LUKE: YEAR OF OUR LORD (WEEK 50): MISSION DRIFT: LOSING YOUR FOCUS

A book called Mission Drift  explores why organizations such as Harvard University or the YMCA that BEGAN as Christian organizations eventually wind up “drifting” from their original goal and even landing in direct opposition to the mission of Jesus. 

The authors believe that, without making intentional choices, faith-based organizations can easily drift from their founding mission, never to return to their roots. But, you know, Harvard and YMCA didn’t drift off course overnight - the drift happens in small, subtle ways. But left unchecked, those small things become huge obstacles preventing you from getting to where you wanted to get to in the first place!.

It’s the same way in our faith, Church. We as individuals can experience “Mission Drift” as well.

It seems as if the principles Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God are goals we want to reach one day, goals that should define who we are as followers of Jesus, true disciples.

But unless we make intentional choices at every step of our journey toward that goal, we run the risk of losing focus and experiencing Mission Drift.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

Paul knew the importance of keeping one’s focus as a disciple - to run the race of faith with our eyes on the prize, the finish line. In his letters he mentions those who had shipwrecked their lives by shifting their focus, when they let their mission drift.

This morning I want us to see a portrait of what that looks like with actual disciples of Jesus.