Until the Whole World Knows

When you hear the word missions, what comes to mind?

Perhaps you picture someone boarding an airplane, learning a foreign language, or serving in a place you've never visited. And while those are certainly important expressions of missions, I wonder if we've unintentionally allowed ourselves to think of missions as something that belongs primarily to a select group of Christians. Something other people do.

On Sunday, we took a break from our Perilous Waters series to consider the mission Jesus entrusted to His Church. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus declares that the Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world.

Think about that for a moment.

God's redemptive purposes have never been confined to one nation, culture, or generation. The Gospel knows no boundaries because the love of God knows no boundaries. But there's something equally important we must remember. The mission of Jesus isn't simply about reaching places. It's about loving people.

In Matthew 9:36, we read that Jesus looked at the crowds and was moved with compassion. He didn't see an inconvenience, another obligation, or a problem to solve. He saw people. People who were hurting. People who were struggling. People who needed a Savior. And then Jesus told His disciples to pray for laborers to enter the harvest. Do you see the connection?

Compassion isn't simply something we're supposed to feel. It should move us to action. That's why I'm grateful for people like the Schultz family, who are preparing to serve children and families in Honduras. Their willingness to go reminds us that the Gospel is worth carrying beyond the places we call home. But their calling doesn't excuse the rest of us from participating.

The Great Commission was entrusted to the entire Church. Some will go. Some will give. All of us can pray. And every one of us can demonstrate the compassion of Jesus and share the hope of the Gospel wherever God has placed us.

Romans 10:14 reminds us that people cannot believe in someone they've never heard about. Church, that should matter to us. Not because we're afraid of what tomorrow might bring, but because we love people who still need to hear about Jesus today.

So here's my challenge. Don't let missions become something you simply believe in. Make it something you participate in. Pray. Give. Encourage. Serve. Share Jesus.

We cannot all go everywhere. But together, we can help carry the Gospel farther than any of us could alone -- until the whole world knows.