Session 1: The Mission

Session Overview

Key Elements

• Key Passage: Acts 1:1-11
• Scripture Memory: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14
• Catechism: Q: Why did Jesus leave the church on earth? A: Mission.

Introduction

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Psalm 96:1-3

“The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning. Where there is no mission, there is no Church; and where there is neither Church nor mission, there is no faith.” Emil Brunner, The Word and the World

The spark of human passion is at the level of life purpose. Underneath the ingrained habits that define us, the way we spend our time and money, the kind of investment we make in relationships, and the thoughts that occupy us is a way of understanding the reason for our existence. When this life purpose is correctly aligned, it mobilizes people to God-honoring ends. However, when it is skewed, it deteriorates other areas of one’s life.

Life is meant to be lived with purpose. Many people seek purpose to no avail, pursuing life wrapped up in constant self-promotion, material wealth, personal pleasure, relational acceptance, or growing power. These life aims, which inspire not a few, cannot provide a meaningful or fulfilling life. They promise grand visions of full lives only to create within their victims shriveled hearts of withering satisfaction. In fact, a wrong or misdirected purpose in life can erode the very desire to live.

Consequently, we must return to God’s vision for our lives. He is, after all, our Creator. He has designed us for a specific purpose, and his will for our lives is a personalized and customized way of participating in God’s grand purposes. Outside of this God-given purpose we are grasping at wind. Thankfully, the Scriptures offer a substantive view on human purpose. In sum, our life purpose is most satisfying when it is aligned with God’s purposes for the world.

The narrative of Acts is a helpful canvas to search out meaning and purpose in life. It details God’s amazing acts in the first-century church. It tells the inspiring story of courageous ministry, Spirit-empowered witness, and worldwide mission. It is a sequel in Luke’s two-volume work about God’s salvation plan. In the Gospel of Luke, he records Jesus’ work of salvation. In Acts, he recounts the spread of Jesus’ saving work to the ends of the earth.

The very beginning of Luke’s narrative gives us insight into the basic nature of our mission. As a prologue, it gives insight into the purpose of Luke’s literary work. However, it also outlines the purpose of the church in the world. In Acts 1:1-11, Jesus commissioned his disciples to their global mandate just prior to his heavenly ascension. He offered them the enabling Spirit, a strategic vision, and a promise of his future return to fuel them in their missional duty. To understand this opening narrative, we must build from the context of Luke’s original purpose (Luke 1:1-4) as well as Jesus’ previous commission to his disciples (Luke 24:44-53). It also helps to understand Luke’s overall framework of his book (Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31) which depicts the Christian faith as a kingdom movement (Acts 1:1-5).

Perhaps you feel lost in life, empty of passion and desire. It is more than possible that you struggle to find a specific meaning and mission to your life. Or, maybe you know what you are living for but privately recognize that you are living for a wrong purpose. Through the following story, you can evaluate, reorient, and re-envision your purpose in life in a way that defines it within the context of Jesus’ global cause.

Biblical Interpretation: Hearing the Word

Study the Text: Christian disciples ground themselves in God’s inspired word. In this movement, you will study the details of the biblical text in order to accurately understand what God’s word says.

Observation Questions

Read (or listen to) the whole passage of Scripture. Discuss the questions below for each section of the story. Pay attention to the details of the text to recall what the passage is saying. Use the focus verses to guide your conversation.

Storycraft

Theological Dialogue: Discussing the Plot

Explore the Text: We grow as Christ’s disciples when we root our lives in the truth. In this movement, you will explore the important teachings of this biblical passage.

Discussion Questions

Have someone in your community share their summary of the biblical story. As a community, discuss the following questions together.

Biblical Commentary

Read the following commentary of the biblical passage. Use this explanation to help gain a better understanding of the biblical narrative and important biblical principles that the passage teaches.

Passage Introduction

Key Idea

The church is called to embrace God’s worldwide mission in the power of the Spirit as a continuation of the ministry of Jesus.

Introduction

God’s worldwide mission shapes our personal life purpose. Reading the chronicle of Acts will force us to pause and consider to what end we are living. All through the pages of Acts, lives are transformed as they encounter the gospel of Christ. The gospel advances throughout the world as an unstoppable force which divides humans based on how they respond to it. Either people come to saving faith with joy and relief or they repel from the gospel in hostile rejection and violent retaliation. No more polarizing and restorative message exists other than the gospel. The advance of the word is the fulcrum upon which the narrative of Acts turns, and it is the centerpiece of the first story we encounter in Acts. Even today, this word continues to make inroads throughout the world.

