Training

On Saturday I had the opportunity to do part of the training for the team going from our church to New York City on a mission trip this summer.  I shared about the "why" of missions.  Why do we get involved in missions and why should be care about going out to reach the world.  The obvious answer that we can point to is the fact that we are commanded by Jesus several times to go out and reach the world.  Yet I believe that more important is that fact that as Christians we are called to be Christ-like in our lives.  If we are to emulate Christ, we cannot escape from the pattern of going out to reach the world.  The entire Bible is one long story of God's desire to reach people.  God is constantly sending his messengers to the lost throughout the Old Testament.  This culminates in the event of God incarnate coming to earth for the sake of people.  Not only that, but when Jesus began his ministry on earth, he left his earthly home and went out to reach the people where they were at.  It would have been easier and more comfortable to take up residence in Nazareth and send out word for people to come to him.  But that isn't what he did.  He continued the precedent of going out to seek and to save the lost.