I was reading this week about Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Homes, who served the court in the early 1900’s. One day he was on a train and when the conductor called for tickets, Justice Holmes couldn’t find his ticket and he seemed very upset. He searched his pockets and fumbled through his wallet without success. The conductor was sympathetic. “Don’t worry, Mr. Holmes,” he said. “The Pennsylvania Railroad will be happy to trust you. When you reach your destination you’ll probably find the tickets and you can mail it to us.” The conductor’s kindness did not put Holmes at ease. He said, “My dear man, my problem is not ‘Where is my ticket?’ but rather ‘Where am I going”’
Unfortunately we are too often just like that. The problem is often that we have no clear direction or picture of where we are going. We lack a defined destination. We lack vision.
We live in uncertain times. Think about it. All around us there is political uncertainty, financial uncertainty, relational uncertainty, and often times even, uncertainty in the church.
Uncertainty, anxiety, and fear could cause us as believers to withdraw, retreat, and simply hold steady until things become more stable.
I believe that we live in the time of the greatest opportunity for followers of Jesus. Here’s why. People are most likely to turn to God when:
1.They are under tension
2.They are in transition
3.They are in trouble.
And right now there is a ton of each going around. Everywhere you turn there is tension, transition, and trouble. Now is the best time to reach people for Christ. Now is the best time to be diligent about evangelism and discipleship.
For far too long the church has been distracted by other things. It’s time for us to rediscover our mission. It hasn’t changed with the changing time. 2,000 years ago Jesus gave us the great commission. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said,
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
As followers of Christ, we are not left without direction, Jesus gives you and me clear instructions. We have our marching orders. The only question is will we obey?
In order to rediscover this mission we have to understand several things:
•The church belongs to Jesus.
I will sometimes inadvertently say “my church” and you probably do the same thing as you talk about the church you attend. But it’s really not my church or your church. The church belongs to Jesus.
•Every member is a minister
God has given spiritual gifts to each believer to be used in this mission. Imagine the impact if every believer stepped out in faith and used what God has given them to further his kingdom purposes.
•The church receives its mission from Jesus
Christ is the head of the church and we are the body. A body can only do what the head suggests and what the head directs. My hands and feet do not operate independently of my mind and if they begin operating independently you know I’ve got some serious health problems.
It is the function of the body of Christ to operate at the direction of its head. We must say, “Lord, I want to understand where you want me and want your church to go.”
Today’s Challenge: The church is not a building, an organization, or a denomination. The church is the people of God. You are the church. Let’s recommit ourselves today to the mission of Jesus. Ask him where and how he wants to use you to fulfill the great commision.
