10/14/2023
Do we approach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ because we feel they need it, or because Jesus told us to go? Do we spread the word of The Lord because we wish to find Him in the process, or because we are living out His presence in our lives? These are subtle differences that make a difference.
“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of 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."”
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
Before we can do anything in regards to the call of the missionary, we must first know Jesus Christ ourselves; He must first command us. Taking the gospel into the world is not a way to self-enlightenment, or spiritual growth, but a way of living once we have learned to love and worship Him. Spreading the good news is not about having an adventure, but rather about living out our lives in Christ, and oh by the way... that is absolutely an adventure.
I know two men that you might call missionaries because they are abroad and teach of Jesus. One calls himself a missionary and the other does not. The one who calls himself a missionary has the skill to build and repair houses and does this for those in need, and in the process tells them of our Lord. The other goes to the Middle East and teaches Muslims about Jesus Christ because that is who he is, and where he had been called to serve. I have never heard this man refer to himself as a missionary... he is simply living the life of faith that defines him. One is having a house building adventure with a splash of faith used to help him finance it, and the other is living out his faith despite the danger and adventure it represents, and would do so even if he starved or died in the process.
As you look at these two men, you say to yourself “both are spreading the gospel, but in different ways” and that is true, but their motives are worlds apart.
I also know two artists, one found that he had a talent for drawing and decided that this would be a good way to earn a living; the other had the same talent, but drew and painted out of an intense love for it. The first created works of art to support himself while if the other never sold a painting it was of no consequence to him. One would do something else if his art was unable to support him while the other would paint even if he had to starve in the process. As for their art? Both painted incredible works, but while the one was amazingly good, the other’s artwork captured life in a way that couldn’t be explained... only felt and experienced.
Missionaries fall into these two molds; the ones who serve to live, and the ones who live, and in the process, serve. Our life in Jesus Christ should always be what propels us forward, otherwise, although we are seeking Him, He is not the motivation for our efforts, He is simply one of the ingredients. This is the difference between being a cup of sugar in an apple pie... or being the apples themselves. You can make an apple pie without the sugar, but there is no apple pie without the apples.
Jesus called His disciples to Him before He sent them out. Before we get to Matthew 18, we must first live out Matthew 16...
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.”
Matthew 28:16-17 ESV
Our faith must first take us to where Jesus tells us to meet him because all of us are not ready yet. Some of us still doubt, and if we doubt then first we must resolve that shortcoming in our faith before we can truly be used to do the work He desires of us. Once we see Him, and believe completely, then we can go anywhere in His Service because our lives reflect who He is. Our paintings cease to be academically perfect, and become masterpieces... our missionary effort ceases to be just an adventure as we seek to live, and becomes a life that exudes the adventure that is intrinsic to Jesus Christ.
So I ask you a simple question today... are you living your life for Jesus, or living in Jesus for your life?
“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
John 14:20 ESV
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, and I thank you for allowing me to live the life of your Son, and not just the life of one who seeks to find Him and you. Holy Father I long to be closer to you with every beat of my heart, every blink of my eye, and with the very breath you have placed within me. My life is not my own, but yours Father, and as I go to and fro in the world, let all who meet me understand the power in your Word, and let them know your Son as they come to know me. Lord, let my life exude you, and not just represent you as a fine painting would, but as a work of art whose inexplicable nature can’t be grasped... only experienced... an extension of your hand. Jesus, when I teach others your gospel and of your commandments, let me be leaving them with a piece of myself and not just the words that I speak of you. Even before I go out Lord, let me know you intimately, and let my life be lived from within you, even as yours is from within the Father’s.
I pray Lord for the missionaries who you have sent into the world. I pray that you protect and keep them, and that you give them a courage that is founded in the peace of knowing you. I thank you for those too humble to call themselves your chosen, for their hearts truly beat as yours. I pray also Jesus for those who are merely on an adventure in faith and whose motivation may not be as it should be. Remove the doubt Lord... change their lives... even as they walk about in the world at their own leisure and speak of you. Bring glory unto the Father through all those you perfect.
Rich Forbes