1^st Sunday in March (Week 10) Christian’s Mission (2 Corinthians 4:1 – 6:13; Jonah; Acts 13:1 – 15:35 and 2 Corinthians)

Overview

Perhaps the best metaphor to describe the church … and the missionaries that proceed from the church … is that we are “earthen vessels” that contain a “great treasure”. The image would not be lost on ancient people, because they routinely transported expensive wine, grain, incense, and other products in clay amphorae in the hold of a ship. The church and the individual missionary are just ordinary people, delivering a priceless treasurer. In modern language, we might say that the church is just rusty metal cargo container, transferred from truck to truck, and ship to ship, that contains the priceless treasure of eternal life. That container may be damaged … and indeed it probably will be damaged in the course of transportation … but all that really matters is that the Gospel gets to where it is needed.

Team Meditation

The story of Jonah is an object lesson for egocentric church leaders. Basically, Jonah didn’t want to rescue the people of Nineveh, and even after he was forced to do so he couldn’t celebrate success. A good many church people … church board members … are Jonahs. Deep in their hearts they don’t want to bring the Gospel to “those people”, and when they finally do their duty they cannot celebrate success. Fundamentally, they never liked “those people”, and never will like “those people”, and even if “those people” are rescued and come to church they will do their best to limit them to “their worship service” and restrict them to “their portion” of the building. And God says to all the Jonahs: “Since when did your opinion matter? You are just a vessel to be sent here or there as the Lord commands. You aren’t a treasure, and never were a treasure, because only God’s grace is the real treasure.

Worship Theme

2 Corinthians 5:16-20   ¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer.  ¹⁷ Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.  ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  ²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

In the divine point of view, every human being is a potential saint. That’s all that really matters. Our habit is to sort human beings demographically into diverse ages, races, income brackets, marriage relationships, households, professions, and tastes. Some we like, some we don’t like, and we naturally gravitate to the people who look like us. When we become a “new creation” in Christ, we see the world in an entirely different and utterly unselfish light. They are potential saints. They are strangers to grace, but we can help them transform. We are like ambassadors from the Great King, whose strategy is not attend meetings at the United Nations building, but rather walk the streets of New York and every other city bringing Christ to every passerby.

“Hello! Be reconciled to God!” We repeat the same thing, over and over again, in every chance encounter or strategic meeting. “Hello! Let me introduce you to Christ! Be reconciled with God!” We are not there to evaluate other people, approve or disapprove of their habits. We are not even there to befriend them. We are there to invite them to reconcile with God who sent us.

Small Group Discussion

How often do we lose heart? Are we in danger of losing heart now? Count the ways in the past week when you personally have been afflicted … and allowed yourself to be crushed; or perplexed … and fallen into despair; or persecuted … felt forsaken; or victimized … and watched your best intentions be destroyed. How often were you confronted by adversity, and stepped back, gave up, or ran away.

The courage to endure is not something you can teach in a classroom. It comes from utter allegiance to a higher purpose, and the stubborn unwillingness to tarnish the treasure that we carry inside of us. No matter how beaten down we may feel, Christ has been there before us and is there now with us. The life of Jesus infuses our life, and gives us strength to persist.

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2^nd Sunday in March (Week 11) Christian’s Mission (Acts 16; Micah 4:1-7; Acts 15:36 – 16:40 and Philippians)

Overview

The Christian’s mission is both internal and external. The Great Commission and the Great Commandment are two sides of the same coin. The call to go deep into Christ, and far in mission with Christ, lead inevitably into each other. So, the Christian mission involves the self-discipline of a spiritual life (inward mission to overcome temptation and selfishness), and the self-discipline of constant outreach to redeem the world (outward mission).

Team Meditation

It seems so simple. The Lord requires doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God. Yet the challenge can be very hard. Justice can seem so ambiguous; kindness can be very hard in the face of oppression; and humility does not come naturally to the human ego. This is why Christian apostles always traveled in teams or companionships, so that they could challenge and support one another in the difficult task of spiritual life. The inward journey demands considerable courage, but also wisdom and patience.

