Mission: Possible
You know, we’re blessed with a pretty fancy place here at The Hill. I liken it to a salt shaker. I'm going to drive home to Indianapolis shortly. I'm going to have supper tonight, and if the green beans need some salt, the only way I'm going to enjoy those green beans is if I pick up the salt shaker and I get the salt out of the salt shaker. Then it's going to flavor those green beans.
Guess what? What did Jesus call us? The salt of the earth. We've got to get out of our multi-million dollar fancy salt shakers in Hilliard, Ohio, and be strong salt to the people who are far from God. That's the mission. The mission isn't about us being waited on hand and foot. The mission is for you and me to become the hands and feet of Jesus and reach people who have no hope.
Jesus said In John chapter 20, right before he went to heaven, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” See, we belong to a sending God. Are we not grateful that God sent His Son into this world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved? Absolutely! And just as God sent his Son, now his Son is sending us. As the Father has sent me, so I'm sending you. In the Great Commission in Matthew 28, right at the end of the Book of Matthew, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…” All authority. He's got more authority than old Satan does. “All authority has been given to me. Therefore go…” How about that? And who said that? Jesus did. “Therefore go. Get out of the salt shaker. And wherever you go to school, work, the family reunion, wherever you go, you make disciples of all people, of all nations, all people groups, immersing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” We call that the Great Commission. We go.
“Oh, I can't do that. That's why we hired Jeremy. He's got to do that. He can chase pagans. That's not my job. That's his job. Why do we pay him?”
No! That's wrong thinking. Because again, if I claim to be a Christian, I must live as Jesus lived. Jesus loved lost people. I must do the same if I'm going to claim to be a Christian. Well, Gary, I can't do that. Well, yeah, you can, because the Great Commission - watch this - comes with a Great Companion. “And surely I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus said that. We many times leave that off. The Great Commission comes with a great companion. Now, Jesus is at the right hand of God. He's in heaven. But when you and I were immersed, when we were baptized, Acts 2:38, two things happened. Our sins were forgiven, washed away by the blood of our Lamb, Jesus Christ. And we received the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, loved one, when you were immersed, you got a roommate who moved in for the rest of your life. You and I are never alone.
Please promise me you won't pray, “Oh, God be with us.” What a silly prayer! Because God then says, “Oh, loved one, I already promised I would never leave you. Will you stop asking me to be with you, please?” He's never going to leave us.
The Great Companion can break our hearts for people who are not yet followers of Jesus. And he can empower us to get out of the salt shaker and reach them. For Jesus Christ, that is a mission not impossible, but entirely possible. Jesus is lord of our mission and God's people.