“For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17 (NIV)
“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21 (NIV)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:33-34
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10
Two year-olds drive us crazy for many reasons. They are in the midst of the terrible twos – that time when they seem most out of control and most set on driving their parents crazy. They are in the midst of “me-ness” – with much of life wrapped around “I do it myself.” And they have just discovered one of the most vital questions in all of life: “Why”?
The why question is huge in many any areas of life. John 3:16 is generally considered the most quoted and most well-known verse in all the Bible. And well it should be – for John 3:16 announces that God loved us enough to give His one and only Son for us. But we often miss the depth of John 3:17 – that God not only gave His son, but sent His son. The Father did not simply allow the Son to come; He deliberately sent Jesus on His divine appointment. Love sent Jesus to us!
God the Father loves – so He sends His Son.
God the Son loves – so He sends the Spirit.
God the Spirit loves – so He sends us.
We love – so we are willing to be sent.
But there is more. Love not only sends us. Love is why we were sent in the first place.
God desperately wants the world to know His love. So he has devised a massive plan to get this massive message out to the world. And we are the plan. Every Christ follower is to be a source of love to every person they meet. Jesus declares that nothing sets us apart as being sent from Him like the love we show for others.
We are sent to declare the truth that God loves all mankind. But even more than declaring the truth with our words, we are sent to declare the truth that God loves all mankind by how we love. That is what separates us from others.
There is much to be learned by studying the DNA of the early church. For the first three centuries, the main characteristic that set Christ Followers apart from all others was their love. They loved the unlovely. They loved the sick. They loved the down and out. They loved widows and orphans. They were known by their love.
Could it be that we have lost a piece of our sentness to love? Is this not why we are here? Is this not the mission we have been given? To announce the love of God for all of humanity by how we love every person we encounter is the reason we are here. We are sent to love.
The mission we are on is not complex. The mission we are on is simple: love as we have been loved. If Jesus lives in us, and Jesus loves those around us, then the trick is to let Jesus love them through us.
As a pastor, I am often asked “What is the most difficult part of your job?” I am sometimes asked by my not yet believing friends “What is the hardest part of being a Christian?” My answer to the two questions is identical: “Staying out of God’s way and allowing Him to love people through me.”
Simple – yes. Easy – no. Worth it - absolutely.
Everyone you will ever meet is looking to be loved. They are longing to be loved. They are needing to be loved. And when we choose to love them, and to allow Jesus to love them through us, we are totally on the mission.