Ordinary People on an Unstoppable Mission
Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Mt. 16:18b). As followers of Christ, we are His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20) and we are to carry the mission of God into every sphere of our lives. Are you committed to ‘live missionally’?
Definition: to embrace the posture, the thinking, behaviours, and practices of a missionary in order to reach others with the message of the Gospel (GotQuestions.org).
To live missionally requires being committed to proclaiming the Good News about the truth of Jesus Christ:
1. Even in the face of opposition (vs. 1-3)
- God is sovereign over His mission and sometimes permits His children to be “scattered” like seed in order to bear fruit in new soil
- In spite of all obstacles, the Gospel will be proclaimed and will penetrate every part of the globe (cf. Mt. 24:14)
How committed are you to proclaiming the Good News about the truth of Jesus in the place where you have been planted? Do you find yourself acting more like a ‘secret service’ agent, hoping no one discovers who you are, or do you live as an ambassador of Christ, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God wherever you go? (cf. Lk. 4:43)
2. With people you may not feel comfortable engaging with (vs. 5-25)
- As ambassadors, we must be willing to proclaim the Good News of Christ to every man and woman, boy and girl, regardless of their nationality, language, or religion (cf. Mt. 22:37-39)
- Everyone is created in the image of God; therefore, everyone has intrinsic value and everyone needs to hear the Good News about the truth of Jesus Christ
Are there certain people you avoid engaging with? If so, ask God to help you see and love people from His perspective and with His heart. When we love people with a God-centered, Christlike love, we will have the privilege of witnessing God bring salvation, freedom, transformation, and joy to the lives of those walking in darkness.
3. In every situation the Lord divinely orchestrates (vs. 26-40)
- God often uses ordinary conversations as divine appointments to display the glory of His saving grace to unbelievers
- To be effective on mission, we need to be alert to the Holy Spirit’s leading, while growing in our knowledge of God’s Word (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pt. 3:15)
Think about the different situations in your daily life where you interact with people and ask God to divinely orchestrate opportunities for Gospel conversations. How will people understand the Good News about the truth of Jesus Christ unless someone explains it to them? “How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone proclaiming to them?” (cf. Rom. 10:14) As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
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