TRUE LOVE COMPELLS MISSIONS
MOST OF US KNOW WHAT IT IS TO GROW UP IN A WORLD OF LONELINESS, WHERE TRUE LOVE IS RARE AND COUNTERFEIT LOVES ARE COMMONPLACE. MUCH OF HUMAN LOVE IS MANIPULATIVE, COERCIVE, CONTROLLING AND SELF-CENTERED.
THIS LIFETIME OF UNSATISFYING AND PAINFULLY CONDITIONAL LOVE IS WHAT MAKES THAT FIRST TASTE OF THE LOVE OF GOD SO AMAZINGLY SWEET! THE SOUL IS SINCERELY SURPRISED AND DOWNRIGHT STUNNED AT THE FIRST GRASPING OF THAT PHENOMINAL LOVE. WE ARE SHOCKED AT THIS LOVE OF GOD THAT GIVES, SACRIFICES, GIVES SOME MORE AND NEVER LESSENS NO MATER WHAT WE DO.
IT IS THE GENUINE COMPREHENSION OF THIS POWERFUL LOVE WHICH COMPELS THE MISSIONAL LIFE-STYLE. TO REMEMBER THE POOR QUALITY OF LIFE WITHOUT HIS LOVE – TO KNOW FIRST-HAND THE LIFE OVER-HAULING DIFFERENCE IT MAKES – THIS IS THE ACTUATING FORCE BEHIND MISSIONS.
"Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological arguments, but out of love" — Roland Allen
THE ONE CONSIDERING LIVING THE MISSIONARY LIFE, OR CONSIDERING THE COMMITMENT OF THE SENDER, MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITY IN MISSIONS. THAT WORLD OUT THERE WHICH IS SO BEREFT OF THE OUTSTANDING LOVE OF GOD THAT WE ENJOY – THAT BARREN WORLD - DESPERATELY NEEDS WHAT WE HAVE.
WE TELL OUR GRADUATING STUDENTS THAT THEIR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY AS CHRISTIANS REACHING OUT IS TO LOVE. SINCE MANY OF THEM WILL WORK IN AREAS LARGELY UNTOUCHED BY THE LORD AND HIS GOSPELL – WE TELL THEM THAT THE PEOPLE THEY ARE TASKED WITH LOVING MAY NEVER BE LOVED WITH A GODLY LOVE BY ANYBODY ELSE BUT THEM.
THE QUESTION BECOMES DO WE LOVE ENOUGH TO TAKE IT TO THEM? DO WE LOVE ENOUGH TO SEND OTHERS TO TAKE IT TO THEM?
John 3:16 “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT MINISTRIES WHICH “ADD” TO CHURCHES BY MULTIPLYING MEMBERS AND THEREFORE INCREASING CONGREGATION SIZE AND INCREASING OFFERINGS.
FOREIGN MISSIONS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE MINISTRIES. TO MOST CHURCHES THINKING OF THE BOTTOM LINE, FOREIGN MISSIONS REPRESENTS A COST AND A LOSS.
BUT SHARING THE GOSPEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SACRIFICIAL ACT – FROM THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CROSSES HE ASSIGNS FOR US TO BEAR. THE HEART THAT PERSONALLY KNOWS THE LOVE OF GOD LOOKS AT THE SACRIFICE IT TAKES TO MOVE THE GOSPEL OUTWARD AND SAY “NO PROBLEM”…..
II Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
"Love is the root of missions; sacrifice is the fruit of missions" — Roderick Davis
SO THE LOVE OF GOD THAT WE ARE ENABLED BY HIM TO FEEL TOWARD OTHERS COMPELLS OUR MISSIONARY ACTIVITY – AND THE LOVE OF GOD WE FEEL DIRECTED TOWARDS OURSELVES ENABLES THE SACRIFICE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS THAT WE MUST MAKE. UPON TRULY EXPERIENCING HIS LOVE – WE DESIRE TO SHOW OUR LOVE BACK TO HIM THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMAND TO “GO”.
John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
TRUE LOVE COMPELLS MISSIONS!
