I cannot change my mission

Matthew 16:21-28 “I cannot change my mission”

Dear Church Family, sometimes people who love us may try to give us a different mission than the one God has given us. But following Jesus means trusting God’s mission even when it involves sacrifice, suffering, and the cross. Jesus told His disciples clearly: “He must go to Jerusalem and suffer, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Jesus was not confused about His mission, because He knew His mission. And His mission was not simply to perform miracles, teach people, or become popular. Rather, His mission was to go to the cross and accomplish God’s plan of salvation. But Peter did not understand Jesus’s mission, and said “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.

Peter was not trying to hurt Jesus. To the contrary, he was trying to protect Jesus. In last Sunday’s sermon, we saw that Peter declared Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God in Matthew 16:16. Then the same Peter, in today’s passage, doesn’t want Jesus to be crucified, or to have bad things happen to Jesus. We can understand the heart of Peter’s feeling because at some point, Peter was trying to tell Jesus, Lord, you don’t need to suffer or die, because You are the Messiah, and You are so powerful. So, Peter understood who Jesus was, but he did not yet understand what Jesus had come to do. Peter was thinking, “If you are the Messiah, you cannot die. The Messiah should overcome any challenge facing you.” But according to God’s plan, Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross to save us.

In this life, we all have a part, and Jesus’s part was that He had to die. And His death required a total commitment. His death was necessary, because He must go to Jerusalem to suffer and be killed. So, Jesus did not have a choice, because His death and resurrection were planned by God to save us and free us from sin. That is why Jesus says to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!” So, Jesus was not implying that Peter himself was Satan. Rather, Jesus was recognizing that Peter’s words were tempting Him to turn away from God’s mission.

Dear Church Family, sometimes the words of other people or the suffering we experience may change our circumstances, but they cannot change the mission God has given us. Peter’s words came from a place of love, but they were tempting Jesus to turn away from the mission God had given Him. Sometimes suffering can tempt us to reconsider what God has called us to do. We may say:

• This is too difficult. Maybe I should stop.
• If this is God’s will, why am I suffering?
• Maybe I misunderstood God’s mission.
• Maybe I should change the mission because this mission is hurting me.

But Jesus teaches us that: Suffering does not mean that we are engaging in a wrong mission. Sometimes when life becomes difficult, we are tempted to say, “Maybe I should stop.” Please, do not stop. You are not on the wrong path. The cross we may be encountering may be difficult, but it is still part of our mission, just as Jesus continued on his mission, despite its difficulty.

Dear Church Family, please, do not allow suffering or what someone may tell you, or discouragement to give you a different mission. I know sometimes ministry may become difficult, when people disappoint us, when prayers seem unanswered, when the road becomes painful, and we may be tempted to choose an easier path. But the message of Jesus is: Do not allow the cross to make you abandon the mission God has given you.

Every day of your life, do your best to declare:

• When ministry becomes difficult, I cannot change my mission.
• When people do not understand my mission, I cannot change my mission.
• When the road becomes painful, I cannot change my mission.
• When I do not understand what God is doing, I cannot change my mission.
• When the cross becomes heavy, I cannot change my mission.

And today, I want to share these thoughts with you:

• If God has given you the mission to play the piano, keep playing for His glory. Do not let discouragement give you a different mission.
• If God has given you the mission to sing, keep singing with joy. Your worship encourages the Church and glorifies God.
• If God has given you the mission to cook meals for the church, keep doing it. Your service is part of God’s plan.
• If God has given you the mission to teach, keep teaching.
• If God has given you the mission to welcome people, keep showing hospitality.
• If God has given you the mission to pray for others, please, do not stop praying.
• If God has given you the mission to visit the sick, encourage the discouraged, or care for those in need, continue serving with compassion.
• If God has given you the mission to clean the church or serve in another way, keep doing it.
• Don’t allow discouragement or disappointment to cause you to abandon God’s mission. Because every mission of service is valuable.

Whenever you face discouragement, say this: “Lord, when the road becomes difficult, do not let me choose a different mission. When the cross becomes heavy, give me strength to carry it. When suffering comes, remind me that the cross was part of Your mission, and that You are still with me on the journey. Help me remain faithful to the mission You have given me”

Conclusion:

Dear Church Family, Jesus knew His mission. He knew the cross would be difficult, but He also knew that the cross was part of God’s plan for our salvation.

And today, Jesus reminds us that the mission God gives us may not always be easy. There will be suffering, disappointment, criticism, and moments when we want to give up. But do not let the difficulty of the journey cause you to lose your way or to abandon your mission for another way.

So, when the road becomes difficult, keep going. When the cross becomes heavy, keep trusting. When people discourage you, keep serving. And When you are tempted to give up, remember Jesus Christ and say: Lord, I will remain faithful to the mission You have given me.

Amen.

Prayer:

Gracious God, thank You for Jesus, who remained faithful to His mission, even to the cross.

When our journey becomes difficult, give us strength. When we face disappointment, criticism, or suffering, help us not to give up.

Lord, do not let us choose a different mission from the one You have given us. Help us remain faithful, trust You, and continue serving You with love.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.