Sent to Serve: Embracing Our Everyday Mission

What if living as a sent person isn't about having a perfect plan? What if it's not about waiting until you're perfectly prepared? What if it's simply about seeing a need and going? The prophet Isaiah records this moment that God asks this question, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" And Isaiah answered, "Here am I. Send me." When we're talking about living as sent people, I think that is the clearest distillation of what it means. Here I am, Lord. Send me wherever, however, whatever that looks like. Help me to live as a sent person. [00:01:34]

The great commission is not just for the professional Christians. It's for all of us. It's for the ordinary, the busy, the exhausted, the imperfect. It's for people like you and me. Because the same Jesus who stood on that mountain and gave the commission to those 11 disciples is the same Jesus who stands with us today and says you're not just forgiven, you're sent. So many of us were handed only the first half of that equation that you trust in Jesus and surrender your life to him and you are forgiven of sin and you are saved from sin and death. And that's true and praise God that it is. [00:04:52]

But many of us have missed the second half of the equation is that you are not just forgiven. you're sent. That if you were in Christ, you are a sent person. But don't miss the what comes before that sending. When Jesus tells us to go, there's a very important word that comes right before it. Before the command comes a claim. Before the go comes a therefore. Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go." The great commission does not begin with us. It begins with him. [00:05:28]

The same Jesus who defeated death, the Jesus who holds all authority looked at imperfect limping disciples and said, "You're not just forgiven, you are sent." So maybe the question today isn't, "Am I ready to go?" Maybe the real question is, "Am I willing?" And that's what this series is all about. What if we actually took those two words from Jesus seriously? Therefore, go are the two words that summarize Jesus's calling that he gave to both the first disciples and to us today. Not just as a command, but as an invitation to join God in the work of what he's doing in the world. [00:06:09]

What if the commission here isn't just for some people in some places but for all of us right here and now wherever God has you? What if this command wasn't just about missionaries or pastors, but about parents and students and baristas and nurses and coaches and accountants? What What if it's not just about getting people to come to church, but about bringing the gospel to every table, to every domain, to every space? Because the mission isn't just global. That's part of it, but it's also local. And for many of us, it doesn't start when you step on a plane. It starts when you open your eyes to where you already are. [00:07:27]

Mission isn't a department of the church. It's the identity of the church. It's not just like a wing or an aspect or part of the budget. It is the identity of the church. I've heard it said, the church doesn't have a mission. God's mission has a church. It's us. We're his plan A in the world. That's the heartbeat of this whole series to explore. What does it actually look like to live a commissioned life? To not just attend church, but be the church. Not just to believe in Jesus, but to follow him. And not just someday, but today. [00:08:04]

If you're here and you've ever wondered, what does it actually look like to live on mission? Or how do I share Jesus without being weird? Or what does the great commission actually have to do with my nineto-5? This series is for you. Because these these words from Jesus in Matthew 28 were never meant to just sort of stay on a page. It was meant to reshape and reorient our entire lives. So here's our text for today. Just starting in verse 16, let me read it again. Says, "Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted." [00:08:41]

The text begins by naming them as the 11. And this detail may seem like a throwaway detail, but it isn't. If you remember, all throughout the time of their ministry, they've been called the 12. Like that was part of their identity, part of who they were. But now they're the 11. Judas is gone. Failure is fresh. And the group feels, I imagine, incomplete at best. And Matthew doesn't try to hide that. He doesn't he doesn't round up. He doesn't use what I like to call pastor math. Are you familiar with pastor math? Ask a pastor how many people were at their last event. I guarantee that number has been mildly, if not grossly inflated. Matthew tells the truth. [00:09:55]

Here's why that matters. because Jesus is about to give the most important assignment in human history to a group of imperfect, grieving, confused disciples to to a group that's legitimately one short. And I think that's really good news for us because God has always been in the business of using imperfect people. The Apostle Paul gets at this idea in 2 Corinthians 4. He says, ' But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. I I learned that there's um it was very common practice in the first century to use these jars as lanterns. And the thinner the jar, the more light got out, the more frail the vessel, the more it illuminated. [00:10:42]