After his resurrection, Jesus commissioned his disciples to be witnesses in the power of the Spirit throughout the world (Luke 24:44-53). Luke’s intent in his sequelled work is to show the work of the gospel in Jesus’ earthly life (Luke 1:1-4) and the subsequent witness of the gospel through the Spirit-empowered church (Acts 1:1-5). Jesus revealed to his disciples that the gospel would advance in geographical stages and by the power of the Spirit (Acts 1:1-11). True to Jesus’ command, the gospel starts in Jerusalem and ripples into frontier territories (Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31). Far more than a human endeavor, the church’s mission is a movement of the Spirit (Acts 1:1-5).

Participating in God’s mission is a fantastic privilege. But, it is not the greatest privilege. The most honorable and humbling invitation we can have is to be called into Christ’s family: to have sins forgiven, be endowed with the Spirit, and become inheritors of eternal life. That God does not immediately transport us into his presence after our salvation tells us that there is a significant purpose he desires for us to embrace after we come to faith. As we enter into the dramatic and riveting story of the early church, allow each narrative turn to probe your heart, fuel your devotion, inspire your ministry, and rekindle your love for the God that calls you to himself to send you out as his ambassador.

Ongoing Mission: Continuing Christ’s Ministry in His Ascended Absence (Acts 1:1-11)

The Book of Acts opens at the end of Jesus’ resurrection appearances and prior to his heavenly ascension (Acts 1:1). As a narrative prologue, Acts 1:1-11 serves as a bridge to connect Luke’s Gospel (cf. Luke 24:50-51) with the Book of Acts. Jesus used his resurrection appearances to offer “many proofs” (1:3) that he had risen from the dead, to teach “the kingdom of God” (1:3), and to give “commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen” (1:2). The proof of Jesus’ resurrection was the necessary foundation to follow Christ’s commands to embrace a life-risking kingdom mission.

Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem because they would "be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (1:5; cf. Luke 24:49). The Holy Spirit was a promised gift that God had pledged to his people (1:4). The Spirit would empower the church to fulfill a global mandate to be witnesses throughout the world. God leads his people to missional engagement on a promise of the Spirit’s empowering presence.

During this post-resurrection season, the disciples were often together (1:6; cf. 1:4, 13, 14; 2:1, 44, 46; 4:24, 31; 5:12). The disciples asked whether now was the time that Jesus would restore Israel’s kingdom (1:6). Jesus told them that they need not worry about “times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (1:7). The specific epochs of unfolding history were securely in God’s hand. Instead, Jesus called his disciples to be Christ’s witnesses “in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (1:8). The consummation of history had not yet arrived. The kingdom would surely come—and indeed it had already been inaugurated—but the disciples were to set themselves to the task of global witness.

Having received their mission marching orders along with a divine promise, Jesus departed in front of their eyes. They gazed as Jesus was “lifted up” and taken “out of their sight” followed by two white-robed angels appearing (1:9-10). The angels reassured the disciples that one day Jesus would return “in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (1:11). The mission of the early church would engage its global mandate with an eye toward the horizon of Christ’s return.

As Luke commences Acts, we learn much about how Jesus’ ministry will continue in his ascended absence. During his resurrection appearances, Jesus spent time teaching about the kingdom of God (1:3), so it seems natural that the disciples would asked about the restoration of the kingdom (1:6). However, Jesus’ refusal to answer their question about the timing of the kingdom is curious. Should the disciples be focused on the kingdom or not? In fact, Jesus calls the disciples to have a kingdom mentality that is not primarily motivated by the timing of its coming, but rather committed the fulfillment of its cause. Simply put, Jesus called his disciples to a kingdom mission reinforced by his resurrection victory.

While the mission would advance through the church’s witness, this witness would be enabled by the Holy Spirit. Simply put, the disciples were to boldly witness in the power of the Spirit (1:4-8a). Specifically, the Spirit would bring divine authority, presence, ability, and accountability. Amazingly, God supports us in our missional venture with a promise of his empowering presence. To make sure that we do not mistake Jesus’ global mandate as something we accomplish in our own strength, the Holy Spirit is given to serve as guide and guardian. Conversely, to inspire this early church to boldly and sacrificially embrace the mission against treacherous dangers, the Holy Spirit was given as enabler and comforter. God backs his gospel commission with divine promise of the Spirit’s presence.

