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Bryan: In the 2000 years since Christ's ascension and the delivery of the Great Commission, there have been times when the Church is wonderfully united around an agenda of claiming Christ's inheritance from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Most of the time, however, the Church's mission tends to take a backseat to other concerns. So what can we do when the desire to reach grows weak? What can inspire the church and individual Christians to want to send and to go? This week, Chad Vegas answers a question from Emily Dermer who asks about how to grow in your desire for missions.
Chad: Thank you for your question, Emily. I think I want to answer this in two categories.
First, I would encourage you to be committed to private worship, family worship, and corporate worship. Prayerfully attending to the word of God and asking the Holy Spirit to show you the heart of God in Christ toward you is always the starting place. Listen to how Paul speaks to his own motive for laying down his life in missions: "For the love of Christ controls us,"–– now when Paul says that, he's speaking of Christ's love toward us. Now we have a reciprocal love toward Him, but it's He who first loved 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." Nothing will drive you to the mission field, nor keep you on the mission field, more than a heart that revels in God's love to you.
Second, I would encourage you to spend time in particular meditation upon Christ's mission to save His people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Now that takes form in a handful of important ways.
One, read your Bible looking for God's heart for the nations. Stop and note it everywhere you see it.
Two, read your Bible asking the Lord to give you a heart like His own for those who don't know Christ, especially those who have no opportunity to hear the gospel because there is no church, there is no Bible, there is no gospel witness. Do this daily.
Three, read good Christian biographies and watch good Christian biographies. I would encourage you to watch the biographies being put out by Missionary and read the biographies of the missionaries these films are about. There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors: make these missionaries your counselors by reading them. We have several new works coming out this year, but there are older standards like To the Golden Shore and The Autobiography of John G. Paton, and I encourage you highly to read them.
Four, gather with other believers in your own church and ask them to pray for your heart and pray for theirs.
Fifth, come to a Missionary conference and check out a Radius day, or spend time with a group at Radius Serve. It can be really helpful to hear God's word preached on these topics and to see people in your own age group who are giving themselves to this work. The Lord matures us by the preaching of His word, and we're stirred up to love and good deeds by other faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.
The important thing to keep in mind always is that a sudden burst of passion won't keep you on the field. A growing maturity in Christ will. So perhaps begin by thanking the Lord for His grace in even encouraging you to ask how to grow in your desire for missions. That is a work of the Holy Spirit in you. All good and lasting spiritual desires are from the Lord who is the Spirit. He is the one who conforms us to the image of God's Son, the one who really transforms us from one degree of glory to another, the one who renews us in the image of God's Son in true righteousness and holiness. So thank the Lord that He gave you the desire to have more desire, and pursue that by being in His word and asking His Spirit to show you the love of Christ to you and to build into your own heart the love of Christ for the nations.
Bryan: To help Christians, families, and local churches grow in the desire to reach every language, Missionary publishes two prayer guides. Gospel Ambition guides readers through unreached language groups with helpful information and points of prayer. Kingdom Come provides scripture, readings, hymns, and prayers from the history of the church to help you direct your devotions and worship toward the ends of the earth. You can find both at missionary.com/store.
If you have a question you would like to hear answered on Ask Missionary, drop a comment on this episode, get in touch with us on social media, or send us an email through missionary.com and your question may be featured on this show. And don't forget to subscribe to the show to get notified when the next episode airs next week. Thanks for listening.