Worship Theme

When modern people read Acts 16, they generally focus on the most outward miracles … the healing of the slave girl and the earthquake the opened the prison. Interestingly, ancient Christians thought little of these things. Miraculous healings and earthquakes were not unknown, and were not simply dismissed as irrational. Miracles were expected … almost commonplace. The real miracle, in their eyes, was the transformation of the jailer. He symbolized how even persecutors of the faith could be changed and forgiven by the grace of God. The jailer represented official authority … and one day even Rome would submit to the name of Christ. The jailer’s question “What must I do to be saved?” is the question that the apostles knew lay deep in the heart of every seeker, and the answer “Believe in the name of Jesus” is the answer they knew would work. The 5^th century scholar Bede said simply: “A beautiful exchange … for them he washed the sounds from their blows, and thrugh them he was relieved of the wounds of his own guilt acts” (Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 16.33).

Small Group Discussion

Lydia’s small group in Philippi would become a significant church, and it was all due to her leadership and that of her friends. Yet even they began to slow down as the church became established. Like so many church institutions, even Philippi began to rest on its laurels. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is an exhortation not to stop … to keep going … to press on for the higher calling to follow Christ into mission. Ask your small group leader to obtain ten year charts following the trends for pledging, giving to mission, membership, and worship participation over the past 10-12 years. What do you see? Consider what would happen to your church if the leadership received such a letter from Paul. Re-write the 3^rd chapter of Philippians as if it were being addressed specifically to your church.

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3^rd Sunday in March (Week 12) Christian’s Mission (John 13:1-35; Isaiah 55:1-13; Acts 17-18 and Mathew 25 and 27, and John 6 and 13)

Overview

“Go and do likewise.” Mission emerges from the imitation of Christ. Jesus literally models for us … shows us … what to do. So many people ask, “What do you mean by mission?” In a sense, it is very plain to see. If we just follow Jesus’ example literally, we find ourselves in mission. In another sense, it is only plain to see when your heart is in the right place. Jesus’ acts are often symbolic … like feeding the five thousand, or healing the blind man by the Bethsaida Pool, or washing the disciples’ feet. We realize that there is more to it that literally doing good deeds. Giving away salvation is more than survival. It has also to do with our deepest hopes and dreams. Mission is about connecting the deepest yearnings of an individual with the concrete hope of God.

Team Meditation

Mission is about “going forth” into the world, in the name of Christ. Every morning when you commute to work, you “go forth”. Every day you walk to school, you “go forth”. Every occasion when you shop, or exercise, or play, you “go forth”. Mission means that every single opportunity in which you “go forth” should be in companionship with Jesus. “Going forth” should be filled with God’s purposes, not just your own purposes. You are representing God … or perhaps better to say re-presenting God … over and over again. The custom of a faithful Jew would be to touch the “mezuzah” at their front door whenever exiting or entering. It contains the words “Here O Israel, the Lord your God is one God …”. Faithful Christians have a mission tied to their identity. They touch Christ in order to share Christ. They “go forth” a companion, not just a memory.

Worship Theme

John 13:6-8   ⁶ He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"  ⁷ Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand."  ⁸ Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me."

The Gospel of John always takes mission to a hidden depth. The other Gospels tend to model mission as exactly what it is … healing, feeding, vindicating, peacemaking, and so on. The Gospel of John takes the mission into more supernatural realms. The human predicament is more serious that physical hunger, thirst, nakedness, imprisonment, or poverty. Eliminate all these things, and we are still in despair. Indeed, the reason we cannot eliminate all these social evils is that there is a deeper root of evil that must be overcome. Thus, John’s Gospel tells the story of the footwashing. What does it mean? What is Jesus really commanding when tells the disciples to go and wash one another’s feet? There is some deeper cleansing that is implied here, something beyond daily significance. It is of eternal significance.

We must not only be forgiven for our bad deeds, but we must be cleansed of our shameful hearts. We are dirty inside. This is why sin is so often described as a “stain” that cannot be removed, no matter how hard we scrub our souls with good deeds. Only Christ can do it. So when Peter realizes that this idea of “soul washing” is tied to participation with his beloved Jesus, he wants to immerse himself entirely. His love and his yearning are so great. And it is great among the yearning, suffering humanity as well. Help them experience the cleansing power of God that removes the stain of pervasive sin. Remove any barrier between humans and God, and we shall, at last, be satisfied.

