World Missions Sunday

This coming Sunday is designated as World Missions Sunday in our lectionary. There are probably several “missionary” passages that each of us remember, like Matthew 28:16-20, Romans 10:13-15, or Acts 1:8, but the theme of the nations coming to the Lord is one that saturates all of Scripture. It begins in Genesis, where Adam and Eve are told to “be fruitful and multiply” so that they fill the earth with the image of God, and it reaches all the way to Revelation, where the angels sing to Jesus, “Worthy are you…for…by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” It is in Revelation 7 that we see the result of this mission, a “great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes.”

This past Sunday, Justin preached about the hope of the resurrection. Our hope is in the victory of Christ over all enemies through the power of his resurrection. His victory—victory over even our own sinfulness—gives us hope that his rule and reign will permeate our hearts and make them subjects of Christ, subjects of his will so that our hearts would desire and love what Christ loves. Christ came to be made sin, to suffer the wrath of God, and to take the punishment we deserve, all so that he could purchase by his blood a people for himself. Through the power of the resurrection, he has made certain the salvation of his people.

The power and hope of the resurrection is not just for us, but for everyone. This is the task that we have been given by the one who rules in our hearts. We are to take the good news of his resurrection, the hope of salvation through reconciliation with God by the blood of his Son, to the nations. If you wonder whether you are called to be part of this mission, Scripture is clear: you are called because you are part of the body of Christ. The call to participate in the spread of the gospel to all people is a call to all believers, but not as individuals. This call is for his church to work in unity as the living body of the resurrected Lord to take this hope to every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Our discernment is not whether we have been given this call, but rather how we can participate in the call for all of Christ’s body.

I want to personally invite each of you to consider coming to New Wineskins this Sept. 22-25th to hear about how this work is being done by his body. The work is being done—both near and far, in our neighborhoods and in neighborhoods all around the world! People from all over the world, members of the mosaic that is Christ’s body, will be there to give a foretaste of the heavenly realms. Come and see how the Lord is at work through his people and be encouraged!