April Mission Month - "...make disciples... baptize them..., teach
them"
It's Jesus' final command
before leaving earth to prepare the place where His loyal followers will spend
life that never ends. Clearly, God wants as many people as possible to be there
with Him.
Why else would Christ be so specific: "All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age." Matthew 28:18-20
Turning ordinary people into followers
of Jesus, baptized in the Triune God and taught in all of Jesus' teachings is
the basic nuts and bolts of missions. It is not about programs, teaching
materials, tools, methodology or strategy that accomplishes this task. It is
sold out followers making the time and exerting the effort to build friendships
with people, praying for and with them, doing life together and experiencing
the reality of God's love and principles applied.
Our purpose for devoting the whole
month of April to missions is to stretch us beyond our current knowledge and
experience and take us farther from our comfort zones. Try this on for size and
see if it fits. Likely it will, but will you keep it on?
When was the last time you prayed for
a person who is so far away from God? Have you just plain given up hope that
God can give a wayward person the power to change? Write this person's name
down. Remember to pray for him or her as often as you remember and are able.
Dare to believe that God is more powerful than sin. Know that the Holy Spirit
of God will never give up wooing a wandering lost one back to Himself. You may just
be surprised that what you thought is humanly impossible - life change - an
about face from sin towards God - is something God is so willing and delighted
to do. Miracle work is a daily routine for God.
So you've been sensing a restlessness
in your current occupation? You know that God has been nudging you to reply to
His call upon your life. Jesus drops in where you work. You hear Him say,
"Follow me." Will you drop your tools, leave your workplace and
immediately follow Him? I don't mean to make it sound simplistic. Setting aside
one's career in answer to God's calling to serve Him does not happen at a
finger-snap. You pray. You listen to God, to godly people around you. You
evaluate the fruit of your life, your relationships, your accountability to
your local church and its leadership. Do they all line up? If so, what is
holding you back? The common reply, "I'm still praying about it" -
maybe a case of delayed obedience. Translation: disobedience. Praying about it
- may sound like the spiritual generally accepted thing to do, but it may very
well be Satan's favorite excuse and most effective tool to stir away Christians
from doing God's mission.
Perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed
when you consider the magnitude of the task. Can ordinary old me really make a
difference? You certainly can. Learning to call on God regularly and talking
and listening to God about all things (we call this prayer) is the starting
point and quite an indispensable basic ingredient to align your life according
to Jesus' mandate to make disciples, baptize and teach them.
Feeling inadequate? Get used to it.
You and I will never be enough. Not one of the wiling is ever qualified for a
job only God can do. But God qualifies the willing and be confident that He
will make sure He enables and empowers you. God is enough. His grace is enough.
Sign up for that New Life training. Go ahead and read up on good books about
prayer and Just Walk Across the Room,
which is Bill Hybels' written work on what it takes to build connections with clueless
people and gain the right and their permission to let you share Jesus with
them.
Scared? Fear not, says
God. Timid? Your weakness can be used by God to showcase His strength. Go
ahead. Dare to take one step that is radical and 'foolish' (by the world's
standards) and childlike enough to trust God. You may discover that you're
forever ruined for the status quo. You'd get sick of the sleepy boring drifting
life. You'll have zero tolerance for church games. And that life is what God
meant it to be lived by engaging in stuff larger than you where you would
surely fail unless God is in it. Put it positively, the only way life and
bringing others to Christ will work, is if God is with you.
Do this: make disciples,
baptize, teach them - and this happens to be Jesus' parting words to guarantee
He will help you succeed: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age."
April is missions month.
It's about getting you off the sidelines and getting you on your knees and on
your feet to reach out and touch many people in the same manner Christ is
reaching and touching you.
ricky p. mapa, pastor
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