The Essence Of Life

In the Early 19th century, King Fredrick William III of Prussia was determined to free his country from Napoleon's rule. Men and boys throughout the country enthusiastically enlisted in the army. They, too, wanted to free the "motherland" from a hated yoke of oppression.
Lacking finances to fund what is now known as the Prussian War of Liberation, the king provided a way for the women to sacrifice for their country as well. He asked them to bring their gold and silver jewelry to be melted for their country. In exchange, the women were given iron jewelry with inscription Gold gad ich fur Eisen ("I gave gold for Iron").
The Women donated jewelry just as enthusiastically as the men enlisted in the military. Wearing gold or silver jewelry became viewed as unpatriotic and the women prized their iron even more highly than the gold. It was proof that they had sacrificed for their king.

We, too, must be committed to a gospel mission. A fear to give to the Lord exposes our lack of christian patriotism.

Total commitment begins with offering ourselves. This is the Pattern the Macedonian Christians followed: "And this they did not as we hoped, but first gave of their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."  2Cor 8:5

The essence of life is not ownership; it is stewardship.

Chilando family at www.martinchilando.com

Missions: "OK" CHURCH vs "GREAT" CHURCH

The Pastor Is KEY

As in every other activity of the church, the key person is the pastor. If missions is not a priority with the pastor it will not be a great missions church. However, if it is a priority with the pastor, any church regardless of the size can have a great missions impact. Since the pastor is the key there are some necessary ingredients.

- He must have knowledge of the needs of the world and thus a burden for the world. 

- He must have an unselfish spirit concerning the finances of the church and it members.

- A great missions church will give a large percentage of their total offerings to missions. 

- From a great missions church some of the best members will go to the mission field.

The Mandate Is Uncompromising

The great task of worldwide evangelism was given to the church. It is the glorious privilege and responsibility of every group that calls themselves a church. Even though churches work together in this task, every church should pray, go, and give as if they were the only church. In other words, the purpose of our church is worldwide evangelism. The great commission is not just a good idea. It is not a suggestion. It is not even a request. It is the final mandate of the Lord to His Church just before He ascended back to Heaven.

He plainly commanded, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” The word teach here means to make converts. We are to evangelize the entire world. This is done by the preaching of the Gospel. All men need a Saviour. Christ died for the sins of the whole world. We have good news for sinners. Sinners do not have to pay for their own sins by dying and going to Hell. Christ has died for them. He paid the price for them. Again He commanded, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” In reality, no group that is not at the task of worldwide evangelization should call themselves a church. Missions is not a program in the church. The program of the church is MISSIONS.

Your Church Can Make a Difference

Regardless of the size of your church, you can make an impact on a lost and dying world. Jesus tells us, “The Harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” The harvest has never been so great and the labourers so few. Your church through praying, giving and sending can provide the labourers for the great harvest fields of the world. This will not happen without a conscious effort on the part of the leaders of your church. Stop and think. Is my church totally involved in obeying the last command of the Lord, or do we just have a token interest in worldwide evangelism?

The Motivation For Involvement In God’s Mission

A better understanding of who God is and what he is trying to accomplish in the world is a good place to start.

Motivation for Missions 

God’s main intention in human history is to reunite himself with a world (people) that is estranged by sin. All that he is doing in time is an effort to further that desire. From the first verses of Genesis to the last verses of Revelation, his intention is articulated and illustrated. The wonder of it all is that he wants to accomplish this mission through the faithfulness of people like you and me.

 The fundamental biblical motivation for committing ourselves to missions is this - we love God and want to please him in our faithfulness. Our motivation to serve God in missions is further fueled by three factors:

Christ Sacrificed Himself For Us On The Cross 

The first public description of Jesus presented in the Bible is when John the Baptist called out: “Behold! The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” This proclamation in many ways sums up what Jesus’ mission was all about.

There Is A Great Need To Hear His Message Throughout The World

Having experienced the wonderful redemption God is offering to the world, the heartfelt response is to share it with those who haven’t heard. When we realize that there are more than two billion people who have yet to hear the gospel in an understandable way, then the need becomes compelling, even heart-breaking.

We must ask God to give us a heart for the lost; for those who have not yet experienced this redemptive relationship with God. When we more clearly perceive the need in the world, we fully appreciate the wonder of God’s salvation.

We delight In Pleasing Our Master 

When we see the great magnitude of Christ's sacrifice for us, when we realize the great need of many to hear the message, and when we envision what it will be like one day to stand before him as his bride, then we will be truly inspired and empowered to serve in his redeeming mission.