Be a Missionary

At our church this year we’ve been doing some weekly challenges designed to spur us on to more Christlikeness and this week the simple challenge is to invite at least one person out to church this week.  Not a hard one at all, in fact I already texted an invite to a couple today !   And last Wednesday a newer member to our church told me she had invited a woman she is friends with also. (always enouraging for a pastor to hear). If you have done this with any regularity you know people often say yes and don’t follow through, or people have baggage they are dealing with and don’t come out after the first invite. Nonetheless, we shouldn’t let their wrong responses foster the same in us, we must keep doing what Christ has called us to do.

Imagine the consternation and anxiety amongst the disciples when the Lord first uttered the Great Commission to them, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Mt.28:19,20).  And, as they grew in numbers and boldness that is exactly what they began to do and even when persecution came it only fanned the flames of zeal as Luke records, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word. . . and there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:4-8).

In a world that grows increasingly dark, spiritually speaking, we need to keep shining the light of Christ and part of that is showing them a godly testimony for Him and being enthused enough to ask them to come along with you !  Don’t allow fear to rule your heart, let Him be King. And follow the King’s command to bring them to His loving fold.   When we begin to think of our church attendance as just something we need we have become very short-sighted and self-centered. Worship should always produce a desire in us to reach more upward and outward !! So the challenge to you is to challenge someone God puts in your path to come to His house this week, will you accept the challenge and please the Lord?   Maybe, just maybe, God will use you this very week to help a wayward soul !!