What is the main objective of Missions | Jason Martin

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Today.

Even as I was preparing for this, I was thinking, Okay,

how do I what should I talk about missions? Because

missions is not only for the select few. Okay, it's

not only for the select few. It's not only just

for those who are sent out. So in previous times, right,

missions was done by full time missionaries. That means they

sat their life apart for God. They went to China,

they got married there, they had kids there, they were

buried there, you know, and they really gave their lives

to just advancing the gospel of Jesus.

Right.

But in this day and age, actually we have short

term missions, we have long term missions, we have weekend missions.

Like we even prayed for a team that goes out

during missions. Okay, So missions is basically going out and

spreading the gospel of Jesus, right and what he has

done for us.

Right.

So today when we go out for missions, right, I

actually I just I just like paraphrase myself, love, But

actually I wanted to say that when we go out

for missions, what is our intention? What is our intention?

When we go out for missions, say you sign up

for our missions?

Right?

What is the main objective any thoughts? Main objective of

missions spread the love of Jesus, someone reached the gospel?

Anything else and goal salvation?

Okay?

For some of us, we go to carry island. We

go to carry island because there's the orang as lei there? Right?

Do we share the gospel there? No? What we do

we do there? We go there and teach? Right? So

is that missions?

Not?

It's missions?

Because missions right, it's it's more than just evangelism.

It's actually a lifestyle. Okay. So today's.

Main texts I wanted to take us from. I'm trying

to get my thoughts in order because it's quite a

complex thing. But I wanted to just start us off

with the text. So this will be the key text

that I'll take from today.

Okay.

It's taken from Second Corinthians, verse five, So verse eighteen,

it says, and all of this is a gift from God,

who brought us back to himself through Christ and has

given us this task of reconciling people to him. For

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, no

longer counting people's sins against them, and he gave us

this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ ambassadors.

God is making his appeal through us. We speak for

Christ when we plead come back to God. For God

made Christ, who never sinned, to be an offering for

our sin so that we could be made right with

God through Christ. So, even as I was just studying

this and just listening to different preachers talk about this text, right,

it really spoke to me in such a real way,

and I really hope that God will use his eloquence

to to just speak to you as well. So we

are known as but Christ Ambassadors. Okay, so next night,

the title of today's summon is we are ambassadors. So

look at your neighbor and say hey, I'm an ambassador.

O.

And turn your other neighbor and say, hey, you are

an ambassador.

So what is an ambassador? What is an ambassador? Okay?

You carry the brand? Any other thoughts? What's an ambassador representative?

Okay? So there is.

A next light. I give you a couple of definitions.

So it is all in alignment. An important official who

works in a foreign country representing his or her own

country there, and who is officially accepted in this position

by the country. Okay, So it's officially accepted also, Okay.

Then the second one is a person who represents, a

speaks for, or advertises a particular organization, group of people, activity,

or brand. So just now we all say that we

are ambassadors. Okay, So by definition we fall into these

both of this. It's not either or it's actually both, okay.

So I wanted to bring it a bit more to

help us appreciate the definition of ambassador a bit more.

Next life, Okay, So who it is? Michael Jordan? Who

knows Michael Jordan?

Okay? He Okay? What is he? An ambassador for Nike?

Everyone knows.

In fact, he's created that logo there just for him.

Nike created the logo there just for him, is called

Air Jordan's Okay. So what happened was Nike actually engaged

Michael Jordan at the start of his career.

Okay.

So they had amount of money to invest into a

few players Nike. But what Nike did is they took

the whole pot of money and they invested it into

Michael Jordan. That time, he was not famous at all,

so it was.

A big bat on them.

Okay, to put their whole branding into Michael Jordan, so

Michael Jordan can only wear Nikes. And what happened next

was Michael Jordan became one of the He was a goat,

you know, greatest of all time, one of the greatest

players of all time. And because of that, everyone wanted

Air Jordans. Until now, I haven't bought myself an Air Jordan's,

but I remember when I was growing up. You go

to the basketball court, everyone wants a pair of Air Jordans,

you know. But what did how did he represent the

brand as an ambassador? He was the best at what

he did, right, and he only wore Nikes. He only

wore Nikes. He was so loyal to Nike that when

America represented the Olympics played in the Olympics in nineteen

ninety two, right, So, nineteen ninety two there was the

famous Team USA basketball.

