Discipleship Project, Week 5, Day 5
DAY 5
MISSION IS MORE THAN EVANGELISM.
In John 20:21 Jesus said, As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. We are sent on a mission which along with sharing the gospel includes others aspects of ministry like community service, and acts of Christ-like love and mercy as we represent Christ in our culture and community.
When Jesus began his public ministry He spoke about the broader impact of his mission and ours. In Luke 4:16-21 it says: He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus spoke about this in a powerful way in Matthew 25. He is describing a day of judgment. He pictures himself praising people for caring for the poor but he puts it personally. In Matthew 25:35 He says: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ The people he’s praising all ask Him, when did we do this? In verse 40 He says, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ It’s very likely that Jesus is speaking with the prophecy of Isaiah in mind because he mentions the stranger, the hungry and the naked.
Part of our discipleship is to embrace this broader dimension of the mission of Jesus. Stop and think about this aspect of your mission as a follower of Christ. What are some ways you can take part in the larger mission of Christ in the world? How might you be involved in a ministry of community service, in acts of Christ-like love and mercy, representing Christ in our culture and community.
With today’s lesson we’ve covered the four most basic disciplines or habits for healthy spiritual growth and discipleship: 1.) The Word, 2.) Prayer, 3.) Fellowship, and 4.) Mission. The goal now is to build these habits into your daily life for the rest of your life.
Larry is the senior pastor at 
It was such a pleasure to be a part of this class! I am sorry that I missed the last class–not feeling well that day, but wanted you to know Larry that I truly appreciate your devotion to us and your knowledge of the Bible. This really caused me to look at myself and how serious I am about being a Christ follower. I need a lot of work, but also think I’ve come a long way from what I once was. I enjoyed our small group atmosphere and hope to do another class real soon.
Yea Dawn! We all need a lot of work – let’s not be discouraged but press on. We have two more weeks to complete the project but there are no more daily lessons. Just live as a disciple of Jesus. If you can come next Wednesday. Peace, Larry
I thank God daily for the beauty of communicating with Him, or should I say Him with me. It is wonderful to see results of prayer with people placed in your path for encouragement, needs to be met, and questions to be answered. DO I respond perfectly to all. OH, how I wish I ‘could’. So, I will follow the plan of being in the Word, prayig, staying in fellowship and following the ‘mission. and, I pray earnestly, at 54 years of age, that he will help me connect a name with a face to make all who he allows me to meet to know they are ‘especial’ and cared for.