“[Christ is seated] far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church…”. Ephesians 1:21-22a
The goal of missions is to declare to the world that Jesus is Lord and invite people into the joy of worshiping the one true God who is worthy of all praise.
We go into the world with the good news of the gospel so that people who do not know the Lord can be invited to trust in the Lord who reigns over all. Missions lead to worship. John Piper puts it this way:
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because, in missions, we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the people in the greatness of God.”
– John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad
Jesus is Lord!
This simple statement is something everyone needs to hear and believe. As Lord, He has authority greater than all rulers and authorities, powers, and dominions. He is above every name, and all things in heaven and on earth have been put under His control. The question is: have you trusted your life to him as Lord? Have you surrendered to His authority?
You see, there is coming a day when the reality of the Lordship of Christ will be perfectly clear to everyone, everywhere. Philippians 2 tells us a day is coming when “every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.” A day is coming when all will see His authority and His power and His reign as the Lord over all.
Those who trust Christ as Lord in this life and surrender to his authority will bow their knee and honor Him in worship and gratitude. It will be a glorious celebration of the saving grace that set them free. They will not receive what their sins deserve but the gift of eternal life through the One who is Lord of all.
It will be a very different story for those who reject Christ in this life. On that day, when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, those who rejected Christ and denied his ultimate authority will bow and confess Jesus’s Lordship in trembling, terror, and regret. By refusing to acknowledge Jesus as Lord, they rejected the only One who could save them from their sins, cover them with grace, and make them right before the Father.
What they will receive on that day is exactly what their sins deserve.
What will that day be like for you? Have you bowed the knee to Christ and confessed that He is Lord?
Don’t wait! Make haste and trust in Jesus as Lord.
Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL
