The Nature of Mission

Matthew 28:16-20

Defining Mission

What do you normally think of when you hear the word “mission?”

Men and women serving overseas, in hostile and unfriendly lands, to bring the good news to those who have never heard it. That is a part of it, but if that’s all we think of, we miss out on so much.

We call work trips “mission” regardless of whether or not we actually share the gospel. It is a mission or community service?

Mission is not a place, “I’m going to the mission…” though it may describe the work that happens in that place.

“Mission is something missionaries do, but I’m not a missionary…”

The Church doesn’t have a mission, the mission of God has a church.

What is our Mission? A brief study of Matt 28:16-20.

A post resurrection gathering of disciples in worship.

Matthew has a very short account of the resurrection, unlike Luke and John.

“Some doubted” An unusual word for doubt -

Another word for Doubt - wavering in judgment, in opposition to faith

This word suggests hesitancy. They were hesitant because they had not yet met with the risen Christ

But when they saw him, they worshiped

They fell down before him - doubts were gone

Jesus came near and gave them his instructions

Jesus’s Commission:

Make Disciples

This is the only imperative verb, the only command

Make disciples means reaching the lost. Preaching, sharing faith, showing Christ’s love, all so those who do not know him accept him.

Make disciples means equipping the saints, helping those who believe to grow in faith, to reach maturity, to weather the storms.

Go, Baptize, Teach - These are all participles - verbs made into adjectives that are mean to describe us.

Going:

Out into the world, to all nations, all people.

Going out among the lost. Wherever you go you are surrounded by those who need to know Jesus, even in the church.

We want them to come into the church, but we are called to go to them, to meet them where they are.

Baptize:

Baptism is a sign of inclusion into Christ and his covenant promises. Baptism signifies our identifying with Him, because He was baptized to identify with us.

When Jesus calls us to baptize the nations, he isn’t saying every member starts baptizing everyone else, but that we work to bring others into the fellowship of the Church, the community of faith.

Teaching:

Calling the world into active, loving obedience to the Lord.

Peter Errington (Beyond), “Healthy disciples are those who love and obey Jesus.”

We want what is best for one another, we long to see righteousness and reconciliation, we pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, so we call disciples to follow Jesus.

Our Mission is to make disciples of all nations.

The Nature of Christian Mission

Mission is the Church’s DNA.

The Church exists to join Jesus in God’s mission in the power of the Spirit.

Creation narrative in Gen 1: We were created in the image of God, told to bear fruit and multiply, to have dominion over the earth. The exercise of dominion, reflecting authority and righteousness as stewards of God’s creation, we were made to share in God’s care of the world.

Abram’s blessing in Gen 12, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Those who belong to Abraham by faith are meant to extend the blessing of knowing and belonging to God with the rest of the world.

Israel was called to be a light to the nations (Isa 49:6), so that through one nation God’s salvation would reach to the ends of the earth.

Jesus came on mission - Jesus identifies Himself as being sent more than forty times in the gospel of John.

In Luke He says he came to seek and to save the lost

Paul says He came to prove the love of God for us.

Peter says He came make “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light.

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).

Mission is the work of every Disciple

He called the 11 to himself so that he could send them out.

Disciples were sent out to make disciples

Read through Acts, Paul and Barnabas in their missionary work, were going out to make disciples.

Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-8)

Jesus teaches that the seed is the word of God, the soil represents the hearts and minds of those who hear the word.

But what is very interesting, the seed in good soil, in a heart and mind that are open to God’s Word and “hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart…” they will bear great fruit.

Fruit, from the flower, produces more seed, which goes on to make more growth.

DeYoung and Gilbert - What is the Mission of the Church?Ultimately, if the Church does not preach Christ and him crucified, if the Church does not plant, nurture, and establish more churches, if the Church does not teach the nations to obey Christ, no one else will. We can bless our communities by improving our schools, cleaning parks, feeding the hungry, but if we are not seeking to make disciples, we are not accomplishing the Church’s mission.

Mission is Christ-Dependent

All authority… with you always

Why is his authority necessary?

Christ’s authority removes all doubt and hesitation. He is the king who commands, the sovereign who rules the hearts of man, and he has power and authority over every realm of life.

What does it mean that he is with us?

Calvin - As Christ gave to the apostles a commission which they were unable to discharge by reliance on merely human power, he encourages them by the assurance of his heavenly protection.

The mission’s success rests on the one who has sent us.

Having a Missional Mindset

As the Church -

Mission Creep. The gradual growth of an operation’s objectives beyond its initial goals. Mission creep is generally a bad sign, associated with foreign interventions gone awry.

Happens in the church when our focus expands into social or political issues that are not directly related to the core Christian message, diluting the focus on discipleship.

We can get caught up in doing a lot of good things, but if we are not intentional about making disciples, it won’t happen

Does this help to make disciples, to reach the lost and equip the saints?

As Believers -

Don’t hope to grow by osmosis thinking people will just drift in; rather start inviting, picking up, and bringing people into the church with you. “Each one reach one.”

Don’t assume that only ordained leaders are responsible for sharing the Gospel and neglect your mission.

If you feel unprepared, “how do I personally make a disciple” it is as simple as showing them Jesus, help them learn to listen to his word, be imitators as I imitate him. It doesn’t have to be elaborate.

“Preach the gospel always, when necessary, use words.” Nonsense, it is always necessary to accompany works of love with the message of Christ. You cannot assume any more that they will know why you are doing what you are doing

Rom 10:14 “how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” Christ has sent you, he has sent his church!

Does this aid my discipleship, and help me connect with the lives of those around me?

At the Table

Here we show the gospel - Christ’s death and resurrection is proclaimed for the salvation of the lost

Here we highlight the blessing of Christian fellowship

Here we are reminded that he is with us, empowering us in our mission