Introduction

Too many churches are like that impressive invention which had hundreds of wheels, coils, gears, pulleys, belts, bells and lights which all went around and around and flashed at the touch of a button. When the inventor was asked about the function of the weird machine, he replied, “What does it do? Oh, it doesn't do anything, but doesn't it run beautifully?”

Sometimes it is easy to forget the most important things when our attention is attracted to smaller things which seem to be simpler solutions.

Speaking of Christ’s mission, the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 10:7) cites an Old Testament passage which says, “I have come to do Your will, O God.” Christ stated His mission in a variety of ways.  He never lost sight of the reason He came.

It behooves us to periodically look at Christ’s mission, and our own, to see if we are advancing His mission, and are thus fulfilling His mission for us.

I. How is Christ's mission stated in Scripture?

A. At the beginning of His ministry He gave a comprehensive statement. Let’s look briefly at each of these.
Luke 4:18-21.

1. He was “anointed to preach the Good News [the Gospel] to the poor.”

(a) Although the Greek word for “good news” is used in a secular sense many times, when it is applied to preaching, as it is here, it presents the idea of salvation, forgiveness of sins, and hope of heaven. It is the word elsewhere translated “gospel." It is a spiritual message.
(b) This is the reason that Jesus began His ministry by preaching.
(c) “He went into Galilee, proclaiming the Good News [Gospel] of God. ‘The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Gospel.’”  Mark 1:14-15.

2. He came to “Proclaim freedom for the prisoners.”

(a) Those who were captives of Satan, and had lost their way in life could find in Him, not just hope for this life, but hope in the life to come.
(b) So many whose lives have been captured by Satan have never heard of the freedom in Christ.
(c) “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day didn’t understand that they were in bondage to sin, thought they were carrying out many religious obligations. Their reply showed that they, like many today, did not even know they were captives of Satan.  John 8:32.

3. He came that He might give “Recovery of sight to the blind.” Satan has closed the eyes of mankind to the beauty of Christ’s salvation. Jesus came that they may once again see the wonder of God in Christ.

4. He came to “Release the oppressed.”

(a) Here Jesus speaks of that part of His mission which demonstrated His compassion.
(b) He healed the sick, He gave sight to the blind, He gave strength to the lame, He raised the dead.
(b) He used Himself to relieve part of the suffering of mankind.

5. He came to “Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This seems to say that the fullness of time has come, as Paul said in Galatians 4:4.

6. Notice that He said He did not come to relieve all suffering of mankind. Just as both Elijah and Elisha ministered to the physical needs of only a few, He too did not come primarily to minister to man’s physical needs, but to bring His message of salvation to all mankind. These words changed the attitude of His listeners in that Nazareth synagogue from one of massive approval of Him to an attempt to thrown Him off a cliff.

B. He came as Savior.

1. The angel who appeared to Mary said her child would “save His people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21.

2. The announcement to the shepherds was that “unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11.

3. When Jesus Himself stated His mission, He almost always defined it in reference to saving those who were lost.

C. “Seek and save what was lost.”  Luke 19:10.

1. He made this known, and consequently people came to Him asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

2. He never lost sight of this mission. He knew that mankind was lost, without God, and without hope in the world. He came to save them, and give them hope.

D. John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  John 1:29.

1. Not only did He come to provide forgiveness of sin, but to take sin away from the world.

2. To take away the life of sin, the love of sin, the domination of sin. He came to show us a new way of life that avoids sin, and brings happiness.

(a) This can never come until sin has been forgiven.
(b) Once again, we see in this that Jesus came to call sinners to repentance.
(c) Sin is an ugly word we don’t like to hear, yet Jesus constantly spoke of it in defining His mission.
(d) In 'Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible' there are over two pages in fine print of references in the Bible where the word “sin” occurs. It is an important word in the Bible. In addition, there are numerous references where it is spoken of under different terms, e.g. transgression, evil, and trespass, disobedience, etc.
(e) These show the importance of a topic we hear little about in our generation.