MOST OF US KNOW WHAT IT IS TO GROW UP IN A WORLD OF LONELINESS, WHERE TRUE LOVE IS RARE AND COUNTERFEIT LOVES ARE COMMONPLACE. MUCH OF HUMAN LOVE IS MANIPULATIVE, COERCIVE, CONTROLLING AND SELF-CENTERED.
THIS LIFETIME OF UNSATISFYING AND PAINFULLY CONDITIONAL LOVE IS WHAT MAKES THAT FIRST TASTE OF THE LOVE OF GOD SO AMAZINGLY SWEET! THE SOUL IS SINCERELY SURPRISED AND DOWNRIGHT STUNNED AT THE FIRST GRASPING OF THAT PHENOMINAL LOVE. WE ARE SHOCKED AT THIS LOVE OF GOD THAT GIVES, SACRIFICES, GIVES SOME MORE AND NEVER LESSENS NO MATER WHAT WE DO.
IT IS THE GENUINE COMPREHENSION OF THIS POWERFUL LOVE WHICH COMPELS THE MISSIONAL LIFE-STYLE. TO REMEMBER THE POOR QUALITY OF LIFE WITHOUT HIS LOVE – TO KNOW FIRST-HAND THE LIFE OVER-HAULING DIFFERENCE IT MAKES – THIS IS THE ACTUATING FORCE BEHIND MISSIONS.
"Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological arguments, but out of love" — Roland Allen
THE ONE CONSIDERING LIVING THE MISSIONARY LIFE, OR CONSIDERING THE COMMITMENT OF THE SENDER, MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITY IN MISSIONS. THAT WORLD OUT THERE WHICH IS SO BEREFT OF THE OUTSTANDING LOVE OF GOD THAT WE ENJOY – THAT BARREN WORLD - DESPERATELY NEEDS WHAT WE HAVE.
WE TELL OUR GRADUATING STUDENTS THAT THEIR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY AS CHRISTIANS REACHING OUT IS TO LOVE. SINCE MANY OF THEM WILL WORK IN AREAS LARGELY UNTOUCHED BY THE LORD AND HIS GOSPELL – WE TELL THEM THAT THE PEOPLE THEY ARE TASKED WITH LOVING MAY NEVER BE LOVED WITH A GODLY LOVE BY ANYBODY ELSE BUT THEM.
THE QUESTION BECOMES DO WE LOVE ENOUGH TO TAKE IT TO THEM? DO WE LOVE ENOUGH TO SEND OTHERS TO TAKE IT TO THEM?
John 3:16 “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT MINISTRIES WHICH “ADD” TO CHURCHES BY MULTIPLYING MEMBERS AND THEREFORE INCREASING CONGREGATION SIZE AND INCREASING OFFERINGS.
FOREIGN MISSIONS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE MINISTRIES. TO MOST CHURCHES THINKING OF THE BOTTOM LINE, FOREIGN MISSIONS REPRESENTS A COST AND A LOSS.
BUT SHARING THE GOSPEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SACRIFICIAL ACT – FROM THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CROSSES HE ASSIGNS FOR US TO BEAR. THE HEART THAT PERSONALLY KNOWS THE LOVE OF GOD LOOKS AT THE SACRIFICE IT TAKES TO MOVE THE GOSPEL OUTWARD AND SAY “NO PROBLEM”…..
II Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
"Love is the root of missions; sacrifice is the fruit of missions" — Roderick Davis
SO THE LOVE OF GOD THAT WE ARE ENABLED BY HIM TO FEEL TOWARD OTHERS COMPELLS OUR MISSIONARY ACTIVITY – AND THE LOVE OF GOD WE FEEL DIRECTED TOWARDS OURSELVES ENABLES THE SACRIFICE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS THAT WE MUST MAKE. UPON TRULY EXPERIENCING HIS LOVE – WE DESIRE TO SHOW OUR LOVE BACK TO HIM THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMAND TO “GO”.
John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
TRUE LOVE COMPELLS MISSIONS!
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