Missionaries

<<people with a mission>>

Normally this refers to a person who is engaged in cross-cultural Christian ministry though some other religions also commission missionaries.

Often we consider a missionary as someone who goes to another culture or country to tell the lost about Christ. However, everybody is either a missionary (one through who God is touching people) or a mission field (one who is yet to yield to Christ); either being part of His answer or part of the problem

All believers are enlisted

He came to resolve. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and He has empowered us to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth, reconciling people to God (Lk 19:10; 2 Cor 5:19). To be valid ambassadors for Christ our lifestyle should as closely resemble His as possible.

We must live out the Word of God and be involved in intentional evangelism as we let our light shine in our neighbourhoods and in our world of friends (Mt 5:13-16). Jesus said, we need to be effective witnesses in our own locality first and then spread out to other areas (Acts 1:8). Will your response to the question, “Who shall I send, who will go for us?” be “here I am, send me” (Isa 6:8)?

For those who feel called to serve overseas there needs to be a clear conviction and confirmation from mature leaders that this is where God wants them, as there is likely to be major cultural adjustments, discouragement, disillusionment and relationship issues all of which deflect from the task.

The responsibility to tell the lost about Jesus, with the gospel being preached in the whole world, rests with the Christians, and although God desires all people to be saved, not all will make that wise choice to follow Him (Ezek 3:18,19; Mt 24:14; 2 Pet 3:9). We are to claim and work towards the heathen becoming our inheritance, so they too will declare His glory and actions (Ps 2:8, 96:3). However, “How shall they hear unless someone goes?” (Rom 10:14,15). Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (Mt 9:37,38).

God sent Jesus into our world, the Holy Spirit was sent into us, and we are commissioned as Christ’s representatives into the mission fields of the world, where multitudes are dying without hearing about Jesus – the crop is rotting and wasting in the fields because we are not harvesting it before it perishes (Mt 28:19,20; Jn 3:17, 4:35, 14:26, 15:26, 20:21;

Go and tell what great things He has done for you – Mark 5:19

1 Cor 6:19). May God grant us a glimpse of the horrendous eternal existence of people dying without Christ as Saviour, so we are motivated to reach out to them with His love and message of mercy and grace. Being a missionary should not explain what we do rather what we are. Practical ministries which touch the tangible present needs of people give a powerful opening for sharing the Good News. This is why many Christian missions establish schools and hospitals or provide aid after natural disasters.