E. “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”  Matthew 10:34-38.

1. He added, “a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”

(a) He follows this by saying, “Anyone who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”
(b) These are harsh words, but they need to be heard. This was part of Jesus mission.

2. People ask, “But I thought He was the ‘Prince of Peace.’”

(a) True, He is. But by demanding our total surrender and allegiance, Christ saw that even within families there would be divisions and contentions over Him. Some would follow, and some would not. “I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” This is a hard saying.
(b) Our first demand is to follow Christ. Everything else is secondary, even family relationships.

3. Jesus Christ unites those who follow Him, but He says they may have to turn away, even from family members who would take them away.

F. Other expressions of Christ’s mission.

1. He came, not to call the righteous, but sinners.  Mark 2:17.

2. He came, not to condemn the world but to save it.  John 3:16-17.

3. “Faithful is the saying, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”  I Timothy 1:15.

4. “God would have all men saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth.”  I Timothy 2:3-4.

II. How does my mission fit into Christ’s mission?

A. He came to seek sinners, so I must do the same.

1. What Christ did not come to accomplish?

(a) He did not come to bring self-esteem, although that is a byproduct of it.
(b) He did not come to provide fellowship and enjoyment for His followers, although that too is a byproduct of it.
(c) He did not come to show us how to be successful in life, although that too is a byproduct of it.
(d) He did not come to bring joy and happiness, although that too is a byproduct of it.
(e) He did not come to bring a sense of belonging, although that too is a byproduct of it.

2. He never lost sight of His mission to call sinners to repentance.

3. If He had come to do otherwise He would never have been opposed or crucified.

(a) Everybody could agree on self-esteem, or fellowship, or success.
(b) The people of Jesus’ day didn’t want to hear about their sins – look at the conflicts He had – but Jesus constantly told them of their need for forgiveness and salvation.

B. The Church's Mission and Me. What is the primary mission of the church?

1. The Great Commission. “Go, preach the Gospel.”  Matthew 28:18-20.

(a) "Make disciples of all nations,"
(b) "Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"
(c) "Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

2. To relieve suffering and need. The church at Corinth sent relief to the church in Jerusalem.  I Corinthians 16:1-4.

3. Do good works for others. “As we have opportunity, do good to all men, especially those of the household of the faith.”  Galatians 6:10.

4. Prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up and become mature.  Ephesians 4:11-13.

Conclusion

This is a true story which took place in the 1980’s. It was Flight #401 bound for Miami from New York City with a load of holiday passengers. As the huge aircraft approached the Miami Airport for its landing, a light that indicates proper deployment of the landing gear failed to come on. The plane flew in a large, looping circle over the swamps of the Everglades while the cockpit crew checked out the light failure. Their question was this. “Had the landing gear actually not deployed or was it just the light bulb that was defective?”

To begin with, the flight engineer fiddled with the bulb. He tried to remove it, but it wouldn't budge. Another member of the crew tried to help out...and then another. Then the pilot tried. By and by, if you can believe it, all eyes were on the little light bulb that refused to be dislodged from its socket. No one noticed that the plane was losing altitude. Finally, it dropped right into a swamp. Many were killed in that plane crash. While an experienced crew of high-priced and seasoned pilots messed around with a seventy-five-cent light bulb, an entire airplane and many of its passengers were lost. The crew momentarily forgot the most basic of all rules of the air -- "Don't forget to fly the airplane!"

The same thing can happen to the local church. The preacher and elders can be so busy fighting petty fires and focusing so much of their attention on insignificant issues that they lose sight of what church is all about. The church can have so many activities, programs, projects, committee meetings, banquets, and community involvements -- so many wheels spinning without really accomplishing anything of eternal significance -- that the congregation forgets its primary objective – the mission of Christ and His church.

The church must never lose sight of its God-given mission. In our world today there are many allurements that would draw the church away from its mission of taking the saving Gospel to a world which is lost.

Let’s not forget that Christ died to save mankind.  Christ came to save you.



May 15, 2005