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