Our Christ-centered DNA describes the center of who we are as a church. Our mission, vision, model, strategy, and values all come from our DNA which defines who we are, how we do what we do, and why!

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MISSION CRITICAL

Without a WHY you are left without a WAY

“The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.”  Carl F.H. Henry

My wife and I have a simple parenting style.  We have three kids, two rules, and one question that we ask.  The rules for my three boys are to “Honor Their Mother & Love Your Brothers”.  We boil down every decision or action they make to those two statements.  Our one question is reserved for when they do something that has fundamentally broken any of those two rules.  The question is this, “Why?”.  I believe asking why is important because it goes down to the root of the issue.

I’m sure you asked your boss, parent, spouse, or teacher “Why should I do that?” at some point in your life.

Why should I make my bed?

 

Why do I have to study this subject?

Why do I have to do my job a certain way?

Why?

I’m also certain that somebody got mad at your for asking why, and they expressed their frustration by probably answering back, “Because I said so” or “Because that’s how we’ve always done it”.   You are not leading, teaching, or parenting effectively if all you do is communicate what needs to be done and how while never getting down to why someone should do it.

Simon Sinek is known for his famous speech on the power of WHY.  Sinek points out that we all know what we do.  Some of us know how we do things.  Yet few of us know why we do things.  This lack of understanding leads to so much frustration.  I believe that many New Years resolutions fail because people focus only on WHAT they are going to do and HOW rather than having a strong WHY they should be doing anything.

Why did you wake up today and roll out of bed instead of going back to sleep?

Why are you here?

Why do you exist?

These are all critical questions that everyone wrestles with.  As Christians, one answer that we all need to discover is the response to the question, “Why does the Church exist?”.   More and more people outside of the church have their reasons why they are leaving and not coming back.  They believe that The Church and the Gospel doesn’t matter.  Many might not know why the Church exists, but what matters more is if WE as Jesus followers know why the Gospel, the Church, and our testimonies matters.  Without a mission, there is no meaning.  Without a WHY, there is no purpose behind WHAT we do or HOW we do it.  Without a WHY you are left without a WAY.  It’s the difference between BEING the Church every day of the week instead of simply GOING to Church one day out of the week.  Our “Why” gives us meaning, it’s our mission, which is link to the Great Commission that Jesus gave His followers.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)

Jesus didn’t make the Great Commission an option or a suggestion.  It was a mandate to GO!  All the activity that Jesus outlines here (make disciples, baptize, teach) reveals the WHY.  There are lost souls out there that need to receive this Good News!  Church, why should our mission matter to us?  Because sinners and lost souls matter to God.

Who is Jesus commanding to go?  All believers who have been made sons and daughters of the living God.  When should we go?  Now!  Notice that Jesus commanded disciples who doubted to go too.  Their doubts didn’t disqualify them from the mission.  They were to go too, keep growing personally, and help others to do the same.  So where are we to go if we are called to go?  Anywhere.  The word “GO” that Jesus used is a progressive word that implies “going”.  Jesus is commanding His followers, “As you go through life, help people to believe (make disciples), help them to belong (baptized), and help them to live (teach them to obey)”.  How are we supposed to do all of this?  In love, as Jesus loved us, for it is Christ’s love compels us to go.

So, with whom are we to go with?  Each other and with Christ.  This isn’t a solo mission.  Jesus even promises to be with us.  That’s why it’s called Great Co-Mission.  We need each other, and especially God to fulfill this calling because only He can save souls.  What makes me so grateful is that Jesus’ closing remarks is more of a fact than a promise.  He didn’t say, “I will be with you if…”.  He is pretty much saying, “Let’s go” because He plans on coming too.

…And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:10-16 (ESV)

Here Paul reiterates and brings greater clarity to the goal and mission of the Church.  We are to grow up in Christ together.  In the same way that bodies grow, this maturity is a process, and we ought to grow in nature and in number.  The word “equip” means that as Jesus holds us together, we are to empower each other to live and love, so we can “work properly” in love, through love, and because of love.  We are all important.  Even a small role can make a big difference in someone life when it comes to spending eternity in Heaven or Hell.

The Good news isn’t good news unless it arrives on time.  As you go through life, show others the love of Christ.  Why?  Because God is raising, restoring, renewing, and releasing us into a new life through Jesus Christ and we should want others to experience this too!  This is why we are still here.  This is why we need to align ourselves and prioritize God’s mission over our preferences.

As a pastor, I believe that God can use you to change the world and I want to equip you to do it.  There are 168 hours that exist in a week, and I believe that the Great Commission is lived out in the other 167 hours outside of our 1 hour weekly Church services.  We live out the Mission outside of our Church building more than we do inside them.  I believe that life gets better the better we know and follow Jesus, even when life’s circumstances don’t get better.  I chose to be a pastor, not to make a living but rather to help others live, win, and walk with God!  I am not my Church’s MVP with members and volunteers who act like cheerleaders.  I am the one who is cheering YOU on to go and keep going!

As you go make sure to know why.  Tell me what is more compelling.

Christian #1

I do my best (WHAT).  So, I pray, give, go to Church, read the Bible, volunteer, and try to do good while avoiding “sin” (HOW).  Because the Bible tells me so (WHY?).  Do you want to follow me and learn more?

Christian #2

I am grateful, joyful, and hopeful because I believe that God loves me, has forgiven me, and has received me as His child (WHY).  So, I pray, give, go to Church, read the Bible, volunteer, and try to do good while avoiding “sin” (HOW).  I give my best because Jesus has given me His best (WHAT). Do you want to follow me and learn more?

Before you can GO with Him Jesus first calls you to come to Him, believe in Him, and receive the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life, for Christ came to testify to the truth that He loves sinners like you, and He can save you too!  This is WHY Jesus came, died, and rose again.  He came to bring you life!

When you have that life, its then time to live.  People can’t see GOD, JESUS, or the HOLY SPIRIT.  But people can see people who love GOD, follow JESUS, and live empowered by the HOLY SPIRIT.  They can see God through you, and know that they are watching how we are living!  There are too many people who don’t have a reason WHY they should get out of bed today.  Go and show them why you did.  Go and show them God’s love.  Go and show them why you live.  Go and show.  Let’s go!