Five Words On #GetSent

By Ps Ng Zhiwen

Early on, while preparing for our sermon series on Ephesians, a 5-word phrase caught my eye. It remains the most impactful phrase from the book for me. They linger in my mind still. Want to know what it is?

“For this reason I, Paul”

This is how chapter 3 begins. I, Paul… and then what? There is no action that follows. Instead, Paul goes on to describe his personal identity and his calling: I am a prisoner of Christ; He appointed me to bring the gospel to the Gentiles (i.e. the nations), and to tell them the “unsearchable riches of Christ”. In other words: This is me. This is who I am. 
I, Paul.

And for what reason? In the previous 2 chapters, Paul took his readers on a dizzying tour of the Grand Plan (the view from the 70th floor, remember?), conceived in the mind of God before time began: To unite all things in Christ; to restore the kingdom and the glory of God in every corner of creation; to reconcile the things that have been broken, restore the peace, and fashion a people that will be drawn from all peoples in whom God will be pleased to dwell. A new creation. God’s masterpiece.

“For this reason I, Paul.”

This is Paul, enraptured by the vision of God’s glorious plan, now saying: I’m fully in on it. Behold, here I am! This is why I do what I do. These 5 words expressed for me the fusion of vision and vocation, of doctrine and discipleship. It is his obedient (and dare I say enthusiastic) response to God. Paul has found his life-calling and he has no regrets about suffering for it. It is all gloriously worth it in the light of The Reason.

Just so, I long to see everyone in Zion Bishan #GetSent. To #GetSent is the natural response of one who has been deeply immersed into the life and love of Christ. When you have grasped the role that God’s people get to play in His grand plan, and have learned to walk in obedience to the Spirit, you will one day say: For this reason I, [insert your name]…. [insert your new identity in Christ]. You will present yourself before God, and all the rest of us, and commit to faithfully live out what God has set you to do.

Last Sunday (6 Nov), we had a gathering of Zion Bishan members who have sensed a calling to serve the Lord in cross-cultural overseas missions. I shared with them those 5 words, and that we want Zion Bishan to be a church that helps journey alongside them in the pursuit of God’s call on their lives.

The same message applies to us all: I pray each of us gets fully in love with Jesus, and for that Reason present ourselves to trust and obey Him and to go wherever He sends us (#GetSent). And then, collectively we can say: For this reason we, Zion Bishan…