“Why is missions important?”
It would seem the answer to this question would be evident, particularly when posed to readers of this weekly email. One point I always make to Johnson University (TN) students in Missiology, is missions is important because God is a missionary God. He demonstrated that when he came to the garden looking for Adam and Eve. It would also be obvious that missions is important because God sent Jesus and Jesus issued the Great Commission.
Getting the “why” right is imperative! We can get the “what” right, but if the why is insufficient our effort is often weak.
Another motivation should be that the Gospel sets people free from Satan’s power, the lifestyle of this world. This lifestyle destroys everything that is good, and leaves horror in its wake. That is difficult to unbelievers to comprehend, and believers are often accused of hatred when warnings are stated. Surely, we should never be guilty of anger or hatred when the Gospel is proclaimed, but we must not shrink from the task!
Without the power of the Gospel, just how bad can Satan make someone? The story linked here (http://bit.ly/horror-beyond-belief) from August of this year shows just how twisted and evil people ultimately become under Satan’s control! Of course, every unbeliever will not be transformed into the same twisted vision of evil. Satan is the master deceiver; he wants people to follow him thinking they will be reasonable, open minded people.
How can Christians set people free from such a deceitful grip? How indeed when all the forces of the world that Satan can line up oppose the truth of God? People are set free by the word of testimony from missionaries and believers. Satan’s grip on lives is broken by the testimony of missionaries and believers! We know this because God has said so, “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” (Rev 12:11 NLT) Why is missions important? Because lives depend upon it! You think about that!
Praying for more to be His,
Reggie Hundley
Executive Director
Mission Services Association, Inc.
the missions network
|
