I've been reading this book by David Platt called Radical and I'm telling you, if you haven't read it yet, you have to! It is amazing and challenges the reader to start taking their faith back from the American dream and start putting your faith in the God of the Bible. We have morphed Christianity into this religion where we have a genie for a god and we barely ever recognize God for what he does in our lives. We work hard for what we earn and essentially, God has nothing to do with it in our minds. More or less, the god of the American dream is safety and security.
Oh, but the God of the Bible laughs at that. When have his people seen security and safety for their entire lives? God calls us to a radical life and while we may be safe and secure at times, there are also times where God asks us to step out. To be on mission is to be reliant on God for even the smallest things. To be on mission is to know that uncertainty lies ahead, but God will provide. Matthew 6:26 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" The chapter goes on to say that we are to stop being anxious about things in our lives and to know that God will provide for us.
God provides, so why are we not going on mission? Why do we stay in the security and comfort we know and love instead of stepping out in faith for God? The answer is two fold. For one, some of think that we aren't called to be mission oriented or we aren't gifted to be able to evangelize like others can. and for two, we say that we have a heart for Greenwood and therefore, we only serve in one area.
Here's the thing, we are commanded to go out and make disciples. We are commanded to spread the news of God yet we excuse this away as if that doesn't mean us. It means EVERYONE! It is not a command for a few, but a command for all! The verse goes like this, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age," (Matthew 28:19-20). So, you think you aren't gifted in this area, so what? So, you think you aren't called to share sometimes, so what? What you think in regards to this isn't what matters, what is Biblical is what matters and what's Biblical is going to all the nations and spreading the Good News. I'm not saying it is going to be easy. I'm not saying you're going to rock it. What I am saying, though, is that God promises to be with you. Always. So you don't feel like you can do it, so what? From research done by scholars, Moses most likely had a lisp yet he had to lead God's people out of Egypt. In the Bible, we see that Moses doesn't want to do it so God gives him a side kick so to speak, Aaron. Moses may not have wanted to lead the people, but he had faith and trusted that God's plan was better than what Moses wanted.
Time after time, I hear of people stepping out in faith and not knowing where the money is coming from or what they are going to do, but they know God has told them to go. I heard a story of a lady who knew her and her husband were meant to be missionaries in Haiti so they prayed that God would provide the money. After a few months, they weren't getting much money. It was clear that they would need a miracle to be able to raise all the money they needed in the amount of time they had. One day, the wife had this horrible tooth ache. She knew she needed to get it checked out so she posted on Facebook for people to give suggestions of good dentists in the area as her previous dentist had retired. So, she got the name and number of a really good dentist. She set an appointment for the next week and went. During the appointment, the dentist and her got to talking. He was Haitian. He was also from the city where this lady and her husband were going to serve for a few years. The Haitian was so thrilled that this lady and her husband had committed to serve in Haiti that he gave her the treatment for free and helped fund them the whole way so that they could go to Haiti on time. That, my friends, is a God thing.
Another story (this one is from the book Radical, I think), is about a guy who wanted to start an orphanage but he wanted it to be solely funded by God. He decided that he would never ask for money from a single person and he made his employees do the same. For many, many years (I want to say 25 plus), God provided this man with the funds to build, grow, and sustain an orphanage. The man never had to ask for money and he ran one of the best orphanages strictly through people donating "randomly". Again, that is a God thing.
I could sit here and type story after story of people stepping out in faith for God, but it all comes down to this: do you trust that God will provide and are you willing to step out in faith? I'm not saying you have to move to Haiti. I'm not saying you have to start an orphanage or some big thing. I'm saying you need to think about how you are impacting the world for God and if the answer is that you really aren't, think about what you can do. A guy I read about is giving part of his paycheck (which is a decent amount of money) to help fund a clear water initiative in Africa so people can have access to clean water where they normally wouldn't. He didn't have to leave his home, but he was still able to impact other nations. Another person I know is using their extra income to help sponsor children from multiple organizations. Again, this person didn't have to pick up everything and move, yet they are making an impact. And still, another person I know is simply spending their time being a prayer warrior and praying for people overseas and in the U.S. You don't have to move to have a heart for all nations. You just have to be willing to let God show you how he can use you and then step out in faith and do it. To be on mission is to step out in faith. Go be on mission.
