Do you ever wrestle with the question, “Am I ‘called’ to be a missionary?” Or, “Is this missions thing really for me?” Do you ever see a missionary report and think, “Should I be doing that? Should I be out there in the jungle bringing people to Jesus?” Many times our thoughts get so muddy as we think about this kind of question. Our goal is to help you think about this question in a new way. Many times we can miss the clear and simple by overcomplicating the definitions and the expectations. Maybe you think to be a missionary you have to sell all you have and move to a remote place in the world. Maybe you think you’ll have to learn another language. This may be what God is asking you to do, but regardless of where you are, God is more concerned about who you are.
REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE, GOD IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHO YOU ARE
“
Let’s take a look at five questions that will help you answer this simple question, “Is missions for me?”. The first question is pretty extensive, but I promise you it is foundational for how we understand the rest of the questions and how we view our role in this big global plan of missions. Let’s dive in.
1 WHO ARE YOU?
Identity is what our society today and, arguably, every society and generation has wrestled with since the beginning of time. In Genesis 3 we find the first identity crisis played out before us.
Before Genesis 3, humanity has unity with God. There is no shame, no guilt, no seeking and searching for meaning because “True Meaning” was walking with a man in the garden in the cool of the evening.
Let’s call Genesis 1-2 the era of Identity bestowed and known . It was here Adam and Eve knew their roles, their responsibilities and the God who created them. They knew their created purpose. Their identity was rooted in God because they were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). It wasn’t a question they wrestled with; it was a reality they lived...as easily as breathing in air. Have you ever been watching a movie where you think it is getting close to the end because everything is perfect, the characters are happy, and everything seems right…and then BOOM!!! The lead football captain gets t-boned by an oncoming truck in the intersection (yes, I just referenced the classic movie Remember the Titans ). In an eternally more climactic way, we enter the drama of Genesis 3. This was not a blue pickup truck plowing into the side of a car; this was the enemy of all that is pure, holy and righteous instigating a coup against the Highest God. Genesis 3 is where God’s created image of Himself chose rebellion over the perfect union. Pastor Matt Chandler refers to this occurrence in his book, Recovering Redemption as listening to the
beautiful orchestra, and then all of a sudden the strings on the violins all break, the percussion cymbals drop and crash and everything beautiful about it turns into mass disorder and brokenness. This is where our identity crises come from. We wrestle with who we are because sin has separated us from the One who defines our true identity.
Your identity is broken. In fact all of humanity is walking around sporting a broken identity. We are separated from our identity created by God. But there is good news for our broken, dark, and dry souls…Jesus loves us too much to leave us grasping for meaning in the dark. At the very moment man broke away from God to rebel and followed his lusts and desires in Genesis 3, what was unknown to Satan and Adam and Eve is that by so doing God’s plan of redemption was put into action. The very moment that Satan thought his plan had worked, he had already been defeated. He had forgotten the fact he was taking on the all-powerful God. God confronts Satan in verse 15 of Genesis 3 announcing that the victory had already been sealed by God. Even though Satan thought he had won, he had just signed his own death sentence. WE WRESTLE WITH WHO WE ARE BECAUSE SIN HAS SEPARATED US FROM THE ONE WHO DEFINES OUR TRUE IDENTITY. “ We now have a way for identity to be restored in our lives. We must understand again why we were created. Ephesians 1 tells us we have been adopted, bought back and made sons and daughters of God the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus. We now have the same eternal inheritance that belongs to Jesus. Our identity, as Christians, now flows complete- ly from our adoption into the family of God. We are sons and daughters; we are heirs; He is ours and we are His. That is where our identity must come from. The Westminster Catechism tells us our “chief end” in life is to Glorify God and enjoy Him forever. John Piper simplifies this phrase and puts it into terms for us today by saying, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. When we realize we are image bearers of the Creator God who formed us and breathed life into our very bodies, then will we begin to understand what we were created to do. Only then can we start living our lives in such a way that we fulfill our given purpose...to glorify and enjoy Him. My identity is more important than my location. You can be in Hong Kong, London, Sydney or Grand Rapids, and the reality of who you are will not change. You may need to speak a different language, but at the core of who you are, you will be the same person.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ then by definition of a Christian you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Before the term “Christian” was coined, the followers of Jesus were called disciples.