So that team had all star players.

Michael Jordan was one of them, and they became the

Olympic champions.

Okay, if you're.

Gonna look at it's quite a cool story. But Team

USA their sponsor was Reebok and Michael Jordan is a

Nike ambassador. He's not an influencer. It's different now, influencer

and ambassador. Influencer is whoever pays me the most, I

will I will influence for you. It's like, what's you

need for me? My ambassador is? He stood for the brand,

so right on the podium, gold medal podium, he didn't

want to wear the Reebok logo on the podium, and

he made such a big fuss that they finally allowed

him to cover the logo with an American flag.

But that was what he stood for.

He was an ambassador for Nike up till now, I

think up till now, right, you don't see him wearing

any other brand. So he wore Nikes and Oakley's the glasses.

And in the world, that is what a good ambassador

looks like. I mean, you stand for the brand, You

do everything it takes to further you work together with

the brand to further the influence. Okay, So how does

that look for us if we are called ambassadors? What

does that mean for us? If we are ambassadors for Christ? Okay,

what does that mean for us?

So let me just give you a few points. Right,

an ambassador.

Does not splee, does not speak to please his audience,

but the king who sent.

Him, you know.

So like for example, Michael Jordan, right, whatever he did,

it was not to please everybody else.

He did it to please Nike.

For us, if we are ambassadors of Christ when we

go out and speak the gospel, are we doing it

to please the hearers to get fans on our own

or are we doing it to deliver the message that

God wants us to deliver? You know. Another thing is

he an ambassador, serves in a foreign land as the

representative of a king. Okay, So another funny story about

Michael Jordan. I think at that time, right, everybody wore

if you played basketball, everyone wore I think it was

black shoes if I'm not mistaken. So for him, he's

the only one there wore white. And because he broke

the rule, he had to pay a fine. So he

don't care. Every game he pay a fine, But the

sales from the shoe was much more than what the

fine was, you know.

So he didn't.

Mind being a foreigner in a foreign land. So as

an ambassador, we are foreigners in a foreign land. We

are in this world, but not of this world.

Yeah.

Another thing is we do not speak on our own authority.

But we are speaking on God's authority. God is the

one who has sent us, and He has given us

the authority to speak on his behalf.

Not our message, but his message. Okay. And ambassadors, this

one is quite interesting.

Ambassadors are not supposed to change the culture of the

country that they are sent to. Have you seen the

ambassador of China come here and like, hey, I want

to make this China Malaysia China. Or you have Indonesian

ambassador come here, or you have an Indian ambassador, or

you have a French ambassador. When they come here, it

is not to change the culture of this land, but

it is just to share, to share the message of

those who have sent.

Them to represent them. Okay.

And this is where sometimes we get confused. We think

that when we do missions, we must go and change the.

Culture of the people there.

We must change the way they eat, we must change

the way they educate, we must change the way their lifestyle.

That is not our job. Our job he says here

very clearly, is an ambassador. An ambassador is to bring

the message that God has placed on us to these people.

Okay.

So an ambassador, you have different culture, different language, different beliefs.

Right, that's an ambassador.

So next night, our job as an ambassador, this is

in John thirteen, a new commandment. I give to you

that you love one another as I have loved you,

that you also love one another. By this, we'll all

know that what's our team for this year that all

may know by this, we'll all know well.

By this, all will.

Know that you are my disciples. You have love for

one another. So that's why when we go for missions

and we go to Carry Island, we're going to and teach.

We're not sharing, we are not evangelizing. What we're doing

is we are loving, because this is what God wants

us to do. To love people is not to push propaganda.

You know, Missions is not to push propaganda, but it

is to love people. Okay, next night, this is Mark sixteen,

so we know the Great Commission in Matthew twenty eight.

Mark sixteen has.

Also the rendition of the Great Commission, which says, yeah,

go into all the world and preach the Gospel to

every creature. He who believes is baptized and will be saved.

But he who does not believe will be condemned. Okay,

so here it shows here go and preach the gospel. Okay,

So what is the gospel? What is the definition of gospel?

