Rev. Bob Gilberg, The Olive Branch Community Church of Firebaugh
“Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Psalm 96:2-3.
My wife and I recently attended a Missions Camp in Southern California. It was truly an encouraging and inspiring experience.
There were about 1,000 participants gathering together with a purpose, to rise up together to bring the Gospel to the Nations, the unreached people in the 10/40 window where Christianity is two percent or less.
It was truly a multi-generational event. Many who attended the conference left afterwards to go to the nations for two weeks.
There were many amazing testimonies from every generation about what God is doing in the nations, and as much as we were encouraged and inspired by the speakers at the conference, we were just as inspired and encouraged by the testimonies we heard around the table in the course of our daily meals.
Our daughter introduced us to a friend of hers who is a freshman in college. She just recently accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. When our daughter invited her to attend a class on missions training, she politely declined, saying “I’m just a new Christian.”
“Perfect,” our daughter responded, “missions training is the best next step for new believers.” And so, she went. After she completed the missions training, our daughter encouraged her to go to the missions camp and to sign up for a two-week missions trip.
Once again, she politely declined. And once again, she ended up saying yes. After three days of worship, testimony and teachings, the Lord convinced her heart to go to the nations this winter.
Here’s the thing. God does not call those who are equipped, He equips those whom He calls. Those who answer His call with an obedient heart experience a spiritual transformation in their lives that can only be described as a peace, joy and conviction.
They come to experience a deep and intimate relationship with our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ that comes from a heart of obedience.
You do not have to be a mature believer to share the forgiveness and salvation of Jesus Christ with others. You simply need to trust that God wants to use you in this way.
God will work within you when you act with a heart of obedience and simply go, and when you go, lives will be transformed. Lives will be filled with a peace, joy and conviction that goes beyond.
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” Romans 10:13.
For those who have received Christ, we are ambassadors for Christ. You do not have to be an evangelist or a scholar to go to the nations to share the Gospel. You only need to have a heart for those who have not heard it, for those who are desperate for hope, those who are desperate for a new life which comes through Christ and Christ alone.
If we are going to be a church that is obedient to the Word of God, we must do our part to raise up disciples who will go to the nations. For the scripture says, “How can they believe if they have never heard? And how can they hear unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” Romans 10:14-15.
My wife and I have been discussing going on a two-week mission trip to the 10/40 window next summer. But now, we have changed our mind. We are planning to go this winter in January. “For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth” Acts 13:47.
Consider what Isaiah said of Christ and our heavenly Father, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts,” Isaiah 55:8-9.
Going to the nations may be a thought you never considered, yet God’s thoughts are higher than yours. His ways are higher than ours. You simply need to trust that God wants to use you in this way.
