Mission: More Than a Christian Buzzword (Part 1)

The  Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!" (Luke 7:34)

In the Gospels, Jesus was accused of being a friend of sinners. And, he was (and is). Jesus was a friend of the irreligious lost, those seeking to find meaning apart from God (the Samaritan woman at the well, Zacchaeus, the woman caught in adultery). And, he was a friend of the religious lost, those seeking to obey all of God's rules in an effort to merit His acceptance (Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea). Just read the gospels. They're filled with one encounter after another of Jesus with both the messy and the moralistic. Why? Both need Jesus.

Do you want to be like Jesus? Do you want to be conformed to his image? Most Christians would answer these questions with a "yes". But, sadly, most Christians that I've met are not a friend of sinners. To be a friend of sinners means knowing their names, knowing their hopes and dreams, knowing what they're interested in. And, it ultimately means pointing them to the perfect friend of sinners, Jesus.

Greater love has no one than this, than someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

 

So, are you a friend of sinners? Now that the question is on the table (not assumed), we can give consideration to answering the questions of the "who", "what", "when", "where", "why", and "how" of Christian mission.

 

Who: the individual Christian, as well as Christians in the context of a community on mission

 

Sometimes, we find ourselves completely alone, the only Christian in the midst of people who don't love and worship Jesus. And, other times, we see community and mission overlap, as we spend time with Christians and people who don't love and worship Jesus collectively. Both are important.



 



In moments in which you're the only Christian, you're not alone. Jesus is with you. And, in moments in which you're not the only Christian, you have an opportunity to put on display the strange, yet compelling community that we call the church. The greatest apologetic for the gospel is a people who believe it and live by it.

What: the good news of the person and work of Jesus

That which is most essential is that people come face to face with the reality of Jesus Christ. Thus, we must proclaim the gospel. So, are you able to articulate the gospel? (For more info, see previous blog posts entitled "Don't Assume the Gospel", "Religion vs. The Gospel", and "Shrinking the Cross").

When: from now until we die or until Jesus returns

For some of us, we struggle with the "now" portion of such a statement. We think, "As soon as I become more competent in my understanding of the gospel, I'll seek to point people to Jesus." Just so you know, as a Christian, you're never going to master the gospel. You'll continue to grow in the gospel for the rest of your life. So, tell people about Jesus now. And, remember. You're a Christian because you're not perfect. Jesus is.

For others of us, we struggle with the "until we die or until Jesus returns" portion of such a statement. We think, "I'll tell people about Jesus for now. But, when I'm old and grey, I'm moving to a secluded beach where I can collect shells until I die." Keep this in mind. One of the greatest opportunities that you have to point people to Jesus is the moment just before you breathe your last breath. In that moment, people will hang on every word you say. To say in that moment, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" will grip the hearts of those who don't love and worship Jesus.

Where: everywhere you go

Following his resurrection, Jesus left his disciples with these words:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... (Matthew 28:19)

 

At the risk of sounding super nerdy, the word that we translate "go" in this verse is a participle. Thus, it could just as easily be translated in either of the following two ways:

 

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Going, therefore, make disciples of all nations... (Matthew 28:19)

or
 

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. As you go, therefore, make disciples of all nations... (Matthew 28:19)

 

In other words, the question is not whether or not we're going to go. None of us lives a stationary life. We're all going in some capacity. The idea is that, as you go, you're called to make disciples. And, just so you know, the mission field doesn't just consist of places that require a passport to get to. That's certainly part of it. But, just as important are the places that you go every day. Those are what we call missional pathways. What missional pathways does God put before you on a daily basis? As you go, wherever you go, make disciples.

(Stay tuned for Part 2, in which we'll consider the "why" and "how" of Christian mission)

Jamey Vizzini
Lead Pastor/Planter
CrossPointe Winter Springs