The Church’s Mission
What is the mission of the church? How did Jesus live an intentional life of mission?
Every follower of Jesus was created on purpose and for purpose. We were made for mission.
The church’s mission can be summed up in being disciples, making disciples, and ministering to the needs of others as we do life together.
In Mark’s gospel account, when Jesus was doing life, preaching, teaching, and healing, we see Jesus modeling a purposeful and missional life.
Mark tells us, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” (Mark 1:35-39, ESV).
As followers of Jesus, we are to live out what Jesus modeled in his rhythm of life and ministry; as Jesus abided in solitude with his Father in prayer, as he went from town to town teaching and preaching and sharing the good news of the gospel, and as he ministered to the needs of the people in the community, casting out the evil in them.
The church models Jesus’ prayerful life of abiding with God, his discipleship, and his service as we:
Abide in Jesus, being disciples of Jesus.
Teach others about Jesus, making disciples of Jesus.
Minister to others, serving with Jesus in our communities.
Jesus lived on mission, prioritizing being with God first. Jesus shared the good news, the gospel, through intentional teaching and preaching. Jesus went where people were and he served the people in the community by meeting the needs that were presented to him.
Jesus understood whose he was, who he was, why he was here, and what he needed to do to love God, to love the people around him, to make disciples through preaching the good news, and through serving others in community.
As Jesus modeled, may we live lives of purpose and mission, as we love God and love others, being with God, teaching the good news, and meeting needs as we live in community together as God’s church.
A Collect for the Second to Last Sunday of Epiphany: World Mission Sunday: “Almighty God, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race and nation: Pour out this gift anew, that by the preaching of the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
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