The Point of Grace: God’s Mission & My Purpose

Reading of the Word

John 4:27–38 NASB 2020

And at this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What are You seeking?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?” They left the city and were coming to Him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat something.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have come into their labor.”

Prayer of Illumination

Gracious and Loving God, As we come to Your Word, open our hearts and minds by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Remove the distractions of our lives and the worries of our hearts, so that we may focus solely on You. May Your Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Guide us in wisdom and truth, and help us to not only hear Your Word but to live it out in our daily lives.

In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

Introduction

We live in an age of unprecedented biblical illiteracy. Perhaps at no time in history have we had as much access to God’s Word through books and electronic sources. Yet people know less about the Bible’s message and meaning than ever before. Most people, both Christian and non-Christian, see the Bible as a big mysterious book filled with random stories and moral teachings from cultures around the world and across more than fifteen hundred years of time.

Those who read the Bible carefully know that it tells a very simple story of a loving heavenly Father working tirelessly to restore relationship with his lost children. Genesis 1–2 explodes with excitement as Creator God speaks everything into existence with all the hopes and dreams of a loving parent. Those dreams became quickly delayed with the freewill rebellion of his children in Genesis 3. The rest of the Bible, in short, details God’s mission to restore relationship with his lost children.

God has a mission for redeeming the world and restoring his relationship with humanity. All we need to do is see salvation history throughout Scripture, which we will briefly look at today.

God invited Abraham and Sarah to join in his mission.

A. God chose Abraham to be a man of great faith who became the father not only of an earthly nation (Israelites) but also of a spiritual nation (the church) (Gen. 12:1; Heb. 11:8-10).

B. God entered into covenant with Abraham and committed himself to remain faithful to Abraham’s spiritual descendants through all generations (Gen. 12:2-3; 17:1-6).

C. God fulfilled his promise of giving Abraham and Sarah a son (21:5).

D. God tested Abraham’s faith with an unusual demand: offer his son to God in a sacrifice (22:1-2).

E. God provided a substitute sacrifice at the last minute, foreshadowing the day when God the Father gave his Son, Jesus Christ, as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity (vv. 11-13; John 19:16-37).

God invited the prophets to join in his mission.

A. All the prophets of the Old Testament from Isaiah to John the Baptist participated in God’s mission as they gave puzzle pieces to God’s people of faith to give them hope for the coming Messiah.

B. The prophet Isaiah offered amazing details about the Messiah.

1. He will come from the lineage of David (Isa. 11:10).

2. He will be born as a child to a virgin (9:6; 7:14).

3. He will be called Immanuel, “God with us” (7:14).

4. His rule will bring “justice and righteousness” (9:7).

5. He will bring “great light” to the world (v. 2).

6. He will be “mighty to save” (63:1).

C. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a time when the Holy Spirit would not just be with believers but would live within them.

1. God will make “a new covenant” with his people (Jer. 31:31).

2. This new covenant will be different from the Ten Commandments (v. 32).

3. God will put his law in the believers’ minds and “write it on their hearts” (v. 33).

4. He will be the believers’ God, and they will be his people (v. 33).

D. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of an incredible promise.

1. God “will sprinkle clean water” on believers to make them spiritually clean (Ezek. 36:25).

2. God “will give [believers] a new heart and put a new spirit in [them]” (v. 26).

3. God will put his Spirit in believers and work within them to follow his decrees (v. 27).

4. “[We] will be [his] people, and [he] will be [our] God” (v. 28).

E. The prophet Joel saw the day of the Lord coming with incredible blessings.

1. God “will pour out” his Spirit on all believers (Joel 2:28).

2. “Sons and daughters will prophesy” (v. 28).

3. “Old men will dream dreams” (v. 28).

4. “Young men will see visions” (v. 28).

F. God “will pour out” his Spirit on all of his servants (v. 29).

God sent his Son, Jesus, to plainly declare his mission.

A. Jesus told his disciples, “My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work”

1. More than physical provisions for his body, Jesus hungered to do the will of his Father.

Do we hunger to fulfill the will of God? The spiritual must take prescedence over the physical.

2. Jesus was on a mission to complete the assignment of his Father.

What was this mission? Several events define it clearly to us.

Calvary - Christ’s death so that the eternal sacrifice for all humanity could conquer sin once and for all. This removed the barrier to God and man so that we could have a right relationship with God.

