February 11, 2008 GLOBAL FOCUS!
A Serious Commitment to the Great Commission!
Just a few weeks ago our President stood before Congress and our Nation to give the annual State of the Union Address. It is during this speech each year that he focuses on the accomplishments from the previous year. The President reminds us of things yet to be completed and then challenges us to look to the future with great hope. It is usually a very inspiring message to the citizens.
While I am very concerned about the state of our country, I am even more concerned about the state of the church!
Let me say that our marching orders are pretty clear. We are to go into the world and preach the gospel! It is commonly and routinely called the “Great Commission!”
One writer said it this way, “Over time our vision dims, core values shift and passion fades!” May I suggest that in the local church we are drifting? Our message is not broken, our message is clear. Could it be that our methodologies are behind the times? I believe that the tendency in the local church is for the fire of passion to dim. When that happens, the commitment to excellence is no longer found.
Drift can be detected!
Historical drift is the inherent tendency of human organizations to depart over time from their original beliefs, purposes and practices, which in the Christian context results in loss of spiritual vitality! The local church could well be in this state! One author rightly observed, “Organizations (churches) lose their vitality as time passes because they give more attention to what they “were” than what they "were becoming!”
Joseph Bayly, a contributing editor for Eternity magazine said, “Remember that the greatest strides in Christianity’s history, the first century, were taken when the church had no money or property.”
It is my sincere belief that:
Missions and evangelism should come as naturally to the Christian church as breathing!
We will be ‘polishing up’ our commitment to world missions at Grace this week as we enter a time of Missions Emphasis! We literally need “all hands on deck” as we focus on our responsibilities in and to the Great Commission.
I not only believe in Great Commission Churches, I also believe in Great Commission People! I am so glad that GBT takes its commitment to world missions very seriously!
There are two indispensable factors to a successful World Missions program. They are vision and passion. My missions’ professor stated years ago, “Men battle mountainous seas of human, carnal criticism and storm the flinty heights of devilish opposition to plant the cross of Christ amidst the habitations of cruelty.” Why? Because they have caught a vision and contracted a passion!
World Missions is our responsibility! Global Focus is what we are about! Let’s learn how to share the good news more effectively. Don’t miss a session this week.
Blessings, Pastor Ed Sears
|
