The Aim, Basis And Task Of Christian Mission

? Christianity started in Palestine as a Relation

? In Greece it was identified as Philosophy

? In Rome it turned out to be an Institution

? While spreading to Europe, it became a Culture

? In America Christianity became Commercial

? Among two third world countries, it became a Project

? In traditional Churches,it has become Programs

? In many of the modern spiritual meetings christianity has become a Performance

? What started as a Relationship has now become a mere Performance.

? Thus the need of the hour evidently demands a restoration

? We live in an exciting time. We also live in dangerous time.

I would like to share a joke that I recently read in Readers Dgest.

The UN conducted a world wide sury. The only questions asked was, “would you please give your honest opinion about the solution to the food shortage in the rest of the world”

Survey was a huge failure:-

In Africa- they didn’t know what Food meant

In India- they didn’t kow what Honest meant

In Europe- they didn’t know what Shortage meant

In China- they didn’t know what Opinion meant

In Middle East- they didn’t know what Solution meant

In United States- they didn’t know what the Rest of the World meant

Human beings are playing with the foundations of the world.

In Physcial word:- they are palying with the basic unit namely Atoms

In Biological World:- they are playing with the basic unit, namely Genes

In India , we live in a decesive moment in history when the christian faith is facing onslaughts from all fronts.

Recently the Anti conversion bill was passed in Legisative assembly in Karnataka. It is times like these when we need to be sagacious and pragmatic in our profession and propogation of our faith.

I have titled my refletion as The Aim, Basis, And Task of Christian Mission

? Johns gospel is philosophical, polemic, practical and profound book

? It is one of the most loved gospels by Indian Christian theologians like Sadhu Sundhar Singh, Appasawmy, Bramanadha Upadhyay

? The main themes of John are Love, Light and Life, which was politically insecure and socially ostracized just as christian minorities are in many parts of India.

John chapter 20 is ressurection passage and describes Christophany to Mary magdalene and to the disciples.

We see in this chapter how the ressurection of Christ has the power to affect our lives

Number one:-

I. it Surprises our limited view of reality

II. it Comforts our disappointed hopes

III. it Transforms us into missionaries

IV. it Replaces unbelief with faith

This morning we will briefly look into the topic of restoration

What is Mission?

? Mission is the specific task or purpose which a person or group seeks to accomplish

? The great commission refelcts the essence of Christian mission. It is the act and fact of being sent.

Johannine vesion of great commission is the text we are going to ponder.

Lets turn our attention to V21 then jesus said to them again:- “peace to you as the father has sent me, I also send you”

Inorder to expose the text, I would like to divide it into three points

I. Aim of Mission

II. Basis of Mission

III. Task of Mission

I. AIM OF MISSION -PEACE

? The ultimate aim of Christian Mission is “Shalom” which menas “Peace”.

? It refers to Completeness. Soundness, or well being

? The peace which humankind lost as the result of “fall” became the core of the Messianic Hope of Old Testament saints

? New testament presents Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of this Hope

? Peace is not simply the absence of conflict. Peace is the presence of justice for all

? In the power of the Holy spirit , we are all sent into the violent world to be peacemakers

? The disciples had locked themselves inside a room and Christ comes and tells them: “I send you”

? We have only two options:- either to be locked in or to be send out, either to flee from realities or to engage with the world

Peace is not possible without struggls.

To use a medical illustration, there is a constant struggle in our body between life giving white cells and death bringing virus.

? Medical experts say that all normal human beings are exposed to the attack of cancer 15 times in their life but our life-giving cells resist, fight and prevail over cancer germs, thus saving us from death bringing desease.

? Death is the moment when this struggle within our body is over when the life giving cells lose their power for struggle and give up.

? Just as virus and Bacteria work against life in a human body, there are evils in society against life in the socielty.