Jehoshaphat - Heart of Courage

Bringing God up in a conversation with a friend.  Confronting a classmate who is teasing or bullying another student.  Leaving the comfort of being with your friends to initiate a conversation with someone who is alone.  Sharing your belief about creation in a science class where the teacher is teaching evolution.  Telling your coach that you’re not going to be able to play/practice on Sunday morning because of your commitment to worship.  Choosing not to drink when all of your friends are doing it.  Sharing the gospel with a friend of family member who does not know Christ.  For many of us, these situations bring fear to our hearts.  Fear of looking stupid, fear of being wrong, fear of what someone might think, fear of how someone might respond, fear of losing someone or something important to us, . . . fear prevents us from doing the things we know we should be doing.  Every day we encounter situations and have to make decisions that involve fear.  What do we do when we feel fearful?  How do we overcome situations in which we experience fear?

READ:  2 Chronicles 17:1-10, 19:5-11

Walking with God requires COURAGE!  As believers in Christ, there are many situations we encounter which demand courage.  Being courageous is not the absence of fear, courage is not allowing fear to prevent us from saying or doing what we know we are supposed to do.  2 Chronicles 17:6 says that king Jehoshaphat was, “courageous in the ways of the Lord”.  That must mean that Jehoshaphat experienced enough fear while he was king to prevent him from doing what was right.  What are some of the circumstances that Jehoshaphat had to overcome fear?  What are some things that take courage in order to be able to accomplish as a believer in Christ?

1.  It takes courage to live in God’s WAY (17:6) – As with any king, Jehoshaphat was under much pressure.  Fear of the people and his enemies constantly got in the way of his desire to walk obediently with the Lord.  Jehoshaphat must have overcome these fears often because we are told he was characterized by a heart of courage.  Having a heart that wants to live in the ways of the Lord is not easy.  At times, in fact, living our lives for God is frightening.  Why?  Walking in the ways of the Lord often means going against the crowd.  It’s easier to think, speak, and behave in ways that are the same as everyone else around you.  It is in these moments that we must courageously walk down the path that God places before us no matter how fearful it may be.

2.  It takes courage to TEACH the commands of the Lord (17:7-9) – One specific way that Jehoshaphat was courageous and walked in the ways of the Lord was teaching the people God’s commands (the Book of the Law).  Proclaiming the truth of God’s word is not always popular.  When we try to teach others about the standards of right and wrong that God has given to us in His Word, there are going to be those who get offended by our message.  Fear of what others might think or how they might respond must not prevent us from speaking the truth that God has given to us.  We must be courageous and faithfully teach God’s commands so we may be reminded and others may know of how to be in a right relationship with Him!

3.  It takes courage to JUDGE on behalf of God and not men (19:5-9, 11) – Another specific way that Jehoshaphat was courageous and walked in the ways of the Lord was by judging the people of Israel with godly justice and impartiality.  Jehoshaphat did not allow personal preference (benefit) or discrimination (favoritism) to corrupt his decision making, but rather based his judgments on the rightness or wrongness of a matter.  When making judgments about ourselves and others we must not allow our personal biases to cloud our decision making.  Right must be right and wrong must be wrong, no matter who we are dealing with or the consequences.  Take Jehoshaphat’s advice in making judgments about others and, “deal (with others) courageously”.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is a King who was COURAGEOUS!  In Luke 22:42-44 Jesus sweats drops of blood in fear of the going to the cross and yet He prays to His Father, “not my will, but yours be done”.  Jesus courageously went to the cross, overcoming fear, in order to save us from sins. 

Asa - Heart that Seeks God

One of my kids’ favorite games to play is hide and seek.  Especially at a younger age, my kids love it when I hide somewhere in the house and have them try to seek me out.  Interestingly, when I play hide and seek with my kids the goal is NOT to stay hidden.  The exciting part of hide and seek for me and my kids is when they find me.  I’m pretty sure if I really wanted to hide and not be found I could do it.  I could stay in my hiding spot for hours while my kids are seeking me out and destroy the fun by never revealing where I was at.  If I did that eventually my kids would get angry begin yelling at me to reveal myself.  Hide and seek is the most fun when my kids are seeking me and I reveal myself to them at just the right moment when they are least expecting it.  When I reveal myself they scream, squeal, and run away with joyful excitement.  Seeking for something that is impossible to find is not anyone’s idea of an enjoyable time!  None of us would be interested in seeking God if He could not be found . . . the good news is, God is not interested in staying hidden either.