These are the men we read about in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts. They had one of the same questions you are asking yourself, “Who am I?”. The disciples were confused, scared, timid, and unsure. But when these disciples under- stood who they were because of Jesus, they were later described as men who “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). This meant they could not be stopped as they lived passionately for Jesus. If you have stuck with me this far, you are most definitely asking yourself, “ What in the world does any of this have to do with missions?” . Only when we understand and begin to live our life purposefully aligned to God’s intention will we begin to live missions-minded, Christ-motivated, and Gospel-saturated.
When asking the questions, “Am I called to be a missionary?” or “Is missions for me?”, ask yourself a different question... “Who am I?” Are you a disciple of Jesus?
“
ARE YOU A DISCIPLE OF JESUS?
If so, that is your calling. Being a missionary is living intentionally as a disciple of Jesus wherever He has placed you. This is what we call “thinking missionally.” As a disciple of Jesus Christ, we begin to have maximum effectiveness when we understand why we were created. This mission of being a disciple will look different for every person. Someone may be a sports radio broadcaster, school teacher, telemarketer, farmer, politician, or church planter. But for every one of them the question is the same, “Are you living for Jesus in the location in which He has placed you?” No part of the body of Christ is anymore important than any other. If you are called by God to be a faithful disciple on a farm in Iowa, or you are called to plant the seed of the Gospel in Indonesia, your calling is tailor-made for you to fulfill. Embrace the call of God for your life and do not covet someone else’s position in the body of Christ. Not everyone can be the star quarterback. In fact without the “linemen” (the big guys who block up front) the quarterback would get creamed every time. Just like on a good football team, it takes every player to reach the goal. That’s exactly how God has designed the Body of Christ. As we all play our part on the team, only then can we win together.
“
NOT EVERYONE CAN BE THE STAR QUARTERBACK.
2 WHAT INFURIATES YOU?
This question probably seems disconnected from the first and does not seem like it should even fit into the discussion of “Am I made for missions?” . But before you dismiss this question, take a second to think about it. What irritates you, in a righteous anger kind of way, to no end? In Matthew 21 we see an account of Jesus getting ticked off! People were abusing the purpose for the temple of God. Instead of using the building as a place of worship of the Almighty God, they had turned it into a place to worship their bank accounts. He gets so ticked off that He throws them out of the temple. So I ask you, what righteously infuriates you? Can you watch the injustice of the world and just passively walk by? What righteously infuriates you will cause you to take action to bring relief to the problem! If you say something righteously infuriates you yet you take no action in fixing the problem, you are not righteously infuriated. Jesus took action to bring the temple back to its created purpose. Does the broken state of the world drive you to want to tell them how they can be restored to their created intent?