Oh, but the God of the Bible laughs at that. When have his people seen security and safety for their entire lives? God calls us to a radical life and while we may be safe and secure at times, there are also times where God asks us to step out. To be on mission is to be reliant on God for even the smallest things. To be on mission is to know that uncertainty lies ahead, but God will provide. Matthew 6:26 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" The chapter goes on to say that we are to stop being anxious about things in our lives and to know that God will provide for us.
God provides, so why are we not going on mission? Why do we stay in the security and comfort we know and love instead of stepping out in faith for God? The answer is two fold. For one, some of think that we aren't called to be mission oriented or we aren't gifted to be able to evangelize like others can. and for two, we say that we have a heart for Greenwood and therefore, we only serve in one area.
Here's the thing, we are commanded to go out and make disciples. We are commanded to spread the news of God yet we excuse this away as if that doesn't mean us. It means EVERYONE! It is not a command for a few, but a command for all! The verse goes like this, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age," (Matthew 28:19-20). So, you think you aren't gifted in this area, so what? So, you think you aren't called to share sometimes, so what? What you think in regards to this isn't what matters, what is Biblical is what matters and what's Biblical is going to all the nations and spreading the Good News. I'm not saying it is going to be easy. I'm not saying you're going to rock it. What I am saying, though, is that God promises to be with you. Always. So you don't feel like you can do it, so what? From research done by scholars, Moses most likely had a lisp yet he had to lead God's people out of Egypt. In the Bible, we see that Moses doesn't want to do it so God gives him a side kick so to speak, Aaron. Moses may not have wanted to lead the people, but he had faith and trusted that God's plan was better than what Moses wanted.
Time after time, I hear of people stepping out in faith and not knowing where the money is coming from or what they are going to do, but they know God has told them to go. I heard a story of a lady who knew her and her husband were meant to be missionaries in Haiti so they prayed that God would provide the money. After a few months, they weren't getting much money. It was clear that they would need a miracle to be able to raise all the money they needed in the amount of time they had. One day, the wife had this horrible tooth ache. She knew she needed to get it checked out so she posted on Facebook for people to give suggestions of good dentists in the area as her previous dentist had retired. So, she got the name and number of a really good dentist. She set an appointment for the next week and went. During the appointment, the dentist and her got to talking. He was Haitian. He was also from the city where this lady and her husband were going to serve for a few years. The Haitian was so thrilled that this lady and her husband had committed to serve in Haiti that he gave her the treatment for free and helped fund them the whole way so that they could go to Haiti on time. That, my friends, is a God thing.
Another story (this one is from the book Radical, I think), is about a guy who wanted to start an orphanage but he wanted it to be solely funded by God. He decided that he would never ask for money from a single person and he made his employees do the same. For many, many years (I want to say 25 plus), God provided this man with the funds to build, grow, and sustain an orphanage. The man never had to ask for money and he ran one of the best orphanages strictly through people donating "randomly". Again, that is a God thing.
I could sit here and type story after story of people stepping out in faith for God, but it all comes down to this: do you trust that God will provide and are you willing to step out in faith? I'm not saying you have to move to Haiti. I'm not saying you have to start an orphanage or some big thing. I'm saying you need to think about how you are impacting the world for God and if the answer is that you really aren't, think about what you can do. A guy I read about is giving part of his paycheck (which is a decent amount of money) to help fund a clear water initiative in Africa so people can have access to clean water where they normally wouldn't. He didn't have to leave his home, but he was still able to impact other nations. Another person I know is using their extra income to help sponsor children from multiple organizations. Again, this person didn't have to pick up everything and move, yet they are making an impact. And still, another person I know is simply spending their time being a prayer warrior and praying for people overseas and in the U.S. You don't have to move to have a heart for all nations. You just have to be willing to let God show you how he can use you and then step out in faith and do it. To be on mission is to step out in faith. Go be on mission.