Text: Hebrews 3:1-4
Subject: Mission
Theme: Modelling after Jesus
Propositional Truth (P.T.): We can accomplish the mission God gives to the church.
Transitional Sentence (T.S.): We can accomplish the mission God gives to the church by following Jesus’ examples.
MAIN POINTS:
I. Jesus was committed to the mission.
II. Jesus concentrated on the mission.
III. Jesus completed the mission
Let me begin by sharing with you a letter that was written by a young communist to his girl friend. He was breaking off his relationship with her
because of his devotion to the communist cause. She gave the letter to her pastor, who gave the letter to Billy Graham. Billy Graham published the
letter. Here it is:
“We communists have a high casualty rate. We are the ones who get shot and hung and ridiculed and fired from our jobs and in every other way made as
uncomfortable as possible. A certain percentage of us get killed or imprisoned. We live in virtual poverty. We turn back to the party every penny we
make above what is absolutely necessary to keep us alive.
We communists do not have the time or the money for many movies or concerts or T-bone steaks or decent homes or new cars. We’ve been described as
fanatics. We are fanatics. Our lives are dominated by our great, overshadowing factor: the struggle for world communism. We have a philosophy of
life, which no amount of money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definite purpose in life. We subordinate our petty personal selves into a
great movement of humanity; and if our personal lives seem hard or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the party, then we are
adequately compensated by the thought that each of us, in his small way, is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind.
There is one thing in which I am dead earnest about, and that is the communist cause. It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my
sweetheart, my wife, my mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens, as
time goes on; therefore, I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to this force which both drives
and guides my life. I evaluate people, looks, ideas, and actions according to how they affect the communist cause, and by their attitude toward it.
I’ve already been in jail because of my ideals, and if necessary, I’m ready to go before a firing squad.”
This communist man was sold out for the communist cause. He was willing to give up his fiancée and even his life for communism. Jesus said something
similar to this effect. Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and
sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” Jesus demands 100% devotion from His disciples, nothing less. Jesus doesn’t demand
from us what He himself couldn’t do.
Let’s read today’s text.
Hebrews 3:1-2
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2.He was faithful to Him
who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.
Today’s text tells us to consider Jesus, the Apostle. The word Apostle in Greek ‘apostolos’ means one who was sent for a specific purpose. Jesus is
called the Apostle because He was sent for a specific mission. He told His disciples in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and
to accomplish His work.”
Jesus was a man consumed with a mission. Mission was His food.
In the Greek text the word ‘sent’ is the Greek word ‘apostello’ which means send forth on a certain mission.
‘apostello’
- Jesus was a man sent with a mission. I think it is correct to say that as Christians, we have a mission too.
What can we learn from Jesus, the Man with a Mission? I propose that we can accomplish the mission God has given to the church and to each of us by
learning from Jesus’ examples.
Let us pray...
The first thing we learnt from the gospel is that Jesus was highly committed to the mission.
1. JESUS WAS COMMITTED TO THE MISSION
1A. SENT BY THE FATHER – appointed, Heb 3:2
“He was faithful to Him who appointed Him” Heb 3:2a
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:38
Jesus was faithful to the One was appointed Him. He came to do the will of God who sent Him. He was highly motivated because the One who sent Him
was God the Father.
Students who are teacher’s pets are highly motivated to help their teacher carry books and clean the whiteboard. Your boy friend or your girl friend
would also be happy to run errand for you. I believe you would be highly motivated to obey the one who loves you dearly. Jesus the Son is committed
to the Father because the Father is the One whom He loves.
Because God sent the Son, He also gave Him His authority.
1B. AUTHORITY FROM THE SENDER
“No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it
up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
John 10:18
If I were to ask my daughter, Victoria, to tell Joshua to buy a copy of the newspaper on his way back from work. Do you think he will buy or not?
He will – because the word of Victoria also carries my authority. This is because, Victoria would use my name.
Because God sent Jesus, God also gave Him the authority over everything. He has the power to heal the sick, calm the stormy sea, cast out demon, and
forgive sin.
So when we pray in the name of Jesus, it is not a formula, it is using the authority given to us by Jesus. Formula has no power. But if we are sent
by God we are also given His authority. His authority is given to us to accomplish His will. When Jesus sent out his disciples to proclaim the
Gospel He gave them power over sicknesses and demons.
1C. HE EMPTIED HIMSELF, Phil 2:6-8
“And Jesus said to him, ‘The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’” Luke
9:58
The next thing we learnt from Jesus was that He emptied Himself. We know Jesus was fully committed to the mission when He left His throne to be born
on Christmas. It is not like Michael Foo or Lay Hua leaving Singapore to work in another country although some adjustments are needed. It is more
like the Moravian missionaries bringing the gospel to the slave community. They sold themselves to become slaves so that they could live among the
slave community. They lost their freeman status and became slaves in order to reach the slave. Jesus emptied Himself so that He could accomplish
God’s mission. God became man. What would we sacrifice in order to fulfil the mission God gives us? Whatever, the mission takes.
1D. HE MADE TIME
We know Jesus was fully committed to the mission when He made time to fulfil His mission. Slide [8.2] He was about His Father business when He was
twelve. His public ministry began at the prime age of thirty years old. He made time to minister to the public and to His disciples. And He made
time to be in touch with His Father. Time was for Him to fulfil God’s mission.
