God’s Mission

In 1998, Steven Spielberg released a movie that would captivate the minds, hearts, and eyes of the American people.

I remember seeing a trailer for the movie and I was fascinated by the Story line.

Saving Private Ryan was a story about a group of WWII Soldiers who went behind enemy lines to rescue Private Ryan.

Ryan was the youngest of 4 boys. His 3 brothers were all killed during the storming on the beach at Normandy.

So the powers that be decided that they needed to get Private Ryan back home to his mother so that she wouldn’t have to bury all of her children.

This was the mission. Go and rescue Private Ryan so he can get home.

And the men sent on this mission were devoted to accomplishing that goal.

They were bound by duty, honor, and love of the brotherhood to save this man.

So they went out and sacrificed life and limb to complete their mission.

And here’s what I find interesting, we would cheer on a story like that.

We would champion these men for going into a dangerous situation and saving this man, but often times we will not join God’s mission and tell others about Jesus.

We won’t tell them about their need for salvation.

They are in just as much trouble, if not more, as Private Ryan, but we would rather watch them fumble and flail behind enemy lines than to go and rescue them.

Before Jesus departed from this earth he gave his disciples the great commission.

Matt 28:19-20 “19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

And as God’s people, we are invited to join on his mission to seek and save the lost.

We are invited to join him and watch him change the lives of those around us.

And he didn’t just give us the mission and ask us to figure it out by ourselves.

Rather he demonstrated what that mission looks like.

Here’s where many people go wrong when it comes to ministry.

Rather than Joining God on his mission we try to create ministry experiences and we invite him to join us.

He’s already given us a mission we shouldn’t go about trying to create side missions that run counter to what he’s doing.

So we need to find out how God is working and join him in what he is doing.

We read about it last week.

When Jesus used an encounter with the Samaritan woman to show us how to minister to those far away from him.

And at the end of that interaction, his disciples arrive back to the well and are curious about why Jesus is talking to the Samaritan Woman.

But then she runs off and starts evangelizing to the town.

John 4:31–34 CSB

31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” 33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?” 34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them.

Satisfying Obedience

Jesus’ disciples are encouraging and urging Jesus to eat.

They know that he is exhausted and worn out from the journey.

So they want to make sure that Jesus has food.

I imagine them like that overbearing mom, “Jesus, strengthen your body. Take and eat. You have to regain your strength. You have to refresh your body. You need to satisfy your hunger.”

But Jesus isn’t interested in eating, he’s interested in teaching.

He wants the disciples to see what he is up to.

He wants their eyes to be open to the reality of what God is doing in the hearts of people.

He wants them to know the satisfaction not that comes from food, but comes from obedience to God.

Jesus tells them that he has food that they don’t know about.

And like everyone up to this point in John they are confused by what he says.

They are looking around for a food truck.

They are looking around for a traveling market.

They are looking around noticing that they are in the middle of the desert and they are thinking, who brought him food.

Where can we get some of this food.

Jesus are you holding out on us.

But Jesus reveals to them that he is not talking about physical food.

Just like he wasn’t talking about physical birth with Nicodemus.

Just like he wasn’t talking about physical water with the Woman at the well.

He is talking about a spiritual reality.

He is talking about the food that truly satisfies the soul.

“Obedience to God.”

Here’s how he puts it

John 4:34 “34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them.”

Jesus lives on, thrives on, and is satisfied by doing the will of God.

By finishing the work that God the Father has Called him to.

He finds his satisfaction by being on mission with God.

The thing that satisfies Jesus’ soul is obedience to God.

Seeing lost souls like that Samaritan woman come to the saving knowledge of God.

I don’t know if you have ever experienced someone coming to faith in Jesus, but it is an amazing experience.

And God invites us and commands us to join on that same mission.

With the same message.

We are to with our lives, our words, and our actions be pointing people to Jesus.

We are to bring them the good news of Jesus.

I know that there have been times when I have felt dissatisfied with my walk with Jesus.

Where I felt like he was far from me.

Where I felt lost and unsatisfied.

And can I tell you that when I look back at most of those times it was because I was seeking satisfaction in something other than obedience to God.

“Lack of satisfaction can come from lack of obedience.”

So if you are going through a spiritual dry spell.

Where you feel like God is far away from you.

Where you feel worn out and unsatisfied.

I want to ask you are you obeying God?

Here’s what Paul says in Acts 20:24 “24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

How does Paul’s declaration make you feel?

Uncomfortable.

If you belong the Jesus…your life isn’t your own.

You were bought with a price.

The price was Jesus’ life.

And you no longer live, but Jesus lives within you.

And if Jesus lives within you, you will never be satisfied unless you do the will of the father.

As a church body our calling is to minister to one another AND to minister to the community.

We are to be the light of Jesus in a dark place.

And often we get comfortable just coming to church on Sunday Mornings and worshipping together and that’s as far as we go.

