JMA Newsletter Missions Mid-Month April 2024
The Great Commission in John, the Gospel of the Son of God
John 20:21-23, 21"So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Last month, we looked at the Great Commission of the Son of God, part 1. We are going to stay on the same phrase from v21, but look at a different aspect. Last month, we covered:
1. "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
Connection John 14:16-18
Now for part 2!
2. "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
Purpose Acts 9:6
Acts 9:6, "So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.""
The dramatic Damascus road conversion of Saul of Tarsus is one of my favorite passages. Probably because it is pretty much what happened to me! 40-something years ago, I was a drug addict and on one night, God came into my house, saved me, rescued me, and delivered me from drugs, alcohol, and certain death!
Saul's drug of choice was religion. He was a Pharisee, trained in Judaism beyond all his peers, by his own testimony. And his zeal for his drug of choice drove him to imprison members of the new church, including torture and even putting some to death.
Saul thought he was living his purpose in life. When I was an addict and drunkard, I boldly told anybody who would listen that I did those things because that's who I was. I thought my entire purpose in this life was to be a drunkard.
The entire church in the 1st century was terrorized by Saul. I imagine that he was a sociopath on some level! And imagine what kind of God can look at that individual and think to Himself, 'Hey, I can use that guy...."!!
You know the story: Saul was going to Damascus looking for more victims when he had a sudden encounter with Jesus. Jesus light-bombed the guy right on the road. This was not a drone strike, He didn't mail it in, Jesus came personally! And that's the way He always does. On or about March 15, 1983, He came to my house, personally!
Notice Saul's words in v6, "So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" This question is the secret to the successful Christian life. Lord, what is my purpose? 'Why am I here', or the variant of that is 'why am I still here, and why didn't I get killed like some of my friends?' Finding the honest answer to that question is the first step to finding our God-given purpose in this life.
Here's the point of this mid-month missions study. Each one of us are saved with a purpose. And until we are saved, born again, we cannot know what that purpose is. Sometimes, our purpose is exactly backwards from what we thought. Saul thought his purpose was to destroy the church, but after he had a genuine encounter with Jesus, he discovered his real purpose was to build up the very thing he was trying to tear down.
Jesus started Saul on his discovery journey with a simple step: "Go into town, and wait. I'll send word." That's a paraphrase! My simple step was, "Go to bed," and I slept for the first time in 3-4 years! Purpose is a process, and the discovery of your personal answer to "Lord, what do you want me to do" may differ. God does not give everybody the same job or calling. But, as we go and grow and get healed of the abuses of life, He reveals the part we need as we need it. All we need to do is stay humble and follow Him!
Jesus did not come to work out His own ideas or follow His own heart. John 6:38, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."
And the same goes for us. "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
Jesus, not my own will, but Your will be done, Your kingdom, Your purpose.
Part 3 next month!
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