The Supremacy of Christ as Motivation for Missions
Shortly before I left the states to spend five months teaching at Uganda Baptist Seminary, I had the privilege of preaching at FBC Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Because of my (then) upcoming trip to Uganda, I decided to preach on missions. However, I did not want to browbeat people into submission and make them feel so guilty that they acquiesce in shame to my pleas for missions. Instead, I decided to preach on the motivation for missions. What is it that motivates us to make disciples? What is it that would make us give up everything to see Jesus magnified among every people group on the planet? I believe it is the supremacy of Christ that motivates us to give our lives to making him known and seeing Him worshiped by every nation, tribe, and tongue.
THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST
Hebrews 1:1-2a—“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets [Old Testament], but in these last days [referring to Christ’s earthly life, but can be applied to our time as well] he has spoken to us by his Son…”
“By his Son”
Who is this “Son”?
#1 – The Son is God (3a)
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…”
“Radiance” and “imprint” are parallel terms describing the Son
- “Radiance” carries the idea of reflecting a source of light
- “Imprint” comes from the idea of carving into an object, or “pressing” an image into something like a coin
What’s the point?
- Both terms describe the function and nature of the Son. He reflects the glory of the Father and he is an exact representation of the Father. Thus, to see the Son is to see the Father, for the Son perfectly displays the glory of the Father.
- How can the Son perfectly display the glory of the Father? Because the Son is equally God. The Father and the Son are both divine, two distinct persons of the one Trinitarian Godhead.
Is this idea biblical? Yes.
John 1:14—“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 14:9—“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?”’”
Colossians 1:19—“For in him [in Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…”
#2 – The Son is Creator (2b, 3b)
“…and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”
Two ideas are represented in this phrase, one stated and one implied
Stated: The universe remains in existence because of the Son
Implied: The universe came into existence because of the Son
John 1:3—“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Colossians 1:16-17—“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
#3 – The Son is Savior (3c-4)
There is no doubt that the resounding theme of Scripture is “Jesus saves!”
Jesus is our great Savior, the one who died for our sins to earn our forgiveness
Romans 5:1, 6-11—“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Titus 3:3-6—“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”
Hebrews 10:12-14—“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
MOTIVATION FOR MISSIONS
Because Christ is God, Creator, and Savior, he is supreme over all of creation and every other “god” that people might follow.
Because Christ is God, Creator, and Savior, we are compelled (and commanded, according to the NT), to proclaim the Son to every person on the planet.
Christ’s supremacy is the motivation for world missions. He is the only One who deserves to be worshiped.
Paul writes in Philippians 2:5-11,
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus Christ deserves to be worshiped by every single person on earth, but sadly not everyone worship him. Everyone has gone astray and rejected his lordship.
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
Until then, the supremacy of Christ and our desire to see him worshiped among all people groups motivates us to give our lives to the proclamation of Christ