Jesus said to His
followers, “Go everywhere in the world and tell the Good News to everyone”
(Mark 16:15 NCV).
As Christians, we are
blessed and highly favored. We are blessed by God’s presence, love, grace,
wisdom, strength, and hope. Likewise, we are blessed by other followers of Jesus
who can help us along the way. We have a lot to be thankful for. I wonder, have
you ever thanked those who had an influence in you becoming a Christian?
Jesus commands us
believers to share the Good News with others who do not know; in this our lives
find purpose and meaning. But unfortunately, many in our world have not
received the blessings that we as Christians have. There are 2 billion people
alive today who have seldom if ever heard the name of Jesus. Of these, 70,000
people die every day without Christ. Of all the full-time Christian workers,
only 5% are working among these unreached people groups. And only 1% of the
money given to Christian causes actually goes to reaching these people with the
hope of Jesus Christ.
Why do these statistics
exist? The reason relates to the two different classes of Christians. “You will
either be a world-class Christian or a worldly Christian” (Paul Borthwick, A
Mind for Missions). Rick Warren contrasts these two groups in the following
way. “Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They
are saved, but self-centered. They may love to attend concerts and enrichment
seminars, but you would never find them at a missions’ conference because they
aren’t interested. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and
happiness. It’s a ‘me-first’ faith: how can God make my life more
comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes instead of being
used for His purposes” Purpose Driven Life, p. 297).
Frequently, when you talk
with worldly Christians about sending missionaries and/or financial resources
to help those who have never even heard the Good News of Jesus, they will point
to people here who are not yet Christians even though they have heard the
message numerous times. In our country it is virtually impossible not to hear
the message numerous times from the churches & radios that are in almost
every town, from various TV programs, holidays, etc. In this, worldly
Christians selfishly refuse to consider those who are lost and have very few
going to serve them.
When the early church
began carrying out the Great Commission in Jerusalem and the land of Israel,
not everyone became believers. What would have happened if they refused to move
out and share the Good News with others living in different parts of the world?
The simple answer is that we would be in the same position that some 2 billion
people are currently in: without hope. That is the result of worldly Christians.
In contrast, “world-class
Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager
to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used
by God. World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet.
Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they’re
making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through
them in fresh ways. Which type of Christian do you want to be?” (Purpose
Driven Life, p. 298)
Making the transition from
a worldly Christian to a world-class Christian is not easy. We need God’s help
so it starts with prayer. Second, we have to change our thinking to consider
the interests of others (Phil. 2:4). This is exactly what those who shared the
hope of Jesus Christ with you did; and we should do the same. Thinking of the
needs of others includes thinking globally. “For God so loved the world…”
(John 3:16).
Does this mean that we are
to ignore those around us to focus exclusively overseas? NO! The Great Commission commands us to
fulfill all areas at the same time (see Acts 1:8). But how is that possible?
This takes place through prayer, financially sending others, going ourselves on
short-term trips, training and mobilizing others to go, while at the same time
seeking to make disciples wherever the Lord has you.
In conclusion, it is my
prayer that you would pass on the hope that we have in Christ to a world in
need of Jesus. It is a life worth living.
In His service,
Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment