For years that is what Star Trek did on TV and in movies, they boldly went where no man had gone before and found all kinds of strange life forms.
Mission statements are important because they help keep an organization focused and all good long lasting programs have solid mission statements. The mission statement for the boy scouts is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Today we heard that scout oath and law and we can see how the mission of the scouts is still going strong and helping young people make ethical and moral choices. The church also has a mission statement and the original mission statement comes from Jesus and it is known as the great commission (see Matthew 28)
From this statement the UMC created a mission statement, which we use as ours here at Faith Church, and that is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and the unique way we seek to do that is to help people connect to God and one another, serve Christ in the church and in the community and grow deeper in our faith and grow the church wider through sharing our faith. Having a clear mission is important because it not only helps us stay focused on the most important things in life, it helps experience life itself. In Proverbs 29:18 it says, where there is no vision, people perish, so where there is no clear mission or purpose in life - there is no life, so having a clear mission is important for organizations, but it is also important for our personal lives. If we don’t have a clear sense of mission for our lives we can end up missing out on life itself, so it’s important to ask ourselves what is the mission of our lives? More importantly do we know God’s mission for our lives? What is the unique mission that God has given to us?
Even Jesus had to answer this question. Because Jesus was God in the flesh he was pretty good at everything, so he could have done anything in life. Jesus could have stayed at home and been the best carpenter in the world or he could have joined Peter, Andrew, James and John and been the best fisherman in the world. In fact, we get a glimpse of just how good a fisherman Jesus could have been when he tells his friends where to lower their nets into the sea to find fish and when they did what Jesus says, they instantly found them. In fact they pulled in so many fish that the boat they were in began to sink. Now think about what would have happened if Jesus did this everyday? He would have put all other fishermen out of business and been the best fisherman in the world.
Everything Jesus did he did well. Last week we heard how Jesus preached with power and authority and quickly become the best preacher in town. That his teaching and sermons have endured to this day shows us that he was the best, but he was also the best healer and exorcist. People came from the entire region with hopes of being touched by Jesus’ hand and healed. Jesus could literally have done anything he wanted in life so the question Jesus had to answer was what was his mission? Was he going to teach and preach and call disciples to follow him? Was he going to cast out demons and evil spirits? Was he going to heal people physically? What was his mission? Jesus needed to define his mission in order to be effective and in order to be doing the will of God. The same is true for us.
We need to define our life’s mission if we are going to be effective in life and if we are going to be in center of God’s will, but defining our life’s mission is not easy because there are many voices around us. Our family, friends and the world around us all try to define our life’s mission and it is not easy to make sense of it all. I met a lot of students at Bucknell whose families wanted them to enter into the world of business, finance or science and put their Bucknell degree to good use, which meant making a lot of money, and for many students that voice was strong and defining, but the problem was that at the same time many of these students were also wrestling with God’s call and a passion to serve God by serving the poor in inner cities here or around the world. Defining a mission for their lives beyond college was not easy.
In Mark 1:35-39 we see that Jesus was at a crossroads in his ministry and had to decide which road he was going to take. Some people wanted him to be a preacher and teacher, but others wanted him to be healer and still others an exorcist and miracle worker and then there was his family who at times just wanted him to come home and keep quiet. So many choices and all of them would be good, but which one was the best and more importantly what was God’s will? What Jesus did in order to make that decision is what we see in verse 35 and if we are trying to define our own mission than this is a good example to follow.
The first thing Jesus did was get up while it was still dark and so if want to define our life’s mission the first thing we need to do is get up at 4 AM while it is still dark. No, I’m just kidding… but let’s look at why Jesus did this. There is a very practical reason Jesus got up while it was still dark out, if the sun had been up and the people had been awake, Jesus never would have been able to leave the house. If we look back to Mark 1:32-33 it says… So the entire town was camped out on the doorstep and everyone wanted something from Jesus and if he had tried to leave when the crowds were awake the people would have seen him and they would have surrounded him and followed him. So Jesus got up while it was still dark so the people couldn’t see him slip away to be alone, but it also meant that Jesus couldn’t see the people and I wonder if that was something Jesus needed in order to make his decision.
