What is my Mission?
Made for a Purpose,
Called to a Mission
Every great story has a beginning, a conflict, a hero, and an ending.
But what if the greatest story ever told isn't simply one we're meant to read?
What if we're actually part of it?
The Bible tells one incredible story that stretches from the creation of the world to the promise of eternity. It's a story of love, rebellion, redemption, and restoration.
And somewhere in the middle of that story is you.
Last week, we explored one of life's most important questions: Why am I here?
Jesus answered that question by giving us two great commandments: Love God with everything we are, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
But there's another question worth asking.
If Jesus has already defeated sin and death, why are we still here?
To understand the answer, we need to look at the bigger story God has been telling from the very beginning.
Act 1: Creation — A World Made for Love
The story begins with a perfect world.
God creates the heavens and the earth, filling creation with beauty, purpose, and life.
Then He creates humanity.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
Humanity was given an extraordinary responsibility.
We were created to represent God on earth.
To build families and communities.
To care for creation.
To use the resources and abilities God entrusted to us to help the world flourish.
And when God looked at everything He had made, He declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
A perfect place.
A privileged people.
A beautiful vision for life.
Humanity was created to live in loving fellowship with God and with one another.
But that perfect beginning wouldn't last.
Act 2: Rebellion — When Humanity Chose Its Own Way
In Genesis 3, an enemy enters the story.
The serpent approaches Eve with a question designed to undermine her trust in God.
“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”Genesis 3:1 (NKJV)
The serpent's temptation went far beyond eating forbidden fruit.
He suggested that humanity could become like God, determining good and evil for themselves.
And that's exactly what Adam and Eve chose.
Rather than trusting God's wisdom and goodness, they decided they wanted the authority to determine what was right and wrong.
The consequences were devastating.
Sin entered the world.
Humanity's relationship with God was broken.
And the effects of rebellion spread throughout creation.
Murder. Violence. Theft. Oppression. Broken relationships.
People who were created to reflect God's love began hurting one another instead.
The world God had declared good became filled with suffering.
But God wasn't finished with His creation.
Human rebellion didn't erase God's love or His plan to restore what was broken.
Act 3: The Promise — A Blessing for the Whole World
God's response to humanity's rebellion was remarkable.
Rather than abandoning the world, He began a plan to rescue it.
He called a man named Abram and made him an extraordinary promise.
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.”Genesis 12:2 (NKJV)
But the promise didn't stop with Abraham's family.
God continued:
“And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)
Notice that last part.
All the families of the earth.
God wasn't simply creating one special nation for its own benefit.
He was preparing a way for the entire world to experience His blessing.
Through Abraham came a family.
That family grew into tribes.
Those tribes became a nation.
God protected them, guided them, gave them His law, and taught them how to live as His people.
Through covenants, prophets, history, and poetry, God revealed His character and His plan.
Generation after generation, the story continued.
And eventually, through the family God had established centuries earlier, the promised Savior would arrive.
Act 4: Christ — The Hero Enters the Story
Jesus Christ entered the world as the fulfillment of God's promises.
He lived the perfect life humanity had failed to live.
He taught with authority.
He performed miracles.
He healed the sick.
He announced that the Kingdom of God had arrived and invited people to repent and believe.
And then He did something extraordinary.
He willingly gave His life to pay for the rebellion that began in the garden—and continues in every human heart.
Jesus was crucified.
He was buried.
And three days later, He rose again.
Sin and death had been defeated.
The Savior had accomplished what humanity could never accomplish on its own.
In most stories, this would be the ending.
The hero wins.
The enemy is defeated.
The people are rescued.
But here's where the story takes an unexpected turn.
If Jesus has already won the victory, why aren't we all in heaven?
Why does life continue?
Why are we still here?
Because God's story isn't finished.
And the next act involves us.
Act 5: Our Mission — The Story We're Living Right Now
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gathered His disciples and gave them a mission.
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”Matthew 28:18 (NKJV)
Jesus had conquered sin and death.
He was declaring His authority over all creation.
And with that authority, He gave His followers a command.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)
Think about how this connects to God's promise to Abraham.
Thousands of years earlier, God promised that all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abraham.
Now, through Jesus, that blessing was available to everyone.
But there was something His followers needed to do.
They needed to tell people.
God desires a relationship of genuine love and trust, and people must have the opportunity to respond to His invitation.
That's why Jesus told His followers to go.
To share the Gospel.
To make disciples.
To baptize believers as a public declaration of their identification with Christ.
And to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded.
“…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)
What had Jesus commanded?
To love God with all our heart, soul, and strength.
To love our neighbors as ourselves.
And now, to help others become His followers.
