And He said to them, “Go into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature.”
(Mark 16:15)
Thoughts… You may recall the television show from years ago called Mission Impossible. It always began with a scene in which Mr. Phelps, leader of a team of government spooks, would receive a tape describing his next mission. The tape usually began with the line, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” Then, after describing the mission, the tape would self-destruct in a puff of smoke.
For the believer, Jesus’ command here at the end of Mark’s Gospel is our “mission possible.” But unlike Mr. Phelps, we don’t have the option of accepting it. If you desire to be a Christ-follower, you will do this.
The mission is very clear and quite simple: Take the Good News with you wherever you go and share it. That is the mission of the Christian.
Don’t let the word “preach” trip you up. For sure, the Gospel is to be formally preached by preachers from pulpits in church services and by evangelists to great crowds of listeners. But the word “preach” has a simpler application as well. It simply means “to proclaim.”
Proclamation can happen in both formal presentations as well as informal conversations. I think the church has done pretty good job in the formal aspect of this mission. It is the informal, everyday part of the mission to be carried out by the individual believer where we have not done so well.
The mission of the Christian is proclamation. You and I are tasked to go and tell the story of Jesus. That is our business.
So that begs the question: How’s business? When was the last time you talked about your faith in Christ in a casual conversation with a friend or a co-worker? In the last six month? This past year? In the last five years? Have you ever shared Christ with another?
Don’t you think it’s time we get back to business? I do!
What do you say you and I look for opportunities today to carry out the mission! Jesus is counting on us.
Prayer… Lord, keep me acutely sensitive to the opportunities that will come my way today to share what you have done in my life with others. Help me to lead someone to faith in you.
One More Thing… “Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.” —Elton Trueblood
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