The Mission

About this sermon

Introduction: Salvation imparts purpose. Salvation imparts ministry responsibility. This is something often missing in the average Christian’s understanding. Christianity, in the minds of far too many people, refers to something God has done that is personal, and private, and for the betterment of one’s own life. It has little reference to lives of others. If I asked you, today, what salvation means for you — what it means for your personally — I have no doubt that you would talk about forgiveness. I have no doubt that you would talk about eternal life. I have doubt that you would talk about the transformation of your spiritual condition, which means love for God, love for truth, love for righteousness, and even for love for His church. But what often comes to mind at the very end of such a list, if it comes to mind at all, is that salvation means that you now have a ministry purpose to fulfill. DOES THAT USUALLY MAKE YOUR LIST? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN CONVERSION, DOES MINISTRY PURPOSE HOLD A PROMINENT PLACE IN THE GREAT WORK THAT GOD HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE? God’s purpose for saving us takes many different things into account, but one thing that can’t be left out is that He saved us to make use of us. That’s why every child of God has been given a spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts are not given for personal edification, they are given for the profit others. 1 Corinthians 12:4–7 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. We have examined what Paul said about his message. We now examine how he describes his ministry — how he describes his mission. We will examine it under four headings. (1) The Mission’s Reception (2) The Mission’s Purpose (3) The Mission’s Field of Operation (4) The Mission’s Result THE MISSION’S RECEPTION (vs.5a) Paul is going to describe the mission (the ministry assignment) that has been entrusted to him. But before he describes it, he tells us how he received it. The “we” is almost certainly a literary plural. Everything about the context says that Paul is talking about himself. His message centers on the Lord Jesus Christ. He declares the Jesus who was descended from David, according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God in power, by the resurrection from the dead. That same Jesus TOOK HOLD OF PAUL. Philippians 3:12 12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. God has done something wonderful in the life of Paul, and He has done this through His Son. This is how Paul’s ministry began. This is how Paul’s mission was communicated to him. It was at the moment of his conversion that a new PURPOSE was made known to Paul. For Paul, grace and apostleship, were both received from the same person and at the same time. PAUL’S SALVATION MEANT SERVICE. PAUL’S DELIVERANCE MEANT A NEW DEDICATION. In Paul’s mind, and in reality, these things are joined. Some would translate this, “gracious apostleship,” because that is the sense of Paul’s words. He is describing his ministry, his mission, but he can’t describe it apart from salvation. When Christ saved him, when Jesus took hold of his life, He also made known to Paul what salvation would mean in terms of ministry. This is what the Lord said to Ananias concerning Paul. Acts 9:15–16 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Now, Paul’s calling is unique. That’s the point that he’s making at the beginning of this letter. He is an apostle by the choice of Christ. BUT THERE IS A PRINCIPLE IN PAUL’S CALLING THAT SPEAKS TO US OF OUR CALLING. Every one of us has been saved to serve. Christ took hold of us, and there’s something He means to do with us — during this age, for the sake of His name, for the good of His people, for the advancement of the gospel. God’s deliverance of us, means OUR dedication. Salvation includes purpose. Salvation includes ministry. THIS IS WHY WE ALL HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SPIRITUAL GIFT. Note: Be honest with yourself. When you contemplate salvation, how much of your thoughts go to the matter of service — MINISTRY? To put it another way. How many professing Christians are doing NOTHING in the way of ministry, and how does that square with what we see in Paul and the other apostles?