Topic: MISSION: MORE URGENT NOW THAN EVER (part 1)
Text: LUKE 4:17-21
Memory Verse:
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14
Reflection:
Every institution has what they refer to as “Mission Statement”, the purpose for which they exist. So also it is in christianity. Mission for the Christian is what we referred to as “The Great Commision”. Therefore, every christian activity that takes place anywhere and everywhere is toward the fulfilment of the great commission.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19. Here we see that Jesus Christ was anointed, firstly “to preach the gospel”. The anointing of God upon any minister of God is not just for miracles and wonders, it is first “to preach the gospel”, anything outside this is simply misplacement of priority. Miracles, signs and wonders are the after effect of preaching the gospel. Just as Paul outlined it to the Romans; “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:13-14. How can they experience salvation if they have not heard the gospel? And how can they hear without a preacher? That is why Jesus categorically spell it out as in our memory verse that we should “go into all the world and preach”. It is an instruction to all who are saved and not for a set of few “missionaries” as we’ve always believed. We are all missionaries until God’s word which is the power unto salvation gets to every nook and cranny of the earth.
Lesson Outline 1: THE URGENT MISSION
Considering the fact the end is fast approaching and the task is still very enormous, therefore, importance of the urgency of mission can not be over emphasized. As such, it is important to note the following as relates to the urgency of mission.
- The urgent mission given to the believers by Jesus is to Preach Salvation to the sinners/lost (2 Corinthians 6:2).
- The urgency is Today and the time is Now (2 Corinthians 6:2).
- The ministry of Jesus from the beginning to the end centered on Mission, and He was absolutely committed to it (John 4:34).
- Mission is Time bound (John 9:4).
- David compared Mission assignment to the king’s business which requires haste (1 Samuel 21:8).
- Nehemiah’s mission to Jerusalem was likened to the believers mission to the world with a set time (Nehemiah 2:6).
- believer s do not have the whole time to drag feet on this mission as our days are short (Psalm 90:12; James 4:14).
- Harvest season is time-bound and brief (Jeremiah 8:20; John 4:35).
- People are going to hell on daily basis, yet hell is unsatisfied (Isaiah 5:14).
- Every believer, young or old must be involved in evangelism/mission (Matthew 24:14; Luke 10:2).
Lesson Outline 2: ERRORS ASSOCIATED WITH MISSION
Although mission is very important and requires urgency, there must be no room for errors and mistakes. As such, it is important to note the following;
- Great commision is not synonymous with great omission.
- It is error to think that we can embark on mission without the Holy Spirit leading us.
- It is also error to think that we can make disciples without first having converts (Matthew 4:19; 28:19-20).
- It is error to center discipleship effort on other purposes rather than mission/soul winning (Romans 10:13-15).
- True and complete mission outreach involves a good mix of evangelism and discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20).
Conclusion:
Mission assignment is very urgent and must be devoid of errors. May God open our eyes and give us the grace to see and take hold of the opportunities available to us everyday to reach out to the lost and dying souls around us in Jesus name.
