God's Will Is Not LostSample

Jesus' words before He ascended into heaven are often shared in the context of missions - whether a short-term trip or a long-term placement. But these words were actually His charge to all believers.

It gets confusing because most translations translate Matthew 28:19 as "Go, therefore and make disciples..." But a more accurate translation from the Greek here would actually be, "As you go, make disciples..."

See how that changes things? Jesus' command to us is to make disciples. He assumed as we lived our lives, we would be going. We don't simply go to one place for a short period of time and merely call that a mission trip. Our entire lives are meant to be a mission trip to earth.

If you have a piece of paper, take a few moments and define your mission field. (It shouldn't be hard - just list the places you currently go! Work, your kids' schools and sports team, your neighborhood, your favorite coffee shop and restaurant, etc.)

Here's the most exciting part to bring Jesus' charge to life: Going back to the night Jesus ended up on trial, He was praying in the garden, waiting to be betrayed by Judas. The passage you read in John is actually the prayer He prayed for you and for me. I pray we never get over His unfathomable love and grace that before He faced His excruciating death on the cross, we were on His mind.

Re-read John 17:18: "As You [God the Father] sent Me [Jesus] into the world, I [Jesus] also have sent them [all believers] into the world."

The same authority that sent Jesus into the world sends us into the world.

Two questions we can ask ourselves often:

1) Am I living sent?

2) Am I making disciples?

So many times when we think about God's will, our minds drift to a personal assignment. Personal assignments certainly exist. (More on this in the next two days!) But I know for me, personal assignments are always wrapped up in this general assignment He has given to all of us until He returns.

As you go, live sent.

God, thank You for sending Jesus to earth to save me. Help me to live sent in the same way. Pour me out for Your mission. Help me to live for You every place You take me. I want to be a disciple by being a disciple-maker. I love You. Amen.