This past Sunday, we heard an encouraging presentation from Pastor Wes, Christina, and the eight youth members who went on a mission trip to Nashville, TN. As Christians, we are called to be “on mission” but not all of us are called to be “missionaries”. Matthew 28:19-20 makes it plainly clear that we have been commissioned to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone, everywhere. So, how to do we take that commission seriously if we haven’t been called to be a “missionary”? There are three ways to do so. We can pray, send, and go.
Firstly, we can PRAY for the missionary families. Get to know missionaries that we support at Faith Baptist and many others. Pray for their mission. Pray for their work to be fruitful. Pray for the people they encounter in their work. Pray for the people to have open hearts to receive the gospel. Pray for closed doors to be opened for missionaries in difficult countries. Pray that God is glorified in all their work on the field.
Secondly, we can SEND. Missionaries have to raise a substantial monthly financial support before they can get on the field to work; both for their living expenses as well as ministry expenses. We can participate in helping pave the way for them to get on the field and to provide resources when they are there. Be willing to partner with them financially on a continuous basis so that their work would not be interrupted or distracted due to financial strains. It will be one less burden that they have to worry about. It is important however to ensure the mission is one of spiritual value and that it aligns with proper biblical doctrine.
Thirdly, we can GO. Much like the youth mission trip, there are opportunities to go on a short-term mission trip for adults. Many ministries provide these. Faith Baptist hope to offer some in the near future not just for the youth but also for adults. Short-term mission trips have such a value in opening our eyes to the rest of the world and its need for the gospel. We begin to live differently and view people differently. It pushes to see people in their deepest spiritual need. Often, God uses short-term mission trips to call someone to be a life-long missionary; to give their very life for the mission of reaching people with the gospel.
As we contemplate these three ways we can be “on mission”, I am reminded of Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. We have been commissioned to go to the end of the earth. I pray that we seek ways to live this out daily to engage in PRAYING, SENDING, or GOING.