Foundations for Biblical Manhood: Mission

Men were created for a mission. We get bored without a mission. God made men to be the ones who stand up for truth and justice. In a sense, we were made for battle.

In a book, I read recently called “Why men don’t go to church” it was mentioned that men need to be able to conquer and overcome- in a sense to fight the good fight. If all we do is “go” to church and not “be” the church, most men will be frustrated and bored.

Bored men make poor decisions and men without a mission are dangerous to themselves and everyone around them. Men must have a mission. If this desire for a mission is not properly discovered, cultivated, and empowered, the results can be catastrophic. This is why every man must understand his own role in the mission of God

It has often been said, “God did not create a mission for His people; He created a people for His mission.”

True life and fulfillment is always found in the presence of God. It is in God’s presence that you come to understand what you were created for. It is in God’s presence that you come to know true life. It is in God’s presence where every desire of your heart is fulfilled. You exist for His presence and only discover life in

And this is the heart of God. God has created all of mankind to be truly satisfied only in His presence.

If it is only in the presence of God that people find life, joy, satisfaction, purpose, and fulfillment, the greatest demonstration of God’s love would be to call all people to come into His presence, through Jesus Christ, and worship Him. This is the mission of God. This is the mission you were created for.

The first chapter of Titus focuses on the inner workings of the church—specifically, on the primary need for godly men to step into leadership. Chapter 2 of Titus moves from the leaders to the congregation. A church not only needs godly men and women. But for the first time in this little book, chapter 3 moves from life inside the church to life outside the church. And this is the transition that every man must make.

The local church is at the center of God’s mission. God intends to accomplish His mission through the local church. As we have talked about at length, the local church must be a priority in the life of every man. A man will never be on a mission with God unless he is connected to a local church. But the goal is not just well-functioning, properly led, healthy churches. The goal is well-functioning, properly led, healthy churches that engage in the mission of God.

Many good men have failed to make the transition from life inside the church to life outside the church. There are so many men in the church who love the Bible, love preaching, love leadership, and even love serving, but have never fully embraced the mission of God. They have made the means the end. Instead of seeing the local church as the means by which God intends to reach the nations, they have made the church the end. Instead of seeing the church as the launching point, the church has become the landing pad. This transition to life outside the church, life on mission with God, a life consumed with spreading the glory of Christ to the ends of the earth, is a transition that must take place in your heart.

For some reason, this is always the case when it comes to life on a mission. Every man of God knows He is called to be on a mission. Most can quote the Great Commission and even give a reference. Yet, this one area demands constant reminding. Our problem is not that we don’t know we should do it; our problem is that we just don’t do it. And if we are not careful, every man, even the greatest of men, will begin to settle for a life of ministry within the church without engaging in a life of mission outside the church.

So many men seem to think the gospel is just a message of being saved from sin. The result is, they want to “accept Jesus” and then continue in their same way of living. And then they wonder why following Jesus is not fulfilling! Someone who “accepts Jesus” and continues in his old life, might have “accepted” something, but he is not a follower of Jesus Christ. A true follower of Jesus Christ is someone who believes Jesus is the way, and in response, follows Jesus on the way. Salvation is being saved from sin and being saved for new life. The gospel gives you a mission.

When Jesus called His disciples, He did so with two words: “Follow me” (Luke 5:27). It was a call both to trust and follow Jesus. The very act of leaving everything behind and following Jesus was an act of faith. In order to follow Him, they had to believe Jesus knew where He was going and was worth following. The disciples had no idea of the adventure that awaited them when they accepted that invitation. In the following days, weeks, months, and years, they would see Jesus heal the sick, calm storms, cast out demons, raise the dead, preach to multitudes, and publicly expose the religious Pharisees of the day. They would not only see His actions, but they would also hear His words and come to know His heart. If any man thinks following Jesus is boring and unengaging, it is because he is not following Jesus.

It has been said that “A man cannot reproduce what he has not experienced.” I have found that to be true. Before the disciples could reproduce it, they had to see it. And they did. In miraculous ways. But then, Jesus quickly called them to reproduce it. In Luke 9, Jesus called His disciples together, gave them power and authority, and sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He told them to take nothing with them—nothing but power and authority. Jesus didn’t give them much more instruction. He didn’t need to. They had seen it. Jesus simply sent them out to do what they had watched him do. When we come to the Great Commission passages (Matt. 28:18–20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:44–49; John 20:21; Acts 1:8), we get the same feeling. People spend so much time trying to evaluate and understand these passages when in reality, Jesus is looking at His disciples and saying, “Go do for others what I did for you.” The simplicity of the Commission is summarized in Jesus’s words in John 20:21, when He says, “As the Father has sent me, even so, I am sending you.”

In other words, God is calling you to trust and follow Jesus, and as you discover what this means in your own life, you then reproduce that. We can summarize the Great Commission passages with these words: lead people to trust and follow Jesus. This is what Jesus did, and this is, in the simplest terms, what Jesus is calling us to do. The phrase “leading people to trust and follow Jesus” includes everything in Matthew 28:18–20. We begin by calling people to trust and follow Jesus through the proclamation of the gospel. As they receive that invitation, we baptize them as a public profession of their faith. Then we continue to call them to trust and follow Jesus through the ongoing teaching of God’s Word. The call to trust and follow Jesus is not a one-time summons; it is the calling of the everyday life of every believer in Jesus Christ.

The mission of man is the mission we see manifested in the life and ministry of Jesus. As the Father sent Jesus, He is sending you. He sends you out into everyday life to be humble, sacrificial, Spirit-filled ambassadors who spread the glory of God and call people to worship Him.

We join God in His mission by declaring and displaying the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel must be declared. We must embrace our responsibility to share verbally the good news of Jesus Christ. People will not be saved unless they hear the truths about God, man, Jesus, and the way to trust and follow Him (refer back to the fuller explanation of the gospel in chapter 2). You may do this at one time or over the course of several conversations. But people must hear the gospel. Verbally sharing the gospel seems to be the most difficult thing for almost every man. It is for me.

And I’m not exactly sure why. I think some of it has to do with the fear of man. I think some of it has to do with a sense of inadequacy or the fear we might be asked a question we can’t answer. But I think most of it is spiritual warfare. The enemy does not want us to communicate the gospel verbally, so he fights against every instinct we have to be obedient in this area. For generations, pastors have begged their men to share the gospel and continually made them feel guilty for not doing it. But I believe the biggest battle in getting men to share the gospel is the spiritual battle every man must fight for himself—the battle against the enemy who wants to make every man ineffective in his mission. The battle against fear, anxiety, insecurity, and all the other lies the enemy whispers in our ears. For a man to be someone who faithfully declares the gospel, he must take his stand against the enemy, fight off all the ungodly and unfounded fears, and courageously open his mouth out of sheer obedience to the call of Jesus Christ.

The mission of God is the noblest, most adventurous, and most compelling cause in all of the world. It is what you have been created for. It is the great calling of your life. Every moment of every day is about being on a mission with God. And it begins now. It begins where you are. It begins with declaring and displaying the gospel to your neighbor. And it does not end until the last unreached people group hears the glorious message of Jesus Christ and people from every nation, tribe, and nation stand before the throne giving their worship to Jesus Christ (Rev. 7:9).

And it is anything but boring!!