There are some anxious parents, siblings, and friends around Laurinburg. We can’t wait for Friday night to get here! Why the excitement? Our Brazil Mission Team arrives in Raleigh, back from their 16-day venture to Salvador! We’ve prayed for, emailed , and phoned them. Now we’re ready to have them home!
As a relatively new church, the sacrifice was great to send 19 people, 13 from Grace and 6 from four other churches, on an overseas mission trip. The financial costs were at least $1,700 per person, not to mention the time spent preparing, fundraising, and actually serving in South America. The opportunity cost of having many important people missing from our weekly services was great as well. The costs associated with the trip beg the question, “Why did you go?”
It’s a good question, one to which I’ve given a lot of thought, especially when I was advised by consultants that such a large international trip should be put on the back-burner until we as a church have more people and helpers. Why not as pastor urge our church simply to focus on missions here in Laurinburg instead of WAY over there in Brazil? After all, there is so much to do in our own back yard!
We went to Brazil and will continue to “do missions” both home and abroad for three main reasons. First, we go out of obedience. Our Mission Statement at Grace Baptist is “to develop committed followers of Jesus Christ in our church, our community, and all nations for God’s glory” (emphasis added). It’s no accident that our mission as a church extends beyond the borders of Laurinburg, North Carolina, and the United States. We’re simply following what God tells us to do in the Bible! Jesus gave His Great Commission to “make disciples” among all people groups (Matthew 28:19-20). Acts 1:8 details the area of our witness as including “the uttermost parts of the world.” As followers of Jesus, we’re called to obey God. Going to Brazil is part and parcel of that obedience!
Second, we go out of gratitude. It’s the natural response of a grateful person to act in response to someone doing something for him or her. The nature of the response often depends upon what was done or given. The apostle Paul reflected upon Jesus taking the sin of humanity upon Himself even though He had never committed a sin in his life. Paul’s reaction to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was to become an ambassador of Christ, representing Him to the world and urging others to be made right with God (2 Corinthians 5:19-21). Those of us who go on mission trips, whether locally or internationally, do so, because of the great sacrifice Jesus made for us. He died for our sin, so that we can have a relationship with God, live eternally, and be spared from eternal separation from God. It is an act of thanksgiving to God to go!
Finally, we go for the glory of God! David in the Psalms over and over again voices his aim to praise God among all people. It was his goal to glorify God not just among his own kin and clan, but to the whole world. For instance, Psalm 18:49 claims: “Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I willsing praises to Your name (NASB).” Our chief reason for living as human beings is to glorify God. As we show the love of Jesus, build bridges to share the Good News of Christ, witness God forgiving and saving those to whom we witness, we bring glory to God and increase the number of people praising Him! Mission trips, even very costly ones, don’t come near the sacrifice God was willing to give for us. How could we not go? How could we not send? How could we not praise and bring glory to God?
We’re very busy this summer at Grace! We have another block party at a multi-housing complex next Wednesday, a Coffee House featuring local band, Unkut Stones, and Christian recording artist, Chris Carder, on the 31st, and our Brazil Mission Team will have the entire service the 26th to share and show about their great trip! We want you to get involved! Come join us at Grace!
Bring a Bible and a friend. You won’t regret your decision!
Blessings,
Scott
