Being Mission's Minded

I spent two 2 days at the mission’s conference at Trinity College Of Florida talking to mission’s organizations and missionaries. I love hearing about what God is doing around the world and opportunities to partner with people who are reaching out to those who have never had a chance to hear the Gospel. There were different workshops to go attend from various organizations all talking about different ways they were reaching out to the lost, the particular people groups they were focusing on and how God was working through them to break down ethnic/racial/cultural barriers to further the Kingdom.

The main speaker was Gary Peterson from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Their goal is to translate the Bible into every language so that all have the opportunity to hear and read about salvation through Christ. He is an amazing man of God and unfortunately put some things out there that are true about Christianity today. Not all Christians share this same passion to reach out to those who have never heard the Gospel. They are selfish and fixated on themselves and their own circumstances. Gary said that he could not count the times that he has heard people say “I just wish Jesus would come back today and get us out of this mess so all the problems would just go away.” Essentially saying “It’s all about me and how bad I have it, I don’t care about the rest of the world, and I want my life to be rainbows and sunshine.”

Don’t get me wrong. I look forward to the day Christ returns. That is the hope I live for and the promise that He gave us. But until that time comes I want to make the most of every opportunity I have to share the Gospel with those who are lost and doomed to judgment on the day Christ does return. I don’t want to think about how bad I have it because I know what my eternal destiny has in store for me. I want to be focused and centered on those who have no hope and offer it to them. I actually don’t want Christ to come for a while because we have a lot of work to do in taking the Gospel to every tribe and nation. There are also friends and family that I want to see in the Kingdom. Until everyone has a chance to hear and respond I don’t want Christ to come.

We have to get past ourselves and realize that it is our responsibility to bring reconciliation to this world. Christians have a hope that allows us not to be concerned with our circumstances because we know where we will be when it is all said and done. Let us leave this selfish attitude behind and begin to focus on the work God has called us to do. The problem today is no different than in Luke 10. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Quit worrying about your earthly problems and focus on the eternal judgment that is coming to this world. Christ has come and He is coming again. Let us not hope for His second coming until we have completed the work He has given us.