Small Group Discussion

Paul’s preaching to the Athenians (Acts 17) provides a basic template that guides all Christian dialogue with the pagan world. However, the first barrier to contemporary Christians wondering how to share the Gospel to others is that we must realize that we are indeed living in a PAGAN world of many Gods and competing spiritualities like the Athenians. By the time of Paul, Athenians had grown overconfident in rationalism, and treated the gods with public skepticism and even mockery … much like today. Yet beneath that surface materialism, there was still profound superstition and people still worshiped their selfish desires as “gods”. Make no mistake … every person around worships one or more gods, even if they can’t put a name to it.

The template was first explained by Bede the Venerable at the turn of the 7^th century. First, emphasize that there is only one God. Only one things can be a truly “ultimate concern” if it is really ultimate. Second, help people see that ultimate concern cannot be contained in any “thing” … it cannot be contained in an object, budget, property, or anything tangible since all of these can and will perish. Third, he connects God with the deepest and most profound yearnings that we have for the Good, the Beautiful, and the True. Fourth, he attributes our failure to satisfy such yearnings stems from our own errors, inadequacies, and ignorance and says that repentance (humbly changing our ways) is the first step toward real faith. Fifth, he speaks of Jesus more as human than divine, showing how the purity and compassion of his life reveals the true God. And finally, and only lastly, does he explain that unity in Christ as divine is the real hope, since even with the example of Jesus we cannot achieve salvation alone.

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4^th Sunday in March (Week 13) Christian’s Mission (Ephesians 2:1-22 and 6:10-20; Ezekiel 36:37 – 37:28; Acts 19-20 and John 20 and 1 Corinthians and Ephesians)

Overview

The chief problem with mission is not that it isn’t understandable, but that it is often unendurable. The more rigorous we try to be imitating Christ, the more we assailed by temptations, blocked by obstacles, and even resisted by enemies. It is like many vocations. To the outsider, the medical vocation to heal seems quite straightforward. Who would not enjoy it? Who would want to block it? Who would even attempt to resist it? Yet to the insider, the realities are very different. It is often wearying and not enjoyable. There are many obstacles from governments, corporations, and other self-interest groups. And surprisingly, there are many people who prefer to be sick than healthy! No wonder many medical students avoid healing altogether, and just do research. It is the same with Christian mission. No wonder so many seminary students avoid mission altogether, and just do theology!

Team Meditation

It is not hard to imagine the battlefield that the prophet is observing … the dead bodies, the destruction, the tragedy. There are many such battlefields today. To the missionary (which is to say, the Christian, for all members are called to be missionaries), live can seem like a spiritual battlefield. We have tried to imitate Christ, and found ourselves in the same predicament as Christ. So when our bones feel like dust, and the life seems to have been drained from us, we need to turn to God for New Life. Look for the breath of God to blow into your life, your lifestyle, your depression, and your pain. Remain still, even unmoving, and wait for it. God’s healing power will sew you back together, mind, body, and soul, so that you will rise up and follow the Lord once again.

Worship Theme

No one is more unwelcome than a peacemaker in a war-torn, hate-filled world. People from both sides and all sides will take a shot at you. Therefore, if you are intent to follow Jesus in the ministry of reconciliation, you need to protect yourself. Paul’s image in Ephesians helps you equip yourself for the mission field. You wear the whole armor of God.

• Protect your guts, your intuition, with Truth … the conviction that Christ is Lord.
• Protect your heart, your emotion, with Righteousness … the habits of Christian compassion.
• Protect your feet, your mobility, with Peace … constantly maneuvering toward reconciliation.
• Protect your whole self with Faith … the certainty of God’s grace.
• Protect your head with Salvation … the hope that God watches over you and will redeem you.

Do not go into mission without a spiritual weapon. It is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. More than just the words of the Bible, it is God’s own Spirit that defends you in the contest of words, ideologies, rival claims, and accusations.

Small Group Discussion

Acts 20:29-32   ²⁹ I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;  ³⁰ and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.  ³¹ Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.  ³² And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

As we read the Acts of the Apostles, we see that Paul’s life and mission became increasingly dangerous. His very success in city after city motivated rivals and opponents to resist him all the harder when he moved forward in mission. Study the stress and strain of his missionary life in Acts 19 and 20. How does it resemble your own struggles as individuals or as a church to be faithful to God’s mission?

Finally, Paul sensed that a time of final trial had come. He leaves for Jerusalem, suspecting that a final crisis will emerge that might carry him away in unknown directions. Sometimes we come to that place in the church. We sense that the next step in mission may be the most perilous of all. Where will the dangers come from? What will we do? How do we prepare ourselves?

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