Being With Jesus:
John 10:16
“I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them [in] also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will one flock and one shepherd.”
The more I learn about Jesus, the more intensely missionary I become. That’s because Jesus was intensely missionary. He was a missionary Messiah!
You cannot read too far into the Gospels without discovering that Jesus fervently cared for the things his Father cared for—his sheep, especially sheep that were not yet eternally secure in the Father’s fold. In John 10:1-15, using very tender pastoral language, Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd who cares for the sheep of his flock—leading, protecting, feeding and loving them. Really, what Jesus is describing is the ministry of the local church.
But in verse 16, he speaks of sheep not in this fold: “I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them [in] also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will one flock and one shepherd.”
Clearly, Jesus is speaking of those yet to come into the flock of God. He is referring to what we have come to call the ministry of global missions—reaching those who have not yet heard of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Gospels, there is a constant sense of Jesus’ intensely missionary heart for these “pre-believing” sheep. And if for no other reason, because of the Good Shepherd’s passionate love for his sheep and his relentless pursuit to bring them into the safety of the fold—especially those yet reached, we, too, must become intensely missionary.
Theologian John Stott reminds us that, “Missions is the central feature of God’s historical purpose.” It’s true. That’s why Jesus was born…that’s why he died…that’s why he’s coming again! That’s why missions must be our central focus too! If you and I are to truly follow Christ as a devoted disciple, become like him, thinking as he thought, acting as he acted, then we must embrace this foundational conviction: Lost people must matter to us because they matter to God. Matthew 18:12-14 reminds us that this conviction is at the very core of God’s being:
“If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one wanders off, won’t he leave the ninety-nine and go look for the one that’s lost? And if he finds it, he’s happier over the one than the ninety-nine that didn’t wander off. So also your Heavenly Father is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”
If lost people matter that deeply to God, shouldn’t they matter that deeply to us too? You can never look into the eyes of a lost person without seeing an eternal soul so loved by God that he gave his only Son for their redemption. It doesn’t matter who they are, where they live, what they have done; they matter to God!
In light of that, here is another inescapable conviction that we must embrace if we are to be fully devoted disciples of Jesus: reaching unreached people, both near but especially far—not just geographically, but theologically—must be a driving passion. Why do I say that? Because you can’t read the Bible without sensing “stay and share” must quickly morph into “go and tell.”
What I mean by that is that it is simply counter to God’s heart that there remain those who have never even heard the Gospel once when we pour so much into those who hear it over and over yet continue to reject it. Do you realize there is a disproportionate amount of resources, financial and human, that is poured into reaching those who have already heard the Gospel while there are still thousands of people groups—Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, animists—without access to a gospel-preaching witness in their culture. That must sadden the Father’s heart.
Jesus commanded us in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” In Acts 1:8 he promised the Holy Spirit would enable our witnesses, “to the uttermost parts of earth.” In Matthew 24:14, he said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
“I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ.” (Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf)
It’s clear that God puts the highest premium on taking the Gospel to people who’ve never heard. In Isaiah 66:19, God promised to send messengers to “…lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.” That’s why the church exists; that is the purpose of every believer. Romans 9:17 says, “I raised you up for this very purpose: to display my power in you so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” David prayed in Psalm 67:2, “Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind.”(LB)
Are you seeing what I am seeing? God’s chief concern is that his name be known and praised by all the peoples of the earth. That’s why Isaiah 12:4 says we’re to, “make known his deeds among the peoples and proclaim that his name is exalted.” When we proclaim his fame, we delight the heart of God. And when we do, God delights to satisfy our hearts.
Proclaiming his fame, especially to those who have never heard—that is our assignment. You might say that the greatest use of your redeemed life is making Jesus famous. Are you?
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“The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” (Henry Martyn)
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