3 WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO PRAY? The prayers of a righteous man accomplish much (James 5:16). As of this writing, our nation is only a few days removed from the largest mass shooting in US history. Our world is broken. People are in desperate need of hope. The media asks, “How can this happen?” Our nation and the world hold rightful moments of silence in respect and honor of those fallen, but let’s not let our reflection stop in silence. Rather, let it be a loud cry of prayer before the Throne of God. We are quick to run to the Throne of Grace in the midst of tragedy, but, in the calm, we forsake our right to petition the God of every good and perfect gift. LET’S NOT LET OUR REFLECTION STOP IN SILENCE BUT RATHER LET IT BE A LOUD CRY OF PRAYER BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD. “ Are you burdened for the souls of mankind? The greatest advice I can give you is to pray! Oswald Chambers once said: We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don’t want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time be- cause His idea of ‘good time’ is seldom in sync with ours. If you are not currently praying for the needs of the world and seeing men, women, and children of every ethnic race come to understand and know Jesus, does this mean you are not called to missions? NO! We all must spend more time on our knees on behalf of the nations. We must continue in the work that has the greatest impact. Prayer is often the tool God uses to change our hearts. When we start to pray, “God bring workers into your harvest field”, many times He responds by calling us to go. For many people that is a process that starts with earnest prayer. Prayer does move the hand of God, but more often than not, it convicts our own hearts as well. As we pray for God to work, we see ways in which He has called us to be part of the solution to the problem. Don’t hide from honest prayer, but let it flow freely from your heart as God moves you. 4 WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTS? Many times we think of missionaries as having only one kind of gift, an upfront stage presence . Oh how this is such a lie the enemy wants the church to believe! Why? Because if being called to missions requires a very specific gifting, such as good stage presence, then a majority of God’s people will remain sidelined from actively making disciples. We have all probably heard from the pulpit that, “ Whether you are a plumber or a preacher God desires to use you ”! But how do you actively apply this truth to your life? The majority of God’s Church is not gifted with on stage, great eloquence, musically masterful gifts. Yet Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations was never solely designated
to just talented believers. The whole Church was given this command...from sports broadcasters, telemedicine agents, special needs teachers, landscapers, window washers, administrative assistants, gas station employees…and more! The powerful truth of being “on mission” for God is that He calls us to be on mission in the exact place we are at with the exact gifts He has given us. God never calls believers to do things He hasn’t equipped them to accomplish.
GOD NEVER CALLS BELIEVERS TO DO THINGS HE HASN’T EQUIPPED THEM TO ACCOMPLISH. “ Whatever you have been given is a tool from God to help give you a greater impact in the kingdom of God! Don’t let gifting or talent hold you back from fulfilling your God-given, tailor-made purpose. This cannot be stressed enough; you were made for more than ordinary. Jesus proclaims it from every page of Scripture, and He proved it on the cross. So don’t “settle” for just using your gifts to have a normal life. Seek to use what God has given you to be extraordinary for Him. Don’t ever believe the lie of the enemy that you were created for anything less than to do great and wonderful things for God. Your main purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him. Revel in the glory and purpose you have been given. God is alive, and He delights in the worship that is given to Him when His children use their gifts and talents to bring about more disciples of His Son! ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT ANY ROLE TO FURTHER THE GOSPEL? 5 This final reflection is real, and we should search our hearts to see if we really will do whatever God may ask us to do. We have reflected on our gifts, and that is important because God does not waste talent. He has given it to you for a reason. I will borrow 5 points from a great resource entitled “XPLORE” put out by the Center for Mission Mobilization. This should help us understand what the “where” may be for you and me.
1. PRAYING
2. SENDING
3. WELCOMING
4. GOING
5. MOBILIZING
1 PRAY I NG
Every Christian can pinpoint their gifting and then can understand how that gifting will fit into at least one of these five categories. But no matter what your gift is, you can always be in the “praying” category. In fact, it is often the “bookends” of our life that are categorized by prayer. When we are young, we may not be ready to serve or to give financially. But we can always be praying! When we are older we may not have the energy or physical health to serve, but we can be a powerful prayer warrior for the mission! The one non-negotiable role every Christian is called to is prayer for the mission. It is to daily be on our knees before the Throne of Grace to ask God to empower those around the world doing the work. It can be praying for those in persecution that their faith would remain strong, and it can be praying for your local church missionaries once a week or once a month. Many times we emphasize giving over praying. But if God is all powerful and prayer moves His hand, then prayer is the most vital gift anyone can give. This role of praying for the nations should not be simply an option for us but rather a burden that is unshakable. If you need a resource on prayers start by checking out The Joshua Project. Each day you are given a new people group to pray for with specific prayer requests. PRAYER IS THE MOST VITAL GIFT ANYONE CAN GIVE. “ FINANCIAL SUPPORT Every full-time vocational missionary is deserving of financial stability and support. For those of us called to stay at home, we have an opportunity to get financially behind the ministry of missionaries who are physically taking the Gospel to the unreached and unsaved. What’s awesome about this privilege is that this giving not only can be a way to bless a missionary but also a way for us to invest in ministries that we believe in. When you answered the question about what infuriates you, was it something you could actually act on today? Often it isn’t. Many times the systems that Satan uses to oppress people are deeply rooted, and it can make us feel helpless as if there is no way for us to change anything. One tangible way to start is to give. Do you care about orphans and widows? Do you care about a specific people group? Do you long to be see physical needs met and the Gospel spread? Giving is always a tangible step. Wherever God’s work goes forth money is needed. Instead of hiding from that fact, we should embrace it and see it as a privilege to give to ministries that move our hearts and our souls. 2 SEND I NG How can you and I be a part of sending? Here are some simple ideas.
