How do you know whether or not
you ought to pursue a career in missions? Have you been called to be a
missionary? To be among "the called" (Romans 1:6) means to have been
called out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9) into the fellowship of Jesus Christ (1
Corinthians 1:9).1 This call comes by way of the gospel (2
Thessalonians 2:14), which is God’s invitation to the world to be reconciled to
him through Jesus. All who respond in obedient faith are "called in one
body" (Colossians 3:15) and "in one hope" (Ephesians 4:4). But
does this "holy calling" (2 Timothy 1:9) offer benefits without
expectations? No matter how many times I read 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, it
continues to say the same thing. If I am a new creation in Christ, then both
privileges and responsibilities have been granted by God, "who has
reconciled us to himself and [in addition] has given us the
ministry of reconciliation." This ministry, which ensures that others have
a chance to be reconciled to God, has not been given only to first-century
apostles (Matthew 28:18-20) or merely to full-time paid evangelists (Acts 8:4),
but to all who have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. In a sense,
therefore, every Christian is called to be a missionary. The twofold question
is: how and where does one fulfill this ministry?
The body of Christ is of course
comprised of individual members, each having particular talents, functions, and
consequent responsibilities, contributing to the integrated work of the entire
church (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). While preaching the gospel is the task of the
whole body, both proclaimers and supporters, goers and senders are necessary
(Romans 10:14-15; 12:4-8). This is not to say that if I put a dollar in the
collection basket each week I have sufficiently fulfilled my Christian duty.
While we can never repay the Lord for his manifold blessings, surely eternal
life is worth more than a dollar a week! God does not simply want the meager
leftovers of my paycheck but desires that I first give myself to him
(cf. 2 Corinthians 8:5). What every called/reconciled individual must solemnly
evaluate is: am I doing everything within my God-given capabilities to fulfill
my God-given ministry of reconciliation?
Another important consideration is
"where" this ministry is to be fulfilled. The obvious answer is wherever
you happen to be (Acts 11:19-20; 2 Corinthians 4:7). But since the gospel is
needed everywhere, it is not simply a matter of where you are needed. You
should start thinking about where you might be needed the most. Surely
more Christian doctors, social workers, teachers, farmers, factory workers,
businessmen, and preachers are needed in Hometown, USA. Wherever there are
committed Christians faithfully serving the Lord, let us be thankful. But
consider the fact that the United States comprises only about four percent of
the world’s population, yet the highest percentage of full-time church workers among churches of Christ are laboring in this country. The sobering question is, who is going to help
give the rest of the world an opportunity to go to heaven?2
Are you among the
vast majority saying, "Let someone else do it"? Please be aware that
there is no "someone else" when it comes to fulfilling your own
personal Christian duty. "Take heed to the ministry which you have
received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it" (Colossians 4:17b).
–Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1 Unless
otherwise noted, all scripture references are from the NKJV.
2 In 1983, as I sat in his
World Evangelism class at Freed-Hardeman University, Dr. Earl Edwards
pricked my heart with the following statistic: the USA comprises only about 6%
of the world’s population, yet approximately 95% of the gospel preachers are in
this country. It was then that I made the decision to be an overseas
missionary. But in all fairness, this statistic needs to be amended. Since 1983
the number of foreign missionaries supported by churches of Christ has
gradually increased, while world populations have significantly increased.
Another factor, which seems to have been omitted from these figures, is the
number of national evangelists (not to mention other dedicated Christians) in
the various mission fields around the world. Nevertheless, the number of
missionaries being sent out by North American churches of Christ is still a
fraction of what it ought to be.
*Adapted
from my book The Single Missionary [2002] 6-13.
Related Posts: Called to Be a Missionary Part 2, Part 3. Counting the Cost of Being a Missionary Part 1, Part 2, My Life as a Missionary
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