The Great Commission or the Great Omission?

"The Church is also late. The agents of Satan have gone even to the remotest places before a Christian missionary could step in there" - Stanley.

The above statement was sent to me in a devotion by a friend. As I began to meditate on the quote and the journey PEC Love Nepal team undertook, I am asking the question, "How much of the Great Commission has been fulfilled by me?"

The Lord gave us the Great Commission in Mat 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Local evangelism and world missions are two sides of the same coin. Both are important and must be perused with equal urgency. 
While the social networks of the world systems move faster into the unknown regions, the Church of Jesus Christ unfortunately is strolling behind.  The Nepal team reports that there is so much that needs to be done in terms of evangelism. Social work is only one aspect. Ultimately the world needs to encounter Jesus. That's what I have seen as I travel to the many third world countries. 

If we believe that Jesus is the only way to God and that all signs point to His soon coming, I think thee needs to be a reawakening of the following:

1.   Passion - Passion for the lost. The Bible tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the altitudes. Paul said, "wow unto me if I preach not the gospel". That kind of passion needs to arise within every Christian. That passion would only come when we have a true encounter with Jesus. That's what happened to all the great evangelists and missionaries. 

2.   Vision -  With the passion there needs to be a vision of what exactly the Lord wants us to do. To Paul it was to reach the gentiles, to Peter and the Apostles it was at  Jerusalem where they needed to establish, the work. God gives a particular vision to individuals and churches who have the passion for the unreached. In addition to our direct contacts, to some it may be to reach a particular sector of the society or and to others a particular ethnic group or a particular country. .Without a vision, we will be beating around the bush. Doing many things, but missing the bulls-eye. Vision comes when we make contact with the One who gives the vision. It takes time, it takes waiting, it takes effort in His presence. 

3.   Strategy - With a sound God given vision and an effective strategy that is put into action, we will see results, the harvest will come in.The strategies need to be practical and critically analysed, involving as many people as possible.

God help me.      

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Sis Jenima Sharma - A tribute

Image
Sis Jenima went to be with the Lord on 14 Nov 2024, after battling with  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) for some time.  This is our tribute to her. It was in 2008, when I first met Sis Jenima, the wife of our Bishop Samuel Sharma. It was during our first trip to NE India, Jaigaon in particular. We were there to conduct a pastors' conference at the bidding of Bishop Samuel who had attended the Haggai Leaders' Experience in Singapore a few months earlier. This was the beginning. She was demure, quiet, hardly spoke a word in English. But she was extremely hospitable and genuinely kind. At that time they lived in a very simple house, with hardly any furnishing, all because of the call of God upon her life to serve the Master.  But one thing was certain. She loved the Lord, her husband and her two young children. She always wanted them to serve the Lord all their lives. She was a remarkable woman whose life reflected the love and grace of God in every aspect.  He...
Read more

Devotion - Psalms 44: 6-7 - Its God who gives the victory

Image
Psalms 44:6-7 - I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Any soldier will know that the basic weapon of warfare, in those days, were the bow and sword. Without which no soldier will not venture into the battle field. Even the famed Goliath was geared in full battle order when he faced David with the stones and the sling. Isn't it a paradox then that David, one of the finest soldiers Israel had ever produced, proclaims that its not the bow and the sword that gives the victory. Its is the Lord, Jehovah, that gives the victory. I don't think David is trying to say that we should not prepare ourselves for warfare. His concern is that we recognize that ultimately its the Lord that gives the victory. A few things we need to remember: Human efforts are necessary in the God-man partnership Human efforts alone does not guarantee God intended results Recognize that its God that always gives u...
Read more

25th Wedding Annivesary - Silver Jubilee

Image
11-1-11 - 25th Wedding Anniversary. Today my wife and I celebrate our Silver Jubilee, 25 years of being married together. How time flies. I look out of the window, the weather reminiscent of the day we got married. It was raining the whole day and so is today. How appropriate. Praise God for His faithfulness in our lives and for the blessings He has given us. Lam 3:22-23 - Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. It has been a wonderful journey. Yes there were disagreements, quarrels, desperation and even "fights" but through it all, our love has grown stronger for the Lord , for the family, for the ministry and for one another. Jeya has been the magnet that holds our family together. Almost three months in a year I am out of country for ministry and kids busy in school. But she has always been the inventory holder that keeps reminding of the things that needs to be done an...
Read more