This is why Paul's able to say things like, "I'm not just okay with you knowing my weaknesses. I'm going to boast in them because it's actually in my weakness that God's strength is made perfect. Paul is an intelligent. Why would an intelligent person boast in his frailty unless he knew that that's actually where the power of God was most on display? God has always been in the business of using imperfect people. So, let's just get really honest for a second because in my experience, a lot of us most days feel more like the 11 than the 12. We we carry very real disappointment. Maybe our failures are very front and center. We carry doubt. Maybe spiritually we feel like we walk with a limp. [00:11:28]

And yet Jesus meets them there. He doesn't wait for them to be perfect. He meets us in our imperfections and says, "You're not just forgiven, you're sent." Which means, and please hear this, if you have ever thought that your failures disqualify you from being used by God, think again. The great commission begins with a group that feels unfinished. And maybe maybe that's the point. And then next it says to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. Now again, this feels like it could be a throwaway detail, but uh for a lot of reasons, Matthew really likes mountains. Like he he uses the term a lot. And this is important because they show up again and again and again in his gospel. [00:12:17]

Jesus was tempted on a mountain. He preached the sermon on a mount. He was transfigured on a mountain. He lamented on the Mount of Olives. And now in his final moments, he's commissioning his disciples. But in the Old Testament, mountains are where God showed up. Repeatedly throughout the Old Testament, God showing up in mountains are often linked together. So, this is no accident. Jesus is positioning himself as the same God that they have read about and prayed for and yearned for. And then it says, "When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted." I think this might be one of the most human raw verses in the entire Bible. [00:13:04]

They worshiped him, but some doubted. It's like we talked about last week. Fear and joy in the same sentence. Worship and doubt in the same sentence. Now, I'm not a math doctor, but he uses the word some here. And some implies more than two. So of the 11 more than two doubted. That's not a good ratio that even at this part of the ministry you have worship and doubt all kind of intertwined. And in our minds often worship and doubt don't go they don't belong together. We kind of imagine the faithful like singing at the top of their lungs and the doubtful kind of slipping out the back. But that's actually not what we see here. [00:13:51]

Matthew says some of them bowed down and others were not sure. And Jesus, by the way, doesn't separate them. He doesn't say, "Okay, worshippers to the left and doubters to the right. You can exit this way." He speaks to all of them together. And I love that because for a lot of us, that's the space that we find ourselves in today. Some of us are singing with confidence today. Others of us are hanging on by a thread. Some of us believe that Jesus is alive and at work today. And others of us perhaps are wondering if he's even real at all. And Jesus says there is space for both here. [00:14:39]

Now, the word doubt in the Greek means to hesitate or to be of two minds. It doesn't mean like settled unbelief. It's about hesitation. It's like someone standing on the edge of a diving board wondering, unsure if they're actually going to jump. And my guess is that's maybe where a lot of us find ourselves today. Like I want I want this story to be true. I want Jesus to be real, but I'm like not quite sure if I can go allin. I'm not quite sure if I can bet my life on it yet. And then what does Jesus do in that moment of both worship and doubt? [00:15:24]

Jesus steps toward the doubting. He draws near to the uncertain, toward the hesitant. This reveals that he searches for us even when we have given up the search for him. The disciples, the people who had clung to Jesus for years after his crucifixion, fled. They ran. They had given up hope of ever seeing him ever again. And Jesus quote came to them. In fact, that phrase, that verb came to them, is actually used elsewhere in Matthew's gospel for people who are desperately seeking for something. often used for people who are crying out to Jesus in pain. And here Jesus becomes the one who who moves. [00:16:10]

He draws near even in the midst of their doubt, even in the midst of their uncertainty. He steps toward the limping 11 in both their worship and their doubt. And then he says these words, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. This is a claim unlike any other. Jesus is saying there is no realm heavenly or earthly where I am not king. This is not just nice spiritual language. By the way, this is economic. This is cosmic and this is personal. Again, the apostle Paul captures this idea in Philippians 2. says, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." [00:16:56]

This is a declaration that Jesus is not just the Lord of your heart. He's the Lord of all of every nation of every industry of every system of every structure of every place where injustice hides and every corner where hope is needed. And he says all that authority, it's mine. Jesus is king, not king elect. And then here's the twist. He doesn't use that authority to dominate. He uses it to send. G Jesus here doesn't hoard power. In fact, he does the opposite. He hands it off. And in the ancient world, kings would often send messengers with a uh a wax seal, proof that they carried the authority of the crown. [00:18:01]

