Across the World, Across the Street

I know it is hardly an original theme, nor is it particularly a very inventive theme, but this is what I have chosen for our Missions month.

 

 

Missions is to ALL the World.

Mat 28:18Mat 28:18
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

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

WP-Bible plugin
  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:19Mat 28:19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

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: teach...: or, make disciples, or, Christians of all nations  

WP-Bible plugin
  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20Mat 28:20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

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.  

WP-Bible plugin
  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.

It says teach ALL NATIONS.

Also:

Act 1:8Act 1:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

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. power...: or, the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you  

WP-Bible plugin
  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.

Here it mentions four different aspects to be witnesses in: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.

 

Well looking at what each of these things are, we see that Jerusalem is the city they were in, Judea was the “State” they were in, and Samaria was the nearest neighbour – leaving only “the uttermost part of the earth”, which pretty obviously means everything else aside from those three first mentioned. In other words, the statement covers everything from where you live, to where you will never get to, and everything in between.

 

As a generalisation though, Christians seem to have forgotten about the first three mentioned areas.

“The uttermost parts” is (relatively speaking) the popular part, while the “our city” part is just too hard.

 

Then you have some who ignore the “uttermost part” and concentrate only their own little area.

 

This is just as bad, because there are four areas mentioned in Acts 1:8Acts 1:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

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. power...: or, the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you  

WP-Bible plugin
and all four are considered by the Lord to be part of the Great Commission.

 

That is why our theme is “Across the World, Across the Street” – because it is vital that we are each and every one involved in sharing the Gospel with the people that we meet, the people that we work with, the people that we live near, the people near that good church on the other side of our city, or the one in the next city, or the one on the other side of our country, or the one on the other side of the world.

 

The Gospel isn’t fulfilled because I speak to one person.

The Gospel isn’t fulfilled because I give money so that a missionary can speak to one person.

The Gospel isn’t fulfilled because the Pastor preaches in our church.

 

The Gospel is not about any one of these things alone – it is ALL OF THEM – teach ALL NATIONS, including our own.

 

As we have this month at our church where we consider the missions and missionaries that we know about, we have some decisions to make:

  • Will add another missionary for financial support? (I think we should)
  • Who would be the best to add for financial support? (There are so many who could use it!)
  • What can our church do “Across our Street”?
  • What can you do personally across your own street?

The Great Commission is to all nations – in our city, in our region, in our state, in our nation, AND to the uttermost part of the earth.

And it needs the help, the prayers, the effort, the commitment, and yes – the money – of each and every one of us.

But it must come from hearts that love the Lord.

2Co_9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

God does want you to give, but He wants you to give because you love Him and because you love His service.

If you don’t want to give your time to go across the street, then that is your choice.

If you don’t want to give your energy to doing things that honour the Lord and spread His Gospel, then that is your choice.

If you don’t want to give any money to help to finance missionaries to do the Lord’s work, then that is your choice.

And you are free to make that choice.

 

God only really wants people serving Him who actually love Him, not people who are serving Him because they feel like they have to.

 

Willing hearts, Cheerfully giving.

 

So that the Gospel may be heard “Across the World, and Across the Street”

Comments are closed