40 Days of Purpose Week 6 YOU WERE MADE FOR A MISSION 30 May 04

DAY 36 Book page 281 “You were made for a mission. God is at work in the world, and he wants you to join him. The assignment is called your mission.” This is only true for the real children of God. The Holy Spirit assigns us tasks to do that will support the Great Commission given by Jesus to all of us. Note that the Great Commission concerns the lost and the saved. The saved are to go to the lost and make disciple of them. Then the saved are to train other saved in all the commands of Jesus. Therefore the tasks and the mission of the Great Commission are interrelated. Both support the growth and well-being of the family of God.

“Your mission is a continuation of Jesus’ mission on earth.” The Great Commission clearly states this. The Greek states in Matt 28:19 “As you go make disciples.” It is a command from Jesus. This is to be done as we live out the First Purpose for our lives.

“Your mission is a wonderful privilege.” (2 Cor 5:18 RSV) "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;" The Greek for “ministry” is 1248. diakonia, dee-ak-on-ee'-ah; from G1249; attendance (as a servant, etc.); fig. (eleemosynary) aid, (official) service (espec. of the Chr. teacher, or techn. of the diaconate):--(ad-) minister (-ing, -tration, -try), office, relief, service (-ing). It is the same word usually translated an deacon. As a priest of God, we are all ministers. We are all deacons. God has given to Christians the most vital mission in the world: to witness about Jesus as Lord and Savior. Book page 283 “Your mission involves two great privileges: working with God and representing him. We get to partner with God in the building of his kingdom.” (2 Cor 5:20 RSV) "So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." “Ambassadors” in the Greek means 4243. presbeuo, pres-byoo'-o; from the base of G4245; to be a senior, i.e. (by impl.) act as a representative (fig. preacher):--be an ambassador. We are commissioned to act and do as God commands. It is his message we are to take. We are to make no changes. Our task is to be carried out with a sense of urgency as we "implore" (beseech, beg) men to be reconciled to God. This is best done through unity and life-witnessing.

“Telling others how they can have eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for them.” (Rom 3:23 RSV) "since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

“Your mission has eternal significance.” The spiritual state of a human being is the single essential aspect of a human today. What we can and are to do is witness to the lost with your lives and words. We cannot make the decision of Act 20:21 and Rom 10:9-10 for them. Book page 284 “This does not mean you should quit your job to become a fulltime evangelist.” This is correct. Yet we are to be fulltime witnesses. The issue is we are fulltime witnesses, not matter what we do about it. The way we live and interface with others is a witness we cannot stop. The point is a Christian’s witness is to be in righteousness and the True Gospel. We are responsible to Jesus for the quality of our witness to the world.

“God’s timetable for history’s conclusion is connected to the completion of our commission.” Jesus made that clear in (Mat 24:14 RSV) "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come." Note “as a testimony.” The Greek is 3142. marturion, mar-too'-ree-on; neut. of a presumed der. of G3144; something evidential, i.e. (gen.) evidence given or (spec.) the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle):--to be testified, testimony, witness. This is a personal witness. Many have thought and still think that mass approached like TV will achieve this. It will not. “As you go” from Matt 28:19 is how it will be achieved. Also Peter tied the witnessing of Christians as a prime duty that will directly affect when Jesus comes again. (2 Pet 3:10-12 RSV) "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up. {11} Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, {12} waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire!" Peter listed two actions by Christians. (1) “waiting for”. This goes directly to Jesus command in (Mat 24:36 RSV) ""But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." And (Mat 24:44 RSV) "Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (2) “hastening the coming.” We do that by witnessing. Therefore Christians directly impact when the Father will be able to send Jesus back. Think of all the millions of lost people that will die and send themselves to Hell because Christians did neither of these tow actions. We have an Eternal Responsibility of Haste!

“WHAT IT COSTS TO FULFILL YOUR MISSION”

We must become and stay committed to our mission. It will take effort to do this in both prime purposes of our Christian lives. It will do be easy in many ways. It may well be dangerous. (1 Pet 4:12-14 RSV) "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. {13} But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. {14} If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." It will take diligence to growing in Christian maturity. (1 Pet 4:7-11 RSV) "The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. {8} Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. {9} Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. {10} As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: {11} whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

“ONE MORE FOR JESUS”

There will always be one more person who needs a witness. Southern Baptists have put a lot of effort into this fact. The SBC would not be where it is if it were not for the Women’s Missionary Union. It was and is the women who have made the SBC an organization caring about formal witnessing. The SBC has also put out programs to foster witnessing to advance what Peter calls for in 2 Pet 3:12. But they have not received the support of the churches and have become monumental failures. Take the Bold Missions Thrust of the 20^th Century. It was to witness to every human by the year 2000. It was launched with by fanfare. But as 2000 approached, less and less was said and done. Now in the 21th Century the SBC has a replacement program. I dare say you don’t know its name, let alone here preaching and teaching about it. The SBC has become long on talk and short on physical action. So our cost is to return to what we once were, only more so. It won’t be easy. Personal acceptance of responsibility and personal Bible study are mandatory to move that way.

