God is known by God’s work in the world, and especially by the works of Jesus as recorded in the gospels. Over and over again the gospels (especially the Gospel of John) report Jesus’ witness that he was sent into the world by God the Father; that the words that he spoke were not his own words, but the words of his Father; and that the work he did was in obedience to the commands of his Father. In John 17:20-22 Jesus prays for all “those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
We who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God – who are children of God the Father and brothers, sisters and co-heirs with Christ - are also being sent into the world with the gospel message. Like Jesus, we too will be known by our works, and our purpose in going is so the world may believe that God the Father sent Jesus and that Jesus sends us.
The Holy Spirit is at work in diverse places, among them Guymon, Oklahoma, Dallas, Texas, Haiti, Brazil, and Zimbabwe – all places that have improbably touched our congregations in the last year. Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We don’t have to invent ways or find places to carry the gospel – God has already prepared these tasks for us and we need only to respond in faith when we are called.
Wherever we go, we reinforce our “family ties” to the existing church and work to expand the Kingdom of God through new relationships. We carry the gospel in various kinds of “buckets”: construction projects, feeding projects, health ministries, Bible studies and sports camps.
We will not be able to change the world with a few mission projects in our lifetime. But the mission will change us – and the landscape of Heaven - forever.
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