READ:  2 Chronicles 14:1-7; 15:1-15

God REVEALS Himself to us when we SEEK Him!  The story of king Asa teaches us something important about the presence of God in our lives; if we do not seek God, He will remain hidden, but if we do seek God, He is always there waiting to be found.  God is not cruel, intentionally hiding somewhere He cannot be found.  He is patiently waiting to be found by hearts of those who are wholly seeking Him.  When we seek Him, we will not just find Him, He will find us!   What do we learn about seeking God from king Asa?

1.  Seeking God gives COURAGE to demolish IDOLS in our lives (14:3-5; 15:8) – King Asa acted on God’s presence in his life by getting rid of the false gods that the people of Israel were worshipping.  Not only were the people of Israel not seeking God, they were seeking false gods.  King Asa identified the sin of idolatry among God’s people and boldly stood up to them by removing these places of worship to foreign gods.  When we seek God, He will reveal Himself to us by making us aware of the idols that we are worshipping in our lives.  Be ready and be courageous, seeking God will bring a holy conviction into our lives that will leave us no choice but to confront our sin and destroy it.

2.  Seeking God is an act of our WHOLE SELVES (15:12-15, 17) – King Asa committed himself and the people of Israel to a sold out 100% pursuit of God.  This was no casual commitment, anyone who did not whole-heartedly seek the Lord was to be put to death!  Half-heartedly seeking God is not acceptable.  When we seek God we must do it with every fiber of our being.  Seeking God is not a one hour commitment on a Sunday morning or a Wednesday night.  Seeking God involves all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength . . . do you get the picture?  EVERYTHING, our whole selves (Mk. 12:30)! 

3.  Seeking God leads to REST and PEACE (14:1, 6-7, 15:15) – Who is it who gave king Asa and the people of Israel rest and peace?  Rest and peace did not come as a result of the effort and courage of king Asa and the people of Israel, rest and peace were given by God.  When Zerah the Ethiopian confronted king Asa with a million man army, 2 Chron. 14:12 says that, “the Lord defeated the Ethiopians”.  We cannot produce rest and peace for ourselves.  True rest and peace can only be found as we seek God.  Only when our whole selves are relying on God, and nothing else, can we experience a rest and peace that is beyond understanding (Phil 4:6-7).  When we seek God He gives us the assurance that He is the One who is going to supply the victory, removing the burden from us, and placing it wholly on Himself.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is a King who SEEKS!  In John 5:30 Jesus said, “I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.”  Jesus was constantly seeking to be with His Father and do His will.  By seeking His Father, Jesus was continually able to overcome sin and experience perfect rest and peace.  Not only is Jesus seeking His Father, but He is seeking you and I as well.  In Luke 19:10 Jesus said, “(I) The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  If you think seeking God is a never-ending game of hide and seek, remember, when you seek Him with your whole heart you WILL find Him, . . . because He will reveal Himself to you!

Solomon - Heart of Wisdom

If God came to you and said, “ask Me, . . . what shall I give you?”, or “what do you want?”, what would you say?  The request sounds a little (or a lot) like the genie of a lamp who has the ability to grant three wishes.  What would be the first thing that comes to your mind (after it passed through your heart)?  The God of the universe comes to you and offers a “blank check” to be used in whatever way you designated on the memo line.  He’s got infinite power, right?  He can do anything, right?  What would you ask for?  I think most of us in that situation, if we were honest, would ask for something that would benefit us.  Do you think there is any possibility that you might ask for something that would benefit others and not yourself?  Probably not!  Solomon was king David’s son and the 3^rd king of Israel.  At the very beginning of Solomon’s reign God asks him this exact question.  Let’s see how Solomon answers . . .

