A Passion for Jesus is a Passion for Missions!

A passion for Jesus is a passion for Missions.

I believe that the basic premise of the church is this; we exist to reach people for Jesus. You have probably heard me say in church, and elsewhere, that “the church is the only organization in the history of humanity that exists primarily for those who are not yet a part of it.”

Genesis 12:1-3 tells us that the people of God are blessed to be a blessing and that all the nations of the earth are to be blessed through the people of God. Exodus 19:5-6 tells us that the people of God are to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests; the role of priests is to mediate between a holy God and a broken people-to help people know the one true God. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us how Jesus commissioned the first believers to go into all the world making disciples of Jesus Christ. And Acts 1:8 tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to go to the ends of the earth as witnesses for Jesus.

All through the Scriptures we see that God is on a mission to bring all of humanity into a relationship with Himself. And His means for accomplishing that mission is the church; us. We who have experienced the life-transforming grace of Jesus in our lives are to then become extensions of that same grace in the lives of others. Our passion for Jesus must be a passion for others to experience Jesus. In other words, ‘a passion for Jesus is a passion for missions!’ Let me paraphrase Stan Cosby, ‘Missions is not a program of the church; the church is the tool God uses for missions!’

Grace and Peace,
Rich