The Mission of God   Is 61_1-7                       
A sermon preached at Grace Communuty Church  30/10/05

This evening we are looking at the mission of God.
The word 'Mission' comes from the Latin 'Missio' which means "Sent".
God sends missionaries and evangelists because he first 'sent' his Son.
When Jesus was handed the prophecy of Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth;
    he proclaimed 4 definite missions (Lu 4_18,19)

1. To preach good news to the poor
    What does the phrase 'good news to the poor' mean here?
         Is it a distant relative has died and left you £10,000 ? Obviously not.
         When Jesus ministered on earth he did not make anyone financially rich.
              In fact Zachaeus was considerably out of pocket,
              so was the woman who anointed him,
              likewise the fishermen who left all to follow him.
         But Jesus made each of them far richer than any millionaire.
    The 'Good News' they received was like an unlimited spring of water
         given to a man thirsting in the desert.
    This is the picture of a waterfall in N.Israel. Its Hebrew name translated is
         "A Disappointing Stream". It only flows for few days after rain.
The poor man in Psalm 36, who hears good news, knows forgiveness.
    His new life was a reliable reality, not a mirage or a temporary emotion.
Jesus Christ proclaimed the good news to the poor.
    What did he say to the man brought by 4 friends on a stretcher, (Lu 5₂₀)
         and also to the ex-prostitute who anointed Jesus? (Lu 7₄₈)
    Both heard the Preacher of Good News say to them: "Your sins are forgiven."
Do you still ache for this good news?
The Author of Life gave this invitation the poor of Capernium:
    "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
         and I will give you rest." (Math 11₂₈)
Are you weary with anxiety, burdened with guilt, overcome with bad habits?
    Do you feel you have an inadequate personality or are unattractive?
    Maybe you are uncertain of the future and have a fearful aching heart ...
    There is none so kind as Jesus, who still says, "Come to me."
    In 1993 Elenor, the 9 year old daughter of a friend, gave me a book mark.
         I've used it in my Bible ever since.
         On the front she drew 3 Crosses; on the back she wrote:
              "I asked Jesus how much he loved me?
              This much he answered - and stretched out his arms and died."

The 2^nd mission was:

2. To bind up the brokenhearted
    What breaks your heart?
         Knowing your children are in trouble.
         Seeing people hurting and not being able to help.
         Your spouse suddenly gone off with another man.
         The death of your dear old Mum.
    The mission of Jesus is to bind up these bleeding wounds,
         to staunch the flow of blood, to stem the flood of tears.
    Does the problem immediately disappear? Sometimes, but often not.
    Is the pain taken away? Maybe.
    But when Jesus binds up the broken hearted he brings hope into the equation.
         He assures us that Mum is safe and in far better hands than ours.
         In our suffering we know that we are not alone - Jesus walks beside us.
         And he often gives us understanding friends and a good wife.
    Jesus has the power to change circumstances.


3. To proclaim freedom for the captives
       and release from darkness for the prisoners
    Are these wonderful words only for those with a criminal record?
    Are they the only ones who walk in darkness, with no obvious escape?
    In Jn 8_31-34 Jesus says we are - or were - all prisoners to sin.
         All men are under a life sentence pronounced by a just Judge!
    The mission of Jesus is to set us free,
         to open the prison doors - the prison of my sinful nature. (Ro 6)
         to release this trap in which all men are so firmly caught.
              Whether it is drugs or pride, sex or greed, power or indifference.
    How does Jesus propose to release us?
         The Cross.
         All my sin is laid upon Jesus, he then bears all the punishment I deserve.
              At Calvary, heaven's justice is fully satisfied.
         His death - and ours with him -
              His resurrection - and the whole host of believers raised with him.
         He does not release us just as we were - glad to continue the same sins.
He gives us new birth, a new life, a new nature, a new heart.
    The change is dramatic.
    Darkness to light. Despair to certain hope. Dungeon to freedom.
    Set free to serve. Not to selfishly do whatever we like.
         Free and able to be the people with whom God is pleased.
    At last, the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train,
         but it is the One who cried, "I am the light of the World."

4. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favour
    Such is the magnitude of his grace
         that his favour has now been extended for almost 2000 years.
    2000 years of opportunity to hear this good news and be saved and live.
    Isn't God's kindness amazing? We none of us deserve such favour.
    Jesus proclaimed "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  (Lu 4₂₁)
         And again and again he proclaimed the kingdom of God is near.
         The longed-for day of salvation had arrived.
         Their promised Messiah was actually walking among them!
    What a message the folk in Nazareth heard that day!
         Instead of welcoming him, they tried to push him over the cliff!
    But the Lord Almighty walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

For 3 years he continued to proclaim this same mission-message elsewhere.
    He told them of his rescue plan for man
         - drawn up before he created this world, and before even time began.

