Jesus told his disciples, “Just as the Father sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21). In the same way that God the Father sent his Son Jesus into the world, Jesus has sent his followers. In other words, Jesus’ followers are carrying on the mission that Jesus started. In order to understand what Jesus has sent us to do, we must look at what God sent Jesus to do.
Jesus said, “I have come in the Name of my Father” (John 5:43). Jesus had the authority of God’s Name standing behind his work. We too, as followers of Jesus, have the Lord’s authority to do what he sent us to do. With God’s authority we can act confidently, knowing that our mandate comes from on high.
Jesus said, “I have come down from heaven not to do my will, but the will of the One having sent me” (John 6:38). Jesus was an ambassador for God using God’s authority to carry out God’s will. All followers of Jesus are expected to be ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal to the world through us (2 Corinthians 5:20).
“For judgment I did not come into this world, but so that those not seeing may see,”Jesus said (John 9:39). The Day of Judgment has not arrived. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to bring sight to the blind, which is a picture of lost people finding salvation. We need not condemn the world. It stands condemned already. Like Jesus, we bring light into a dark place.
“The thief does not come except to kill and to steal and to destroy,” said Jesus, “I have come so that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Like Jesus, we address a world that is endangered by an Enemy who causes only destruction and death. As ambassadors for Christ we help people escape eternal destruction and enjoy abundant life.
Jesus also said, “I am Light come into the world so that everyone trusting in me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). When people put their trust in Jesus Christ they cross over from death to life, from darkness to light. Trusting Jesus is the doorway to abundant life. We serve the Lord by encouraging people to put their trust in Jesus in order to find eternal salvation.
When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, accused as a criminal even though he was innocent, threatened with death even though he gave new life to so many, he told the Roman governor his life mission. “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, that I may testify to the Truth” (John 18:37). What Jesus did, we do. Our focus is to testify to the Truth, God’s unchanging Truth revealed in the Bible.
As a part of your local church, you can participate in our God-authorized and God-empowered missions in a variety of ways. You can learn more about sharing the faith through personal evangelism training. You can serve where people’s physical needs are met in hopes of sharing God’s Truth with them. You can join your state or foreign missions and reach out to other communities and other countries with the Truth.
Through your participation, your support, and your prayers, you enable us to do what Jesus did. We testify to the unchangingTruth of God to a world that desperately needs a sure foundation for life and for eternity. Jesus was right. The thief is busy killing, stealing, and destroying, but we come to tell people about abundant life.
May the love of Christ compel us to go and tell the Good News,
Brother Richard Foster, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR
brotherrichardsblog.com 