Readings for today: Matthew 10, 14, Mark 6:7-56, Luke 9:1-17, John 6
I leave for Northern Uganda and South Sudan in a little over a week. I will spend seventeen days over there, primarily teaching indigenous church planters. I’ve been doing this for about fifteen years now. I’ve taken over twenty trips to Africa at this point. I’ve met well over two thousand of these church planters in places all over the Horn of Africa. Together, they have planted over 9500 churches at last count in places like Somalia, Djibouti, several different regions in Ethiopia, northern and eastern Uganda, and South Sudan. It’s truly amazing and perhaps what’s most remarkable is that these men and women often go out just like the disciples did. They travel from village to village without money or baggage or a staff. They rely on the hospitality of strangers. They are often persecuted, suffering imprisonment, beatings, and even death for the sake of the gospel. They tell stories of miraculous healings, resurrections, and the casting out of demons. Many millions have heard the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and millions more have given their lives to Christ as a result. I love being part of it. It feels like I’m watching Jesus send out His disciples all over again.
One of the historic marks of the church is her “apostolicity.” Her “sentness.” The church was designed by God to be a community in motion. Dynamic not static. Always focused outward not inward. The church is God’s chosen instrument to bring His good news to the world. God desires all to be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth. God doesn’t want anyone to perish but all to come to repentance. And to this great end, He sends us. His chosen people. We are sent out, much like the original disciples, without much in the way of human resources in order to deliver a divine message. “The Kingdom of God is near.” We preach this message to our family and friends. Neighbors and co-workers. Anyone we meet along the way. We tell them of all God has done in Jesus Christ. We welcome those who respond to His message to join us and we recognize, sadly, that not everyone will accept what they hear. Any church that loses her sense of being sent is like salt that loses it’s saltiness. It’s not good for anything and can be thrown into the street. Any believer that loses their passion to share Christ is like a light that’s being hidden under a basket. What good is it?
Jesus is still in the business of sending His disciples. Just as soon as He calls us, He sends us. Just as soon as He saves us, He sends us. We don’t need to prepare. We don’t need a host of resources to rely on. We don’t need to be afraid. The Holy Spirit dwells inside us. He will give us the words to say. He will provide all that we need. He will give us the strength to endure. He will protect us from the enemy. Trust Him! Let Him lead and guide you in all your conversations and encounters with others today.
Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 15, Mark 7, 8:1-10