Bible Study

November 2003

Becoming an On Mission Christian
by Shane Tucker

Quick!
What does it take to be an On Mission Christian?

a) A big heart and a knowledge of hundreds of Bible verses

b) A great pastor and a notebook for Sunday morning sermons

c) A great personality and a winning smile

d) An awakening from God and adjustments to His ways

Well, according to the past two monthly Bible Studies, “d” is the answer. If we are going to be on mission Christians, then we must first be awakened by God. You see, it’s His Mission, and it’s His plan to wake us up to how we can participate. Second, we must make adjustments in our lives to remove barriers for others hearing the Gospel. But that’s not all. This month, we’ll explore the third characteristic of on mission Christians: Total Evangelistic Activation.

Let's Remember

There are two issues we need to remember about being on mission Christians:

(1) God has a MISSION He wants to accomplish in this world.
(2) We can be ON that MISSION.

Do you want to be a Christian who is on mission with God? Do you want to live the life that God intended by doing the things that God desires? Do you want the message of Jesus Christ to be heard in every nation, every tongue, and every dorm room?

If so, you are on your journey to becoming an on mission Christian. In fact, if you are growing in that direction, then you, in fact, are an on mission Christian!

Let’s continue our exploration of what it takes to be an on mission Christian.*

Total Evangelistic Activation

Becoming an on mission Christian requires that we evangelistically activate all of our gifts and abilities to serve Christ and to lead others to know Him.

Many churches and Bible study groups have and are studying through the book, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Possibly, many of you are studying through the book for the first time this fall. (If you haven’t read it, I would suggest picking it up. It is divided into 40 daily readings. Watch your toes!) Anyway, on day 30 of the book, Warren sets forth a helpful acronym. He says that God uses our SHAPE for our ministry.

SHAPE stands for:

Spiritual gifts: special, unique, God-given gifts
Heart: your passion
Abilities: talents, “natural” gifts
Personality: your inclinations, perspectives, etc.
Experiences: your past; from family to ministry to education

An on mission Christian will activate his or her SHAPE evangelistically. God wants you to use what He’s given you. He wants you to use it all. No exceptions. You are the person He made you. You experienced only the things that God allowed you to experience. Nothing was put into your SHAPE without God’s permission. Activate those things for Him.

A very clear understanding of what God wants us to do with our lives is found in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer you bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Let’s get this straight: You, as a believer, are a sacrifice. But you don’t die like the sacrifices in the Old Testament. You are not spilled. You aren’t burnt up. You are not sent away. No, you get to live. You get to remain intact. This is a radical concept for a sacrifice. This is an ongoing gift. This is a living sacrifice.

Your sacrifice is you. Your life. You gifts. Your abilities. Your SHAPE, if you please. God wants you to use it all for Him. And when you do, it is worship. You please the Father when you activate your talents to share His good news with the lost. This pleases Him in the same way that your heartfelt songs do on a Sunday morning. It’s worship!

So what does this mean? Total Evangelistic Activation. . .

Total. All of your self. Any and every thing about you that can be used for His Kingdom.
Evangelistic. For the expressed purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus with the lost.
Activation. Putting them to work without delay or excuse.

Well, what comes to mind? I’m sure that since every believer’s SHAPE is different, then every believer’s response will be different.

Discuss with friends how you (and your friends) might use your SHAPE(s) to share the good news.

Be on mission with God. He desires to make Himself known to the people around you. Be the clearest communicator of His Good News as you can. Use all of yourself to do it.

*The study book, My Purpose, His Plan, has greatly influenced the ideas, the organization, and the wording for the Bible studies for August through December. Thanks to the North American Mission Board for granting permission to borrow the wonderful ideas in the book. There is a companion video to the study. My suggestions: Get this book! Get the video! Put a group together and enjoy!
See www.namb.net for more information