Mission Possible

Imagine this:

A successful business man with a large corporation in the U.S. decides to take his company global. While he is out of the country negotiating deals, he leaves his workers in charge at his U.S. branch, frequently sending them letters containing instructions and directions on how to successfully and properly keep the company running. Upon returning after many months, he is shocked to find the condition of his once booming corporation. The receptionist is painting her nails and checking email while some of the workers have installed a large screen TV in the conference room and are playing video games. As he walks into his office, he discovers John, the person he left in charge, sitting in a recliner, eating ice cream, and watching the game with a couple of his buddies.

Quite outraged, he asks him, “What are you doing? Didn’t you get any of my letters?”

John responds, “Of course we did, and, by the way, those letters were great! In fact, we have had a letter study every Friday from 10-11 a.m. since you left. We even went so far as to break all of our employees into small groups that meet every week to talk about the specifics of what you put in the letters and how they make them feel. Some of the things were really interesting. You will be very pleased to know that a few of us have actually committed to memory some of your sentences and paragraphs. One or two memorized an entire letter or two - Great stuff in those letters."

“So you received my letters, you’ve read, studied, and meditated on them, and even memorized some of them, but what did you DO about them?”

“What did we do?” John asks. “What do you mean? We didn’t do anything.”

It is of great importance for us to study the Bible, its stories and lessons, and to spend time together in meditation, discussion, and worship, but if we never DO anything with our study, of what use is it?

In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul writes to the people of Thessalonica warning them to not be deceived. Recently, they have started worrying that Jesus has already returned. “It has been some time since the cross; maybe he has come back and we missed out.” But Paul tells them, “Do not be fooled.” He reminds them that Christ has not come back, and he will not return until something first takes place.

Paul then goes on to mention a “man of lawlessness” and says that he must first be revealed before Christ’s return. This “lawlessness” is apparently already at work within the world; it has simply yet to be made known. Concerning this man of lawlessness: Many have tried to discover for themselves who or what this evil is, pointing the finger at everything from world powers to Satan himself. Perhaps it is unnecessary for us to try to figure out who or what this lawlessness may be; however, it is important for us to realize that evil is present and working in the world today.

A question worth asking is “Why is God waiting? Why has he kept from revealing this evil to us?”

The answer to this question may be one of many and is well worth the discussion, but I would suggest that the thing that God is waiting for is us. What if the reason for God’s waiting is the fact that we have not yet completed our job? Perhaps God simply wants more people to know Him and have a deeper relationship with Him. I believe Paul’s message is more than, “Do not be deceived.” Paul is telling us to take action.

It is with much urgency that I tell you—the time has come to stop sitting on our hands waiting for something to happen and to share the Gospel. Our time together once or twice a week is of great importance; it is essential. However, this is only one aspect of our worship. We must take what we study together and share it with the world, not just with our words but with our lives!

We are to put on the full armor of God, not to sit around in mindless waiting, but to go to battle together. Jesus tells us that he will return, and, in the meantime, we are to be watching and waiting in anticipation and in action. Paul says, “Therefore...be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15).

We have all been given a grand mission. Although the specifics of that mission may differ, the goal is the same. We are to daily live in a way that reflects Christ to glorify him and to bring others to do the same. We are to offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice,” walking in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To study the Bible is great if, and only if, our study results in the proclaiming of its message in our daily lives.

-Matt