12/20/2024
The message in my morning devotional reading was an interesting one... There have been times when I have listened to missionaries speak at church only to wonder if they truly received the call. There was a sense of the adventurer about them, but not a spirit of prayer and godliness. Sometimes this is evident in what they present as their accomplishments while fulfilling what they believe to be the “Great Commission” ... They speak of doing good things like building homes, working in healthcare, or performing other such concrete worldly deeds. They speak of saved lives but there is no talk of saved souls. They speak of works that any moral man might accomplish, but where is Jesus in them? What I hear sounds at best like a pilgrimage or personal spiritual vacation. What is the great commission really? Let’s explore this.
“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
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever listened and then wondered how some Christian "missionaries" came to consider themselves as emissaries of God? Messengers of the Gospel? I think E. M. Bounds must have felt this way when he wrote:
"if you are not a praying man here at home you need to develop fitness in prayer in order to become a missions worker abroad." – E. M. Bounds
He was saying that prayer and faith should be at the foundation of missionary efforts, not the skills of carpentry, or other such talent that might fill a need in the country of our “mission trip”. So, without that spiritual foundation and calling a person may be a very good social worker, but are they really a missionary? I think that Mark 16:15 gives us an explanation of the purpose... preaching the gospel.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15 KJV
Doing something that will endear people to you is a good tool to prepare the ground so that it will be ready to receive the seed of faith but without delivering that seed the consequences are dire and we read that in the next verse:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:16 KJV
So, there is no substitute… we must pray, we must lay a spiritual foundation that will allow us to compassionately deliver the gospel... Because that is the mission call, and souls, not earthly lives, depend on it.
I originally wrote this devotional message to a very good Christian friend on this very day in 2015, and he responded with this note… my dear friend Chuck Savage wrote:
“Rich,
What an awesome message on which to end the week. I don't know about you, but I reflect on my life and think back to the number of times where I have told people "I'll pray for you." I know that in my heart I truly meant it, but there were numerous times when I have simply gotten busy and forgotten to pray for the person in need.
As I read the devotion this morning that thought was triggered. As the devotion says, you can't be a missionary abroad when the home front has not been taken care of. I think back to when we were in your office the day before your [cancer] surgery and we prayed. Not I'll pray for you tomorrow but while we were there together. There are some thoughts that I have and I want to get your thoughts on them. It's too much for a text or email, so I can't wait for the next time we meet face to face. Have a great weekend and talk with you soon.
Chuck Savage “
Missionary work is spreading the gospel, so let’s ask ourselves “Are we spreading the good news of Jesus Christ?” If we are preparing to go abroad as missionaries, are we praying men and women at home? Are we well founded Christians before we go to the far corners of the world? If not then let’s begin praying right now, not tomorrow but today, and prepare ourselves for this most important calling that extends the hand of Jesus and God to the lost. If not then let’s face the truth of what we are actually doing and that is quite simply going on a Christian pilgrimage or doing good in a distant place, but let’s not confuse answering the “Great Commission” with merely doing good works. Works and faith go hand in hand but works alone are insufficient, because faith leads us to believe, and believing saves our souls, so let’s ask ourselves this: who has true faith if they have never heard the name, and the gospel, of Jesus?
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:14-17 ESV
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
Prayer:
Thank you, Father, sending your Son Jesus Christ to us where He is our savior, our redeemer, and He who has overcome sin and death in the world. Thank you, Lord, for the “Great Commission” that Jesus has sent us on as His disciples, and that you have called us to undertake. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who speaks to our souls and gives utterance to the prayers we are unable to pray on our own. Help us Father, help us Holy Spirit, and help us Jesus, as we are being prepared to deliver the gospel as missionaries, and as those who will go obediently into the world with the Word of Truth, a well-founded belief, and eternal Life on our lips. Teach us how we might couple our own faith and works together to form a powerful tool that sows the seeds of faith into every soul around the world. Help us Father to understand your will and purpose as we do your merciful work in the world as we travel throughout the world. You will call some of us to go far away, and others to remain close to home, but we will all spread the same message of hope in Jesus Christ. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who loves us so much that you sent Him, your Son Jesus, to redeem us and continues even now by sending us, His disciples, to continue His good work in the world. Holy are you who is merciful, full of grace, and desires that none should be lost. Hear our unceasing prayers Abba, and teach us through them, your Spirit, your word, and your unending lessons, how we can find the lost and raise our hands victorious as we call out to you “Here they are Father! Come Quick!” We pray for the lost, we pray for the seed of the gospel to take root, and we pray that you will be pleased by our efforts on your behalf. Watch over us Father as we pick up our crosses and follow Jesus and give us all we need to sustain us along the way; giving us drink, feed us, cloth us, shelter us against the storms, and heal us when we suffer injury or illness. Hear us as we praise you in the storms, worship you before our enemies, and call out to you for your angels when we are weak and wandering lost. We believe and in our belief we are missionaries in the world delivering the message, doing the works, and never losing faith in the commission we have been called to by Jesus. In this we give you all the glory, and listen as all those who are not called to travel the world in this way cry out … Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! and Amen!
Rich Forbes