We don’t actually think about the community and people around our church who need the light of Jesus.

We don’t think about the fact that we are to be doing the Work of Jesus.

We come in punch our time clock and walk out those doors and wait for the next Sunday to roll around.

But as followers of Jesus we aren’t called to be entertained.

We aren’t called to be observe.

We called to be on mission.

We must never lose sight of our calling.

Eph 2:10 “10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

Rom 7:4 “...You belong to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.”

Jn 15:8 “8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.”

We were created and called to bear fruit and to call others to turn to Jesus.

So are you doing that?

Are you living out your calling?

Are you finding your satisfaction in obedience?

For the last few weeks I have been doing some thinking, praying, and reflecting on what God is doing here in our church and in our community.

Here’s what I have noticed specifically when it comes to our church body.

I don’t know if you noticed but our congregation has been growing.

We have some new visitors.

And I am super thankful for that fact.

But here’s where the reflection and prayer has opened my eyes.

Most of the growth that we have experienced has been what we could call transfer growth.

Meaning that people started coming to our church because they were looking for a new place of worship.

That’s great. You’re welcome to worship with us. We are so glad that you are here.

But what we haven’t seen as much of is conversion growth.

Meaning that what we need to refocus on is the mission of Jesus.

We need to look out at the neighborhood and community and tell them about Jesus.

That we need to share the gospel of Jesus with those outside the church.

Those far away from God.

And I know that it can be intimidating.

I know that it can be overwhelming.

But God has called us to it and he will equip us to do it.

Many of us don’t know what to say.

Many of us feel like we will fumble or say something wrong, or we won’t have the all the answers to the questions.

I want to assure you once again that your faithfulness is all that is required.

God is in the business of saving, you are in the business of proclaiming.

If we are going to Join God on his mission, then we need to know his message.

So what do we need to tell people.

We need to tell them about the good news of Jesus.

I want to do a simple breakdown of the gospel message.

We often make things more complicated than they have to be.

Here is the gospel in a nutshell.

We are created by a loving and compassionate God.

He also hates disobedience and rebellion.

We all have disobeyed and rebelled.

And because of that disobedience and rebellion our relationship with God has been severed.

And because of that we deserve to be separated from God forever.

But God’s love causes him to make a way back into right relationship with him.

Jesus came as fully God and fully man to live a perfect life.

And he took the punishment that I deserved upon his shoulders when He died in my place.

God was pleased with his sacrifice b/c Jesus didn’t stay dead. He rose again on the third day.

And now if you trust and follow Jesus you can have life.

You can be made new.

You can be back in a loving relationship with God.

That’s the message people need to hear.

It’s simple.

It’s straight forward.

You can’t earn it.

It’s a gift that can only be recieved if we look to and trust Jesus.

This is a timeless truth it was true for Jesus’ disciples and it’s true for us now.

And we need to see the reality that there are people out there who need to hear this good news.

That you are right now dead in your sins and trespasses, but Jesus will make you alive if you trust him.

To help Jesus’ disciples understand his mission he leads them to see that people are ready to respond to his message.

John 4:35–38 CSB

35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”

Sow and Reap

Jesus tells his disciples that there are people all around them in Samaria that are ready to be brought into the kingdom of God.

And he uses two parables about sowing and reaping.

In v. 35-36, he tells them that normally there is a period of time between the sowing and the harvest, but now there is sowing and reaping going on.

They don’t have to wait the 4 months.

They can go out and harvest now.

And the sower and the reaper can now rejoice together.

Knowing that there is a harvest now and there will be more harvest in the future.

So what is Jesus really driving at?

There are those who are hungry for the truth.

There are those that want to know the love of God.

There are those who are ripe for the harvest.

Then there are those that need the seed planted.

They need to hear the good news of Jesus.

They need to hear the gospel of Jesus.

And it may take time for the truth to implant it in their soul.

But whether we are planting the seed or we are harvesting the fruit, we need to be diligent.

You are called to be on this mission with God.

You are called to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

Too often we like to pass the buck when it comes to telling others about Jesus.

Well I don’t have time today.

Or Someone else will do it.

Or shouldn’t this be the pastor’s job.

Isn’t he the one getting paid to do this.

But these are all wrong assumption.

These are all excuses for obedience.

All followers of Jesus are called to minister and preach the gospel to all people.

Now that may look different depending on where you live, work, or play.

You may have to be a little more mindful of how you talk about Jesus at work.

You may want to be wise when it comes to sharing Jesus with family so that it doesn’t become a fight and a distraction.

But you must be on mission with Jesus.

There are people in our town, county, and community that need to hear the good news.

And you need to be the one to tell them.

You don’t want to come off as abrasive or brash.

You should be winsome and wise about how you talk about Jesus.

For just a moment I want us to think about how Jesus interacted with the Samaritan woman at the well and how he presented the gospel to her.

The first thing he did was go where people are.

You can’t bring the good news to people if you don’t go where people go.

