MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

“For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you.” Joshua 22:3

These are the words I read today that stopped me in my tracks! I thought to myself, “That is exactly what I would like to hear from the Lord someday!” I would love to hear him say that I have faithfully served him and my brothers and have carried out the mission he gave me.

Joshua originally said these words to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Although they had been granted lands on the east side of the Jordan River, they were commanded by God through Moses to cross over the Jordan and help their brothers conquer their territories. This is the mission they were given and this is the mission they faithfully executed until all was accomplished. Joshua speaks these words to them as they are finally being dismissed to return home across the Jordan.

I have been given a mission too. I’m not speaking of a calling. I have a calling too; to serve the Lord and the Church as a pastor. The mission is broader. The mission is to make disciples. It is to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. It is to make the name of God famous. It is to serve my brothers as the hands and feet of Jesus. This is the mission every Christian has. It is a God-honoring, God-glorifying mission. It is not the kind of mission from which one retires (even though the two and a half tribes of Israel were released from the mission). It is a life-mission.

This mission is the thing that gives my days direction. This mission is what makes every encounter with a friend or neighbor significant. This mission gives meaning to every appointment and contact. This mission is the reason I am working with brothers and sisters to plant a church here in Shafter, CA.

Our mission is not to get a lot of people. It is not to build a beautiful campus. It is not to run many programs. The mission is simple: focus on magnifying the name of God in our community no matter how much work it takes or how much it costs.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful beyond belief to hear our Lord say, “You have carried out the mission I gave you!”