THE CALL TO MISSIONS
II. Introduction
All disciples of Christ are called to witness for him, just
as Jesus commanded his Apostles to witness for him. See Matthew 28:19,20; Acts
1:8.
Certainly the eleven
Apostles that remained with Christ after the resurrection could not carry the
Gospel to the “ends of the earth” by themselves (Acts 1:8).
So every believer is
commanded to share the Good News of Christ as he or she goes about daily
activities.
Missions Work typically involves witnessing in places where
Christianity is not firmly established. So a Christian missionary may spread
the Gospel and plant mission churches in foreign countries or in areas of his
own country where the Good News of Christ has not penetrated.
While the primary purpose of Christian missions is to spread
the Gospel, it is also to help people with physical and social needs. So if
possible, a Christian missionary does things like feeding the hungry, caring
for the sick, and providing shelter for the homeless.
Some believers are called to full-time missions. In order to
determine if you are called to such mission work, it is important to be sure of
two things:
(1) you have received eternal life, and
(2) you know how to
follow the guidance of God. Of course, these two essentials are valuable for more
than just the call to missions, but throughout life.
We want to be assured that we will go to be with God when we
physically die. And we want to know how to follow God’s guidance in every stage
of life.
