Scripture
51Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. Luke 9:51-56
Observation
This short passage is crucial to the Christian walk if we want our faith to stay focused in these last days. Luke presents us with the stark contrast between Jesus who was on mission and his disciples who were in major mission drift. Isaiah 50:7 prophesied this moment Jesus set his focus on being the sacrifice for all, “For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.” So, while Jesus was ready to lay his life down so all could know forgiveness, James and John were ready to take lives down because they were offended. Jesus wasn’t about to be distracted by the rejection of the Samaritans and yet that’s all James and John could focus on. How did they move so quickly from offering salvation to threatening suffering? The truth is, it wasn’t quick at all…
Application
When I read the book, “Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches”, I knew I was learning something that would save me and those around me from a whole lot of heartache. Author’s Horst and Haggard make it clear that Mission Drift happens so “slowly, silently, and with little fanfare” that most organizations don’t know they have moved from their original founding purpose until it’s too late. This passage in Luke 9 shows us that even while the founder is present we can move from "Mission True" to "Mission Drift". When Jesus sent his disciples ahead to the Samaritan village the Greek word Luke uses for the disciples is “messenger”, literally the same word used for the angels that announced the arrival of Jesus at the beginning of Luke. How did James and John move from angels with a message of good news to demons with a message of doom? How did they move from building up to burning down? The same way we do today! Death by a thousand cuts. Little offenses from those who reject our mission that accumulate over time to becoming a wall between us and those we’ve been called to love. Just like dropping a camera can cause it go out of focus, when our faith, Biblical values and Savior are drop kicked repeatedly by the media and those in power it’s easy to understand the desire to call down fire. It’s not that we aren’t supposed to be a voice of truth in a world of lies, but if that voice is coming through offense then we have become messengers of Satan rather than the Savior. I didn’t realize how out of focus my faith was until last week when I heard a message from Pastor Mark Forman. He spoke to a room full of pastors from all denominations across North County at a gathering called "One Church" and gave us a similar challenge to the one Jesus gave James and John. “Be a missionary to all of America, not just one party. Not just red or blue. HOW I talk about the truth is just as important as WHAT I’m talking about. Marriage, sanctity of life, gender ideology, the vaccine, etc. Grow a long-view church, not a short-term reactive church. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. You are to preach the Gospel. The kingdom of God is bigger than the Republican or Democrat platform. Don’t let us fall for the trap of hating those we are called to love. If you don’t think they’re lovable remember God loved you.”
Prayer
As we come this Sunday to celebrate 19 years of Your faithfulness to The Father’s House I thank you for this timely reminder about how easy it is to experience mission drift. As we enter another tumultuous political season moving towards the Presidential Election I pray that You would keep my heart focused on the mission at hand. I set me face as flint towards Your Cross which beckons me to lay my life down daily, not just for my friends, but also for my enemies. I pray that when I feel like calling down fire I would return to Your feet and remember the fire You save me from for eternity! Let me be an angel, a messenger of Your Good News wherever You send me whether they receive it or reject it.
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