The religious leaders sought the promised Messiah King,
    but in their pride they felt no need for a Saviour,
    they thought that only the poor sinful people needed One to Redeem them.
So they strung him up and watched him die.
    They scoffed and ridiculed his apparent weakness to stop them.
    They laughed at his agony.
But they did not realise that the Cross completed the mission of God's Son.
    Here the cleansing fountain that Zechariah saw was opened.  (Zech 13₁)
    Here the full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice was completed and accepted.
    The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world had come.
         Abraham had seen this sacrifice of Jesus Christ 2000 years earlier.
              And God gave Abel assurance of it 4000 years before this great day.

For on that day God completed his mission to give dead men life.
Jesus clearly declared his 4-fold mission in the synagogue of Nazareth.
    Even though it would cost him everything to give us everything;
         He baulked at nothing.
         Nothing was too much trouble.
         He never reckoned that the asking price was too high.
         He never wanted to be doing something else.
         For the joy was set before him he endured the Cross,
              scorning its shame.  (Heb 12₂)

How about you?
What is the mission God has given to you?
    It may be to proclaim Jesus overseas to those who have never heard;
    It may be to complete the most honoured and exacting task
         of being a house wife and mother.
    It may be to be a true neighbour to those live next door or those at work.
Whatever his mission is for you - obey the command of Jesus,
    Go and do likewise.  (Lu 10₃₇)

According to Patrick Johnson, the author of Operation World,
    half the world's population have seen the Jesus film,
         and 99% could see it in a known language.
    Christian radio broadcasts can now be received by 99% of the world.
         and only 2% live where there is no local Christian witness.
What does this say to us?
    That we can relax?
    That Missionary work is just about complete? "By no means".
It must surely emphasise that the time is very short. That the urgency is great.
    The days of opportunity are now very few.
And the Good News is far too good to keep to ourselves.

We must tell others that God has completed his mission.

Or has he?
Jesus did not complete reading what is now verse 3 of Is 61
    on that momentous day in Nazareth.
Why did he stop in mid-sentence and not state the next 2 parts of his mission?


5. To proclaim the day of vengeance of our God
Because this part would be for a later day, for another generation, maybe ours!!

2000 years ago the Son of God came as Saviour and Redeemer.
    But not as King.
He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
    He stopped to weep over the city that had so little sense of need;
    the cheering people had no idea that the King of the Universe
         had first to come and be the Passover Lamb that takes away sin.
On the day that Jesus had given 5000 a free meal,
    the crowd tried to make him king.
Jesus sent the apostles away, while he went up the nearby mountain - alone.

Later when Jesus was transfigured on the Mountain top
    Peter tried to make him a throne.
    But again, it was the wrong time.
    God chose that moment to speak to Moses and Elijah
         to tell them what he was about to do - to be crucified.
    Inspired by God, these two men, who represented the Law and the Prophets,
         had long before spoken words of truth and wisdom revealed by God.
         In their day each had pointed to Jesus the Redeemer and King.
    On the Mt (as later on the Emmaus Rd) Jesus explained the mission of God.
         Redemption required the perfect sacrifice of God himself.
 
One day soon the King of Kings will return.
    This time he will ride into Jerusalem on a white horse.
A day that is 2000 years after Jesus came as Saviour.
    It was not to be fulfilled at that time - that's why Jesus stopped reading.
Now we see the day is fast approaching
    when wickedness has grown to such a level
    that God must intervene in just punishment and final warnings.
 
We need to be ready for this part of his mission too!
    He has warned us of the day when the 7 seals will be broken,
    and God himself will unleash world events that will surprise us all.  (Rev 6-18)
    Isaiah calls this the day of vengeance of our God.
Only when those brief, but horrific days, are over,
    will Jesus return as King.
    He will come to complete the last part of his mission:
 
6. To comfort all who mourn ...
       to bestow on them a crown of beauty
Be encouraged. Be strong. Be assured.
    Our God is the Sovereign Lord.
    He has promised a fantastic future to all who hear:
         Life that knows no disappointment.
         Eternal life in the very presence of Jesus.
 
We have a part to play now in the mission of God.
    So let us go to it.
    Let us use every ounce of strength that the sovereign Lord gives us.
    Let us not waste a moment to fulfil the mission of the Lord Almighty.
 

Jesus, the name high over all,
In hell, or earth, or sky;
Angels and men before it fall,
And devils fear and fly.
 
Jesus! the name to sinners dear,
The name to sinners given;
It scatters all their guilty fear,
It turns their hell to heaven.
 
Jesus! the prisoner's fetters breaks,
And bruises Satan's head;
Power into strengthless souls it speaks
And life into the dead.
 
O that the world might taste and see
The riches of his grace;
The arms of love that compass me
Would all mankind embrace.
 
His only righteousness I show,
His saving grace proclaim;
'Tis all my business here below
To cry, "Behold the Lamb!"
 
Happy, if with my latest breath
I might but gasp his name;
Preach him to all, and cry in death,
"Behold, behold, the Lamb!"