Isn't it amazing how small our world is becoming? Just this morning, while checking my Facebook, I corresponded with friends on three different continents. These days, I am able to schedule missionaries while they are still on the field and could, should I so desire, even have them speak to the church from the other side of the world through Skype. With the rapid development of communication technologies, more and more people are immediately accessible, and with the translation software available through Google and others, websites and blogs are available from every nation, tribe, and tongue. At least two of our missionaries send out weekly emails to their supporting churches, allowing for immediate response to their praises and prayer requests. Where once, monthly prayer letters arrived in churches weeks after they were sent and cost hundreds of dollars to produce and mail, today, we have the technology for more, better, and more responsive interaction with our missionaries.
But like many of the other opportunities that modern life offers, it seems that we are not taking full advantage of what God has made available to us. This morning, I want to spur you on just a little bit. I'd like to challenge you to develop a vision for the world. One of the elements of our church's mission statement is that we are a church that sees the world as its mission field. But what about you? Do you see that mission field as your own? Do you read the Great Commission and say, "That doesn't apply to me." What is your thought process when you hear a missionary share his burden for the people of the country to which he is being called? I hear people all the time saying, "I would love to go to the mission field, but..." Well, let me tell you, there will always be a 'but....' The natural human tendency is to look at a problem in the big picture and see it as impossible to solve. "I can't change the world..." But in reality, no one is asking you to solve the entire problem. God has commanded us to do our part. You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the world for one child, one family, one village. You may not be able to pack up your life and move to the other side of the world to be a missionary, but there are any number of things that you can do to make a difference. Begin by honestly opening your heart to God and asking Him to give you a broader vision and a deeper burden. Then begin to investigate ways to get involved right from your home. Check out http://www.bbfimissions.org/ or http://www.adventuresinmissions.org/ and follow some of the blogs for ideas. Begin by giving to missions through our church and take a deep hard look at ways that you can redirect some of your resources to be able to give more. Giving up some of those daily guilty pleasures like a cappacino or a donut or four Dr. Peppers and giving the money you spent to missions can add up quickly. Going out to eat one less time a week would make a lot of difference. Just ask God to show you the impact of those little decisions on souls around the world. Then, ask God to open your eyes to missions opportunities all around you. The mission field doesn't start on the other side of the ocean, it begins right at your front door, so keep your eyes open. And more than anything commit yourself to prayer for our missionaries and the people that they are ministering to.
These are just a starting point. As you open your heart to missions and ask God for a greater world vision, He may begin speaking to you in other ways. He may call for more direct action. He may reveal ways that you can have a greater impact. Just don't hold back. Let Him show you how to reach your world for Him. The time is short and the task is daunting, but if we obey, we can still see the Great Commission fulfilled in our lifetime.
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