The Mission
A “Mission Statement” or it’s equivalent, is necessary to justify the existence of an organization. There seem to be almost as many “missions” as there are organizations. In the world the mission of most institutions is to make money by providing goods or services. There are also some organizations that have community service as their mission, fulfilling some perceived need. Political parties have their missions of shaping society. Police and military, at least the good ones, have as their mission the protection and stabilization of society. There are many “missions” in the world but there is only ONE, PRIMARY mission for a Bible-based organization and it is found in Scripture.
The Social G*sp*l (Social Change) Mission
Many religious organizations (ch*rches, synagogues, mosques, etc.) are merely fronts for those seeking to institute social changes: some laudable, some abominable. Much money and energy are funneled through these high profile sounding boards for they have the weight of assumed holiness, thus making anyone who would oppose them appear to be one of the devil’s minions. This makes those who are seeking to live according to righteousness walk through a battle zone of diametrically opposing forces. How can a person feel shalom when the same organization is divided between pro-life and pro-abortion, or pro-homosexuality and anti-homosexuality? Either such a person goes elsewhere, expends all their energy sorting out the so-called issues and taking a stand (which usually goes nowhere), or they throw the whole of religion into the dust bin. Although scripture (sometimes from many religions at the same time) is spent to justify the arguments the final result is confusion and frustration for the seeker of truth.
1 Corinthians 14: 33 "for Yahweh is not an Elohim
of confusion, but of peace.”
Jacob (James) 3: 16 “For where jealousy and faction
are, there is confusion and every vile deed.”
The Social G*sp*l (Social Needs) Mission
Some organizations seek to avoid the more controversial, politically charged issues and concentrate on more tangible human needs. They are centers for the homeless, the hungry, those in need of physical, psychological or even legal assistance. The greater numbers of these are to be applauded for their efforts, even helped out with material donations or shopping at their stores. They see need and try to help their fellow man. While this is a good, even commanded benefit, should this be the PRIMARY mission?
Deuteronomy 15: 11 “For the poor will never cease out
of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall
surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy,
and to your poor in your land.”
Proverbs 29: 7 “The righteous takes knowledge of the
cause of the poor,
The wicked has not understanding to
know it.”
Matthew 19: 21-22 “Yahshua said to him, If you
would be perfect, go, sell that which you have and give
to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and
come, follow me. But when the young man heard the
saying, he went away sorrowful: for he was one that
had great possessions.”
(Comment: the young man had to give up the idol of materialism. What better way than to give to those in need, at the same time freeing himself to carry out the PRIMARY mission Yahshua had in mind for him?)
Matthew 26: 11-12 “For you have the poor always
with you; but me you have not always. For that she
poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to
prepare me for burial.” (See also John 12: 8)
(Comment: in context, this was in response to the accusation that the value of the ointment would have better served the poor. The accusation was made out of greed, and, to devalue Yahshua and his upcoming sacrifice.)
So, we can see that while tending to the needs of our fellow man is highly valued by Yahweh and Yahshua, there is yet another mission of yet higher priority.
The “I’ll Get You” Mission
a.k.a. “LOVE”
Unhappily there are organizations that exist only in order to undermine others, often another specific organization or individual. After doing all they can to pillage and destroy the target(s) they are left whimpering, “how badly they treated me (us)” from their pulpit. In the final analysis they tend to revert back to poorly doing and saying what they were taught from the “parent” group as if they were the “enlightened ones” all along. While the “parent” organization may experience some short term set backs, it is better off without the “splinters” in its hands. The unhappy result is that there may be others, not knowing about the real motivations behind the dissident group, who are poisoned by it.
A subset of “I’ll Get You” is the ‘We’re Different Because Our Mission Is Different’ mission. This form of “I’ll Get You” puts forth the same ideas as the group they are trying to discredit with only a transparent veneer to make themselves appear to be different. They basically steal the form and substance of the original group, perhaps rearrange the order of a statement of “their” doctrines (#3 of the original becomes their #5, etc.), perhaps change a few sentence structures, and insert their gripe(s) in the form of a doctrine or “mission” statement. In one case that I am familiar with the secondary group stated that the original group’s mission (the “Great Commission”) was wrong and continued on to say that the ‘true’ mission was one of ‘love’, quoting Mark 12: 28 - 34A.
Mark 12: 28 - 34A “And one of the scribes came,
and heard them questioning together, and knowing
that he had answered them well, asked him,
What commandment is first of all? Yahshua answered,
The first is, Hear, O Israel; Yahweh is our Elohim,
Yahweh is one; and you shall love Yahweh your
Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. There is none other commandment greater
than these. And the scribe said to him, Of a truth,
Teacher, you have well said that he is one; and
there is none other but he; and to love him with all
your heart, and with all the understanding, and with
all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself,
is much more than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices. And when Yahshua saw that he answered discreetly, he said to him, You are not far from the
kingdom of Yahweh.”
The stupidity of such a statement is that if one fulfills Mark 12: 28 - 34A one HAS to fulfill “The Great Commission” (see below) for they are one and the same. BEWARE and THINK of what you are being “fed,” some “food” is contaminated.
2 Kings 4: 39 - 40 “And one went out into the field,
and found a wild vine, and gathered of it wild gourds
his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of
pottage; for they did not know them. So they poured
out for the men to eat, And it came to pass, as they
were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and
said, O man of Elohim, there is death in the pot. And
they could not eat of it.”
(Comment: The group referred to here in Scripture had their food poisoned by accident and ignorance. Remember, such an organization as we are referring to will NOT have a “man of Elohim” to decontaminate the “food.” It is like the wicked queen who poisons the apple; trying to make you Sleeping Beauty and all the while blocking Prince Charming.)
Matthew 7: 15 - 16A “Beware of false prophets,
who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you shall know
them.”
2 Peter 2: 1 “But there arose false prophets among
the people, as among you there shall be false teachers,
who shall privately bring in destructive heresies,
denying even the Master that bought them, bringing
upon themselves swift destruction.”
1 John 4: 1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but
prove the spirits, whether they are of Yahweh;
because many false prophets are gone out into the
world.”
Acts 17: 10-11 “ And the brethren sent Paul and Silas immediately by night into Berea; who when they had
come there went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now
these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in
that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things
were so.”
“The Great Commission”
What was the “mission” given to the Apostles, and by extension to the Assembly, by the one who was and who is in charge? THIS will be the “mission” that is to be carried out today.
First of all, WHO is in charge? It is the Messiah.
Ephesians 5: 23 “For the husband is the head of the
wife, as the Messiah is head of the assembly,
being himself the savior of the body.”
WHAT did he tell the Apostles their future mission was?
Matthew 28: 18 - 20 “And Yahshua came to them
and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been
given me in heaven and on earth. Go you therefore,
and make disciples of all the nations, immersing
them into the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all
things whatever I commanded you: and lo,
I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
THIS is THE MISSION!
Conclusion
The “Great Commission” is what lays the foundation for the Messiah’s return and the Kingdom of Yahweh here on Earth. If any other activity detracts or distracts from this core mission it must be rejected. If an activity supplements this mission, it can be considered; however, it must be and must remain SUBORDINATE to it.
Philippians 3: 15 “Let us therefore, as many
as are perfect, be thus minded: and if anything
you are otherwise minded, this also shall Elohim
reveal to you: only, to what we have attained, by
that same rule let us walk.”
Yours in the knowledge of Messiah:
Finnegan AKA The Mick
All Scripture quotes from T.S.S.
emphases is author’s
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