In preparation for the upcoming international HRTWAM teen camp January 17-27, 2019, I’ve been looking at the subjects of missions and mission. At times they may seem unrelated, but they manage to cross paths over and over again. Before defining those terms, I would like us to start off with two question. Who are we, and what are we here for? Stop reading and take a few moments to think about that.
This is why it becomes very important to properly define missions and mission. In the book of Matthew chapter 28 verses 18-20, we find Y’shua giving His students a mission. He sends His talmidim (students) with authority to bear His image and deliver the same message. I’ll touch on that in a moment, but let’s continue.
What does mission mean? Mission actually resides in your purpose. If we aren’t walking out our purpose in life, it becomes difficult to complete our mission. The simple way I understand mission is the overall assignment to complete a purpose. When the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob created the Universe, He gave purpose to everything within His creation. As part of that creation, we’ve been given an assignment (mission) to complete a purpose. How are we doing? How much fruit are we reproducing?
What does missions mean? When the word mission is mentioned, it usually brings to mind the word missions. You think of maybe someone who plants churches in a foreign country. Possibly someone who founded and directs an orphanage in a foreign country. Missions is viewed as some type of cross-cultural work of the body of Y’shua. That is a very broad definition, but missions isn’t confined to planting a church, running an orphanage, going on a short term trip overseas, or even going overseas to preach. “Missions” happens daily!
One reoccurring theme in scripture with missions is the notion of being sent to accomplish something. Here are a few places the Scriptures where we see people being sent to complete a mission. Joseph was sent to preserve life (Gen. 45:7). Moses was sent to deliver a people and lead a nation (Ex. 3:10). Elijah was sent to be shape the future of international politics (1 Kings 19: 15 – 18). Jeremiah was sent to proclaim YHVH’s word (Jer. 1:7). Y’shua was sent to preach, proclaim, restore, and loose the oppressed (Lk. 4:16). Y’shua’s talmidim were sent to preach and demonstrate the delivering power of the Kingdom of YHVH (Matt. 10:5-8). Paul and Barnabas were sent to help other fellowships
out with famine relief (Acts 11:27-30) while later they were sent to evangelize and plant more fellowships (Acts 13:1-3). While the examples continue, there can be many facets to being sent. Where have you been “sent”, and what have you been sent to do?
What about YHVH? Does He have a mission?
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Y’shua as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:9-10
The mission of YHVH from creation to new creation as told throughout Genesis to Revelation involves the Almighty healing, restoring, redeeming, and unifying His creation through Y’shua the Messiah. The awesome thing with His mission is that it involves ALL of creation and ALL nations, and it’s ALL centered on Y’shua the Messiah. In other words, you and I have a place and a role (mission) to fulfill in YHVH’s mission.
I want to encourage each one of you to fulfill your assignment (mission). Stop looking at missions as something a “missionary” does or is called to do. If we get technical, we are all “missionaries” in some shape or form. The Creator of the universe created us and called us out of where we were at in order to set us apart to make a difference for Him. That’s mission and missions.
Some of the characters I mentioned previously didn’t have a clue of the impact that they would have on society and the future of YHVH’s Kingdom. Some of them were even unwilling at first, but they went on to fulfill their assignment and the history books are still talking about them thousands of years later. What will history say of your deeds or even mine?
We’ve been called and sent forth to administer life to those who come across our paths (1Pet. 4:10). It’s that simple. The more we walk out our mission, the clearer it becomes to see how important missions really are to the Kingdom of YHVH.
Blessings and shalom.
