And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with
them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear
from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things
has passed away." (Rev. 21: 3-4)
Charles B. Fleming [Vol. 18, 2006]

In my last memo we saw how we are motivated to be on mission as a result of looking back to Jesus’ earthly ministry.  Today, we see how looking to the future Jesus promised motivates us to be on mission.   Notice how two of those promised events pull us into mission work:

1. Rev 21: 3-4 (above) reminds us that Jesus will return to put an end to all the injustice and suffering in our world.  Life is so difficult that people need to know that relief will come.  There is a purpose to life.  Part of our message is that from the very beginning God promised to set things right in our world (Gen. 3: 15).  And the Bible closes with the spotlight placed firmly on the reality of his coming to fulfill his promises.  Notice the invitation that both the Spirit and the church (the “bride”) offer to all who would despair of life:

“The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”
A few verses later Jesus promised, “Yes, I am coming soon.”  And the chorus of God’s people echoes through the ages, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”  (Rev 22: 17, 20).  We go forth on mission with a double invitation: 1) Come all who suffer and have need, come to the Lord who is here and is coming in all power. 2)  And, come Lord, Jesus, your people await you.  That promised future pulls us into the affairs of life today so we can point people to the Desire of all Nations who is both already here and yet coming in full power.

1. II Cor. 5:15,  17 – tells us that by means of the cross and his resurrection Jesus created a new world order and has led Christians on a new Exodus, “he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col. 1: 13).  As “children of the kingdom” we are “children of God…. in a crooked and depraved generation” (Mt 13: 38; Phil. 2: 15).   So our reality is that we DO experience the powers of the Kingdom right here and now, even though not in all the fullness we will experience when Christ returns.

Part of our job is to verbally proclaim the good news that true justice and peace are coming.  But there is more.  As “children of the Kingdom” (Matt 13: 38) we not only hold out the hope of God’s promised future but can invite others to join us, we “who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age” (Heb. 6: 5).  The powers of the age to come are already at work in our lives and are available to all who will call upon His name.  Our mission is to live our lives today so that others are drawn to ask us about the hope that is so evident in us.  The hope instilled in us by both the present reality of Jesus’ presence in our lives; and by His promise to come back and set all things right, “wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Our witness is realistic in every sense of the world.  We are real people – just ordinary people who experience the trauma and failures of life in our corrupt world.  We do not pretend to be otherwise.  But our experience is real – there is a supernatural Presence in our lives that makes life worthwhile.  Our passion is real – we want to help others know that Presence.  So we tell them of what he has already done for the whole world.  We show them what he is doing in our own lives today.  We point them to what he will do for all humanity when he returns.  Our cry is: Taste and see that our God is good.  It is the supreme blessing to take refuge in him! (Psa 34: 8)