Heart for Mission
Rev. Kathy Conner
First Presbyterian Church, Tampa
Young Life Africa/Middle East
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 That’s like Jesus saying you will be my witnesses in Tampa, (where I live) in the Southeast, in the United States, and beyond to the ends of the earth. And Jesus tells us why he sends us when he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath one day, unrolled the scroll of Isaiah the Prophet, and read the following:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Luke 4: 18-19
You just heard Jesus’ job description! And you just heard our job description! When Jesus walked into worship that day Jesus not only revealed who he is and the scope and shape of his ministry, he revealed who we are and what we are about as His followers. This is a job description that reveals God’s heart for the poor, the oppressed, the blind, and the captive, all of it both physically and spiritually. And we love that until scripture messes with our life and points to us. We love knowing, “The spirit of the Lord is on me,” but the thought that he is sending me somewhere like he sent Jesus can be intimidating. It is a daunting thing to believe. It is a daunting thing to claim. But as followers of Jesus, he wants us to claim the truth of it!
Say out loud; “The spirit of the Lord is on me!”
Say out loud: “He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor!
Say out loud: “He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, and the oppressed will be set free!”
That is quite a job description!
It is humbling. Yet as God sent Jesus; God sends us with the spirit of Jesus in us to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release for captives, that the blind will see and the oppressed set free. And right away we can see that this job description is way over our heads.
We can’t do it!!!!
We don’t have what it takes! No news there!
We don’t know what to do! No news there!
Last July on a Young Life mission trip to Ethiopia our group quickly discovered that God chooses to use you and me in our weaknesses and frailties so that everyone can see it is God’s strength, God’s love, God’s compassion, and his power at work in us. We all know that our strength, our love, and our compassion can only go so far. So, it is Christ in us that makes God’s presence real in the world. It is Christ in us that makes God’s presence real in your city, in your neighborhood, and in your family. And it is Christ in us that makes God’s presence real even to the ends of the earth, even in a TRASH DUMP.
On the edges of the city of Addis Ababa, there is a massive trash dump. We drove by it on our way to serve as the Work Crew for a Young Life camp. What we did not know is that people live in the trash dump. People like Sentayu, a 28-year-old Young Life staff member who grew up in the trash dump We met Sentayu when he brought teenagers to camp who live in the dump to hear about Jesus while for the first time in their lives enjoying crazy fun, delicious food and lots of love. These teenagers came to the three-day Young Life Camp carrying nothing with them for the weekend. We learned that the trash dump is full of people with leprosy and that it is a violent and dark place to grow up where death is a daily occurrence, and every child and adult has to forage in the trash for something to eat and forage for something to barter or sell.
Sentayu was orphaned in the trash dump when his mother died of leprosy, so he started running with kids with knives in their hands and hate in their hearts. Young Life leaders started coming into the trash dump to love those kids, to build friendships with them, and care for them. They wanted Sentayu and his friends to know that they had not been forgotten by Jesus or by them. Because when you live in a trash dump it’s not hard to believe that you are as disposable as the trash you live in. Sentayu soon became a follower of Jesus. He now has a family and…. He’s an Acts 1:8 guy! He has returned to the trash dump to love teenagers who are convinced they are worthless so they might come to know the one who treasures them, Jesus, who has loving purposes for their lives.
This is what happens when Jesus' followers know that we are Acts 1:8 people and are willing to be sent even to the ends of the earth, even to a trash dump. When we do Jesus says the oppressed are set free!
That is the plan! We are the plan! For your city and beyond. And if I shrink back from it, I am making it about me. If I shrink back fear can dominate my willingness to be sent. I start living small. I start thinking small.
The Lord sends us just as he sent Jesus! So, let’s never stop asking him, “Where do you want me to go now?” He will send you to bring Good News to your own family, your neighborhood, your city, or beyond.
Because…
The Spirit of the Lord is on you!
The Lord has anointed you!
And you will have a front-row seat to witness and celebrate captives released, the blind being able to see and the oppressed being set free by the loving power of Jesus!
Jesus, I know that the only reason I know you is because you sent your apostles who sent others who sent others who sent others all the way to me! And as you sent them you send me! I’m all yours! Where are we going, Lord? Thank you that your sending includes the promise of your spirit, and that you have anointed me with the unbelievable privilege of bringing Good News to the poor and proclaiming freedom for captives. Thank you that I go with the confidence that because of you the blind will see, the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. Amen and Amen!
