Jeremiah 1:4-10; Acts 2:1-11; John 20:19-23
MISSION
Mission is a task or assignment given to an individual or group of people mostly involving movement. It can be said to be a vocation or calling to fulfill an assignment. Out of this word comes "the Missionary" - which is one who is sent on a religious assignment to promote Christianity through ministries of services such as education, literacy, social advocacy, health care, economic development and etc. According to Rev. Dr. Ansong, to be empowered for mission is to be granted the vision to see where real spiritual impact is needed. Mission is basically all that God created and sent you and I on earth to do for Him. It is a call to others.
CALLED TO MISSION
Individuals receive the special call for the task of the mission. Jer. 1:4-5, God gives the time He called Jeremiah, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
Jeremiah had the call to mission yet he didn't know until the Word of God came to him (Jer. 1:4). Do you your call?
Ezekiel was called in exile Ezekiel 1:1-3. In 2:3, He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious pagans who have rebelled against Me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against Me to this day." Ezekiel 2:3 (HCSB)
Whiles in exile, a state of rejection, denial, frustration, confusion and oppression, God called him to mission after revealing His glory to him (Eze. 1:4-28)
Does it matter what you are going through or who you think you are? God's call looks beyond that.
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He commissioned His disciples to carry on His work, as he told them, “repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Lk 24:47-48). He had transformed them, He had nurtured them, He had trained them for three (3) years, He had sent them on missions under His physical supervision, and now they (disciples) were on their own.
They locked themselves with fear of the Jewish religious leaders. They had a mission yet locked themselves. Have you locked yourself up for any reason which may sound so tangible to you? God wants you out.
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”" John 20:19-21 (NIV)
Beloved, even in their state of fear God sent them. The ability to see and work on other's needs is a mission. Anything your hands find to do, do it as you're doing for God. You may have been specially called into religion, politics, marketing, civil service, security services, entrepreneurship, kingship, what have you for mission purposes. See it us your mission to fulfill on earth. (Eph. 2:10)
THE NEED FOR GOD'S EMPOWERMENT FOR MISSION
Jeremiah protested on his mission as a prophet of God by saying, “Oh no, Lord, GOD! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth.” Jeremiah 1:6 (HCSB)
God took away his complexes by empowering him saying, "Do not say, “I am only a youth,” for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of anyone, for I will be with you to deliver you... Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with My words." Jeremiah 1:7-9 (HCSB)
Isaiah felt near death when he saw and heard from God. He said, "...Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts." Isaiah 6:5 (HCSB)
Isaiah received his empowerment and cleansing when "...one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed and your sin is atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Who should I send? Who will go for Us? I said: Here I am. Send me." Isaiah 6:6-8 (HCSB)
You and I cannot embark on any successful mission when we have not been fully empowered.
The disciples went into hibernation after Christ's crucifixion. They locked themselves, taking on the atmosphere around them, they went back to fishing (John 20:19, 21:3).
How could they - fearful, full of complexes, with mere human flesh do divine work (mission)? There is a need for divine empowerment. Jesus said to them, “...stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Lk. 24:49). For this to be done, they needed to “...be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5). Jesus said to them, "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (HCSB)
"When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech." Acts 2:1-4 (HCSB)
For successful completion of Mission, there is an absolute need for divine empowerment. Failure lies ahead of the un-empowered mission.
To be empowered for mission is to be called and sent, educated, informed, to be spiritually mind and remain focused.
THE EMPOWERED MISSION
What do we see in the empowered mission?
- The empowered mission has authority over nations and kingdoms. Uproot and tear down, destroy and demolish all that Satan has sown into this world breeding corrupt generation. The empowered mission then build and plant in place, the Christ led life and set an example for everyone to follow (Jeremiah 1:10).
- Empowered mission knows no fear but boldness as co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15, Jer. 1:8)
- Empowered mission reaches people without barriers with a great surprise (Acts 2:7-8)
- Empowered mission operates under divine authority (John 20:23)
- Empowered mission is time-bound. It's commissioned before birth and fulfilled before death (Jer. 1:5). The mission is carried out only while we are here on earth, after death is judgment.
CONCLUSION
Let's rise up for mission under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
