Pastor Greg handed me a book and made reference to a statement found within. When I read it, it messed me up:
Dr. David Shibley, in his book, A Force in The Earth, makes this bold statement: “Any church that is not vitally involved in missions forfeits its biblical right to exist.”
We can import that to the personal level and say that any believer who is not personally engaged in the great commission is wasting pew space (and life, for all intents and purposes).
Jesus was “sent” to the world for the purpose of declaring the Gospel, living a sinless life, and becoming the atoning sacrifice for all of humanity. As we behold Him and become transformed into His image, we must take on the tenets of His nature. Being “sent” is one of those tenets.
I have observed from personal experience that a high percentage of radical disciples feel some sort of call to the nations in various forms. It is my honest belief that as you press into the pursuit of Jesus and intimacy with the person of the Holy Spirit, you can’t help but become missions oriented. Each step you take toward the heart of God is another step in the direction of the nations.
I also believe that the Western church spends as much time making excuses why we can’t go to the nations as we do actually going to the nations. Instead, we adopt the what-can-the-kingdom-do-for-me consumer Christian mentality of personal convenience over Kingdom conviction. This is the same type of thinking that has led to the wimpy expression of faith that abounds in our nation.
Is anybody man (or woman) enough to get out of the pew and take an expedition?
