Each week at the end of our worship service, one of our pastors says: “you are sent.”

Why are those words so important?

Multiple times in the gospel of John, Jesus refers to being sent by the Father. After the resurrection, He told His disciples:

         “… just as the father has sent Me – I also send you.” (Jn. 20:21)

Paul refers to this when he says:

         “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ…” (2 Cor. 5:20)

Every follower of Christ has been called to the mission of God. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are to live out the mission — representing Christ to a lost world. We are a missional people. If we are walking with Christ, we are living “sent”.

Each week we sing, pray, open God’s Word, and encourage each other. Then, we are reminded that we are sent out to live this message for another week.

But there are some who have been “sent’ who cannot gather with us. They have gone to places where Christ is not known. They will not be gone a week, or a month, but for years.

These “sent ones” face different kinds of challenges (cultures, languages, comforts, religions, etc.) and struggle with feelings of isolation and loneliness in the midst of intense spiritual warfare.

These “sent ones” are not better than us – but we can’t forget they are part of us. Just like we help each other walk with God and live out our calling, we are to help them walk with God and live out their calling. 

It is true that we are all “sent.”  It is also true that some are “Sent Ones” who need the rest of us to be “Senders.”