DAY 37 Book page 289 “God has given you a Life Message to share.” This is redundant but worth repeating because of the eternal impact it has to humanity. As hard as it is to appreciate. God is not his own best witness. Otherwise God would personally appear to every human being. Note (Luke 16:29-31 RSV) "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' {30} And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' {31} He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"" If someone coming back the dead won’t do it, then God himself won’t either. Paul was a special case and we the handful of others in the Bible. These verse give the general case. Therefore if Christians don’t give the right witness, then there is no other recourse.

“Your Life Message includes your testimony.” Book page 290 “Your testimony is the story of how Christ has made a difference in your life.” The very definition of witness is telling AND showing what you know. It is not about what others know but what you know and experience. And that is all you can do: show and tell what you know. Note (1 Pet 3:15-17 RSV) "but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; {16} and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. {17} For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong." The key is “in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord.” “Reverence” here means 37. hagiazo, hag-ee-ad'-zo; from G40; to make holy, i.e. (cer.) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate:--hallow, be holy, sanctify. This is much more than words on a Sunday. It is not done without your life being a living commitment to doing the commands of Jesus.

“Your Life Message includes your life lessons.” Your witness has to include how living for Jesus is worth the cost of doing so. Book page 291 “While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others.” The Bible can be looked at as the life experiences of others with God. We do not have to become a drug abuser to know it is a bad thing. We should share our experiences, but we don’t have to share every intimate detail.

“Your Life Message includes sharing your godly passions.” This means how loving God and learning to love like God is worth the effort. Without passion, we won’t do our best and we won’t get the most from a righteous life.

“Your Life Message includes the Good News.” The Good News is the Gospel about Jesus. We must NOT give a partial message. Jesus told the multitude to “count the cost” of becoming his disciple. WE MUST DO THE SAME. There is cost, there is benefit. Salvation is NOT FREE. It costs us commitment to Jesus as Lord and commitment to growing in righteous so we can be like the Father in completeness. You must give a complete Gospel message. We do not have the option to decide what to leave out or say later. Because so many preach, teach, and give incomplete messages about salvation is a major reason why the SBC has 50-67% of lost [people on church tools.

DAY 38 “The Great Commission is your commission.” You have a choice to make. You will be either a world-class Christian or a worldly Christian.” Paul used the terms mature Christian and babe in Christ Christian. Mature Christians act upon their commitment while babes in Christ Christians work to avoid you what they said to God. There makes you wonder if they are saved at all. What Jesus said is critical here. (Mat 7:21 RSV) ""Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." It is true that many who others call and who may think of themselves as babes in Christ are not “in Christ” at all. Doing the will of God is not just to talk and sit in class about it. You must live your commitment. There is no salvation without commitment to Jesus as Lord.

“Shift from self-centered thinking to other-center thinking.” This will happen if we are growing in the Growth Path of Peter. You cannot have brotherly love without thinking about others first. Note this is not to thinks about others only. You remain a person of infinite worth to God. What is at issue is you learning that God thinks just as much about others.

“Shift from local thinking to global thinking.” (John 3:16 RSV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." You cannot get more global than that. Jesus said “As you go.” Some of us will travel globally. Most won’t. Jesus told his disciples there is plenty of witnessing to do everywhere, even where you live. (Acts 1:8 RSV) "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."" The SBC way is to support those who can go into other parts of the nation and the world through various mission organizations and the Cooperative Program. The vital point is witnessing anywhere is not just the responsibility of those who, in effect, we hire to represent us. WE ARE IN NO WAY RELIEVED OF DOING PERSONAL WITNESS “AS WE GO” wherever we go, whether across the street or to the lake.

“Shift from “here and now” thinking to eternal thinking.” (2 Cor 4:18 RSV) "because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." We always here about trust your life to God. This is true but does not go far enough. Except in rare cases, we really don’t think we will die soon. What we should think and do is “COMMIT MY DEATH TO GOD.” We can control our own lives. But we cannot control our death. HAVE YOU COMMITTED YOUR DEATH TO GOD?

“Shift from thinking of excuses to thinking of creative ways to fulfill your commission.” This is where Discipleship Training becomes so important. It was designed to help do this. But the local churches have watered it down or eliminated Discipleship Training so that if it happens, it is almost a miracle. Discipleship Training is a vital tool in achieving grow through the Growth Process of Peter in 2 Pet 1:5-7.

But giving a trustworthy and believable witness to the world rests also on the unity that Christians show to the world. (Rom 15:5-6 RSV) "May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, {6} that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This “one voice” is what Jesus prayed about in John 17:21-23.

DAY 39 “Book page 305 “Blessed are the balance; they shall outlast everyone.” The balance to achieve is between the two prime purposes for which God created Mankind are: 1) Freewill life in God’s righteousness and 2) Fellowship with our Abba Father. This balance is gained only by (2 Pet 3:18a RSV) "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Each purpose has several parts. None are mutually exclusive.