Other than money, time is never enough in Singapore. When it comes to serving God, students may put off commitment until they have finished their
study. When they have finished their study, they are busy looking for a job and looking after their career. Then they put off commitment because
they are busy with marriage arrangement, then the house. Young couples put off commitment because they have other commitment, house mortgage, car,
bill and the baby is coming. Then they put of serving because baby is still young, need a lot of attention and the workplace is demanding their
time. Then they decided to serve people when their children are older and when they retire. Guess what, the grandchildren are keeping them from
serving. Besides, when you’re at your retirement age, the energy level has dropped. There is no good time to serve God or be committed to the
mission God has called us. The best time to serve God is now. Jesus was committed to the mission at all time. We have to make time.
2. JESUS CONCENTRATED ON THE MISSION
The next point we learnt by considering Jesus is that He concentrated on the Mission.
2A. HE FOCUSED ON THE MISSION
Jesus was focus on the mission. What can we learn from Jesus on focusing on the mission?
• Not distracted
He was not distracted even when he tempted by the Devil.
He was not distracted by seemingly good works. Luke 4:43 tells us that Jesus was not distracted even when a crowd came to ask Him to go and heal the
city waiting for Him at Peter’s house.
- By bad things
Distraction can come from both the good and bad things. Some of the bad things Slide [10.3]that distract us from the mission are the love of money,
the love of the world, and laziness.
- By good things
The praise of man can also be a distraction. Because of the praise of man, I can be bounded to serve them. Good things distract us from the God
things just as good is the enemy of best. Some hobbies take us away from God. Even ministering to people may rob us from doing what God wanted us to
do.
How can we prevent ourselves from distraction?
2B. HE SET CLEAR PRIORITY
If we are clear with clear priority we would not be easily distracted. Prioritising helps us to stay focus.
2C. HE FIXED HIS EYE ON THE SENDER (Lk 4:42)
Another way to prevent ourselves from distraction is to fix our eye on the One who sent us. He has regular contacts with the Father. He often left
the noise and the crowd to spend time with the Father. By staying close to the Father, Jesus stayed close to His mission. So, in fulfilling our
mission we can’t afford to miss our timeout with God.
3. JESUS COMPLETED THE MISSION
The third point we learn from Jesus is that He completed the Mission. How did He complete the mission? Jesus completed the mission by persevering to
the end.
3A. HE PERSEVERED TO THE END
28. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty."
30. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
John 19:28,30
The end of Jesus’ mission wasn’t easy. He suffered and died on a cross but He persevered to the end.
The Hebrews writer gives us some tips on completing the mission. Mission is described as a race here in Hebrews chapter 12. The first thing we must
do persevered to the end is to let go of the useless weight. One of the useless weights is our past. Paul tells us to forget the past and press
forward toward the prize, especially the bad experiences. Bad experience can cause us to be bitter or better. When we have bitterness and
unforgiving spirit, we are weighed down and we will not be able to complete our mission. We can’t move forward because we keep remembering the pain.
Let go of it. This is useless weight. Forgive and celebrate your liberty and move on to complete your mission.
3B. HE RAN WITH ENDURANCE
“let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us”
Heb 12:1b
The second thing we must do to persevere to the end is to run with endurance. The race is a long distance race, a marathon if you like. We need to
be mentally, physically and spiritually prepared. There is no short-cut to achieve the mission. There will be discouragement, especially from those
closest to you. What do you do? Endure and continue toward the end. Luke 21:19 Jesus says, “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” When you
endure you will bear the fruit of the Spirit.
3B. HeE SAW THE PRIZE (Heb 12:2)
"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Heb 12:2
The final point we learn about Jesus completing the mission is that He saw the prize. He saw the outcome if He were to complete the mission. He saw
us, His redeemed, washed by His blood. For our sake Jesus wanted to complete the mission, despite the pain and shame.
We too will receive a prize when we complete the race, when we complete the mission God has for us.
Jesus is our prize possession at the end of the race. In running the race, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to look to Jesus because He is the
author and perfecter of our faith.
"Hours behind the runner in front of him, the last marathoner finally entered the Olympic stadium. By that time, the drama of the day’s events was
almost over and most of the spectators had gone home. This athlete’s story, however, was still being played out.
Limping into the arena, the Tanzanian runner grimaced with every step, his knee bleeding and bandaged from an earlier fall. His ragged appearance
immediately caught the attention of the remaining crowd, who cheered him on to the finish line.
Why did he stay in the race? What made him endure his injuries to the end? When asked these questions later, he replied, "My country did not send
me 7,000 miles away to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it.’"
In fulfilling the mission God has for us, it is not how well we start it is how well we end. It is in completing the race that we have a prize.
What have we learnt from considering Jesus, the Apostle?
Jesus – Man with a Mission
1. Committed to the Mission
2. Concentrated on the Mission
3. Completed the Mission
The church has a mission. Jesus sent us on a mission. Can we be like Jesus – a church with a mission?
Jesus Commissioned His Disciples - GO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19."Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20. teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.“
Matthew 28:18-20
In the Great Commission, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations”. With the commission He also gave us His authority and He promised to be
with us always.
SOULS IN OUR GENERATION
“The evangelistic harvest is always urgent. The destiny of men and of nations is always being decided. Every generation is strategic. We are
not responsible for the past generation, and we cannot bear the full responsibility for the next one; but we do have our generation. God will hold
us responsible as to how well we fulfill our responsibilities to this age.”
Billy Graham
The responsibility of this generation is ours. Let us be like Jesus, Man with a Mission.
