Mission Possible

We had a great weekend filled with good friends, lots of fun, and of course, tons of wonderful food! Darrel spent the whole weekend cooking, I think. We catered a family reunion Saturday for our pastor's wife's family, we cooked for our own little family reunion Sunday with Aunt Jane from Illinois, and we cooked for Charlie & Kathleen's pool party yesterday. The kids had a blast (ha - no pun intended) shooting off fireworks with their beloved Uncle Brian and Aunt De. Even the wonder-dogs, Bailey and Diggity, had a good time!

We were so blessed to hear a great message on Sunday morning by our pastor's son, Brian, from Chicago. He talked about the fact that we are "Made for a Mission". I have been thinking about this all weekend. This message is nothing new to me - I realize I am called to fulfill a mission. But there are so many people who feel like they have no responsibility as far as ministry goes. Brian said it this weekend - each and every person who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Lord, & Savior is a minister of the Gospel. So many times, however, we like to be "hidden ministers". We like to rest in the fact that God hasn't called us to public, full-time ministry - I mean after all, we're not evenagelists or pastors or anything! While I realize not everyone is called to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher, can we really say that we are not called to public ministry? Jesus was very plain to tell us that we are! No one is exempt from the great commission. Matthew 28:19-20, says "Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen." Mark 16:15 says, "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]." Luke 24:47 says, "And that repentance [with a view to and as the condition of] forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." John 20:21 says, "Then Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! Just as the Father has sent me forth, so I am sending you." And finally in Acts 1:8 Jesus says, "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."

I think this makes it pretty clear what we are to be about in our lives. But so many times we are only consummed with getting what we want, satisfying our selfish desires, never giving a second thought to whether those we come in contact with have a living, breathing relationship with Jesus Christ. Even if we know they don't, we certainly don't think it's our responsibility to share the Gospel with them - why that's the job of the church - the leadership! So many people will miss out on eternity in Heaven because we fail to see our responsibility. I think it's even harder for the older generation. Today's younger generations feel a responsibility to make the world better - they see that the selfish doctrines of their parents and grandparents have only contributed to the demise of society and they are compelled to share the truth of Jesus Christ at any cost. But the older generation still clings to it's old ways of thinking - "Why, I've worked hard all my life so I can have what I want till I die - now leave me alone so I can enjoy myself!" So many times they miss out on the fact that God has a mission for them. It's not about storing away treasures on earth all your life so you can live out the last years of your life with tunnel-vision - only seeing what pleases you, only doing what pleases you - comfort not sacrifice. I'm not speaking out of disrespect, I simply feel that the older generation of Christians are becoming satisified to be pew warmers and to leave the ministry to the younger saints. Some have hidden behind others their entire lives - never doing anything real for God but yet glorying in all their hard work all their lives, spouting off about how much they deserve now. I wonder if they realize what they really deserve - what we all really deserve?

All your hard work, and all your saving, and all your vain sacrifices so you can have comfort, mean nothing in light of the cross. Can you look back on your life and see the imprint of the hand of God? Can you trace the trail of the Holy Spirit's leading? Can you go from divine encounter to divine encounter? It's not too late - every day that you take another breath is a day you can begin to live and walk in the ministry God has for you - in the great commission! What do you have to lose? Maybe it's your reputation, maybe it's your pride, maybe it's your fear, maybe it's your selfish desires, and maybe it's your life. We never know - God did not call us to a life of being a couch potato - He called us to a life full of risks! Fulfilling the great commission is risky business! It means we don't always get to do what we want to do in a given day. It means our plans change at a moment's notice. It means nothing is set in stone. It means we pour our lives out as a sacrifice for others - it does not mean that we pour our lives out for ourselves. Has your life been poured out over the years as an offering to God for others? Or has your life been poured out in service to yourself and your own agenda? I say it again, it's not too late. Begin today. Let the scales fall from your eyes and really see those around you today. Reach out - give till it hurts - sacrifice your own precious time - give up your own agenda. Go ye into all the world...