Practice #3: Be On Mission 24/7, Part 2

This is his motivation: “For the love of Christ compels us because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died.”

And so, his mission then, verse 15, “He died for all, that those of us who live,” notice this. Listen to this servanthood, listen to the focus, “…that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him,” Jesus, “who died for them and was raised again.” Do you see the flip? Do you see the mindset?

And then Paul talks about because of that, his new perspective. “So, from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.” And he says, now that I have this love and I have this new mission, I don't see people the same way. Literally, the word is “according to the flesh.”

I don't see who's famous. I don't see who's rich. I don't see who's powerful. I don't see what they drive. I don't see external stuff. I see people that are in need and they're new creations and the old things have passed away. And I love the tense of the verb, “… all things,” listen carefully, “…are becoming,” it's a process, “…are becoming new.”

And then the Apostle Paul talks about a role that God has given to him and to you and to me, “All this is from God who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Well, what is that? “… that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ,” I love this, “… not counting people's sins against them, and He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are, therefore, Christ’s ambassadors.”

If you happen to have downloaded the notes circle that: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us,” listen to this, “… we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.”

And then here's the theology behind it. “God made Him,” Jesus, “who had no sin to be sin,” literally to be the sin bearer for us, “… so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

It's just an amazing thing. God poured out His just wrath, in a moment of time, on the Son of God. And that's why He said, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

For in that moment, He took your sin and my sin and the sins of the whole world. And so, salvation is available to whosoever would trust and believe what Christ has done and receive Him and then follow Him.

And then here's the interesting thing. You're an ambassador and I'm an ambassador. Well what's an ambassador? That's someone who represents someone else or another country. I mean, the ambassador from Spain, he's from Spain. They have a little consulate here in America, and he represents the interests of Spain, the message of Spain, here in the US. Your citizenship is in heaven. My citizenship is in heaven. We represent Jesus and His heart and His concern, we represent Him, but it gets more exciting.

He actually has given you and me a very unique calling. Yes, we do it as a servant. Yes, we do it in daily life, but there's actually a unique set of good works, a way, a plan, a window, if you will, that God wants to uniquely use you and use me.

It's found in Ephesians 2:10. After learning that our salvation is a free gift of God, the apostle writes in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship,” literally His masterpiece, “… created in Christ Jesus,” for what? “… for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.” Here's the truth, we have the unspeakable privilege and the unique calling as God's representatives to implore everyone to be reconciled to God.

You don't have to have great communication skills. You don't have to have some big heavy theological training. You just need to live your life, in your world, in the footsteps of Jesus. You need to come before God daily and let Him shape who you are. You need to do life in community, invite other people into that community, and then at your job and where you work, and if you happen to work out, where you get coffee, where you go to the grocery store, you're an ambassador, you represent Him.

And then, you have this unique calling. God prepared a special good work for each of us to fulfill through our talents and our spiritual gifts.

Here's all I want you to get. You may have no idea what God has planned for you. And not at all that you need to become a pastor or an evangelist. All I'm saying is this, getting up every day and having a purpose, getting up every day with a sense that I am called to do this.

In fact, some of the biggest struggles in my life, some of the biggest wounds, some of the things that were most difficult to go through and what I experienced with an alcoholic family are the very things that have equipped me to do what I'm doing right now. I understand people. I read people. I understand what it's like to feel lonely and depressed and anxious. I know what it's like to walk on your tiptoes because someone might explode with anger. And God gave me a heart for people that are hurting. Well, that came out of how God allowed me to live in a family and by God's grace, my dad became a Christian later in life.

You have a calling, you're an ambassador. We're on mission. But here's the deal, this mission, this role, it doesn't happen like in the lilies of the field where we just tiptoe around - Isn't life wonderful?

You are in the middle of a war and if the enemy can get you distracted or get you focused just on yourself or on your success or your stuff, like we all do, here's what the scripture says about this battle. It's in Ephesians 6, verses 10 through about 20. He's equipped you, in the midst of the challenges of being on mission, to win the battle.

Just listen to what you have available to you. “Finally,” he says, “… be strong in the Lord,” not in yourself, but in the Lord “… in the strength of His might.” Well, what should you do? “Put on the full armor of God,” well, why? “…so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.” The word we get is strategies. Well, why? “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” it's not a political party, it's not a boss, it's not a supervisor, it's not those other people. Our struggle’s “… not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

There are good angels and there are bad angels, and he's saying, these are the bad angels and you're in a battle. And so, he goes on, verse 18, “With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

So, he's asking them for prayer. You're in a battle. But notice why. Look at verse 19, “… and pray on my behalf that the utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” Here's the apostle Paul talking to a church that he loves and saying: You guys, you know what? You may think I've got it all together. I'm in a battle and you're in a battle. I need you to pray for me so that what comes out of my mouth, I'll be bold to do what God wants me to do and say what He wants me to say.

I mean, I'm like you. I've been on so many planes at times and felt a little prompting to say something and I've chickened out, okay? I mean, you think people like us that maybe teach publicly or maybe write a book or two here or there, or your pastor or some missionary, you think we do it all right all the time? Are you kidding? We all chicken out at times. So, we pray, and realize we're in a battle.