The Spirit is crucial for the fulfillment of the mission, especially as the disciples were being invited to a mission that involved crossing geographical and cultural boundaries. The disciples were being called to commit to the cross-cultural nature of the global mandate. Inherent in this worldwide scope are geographical, religious, economic, political, and ethnic boundaries that need crossed. The global mission is a cross-cultural mission. Within this commission is a definable plan: Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, and the ends of the earth (1:8b). The gospel will advance locally, regionally, and globally, calling the church to be attentive to all spheres of its advance.

Lastly, Jesus’ departure puts the mission in a context of urgency. The fact that Jesus is promised to return one day calls the disciples to engage in the mission with grave responsibility (1:9-11). Since Jesus is returning, the church should be accountable, responsible, trustworthy, and earnest in the fulfillment of the mission. Although Jesus left his disciples on earth as he ascended into heaven, he has not left them alone. The Holy Spirit would come upon them. Nevertheless, in the power of the Spirit the church would continue the mission of Jesus—as an extension of him—to the ends of the earth.

Divine Acts: Giving an Account of Things Accomplished (Luke 1:1-4)

Luke wrote a two-volume work—the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles—which together narrate the transforming impact of the gospel. Luke’s Gospel bears witness to Jesus’ accomplishment of the gospel; the Book of Acts documents the propagation of the gospel. The Gospel narrative traces the ministry of Jesus culminating in Jerusalem; the sequel exhibits the message of Jesus cascading from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. While his first volume chronicles all that Jesus accomplished in his earthly life—birth, ministry, death, resurrection, appearances—Luke’s second volume records all that Jesus continued to do in his ascended absence through his Spirit-empowered church.

Luke revealed his purpose for writing his work in Luke 1:1-4. He wrote his two volumes to a certain Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Although he accomplished various purposes, the explicit aim of his writing was that Theophilus (and the church community) would “have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (1:4). The testimony of Jesus had already been received and Luke’s testimony offered a two-part confirmation of this testimony.

The subject matter of his work was “the things that have been accomplished among us” (Luke 1:1). Luke himself had “followed all things closely for some time past” (1:3). These things involved “all that Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). While the Gospel records Jesus’ attainment of salvation, Acts tells of the church’s Spirit-enabled spread of this saving message. Luke drafted the narrative—an account of Christ’s saving work and the church’s mandated mission—to substantiate both of these realities in the life of the early church. The companion volumes of Luke-Acts verify the means of salvation (Luke) and the mode of mission (Acts).

About these redemptive events, many set “to compile a narrative” (Luke 1:1). The testimony about Christ was preserved by “eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” who “delivered them to us” (1:2). There was an interplay between reliable oral testimony and trustworthy written accounts. In a similar spirit to these historical testimonies and writings, Luke set to write his own “orderly account” (1:4). Luke’s careful research, pastoral mindset, theological responsibility, and missional experience all shaped how he would write this work. In the end, Acts is a gospel defense that validates the truthfulness and trustworthiness of the gospel, a theological treatise that reveals God’s unfolding redemptive plan, a historical narrative that recounts Christ’s work and the church’s mission in actual past events, and an instructional guide that instructs the church of future generations. In this way the Book of Acts calls us to embrace the gospel, bear witness to Christ, join the mission, expect God’s mighty acts, and yield to its instructions for life and ministry.

Great Commission: Bearing Witness of Christ among All Nations (Luke 24:44-53)

As Luke 1:1-4 gives insight into the purpose of Acts, Luke 24:44-53 highlights the missional beat that pulsates through the fabric of the Acts narrative. After Jesus’ resurrection (24:1-12), he made many appearances to his disciples, proving to them that he had truly risen from the dead (24:13-43). He also gave them marching orders for how to continue the mission (24:44-49) after he ascended to heaven (24:50-53).

