Missional Minded Servants

Whenever I work with people coaching them and helping make plans for ministry, the first thing I ask them to do is write a personal mission statement. What has God called you do? This is a critical exercise that takes time and makes you think and pray.
But what is God’s mission?
Simply put it is this; God’s engagement with God’s world through God’s people for God’s purpose. That purpose is the redemption of all of God’s creation.
In Genesis, before the creation of man, God said, “let us make man in our image”. The “our” of course refers to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From the beginning, He created us to be in a relationship just as the Godhead was in a relationship with each other.
Jesus defined our mission in Matthew 28 when He said, “GO and make disciples”. Whatever role he is calling you to have in your personal mission, it must fit with His mission for all of us.
You cannot be a Jesus follower filled with the Holy Spirit in obedience to the Father if you daily goal is not to make disciples. There are no pew fillers in the kingdom. 
We recently started going through Passport both in Karl’s Sunday sermons and in our small groups. How many people are actually reading the book and doing the devotionals? How many people are memorizing the verses? Even more importantly, how many people are taking what they are learning and disciple others?
As I sit here in Colorado Springs at the Missional Leaders Meeting, God is challenging me in my thinking about small groups. Have they become social groups where people come and get to know each other and get fed some Bible to help them make it to Sunday? Not that there is anything wrong with developing relationships and a sense of family where people can be vulnerable and minister to each other. I’m not saying that. 
However, if our small groups are not discipling people who in turn disciple others, who disciple others, then I feel we are falling short of God’s command.
As Karl reminded us on Sunday, “to hear is to obey”. Praise God for the stories of those of you that are obeying. For the rest of you, the question is, “Why aren’t you making disciples?”
I challenge all of you who read this blog to spend some time with God in prayer and listen to His voice. I further challenge you to then obey what He is telling you to do.
The news is full of mass shootings, hurricanes, earthquakes, wars, and rumors of war. Jesus’ return could be at hand. Do you want to be told “Well done good and faithful servant” or do you want to be like the servant who buried his talent in the ground and when the master came back took it away from him? 
God is challenging me. What is He saying to you?
Pastor Jay

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