The Heart of Missions

About a year ago I took on the responsibility of missions at Mt. Bethel and what a year it has been.  So many mission trips, so many missions ministries transforming lives and making a difference around the world.  Many new mission opportunities have been added such as our missional outreach to St. Philip church and partnering with the community of Kwambekenya in Kenya.  Even in the last two days I have met with a couple of missions ministries that we are looking at partnering with in the future.  For me it has had its challenges, but mostly it has been a wonderful whirlwind!

As I reflect of the past year all the amazing things God has done and all the exciting things that lie ahead on the horizon it has caused me to take a moment to stop and ask one simple question.

What is the heart of missions?  Is it mission trips, is it outreach to the community, what about evangelism or the life of service God calls every Christian to live?

Well, after any intelligent thought that I may have had ran out, which doesn’t take long,  I went where we always find the real answers of life, God’s word.

In 2 Cor. 13:4 we are told:  “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.”

The heart of missions always goes back to the place of Jesus.  It goes to the place of His greatest sacrifice and our only hope.  The place of crucifixion.

It was at the very moment that Christ gave everything that we see a picture of the heart of missions.  Jesus teaches us that real life comes when we sacrifice our life for another.  When we die to us and live in Him.  I doubt that you are shocked by these words.  Most of you have probably heard them many times before.

The catch is to live it!  For me to give away my life and for you to give away yours is at the heart of missions.

We can help other people.  We can even do it at great personal sacrifice, but unless we give it away to Christ it won’t amount to much.  When we give away our life to Christ, we discover that His Spirit begins to transforms us and make us into more than we could have ever imagined. …Christ in you the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

When we have the life of Christ in us, we do the same thing He did, we give it away.

The heart of missions isn’t going some where or doing something, it is giving your life away to someone, Christ himself.

And as you do that He will send you there and you will serve Him here in the power of His Spirit and it really will make an incredible difference in your life and the life of the one you serve.

We in the missions department are committed to providing you opportunities to give your life away.

Ask God if he might want to send you on a mission trip this summer or fall or serve in a missions ministry right here in our community or in the U.S.

If God is calling you I want to invite you to call me and see how God might like you to give your life away.

God promises that anyone who gives their life away will have real life.  That’s what I long for, that is what I long to see in the life of this church.  The heart of missions it the real life God has for everyone who gives their life away.

Carey