He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." - Mark 16:15
What vision comes into your mind when someone speaks of missions? I bet it’s a vision of being in a jungle, a rural island and someplace far away in the middle of nowhere.
It seems as you play golf anywhere around the United States or the world you suddenly become aware of the international, multi-cultured mix of people you are rubbing elbows with. They look different and speak different languages. I also suspect that many of them are as uninformed about Jesus as their ancestors and family miles away. And yet, as golfers we have a common universal golf language that everyone seems to understand.
When you think of it we are right in the middle of a giant mission field without walking across the world but simply walking across the green or a fairway. Indeed, in this rapidly shrinking world, the mission field is right where we shop, work and play.
What is important about the mission field is not where it is located or how far we go to get there. What is important is what we do when we get there. When Mark wrote his challenge for all who believe in the Gospel to “go” to all the world, to “preach” the gospel to “all” creation, he didn't say we had to wear out our shoe leather to get there, but he did tell us what to do and directed us to go.
For the follower of Jesus, reaching out in mission to share the Gospel to an unsaved world is not optional, it is mandatory. When we take on Christ’s DNA, it comes with a call to mission.
There are two thing to remember about our call to mission. First, we have to go to where people are. Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church; He said the church should go into the whole world.
Second, we need to care about the people we speak to. Jesus needed to go to Samaria because He cared about this woman (see John 4:4). When the apostle Paul was in Athens, he saw the city that was given over to idolatry, and his spirit was stirred within him (see Acts 17:16-17). He felt righteous indignation as he saw so many turning to false gods.
In the same way, any effective sharing of the gospel must always begin with a God-given burden. We have to care. Jesus cared.
Do you? Do you want to reach out to perishing people?
We should go to where people are. We should care about them and reach out to them. No matter what golf courses we play or even walking around as a spectator at men's and women's U.S. Open's in Pinehurst this June. Remember that Jesus is walking beside you empowering you through His Holy Spirit to reach out and love people with a friendly “Hi” or “Where you from?" – "Who is your favorite player out there today?”
It all starts with a simple engaging question and then we trust Jesus to open the door for a deeper conversation – it's all up to Him, it’s not about you, He wants it that way. Remember when Jesus played, He hit a draw !!– It says in the Scriptures -- John 12:32- “And I,if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men to Myself." We simply meet and greet people and lift Him up and He does the drawing. Just like Jesus met and greeted people, lifted His Father up and His Father did the drawing.. He is our perfect model of a disciple.
Where are the people to whom we must minister? They may be around the world or they may be on the next golf course you play. Either way, we are called to go. We are called to care. We are called to share and minister with love, care and the message of the Gospel. God has offered mankind the greatest second chance of all – a restored relationship with Him made available by receiving His Son Jesus; The Ultimate Mulligan. It's a free gift - Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace ( a mulligan) you have been saved,through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God"
Think about where Jesus is calling you to missions. Who can you impact, perhaps even on the street where you live or the golf course you play? Get your greeting ready to go and your personal faith story ready to share and go and make an impact in the lives in your mission field.
What vision comes into your mind when someone speaks of missions? I bet it’s a vision of being in a jungle, a rural island and someplace far away in the middle of nowhere.
It seems as you play golf anywhere around the United States or the world you suddenly become aware of the international, multi-cultured mix of people you are rubbing elbows with. They look different and speak different languages. I also suspect that many of them are as uninformed about Jesus as their ancestors and family miles away. And yet, as golfers we have a common universal golf language that everyone seems to understand.
When you think of it we are right in the middle of a giant mission field without walking across the world but simply walking across the green or a fairway. Indeed, in this rapidly shrinking world, the mission field is right where we shop, work and play.
What is important about the mission field is not where it is located or how far we go to get there. What is important is what we do when we get there. When Mark wrote his challenge for all who believe in the Gospel to “go” to all the world, to “preach” the gospel to “all” creation, he didn't say we had to wear out our shoe leather to get there, but he did tell us what to do and directed us to go.
For the follower of Jesus, reaching out in mission to share the Gospel to an unsaved world is not optional, it is mandatory. When we take on Christ’s DNA, it comes with a call to mission.
There are two thing to remember about our call to mission. First, we have to go to where people are. Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church; He said the church should go into the whole world.
Second, we need to care about the people we speak to. Jesus needed to go to Samaria because He cared about this woman (see John 4:4). When the apostle Paul was in Athens, he saw the city that was given over to idolatry, and his spirit was stirred within him (see Acts 17:16-17). He felt righteous indignation as he saw so many turning to false gods.
In the same way, any effective sharing of the gospel must always begin with a God-given burden. We have to care. Jesus cared.
Do you? Do you want to reach out to perishing people?
We should go to where people are. We should care about them and reach out to them. No matter what golf courses we play or even walking around as a spectator at men's and women's U.S. Open's in Pinehurst this June. Remember that Jesus is walking beside you empowering you through His Holy Spirit to reach out and love people with a friendly “Hi” or “Where you from?" – "Who is your favorite player out there today?”
It all starts with a simple engaging question and then we trust Jesus to open the door for a deeper conversation – it's all up to Him, it’s not about you, He wants it that way. Remember when Jesus played, He hit a draw !!– It says in the Scriptures -- John 12:32- “And I,if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men to Myself." We simply meet and greet people and lift Him up and He does the drawing. Just like Jesus met and greeted people, lifted His Father up and His Father did the drawing.. He is our perfect model of a disciple.
Where are the people to whom we must minister? They may be around the world or they may be on the next golf course you play. Either way, we are called to go. We are called to care. We are called to share and minister with love, care and the message of the Gospel. God has offered mankind the greatest second chance of all – a restored relationship with Him made available by receiving His Son Jesus; The Ultimate Mulligan. It's a free gift - Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace ( a mulligan) you have been saved,through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God"
Think about where Jesus is calling you to missions. Who can you impact, perhaps even on the street where you live or the golf course you play? Get your greeting ready to go and your personal faith story ready to share and go and make an impact in the lives in your mission field.
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