READ:  1 Kings 3:3-15

WISDOM is a quality that God is PLEASED to give!  This story in the Bible made a significant impression on me when I was growing up.  For me, this story of Solomon asking for wisdom gave me a glimpse into what pleases God (vs 10).  As a result of this story, I remember praying often for “wisdom”.  I don’t remember having an ulterior motive, but maybe I thought that if I asked for something noble like wisdom, God would ALSO give me riches, honor, and long life.  No matter, God was pleased that Solomon desired and asked for wisdom, therefore, it is a characteristic worthy of our pursuit as well. What do we learn about wisdom from Solomon’s answer?  How do we know if we possess wisdom?

1.  Wisdom is OTHER-focused (vs 9) – Solomon started his reign well.  Rather than be a king that would “take” (1 Sam. 8), he knew that being king meant taking care of the people whom he was given responsibility. King Solomon correctly viewed himself as being a steward of GOD’S people.  Being king was not a position to be used for personal ambition but for the betterment of each and every one of those in the kingdom entrusted to him.  Whatever relational position we find ourselves, we must use wisdom and see it as one of stewardship.  God has entrusted us with people in our lives that we are responsible for their spiritual livelihood.  A wise person will always have the care and concern for the needs of others within our sphere of influence.

2.  Wisdom is the ability to discern between what is GOOD and EVIL or what is RIGHT and WRONG (vs 9, 11) – In most cases, discerning good from evil is not a difficult thing to do.  Moral discernment becomes more difficult when we have to make a choice between what is good, what is better, and what is best (especially when there are a number of variables and opinions).  Doing the “right” thing in any situation is a burdensome task that takes a heart and mind that are “in sync” with God.  And often making that good/right choice demands the boldness to stand up when everyone else is sitting down, to speak up when everyone else is silent, and show up when everyone else absent.  A wise person will always choose the good and right thing no matter what the cost.

3.  Wisdom is not SELF-focused (vs 11) – For Solomon to have asked God for long life, riches, or victory over his enemies would have been requests on behalf of . . . HIMSELF.  Self-indulgence and self-preservation are common temptations for all of us as we engage in relationships whether we are in a position of authority or not.  As we relate with others we need to use wisdom and not use our relationships for our own selfish purposes.  Caring for our own wants and needs at the expense of others is not wisdom.  A wise person will always remove their own needs and wants from the equation when relating with others.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is the ultimate wise and knowledgeable King (1 Cor 1:18-31).  He was always putting His own needs to the side and living His life for the benefit of others (Phil. 2:3-10).  Although He was tempted in every way, He knew the difference between good and evil and applied wisdom to making decisions in His life.  In His divine wisdom, Jesus gave up his own life by dying on the cross for our benefit in order that we might be saved!

David - Heart To Do God's Will

After the people of Israel asked for a lesser king, Saul was chosen.  Saul was tall and very handsome in appearance.  On the outside, Saul had all the characteristics to be great king, but he had one very crucial weakness.  Saul did not keep the commands of God.  On one of Saul’s very first assignments as king, he disobeyed instructions given to him by Samuel by impatiently offering a sacrifice without waiting for Samuel (1 Sam. 10:8, 13:8-13).  On another occasion Saul was instructed to destroy EVERYTHING in a battle against the Amalekites, but instead Saul spared the Amalekite king Agag and the best animals (1 Sam 15:1-11).  Although Saul would reign as king in Israel for 40 years, as a result of his disobedience, he was rejected by God.  God already had another man in mind who would be king of Israel . . . King David.  What made David so special? 

READ: Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 13:14

Both of these passages communicate something very important about David.  Something that is unobservable from the outside.  David was by no means a sinless man.  During his reign as king, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and in an attempt to cover his sin he lied and had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah killed on the frontlines in a battle.  There was something special about David’s HEART that reveals God’s favor toward him in spite of his sin.  God has graciously created us each with a HEART (no, not your physical heart), a spiritual "empty" place that governs our mental capabilities (thoughts), our moral conduct (behavior), and our emotional capacities (feelings).  Our heart is what drives us to think the thoughts we think, to speak the way we speak, and behave the way we behave.  David’s heart was filled with something very specific . . . to do ALL of God’s will!  Having a heart to do God’s will is an essential component of being the person God wants us to be.  Looking at the life of David, how can we do all of God’s will in our lives? 

