Called to Mission

April 7, 2019 Background Scripture: Matthew 10 Lesson Passage: Matthew 10:1 – 15 When a Christian or a Christian congregation makes a commitment to work in the field of missions, what are we committing ourselves to? The question is qualified by the label “Christian”. That’s important. There can be all sorts of missions that one can endeavor to undertake. Generally speaking, a mission is a well-defined goal that includes an intended purpose, a specific geographic location, targeted individuals or activities, the authority to carry out the work, and, often, for a specific span of time. A Christian mission should include all of these parameters. Let’s see how this applies to the text out of Matthew 10. Matthew, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, recorded an occasion when Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave then the authority to cast out demonic spirits and the gift of healing of diseases. Jesus then instructed them to go to the Jews who lived in the region and proclaim the presence of the kingdom of heaven. Not only did Jesus tell them who to go to, but he also told them who and what places to avoid. Jesus told them how to handle situations where they were accepted, and he told them how to handle situations where they were not accepted. Because of the authority and special ability they were given, they were assured that they would be avenged of those who rejected them. The twelve disciples had been following and observing Jesus as he traveled from place to place and ministered to people. Now, they were being sent on a mission to do the same type of things they saw Jesus do. Now, they would know whether they had learned what Jesus had been teaching them. Their work would be away from the watchful eye and corrective doctrine of their teacher. They had to rely on what they had learned from him and follow the instructions he had given them. They had to be assured that he had given them the divine authority to cast out demonic spirits and heal the sick. They had witnessed Jesus doing these things. The time had come for the student to put into practice what he had observed and learned through instruction. Jesus did not go on the mission trips with them, but they knew they would reconvene with him and there would be time for them to give him feedback and ask him questions if necessary. Before Jesus would designate them as apostles, they had to first become missionaries. They had to go where Jesus sent them, do what Jesus instructed them to do, and reconvene with Jesus afterwards. This was a huge step for them. Mission work would be fundamental for them after Jesus ascended back to Glory. Jesus had taken his fairly inexperienced students out of the classroom and sent them into the mission field to use what he had taught them. This was the basis of their initial calling by Jesus. They would do one of the things Jesus was sent into the world to do: Do the work of a missionary by calling people to repentance and announcing the presence of the kingdom of heaven. If we are going to lead successful missions today, we must begin with well-defined parameters, dedicated Christians, and the necessary authority to carry out the work. Robert C. Hudson February 21, 2019

Called to Return

March 17, 2019 Background Scripture: Luke 15 Lesson Passage: Luke 15:11 – 24 Luke 15 is perhaps the most evangelistically focused passage of scripture in the Bible. I recognize and appreciate that we lean on the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew as the evangelistic mandate. However, Chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke helps to put faces and names on the work of evangelism. Either we have been in one of the situations depicted in the chapter or we know others who have or both. That’s where the faces and names come from. Not only do Jesus’ actions suggest a how-to approach to evangelism but we also witness the negative reactions that can and do occur from others who are not so much mission minded. All of this must be considered. The whole chapter presents Jesus teaching on how things become lost and the best approach to recovery of them. If we can visualize how this occurs with things, then it is a rather simple step to substitute people in the place of things. That is one of the beautiful things about the parables Jesus used for teaching. He placed a story that would have been familiar and easy to understand to his listeners alongside a story that was a new thought or concept for them. To understand the first story, is to appreciate and learn from the second one. In our lesson passage, Jesus presents the story of the wasteful, or prodigal, son as a parallel to the story he told of a wandering sheep. Like the wandering sheep, the younger son of the father thought that there were better opportunities to be found elsewhere than what he was currently experiencing. The younger son did not appreciate what he had at home with his father. Simply put, sometimes we become restless for things or situations we know nothing about and we don’t take time to consider the current situation, which may have become too familiar for us. The younger son wanted to experience life while still in his youth, but he wanted it to be on his terms and away from the watchful eye of his father. He did not appreciate the provisions his father had made for his present and future benefit. In an act of disrespect, he requested his inheritance while his father was yet alive. His father granted him what he requested and allowed him to wander off on his own. Without the wisdom of stewardship that he could have learned from his father, he wasted everything and became impoverished. While being in a degrading situation in a hog pen, his thinking became clearer. Now, he could properly evaluate what his father had truly provided for him—and even the hired servants of his father. His father’s servants were living a life much more rewarding than his current situation. He understood that not only had he made an unwise decision, he had also offended his father in doing so. His first sign of maturity showed up in this situation. He decided to go back home and apologize to his father. If his apology was accepted by his father, he would then request a job as one of his father’s hired servant. As he neared home, his father recognized him and ran and embraced him. The father then requested all of his servants to take care of his son and to prepare a “welcome home” party for him. The joy the father experienced at the return of his son was much greater than the son’s error. God calls all of His wayward children to return home. Just as the father in the parable, He eagerly awaits us. Robert C. Hudson February 14, 2019

