Missions

Today was a hectic day.  We had a youth-led service at church, and there was a lot of last-minute stuff that was done.  The theme was missions, and it went really well.  The kids wrote a skit and put together funny Lego pictures illustrating some popular missions myths.  I semi-led the worship and then did a 15 minute message/testimony near the end.  I thought I'd post the gist of my message here, because it's something I really feel strongly about.
 
Missions:  Spreading the Gospel, sometimes via educational, medical, or humanitarian means; a missionary duty or work; bringing others into a worship of God.
 
I think I started off thinking about missions primarily as a duty.  It was something I did out of obedience.  After all, all Christians have a ministry.  Matthew 28:19 says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."  Jesus commands his disciples to GO.  Not maybe, if they feel like it.  They're to GO.  And it says further in verse 20, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." He's with them till the end of the age.  Well, seeing as it's still not the end of the age, you have to assume that this is still supposed to be going on.  All Christians are supposed to be GOing to the nations.  So, looking at this command and knowing how many other verses there are about GOing, I knew I should be doing it, so I did things like sharing the Gospel a lot out of duty.  I didn't quite enjoy it.  Granted, there were some good experiences, but it can be rough.  Doing things out of obedience soon gets quite tiring though, and I realized eventually that there were other aspects to missions.  I eventually realized that it had to be out of love for people.  This was fine, except that in this case, I was expected to love everyone.  That included strangers I had never met from the other side of the world.  THat included criminals and scummy people. 
 
Thus, I came to the further conclusion that I had to do missions out of love, but that this love had to be an overflow of my love for God.  If I loved God, I would love His creation, and the closer I got to God, the more passionate I would truly be about the things He is passionate about.  If I viewed Christianity as something that was a bunch of duties and didn't do things like missions out of worship for God, Christianity would eventually become a burden that I carry, instead of a faith that carries me. 
 
So, we get to the point in the present where as you may know, I am passionate about missions.  I think they can never be emphasized enough in a church.  It was so interesting then, to read this quote (This is one of my most favorite quotes ever!).  "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church.  Worship is.  Missions exist because worship doesn't.  Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.  When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more.  It is a temporary necessity.  But worship abides forever." (Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper) 
 
So anyway, we're all at different stages in how we think about missions, but the bare bones is this:  We are ALL commanded to GO and make disciples.  We are all given a ministry of reconciliation!  How will they hear if people are not sent?  I think if at all possible, everyone should go on a missions trip at least once in their lives.  I can think of a million different excuses not to go.  I don't have money.  I don't have time.  I'm not holy enough.  I don't know enough.  It's too dangerous, etc. etc.  Well let me ask you a question.  Exactly WHO is it that is going?  Is it just you?  Nope.  We're empowered through His Spirit.  He's the one that watches over us.  Don't limit what God can do through someone who is willing to be used.
 
And so, here are some practical applications.  Ahahaha. 
1)  Pray - about the possibility of being SENT, to GO on a missions trip/do ministry somewhere local, international, anywhere!
2)  GO.  Just do it.
3) Support a missionary financially.  Send them on their trip, support them through prayer.
 
To conclude, my friend once said there are 3 types of people in this world.  It was quite convicting:
1) Zealous GOers.
2)  Zealous SENDers.
3)  Disobedient.
 
"How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
'Your God reigns!'" - Isaiah 52:7