1.  Doing God’s will starts deep down in the depths of our HEART (1 Sam. 16:7) – It is very easy to mess up the qualifications of being an individual God can/will use.  We often make the mistake of thinking that God is looking for the most talented, the most articulate, (and when it comes right down to it) the most “perfect” individual to accomplish His purposes.  We spend lots of time and energy perfecting skills we think God will use when we should be paying more attention to the deep intentions of our heart.  God is not looking for a polished exterior, instead He is looking for a right interior.  A look into the life of king David indicates that an interior that is right and most usable by God is one that deep down inside WANTS to do His will!  If we are going to be usable by God, we need to have a heart that wants to do what God wants us to do!  That was king David’s heart.

2.  Doing God’s will requires our heart to be IN SYNC with God’s heart (2 Samuel 2:1, 5:19, 5:23) – Synching two pieces of electronic equipment means that the information/data on each device is the SAME (identical), they are synched with one another.  A heart that is “in sync” with God’s is a heart whose is the same as God’s.  Several times in David’s life we see him synching his heart with God’s heart.  David “inquired” of the Lord.  Are you inquiring?  God does not just automatically “sync” our hearts with His.  We must inquire of God’s will through prayer and reading His Word.  Being in sync with God and discerning His will is actually the easy part, DOING His will is the hard part. 

3.  Doing God’s will is a LIFETIME of hearing God’s commands and being obedient (1 Kings 15:5) – In a sense doing God’s will is a ONE TIME commitment.  David was a man after God’s own heart, not because he was perfect, but because God knew that when He asked him to do something that David’s answer was already “yes”.  Before God ever asks us to do a thing our heart needs to be in the position to say “yes” at any moment.  A lifetime of obedience starts with a heart that has already replies “yes” even before being asked to do something.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ, even more that king David, was a man after God’s own heart (John 4:34; 5:19, 30; *6:38-39; 8:29; 14:31, Eph. 5:10).  Jesus was the perfect King because His heart was in perfect sync with His Father and He said “yes” to God’s will long before He was lead to do anything.  Are you a man/woman after God’s own heart?

The Heart of A King: Ways of a Lesser King

Who is the KING?  There are a few answers that may come to mind . . . Burger, Kong, Tut, Mufasa, Martin Luther, Jr. A king is the chief authority over a country or people.  There is little argument that, if God is a reality (and He is), than He is THE KING!  As the creator and sustainer of all that is, God is second to none.  As the giver of life and salvation, God is worthy of our loyalty or allegiance.  As King, God rules and reigns in the big scope of the entire universe as well as the small scope of each and every one of our personal lives.  Whether we know Him or acknowledge Him as such, He IS the one and only true King!

If our God is THE King, why do allow so many “lesser kings” to rule and reign in our lives?  We know something (or someone) is a “lesser king” when it is 1) NOT God and 2) it is given our obedience.  There are a number of “lesser kings” that we allow to substitute God’s rule and reign in our lives, let me mention a few . . . 1) money/possessions, 2) accomplishment/success, 3) entertainment/happiness, and 4) relationships. We are drawn to these “lesser kings” because we want to be like others (see what others have and desire to have it), or we feel dissatisfied (not content with ourselves).  Sadly, our attraction to any “lesser king” is more than just innocent comparison or dissatisfaction; it is a willful rejection of God’s rule and reign in our lives.

READ:  1 Samuel 8:1-22

Once we’ve rejected God and chosen our new “king”, what are some things we can expect to happen?  The Lord uses one verb to describe what a substitute or “lesser king” does when we invite them to rule over us . . . TAKE (buy = own, capture)!  ILLUSTRATION:  When I was 16 years old and younger, sports ruled and reigned my life.  Most of the choices and priorities of my life revolved around accomplishment in sports.  Sports TOOK the best of my time and energy, . . . . ultimately my life.  The blessings God had given to me to use for His glory, I used for my own selfish purposes.  What are the “ways” of “lesser king” we allow to rule/reign in our lives? 