And Jesus here is saying, "You carry my seal, my power, my presence, my mission, not because you are worthy or because you figured it all out, but because I have all authority and I am with you. When we live as sent people, we can live with the confidence that the God of the universe who is king over all of it isn't just like mindful of us, like aware of our whereabouts, but with us. The authority that Jesus claims in this passage wasn't seized through domination. It was given through surrender. He didn't ascend by conquering armies, but by conquering sin and death. He wore a crown of thorns before being crowned with glory. He was lifted up on a cross before he was lifted up from the grave. [00:18:45]

He gave his life for ours and the one who died for you now speaks over you with divine authority not just to save us but to send us. It is so important that we get this because I think so many of us were perhaps raised in traditions where the whole of the story the whole narrative is like pray this prayer be saved from sin go to the good place instead of the bad place. Jesus here is not just forgiving sin. He's inaugurating a kingdom. And that kingdom, by the way, is not advanced by the impressive. It's advanced by the willing. These limping, imperfect, doubting disciples through his life, death, resurrection, and reign. Jesus made a way for you and I to be reconciled to God. [00:19:28]

And now in grace, he invites us to carry that reconciliation into every room we walk in and every table we sit at. Not because you are worthy, but because he's with you. Do we understand the strength of that statement? He claims all authority and then says, "Guess what? You don't go alone." So, what do we what do we actually do with this then? Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. Steps toward the doubting disciples, meets us on the mountain, not with guilt, but with calling. How then do we actually live as sent people? Let's start with this. You don't need to go somewhere else to be a missionary. [00:20:13]

A lot of what we do as a church is about overseas global missions, and that's beautiful. And I I love that we're a church that takes that seriously. But you do not need to go somewhere else to live on mission. You don't need a plane or a pulpit. You don't need a new job or a new zip code. You need to start seeing where you already are as the place that you've been sent. Because mission isn't just something like out there. It's something about right here is my actual lived life. Note, Jesus doesn't say, "Hey, go when you're ready. Go when circumstances are ideal." He simply says, "Therefore, go." [00:20:57]

Now, in the Greek, this verb suggests ongoing motion. You could define it as as you go, while you go, wherever you go. In other words, your life already has a mission field. If you're wondering where you've been sent, it's where you already actually are. Your neighborhood, your kitchen, your table, your classroom, your cubicle, your lunch break, your kids sports team, your friend group. I say it like this. If you've ever left your house, you've been on a mission trip. And if you're here today, congratulations. You've done it. If you are in Christ, you already have a mission field. Mission isn't something that we add to life. It is our life. [00:21:37]

It's seeing through a renewed gospel lens. It's the places you're already going filled with people Jesus already loves, waiting for someone to show up with gospel intentionality. This is where we shift from simply going to church to saying we are the church and we've been sent. Sundays, by the way, Sundays are the push, not the point. I love what we do on Sundays. It's so important to gather and worship and sing, but this is the push, not the point. The point isn't for more and more people to be a part of what we do on Sunday. It's more and more people who are disciples of Jesus who live as sent people wherever God has us. [00:22:26]

Think about this practically for a second. What would it look like if you saw every space you entered entered this week as a place that you've been sent on mission? A coffee shop, a barber shop, a playground, a grocery store. These aren't just errands. They're encounters. They're opportunities not to force a conversation, by the way, but to carry the aroma of Christ. to be present, to see people, to listen well, to pray silently, to ask meaningful questions, to create safe space, to be interruptible. [00:23:11]

What if we all saw ourselves with with that kind of picture? maybe slightly cleaner, but not as people who have to go out and figure it on our own, but those who carry with us the aroma and authority of Jesus. What if that's spiritually true, too? What if everywhere you go, you carry something with you? You carry the authority of Jesus, the presence of his kingdom, the aroma of his grace. What if the people What if people are actually encountering Jesus through your kindness, through your hospitality, through your empathy, through your joy? That's what it means to live as scent people. [00:24:30]

And then number three tending to God's presence as guests. This is where we go into the world as learners, seeking to notice where God is at work, where Jesus is already moving. We pay attention to what God is doing and we seek to join Jesus in loving them. That means wherever you're at, you're not there on accident. Acts 17 gets to this idea here. says, "From one man he made all the nations that they should inhabit the whole earth. And he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their land." You are where you're at on purpose for a purpose. Start just by naming where are these spaces that I'm already regularly going to. [00:27:14]