CARE PACKAGES We all love gifts. Think of the amazing encouragement we can be to those overseas in the trenches of ministry by sending them a reminder we are aware of them and they are not forgotten. We send packages to the military as they defend our nation; why not send packages to the soldiers of the faith who are proclaiming God’s Word on the frontlines?! WHEREVER GOD’S WORK GOES FORTH, MONEY IS NEEDED “
3 WELCOMI NG
This idea of welcoming may be one you have not considered before. To live in the United States of America is a blessing we can extend to the nations for the glory of God! No longer do we have to leave our homeland to reach the nations because at record rates the nations are coming to us! In 1970 the United States saw 9.6 million immigrants come to our nation. In 2015 we saw 43.3 million !!! The open door for Gospel evangelism to the nations has come to our front steps! The church must find its place in reaching the refugees, the immigrant, the Middle Eastern Muslim, the Pacific-Rim Buddhist, the European atheist, and the Latin Roman Catholic. This can be as simple as inviting an international family over for dinner and building a relationship with them. Or it can take hosting an international student while they study in the States. According to The Traveling Team , “40% of the world’s Heads of State once studied in the US.” Imagine the global impact we can have by investing in the future leaders of the world! There is a need like never before for the Church of America to think biblically with the heart of a missionary to reach the people who have come to our nation. 4 GO I NG There has always been and always will be the need to GO. Going is probably the most well-known form of missions work among the American church. We are sending missionaries cross culturally at a staggeringly low percentage. This is not a result of God calling less to the mission but rather a cold-hearted and deaf-eared generation of God’s people. This may hit you as abrupt and blunt, but I promise you I am placing myself right in the middle of that “boat.” There are seasons of our lives where we take our eyes off the grand mission we are created for and figuratively take our names off the table of those willing to go to the nations. We need to stop saying, “Lord, I am willing to go”, but rather, “Lord, I will go unless you make it clear I am to stay. And then in my staying, I will leverage my staying to Welcoming, Sending, and Praying.” But GO doesn’t just mean full-time missionary work. There are thousands of opportunities to volunteer...short-term missions, work trips, medical trips, teach English overseas, or use business skills to help missionaries. Going means getting involved. Many times we think because we aren’t called to full-time overseas work that we aren’t supposed to be involved in the going side of things. Instead we can look for ways to get involved no matter what our situation.
Would you use your vacation for God? Would you take 7-10 days to be a blessing to a missionary team overseas rebuilding a house or fixing a facility? Would you take a semester of school to teach English as a way to reach out with the Gospel?
“
WOULD YOU USE YOUR VACATION FOR GOD?
5 MOB I L I ZE
Lastly, Mobilize ! That which you are passionate about you will share. If you have just experienced the most amazing burger restaurant, you post about it on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
If you have experienced and loved missions at any one of the above levels, you will passionately motivate and mobilize others to join in on the most amazing mission you have ever been a part of. Mobilizing is about gathering others around you and letting your passion for the mission rub off on them.
You could start a prayer group, recruit others to join your missions work trip, or help put on a missions conference at your church. If you are especially gifted as a “networker” or “connector” of people, mobilize might be your sweet spot!
Gathering people together to remember the importance of the mission we are all on is a powerful gift! Don’t forget it!
CONCLUS I ON
Are you made for missions? We hope these questions have brought clarity into the discovery process for you and that you no longer debate the “if and am ” I made for missions question. Instead of asking God, “ How can I use what you have given me to engage in the mission?” . Let’s end with this mission statement from Jesus Himself, “ Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven ” (Matthew 5:16).
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9Made with FlippingBook Online document