“Talk it through with a spiritual partner or small group.” Every new Christian needs to be trained by mature Christians. That is the essence of (Mat 28:20 RSV) "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."" Sometimes it is necessary, but rarely in this country does any new Christian have to learn in isolation. Sunday School and Discipline Training are two formalized ways of having both a teaching and a supporting environment. The local church has the lead and main responsibility to church meetings of any kind: (1 Cor 14:26 RSV) "What then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." And there needs to be such sense of structure about it. (1 Cor 14:40 RSV) "but all things should be done decently and in order." This is true for any size group.

“Give yourself a regular spiritual check-up.” The author wrote one of five warnings in his letter. The first is

about growing into spiritual maturity. (Heb 2:1 RSV) "Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." Peter also gave a warning to those who don’t follow his Growth Process. (2 Pet 1:8-10 RSV) "For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. {10} Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall;" A NON-GROWING Christian can fall away (backslide) into a worldly life-style that the person can begin to think as a lost person who doesn’t care about spiritual matters. So Peter said to “be the more zealous to confirm your call and election.” Note who has the action and responsibility to do this. God will not force you to grow. Every year numerous churches and people pray for “God send a revival.” God doesn’t send a revival. If there is no revival we cannot say “God did send one this year, maybe next year.” We and we alone are responsible for revival. The method is clear: 2 Pet 1:5-7.

“Write down your progress in a journal.” This is helpful for some. Keep it personal and private. Record your successes and failures. Analyze them for ways to improve. Record your strengths and weakness. Seek ways to change weaknesses into strengths.

“Pass on what you know to others.” (Rev 1:6 RSV) "and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." That is one of the things a priest does. Make sure you what you think you know is correct before you do it. Check your knowledge with good personal Bible study. Gather the knowledge of others. But test what they say against the Bible. The author is a case in point.

“IT’S ALL FOR GOD’S GLORY”

This will the result from doing the two prime purposes of God for our lives.

DAY 40 Book page 312 “Living on purpose is the only way to really live. Everything else is just existing.” Only you can live your life. No one can do it for you. Just as the Holy Spirit cannot live your life for you.

“WHAT IS A LIFE PURPOSE STATEMENT?

“It’s a statement that summarizes God’s purposes for your life.” It can be helpful to write these done and include the sub-purposes under them.

“It’s a statement that points the direct of your life.” (Prov 4:26 RSV) "Take heed to the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure." Your must do it or it won’t be done.

“It’s a statement that defines “success” for you.” Success is (Mat 5:48 RSV) "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

“It’s a statement that clarifies your roles.” Every Christian is to learn about the tasks the Holy Spirit has assigned. Doing them will take an action plan over time.

“It’s a statement that expresses your shape.” This is similar to the previous. Learn what are your tasks.

“LIFE’S FIVE GREATEST QUESTIONS”

“What will be the center of my life? This is a simple situation. It is either God through Jesus as Lord or not. Without Jesus you have no center of eternal value. If Jesus is Lord, then live like it.

“What will be the character of my life?” Book page 315 “This is the question of discipleship.” If you are not a disciple of Jesus, you are lost.

“What will be the contribution of my life?” Book page 315 “This is the question of service.” (1 John 2:3-6 RSV) "And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. {4} He who says "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; {5} but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: {6} he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

“What will be the communication of my life?” Book page 315 “This is the question of your mission to unbelievers.” This is living and showing your witness individually and with other Christians. Unity with Christians is essential for good communications to the lost.

“What will be the community of my life?” Book page 316 “This is the question of fellowship.” (Heb 10:25 RSV) "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Early Christians had a fellowship which drew them together for worship and preparation. The author of Hebrews asserts that this practice of assembling together ought to increase as the believing community sees the day of Christ approaching. This passage provides one of the strongest affirmations in the Bible of the crucial importance of the local church and the necessity thrust upon every Christian to be faithful to a local community of the saints. The Lord’s Supper is to remind us of the Second Coming of Jesus. It is to be done only with saved people.

Book page 317 “You may wonder: “What about God’s will for my job or marriage or where I’m supposed to live or go to school? Honesty, these are secondary issues in your life, and there may be multiple possibilities that would all be in God’s will for you.” You have freewill control of your life. You are doing the will of God in anything if it is what is “good, acceptable, and complete” to God’s standards of righteousness. Often the situation is: Choose what you would like to do and god will make use of it. The author is quite correct on pages 317-318 “The only thing that will matter is what God says about you.”

“GOD WANTS TO USE YOU”

You are to live as growing disciples of Christ and loving children of the Father. God smiles on those who want to do so and who try to do so.

Marvin Ganote, Hobbs Study Class Adult Teacher, ganotemd@dma.org Lesson at: http://www.dma.org/~ganotemd/lesson.htm or http://homepages.udayton.edu/~ganotem/bible/lesson.htm