Understanding Jesus’ Mission for the Church

Series: Our Mission Statement

Article 1: The Call and Commission of the Church

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Page 2: Understanding Jesus’ Mission for the Church

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 16,18+19)

In these verses, I want to highlight several key aspects of the mission that Jesus has given to the church. Understanding these points is essential for our mission statement.

Jesus command: Make disciples

First and foremost, we must recognize that we go in the power of Christ. Though Jesus uses the word “go”, it is not the actual command. Rather, the command is to make disciples. As we go, we do so with the understanding that Jesus is sending us forward in His authority. He declares, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” This sets the foundation for our mission and reminds us that Jesus, the sent one, has sent us as well.

The Inbreaking of a New Kingdom: Jesus’ Resurrection

In the Book of Matthew, we find Jesus’ miraculous birth, ministry, and suffering for our sins in His death. Despite His powerful demonstrations, He was executed on a Roman gibbet and, as affirmed in the Apostles’ Creed, was dead. On the third day, however, He rose from the dead, demonstrating that He could not be defeated. Through His resurrection, Jesus demonstrated His power and authority over the grave.

Jesus sent out his disciples

Even after He appeared to some of His followers, they still doubted. Nevertheless, He spoke to them and sent them out. The resurrection signaled the coming of a new kingdom, a new world order, so to speak, although the term has certain connotations. The reason for Jesus’ coming was to establish the long-awaited kingdom of Israel. Matthew makes this clear in his gospel. Jesus announced, declared, preached, lived out, and demonstrated the power of this kingdom throughout His ministry. The resurrection of Jesus dramatically confirmed the reality of this kingdom. His resurrection, the raising of someone from the dead, marked the arrival of a new and indomitable kingdom.

In his resurrected state, Jesus visits his disciples who are struggling with their faith. It is disheartening to see that some of them still doubt. Nevertheless, Jesus speaks with authority, beginning with the declaration that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. This is a profound statement because it encompasses every realm of existence, both above and below. Jesus emphasizes that this authority is not limited to Israel or a particular region, but is universal. His words echo the prayer he taught his followers, asking for God’s kingdom to come and for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. By his resurrection, Jesus demonstrated that this prayer is being answered. He has the authority to send His followers, and He does so with the same authority that was given to Him.

The Unmatched Authority of the Church: Directly Connected to Christ Himself

It’s truly remarkable, isn’t it? As the church, we possess more authority than any other institution in the world. That’s because we are directly connected to Christ, and He sends us in His authority. It’s like when you use a famous person’s name to gain access to something you want, like tickets to a sporting event. But in this case, we have the name of the one with absolute authority in all places. Jesus declared that the church goes in His authority, and He wants us to operate in it. So let’s live and minister in the name of the one who has all authority, and exercise it to fulfill our mission.

The Church: More than just a gathering, the most significant community on earth

The Church is not an insignificant organization, nor is it just a group of people who meet on Sundays or Wednesdays, or even in the homes of friends. It is not just one thing among many to be compared with Scientology, Islam or Hinduism. No, the Church is the most significant gathering of people on earth. It is the body of Christ, a chosen people, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood. We are called to be salt and light, to love one another, and to bear witness to the gospel. Our purpose is not to blend in, but to stand out and make a difference in the world. So let us embrace our calling and live as the church, the most significant community of people on earth.
The church is of the utmost importance, which is why Jesus took it so seriously. He called it the pillar of truth and gave it his full authority. The church is not just a weak group of people who must conform to cultural norms. Rather, it is a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and an extension of heaven on earth. Through humility and wisdom, the church is not weak, but strong in Christ. While we may emphasize our weakness, we must not forget the strength we have in Him. We have the strength to suffer, but we also have the strength to reign. With Christ, we will reign on earth and even judge the angels. The church operates in the authority that Jesus has given it, with authority over every nation and even the angelic realm. Governments are not the ultimate authority; the Church is. Let us accept our calling and exercise the authority given to us by Christ.

Embracing Our Authority as Believers

It’s fascinating to consider what would happen if we fully embraced our authority in Christ. What kind of transformation would take place in our personal lives? How would the church’s relationship with society change? We already possess this authority positionally, as we are seated in the heavenly places in Christ. It’s an inherent part of our identity as believers. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we have been given authority. Let’s explore what it means to live in that authority and how it can impact both our personal lives and our witness to the world.

I vividly remember my first trip to Germany when we visited Siegen and decided to take a day trip to Amsterdam. We had heard rumors that it was a city full of sinful activities, like Babylon. As we walked around, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with the city. One of my friends pointed out that a single believer has more authority than any demon in the city, and he was right. We have positional and biblical authority. The Bible is our authoritative book, and God has given it to the Church. His Word is the ultimate authority, and we must learn to use it in our lives and in our witness to the world.
We have been given spiritual authority through the power of the Holy Spirit, who has authority over every other spirit. This is why Paul tells us that
we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness (Eph. 6:12)
However, we can fight this battle from a place of strength, being “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10), having been given authority in Him.

Go to Page 3: The Authority Given to Us: Our Mission to Spread the Gospel