His mission was to recover what was lost.

The law provided a righteousness that was outside-in. Jesus wants to change us from the inside-out.

His mission was to offer a renewed opportunity to have an intimate relationship with God.

The Resurrection - This was confirmation that the Father’s sacrifice for sin was accepted and that death would not have the final say.

His mission was to complete God’s redemptive work.

His mission was to make all well again between God and man.

The Ascension - As Christ’s work was finished, he took his rightful place at the throne of God so that the Holy Spirit’s work could begin.

His mission was not to stay with us in flesh but to give us something greater that would allow Christ to live IN us.

His mission was to hand over the mission to us.

In doing this, he made us understand that the mission is greater than us by opening us to recognize our weaknesses.

The disciples were overwhelmed. They were asking the question “what is next.”

Pentecost - Flawed humans and God’s supernatural power unite to give us the ability to complete the mission handed to us by Jesus.

His mission continues as our mission.

God’s plan depends on us! Flawed humans can serve God. What an amazing honor and purpose for life.

We aren’t just spectators. We are mission-bearers for Jesus.

Mission, not just eternity.

We have work to do while on earth. Heaven awaits us but we must stay focused for the task at hand.

“Our salvation is personal; just not private.”

We are couriers of grace.

The promise of his continued presence with us gives us everything we need for the mission.

“His mission is possible because his plans are perfect.”

B. Jesus had already illustrated the mission on which God sent him.

1. He broke every religious and social barrier known to the Jews when he offered the good news about God to a morally questionable Samaritan (part Jewish, part Gentile) woman.

2. Jesus even surprised his disciples with his outrageous witness to this obviously quasi-Gentile woman, of all people.

C. Jesus then compared God’s mission to harvesting a ripe crop.

1. Farmers have the ability to determine the correct time for harvesting grain from their fields.

The harvest time is short. We have to do the work then or not at all.

Harvest-time is a busy time. We have to be at work.

2. Jesus made spiritual application with this imagery by comparing crops of grain to needy souls ready to hear the offer of forgiveness of sins, restored relationship with God, and eternal life.

D. Jesus reminded his disciples that God’s mission includes both those who sow and those who reap.

1. Sowers do the hard work of preparing the soil, planting the seed, weeding, and watering.

2. Those who harvest come at the right time, present the good news of the gospel, and harvest souls for God’s kingdom.

3. People sharing in the mission have different roles but the same goal at hand.

Conclusion

This overview of God’s incredible mission brings us to today. He now invites us to join Abraham, the prophets, and Jesus in helping him with his mission. How do we know what to do?

Our primary function is to follow Jesus.

Our secondary function is to take up the mission of the Great Commission and give ourselves wholeheartedly to that mission.

There are ministry opportunities are all around us. We just need to look.

Jesus illustrated clearly what we are to do with the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14. Several spiritual truths emerge from this story:

• Many Jewish religious leaders rejected God’s invitation to attend his banquet (vv. 3-7).

• God would not cancel the event due to the rejection of many (v. 8).

• God had his servants (here is where we play a role in the story) go out to the street corners and invite anyone and everyone to attend the special celebration (vv. 9-10).

• Our purpose in God’s mission is to invite friends, family members, and everyone in our realm of influence to come to God.

• We do not make ourselves worthy in God’s sight through our own good efforts. Salvation is a free gift from God when we ask forgiveness for sins, exercise faith in Jesus, and accept eternal life (vv. 11-14).

From the day God created humanity until today, he has been on a mission to live in vital, personal relationship with every person. God invites us to participate with him in that mission. Will you join him?

Prayer Following Message

Heavenly Father, We thank You for the gift of grace that You have so freely given to each of us. Through Your grace, You have revealed Your mission to the world and invited us to join in it. As we leave this place, help us to understand our purpose in Your great plan. Open our eyes to see where You are working around us, and give us the courage to step forward in faith, trusting in Your strength and not our own.

May Your grace flow through us, so that we can be instruments of Your love, peace, and hope in a world that so desperately needs You. Lead us to those who are searching, and give us the words to share the good news of Jesus. Let our lives reflect Your mission of redemption and healing in all that we say and do.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen.

Benediction

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit go with you now. As you go forth into the world, may you live out your purpose in God's mission with courage, joy, and compassion. May His grace empower you, His love guide you, and His peace sustain you in all that you do.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. Amen.