1.  A “lesser king” takes what is ours and APPOINTS it for their own selfish purposes (vs 11-12) – God loves to bless us and give us things that we are to be stewards of and use for HIS purposes and glory.  God blesses us with life, time, talents, abilities, energy, possessions, money . . . all of which are given to us to be used according to His will.  When we allow anything other than God to rule and reign in our lives, those things which are ours, all the sudden are taken by the one we are obeying and used for its own selfish purpose.  When it comes right down to it, any king besides God is going to USE us and waste our blessings on themselves! 

2.  A “lesser king” takes what is ours and GIVES it away to others (vs 14-15) – Isn’t it nice to know that a “lesser king” is generous?  “Lesser kings” love to give.  They love to take what is ours and give it away to others!  Sounds like a good thing right?  Not when we are supposed to use what God has given to us and give it back to Him in whatever way He desires.  We are stewards of the blessings we have been given by God and we are first and foremost supposed to give them back to Him.  Our time, talent, and energy are not to be dispersed to meaningless temporal endeavors, but rather to God’s perfect and eternal plans.

3.  A “lesser king” takes what is ours and ENSLAVES us (vs 17) – Once we allow ourselves to be ruled by a “lesser king” we will eventually feel powerless to say no.  Once we’ve allowed a significant amount of our lives to be taken we are committed (obligated).  “I can’t go back/quit now, that would be a waste”.  “I’ve got too much invested”.  “I’ve spent too much time/money”.  “There’s no turning back now”.  Once we’ve become a slave we no longer have a choice.  A slave does exactly what his master says. 

CONCLUSION

The good news is that God the King is a giver and not a taker.  He does not ask anything of us before He has already given His most prized possession . . . His Son Jesus Christ.  Only after He’s given everything to us does He ask that we give our lives to Him.  The heart of God, our King, is to give of Himself so that we might have a relationship with Him.  That is a King worth allowing to rule and reign in your life!

Send Me: What is the "BIG Picture" of Missions?

Sometimes it's hard to see the big picture.  Sometimes an image only tells us part of a story.  We’ve probably all heard the expression “the BIG picture”.  Seeing the big picture is being able to look at what’s going on in it’s most basic and simple form.  When we look at the Bible we see a few basic themes . . . 1.)  God wants to relate with humans, 2.) Sin prevents God from relating with humans, and 3.) God has done and is doing everything He can to get rid of sin. 
If we look closely at the BIG picture of how God has worked in history we will find that His assignments for people have not really changed.  He has a few big purposes in mind that He knows are essential to recovering His relationship with humanity.  Although the small part that we each play may not make sense, knowing that God sees the big picture is reassuring.  The BIG picture for God has always been about BRIDGING the GAP between humanity and Himself!  We can look far back in human history and see that the BIG picture has always remained the same.

1.  God assigned Jesus to destroy SATAN (Gen. 3:15) –  Satan is a lot like the bully who just goes around tearing people down.  I remember one particular bully in my high school, his favorite thing to do was pick on, torture, embarrass, and put down whoever he could.  He was big, so he was usually successful.  I have one particular memory of him after gym class as a freshman.  I was in the shower all by myself and he came in after me.  Surrounded by 20 or 30 other open showers he walked up to me, punched me in the shoulder, and said, “that’s my shower”!  It took every ounce of will power I had to keep from crying. 

From the beginning God has wanted to eliminate the devil (Rom. 16:20; I Jn. 3:8)!  The devil has been working for thousands of years to destroy the people that God loves.  It is the devil’s intention only to steal, kill, and destroy the life that we have been given.  The devil has been fueling God’s fire for centuries by bullying His creation around.  Satan was one of the reasons that God sent Jesus.  He was sent on a mission to destroy the work of the devil.  God wants to get rid of the devil and the path of destruction that he creates in our lives.

 2.      God assigned Noah to rid the earth of WICKEDNESS and EVIL (Gen. 6:1-22) – Many of us have probably known someone who had cancer.  Knowing someone with cancer is a painful experience because of the destructive effective it has on the person’s life.  Cancer can be gotten rid of with chemotherapy treatments.  Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by interfering with cell duplication.  The goal of chemotherapy is to rid the body completely of unhealthy tumors or cells so that the healthy ones can thrive.

