March 27, 2011
We must never think that reaching America is so different than reaching the world. North America must be treated like a mission field, and we have to break down the extra-biblical notion that evangelism and missions are two separate things. There has been much discussion about the word “missional” and the word is to live as missionaries in whatever context a person finds himself/herself. Lottie Moon, the missionary sent by Southern Baptists in the 1800s to China, lived in the Chinese culture, dressed in Chinese clothes and ate Chinese food until she starved to death giving it all away. Isn’t it a great irony that one of the greatest missionary examples in history -– whose work is celebrated each year at Christmas -– is not our model. Instead, our churches often live just like the world -– the same teen pregnancy rate, the same divorce rate and maybe even more gossip and gluttony. Let me encourage you to consider three simple phrases: biblically faithful, culturally relevant, counter-culture communities. In Acts 16:7-10, Paul immediately responded to the vision he had seen where a man was standing in Macedonia begging for Paul to “come to Macedonia and help us,” and Paul immediately crossed over into that culture. Our Macedonias are calling to us and we have not crossed over to help. The help we offer is Jesus Christ. The help we offer is to act as agents of reconciliation between God and man. Place your eye on the goal, the prize for which you were called heavenward –- the high calling of Christ.
Adapted from Ed Stetzer
Heart Preparation
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 and Matthew 28:19-20 and consider the role the missionial communities of Covenant Life are to play in fulfilling these Scriptures.
