Introduction
In John’s Gospel the seventeenth chapter verse eighteen, Jesus says this:
John 17:18 (NKJV)
18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Jesus says that the Father sent Him into this world. That word “sent” did not mean go on down to earth and check out the places You would like to see; it did not mean go down to earth and do some of things that You might enjoy doing down there.
The word “sent” implied more the idea that Jesus was a man on a mission that must be accomplished. He came from heaven to earth for a specific purpose. And we know, if we are students of the Bible, that mission was to die for our sins and through His resurrection to open the door for us to gain entrance into heaven to spend eternity with Him and the Father forever.
But that is only half of the verse. The other half is about us. Jesus says that He has sent us into the world. If God sent Jesus into the world implied a mission to be accomplished then Jesus sending us into the world implies that we have a mission to be accomplished.
So, what is that mission? You and I know from the beginning God desired Adam and Eve and all the mankind that followed to have a relationship with Him but with the fall in the Garden of Eden that relationship was broken but God through Jesus’ mission made a way to renew that relationship.
And so, Jesus gave us a mission to bring people to Him. For that reason, the Apostle Peter calls us a holy priesthood. What was the job of the priest in the Old Testament if it was not to bring people closer to Jesus. The Apostle Paul calls us ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is someone who provides a link between one country and another. As citizens of heaven, we provide a link to those who live on earth that don’t know Jesus and know little about our country.
Our mission is to bring a lost world to a Savior that loves them. And all those things that we do to lead a person to Christ is our mission activity.
The reality is all Christians don’t do what Jesus sent us into the world to with the same level of effort. Some Christians are more successful in doing the mission than others. And why is that the case. This is what we are going to look at today.
Point #1
Those who are successful doing what Jesus sent us to do are not blind or deaf to the needs of the people around us.
Daniel Gokey ( he is a Christian singer that you hear often on Sirius radio the Message) sings a song “We all need Jesus”. I want you to listen to some of the words.
Everybody needs a Savior
Even the ones who think they don't
We've got stuff we hide, deep down inside
There's so much that we don't show
Yeah, it's just a wounded world we live in
It's really not the way it's supposed to be
Isn't that the beauty of redemption?
It changes everything
We're all broken people, don't we all need Jesus? Yeah
Every moment of our lives, twenty-four, three-six-five
Our human is equal, don't we all have our weakness? Hey
Everybody makes mistakes,
everybody needs that grace
We all need Jesus
Don't we all need Jesus?
There are family members in your own family that are lost and need Jesus? Do you see it?
There are people who you work side by side with who are lost and need Jesus? Do you see it?
There are friends who you are close with who are lost and need Jesus? Do you see it?
There are neighbors next to you or down the road who are lost and need Jesus. Do you see it?
Jesus says it this way:
John 4:35 (NKJV)
35 ... Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
Those are who successful doing mission don’t see them just as a family member, a co-worker, a friend, or a neighbor, they see them as a person needing Jesus.
Let me tell you as plainly as possible: if you don’t see them as needing Jesus, you will never successfully do the mission that Jesus sent us to do.
Point #2
Those who are successful doing what Jesus sent us to do not only see the need but they are moved out of compassion to do something about it.
Listen to the words of this psalm written by King Solomon about how the Savior to come would be moved out of compassion.
Psalm 72:12–14 (NKJV)
12 For He will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
What King Solomon is saying is that the Messiah to come will not only see the needs of the people, but that He will also be moved out of compassion to do something about it.
And we know that is exactly what happened when Jesus came to earth. We saw Jesus had compassion on the ruler whose daughter was sick unto death, he had compassion on those who were blind, one time he had compassion on a multitude and feed them with a few fish and some loaves.
It is one thing to see that a person is lost; it is another thing to do something about it.
I know all the excuses, I probably used them myself.
It is too hard to tell a family member about Jesus.
I am in a hurry, I don’t have time to share Jesus.
I am not good at that, let someone else do it.
If I tell them then they might get mad at me for getting so personal.
We have to see the need; we have to be moved out of compassion to meet that need. But that is not all.
Point #3
Those who are successful doing what Jesus sent us to do not only see the need but are moved out of compassion to do something about it, and then believe by faith that the Father will draw that person to Jesus.
John 6:44 (NKJV)
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is not my job as Pastor to save anyone because I cannot save anyone. I got to see a need: I got to be moved with compassion to tell that person about Jesus; but it is God who draws that person to Jesus. If you are saved today, it is because the Father drew you to Jesus and you accepted.
My mission is to see the need, be moved to tell and by faith to believe that God will do the rest.
For both Anne and myself, it was Eddie and Linda Howarth that saw the need for our salvation; they were moved with compassion to do something about it. They knocked on the door of our home inviting us to church with them more times than I would like to count, they answered our questions about God, but on April 15, 1976, it was God the Father that drew Anne and I to Him.
In a few minutes we will have an invitation. And an invitation is all about the Father drawing you to the Son. He may be drawing you to His Son in salvation; He may be drawing you closer to His Son by letting go a sin that is pushing you away from Him. No matter what it is the Father is saying to you-it is about drawing you closer to the Son.
Conclusion
To live big in your Christian life, you must remember that you are sent into this world on a mission. Our mission is to see that everyone needs Jesus; then to be moved with compassion to introduce that person to Christ, and then by faith to believe that the Father will draw them to Jesus.
Now that is living big! Do you live big?
