The Annie Armstrong Easter offering is coming up. This is an offering taken up in Southern Baptist churches around Easter to support the work of North American missionaries. I love this effort as it catapults the Gospel forward in the United States and other countries that surround us.
I was recently reading an article about this effort. It gave a look into the lives of some of the missionaries that this would be supporting. It spoke about their calling and the process of God showing these men and women where He would have them go. At the end of the article was a fantastic thought. To paraphrase, the writer said that most of tomorrow's missionaries are in our churches today, and that if they don't go no one else will.
That's when about everyone in the church says, "Who, me?"
Yes, probably you.
Have you ever thought about the fact that God has a plan for your life and that that plan is probably not the plan that you have for your life? The calling that God has for those NA missionaries in that article is not the exception, but the norm for New Testament followers of Jesus. The only difference is that they were positioned to hear God's calling, obeyed, and maybe you're not called to go to the exact place that they are called to go. But, you are called to go. You are called to go to you're family. You are called to go to your community. You are called to go to your neighbors around your nation. And, you are called to go to the World. You are not called by me. But, by Jesus. And, when we argue we are not arguing with a pastor, church, or denomination, but with Him.
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
Monday's missionary is probably sitting in your seat on Sunday. And, if they don't go, who else will?Jesus has issued the call. Will you answer?
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