Jesus explained to his disciples that “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (24:44). As all the Scriptures spoke of himself(cf. 24:27), Jesus opened up the minds of his disciples so they could understand (24:45). Then, Jesus not only proclaimed his suffering, death, and resurrection (24:46), but also proclaimed that this message of repentance and forgiveness of sins should be told to all people (24:47). The disciples would be “witnesses of these things” (24:48; cf. Luke 1:1, 3, 4; 24:14, 18, 19, 21, 26, 36). The disciples were told to wait in Jerusalem, because the Holy Spirit would come upon them in power so that they could fulfill this missional task (24:49). This would take place after Jesus’ ascension (24:50-53).

The mission of the church should be defined by the commission that Jesus gave to his disciples. We learn several things about being a community of mission from this interchange between Jesus and his disciples. That Jesus confirmed his resurrection to his community of disciples highlights that the mission of the church is a corporate mission. God launched his ministry program from an established faith community (24:13-43). Importantly, the mission was rooted upon sovereign foundations (24:44-45). All things said of Jesus must be fulfilled. Clearly, the mission of the Christian community involved telling people about the gospel message (24:46-47). Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is the means by which forgiveness can be obtained. The nature of the missional task was that of bearing witness (24:48). The disciples were to bear witness about Christ to all people in the world (24:47); the scope of the commission was global. Lest the disciples think this mission would be accomplished in their own strength, Jesus carefully instructed them to wait in Jerusalem because they would need the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill Jesus’ worldwide mandate (24:49).

Gospel Progress: Becoming Partners in the Spread of the Word (Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31)

The Book of Acts tells of the unfolding progress of the gospel. Through noteworthy markers (i.e., Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31), Luke highlights the concentric spread of the gospel from Jerusalem outward to the ends of the earth. These literary markers track the geographical and numerical growth of the church in the days of the apostles. They not only form a structure to the book but also give insight into the nature of this missional endeavor.

Acts 6:7. After the Spirit came upon the Christian community at Pentecost, the gospel spread rapidly throughout Jerusalem. Luke records how “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (6:7). In these first chapters we read that three thousand were initially converted (2:41), converts were coming to faith daily (2:42), the number of converts grew to five thousand (4:4), and multitudes pledged trust in the Lord (5:14) to the point where the care of this new community became a pastoral challenge (6:1-2). This opening section focuses on genuine conversions and calls all people to honestly reckon with the truth claims of the gospel.

Acts 9:31. After this, the gospel spread to the surrounding region of Judea and Samaria. Luke commented that “the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied” (9:31). In light of Stephen’s seizure and martyrdom (6:8-7:60), Saul’s persecution (8:1-8), and the threat against Saul’s own life after his conversion, the church multiplied and matured in the face of persecution. The peace, maturity, faith, and comfort of the persecuted church accelerated God’s mission. The display of the church’s sacrificial devotion is a call to commit to defend the gospel at all costs.

Acts 12:24. In the next section, the text tells of the ministry of Peter and Paul crossing cultural boundaries to share the gospel. Luke offers a very terse summary that “the word of God increased and multiplied” (12:24). In Cornelius’ conversion, God overcame cultural prejudice (10:3; 11:18). In Jerusalem’s famine, God overcame natural disasters (11:27-28). In Peter’s incarceration, God overcame physical imprisonment (12:7). Against Herod’s blasphemy, God overcame political pride (12:23). In light of the divine intervention vividly seen in this section, we learn that we must entrust growth to the supernatural activity of God.

Acts 16:5. At this point, Luke brings Paul to the forefront of his narrative and chronicles his first missionary journey to the areas of Asia Minor (13:1-14:28). As more Gentiles were coming to faith, the church needed to sort out certain doctrinal issues. The council held in Jerusalem (15:1-21) yielded a letter that was sent to the churches to establish and strengthen them (15:22-16:4). Then, as Luke records, “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily” (16:5). The church not only grew in number but were strengthened in their quality. Strong churches are both the goal and catalyst of the gospel’s progress. The doctrinal reinforcement of these letters highlights that the mission involves strong congregations that need to be established with firm doctrinal foundations regarding the essentials of the faith.

Acts 19:20. As the gospel expanded to Macedonia and Achaia, we encounter the powerful transformation the saving message of Christ brings. The gospel advanced in Europe with prevailing triumph: triumphing over spiritual forces (16:16), threatening imprisonment (16:26), false gods (17:23), and superstitious magic (19:19). Luke confirms that in these regions far removed from Jerusalem, the life-altering power of the gospel will be undeterred. Luke’s concise summary states, “the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” (19:20).

