Our first night we talked about God's mission in Christ, which is to reconcile the world to Himself through the use of His Son. We talked about how it is only through Christ that we have access to the Father and how willing Jesus was to exchange his lot for ours, that we could have relationship with God.
Last night we talked about God's mission in you, which is for your identity to be founded in Him, because as eternal beings you need eternal identities, such identities can only be found in Christ. We talked about in Him how you can have a messy family, friends, feelings, and issues because it is in Him that you are able to work through those things through all that Christ purchased for you on the cross.
Tonight we're going to be talking about God's mission in the world. Something we have not addressed in the concept of our fancy Latin term Missio Dei is that the idea behind it is that God is actively working to restore His creation to wholeness, which ties right into God's mission in the world.
God's mission in the world: everything God is doing in the world through people and nations to establish His kingdom here on Earth.
In case you're thinking that this doesn't apply to you: if you're in Christ it does, be patient.
We're going to be in Ephesians 2 tonight, going right along through our Ephesians trial.
Ephesians 2:11-22
"Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands--12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off [Gentiles] have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both [Jew and Gentile] one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grow into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
So cool! Do you see how this effects everyone? How this applies to the whole world? God's mission is not a small-minded one that deals with one section of the world that He created, He is worked together an elaborate temple of the Lord that we are a part of His design!
It says here that Christ "abolished in His flesh the enmity, the law of commandments, so as to create in Himself one new man." Essentially God is building this new body of believers using Jews and Gentiles with Christ as the head of that body.
Now, why does that concern us? Well, what are, Jews or Gentiles? We are Gentiles who were outside of Christ and His commands but it is through Christ that in verse 16 it says "that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross". That includes us and that includes the rest of the world who were once "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off [Gentiles] have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
And more than being brought near in verses 19-22 it says that "we are now fellow citizens with the saints and the members of the household of God," that the foundation that they built, Christ being the cornerstone of the temple in the Lord, that you and now the rest of the world can be included in God's building plans!
So now to address the question of where you come in.
Who here is a part of a church? Yeah, thought so.
So God's church is an instrument in God's mission. NOW, that is not to say that the church has a mission of its own, no. God's mission has a church. There is a church because there is a mission. The church exists for the sake of God's cause in the world: to redeem the world to Himself.
One of my favorite sermons to listen to are those of Chuck Smith and over Ephesians chapter 2 he said that it's necessary that God works in you before God works through you but it is His desire that He would work through you that you might be included in His mission.
Now Will said that in his Teen Mania days, the options for being avenues of being a missionary are set up like this:
There are GOERS, there are SENDERS, and there are MOBILIZERS. Goers, obviously go into the unreached parts of the world to share the Gospel. There are senders who are going to be the money makers, the business men and women who are doing to be doing their part by donating large portions of money to supports missions and missionaries. And then there are the Mobilizers who are going to preach, equip, pastor those who long to go, and to help them work out what God has called them to.
This is where we're going to end: and I'm going to ask that we go back to our cabins for a short time and have a cabin discussion. What I'd like you to discuss with your cabin is this:
Where do you fall in God's mission (because you have a place in it)?
How could God use you for His mission where you're at?
Between being a Goer, a Sender, and/or a Mobilizer, where do you see yourself more likely being used?
For those of you at home, ask yourself these questions and maybe discuss them for a friend in the faith if you're looking for confirmation. God will include you in His plan if He is working in you and through you.
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