It was a great week at Big Stevens Creek. Through different missionaries and pastors God reminded us of the lostness that exists all around us in our own community and across the world. Here were some highlights that were significant for me as we went through this week.
1. For the sake of those who have not had a chance to hear the Gospel, do not pursue comfort over obedience.
Pastor Kevin Steele reminded us through God’s Word that we are not called to comfort as Christians. Rather, we are called to obedience, and why should we not desire to obey? Our Lord has given His all for us. Is He not worthy of us giving our all for Him? We heard from three missionaries this week and all of them have given up comforts to reach people who know little to nothing about the God of all creation. When one missionary was asked about his living conditions on the field, he shared about his small, two bedroom apartment where he, his wife, and five small children live. What was really convicting is that they are absolutely content in their living conditions. The missionary families we met this week have made extreme sacrifices so that they might have opportunities to share the Gospel in contexts where the Gospel is not readily available.
While God may not call all of us to serve vocationally in some crazy place half-way around the world, He has called us to sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if you never have the opportunity to serve on a short-term international mission trip, that does not excuse you from making the necessary adjustments in your life to allow the Gospel of Christ to shine through you. I am convinced that we are way too comfortable. We have built kingdoms for ourselves rather than being led by the Holy Spirit to expand the Kingdom of God. We are not called to live for ourselves, we are called to live for the sake of others. I admire the missionaries we had with us this week. Each one of them and their families epitomize what it means to live for the sake of others so that others might hear and experience the Gospel.
2. For the sake of those who have not had a chance to hear the Gospel, be willing to suffer.
It was incredible to have Pastor Nicholai and his wife with us from Russia. When we have been on the mission field with him, I have not had the opportunity to hear much of his story and what it was like to grow up in a communistic society. I so enjoyed hearing his experiences. He did not share as much about his story on Sunday evening, but Saturday night I had the opportunity to sit in our home and listen to him share story after story of communist Russia. He told of friends who had been imprisoned for their faith, and who suffered tremendously at the hands of the communist regime. He told of his own life and the suffering and persecution that he experienced being a believer in a culture dominated by atheism. When communism fell, Pastor Nicholai had the opportunity to migrate to the United States. He could have had a better, easier life. However, he chose to stay with his people and suffer alongside of them as Russia was rebuilt. He did not want to settle for easy when so many of his countrymen needed the hope of the Gospel. I really admire that.
We don’t know much of suffering in the United States. We are able to freely proclaim the Gospel without the fear of persecution. Any persecution we do face is minor in comparison to what Christians around the world face. This leads me to ask myself three questions: 1. Do I praise God enough for the freedom I do have? 2. Do I take advantage of my freedom for the sake of the Gospel? 3. If God required me to suffer for the sake of the Gospel, would I be willing?
3. For the sake of those who have not had a chance to hear the Gospel, make the most of your time.
Kevin reminded us last night to live in light of eternity. When we live in light of eternity, it changes everything, including the way we use our time. We do not spend our time investing in things that will fade. Rather, we spend our time investing in those things that will last for an eternity. Time is slipping away. How are we using it? Before Nicholai shared with us Sunday evening, I had been with him and a group of others in Louisiana. In Louisiana I had the opportunity to hear him share in a couple of different settings. In one setting he talked about the religious freedom that Russia experienced after the fall of communism. Missionaries from the west poured in to the former Soviet Union to make an impact for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even the public school system allowed missionaries to come into their schools to freely share the Gospel among students. Can you imagine that in the United States? However, Nicholai also told us that as years have passed, the government has clamped down on the freedom that they experienced right after the fall of communism. The government is making it difficult for Protestant Christians to minister in Russia. Nicholai explained that the time for Gospel witness in Russia is fleeting. You and I know that it’s fleeting in the United States as well. The ACLU and other organizations are doing all they can to squash our Gospel witness. Our time to freely proclaim the Gospel is limited. Therefore, let us make the most of our time. While we are able, let’s be willing to give our all for the sake of the Gospel so that the people of our own community might know God loves them. Let’s be willing to step out of our comfort zones and go to places where it is more difficult to share the Gospel.
God is worthy of the praise and worship of every people group on the face of the planet. For the sake of His glory, and for the sake of the 1.8 billion people who have never even heard the Gospel, let us pray that our Gospel witness will grow stronger than ever.
What did God teach you through our Missions Conference?