Acts 28:31. Paul experienced opposition toward the end of these journeys and had to face trials in the defense of the gospel and his ministry. The final scene of Acts tells of Paul in prison “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (28:31). Regardless of hostile riots (19:21-41), an undeserving arrest (21:17-36), unjust trials (21:37-26:3), hazardous travels (27:1-28:10), or prolonged imprisonment (28:11-31), Paul repeatedly bore witness of Christ. The persistent preaching of Paul inspires the church of all generations to unswervingly proclaim the gospel in all circumstances.

Luke’s literary markers highlight ways in which the gospel grows. As the gospel advances to bring genuine conversion in people’s lives (6:7), it calls for sacrificial devotion in the face of opposition (9:31), relying upon divine intervention (12:24), establishing local church communities in the faith (16:5), triumphing over opposing forces (19:20), and resiliently preaching the gospel in all circumstances (28:31). The progress of the gospel in the early church is an inspiration and summons for missional engagement for the church in all generations.

Missional Momentum: Tracing the Movement of God’s Mission (Acts 1:1-5)

Luke begins his sequel by reminding Theophilus how in his first book he recorded “all that Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). The culmination of his narrative was when the resurrected Christ “was taken up” (1:2) in his ascension. Prior to this time, Jesus had “given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen” (1:2). Jesus appeared to his disciples for forty days and taught them about his kingdom (1:3). This time of being with the resurrected Christ would fuel his people to embrace his mission, a mission which in Acts would be all that Jesus *continued *to do and teach through the Spirit-empowered church. The same Spirit by which Jesus gave the commission to his apostles (1:2) would be the Spirit that would enable his people to fulfill their mission (1:4-5). The gospel enacted in Luke’s Gospel narrative is the gospel on the move in the Acts chronicle.

Luke’s narrative depicts Christianity as a movement. The surety of this movement’s success is supported by the fact that the mission of the church is to be an agent of God’s kingdom (1:3, 6; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31), of which Jesus is king (17:7). Jesus has already been vindicated in his resurrection; the coming of the kingdom will certainly transpire. The agents of God’s kingdom—the Christian community—are identified as the Way (9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22). This designation is the path of salvation, the community of faith, and the lifestyle code of disciples. This Way advances the gospel throughout the world. Luke animates the word (6:7; 12:24; 19:20), showing the life-giving power of the gospel message. Calling people to Jesus’ kingdom movement is about calling them to follow Jesus at his word along the way of their own journey.

The Spirit-empowered church is God’s ordained extension of Jesus’ presence in the world (cf. 1:1-3). Jesus himself appears at various times in the narrative explaining his mission (1:1-8; cf. 11:16), confronting the lost (9:4-6; 22:6-10; 26:14-16), commissioning his chosen emissaries (9:10-16; 22:17-21; 16:16-18), opening the way to the Gentiles (10:12-15; 11:6-9), comforting his spokesmen (18:9-10), and clarifying the particular destinations of faithful missionaries (23:11). By far, the primary actor in this story—“the mover of the movement”—is the Holy Spirit. Receiving the Holy Spirit is a most defining event in the growth of the church (9:31; 11:28), divine guidance (8:29, 39; 10:19; 11:12; 15:28; 16:6-10), enablement of key leaders (6:5; 11:22-24; 20:28), sending of missionaries (13:1-4; 19:21; 20:22), and manifestations of power (10:38, 44-47; 13:9-12). Over all, God the Father is the architect of all these events (2:23-24, 30, 32; 4:24-30; 5:30-32; 10:28, 33; 15:4; 16:10; 19:11; 21:19-20; 27:22-26). As Luke’s plot develops, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—one God who eternally exists as three persons—moves his cause forward.

Meanwhile, several “movements” occur in Luke’s telling of the narrative. Subtle shifts in plot, character, theme, and location show the ongoing progress of the gospel. Geographically, Luke’s chronicle moves from Jerusalem (1:1-6:7), to Judea/Samaria (6:8-9:31), and to the ends of the earth (9:32-28:31). The main apostolic character shifts from Peter (1:1-12:24) to Paul (12:25-28:31). The audience also shifts from Jew to Gentile in the overall structure of the book (Jewish focus: 1:1-12:24; Gentile focus: 12:25-28:31) and at multiple instances in individual stories (13:13-45/46-52; 18:1-5/6-17; 28:17-27/28-31). The speeches and proclamations in Acts shift from evangelistic (2:14-41; 3:11-26; 4:8-12; 7:1-52; 10:34-43; 13:15-41; 16:31; 17:3, 22-31) to apologetic (22:1-21; 23:1-10; 24:10-21, 22-27; 25:13-22; 26:1-29). The initial focus on the community life of the early church (1:1-6:7) gives way to a series of missionary ventures (6:8-28:31).

