Of all the commands in the Bible, one that ranks near the top in most people’s minds is the great commission, to make disciples of all nations, near and far. God earnestly desires that His glory fill the earth (Gen. 1:28, Isaiah 6:3, Hab. 2:14). And the spread of His worship must be the endeavor of every Christian. Not only do we want to worship God, but we want to bring as many people along with us as possible in this eternal calling. Three characteristics come to mind for how we want to see God’s kingdom grow: expeditiously, truthfully, and wisely.
Expeditiously – Alyssa, our 19 year old daughter, is studying at Boyce College in Louisville, KY. She delights in her classes, and in praising God with the girls in her dorm in the evenings. But what makes her positively radiant is leaving campus with other students and going to various pockets of people and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them. I would never have guessed that my shy, reserved daughter would become an evangelist, but it’s happening. In fact, she and a friend of hers started an outreach club of sorts, inviting other students to join them in talking to people about the Gospel, and the other night 20 people showed up to go out and witness. Why is she doing this? To advance God’s kingdom expeditiously, to lead as many people as possible as quickly as possible into a saving relationship with the God of the universe. Amen!
Truthfully – I recently heard a story from one of the pastors I trained in Philadelphia last week that bears repeating. A pastor in Haiti passed along a story to him of a “prophet/pastor” who oversaw a district in a region of Haiti. This influential man got a “vision from God” and proceeded to tell his people that they must “defeat the Goliaths of the gangsters just the way David did.” Many obeyed him, attacking gangsters who are prevalent in Haiti with their “slings and stones.” The pastor I trained shared that many believers are now dead because of a misuse of Scripture. (Just in case you were wondering, this is not the point of the David and Goliath story!) Abusing Scripture to make it say what we want it to say is not how God’s kingdom expands. In contrast to lies and manipulations, we must let the truth, beauty, and power of God’s Word shine out, and the Holy Spirit will do a spiritual work in people’s hearts.
Wisely – Tomorrow I leave for a week of training in Bamako, Mali followed by a week of training in Bangui, Central African Republic. To get to this point has taken an unbelievable amount of time and energy and resources. Mali and CAR are both desgnated by the US Dept of State as Level 4 – Do Not Travel. However, our mission agrees with us that the work I am doing is “mission critical” and the pastors with whom I work desperately need what I offer. Yet rather than foolishly jumping in, together we have developed many protocols, contingency plans, and preparations to make sure that in nearly any threat, I will act wisely. I appreciate their attention to risk management, and although it feels a bit restrictive, expanding God’s kingdom wisely, particularly in high risk locations, is part of honoring God and God’s appointed leaders.
May God graciously use us and believers around the world to expand His glory, His kingdom, and His worship, for He is worthy.