Jesus was faced with two very clear missions at this point in his ministry. He could be a powerful preacher and proclaim the word of God with authority or he could spend his time healing people. Jesus had so much compassion for people that I honestly believe that if he had seen all the people in need that morning he may have been influenced by what he saw and not have been able to focus on the will of God, so he goes off while it was dark so he could begin to focus on nothing but God’s mission for his life. Sometimes it is hard to close our eyes to everything around us so we can begin see what God wants for us but that is what we have to do in order to discover God’s mission for our lives. Jesus got up while it was still dark in order to see what God’s mission for him was and we need to do the same thing. This doesn’t mean we need to get up at 4AM, although that is an option, but we do need to be able to close our eyes and ears to the world so that we can begin see God’s will.
Jesus not only got up while it was still dark but he went to a solitary place. Jesus goes away to be alone and some alone time is important for us as well. I heard someone say last week that except for when they are in the bathroom, they are never more than 20 feet away from their phone, and then I read this week that said 91% of people 35 and younger admit to using their smart phones while on the toilet (which is something you might want to think about before you borrow someone’s phone) but it shows how we are never alone and yet maybe we need some solitude in order to define God’s will for our lives. Where was Moses when God helped him define his mission in life? He was standing alone before a burning bush. Samuel was called by God to be a prophet when he was a young boy lying alone on his bed at night. Mary was alone when the angel Gabriel told her that her mission was to be the mother of the Messiah. It is important for us to seek some time alone where we can begin to hear God share with us his mission for our lives.
So Jesus got up while it was still dark, he went to a solitary place and he prayed. Prayer is perhaps the key to defining our mission, but let’s be clear that the kind of prayer we are talking about here is not the kind of prayer we usually think about. When we think of prayer we tend to only think about talking to God, but I’m not sure God can reveal to us his mission if we are talking the entire time. So part of prayer is listening and reflecting. What helps us discover God’s will is connecting to God through prayer and praise and reflection and even the sacraments which means that it is in the fullness of worship that God helps us discover our mission.
For example, as we take part in communion today we will see that part of Jesus mission and therefore part of our mission is to be broken and poured out for others. When we take the bread and drink from the cup we are saying that like Jesus we want to live a life that is willing to give sacrificially for others. Sharing in communion helps shape our life’s mission, reading God’s word helps shape our life’s mission, prayer and praise and silence helps shape our life’s mission because these are all ways that God speaks to us and pours his spirit into us and it is God’s spirit and voice that shape us and fills us and opens our eyes to our mission in life.
Let me quickly say that once we begin to define our life’s mission it will be important for us to share this others. Jesus immediately told his disciples that his mission was to preach about the kingdom of God (Mark 1:38). He shared his mission and we need to as well. And then we need to act on it, look at Mark 1:39. Jesus left the village and went throughout the entire region preaching. He took the first necessary steps and then allowed God to lead him along. As we step out in faith to fulfill our mission God will lead us each and every step of the way and he will bring to us a variety opportunities and challenges so it will be important to continue to pray and seek His direction for our lives.
We need a clear mission if we are going to experience the fullness of life God wants for us and if we are seeking that mission today, if we are wanting to define it and be in the center of God’s will then we need to follow the example of Jesus and find focus, seek solitude, persistently pray and then boldly begin to live the mission God has given us.
Next Steps: Discovering your life’s mission.
1. Find Focus:
• Identify all the voices that speak to your life’s mission:
Family, friends, finances, work, world needs,
personal desires, skills, gifts, abilities…
• How does each voice define your life’s mission?
• Prioritize these voices for this season of your life.
2. Seek Solitude:
• Set aside at least 5 minutes a day to spend in silence.
• Open yourself up to God’s presence in the silence.
3. Persistently Pray:
• Offer all your priorities to God.
• Listen for God in the silence moments.
• Allow moments of worship to shape your mission.
4. Boldly Begin:
• Share your life’s mission with others.
• Take the first step to live out your mission.
• Allow each next step to further define your mission.