Called to Repent

March 24, 2019 Background Scripture: Luke 19:1 – 10 Lesson Passage: Luke 19:1 – 10 As I study the four accounts of the gospel, it seems as though people often observed Jesus doing what they did not expect. Today’s lesson is a narrative that records an event that occurred when Jesus was passing near the town of Jericho. According to the context of the passage, there was a crowd walking with Jesus. The crowd was large enough that even a blind man noticed it and asked what it meant. He was told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by and there was a large crowd of people in tow. As Jesus passed through Jericho, the crowd continued with him. A curious man was there who wanted to see who Jesus was. The problem with his desire was the crowd was apparently too large for him to fight his way through and standing back was not an option because he was a dwarf. Growing up, we only used the word midget to refer to people who were dwarfs. The man was named Zaccheus. Zaccheus’ other challenge was that he was a tax collector and therefore despised or hated by his fellow Jews. In other words, it might have been unsafe for him to get too close to the crowd. Zaccheus decided to anticipate Jesus’ route, run ahead of the crowd, and climb into a tree so he could see over the crowd. Zaccheus appears to have been very industrious at improvising so he could accomplish what he desired in spite of his challenges. Zaccheus’ plan worked just as he had planned. But, then came the surprise when Jesus arrived at the place where Zaccheus was located in the tree. As I stated at the start, it seems as though Jesus was often observed doing the unexpected. Jesus stopped and addressed Zaccheus, and the surprise: Jesus invited himself to Zaccheus’ house! I don’t know if there is another place in scripture where it states that Jesus invited himself to someone’s house. Jesus requested Zaccheus to climb down so he could spend the day at his house. This sent a shockwave through the crowd. How could Jesus allow himself to be in the company of such a crook. Was Jesus aware that Zaccheus was one of the hated tax collectors? And how did Jesus know Zaccheus’ name? There was a crowd following Jesus and yet he focused on a despised person who would not have been welcomed in the crowd. This turn of events was unexpected by the crowd and Zaccheus. While in the presence of Jesus, the Bible states that Zaccheus stood up, presumably from the table, and confessed his sins and offered to give half of his goods to the poor and restore fourfold to anyone he had defrauded. Jesus declared that Zaccheus’ statement of repentance had allowed him to be restored to the family of God—salvation had come to Zaccheus’ house. Then, Jesus declared that his mission was to seek and save the lost. Jesus’ earthly ministry was about restoration of the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This would, in turn, lead to Israel leading the evangelistic effort into all of the world. This is the purpose of the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew. It is a worldwide call to repentance. Robert C. Hudson February 14, 2019