We should be open and mindful of the people around us when we go grocery shopping, when we go to get a haircut, nails done, or out to dinner.

It’s so easy for us to stay in our “Christian Bubble”

Where everyone we ever talk to or interact with believes the same things we believe.

But if we want to be on mission with Jesus, then we need to plant and harvest where there is planting and harvesting to be done.

We need to be around lost people.

We also need to be willing to cross cultural barriers.

Meaning that someone who looks different, talks different, or even acts differently from you still needs to hear the good news.

We don’t need to hold onto or even establish artificial barriers to preaching the good news.

When we are meeting with people we need to talk about the gospel in Authentic and natural ways.

Learn to guide the conversation toward things about God.

Don’t Jesus jump them and expect them to start listening.

Know how to ask questions that lead to conversations about spiritual things.

Look at how Jesus spoke to the woman, Did he simply come out and say “I’m the Messiah, believe in me.”?

No he understood where she was coming from.

He saw her situation and he guided the conversation.

He began by talking about living water.

He used the situation to help guide her to see the deeper truths.

You don’t have to bash people over the head with the bible to help them see the Importance of Jesus.

We also see that Jesus is patient and compassionate when she doesn’t understand or veers off the subject.

He gently guides her back.

He also explains to her the reality of her sin, the grace that he extends, and eternal life for all that believe in him.

We should follow the same order as Jesus does when it comes to revealing the truth to people.

But we aren’t Jesus so we have to trust in God’s power and desire to save.

If I have said it once, I’ve said it 1,000 times but it’s important for us to remember.

We aren’t in charge of people’s salvation.

We can’t save people.

We can’t make people believe.

We can’t change peoples minds.

Only God opening their eyes can do that.

So don’t worry about if you are only planting a seed or reaping a harvest.

It’s all because of God that any of it happens anyway.

Your calling isn’t to save people, your calling to tell people and let God work on their hearts.

The first baptist missionary, William Carey, moved to India in 1793 to witness to the Indian People.

He ministered there for 7 years until he saw his first conversion.

But he never gave up.

He kept on preaching Christ.

He kept on teaching about the salvation only found in Jesus.

When we understand the importance of the gospel, there is nothing that will stop us from telling others the good news.

We have to have gospel shaped vision.

We have to have a gospel shaped world view.

We have to live gospel shaped lives.

Where would you be if it weren’t for Jesus?

Aren’t you glad that someone told you about him?

Isn’t your life overall better b/c of Jesus?

Don’t you want that for your family, friends, and neighbors?

It’s easy for us as a church to become complacent and stagnant.

But if we want to be a vibrant light in our community we need to bring the light of the good news into the darkness.

We have to be comfortable with presenting the gospel to those who don’t know Jesus.

We have to be willing to get our hands dirty and harvest some Souls.

There are people all around us look for and seeking after truth.

And the gospel of Jesus is the only thing that can fill that vacuum.

And if people don’t have the truth they fill it with false beliefs.

They become consumed with conspiracy theories.

They become consumed with hate.

They become consumed with anything and everything that will cause them to feel like their life has meaning.

But what we need to do is show them that their life has meaning b/c of what Jesus did.

They are valuable and loved b/c Jesus died for them.

Let’s get excited about doing the work of Jesus.

Let’s get excited about working the fields.

Let’s get excited about sowing and reaping the harvest God has for us.

John 4:39–42 CSB

39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of what he said. 42 And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

Harvest Time

Here’s the good news about this harvest.

If the harvest is ready to reap, if people are ready to come to Jesus and Jesus is calling them to himself, then all you have to do is give them a little nudge.

Notice that the Samaritan woman didn’t have extensive theological training.

She didn’t spend hours a day praying.

She had one conversation with Jesus and became Samarias first missionary.

Jn 4:39 “39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.””

Sharing the gospel with people is pretty simple.

One way that you can tell people about Jesus is through your own personal testimony

I was once this way, but Jesus showed me that I was wrong and now he has changed me.

Sometimes that’s all it takes.

That’s what many Samaritans hear and believe.

But that’s not the end of it.

After they hear the good news they needed to spend more time with Jesus.

And Jesus stays in this town for 2 more days.

Again he wasn’t worried about how “unclean” or “poisonous” this town would be to his ministry.

All he knew is that he wanted people to see the love and grace that he had for them.

I think it’s absolutely amazing that aside from john the baptist and the disciples this group of outcasts were the first to believe in Jesus.

May we see that we cannot take for granted that anyone will believe in Jesus.

They were unlikely converts, but they believed.

They were the first to state that he was the “Savior of the World”

Let’s not take for granted the good news of the gospel.

Let’s not hide it.

Rather let’s shine it.

Let’s speak it.

Let’s live it.

We should desire to see others come to love Jesus.

Let’s join God in the work that he’s doing.

Let’s go out and work the fields.

Let’s point people to the truth.