From the beginning God has wanted to preserve righteousness (I Pet. 3:18-22)!  God wants to remove the “cancer” of wickedness and evil that exists within us.  Righteousness is the healthy condition we need to have a relationship with God.  By putting our faith in Christ, we are not just cleansed from our sin but the evil in our lives in drowned out!  Without the righteousness that comes through having our sins removed we can have no relationship with God.

3.      God assigned Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to BLESS the people of the earth (Gen. 12:3, 18:18, 22:18) – Some of my favorite gifts that I received at Christmas were the ones that were not given directly to me but I got to experience the benefits of.  Usually it was a gift that my dad got for my mom.  My dad would always get my mom something like a VCR, an exercise bike, or a new TV.  When my mom opened her gift the whole family would be like, “wow, WE can’t wait to use that!”  Too bad for my mom but good for all of us.  God’s gift to Abraham to bless his family was not for him alone, it was for all mankind.

From the beginning God has wanted to reward those who believe in Him (Mt. 1:1-17; Gal. 3:6-9)!  It is in the genealogy of Abraham that God revealed the blessing to all peoples on earth.  Jesus Himself, being a direct descendent of Abraham, was the blessing that God had promised.  Faith in Christ is what allows us to experience that blessing that God promised to Abraham thousands of years ago.  We become a part of Abraham’s great nation by believing in Jesus Christ!  It is our mission as well to reveal this blessing to others!

4.      God assigned Moses to RESCUE His people from SLAVERY (Ex. 3:7-10) – Have you ever been needed to be rescued?  If you’ve been rescued then you have been in a place or a situation that you could not get YOURSELF out of!  I had the opportunity to rescue a kid one time.  When I was a counselor at Bible camp one night when there was a kid who was acting crazy and would not go to sleep.  He would not let me shut the light off by screaming if I did.  He got so worked up that he fell off the bunk between the board that was supposed to keep kids from falling out.  He was literal stuck with his feet dangling and could not get out.  I enjoyed it for a minute but eventually saved him from his misery.

From the beginning God has wanted to free us from the bondage of sin (Jn. 8:34-36)!  Everyone who has sin in their life is a slave.  It controls us, it influences our thinking, and leads us to where it wants us to go.  God has never wanted us to be enslaved by anything.  He has always wanted to release us from the burden of guilt and oppression.  That freedom can only come through His Son Jesus.

Conclusion:

Every assigned mission that God has ever sent anyone on had something to do with bringing people back into a relationship with Him!  God assigns people mission’s in life that remove obstacles which prevent people from depending solely on Him.  When we are listening for our assignment in life we need be paying close attention to how it might draw people closer to God.  If your assignment does not accomplish that then we might be creating it ourselves.

Send Me: Am I Willing To Go On A Mission?

There is something exciting about being sent on a mission.  Everyone wants a mission in life.  We love movies where individuals are sent on strange and adventurous tasks to accomplish something profound.  What is a mission? A special assignment given to a person or a group.  Most people do not think that they will ever be given a truly profound mission in life.  It wouldn’t surprise me if most of us thought that our lives will be anything but exciting.  That is NOT what God has in mind for us.  He has a special assignment, a mission for each and every one of us.

READ:  Isaiah 6:1-13

Just like God told Isaiah to “GO” in verse 9, God has a “mission” for each and every one of us!  He has a place and plan for all of us to be used to most effectively minister for Him in His Kingdom.  His mission for us will be exciting and deeply satisfying.  The question is, “are we willing to listen for and accept ours?”  Here are a few ways we can know that we are ready to be sent on a mission . .

 1.      We are ready for our mission when we REALIZE God’s immensity (vs. 1-4) – Have you ever tried to describe something that was indescribable?  I don’t know if I could put into words what the Grand Canyon looks like.  It is simply too immense to put into words.  I don’t think I would do Niagara Falls justice if I tried to describe it to you.  It is too immense to describe.  If you have never been to either the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls I’m sure you would not know where to begin in describing their immensity.

