PEOPLE ON A MISSION

PEOPLE ON A MISSION

Matthew 28:18-20 - Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in a 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.”

Even though I have more than150 channels on my TV, nothing good ever seems to be on! It seems to me on most nights that no matter how many stations I click to it’s always a bad choice. A few weeks ago I was doing what most men do—I was in my nothing box, mindlessly flipping through the TV channels—and there it was, a classic movie with significance: THE BLUES BROTHERS, starring Dan Ackroyd and the late John Belushi.

Through a strange mixture of religion and zaniness (things that are too complex to go into here!) two brothers, Jake and Elwood, set out to raise funds for a group of nuns. They decide to accomplish this task by getting their old band together again after a long period of inactivity. As they contact each of the former members of the band, they have a message: "We're on a mission from God."

There is no limit to what people can accomplish when they are on a mission from God! Jesus called his twelve disciples together: Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Jesus gave these men authority to drive out evil spirits, to heal every disease and sickness, and to preach the kingdom of God. They were truly on a mission from God.

I think that it is pretty remarkable that the twelve disciples worked so well together considering the significant differences between them. Philip was a scholar. Matthew was a tax collector, (considered as a traitor by most people). Simon (the Canaanite) was a member of a nationalist group, the Zealots. Judas Iscariot was not even from Galilee, but was an out-of-towner who most likely brought his own customs into the group. Have you ever stopped to think about what bound them together? Only this: They were on a mission from God!

As we read the Bible, the characters often seem larger than life. Sometimes I think we need to stop and take a look at the kind of people God chooses.

GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE.

The first thing we need to recognize is that God doesn't use the most talented people, God doesn't use the most beautiful people, and God doesn't use the most articulate people. The kind of people that God generally seems to use is ordinary people, people like you and me.

I can think of many reasons why God would not want you and me to serve Him--reasons having to do with our many and various inadequacies. However, we're in good company: Abraham was too old. David was too young. Moses stuttered. Hosea's wife was a prostitute. Elijah was depressed. Jonah ran from God. Noah got drunk. Jacob was deceitful. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Solomon was too rich. Naomi was a poor widow. John the Baptist was too stern. In many people's eyes, Jesus was too lenient. Martha was a worrywart. Mary seemed lazy. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on their adversaries. Peter was afraid of death. Lazarus WAS dead. Thomas doubted. But God used them every one of them.

I guess what I’m trying to communicate is that in the end, it’s not our résumé that impresses God—in fact, He doesn’t even look at it. God isn't checking out your pedigree and He doesn’t send for a copy of your SAT’s. What God is look for is our devotion and our willingness to go the extra mile with Him. We’re on a mission from God! He’s got things for us to do—work to do; promises to apprehend; battles to fight.

And here is the best part: He promises to be with us, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.