Mission Impossible

Movies that depict people on a mission are often exciting to watch. From superhero movies to spy and quest films, these genres share a common theme of characters embarking on an important mission. For example, one of the films could involve rescuing a soldier from behind enemy lines, with other soldiers sacrificing themselves to save their comrade. I found the Mission Impossible series particularly thrilling, especially watching Ethan Hunt complete his missions.

As believers, we have a mission that cannot be accomplished alone and extends beyond ourselves. When we hear the word "mission," we may think of a missionary preaching overseas, but all believers are on a mission. Christ's resurrection has given us an extraordinary challenge: to spread the Gospel to the entire world. These words, "Go and make disciples of all nations," were difficult for Jewish disciples who held onto prejudices against Gentiles.

The Great Commission is a result of Christ's resurrection victory. As believers, we are accompanied by the risen Christ as we go into the world. He has been granted authority both in heaven and on earth, and He instructed His disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. He also urged them to teach them to obey all of His commands. Christ promised to be with them always until the end of the age. The church's mission continues from the resurrection's work, and the Great Commission encompasses more than evangelism. It involves discipleship, spiritual growth, and an awareness of God's kingdom and purpose in the world.

As followers of Jesus, we have a command to make disciples wherever we go, whether it's in our neighborhood or in a foreign country. This is not a choice, but a duty for all who acknowledge Jesus as their Lord. Although we may not all be official evangelists, we have all been given gifts that we can use to help carry out the great commission. By following this command, we can trust that Jesus will always be with us.

Friends, we live in a time when the world has more winnable people than ever, but it is possible to come out of a ripe field empty-handed. I can remember, as a child going strawberry picking at a farm near my home with my aunt. I left that field empty-handed but with a belly full of strawberries a few times. And so, I want you to understand how vital it is for us to go and share the good news with the lost. Now is the perfect opportunity to tell your loved ones about Jesus before it is too late. The Gospel is only good news IF it arrives in time.

Because Jesus’ future reign has begun in the lives of his followers, his people should exemplify his reign on earth as it is in heaven, as people of the kingdom, people of the future era. Because Jesus has all authority because he is King in the kingdom of God, we as disciples must carry on the mission of teaching the kingdom of God. If we refuse to serve the King faithfully, we are disloyal subjects, fit only to be banished from the kingdom. We must make Jesus the King of our life and worship him as our Savior, King, and Lord.

The Holy Spirit plays an important role in guiding, empowering, inspiring, illuminating, revealing, and sanctifying Christ's church. We, as Christians, are considered to be people of the Spirit of God due to the significance of Easter morning. According to N. T. Wright, being an "Easter people" means that we are equipped to face the trials and difficulties of the real world, as Easter addresses the harsh realities of a broken world.

“Easter is about real life, not escapist fantasy. Easter is about God’s judgment, calling the world to account, setting up his new, glorious creation of freedom and peace, and summoning all people everywhere to live in this new world. Easter is about God’s rich welcome to all humankind. We Easter people are called to celebrate all that in practical ways as well as in glad and uninhibited worship.”

The church's mission, the resurrection of Jesus, and the kingdom of God are not distinct but rather interconnected. They derive from one another. It is imperative to include preaching about the kingdom of God when sharing the Gospel during this stage in the lives of God's disciples.

The kingdom of God is the Bible’s principal theme and is the focus of Jesus’ ministry. In the Old Testament, God assembled a people who lived under his rule and promised to establish David’s kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:16). Throughout Scripture, God progressively reveals to humankind the nature and reality of His kingdom.

In the gospels of the New Testament, the kingdom of God was the dominant focus of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus taught that the kingdom of God had come in and through Him. Jesus’ first public proclamation was “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near” (Matt. 4.19). Throughout His public ministry, Jesus demonstrates how He is the Messiah, the “anointed ruler” who was to come and rescue His people and to sit on David’s throne forever.

At the cross, King Jesus atoned for the sins of His people. Through His resurrection, Jesus demonstrated His power over death and the beauty and wonder of life alive before God. The remainder of the New Testament reveals how the church exists as a present-day sign of the kingdom and how God’s kingdom will be completely established at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The scope of God’s mission becomes explicitly for all nations. The entire world of Genesis 1–11 is the target of the Gospel. In the Old Testament, Israel’s mission was to be and live as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. With few exceptions, the nations had to come to Israel to learn about God. Now there is a grand reversal. Jesus’ disciples ‘Go and disciple’ (Matt. 28:18–20) by engaging all peoples with the Gospel.”

Our mission is to glorify God by making Christlike disciples who make Christlike disciples. And if we aren’t making disciples who make disciples, we’re only talking to ourselves. We’d be like doctors who only see patients who are well. Jesus came to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Those repentant sinners go and make disciples of others who repent and believe the Gospel. As those repentant sinners become disciples, they make other disciples. In other words, it’s a process of multiplication, where disciples make disciples, who make more disciples. Each of us is a product of that process.

If you came to faith but aren’t making other disciples, you’re short-circuiting the process. You’re not functioning as a true disciple unless you’re seeking to make other disciples who will make still other disciples.

Again our mission, although it may seem impossible in the times that we live in, is to glorify God by making Christlike disciples who make Christlike disciples by preaching the kingdom of God.