Good news? If you go there and say, if it

is good news, people should be happy about hearing it.

But if you go there and condemn people, then how

is that good news? Repent or die? Repent now or

go to hell? You know, how is good news? But

we are called to preach the gospel, which means you're

bringing good news. If somebody comes to me and say, hey,

I got good news, I would expect to leave the

conversation feeling happy, not condemned. Right, And this is what

the Bible says. Okay, he who believes and is baptized

will be saved. Okay, next line, all right, romans tend.

How then shall shall they call on him whom they

have not believed? And how shall they believe in him

whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear

without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they

are sent? As it is written? How beautiful are the

feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace, who

bring glad tidings of good things.

So it's very clear here. Unless we go people won't know.

So an ambassador goes to people with the message that

was given to him. And the message here again the

word gospel is used here and here it's used the

good news of peace. So what is the gospel of peace?

What is the gospel of peace? That there is now peace,

that peace between you and God is now possible. That

is the gospel of peace. Okay, I know it's a

bit quiet, which is fine. I anticipated that because it's

it's for us to add then, and sometimes we as

now I'm talking to the Christians, we Christians, we take

it upon ourselves to go and try and tell people

how to live their lives.

That is not what we are called to do.

All we are called to do is to bring the

Gospel of peace, to bring good news.

We are not to become the moral police.

We're not supposed to tell people, Hey, this is how

you should bring up your kids, this is how you

should do your job, This is how you need to

treat the poor, this is how you need to use

your finances. That is not what God has asked us

to do. God's mission for us is to be an

ambassador to him, for him to the people. And as

an ambassador, our message is to bring the Gospel of peace. Okay,

but then you're saying that he then aren't we supposed

to change culture? Aren't we're supposed to change culture? And

on their shad Is quote, which I thought it was

quite cool. Next line, changed, people who are changed by

the Gospel will change society. It is not our job

to get them to change culture. But because they are

changed by the Gospel, they will automatically change because they

have been transformed by the renewing of their mind.

They are a new creation. All of us are a

new creation. And then that's why we will be changed.

We will change society because God has changed us.

We have no authority to change people. That's God's department.

Our job is just to share the Gospel of peace

and people need to receive it. If they receive it,

and once they receive it, they will be changed. And

when they are changed, that's how society changes. Okay, all right,

so I talked about So now you know you're ambassadors

and you have a mission. So what is the message

next life? What is the message as an ambassador? You

know that if you are a Christian, you are an

ambassador for Christ. God has put you where you need

to be, So right now, what is the message that

you need to share, Okay, I said earlier. Right, It's

like the Gospel of Peace, right, which in the essence

of it is reconciliation.

Okay.

So if you go back to Second Corinthians five, the

key text for today, Second Corinthians five.

Is the same scripture, but I highlighted different words and all.

This is a gift from God who has brought us

back to himself through Christ. And God has given us

this task of reconciling people to him. For God was

in Christ reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting

people's sin against them, and He gave us this wonderful

message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors of Christ. God

is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ

when we plead come back to God. For God made Christ,

who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,

so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

So what is the key word for this text reconciliation.

And that is our key message. So when we go

out for missions, the key message is that, Hey, God

wants to be made God wants you to be right

with him. We want you to be reconciled with God

because we have now been reconciled with God. If unless

you are have been reconciled with God, you can't go

and tell other people to do so.

And that's why it's good news.

Okay, So you think about it right, If there is reconciliation,

what needed to happen in the before there's reconciliation, an

offense who was offended was God because for all have

sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Before

this reconciliation, there has been offense. And you know the

Adam sinned and all of us have sinned, and because

of that we have been we are no longer have

a relationship with God. Okay, So you think about it right.

If somebody if you have offended somebody, or somebody has

offended you, think about it this way. Somebody has offended

you you, okay, maybe at work somebody e went and

stole credit for your work. You know how many of

you has happened to you before? It might have whatever example, right,

somebody has offended you, what would you do?

You would most.

