“Then Jesus said to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father
hath sent me, even so send I you.” I don’t know about your denomination, but our Southern Baptist denomination deals a lot with being “on mission.” What does “on mission” mean? It means that all of us are, or should be, on mission where we are, witnessing and ministering to people in the name of Jesus. Being on mission is not just the job of pastors and missionaries, but it is the job of every Christian. There is no one way to be on mission, but we must be on mission the way God leads us to do it. We should discover what the needs are in our communities and endeavor to meet them, as Jesus would have done. There are at least three good reasons why we should all be on mission. Being on mission is important in the Bible. Evidently, Jesus thought it was important. At the end of all four gospels, Jesus gave challenges for his disciples to be on mission. In John 20:21 Jesus told His disciples, “As My Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” We can take this for a command for us as well. Jesus sends us into the world to be on mission for Him. Early Christians evidently thought that being on mission was important, for we read a lot about their being on mission in the New Testament. Chapters 13-28 of Acts are mostly taken up with Paul and his companion’s missionary efforts. Being on mission should be important to us too. People today need Jesus as much as people did in the first century. Being on mission means to live the Christian life every day so that people can see what being a Christian means. It doesn’t mean walking around with a huge black Bible and talking in “holy tones.” It means that you live Jesus out before people and when the Holy Spirit leads, you tell people why your life is like it is. Being on mission is really simple, if we are living genuine Christian lives. Being on mission is necessary. When we read that Jesus said, “even so send I you,” we should realize that He is telling us that as well. Jesus thought that it was necessary that we be on mission for Him. There is a legend about an angel talking to the Father after the Son had completed His mission of making salvation possible for people by dying on the cross, rising from the grave and ascending to the Father. The angel asked, “How are you going to get the word out about it?” The Father replied, “Those who accept Him as savior will tell others about what He has done for them.” The angel asked, “What if they don’t do it?” The Father answered, “They will have to. I don’t have a Plan B.” If we don’t live for Jesus and tell others about Him, it will not get done. Being on mission is a source of joy for believers. I have often heard Christians say that there is no greater feeling than winning somebody to Jesus. It is a great feeling because someone has been saved, but also because we have done what Jesus deemed important and necessary. Nothing brings greater joy than telling someone about Jesus, even if they do not give a positive response. At least we know that we have done what Jesus told us to do. I have often heard it said that the Lord does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful. Besides, who knows when that witness will take become effective in that person’s life. I once had a young man come to me ten years after I had talked to him about Jesus and tell me that he was ready to come to Christ. That’s really between God and the person to whom you witness. If you have never known that joy, let me urge you to try it. Just simply tell someone what Jesus has done for you, what He means to you, and what He can mean to them. Here is the main question: Are you on mission for Jesus? If you help your fellow human beings in a time of need in the name of Jesus, you are on mission for Him. If you tell someone what Jesus has done in your life, and recommended Him to them, you are on mission. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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