You don't have to find a mission field. You already live in one. So this week, I want to challenge you. Make a literal list. Write down five tables where you naturally find yourself. Where are you naturally lingering? Who do I bump into? Who has God already placed in your life and write it down. And then number two, pray for eyes to see. Pray for eyes to see. Once you've identified your tables, pray. Pray that God would open your eyes to the people around you, not as projects, but as people made in the image and likeness of God. People who need love or encouragement or belonging or grace. [00:28:02]

That was Alen Law's story. who just started packing sandwiches and handing them out. He had eyes to see real people with real needs. But don't just pray for opportunities. Pray for vision. Pray, "Lord, help me to see people the way that you see them." So many of us, we're going way too fast to actually see each other. We're so distracted. Our schedules are packed so full. I can't I can't help but wonder how much activity of God are we missing because we're just simply not paying attention. Maybe we can pray, God, help me see. Help me notice. Help me to be present. Because the truth is, and I've experienced this, you might be the answer to someone else's prayer. And it starts by seeing them. [00:28:54]

Take one simple step. I heard a a story this month about the Girl Scouts. You all know the the Girl Scouts, right? Uh, every year, Girl Scouts are sent into the world with one mission. And what is that? To sell cookies. Caramel Delights, by the way, cold are the best. Anyone with me? Caramel. Great. Okay. Most Girl Scouts sell like maybe a few hundred boxes if they're lucky. But I heard the story of 13-year-old Katie Francis who sold, ready for it, 180,000 boxes, sha shattering the world record. And her strategy was fascinating. She didn't like wait for people to come to her. She tracked locations and peaked crowd times on spreadsheets. She planned passroughs and office buildings and even stored 14,000 cookies in a rented unit one year. [00:29:22]

And when asked about this, her mom said, "You kind of go where the people are." That sounds really simple, but I kind of love it. You just go where the people are. Katie's strategy wasn't flashy, but it was focused. She just went to where the people were over and over and over again. What if we approached living on mission the same way? What if being sent meant exactly that? Showing up again and again and again and again with the aroma of Christ where people already are. for you this week. That one step might be just simply learning someone's name. It might be asking a deeper question than you would normally ask. [00:30:14]

Maybe it's offering to pray for someone and then doing it right then and there. Not the whole I'll I'll be praying for you. Maybe it's serving someone sacrificially. Maybe it's inviting someone to your actual table. I' I've been so shaken by this passage in Romans all week in preparation for this message. says, "How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? We are God's plan A for bringing the kingdom of God to earth here and now." How can people believe if they haven't heard? If they've not been invited in, if they've not seen it in our own lives this week, take one small step. [00:30:56]

Don't over complicate it. Don't wait until all your ducks are in a row until you feel ready. Take one step toward living like a scent person. And this, by the way, please hear me. This is not about It's not about like forcing a Romans Road conversation in every interaction, but it is about carrying the gospel with you in every interaction. It's not about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about being the most attentive heart at the table. Start small. Start where you're at. and start this week because every big movement of God begins with small steps of obedience. One table, one name, one act of love at a time. [00:31:38]

We don't live on mission because we're fearless. We live on mission because he's faithful. We live on mission recognizing, man, the authority with which we walk into these rooms and these conversations is not mine. That the God of the universe not only resides with us but goes before us. What if your everyday ordinary life is the exact place that God wants to work through you? What if someone else's miracle is on the other side of your ordinary obedience? What if what if what if the most important thing we could do is actually take Jesus seriously when he said, "Therefore, go just go." [00:32:20]

We might not be able to ever reach thousands of people. We might not change the whole beach, but we can reach the one that God has put in front of us. We can love the neighbor at our table. We can encourage the co-orker that no one notices. We can pray for the friend that is close to slipping between the cracks. We can make a difference. one person, one story, one table at a time. Because the mission that Jesus gives us isn't about saving the whole world. That's his job. Thank God. Ours is simply to be faithful where we're at, to show up, to step toward love. Outcomes are God's job. Obedience is ours. [00:32:58]

You are not called to reach everyone, but you are called to reach someone. The truth is you are here today because someone took the time to make a difference for you. Someone saw you. Someone prayed for you. Someone invited you. You are the result of someone taking therefore go seriously. And now it's your turn. Now it's our turn. And here's the beauty of all this, church. We do this together. We are not lone rangers on solo mission trips. We're a family of scent people, a church on the move. We're here because a handful of people a couple thousand years ago took these words seriously. [00:33:41]