:: Belize readings, Fri: Mission – the ongoing impact of this week ::

This week has been a hands-on, 100% giving of yourself for God’s mission and purposes. As much as you’ve experienced this week, however, your mission isn’t over when you get on a plane (or boat). In fact, one of our deepest hopes is that this week inspires you to continue that mission, back in the US and in your everyday life. The following are the words of Winfield Bevins (Church of the Outer Banks; Nags Head, North Carolina):

We are all called to be missional and share in the mission of God. Ed Stetzer says, ‘Being Missional means actually doing mission right where you are. Missional means adopting the posture of a missionary, learning and adapting to the culture around you while remaining biblically sound’ (Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches, 19)…

Being a missional Christian is simply following the way of Jesus. Jesus Christ was the first and greatest missionary. The Bible tells us that He came from heaven to earth to die for a lost and dying world. The following scriptures reveal how the mission of God was fulfilled through Jesus Christ and how we are called to continue and complete the Missio Dei (the “mission of God”) in our culture. [as you read these verses, dwell on them and personalize each, as best you can]

· Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work." John 4:34

· "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 5:30

· "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 6:38

· "I know Him; because I am from Him, and He sent Me." John 7:29

· "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." John 8:29

· "We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work." John 9:4

· And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me." John 12:44-45

· "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak." John 12:49

· "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who
receives Me receives Him who sent Me." John 13:20

· "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." John 17:3

· "For the words which Thou gave Me I have given to them; and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send Me." John 17:8

· "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." John 17:18

· Jesus…said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." John 20:21

As the Father sent Jesus, He also sends us into our time and culture. Mark Driscoll says, ‘It is imperative that Christians be like Jesus, by living freely within the culture as missionaries who are as faithful to the Father and his gospel as Jesus was in his own time and place’ (Mark Driscoll, The Radical Reformission, 40). We have been chosen by God to live in this time and place in order to fulfill the mission of God.

Acts 17: 26-27 tells us that God has determined the exact place and time where we should live so that men may find Him. It is truly awesome to realize that you have chosen by God to be His representative to this world. It is both a great privilege and great responsibility. Paul describes our calling in the following way, ‘we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God’ (2 Cor 5:20).

“Christian ministry is God's way of showing the love of His Son Jesus through His church.
Christians must strive to always be like Jesus, our perfect example. Jesus said, ‘the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) This scripture beautifully embodies the task of Christian ministry. To be a minister is to be a servant. We are to serve and give our lives for others. Serving is the example that Jesus gave; therefore we should follow it.

As the church we are called to care for a lost and dying world that is in desperate need of a savior. Too many times we compartmentalize the different ministries of the church. We have viewed social ministry as something we do on one hand and evangelism on the other. God is calling the church to rediscover the biblical model of holistic ministry. Jesus met both the physical and spiritual needs of the people He ministered to. As the Body of Christ on earth we are His representatives to a lost world. Therefore what we do and say are of eternal importance.

There are two primary ways that every Christian can become missional. The first is by sharing a verbal witness…, also known as the evangelical witness or more commonly called evangelism. This is when you share the gospel message with your words. The second is the second way we can fulfill the mission of God is called the social witness. The evangelical and the social are two sides of the same coin. We are called to lead people to Christ with both our words and our actions. It is universally true that people don't care how much you know ‘til they know how much you care.”

Is it scarier to live on mission in your own community, city, dorm, school, job, gym, or organization? Sure – but if we can learn, little by little and day by day, to put aside ourselves, our pride, our desires, our ever-present need for increased status and esteem, etc., then we might find ourselves a little more free to live for something more important than any of these things will ever be; more important than any of us will ever be. And we take with us everything we’ve learned and done this week, learn to put it in the context of out daily lives, and actively try to live accordingly, then this week has accomplished its purpose: we’ll be living out God’s purpose and mission, not just for a week, but every day of your life.