Foundations of missions: Our Calling (part 2)

Continued from: Foundations of missions: Our Calling

Today we commissioned one of my former coworkers and protégés, Zihna Edwards. This is what I said in my charge to the church:

Today we have called out and commissioned one of our own. I always say that we should send out our best, and I believe that in Zihna, we have.

Of course, we can never repay the Lord for his great mercy to us, but one of the greatest gifts we can give him is to send out our best and support them as they go.

Part of supporting them is to follow Jesus’ call on our own lives. And one of the most succinct examples of a call in Scripture is Acts 26:16 – a great passage on the subject of commissioning.

It is Jesus’ calling and commissioning of Paul as retold to King Agrippa:

I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. (Acts 26:16)

Because it’s both a summary of what’s already transpired and a prophecy which Jesus is giving Paul of what he is going to do, it encapsulates a lengthier process that Jesus desires to perform in all of us.

There are six aspects of the call here. And what is true for Paul holds true for Zihna and for us as well. I’m going to highlight them and ask you six questions that are implicit in each:

1. I have appeared to you (Jesus makes himself known to you). Zihna has seen Jesus and responded to him. Has he appeared to you?

2. ,,,to appoint you (He gives you a role). Jesus has given Zihna a role. What is the role that he has given to you?

3. …to appoint you as a servant (You are called first to be a servant). Jesus called Zihna to serve. Where has he called you to serve?

4. appoint you as a servant and as a witness (You are next called to be a witness). Jesus called Zihna to be a witness. Where has he called you to be a witness?

5. a witness of what you have seen of me (You can only witness to what you have seen of Jesus). Zihna will be a witness to what she has seen. What have you seen of Jesus?

6. a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you (Your witness changes as Jesus progressively reveals Himself). As Zihna goes, she will experience a greater revelation of Jesus. Are you experiencing more of Jesus?

Continued in: Foundations of missions: Our Calling (part 3)