Until Everyone Has Heard

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15 NIV)

When you read the commission in Mark there is no question what Jesus is telling us to do. We are to “preach the good news.” What is that news? It is clear from the context that the good news is that Jesus rose from the dead. He is alive. His death on the cross fully paid the penalty for sins and he has conquered death itself.

It is not enough to just share the news with our friends and family. Jesus instructs us to share it with “all creation.” That has enormous implications. Our job is not done until the good news has been told to people from every language and ethnic group. It requires us to be proactive in taking the message to people who have never heard.

What we call “Missions” here at New Covenant is our obedient response to Jesus’ command. It is our intentional strategy to see that all of creation hears the good news of Jesus Christ. Your participation in this is not an optional activity. God calls every one of us to do our part. Just as you can be a part of prayer, care, and share here in Cedar Rapids, you can do the same for missions work around the world. Take time to get to know one of our missionary families. Pray regularly for them. Show your care through an email, letter, or phone call. Financially support their ministry by giving each week to our general fund (which pays the support for our missionaries) and giving to the short term teams. Finally, prayerfully consider going on a short term trip or going as a long term missionary.

Our commission is not yet done. Your participation is still needed. Please contact me if you would like more ideas concerning how you can make a difference.

Go and Make Disciples

Last week I challenged you to look for the “commissions” that Jesus gave us. Did you find all of them? There are 5 “commissions” for us as believers. You can find one in each Gospel and one in the book of Acts.

Matthew 28:19-20 is the first “commission” we find. It tells us to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” As a kid, the emphasis was on the “go.” But in the original Greek, the text more accurately says, “As you are going, make disciples.” The reality is making disciples is not just something for missionaries. It is something we are all to do wherever we are at. None of us are off the hook.

So how are you doing? Let me encourage you to look for natural opportunities. Making disciples is not meant to be a classroom experience. It takes place as you rub shoulders with others each and every day. It happens when you meet regularly to pray, when you have teachable moments with another Christian, or when you model a godly life.

Let me also encourage you to think a little outside the box. For some of you God may have something new and different in mind for the “second half” of your lives. We are offering the Ignite Halftime Conference this weekend for this very purpose. It is one way you can explore how God can use your experience and passions to build His kingdom. This does not mean you have to become a “full-time missionary.” There are a number of ways you can serve the kingdom by just carving out a portion of your week. Our Ignite team would be glad to explore some options with you. Contact me for more information.

The Great Commission ???

I will warn you, this is a trick question! Ready? Here it is: What is the “Great Commission”?

If you have attended a church for a while, you may know it is something about “going and making disciples” and it is found at the end of Matthew. If you have been in a “missions minded” church all of your life, you may have immediately quoted Matthew 28:19-20. Technically you would be correct. This passage has often been labeled “The Great Commission.” But I want to suggest to you that the label is wrong!

Here is my point: The Bible does not have a “Great Commission.” Instead, there are five different “commissions” that Christ gives to believers. To label Matthew 28 as the “great” commission runs the risk of making the other 4 commands less important.

Here is your assignment: See if you can find the five commissioning statements Jesus gives. Take time to study them. In coming weeks I will write about each of them and how each one gives us valuable instructions of what we are commanded to do as a church. Together they help us understand what really makes up the “Great Commission.”

Czech Kids Camp Report

Ron Rohrssen, a member of the recent Czech Kids Camp Team, had this to share about his week at the camp:

Going to the Czech Republic to help with a kid’s camp was a natural extension of my work with kids in our Wednesday night Awana program. Since this was my first trip, I approached it with very few expectations. I prayed that God would use me for His purposes and that he would allow me to see how He was using me. In addition, I prayed daily for protection for the team, my family, and the teams’ families.

I believe that my prayers were answered in very obvious ways on this trip. Just weeks before the trip I was diagnosed with arthritis in my spine as the cause for much of my recent back pains. God completely removed my back pain during the trip! This allowed me to be completely mobile and play with the kids in every activity. Whether I was wrestling six kids into a snow bank, playing basketball, or being a pack mule for the team bags, I seldom gave the possibility of back pain a thought.

God also matched me with some boys who were going through similar experiences that I had faced with my family. One example is a boy named Adas (Adam). He was just beginning to learn about Christ because of his Grandmother’s insistence that he attend the camp. His Dad had forbidden the family from attending church or speaking of Christianity in the home.

My father’s reasons for keeping our family out of church were not the same as Adas’ father. But I was able to connect with him through this and other experiences. I prayed over each of the boys in my group individually throughout the week and had personal discussions with each of them about my testimony. Later in the week Adas told the group that he had “prayed the prayer to ask Christ to be with him.” Only Christ knows if Adas’ prayer was from the heart or a response to peer pressure. But I believe, at the very least, that Adam’s heart has been touched and seeds have been planted.

Here are a few pictures of Ron and his crew: