Jonah 4: 1-4   But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. [2] He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Millard Erickson   The Church has been charged to carry out Christ’s ministry in the world. To accomplish this, certain functions must be met. A balance of these functions is essential to the spiritual health and well being of the body. The gospel is at the very heart of the ministry of the church and is implicit in all of the functions of the church. When the gospel is modified, the church ceases to be balanced. To continue its existence, it is necessary for the church to be willing to serve, be adaptable in methodology, and be adaptable to its environment.

The mission of the church comes directly from the command of Jesus who, after his resurrection and just prior to his ascension, said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus speaks of going, evangelizing, making disciples, and planting churches that plant churches to continue the process. Therefore, the mission of the church is nothing less than brining the entire world to Christian faith and maturity.  

Luke 5 17 One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were sitting there who had come from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a bed, and they tried to carry him into the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19 Because of the crowd, however, they could find no way to take him in. So they carried him up on the roof, made an opening in the tiles, and let him down on his bed into the middle of the group in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, "Your sins are forgiven, my friend." 21 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who speaks such blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!" 22 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Why do you think such things? 23 Is it easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, "Get up and walk'? 24 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, pick up your bed, and go home!"

25 At once the man got up in front of them all, took the bed he had been lying on, and went home, praising God. 26 They were all completely amazed! Full of fear, they praised God, saying, "What marvelous things we have seen today!"