Seems like a regularly get either an email or a brochure in the mail about a cruise to some wonderful destination. Many of you have been on cruises before – but oddly, with all my travels, I never have been at least to this point in my life. But either way, I enjoy looking and dreaming when looking through those brochures. There are a couple of cruises that especially intrigue me. One of them is one that leaves western Europe and goes around the horn of Africa, throughout SE Asia, then back to Europe. And the other one that really fascinates me is a 127 day around the world cruise. I don’t know how many countries it stops in, but it’s a bunch. Sounds amazing.
This Sunday morning October 18 I will be teaching and leading us in the 3rd of the GIC messages we call “Sent.” Our focus is on the famous gospel account following the resurrection of Jesus that we call “the Great Commission” —- Matthew 28:16-20. We are Sent to the NATIONS. We are often intrigued with nations because of the romance of travel and the new sights and cultures we get to experience. As fascinating as new places in the world might be from a tourist viewpoint, this is not the essence of the Great Commission. We are sent to the nations to be a message. We are sent to the brokenness of the world, with a message of restoration that can only be found in Christ. At LifeWay Church we have a good history of literally and physically going to the nations as God gives us the chance. My deep prayer is that this is not just past history, but instead is a platform on which we are to be sent and go to where God has now placed on our hearts to go.
About 15 years ago when we were in the middle of our 25+ mission trips to Russia, I received a call from a lady in the central part of the USA. She heard that we were taking teams to Russia and she told me that her goal was to make sure that she went to as many countries on a short term mission trip as possible, and she had not been to Russia yet. Now, I don’t want to be too critical here, because she was a sweet woman. But part of me had to tell her that going on mission for Christ to the nations was not an around the world cruise where we just learn a little bit about that part of the world, take some photos, and move to the next. It is an investment that is far deeper. Why? Because we don’t just go somewhere for missions tourism, we take the gospel and invest in these places a God leads.
This is the last Sunday before we officially launch our GIC week. Our GIC officially begins next Wednesday evening October 18th at 7pm at our building, with a worship time and a message from a long time friend and missionary Allen McLellan who has served for years in SE Asia. On Thursday and Friday of next week (October 19 & 20) we will feature our guest missionaries from Tanzania, Indonesia, Panama, and even locally in Tacoma. You will be inspired by hearing how God has sent them to in the world and what they are doing with the gospel. Then Saturday morning October 21 we will have workshops to help guide our thinking about how God is sending us to the nations. Then Saturday evening we will have an International Dinner and hear from all of them. (Please consult your GIC booklet or our website for the details of all of these). Then finally the culmination of this amazing week is Sunday morning October 22 at our Missions commitment service. You will be challenged on how God calling us collectively at LifeWay, and individually to go the nations. Our finances, our prayers, and our feet.
Read Matthew 28:16-20 to prepare yourself for this Sunday. Mark your calendars for all the GIC events as you prepare yourself for our Commitment Sunday October 22.
Love you all.
