Places, Things, Traditions Or People

Places, things, traditions or People

Matthew 28:18-20

Since Easter we have been attempting to look through the eyes of God, using scripture to help us to have his vision for each of us and for the church.

Last week we listened to Peter’s description of believers as being a Royal priesthood. The ideas is that as members of His Church on earth we are priest to those that don’t have a relationship with God. We are a people that offer and invitation to the people in this world that don’t know how to approach God and need someone to make the invitation. Some one to sacrifice on behalf of another to help them to gain their own relationship with God.

All the activities we have examined so far don’t actually need a building in order to operate the need a church…..which is simply the people, the believers that gather in worship and service.

So this week we are going to examine what this priesthood is supposed to do. What is our mission based on what scripture defines.

Movie Clip – Apollo 13 - brain storming session

The Flight commander boils down the situation to the key point of the mission – both before the accident and after. --- We are not losing these men….

Our mission is exactly the same. As it depends on us, we are not to lose anyone.

We have a direct mission of not allowing a single man, woman or child to miss out on living in eternity with Christ.

In a way that should be all I have to say to remind everyone in this room to be focused on the mission and to do our jobs the very best we can.

But, unfortunately most of us are not passionate about the mission.

Maybe we feel tired or ill-equipped.

Maybe we are focused on the mission that we have been on for years.

Maybe we are on auto pilot thinking everything is fine.

Maybe we dismiss this mission in our minds because, we think it is the preachers or someone else’s’ job.

In our scripture, I don’t see that followers of Jesus Christ, Children of God, Christians are given a choice. It is an almost unimaginable mission…As we look around we see a world that seems out of control…it seems ready for a crash or an explosion. Just like in the movie.

But the thing is…it is our mission…it is really the only one we have…and as a Christian we have already chosen to accept it when we choose to accept the Gift of our salvation.

When we become a member of the family of God we pick up both benefits and family responsibilities.

Our mission requires every bit of innovation and ingenuity that we all bring to the table. It requires a lot of sacrifice and energy to fulfill.

But, I will assure you that there is no more important mission than connecting God’s purposes, and love and Salvation to the world.

Last week we found that Jesus said that we were to be priest and this week we are to be ambassadors for the Kingdom of God….I believe that is another way to say the same thing. One is based on faith and the other on royal position.

-- You know my mom always hoped I would turn out right. Here I have this job working for God as a priest and for the king as an ambassador….

It has not always been true but, I have made my mother proud of me.

Your mothers can be proud too…. Because of your position in the kingdom of God.

We all have theses important jobs with lots of demands, which require a fair amount of sacrifice on our parts. If we look back over church history, in the Bible and even in information recorded in the history books, we find that Christians for centuries have taken the great commission very seriously.

Many dedicated their lives to fulfilling this mission and took the Good News of Jesus Christ to the far reaches of the world. Folks they were really serious….

How do I know that this instruction from Jesus is that important? Well I am not an English major, but even I can tell that this instruction is not passive. Jesus does not say perhaps, or should or maybe. Our scripture is a direct instruction to the disciples. He uses action verbs…Go! Make! Baptize! Teach!

-- This passage is about putting our faith on the line and being active.

Ok, let me let you off the hook just a little. I know that God has made us all with different talents and gifts and strength and even weaknesses.

Some of us are shy, and others bold…..That is ok, because as I said, God made us the way we are.