Called to Serve

March 3, 2019 Background Scripture: Luke 14:7 – 14 Lesson Passage: Luke 14:7 – 14 Jesus often observed people’s behavior in different settings, and used those occasions as teaching moments. Of course, one of his most powerful teaching techniques involved the use of parables. Such is the case in today’s lesson. The special occasion in today’s lesson was a Sabbath dinner. The setting was the home of one of the chief Pharisees where Jesus was an invited guest. Jesus observed the behavior of both guests and the host. Jesus saw individuals seating themselves in what was considered the prominent places in the house—or at the table. The scriptures do not reveal how the places were determined but one can imagine that either there was a separate dining place, or the seats closes to the host were the reserved section for special guests. Jesus spoke a parable to them. As one of the guests, Jesus’ parable spoke first of the behavior of guests. The parable spoke of an individual seating himself in a position of honor and later being asked, in front of the other guests, to yield the position to a more honored person. Jesus spoke of the shame associated with such a public request. On the other hand, Jesus talked about taking a lower position as a guest and having the host request you to move to a more honored one as a way of receiving public honor. In other words, the parable taught that seeking recognition for one’s self can lead to public shame while humbling one’s self can lead to public honor. This is a biblical principle that is presented in the book of Proverbs. God even spoke of humbling one’s self as a condition for receiving the answer to one’s prayers. This was part of God’s response to Solomon concerning prayers that would later be made in the Temple. Secondly, Jesus addressed the host in the same parable. The host was admonished to not be guilty of trading favors with others who could return favors. Jesus’ advice was to not invite guests to a dinner who can return the favor by inviting you to their dinner. There is no lasting reward in doing that. When a host invites guests, who are not able to return the favor, then the reward, or payback, of doing so will be received at the resurrection of the righteous. This will be a lasting reward and not a temporary exchange of niceties. Whether one is being catered to or is catering to others, there is an opportunity to serve. The quality of our service is determined by the principles in the parable Jesus presented. No matter our position or lot in life, one will always have the opportunity to be a servant through deed or disposition. When we are being served, or catered to, our disposition will bespeak a humble heart or a heart of pride. When we are hosting others, our guest list speaks volumes about our disposition or perhaps even our misguided intentions. People often use parties for their personal benefit. Jesus taught that parties should be for the benefit of serving others. There is a supper that God has sent invitations to many guests to attend. Let us remember, everyone who receives a calling of God has a calling to serve. Robert C. Hudson February 13, 2019

Called to Sacrifice

March 10, 2019 Background Scripture: Mark 1:16 – 20; Luke 14:25 – 33 Lesson Passage: Mark 1:16 – 20; Luke 14:25 – 33 This can be a very difficult lesson for the times in which we now live. The word sacrifice is rarely applied to one’s life as it relates to a commitment to Christian discipleship today. Today, many would rather find a “convenient” time to participate in or even show up when there is effort being put forth to live out Christian principles through the local church. These principles could involve learning, teaching, serving or some combination of them. Today, time is treated as a premium except when it comes to personal indulgence. Showing up at a Christian group activity is considered a sacrifice of personal time by many even if they had nothing better to do. In the scriptural texts of today’s lesson, Jesus called for sacrificial devotion of one’s self to being his disciple. As we piece together the different narratives of the gospel accounts, it can be noted that Jesus’ disciples were already spending some time with him, but it was on a part-time basis. They kept returning to their previous priorities. Jesus reminded some of them in the first lesson text that he was calling them to a deeper devotion than what they were currently offering. Their reaction seems to indicate they understood what Jesus was saying to them. When they walked away from the family business, it was not the first time Jesus had interacted with them. They were growing in their relationship with Jesus. This growth demanded more personal time than what they were providing. Jesus stated plainly that he was calling them to a totally different daily occupation than what they were accustomed to. They were being called to follow him on a daily basis. In the second passage of scripture, Jesus addressed people in a crowd who were following him but not committed to serving. He did not ask them to commit more fully, but rather, he instructed them as to what true discipleship costs. A true disciple of Jesus would not allow anything or anyone to have priority before devotion to Jesus. This included close relatives and one’s own life. A true disciple must confess that the only reason they have to live is to do the bidding of Jesus. Without Christ, their life is nothing and not worth living. A true disciple must be willing to suffer even to the point of death for Christ’s sake. So, Jesus admonished all who desired to be his disciple to exercise prudence and consider the cost of such a commitment. This kind of commitment is truly sacrificial and cannot be part-time. A call to discipleship is a call to personal sacrifice. This sacrifice is not merely one of inconvenience. Individually, we determine what we consider inconvenient. Jesus determines what is sacrificial. Christians today should embrace the notion that we are not called to different points of inconvenience that we, in turn, label sacrifices. True sacrifice, like true discipleship, takes the conditions out of our hands and accepts what Jesus says about it. If one accepts the call to sacrifice, then one must seek Jesus for the conditions which make one’s life acceptable to him. Robert C. Hudson February 13, 2019