Likely hold the offense against this person and you will

be waiting for this person to try and win his

way back, you know, because you are the one that

has been wronged. But you see, God is different. We

have wronged God, and he is the one trying to

appeal to us to like, hey, guys, come on, I

want to be right with your In every other religion, right,

it is about what can we do so that we

are made right with God. You either fast, or you

give a certain amount of money, or you do a

certain amount of things. You know, it's about what we

can do to earn God's favor. Only in Christianity it's

when God is coming down and says that, hey, you

have offended me, but I want to reconsolidate you. Isn't

that good news? Isn't that good news that somebody that

you has offended wants to be made right with you?

And that's the good news right next slide.

So, reconciliation with God, it's not something we accomplish when

we stop rejecting him, but rather when He stops rejecting us.

We can't earn reconciliation. Reconciliation is given to us. No

matter what you do, you can't earn reconciliation. But God

is the one that freely gives reconciliation.

Okay, just give me a sack. Right, So there's a

maybe I will segue.

To a story that I heard about this. So there

was this pastor who was on a flight. He was

sitting next to a guy, and he was preparing his

sermon for I think the conference that he's going to.

So the guy is sitting next to him. He looked

at him and said that, hey, is this a Bible.

Then the pastor say, yes, he is a Bible. Then

he said, can I ask you a religious question? So

the pastor say, okay, is it your religion is very confusing?

How come your Christians? But you have Baptists, you have Catholics,

you got Pentecostal. And then so the pastor then explained

to him the differences and all this.

Then after that, the pastor asked.

Him, hey, in your religion do you all sin? And

this guy said, of course, we've seen all of a sudden,

we've seen a lot. You know, he has a very

honest guy. Then he says that. Uh. The pastor asked him,

so do are you do you think you'll be singing

in the future? Say of course. In fact, now I'm

going to uh uh uh he's going to help passo

now I'm going to help Passo and I'm going to

commit sin. Then the fastest said, huh, why oh, because

I met this girl and we're going there and we're

going to commit sin together. So this guy is very

honest to the pastor lab So the past I said, oh, okay,

so you're going to commit sin. What do you think

your God will think about it? Uh, he will be angry.

So if you're angry, then do you think you'll go

to heaven or hell? Then he says, if if I

sin and he's angry with me, I'll go to hell.

Okay.

So do you think he will forgive you? This guy says,

I hope he will forgive me.

Okay.

Then the pastor just replied here and said, I know

the true God, and I know that he cannot overlook

any sin. I know the one True God, and I

know that he cannot overlook any sin because he's a

good God. And if we sin, we are all going

to hell. So this guy got a chakra like, how

come you know God? You know first of all, because

from most religion it's not a personal relationship. It's it's

quite a distant thing, and you're trying to earn God's thing,

and then he says that. So the pastor went on

to explain, it is true all of us sin, and

because of sin, all of us deserve death one, you know,

because we can't. God is a good God, he's a

just God. He will not forgive sin. But my God

came up with a plan how he's going to reconcile us.

And that's how he shared what Jesus came down to

earth to do, to die for our sins and to

take away our sins, that we might be reconciled with him.

And I thought, wow, that is such a powerful story

because reconciliation with God. A lot of times we think,

is that Do you want to accept Jesus? It's like,

whoa the power is it?

Mere?

I accept Jesus or I decline Jesus. But it's in

actual fact right. By accepting Jesus, right, God is no

long longer rejecting us. Okay, next line, For all have

sin and fall shot of the glory of God.

Who has sinned? All all have fallen shot of the

glory of God. Okay, next line Isaiah fifty nine.

But your iniquite iniquities have separated you from God, and

your sins has hidden his face from you so that

he will not hear. So think about it, right, because

of our sin, we are separated from God. He will

not hear you, his face will not shine on you.

He basically despises us because of the sin in us.

And the only way that we can build that relationship

back with.

Him is through reconciliation.

That we as ambassadors go and share with the rest that, Hey,

there is a way to reconcile back to God.

Okay, next, light to this end.

We both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in

the Living God, who is the savior of all men.

So God is the only one that can be the

savior of all men, and we need to be reconciled

with Him and only then will we be saved.

Okay, let me.

Go to the next So if this is this is

the message, right, I'll paraphrase it. Imagine if every sin

you ever did, are doing, or going to do is

wipe away for free.