As we will see in the final chapters of the book, the inertia built in Luke’s narrative is meant to propel the church in each generation and culture to embrace God’s mission in the way of Jesus and his apostles. The book ends with dense anticipation and wondering of how the mission, church, and apostle Paul will fare (28:30-31). The outward thrust of the book is meant to cultivate an outreach impulse in our congregations. The itinerancy of the apostolic missionaries is retold in a way that would inspire Christians to embrace life as missionaries on exilic sojourn. The advance of the word prompts us to offer to others the same gospel message that has so radically changed our own lives. The communal life of the early Christians inspires us to imagine how we can embrace the rich community life through the same Spirit of the apostolic age.

Conclusion

In this first segment of Luke’s narrative of the early church, we witness Jesus deliver a worldwide commission to his disciples (Acts 1:1-11). We have learned that Jesus has already given them this commission (Luke 24:44-53), and this global mandate is part of Luke’s purpose in writing his two-volume work. The Gospel of Luke tells the accomplishment of Jesus’ saving work during Jesus’ earthly life (Luke 1:1-4), and Acts chronicles the global proclamation of this saving work by the Spirit-enabled church (Acts 1:1-5). Although apostles and disciples are actively engaged in the mission, the Holy Spirit animates the word to be an active force advancing in the local, regional, and global sectors (Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31). The promise of Jesus’ future return—a promise still yet to be fulfilled—means the apostles’ mission is our mandate.

Consult this story to appreciate God’s saving work. Imagine its scenes unfolding to inspire your love of your Savior. Probe the details of Jesus’ commission to redefine your own life purpose. No longer must you endure a purposeless or hollow existence. If you do not know Jesus, he is inviting you to find him by placing your faith in his saving work. If you do know Christ, he is summoning you to tune your life to his mission. The kingdom of God is advancing throughout the world. Until he comes, this vision of this mission must be a business of both duty and pleasure.

Personal Reflection: Entering the Story

Apply the Text: God calls his people to follow what the Bible teaches. In this movement, you will discuss how to apply God’s word to your lives.

Reflection Questions

Encourage one person to share how this story has impacted. Use the reflection questions to examine your life in light of this biblical passage.

Spiritual Practice

For Cross Purposes

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’” John 20:21

“God has a purpose for man; thus man can have a purpose for God.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Communion of Saints

God is inviting you into his global mission. This is a great privilege. Your life should not consist in maximizing pleasures, circumventing hardships, securing comforts, or meriting accolades. Instead, our lives are most full when they are poured out for God’s global cause. Our personal purpose should be a “cross” purpose: a way of living where the spread of the gospel affects all dimensions. Jesus gave his disciples a global mandate when he appeared to them after his resurrection. The global scope of the mission should cause us to depend upon God. The gospel content of the mission should move us to rehearse the gospel on a regular basis. The ecclesial aim of the mission should reinforce our value of the local church. The kingdom nature of the mission should encourage us with confidence of its sure success. This global cause should redefine our personal life purpose. In the following exercise, attempt to draft a life purpose statement that is in line with the global mandate of the Great Commission.

In the following exercise, take time to reflect on your personal life purpose in light of God’s global cause. First, seek to write the essence of God’s global mission in your own words. Second, write a personal mission statement for your life that clearly connects your life purpose to God’s global mission.

Great Commission Mandate

Personal Mission Statement

Ministry Practice: Rehearsing the Script

Minister the Text:_ God wants us to use his word to edify the Christian community. In this movement, you will utilize this biblical passage to minister to other believers and build them up in their faith._

Reflection Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to minister this text to other believers.

Missional Outreach: Publicizing the Truth

Witness the Text: In word and deed, God calls his people to testify about the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. In this movement, you will utilize this biblical passage to reach out to unbelievers.

Reflection Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to use this teach to reach out to unbelievers.