! THAT’S WHY WE EXIST AS A CHURCH!

Do you remember what I told you earlier about the initial response of some of the newspaper editors to the sinking of the Titanic? THEY COULDN’T BELIEVE IT! They had the information right before them - the telegraph reports told them exactly what had happened - but they could not believe such tragic news. The Titanic was unsinkable - everybody knew that.

As a result, some of them created their own stories. They said that the Titanic was towed into port and no lives were lost! (Pause) BUT THAT WASN’T TRUE! The unsinkable Titanic… sank! And 100s of people lost their lives. And the editors could not change those facts by changing their headlines.

But that’s why many churches/ Christians don’t understand importance of Commission. The Great Commission doesn’t fit with what many churches think. What do they think? They think that it’s impossible that anybody (that they like) would go to hell!