Our purpose is to love God and love people where they are.
Our mission is to help those people follow Jesus.
And Jesus didn't leave us to accomplish that mission alone.
He promised His presence and sent the Holy Spirit to empower His followers.
This is the act of God's story we're living in right now.
The victory has been won.
The invitation has been extended.
And we have been entrusted with the responsibility of sharing it.
But this chapter of the story won't last forever.
Act 6: Judgment — When Everything Is Made Right
For centuries, sin has brought unimaginable suffering into God's creation.
People have been murdered, abused, exploited, deceived, and oppressed.
Families have been destroyed.
Wars have devastated nations.
The image of God in humanity has been dishonored.
And throughout it all, God has demonstrated extraordinary patience.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)
God's patience is an expression of His love.
He desires people to turn from sin and receive the salvation offered through Jesus.
But Scripture also tells us that a final judgment is coming.
Revelation 20 describes a day when every person will stand before God.
Those who have trusted in Jesus find their salvation in His righteousness, not their own accomplishments.
Those who reject Him face judgment for their own sin.
It's a sobering reality.
But Scripture also describes God's coming judgment as a reason for creation to rejoice.
Why?
Because evil will not have the final word.
“For He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.”Psalm 96:13 (NKJV)
The suffering caused by sin will not continue forever.
Injustice will not go unanswered.
God will bring an end to the rebellion that has devastated His creation.
And for those who belong to Christ, something incredible awaits.
Act 7: New Creation — Everything Restored
The Bible begins with humanity living in fellowship with God in a perfect creation.
And it ends with the promise of that fellowship being fully restored.
Revelation gives us a glimpse of what is coming.
“And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.”Revelation 22:3 (NKJV)
No more curse.
No more separation from God.
No more brokenness caused by sin.
God's people will live in His presence forever.
The purpose humanity was created for in the beginning will finally be experienced in its fullness.
Perfect fellowship with God.
The story that began in a garden ends with a restored creation.
And God's people will experience the life they were always meant to have.
We're Living in Act 5
Here's what makes this story so important.
The story isn't over.
We're not living in the perfection of Act 1.
We're not waiting for the Savior to arrive in Act 4.
And we haven't reached the final restoration of Act 7.
We're living in Act 5.
The mission.
Jesus has accomplished the work of salvation, and He has entrusted His followers with the responsibility of sharing that good news.
That means your life has a purpose that reaches far beyond your personal success or accomplishments.
God has placed people around you for a reason.
Your family.
Your friends.
Your coworkers.
Your classmates.
Your teammates.
Your neighbors.
Even the people you only know casually.
These aren't simply people who happen to cross your path.
They're people you have the opportunity to love—and help follow Jesus.
So the question becomes personal:
Who are you helping follow Jesus?
Make the Mission Personal
It's easy to agree that Christians should share their faith.
It's another thing entirely to take responsibility for doing it.
At Bridgepoint, we made this challenge tangible.
Different colored ping-pong balls represented different relationships in our lives: coworkers and classmates, family members, friends, and acquaintances.
There was even an option for those who needed to pray, “God, show me who.”
The invitation was simple.
Choose someone.
Write their initials.
And commit to taking an intentional step toward helping them follow Jesus.
Maybe that means sharing your personal story of faith.
Maybe it's starting a spiritual conversation.
Maybe it's serving someone in a meaningful way.
Or maybe it's as simple as inviting them to sit with you at church.
You don't have to have every answer.
You don't have to be a pastor.
You don't have to be an expert in theology.
You simply need to be willing to take the next step.
The Gospel is too good, and there's too much at stake, to keep it to ourselves.
Imagine the person God has placed on your heart sitting beside you at church.
Imagine them discovering the love of Jesus.
Imagine them finding forgiveness, hope, and a purpose greater than anything they've ever known.
Imagine their life becoming part of the story of someone else coming to Christ.
It can begin with something as simple as an invitation.
Your Purpose. Your Mission. Your Next Step.
We all feel the passing of time.
We wonder whether our lives matter.
We want to accomplish something meaningful before our time on earth is finished.
But Jesus has already given us the answer.
You were made for a purpose: Love God and love people where they are.
You were given a mission: Help those people follow Jesus.
And the beautiful thing is that these two are inseparable.
When we love people the way God has called us to, we create opportunities to point them toward the One who loves them most.
So don't wait for the perfect moment.
Don't assume someone else will do it.
Don't underestimate what God can accomplish through one conversation, one invitation, or one act of love.
Who has God placed in your life that needs to know Jesus?
And more importantly:
What will you do to help them follow Him?
The story isn't over.
And God has given you a part to play.
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