The "Call" to Missions

I often tell people that the times I felt most alive were when I was on the mission field.

Whether it was singing Christmas carols at the local nursing home, ministering to the homeless on the streets of New York City, or leading worship at the U.S. Army base in Heidelberg, Germany, through each experience [no matter how uncomfortable I was] I was able to sit back and honestly say: "This is what I was made for."

I grew up in a church committed to missions, and attended a Christian school that fostered an evangelism program. The opportunities were there and, once involved, I had several people playing the name game when it came to my specific "calling" as a Christian.

Since moving to Nashville one year ago, I have attended Cross Point Church. Over the past few weeks we've been diving into who we are as a church and where we are going: our DNA.

We at Crosspoint are...

...radically devoted to Christ,

...irrevocably committed to one another,

...and relentlessly dedicated to reaching the lost.


Relentlessly dedicated to reaching the lost. To most church-goers that probably just sounds like Crosspoint has an intense missions program. But let's get one thing straight, reaching the lost isn't a program at Crosspoint; it's the reason Crosspoint exists.

When our Pastor, Pete Wilson, spoke on reaching the lost last week, he gave some intense statistics on poverty, sex trafficking, child hunger (and their deaths because of it), and other sick, jacked up issues that are going on this very moment in our world. I could go through all the numbers Pete gave (you can find them here), but honestly, it would be a waste of my time. Let me explain.

Those preventable statistics of disease, hopelessness, rape, hunger, etc won't do a thing to your head or your heart until you're convinced of one thing: it is not about you. For most of you, the life you live has been conveniently tailored to your comfort, your interests, and your happiness. You go to a church you like, listen to a preacher you agree with, and sit next to people you get along with. Your faith may be strong, but its in a God that has blessed you with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a dog. The life you're living from now until eternity is being wasted... on you.

Let's be clear: The "space between" the moment you accept Christ to the moment your time on earth is finished is not about you. It's not about me. If all that mattered was eternal security with God in Heaven, why would we have to live this life at all?

You've been duped into believing that this life is about you, your own personal God, and the beautiful blessings He showers you with. So have I. My schedule shows it. My Facebook and Twitter show it. How I spend my money, my time, and my thoughts show it. I think it's all about me. And guess what, so do you.

As Christians we strive to become more Christlike. That's the goal, right? But there's more.

The transformation we experience as Christ followers is for the sole purpose to change the world. If we do anything less with this life we not only sell ourselves short but end up making this life all about ourselves. (P.Wilson)

More simply put:

If you don't live like you believe your life was created to impact the world, you will miss the point of salvation and sanctification.
-Pete Wilson

You will miss the point.

Matthew 28:19 - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations."

Mark 16:15 - "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.'"

Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth."

As Pete said on Sunday, why else would God give you His spirit? So you can get goosebumps? So you can get hyped up during a good worship service? Jesus says in John 14:12, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father."

The point of sanctification?

Go.

The reason for His spirit?

To change the world.

Somewhere along the way the church turned missions into a cute program that gets shoved into the corner for the "specifically called."

Missions was never intended to be a program in the Church, for it is the only reason the Church exists.

Don't you get it? This world is jacked up, suffering and hopeless and it is your responsibility to change it. It is my responsibility. The moment we received God's grace is the very moment we are to give it to another. We are to take His hope, comfort, and light and go to a dark, hopeless place and show them what it looks like. The world is hopeless for they have not yet seen what it looks like. Who can you show it to?

I often tell people that the times I felt most alive were when I was on the mission field.

And now I understand why. I was doing what I was created to do.

I'm not exempt to the calling, and neither are you.


So my challenge for you is going to be the same challenge I gave myself:

Instead of just being receivers of God's grace, be an agent of it. Make your life not about you.