Our Mission (Christ-Centered Missions, pt2) – August 24-25, 2025 (290/365)

The Catholic Church is very particular with getting into ‘Missions’. My own personal memory of ‘Missions’ was in high school when we would intentionally work to contribute to their missions. Octobers in college I’d see kids asking for contributions for the missions.

Brother Juan seems to be trying to get into our minds and our hearts, thinking that we need to be a little bit more ‘passionate’, unto missions. He says that it begins in the heart, and, ‘it’s either all or nothing’.

Sounds like he wants us to give our all, and that involves the missions. Appeal to emotions, God Almighty giving all… so we should be giving our all.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Philippians 2:5-11

We have to be giving our all. How would we do that? We’d need to ‘grow in our relationship with God.‘ We shouldn’t be so distracted with what the world has to say, but we should always be tuned in to the Lord. It has to be with the heart.

Fortunately, we have a new heart. And the Breastplate of Righteousness serves as our reminder – we are in right standing with God, not because of what we think or do, but because of what Christ said and did.

Change of topic: We’re all in the Missions. Are you bringing out what God has put in you? Are you telling them about the most wonderful thing?

‘God wants to ‘help us’ attain this kind of relationship’ – He wants us to be honest with Him. Say what you have to say… Because God is just as honest with you.

Read and meditate on His Word.

Brother Juan Testifies: He wanted to be a priest. He went to seminary, apparently, and turned his back to all that, turning to drugs. Saw a canal with rushing wastewaster, and heard God’s voice, saying ‘turn to Me, and I will make your life worth it.‘ Truly, Jesus hangs around at the end of the rope.

‘Are you hearing His voice? Are you obeying?‘

Pointers: Know God, and know yourself.

My response. Putting their words together.

From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Proverb 18:20-21

THE WORD IS NOT RELATIVE. THE TRUTH IS ABSOLUTE.

As early as Genesis, Christ was prophesied.

The Christ was spoken by the word of Isaiah.

When the angel told Mary of her role in the coming of Christ, she responded, let it be done ‘according to (Your) Word‘.

Jesus was eventually born into this world, and by the age of 30 He was baptized by John the Baptist. At His baptism, the dove descended, but more importantly, His voice was heard, the first of only three instances of God speaking in the New Testament: ‘This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased‘. Again, God spoke His Word.

Christ was tempted and responded with the Word, prior to being ‘released’ into ministry.

In ministry He went to the synagogue, and spoke the Word:

He spoke the Word, and then followed that up by saying, ‘today, this Scripture (Word) has been fulfilled in your hearing‘.

Matthew spoke to the Jewish people pointing to Christ as a King.

Mark spoke, pointing to Christ as a Servant.

Luke spoke, pointing to Christ as the Son of Man.

John spoke pointing to Christ as the Son of God.

…Their words pointed to the Word.

But back to the book of Matthew. Christ spoke in the famous Sermon of the Mount, and what He had to say was really heavy (as someone who has heard Andrew Farley saying that this was a ‘killer’ Sermon that brings us to the end of ourselves, I would have to agree. This is heavy.) His Words were heavy.

Christ spoke with the power of the Holy Spirit. He spoke His Word to nature, and the winds, the waves, and the fig trees obeyed.

He spoke His Word to the Disciples, and brought enlightenment to them by way of the Parables.

In the parable of the Sower, Christ emphasized the potential of the Word, and warned His disciples to keep the Word, and to let it take root in fertile soil.

Christ spoke His Word, giving thanks, and people were fed, with leftovers.

Christ spoke the Word with authority, and people were healed.

Christ preached the Word, and demons fled.

Christ is the Living Word. He gave life to the Word. He brought Life to the Word.

By the Word of God, there was light.

By the Word of Christ, there was Life.

Christ knew His Mission – His Father’s Word. He stayed focused on the Word, no matter how threatened He got, and no matter how famous He became.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.John 1:1-14

⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);Romans 10:8

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Matthew 28:16-20

The Word says God gave His all so we are able to give our all.

The Word says that Christ had His heart and HIs entire being broken down, so now we have a new heart, and we are a new creation.

So if you’re feeling low morale, if you’re feeling down in heart, remember Christ, and remember who you are.

You can be honest with God, because according to the Word, God was honest with you.

According to the Word, Christ was certainly honest with Peter. With the Pharisees. With the moneylenders.

According to the Word, Christ was honest with Israelites, and He was honest with Saul, later Paul.

You can hear God, because the Word says God hears you.

You can revere God, because the Word says God knows all there is to know about You, and STILL chooses to love you.

We are saved by grace.

We live by the Spirit.

All by the Word of God.

Glory and honor to His Name, forever.