NOW! Mission.

By Greg

It seems that one of the defining characteristics of living out our christian faith is whether or not we’re involved in some type of mission service.  As a young believer it seemed pretty clear cut that mission work was something that was done “over there” and far from “here”.  I am still somewhat convinced that the collective understanding of the Christian community is not far from this type of mindset.  However, as I’ve matured in my faith, I have come to understand the real grit of missions is quite the opposite.

Venture with me very quickly to Acts 1:8:

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NIV)

Christ Jesus was telling his disciples how the transfer of responsibility was going to play out.  In order to understand this exchange, there are a few basic ideas you should be familiar with.  Jerusalem is their hometown or homebase.  Judea is the region that is home to Jerusalem, somewhat like a state.  Samaria is the territory to the north of Judea that is home to a race of people that was deadset against Judea.  The ends of the earth were all of those unexplored, unfamiliar, foreign lands.

What Christ is telling you and me, along with the disciples, is that when you receive the gift of salvation from Christ, you’ve got some work to do.  But for some reason, we seem to think that we should start at the ends of the earth and work our way back home. Wrong.

Christ Jesus had some very stern words for those religious types who went abroad to do their work, then come back home unchanged.  Read this and ponder it for a second:

15“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (NIV)

I love this picture of Christ Jesus!  Up in the face of hypocrites and disgusted with their behavior.  So what good is it for you and I who travel afar to do “God’s work” only to come home and continue a life of neglect with our faith?

The task that we have before us follows this path:

  1. Jerusalem:  This is your home.  Live and act as Christ would have you live in the privacy of your own home.  Be authentic to yourself and to your immediate family.
  2. Judea:  This is your extended family and your community.  Witness to the majesty and grace of Christ Jesus within your own family and your community and peers.  Your mission work continues here.
  3. Samaria:  The mission field is full of land mines in samaria – these are your enemies, the people you don’t like, or the person or persons that have wronged you.
  4. The ends of the earth:  Now go take care of business far away.
How can you travel to Africa to witness to others about Christ Jesus when you can’t even look your own family in the eye and show them Christ in your life?  Do not let yourself become the Pharisee who is going over land and sea to make a convert… only to make them a son of hell.
Mission work is simply going forward and telling others about how Christ has transformed your life. Moreover, it is the act of living your faith on the outside… every single day.   I can assure you that as your faith grows, you won’t have to search for opportunities to tell others about your changed life… it will be seen, noted, and sought after.
The mission work will continue.  You will find opportunities unfolding before you to stretch out further and further with the hands and feet of Christ.  The list above isn’t a process of working through one and then to the next.  Rather, it all happens together.
Start your mission at home and see where God takes you.
May you live your faith on the outside today and become a witness of the transforming nature of God to all you see and speak with today.
Peace,
Greg
Acts 4:31
  • Share/Bookmark
Filed in: LB NOW! • Monday, April 27th, 2009
 

Leave a Comment

About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.