YOUR MISSION ON EARTH
The original "Mission Impossible" was a
television series in the 1960’s. The main character was Mr. Phelps. He would
receive a cassette recording (that technology certainly dates this
program) describing a serious and dangerous situation that needed to
be solved. The next to the last statement would begin, "Mr.
Phelps, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is…" By human
standards every mission was virtually impossible. Mr. Phelps
accepted every mission and somehow managed to pull every one off.
In a similar way, Jesus Christ has given a
mission to every person who has received Him by faith as his or her
personal Savior. He doesn’t make anyone do it because only our
voluntary service can please God. At the same time the scripture
clearly reveals that Jesus Christ highly desires that every believer
fulfills the mission that He has for them.
What Is Your Life Mission
Jesus tells us our life mission most simply
and briefly in Acts 1:8, "but you shall receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…even to
the remotest part of the earth."
Our mission is to be a witness of Jesus Christ
wherever we go in our life journey.
How TO Get The Power Jesus Mentioned
When we agree to accept our life mission we ask
Jesus:
- to help us rid our lives of all things we know displease Him.
- to help us live a life pleasing to Him
- to give us the power we need to witness about Him.
- to believe Him to give us the power to do these things.
It is at this point that God’s Holy Spirit, Who
has come to live in us, gives us the power we need. When we do
fail, we ask forgiveness and repeat the same process.
What Does It Mean To Witness
To witness means the same thing that the term
witness means in a court of law. Americans have a strong
interest in court proceedings. A casual survey of the TV programs in
our area lists The People’s Court; Judge Judy; Judge Joe Brown;
Judge Joe Hatchett; Judge Mathis; Judge Miles Lane; Judge B; Curtis
Court; JAG; American Justice; Moral Court; Divorce Court; The
System; Prosecutors/Justice, etc, …and even Night Court. If we
listed the programs featuring the gathering of evidence to be used
in court by government and private agencies it would make a longer
list than we have room to print.
On the stand people are required to swear or
affirm that they will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth. If they answer a question and say something like,
"Well, Joe Smith told me…", the opposing attorney will jump to his
feet and yell, "Objection! Hearsay!" The judge will respond,
"Objection sustained." If any of what Joe Smith told the witness got
into the record the Judge will order it removed because a witness is
only allowed to tell what they know by personal experience.
A witness of Jesus Christ is a person who
truthfully tells what they know from personal experience about what
Jesus Christ has done for them.
When believers have experienced forgiveness of
sins and their spirit made alive to God by the Holy Spirit, they
have the greatest witness to the truth that any human being can
give. This is their personal experience of what Jesus Christ has
done for them. If a person has not experienced forgiveness of sin
and an infusion of spiritual life that has made them children of
God, they don’t have anything to witness about.
Believers who have developed the spiritual
insight of James, who wrote in verse 1:17, "Every good thing
bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights…" have a witness about God’s provision in every
area of their life. But, one who has not identified their financial
income, their material possessions, their happiness in marriage,
their physical health or their strength to cope with afflictions as
coming from God they have no witness to give about what Jesus Christ
has done for them in these areas.
Once again, a witness of Jesus Christ is a person
who truthfully tells what they know from personal experience about
what Jesus Christ has done for them.
How Our Life Mission Differs From Others
ur life mission is unique because the effect of
what Jesus has done in our life is different from the effects of
what He has done for others. If we were to ask 100 people to give a
witness of what Jesus had done in their life, we would be amazed at
the difference. A husband might tell of putting away specific old
habits and beginning new ones. He might speak of how he changed the
way he related to his wife, children, friends, business associates
and even strangers. He might speak of a new burden he felt for
people in specific situations and how he has been impressed to help
them. Should his wife or children witness of what Jesus Christ has
done in their life, it would probably take on a totally different
line of thought.
As a witness of Jesus Christ we simply tell the
truth as to what Jesus Christ has done for us without adding or
taking away anything.