Verse 20 says, “… for I am,” are you ready? “… for I am an ambassador in chains that is proclaiming, that I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.” He says, I'm an ambassador of Christ, but I'm in chains. I need you to pray for me because I'm going to come before some really important people and I don't want to chicken out. I want to be faithful. I want to boldly declare what God wants me to declare. Are you starting to get it?

We're on mission, 24/7. It starts with a servant's mindset. We realized that Jesus modeled it. Jesus taught it. He gave us a mandate, He gave us a message and He said, "It's going to happen. I'm going to honor My Word, My Word's powerful." It's the power of God to salvation. That's the gospel. Romans chapter 1, verse 16.

And then he says, you're going to be in a battle and it's going to be very challenging. And here's the truth. We are battling, listen so very carefully, for the souls of men and women and children in this life and the next.

This isn't about just being a good Christian. This isn't just like obeying. There are people that God loves, that He's prepared. The harvest is white. They may act like they're completely disinterested, but they're in your network and you are the greatest Christian some people will ever meet.

Now, for some of you you're thinking, boy, they're in real trouble. Well then get them out of trouble. Become a genuine follower who comes before God daily, right? Who starts doing life and community and you be on mission 24/7. And it's a journey!

Remember? It's a walk and you'll stumble and you'll fall, but you practice. You are the greatest Christian that some people know and God wants to use you. He's equipped you. He's given you a life-changing message. And here's the perspective that we get from this battle, where prayer prevails, power falls.

Let me give you some ways to increase your impact.

These are just super practical tips to go on mission and I think they'll be helpful.

The first is, take your assignment seriously.

Being on mission isn't just for the professionals, evangelists, pastors, missionaries. It's for all of us.

Next, build relational bridges intentionally.

Just start reaching out. I mean, even if you haven't said hi to your neighbors and you've lived next door to each other for 5, 10, 15 years. We live in this little cul-de-sac and literally no one comes outside for anyone. I was embarrassed. It was like eight or nine years.

And finally, I just knocked on the door of one of my neighbors and I actually knew something he really liked and I brought him a present and he looked at me like, "What are you doing?" I said, "You know, I'm kind of embarrassed that we've lived here eight years and you go into your garage and I go into my garage and we don't really know each other. And I just wanted to say thanks for being a neighbor." And now that started a relationship.

Third is demonstrate your concerns specifically - meet actual specific needs.

Meet some needs at work. Meet a need in your neighborhood. Be very, very specific. And as you meet a need, if they ask why, just tell them your story. “God's changed my life and He's just given me a heart to help other people.” That's all you need to say. Believe me, there's a little something that starts to catch in their mind and they'll ask more later.

Share the message boldly.

The power's in the message. You don't have to have great skills, but know the gospel and be able to share in four or five or six minutes your testimony. We think of sharing the gospel as these out-front, extrovert people.

For some it's hospitality, that's the way you do it. For others, your gift of helps is you're helping someone fix their car. For others, you're at work and you're the one who says, "Hey, I'll take your shift. I know you've got something special happening this weekend. I'll take your shift.” It’s being a servant. There are lots of ways and lots of styles. You don't have to be upfront. But as you meet those needs and people ask you about the hope that's in you, then we share the gospel.

And then pray for God to work powerfully.

You can't not do that. You have to realize God opens people's hearts and minds. I can't do that. And you can't do that. "Lord, what's on Your heart for me today? Who do You want me to pray for? Yes, I have some people that are the real regulars, but who?"

And just a few days ago, it's probably because of a great sermon I heard a couple of days ago or so, but God really moved me to go right around my cul-de-sac and pray for each family and ask God, Lord, would You open their heart? Would You speak to them? And whatever You would allow me to do to be a connection, would You show me what that is? And then would You give me the boldness and courage to actually follow the prompting that You give me?

And then the final suggestion is give your time and money generously.

Be that person at work that is like, Wow, man, she is so kind, she's so generous. Why does she bring coffee and bagels? Why is she willing to trade shifts or take some of the bad jobs?

Be generous with your time. Be generous with your money. I mean, sometimes it's going to be people you only meet now and then. I got the habit of I keep cash. I just realized there's people that are cleaning out a bathroom or there's someone that are probably from another country and are trying to figure out, and they washing a car at a car wash. And you look at their life and you realize, How much time does it take to say, you know, something - “I don't know if you know much about Jesus, but He prompted me to tell you that you matter to Him.” And you give him $20.

Sometimes I speak somewhere and people will give me a gift, you know, like ten one hundred dollars bills and I'll take those and I'll just put them in my briefcase and I'll carry them with me. And just certain times, I'll just have a prompting, you know? "Here, I want to give you this." And you give a person a hundred dollars? I've seen people in airports that are cleaning stalls with tears run down their eyes say, “You have no idea what I'm going through right now and that I was longing for hope.”

God wants to use you. You can be on mission. You are His ambassador. Yes, there's a battle. You have a supernatural message. It's the message of reconciliation and you are gifted and you are equipped and you can make a difference in your world right where you are.

If we're going to follow in the steps of Jesus, we need to learn what He taught, then we need the three essential practices: I want to come before God - daily; I want to do life in community - weekly; and then I want to be on mission - 24/7.

And as you follow the actual steps and practices of Jesus, you'll become more and more like Him. And as you do that, your light will be shining and men and women will see your good works and they will glorify your Father who's in heaven. And isn't that what you want, what God wants, and what people are in desperate need of?