Is that a good deal? Yes?

But why don't we take the deal? If it's such

a good deal, why don't we take the deal?

You know? Why why do we steal the ambassadors? Because

it's a gift.

It's a free gift, and every sin and condemnation can

be taken away for free.

But it is still difficult. You know why.

Next line, and this is the condemnation that the light

has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather

than light. How many of you all think it's easier

to sin than to live a good life? Of course,

at least got honest people. I also totally agree to

live a life that is pleasing to God is tougher

because the flesh.

We are flesh, we are.

Sinful, We have a sinful nature, and we have to

die to flesh, and there only we can live for Christ.

But that means you have to give up the world.

And everyone practicing evil that hates the light does not

come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does the truth comes to the light

that his deeds may be clearly seen that have been

done in God.

So just do a recap.

The good message is the Gospel of peace, which is reconciliation,

which means God is here to wipe away every sin

so that He will be able to accept you back again.

But right now we are having We don't want to

receive it because it means we have.

To let go of darkness right and next light.

So this is the last point, which is the great

ex change. So going into the next line, So the

verse again the key texts. I read verse twenty one

for God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the

offering for our sin so that we could be made

right with God through Christ. Okay, so Christ, who had

never seen, to be the offering for our sin so

that we could be made right with God through Christ.

So what does this mean?

We know that the wages of sin is death, and

we know that God is a just God.

So just God means you have justice.

Right.

So for example, right, if you imagine you're a judge,

someone comes up to you and say that, hey, I've

committed all this sin, I've robbed, killed and murdered. I'm

really sorry, and the jud says, I forgive you. Do

you think the judge will last long?

No? Because the judge is not metting out justice. You

have wronged. You need to pay the price. And God

is a just god. Right, so next life, he is

the rock, his work is perfect.

For all his ways, a justice, a god of truth

and without injustice. So if God is a God of

truth without injustice.

How can we who have sinned not suffer that.

Someone needs to pay the price for us. If not,

it will contradict who God is. Someone needs to pay

a price. God is a good judge, He is just God.

And someone needs to pay the price. And who is

that someone? Next line Isaiah fifty three. He was wounded

for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The

chastisement for our peace was upon him. So Jesus was

chastised so that we may have peace. You go back

to the Gospel of peace. So the good news of

peace only could happen when Jesus was bruised for our

iniquities and the chastisement for our peace by his tribes.

We are here all we like sheep, have gone astray.

We have turned everyone to his own way, and the

Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us.

All.

So the judge, which is God, took the whole punishment

and put it on Jesus, because he's a just God,

and the wages of sin is dead. And the only

one that can pay for this, that is someone who has.

Not sinned, which is Jesus. Hey, next night, So who

bore him, who himself bore our sins in his own

body on the tree, that we, having died to since

might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. Okay,

so think about this. Right he bought all our sins,

so that means right.

God exchanged his righteousness for our sins. And one of

the ways that I think it was put right, God

treated Jesus as if he lived your life and unleash

the full fury of his wrath on him. Another way

of putting it is, God treated Jesus as if he

lived my life, and he treats us as if we

lived Jesus' life, because all righteousness was given to us,

and only who is righteous, only Jesus is righteous. So

Jesus exchanged his righteousness for our sins that we might

be reconciled with God. So even as his missions month right,

let's remember the next line again, John three sixteen. For

God so loved the world that he gave his only

begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life. For God did not send his

son into the world to condemn the world, but that

the world, through him.

Might be safe.

So even for us church as ambassadors, we are not

called sent out to condemn the world. We are not

sent out to change culture. We are just sent out

with the clear message God wants to be made right

with you. And I just want to summarize it with

the last line. We are ambassadors of Christ and our message,

even as we do missions, even as we live our

lives daily, is God loves.

Us and wants to reconcile with us.

That we may have eternal life. So missions is not

about getting more influenced. It's not about changing the way

people do music.

It's not the way.

About the way people do health care. But it's about Hey,

God wants to draw closer to you, and he cannot

do it unless you receive the righteousness that Jesus has

for you, and you cast your darkness and sin on him.

Gussie has taken it all on the cross.

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