The Sent One commissions His “sent ones”

July 27, 2010

The Sent One commissions His “sent ones”

Luke 6:12-19

Greg McEvilly

Central Truth

God is on mission, and He calls us to participate with Him in accomplishing His purposes!

And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles. (Luke 6:13)

The Twelve Apostles

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude

17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

Have you ever meditated on the truth that our God is the Sent and Sending God? In Jesus, God was “sent” into direct, personal contact with the human race, which He so loves (John 3:16). As I reflect on these verses, I keep coming back to the picture of the Sent One commissioning the Apostles [lit. “sent ones”]. Here is the truth that knocked me between the eyes: Our God is on mission!

As we’ve been journeying through the Gospels, I have also been awakened to the remarkable truth that the presence of God in Jesus defines God’s mission to the world. Christ is our ultimate example in how we are to relate to God and how we are to carry out His mission. The New Testament writers show us that God is actually Christlike. All who wish to know who God is and what He is like need to look no further than the person of Jesus (John 1:18, 14:9).

As we see in Christ, the motivation of God’s mission is deeply rooted in love—a love that is purposed to bring Him utmost glory! In Christ we see the mission of God lived out in a way that we can imitate. The exciting thing for us is that, like the Apostles, God calls all Christ followers to be on mission in accomplishing His purposes!

So what does this mean for us?

Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us have a mission and purpose in all that we do. Every business deal, every purchase decision, every step, and every breath we take is purposed toward a specific end. The question is not whether you are “on mission,” but rather “whose mission” are you on? The totality of God’s mission is centered on the person and work of Christ. Is mine? Is yours? A great diagnostic question that I’ve found helpful is this: “Is my motivation [in this action] rooted in a love for the Lord and purposed to bring Him utmost glory?

1. What is your overarching mission in life right now?

2. Is your mission rooted in a love for the Lord and consequently a love for others?

3. Is your mission purposed in bringing God utmost glory?

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Reread verse 13. Do you think the disciples were excited to be called to go on a mission with Jesus? Why?

2. Do you think the disciples had fun being on a mission with Jesus? Do you think it was hard? Why?

3. Jesus is on a mission to love people! Who is someone you can share His love with today?