Ask any lifelong churchgoer about missionaries and their comments often refer to some intrepid soul, struggling in the jungles of Africa or slums of some other far-away, poverty-stricken country. Well, there is still a lot of good missionary work to be done ‘over there’ in far-away places. In fact, when Jesus gave his church its marching orders, the pattern of activity was intended to be inclusive of all parts of the globe. Not just ‘over there….
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:6-8
We are often tempted to think of an issue in overly simplistic terms. Should we exercise more or eat differently to lose weight? How about a little of both? Should we focus here in our own neighborhoods as we do our work as a church or abroad on global missions? Again, how about yes.
Jesus does not give us a license to pick and choose. It has been widely confirmed that this list of locations for activity, Jerusalem, Juda, Samaria, and to the end of the earth, is intended to be a kind of checklist for Christians as they filter the question, “how are we doing?” and, “where should our focus be?” We are intended to be simultaneously:
In Jerusalem – our home towns, backyards, city of residence.
In Judea – working on behalf of the betterment of our country/region.
Samaria – serving in places that the culture would generally reject. Samaria to the Jews of Jesus’ day was a forbidden land filled with undesirable people. Who/where might that be to you?
To the end of the earth – Global missions are often what church folk thinks of when the topic of missions comes up.
But to Jesus, all four quarters of life in the world, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth, are all the recipients of mission work for his Church. To neglect one is to live in rebellion against our Lord and Savior. So why the emphasis on home? Missionary, go home.
It’s not that we ignore it. It’s that we mischaracterize it. You see, we think easily about missions work to the ends of the earth because we have this mental image of other countries not knowing about Jesus. So, they need Jesus. And so, that’s mission work.
Out there.
Somewhere else.
When we think about local activities for the church the tendency is to assume that ‘we all know that Jesus stuff.’ But do we? Could there be. mission field growing in our very midst? On home soil? A colleague of mine was leading a Bible study with thirty lifelong churchgoers and asked for a show of hands for the question: How many of you are fully confident that if you died today, you would end up in heaven? About six people immediately raised their hands.
Six.
Out of thirty.
So, do we really know the Gospel of Jesus after all? Should missionary work only be thought of as an overseas, over their type of activity? I hope not. A recent Barna research poll showed that 92% of Americans self-identified as Christian when asked point blank, are you a Christian? With no. other qualifiers. When pressed with more specific questions. Questions that focused on the most basic issues of the faith, only about 15% expressed beliefs that were consistent with Christian belief.
We know that trust in the work of Jesus, crucified and resurrected, guarantees salvation, without condition as a free gift of faith. But even many church-goers stumble when pressed with this most basic question of Faith. There is mission work to do indeed. Right in our own midst.
See you in the mission field!
Pastor Mark
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