Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Mission on the Move

If you want a quick guilt trip, compare your last 24 hours with Jesus first 24 hours in Luke 4:31-44. Let’s see: preach the good news – check! Deliver from demons – check! Heal the sick – check! Jesus was definitely a man on a mission!

Okay – so our productivity won’t match up with Jesus productivity*, we can still join him on mission. Remember, Jesus’ mission was to go with authority, power, and compassion. Let’s see how we follow him.

1. Go: Jesus went. He didn’t wait for people to come to him. He went to where the people were. He took the initiative. We are on mission with Jesus when we “live sent” and go to our friends, neighbors, and co-workers with the words and the works of Jesus. Look for the Outreach Idea of the Week for ways to “live sent”.

2. Authority: People were amazed at Jesus teaching because he spoke with authority. He had authority because he is king of the kingdom. We aren’t kings of the kingdom, but we carry the King’s message! We join Christ on his mission when we share with confidence (but not cockiness or condescension!) because of the authority of the gospel.

3. Power: Jesus didn’t shy from power encounters with demonic forces. He knew that we are in a cosmic conflict. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan come to a collision when the gospel is being spread. We join Christ on his mission when we pray against the powers of darkness that blind men’s eyes to the glory of Christ in the gospel!

4. Compassion: Jesus could have looked and the crowd and pronounced a “blanket healing” over all of them and called it a day and grabbed the remote. But rather he took the time to touch every single person that was brought to him. And it took him all night! We join Christ on his mission when we live sent lives of indiscriminate compassion. We must love first, ask questions later! “Ready, Fire, Aim”

“Jesus, empower us to join you as you go with authority, power, and compassion!”

The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom

*(Hmm, is “Christ’s productivity” part of our “imputed righteousness”? Let’s hope so!)

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