THE MISSION HAS NOT CHANGED – OR HAS IT?

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

THE MISSION HAS NOT CHANGED – OR HAS IT?

Matt 28:16-20

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Acts 1:8

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Matt 10:7-10

7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

The first two Scripture portions are essentially the same scene. The resurrected Jesus had commanded his disciples to meet Him in Galilee for one final, all important, assignment! There Jesus would finish His earthly ministry and would be taken up into heaven in a cloud. There the disciples would receive their marching orders for the rest of their lives. They were told to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit which would be sent to empower the already assembled church. They were not to run off in various directions with nothing but their own strength and intellect as guides.

As of this writing, the command has not changed! The subject matter is still the gospel and the target audience is still the world. The world, of course, does not mean this huge ball of dirt but the vast people living upon it. But we have changed the subject matter of missions to social action and rescue operations. We mobilize to clean beaches soiled by ecological disasters and to rebuild homes and lives disheveled by tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes. Our target audience has been shrunk by circumstance and those not directly affected by disasters are often forgotten in the emergency of the moment. Mission ministry has morphed!

Our hearts are no longer touched by a peaceful people living their lives in uneventful ignorance of the salvation that could be theirs. We do not see them as having any disaster that needs our attention! Mission money for these unfortunate people remains firmly in our pockets. We do not see the soul devastation of a life without Christ and without hope. We do not weep for this kind of tragedy.

           One survey taken some years ago, that is still relatively valid today, showed that in one year Americans spent 16 billion dollars for amusements, 10.5 billion for alcohol, 5 billion for tobacco, 2 billion for travel, 325 million for cat and dog food, 304 million for chewing gum, and 76 million for lipstick. During the same period, the total given for foreign missions by all Protestant churches of the United States was said to be only 145 million dollars--less than half of what Americans spent on chewing gum. If these figures are only reasonably accurate, isn't it evident to you and me now that people are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God?
Contributor: James O. Davis

Dear Lord, I do not ask that you remove my concern for the disaster stricken, but that you break my heart anew for those living without the hope of eternal life through Christ. AMEN