In Isaiah 1:1-4 Isaiah has a vision where he sees the Lord with his own eyes! In the vision there was a THRONE which represented God’s exalted rule and reign, a TRAIN which represented a king’s royal garments, there are SERAPHIM worshipping which represented those who serve Him, His voice caused an EARTHQUAKE which shook the foundations of the thresholds which represented the power of His Word, and there was SMOKE which represented God’s eternal presence.  I’m sure for Isaiah this scene was unforgettable.  Have you ever had an unforgettable experience with God?

Before we go on a mission we must have had an experience with God (1 Jn. 1:1-4)!  Prior to going on a mission we must intimately know and have experienced the One who is sending us.  We cannot speak accurately and passionately about God if we have never met or do not know Him.  We must have first hand knowledge of  God if we are going to proclaim anything accurately and convincingly about Him.  To have met and experienced GOD and to speak about Him in small, insignificant terms does not go together.  Having seen, heard, and touched God will give us something incredible to proclaim.

 2.      We are ready for our mission when we RECOGNIZE our sinfulness and have RECEIVED forgiveness (vss. 5-7) – Being in the presence of certain people causes us to recognize different things about ourselves.  Being in the presence of a friend makes us recognize how bored or unhappy we are when we are alone.  Being in the presence of someone who is sick makes us recognize how wonderful it is to be healthy and feel good.  Being in the presence of a boss makes us recognize when we are wasting time or being lazy on the job.  Being in the presence of a police officer makes us recognize when we are going over the speed limit.  

What does being in the presence of God cause us to recognize?  Being in the presence of a holy God makes us recognize our guilt and shame.  When we recognize that we are nothing without the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God we in a position where we can be used by God.  If we do not recognize our sin we will live life and ministry with pride and arrogance.

Only a contrite individual will be effective as a missionary (Lk. 5:4-9)!  Being mission minded means admitting that only God can transform us into the people who can accomplish the mission He as for our lives.  Without God’s grace and forgiveness we are all unqualified and unequipped to carry out the mission He has planned for us.  In fact, God will not send us on a mission if we are not first of all humble enough to confess our sinfulness.  Only then are we capable of being the person that God needs us to be on our mission. 

3.      We are ready for our mission when we RESPOND to a calling (vs. 8) – Sometimes it’s nice having small children in the house because they do pretty much whatever you say.  I will quite often send Sarah or Emily on a mission to get something around the house and quite often their response is, “okay, daddy”.  There are other times though that Sarah and Emily are not quite so willing to do what they are told (i.e. nap and bedtime).  If there is something that they do not want to do then they will cry and scream and express their dissatisfaction.  We are trying to teach Sarah and Emily that when we ask them to go somewhere or do something they need to respond obediently.

We can be confident that God wants to send us somewhere (Mt. 28:19-20)!  The question for the Christian is not whether God has a mission for us or not, but rather are we willing to say YES to His calling!  God WILL invite us to go on a mission for Him.  We can be sure that at some point in our lives God will say to each and every one of us, “whom shall I send? And who will go?”  We need to be ready to respond by obediently saying, “YES!”

 4.      We are ready for our mission when we RELATE a message from God (vss. 9-13) – Probably one of the most annoying groups of people on a mission are telemarketers.  When they call they are determined to tell you their “speel” no matter whether you want to hear it or not.  Even after you’ve told them that you are interested in the message that they want to tell you they have some response to keep you on the line and potentially listen to what they have to say.  Christians on a mission have a vitally important message.

We are supposed to GO and TELL the good news (1 Pet. 3:15)!  Wherever we are sent on a mission the message will be the same . . . Jesus Christ.  There is not a person on the planet whom God does not want to hear the good news of the Son that He has sent.  He wants everyone to have the opportunity to hear the Word. 

 Conclusion:

The greatest missionary in history when He accepted His assignment was Jesus Christ (John 3:16).  God sent Jesus to leave heaven and come to the world where He revealed Himself as the One who could save the world from their sins.  Because Christ accepted His mission we are saved. 

You and I can be sent in much the same way.  If Christ was willing to be sent on our behalf then we should be willing to be sent on behalf of those who do not know.  There are people who are lost and need to hear to gospel of Jesus Christ and God wants to use us to reveal Jesus Christ to the world.  When God calls, our response must simply be, “SEND ME!”