What Jesus Christ did to save us is the same in
every case. He died for our sins on the cross. He was buried and
rose again. He ascended to Heaven to be the Savior of all those who
come to the Father by Him. Every human who accepts by faith His
sacrifice for their sin and receive Him by faith as their Savior
receives forgiveness of sin and acceptance by the heavenly Father.
However, He works differently in every one of us to accomplish our
mission in life of being a witness of Him.
Why Your Mission Is So Important
One. You’ve been given a life saving mission,
-your story. Your mission will save physical lives from the slavery
of sinful habits; from the anguish of bad choices; from the hurt and
regret of broken marriages and other relationships; from the pain
and eventual death of social diseases. Your mission will also save
souls from the condemnation of sin to acceptance into the family of
God.
Wherever the gospel of Christ goes it brings
people into a relationship with God and changes them for the better.
What the apostle Paul wrote believers at Colosse is still true, "since
we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have
for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven,
of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel,
which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is
constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing
in you…" Colossians 1:4-6. Your mission is a life-saving
mission.
Two. Millions of people need to hear the
witness you have to share.
We often hear it said that people are no longer
interested in God, Christ, or the Bible. The fact is that every poll
taken on spiritual matters for many years reveals that Americans are
intensely interested in spiritual matters. Articles in leading
secular magazines confirm this is true.
From Newsweek: "In God We Trust"; "Is
There Life After Death?"; "The Search For The Sacred".
From U.S. News And World Report: "The Last
Days Of Jesus"; "Finding God On Flight 292: Gripping Stories"; "Is
There A Clear View Of Heaven?"; and "Is The Bible Fact or Fiction?".
From Time: "Evil. Does It Exist Or Do Bad
Things Just Happen?"; "Can We Still Believe In Miracles?"; "Who Is
God?"; "Who Is Jesus?"; and one with the face of Jesus on the cover
with the question, "Who Was He?".
Millions of people not only need to hear but are
anxious to hear your witness of what Jesus had done in your life.
How To Begin Your Mission
1. By doing quality work.
Work takes on a totally new meaning when you see
yourself as a reresentative of Jesus Christ. You will find your
heart affirming these words of the Apostle Paul, "And whatever
you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…"
Colossians 3:17. Whether in church ministry or your life mission,
there should be a striving for excellence. Excellence is doing the
best you can what with you have to work with. God wants "Show and
Tell" Christians.
2. By maintaining a positive life.
"Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children
of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world."
Philippians 2:14, 15.
A positive life includes a consistent positive
integrity and positive words that build up rather than tear down.
3. By talking to others about the good news of
Christ.
Talking to others can be very scary when you
first start. But the abounding joy once you begin is illustrated by
the following video clip:
(Video).
Rick Warren tells of a wallpaper hanger who
finishes his work and writes his bill, and then says, "Now you’ve
seen my side job. Let me take five minutes to tell you my real
work." He then pulls out a gospel tract and tells them what Jesus
means to him. Rick also tells of an eye doctor who has replaced the
standard eye chart with "the four spiritual laws" which gives the
plan of salvation.
You feel that you could not do those things. That
was God working in their hearts to fulfill their mission. As God
works in your heart He will show you how to share your witness and
give you the power.
As a personal example, I have asked Howard Simon
to share how God has been working in his heart and how God has
impressed him to share his witness of Christ.
YOUR MISSION ON EARTH
How To Establish A Spiritual Base For Your Life
B – Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for me
and
showed He was coming back to life.
Do you believe that?
A – Accept God’s free forgiveness for my sins.
Are you willing to do that?
S - Switch to God’s plan for my life.
Instead of running my own plan, I'll
switch to God’s plan.
Are you willing to do that?
E - Express my desire for Christ to be the
director,
the manager of my life.
Are you willing to do that?
Those who agree to each point are
encouraged to follow in a prayer asking Jesus to forgive
their sins and to come and live in them as their Savior.
"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward
outsiders, making the most of the opportunity." Colossians
4:5
Copyright © 2002 Thomas E Berry
All Scripture quoted from NKJV unless otherwise noted
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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