Missions flows in the blood of our Church, because the blood of our Lord is shed for missions.
We cannot call ourselves a Christian and and yet ignore the Call of Missions! For us, it is ALL Members for Missions! Missions Sunday is a time to renew, recommit and recapture a Vision for Missions! The question to ask ourselves, "What drives our missions?" The easiest and quickest way to inspire hearts is to show us the desperate need of the nations. It'd be wicked indeed if we simply hide in the comfort of our life, and shut our eyes and ears to the desperate cries of the world. Proverbs 21:13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. John 4:35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Jeremiah 8:20 "The harvest is PAST, the summer has ENDED, and we are NOT SAVED." May our eyes and ears be open to the DEATH and POVERTY around us, both physically and spiritually. May we bring HEALING and HOPE to the nations, and bring them HOME to the family of God. But I want us to also understand that missions has a higher and deeper driving force of motivation. Revelation 7:9-12 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" The focus here is shifted from earth to heaven, from man to God, from works to worship! It's this vision of a countless multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, worshipping and praising God for all eternity, that is the real driving force of our missions. To borrow a phrase by author and pastor, John Piper, "Missions exist because worship doesn't." As the worship song says, I was made to worship, I was made for Your embrace I was made for worship I was made to bless Your name Anywhere that true WORSHIP is not found, that's where MISSIONS must take place. Missions must go on and on, UNTIL the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Missions must go on and on, UNTIL every knee should bow at the name of Jesus, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Missions must go on and on, UNTIL there is worship of our true and living God everywhere on earth and eternally in heaven. Look around us, are there people who are yet to worship the Lord our God? Our missions must go on! What Drives Our Missions? 1. It's not Human Guilt but Divine Glory Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Missions is to restore the glory of God on earth, as it is in heaven. 2. It's not Cheap Sympathy but Costly Sacrifice Missions is sacrifice, but the greatest sacrifice is made by Jesus our Lord, who paid with His blood and His life. Don't let His sacrifice go to waste! We can't keep the good news to ourselves, got to share it with others. 3. It's not Temporal Works but Eternal Worship Can you see yourself among the COUNTLESS MULTITUDES in worship at the throne? Can you see your family and friends in worship at the throne? Can you see your colleagues and neighbours in worship at the throne? Can you see the nations in worship at the throne? Let the vision of eternal worship at the throne drives us in missions! Total participation in missions by Praying, Giving and Going!
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AuthorJoseph Tan Archives
June 2019
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