The Gift: The Mission Of The Church

This afternoon, as we celebrate the calling of a pastor with the specific tasks of mission and pastoral care, of evangelism and love, of reaching out and caring within, we turn once again to the story of Jesus. We consider:

1) The mission of the Son is the mission given to him by his Father. The mission of Jesus is to be sent by the Father into the world:

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Lk 5: 31).

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19: 10).

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3: 17)

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10: 10).

2) The mission of the Son is the mission of the church. Jesus prayed, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (Jn 17: 18). Earlier on he said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide” (Jn 15:16).

3) The mission of the church is to obey the Son and to teach others to be his disciples:

“Go therefore into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28: 20).

“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us” (I Jn 3: 23).

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets” (Mt 7: 12).

“Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Mt 26)

Believe and love. That is our charge. Call others to belief and love. Do to others as you would have them do to you. What you do to the least, or don’t do, you have done to me.

4) Enacting our mission occurs within a context. Our work takes place within the story of the Son. Only within his story does our mission have meaning. In particular:

a) The glory of Christ is the glory of the church (Jn 17: 22)—

• glory of suffering the rejection of the world (Jn 15: 20-21)
• glory of “taking up our cross and following him” (Mk 8: 34)
• glory of dying daily (I Cor 15: 31)
• glory that “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2: 20)
• the glory of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1: 27).

b) The joy of Christ is the joy of the church. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves (Jn 17: 13).

What is that joy of Jesus?

He told his disciples on the eve of his death, “Truly, truly I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy…. I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16: 20-22).

The joy of Jesus is that though he dies, yet shall he live. Though the darkness encloses him, it cannot conquer him. He will rise and never die again. Life wins. Forgiveness wins. Love wins.

The joy of Jesus is his resurrection. But more, the joy of Jesus is that he returns to his Father. He completed his course, he remained faithful through death. He was vindicated in resurrection. He returned to his Father with our redemption won. Joy has conquered despair.

This is the joy he gives to us. He has returned. We will see him again.

c) The history of Christ is the foundation of the church and her mission.

“Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (Jn 17: 5).

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (Jn 17: 24).

d) The future of Christ is the hope of the church.

“Father I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (Jn 17: 24-25).

He wants us to be with him.

“I go to prepare a place for you…. I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also…. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (Jn 14: 2-3, 18).

Our hope is as secure as Jesus’ place in heaven. Our joy is as real as where Jesus is, in our humanity, in our name and on our behalf.

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf” (Heb 6: 19).

He is our reconciliation, our peace, our life—and he is safely through, at his Father’s side.

Thus, The identity of the church is enfolded in the eternal history of love between the Father and the Son. We are the gift of Father to Son and Son to Father.

The goal of the church is to be where Christ is, with him in the glory of the Father, Son and Spirit.

The work of the church is caught up in the history of Jesus, sent from the Father to redeem and save the world, returning to his Father to prepare a place for his bride.

5) The time of the church is the time between Christ’s departure and his return. The ascension marks the age of the church. This is the time for the mission of the church to be enacted. This is the time and space and breathing room for the world to repent and believe the gospel.

“Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain…. Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6: 1-2).

“Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion’” (Heb 3: 13-15).

“Your faith in God has gone forth everywhere…. how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (I Thess 1:8-10).

“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable…so they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (I Pet 2: 12).

6) Summary: Within the history of Jesus, we enact our mission.

Within his eternal life with the Father before the foundation of the world and his life in the glory of his Father unto eternity, we enact our mission.

Within his return to his Father and his return to us from heaven, we have our time of mission.

“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us” (I Jn 3: 23).

Love and discipleship, seeking and saving the lost, doing unto the least and doing unto one another. Going to the ends of the earth and loving within the family. Without and within, the church enacts the life of the Son for the sake of the world.

This sermon first appeared in Theology Matters, Vol. 13, No. 3 (May/Jun 2007).