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The Greatest Missionary

Over the history of the church of Jesus Christ there have been long periods of time where we have forgotten the task of missions.  Unfortunately, I believe that we may well be entering into another such period of forgetfulness - at least here in the North American church.  We are too concerned with our little empires and the cost of putting on a good show is spiralling out of control.  So the first thing to be cut from our budgets is missions.  As well, we have lost our way concerning what missions is.  Yes, it is wonderful to give cups of cold water in the name of Jesus, but if that is all we are doing, we are not doing missions.

Having just come through Easter, it boggles my mind as to how these anti-missions trends find validity.  Easter is the greatest missionary endeavour of all time.  Christ left His home country of heaven to cross-cultural ministry on earth among mere human beings.  He showed us the Father (John 1:18).  He then went to the cross and died for us that we might be reconciled to God.  In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul's entire rational for his service as an ambassador for Christ is based upon the fact that the great missionary task is founded upon the missionary work of Christ on the cross.

 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2Co 5:14-15 ESV)

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(2Co 5:18-21 ESV)
One can no more have a church without missions than one could have a church without Jesus.

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