On Mission

     The 40 days leading up to Easter, the Gallery Church fasted, prayed, and read through the Gospel of John. This was such a sweet time where we, as the body of Christ, became more unified and focused on our Savior. God taught Brandon and me so much through the past 40 days as He revealed to us more about Himself and continued to confirm His calling on our lives to be serving in this city. Brandon had the opportunity to meet with different groups of guys throughout the week to discuss what they were learning and how they were growing during the fast. Each week we were both able to hear stories of how God is at work in the lives of the people in our church and throughout this city. 

I wish I could share my whole journal of thoughts and things that God taught me through this time, if I did, it might be the world's longest blog post. As I read about the life of Jesus from the gospel of John, I was reminded of so many incredible truths. One thing that continually stood out to me was the fact that Jesus refers to himself as the one who was "sent" from the Father over and over again. Jesus was sent on mission to this earth. His mission was to redeem the people who would betray and ridicule Him. His mission was to take on the full punishment for our sins, so that we may come into a relationship with God. His mission was to give us life! I am so incredibly thankful that on the cross He was able to say "It is finished!" He finished the mission that the Father sent Him to fulfill and because of that we can have life. 

     "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." John 20:21. These were the words Jesus spoke to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. Just as Jesus was sent, He sends us to be on mission. Jesus invites us to tell others about the incredible work He has done in our lives. Our mission is to tell the world that Jesus is the One way we can have a relationship with the Father, He has redeemed us and completely washed away all of our sins. Our mission is to love others as Jesus has loved us. Our mission is to love God above all else and to glorify Him in all that we do. Jesus faithfully completed His mission on this earth, this challenges me to honestly ask myself, "How faithful am I to the mission that God has given me?" I wish that I could say I always tell others about the amazing hope, peace, and comfort that God has given me. I would love to be able to say that I love others selflessly and completely, and that I put God before anyone or anything else on this earth. As much as I want these things to be true of me, I often find that my "spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak". This realization makes me even more thankful for the amazing grace and mercy of my Savior. His love compels me to be faithful to the mission that Christ has called me to. 

     On Easter Sunday I had the amazing opportunity to live out this mission. As I was talking to the owner of the building where our church meets and his daughter, they simply asked me "What is the Gallery Church? What is your organization about?" At first I was completely shocked that I had such a clear opportunity to share about the reason we were celebrating that day. As words finally began to form from my mouth, I shared with them that we believe that God loves us and desires to have a relationship with us. But, because God is perfect and holy, and we are sinful, there is a separation between us that cannot be bridged by anything that we do or don't do. There is a punishment for our sin, because God is holy.  I explained that Jesus came to this earth and lived a perfect life so that He could take on our punishment and we can have a relationship with God. As I explained that there is nothing we can do to earn God's love and favor, we just have to believe in Christ and follow Him, a smile came to their faces. In a world based on performance, this is such sweet news. The truth that God loves us and forgives us, not because of our own works but because Christ accomplished His mission, is radically different than any other message in this world. The owner's daughter simply exclaimed, "That is beautiful. That sounds really great." People in this world are longing for hope and acceptance, which can only be truly fulfilled through Jesus. The Gospel is truly beautiful and it is our mission to help others see and experience His beauty.