Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
This passage is one that has launched countless medical missions trips throughout history and to all four corners of the globe. The heart of an evangelistic Christian is to make the gospel and the name of Jesus known to every living soul. It pains us to think that there are people walking around, at this very moment, who have no idea what it is that Jesus Christ did for them on the cross at Calvary. Can you imagine what your life would look like today if you had never heard the name of Jesus? If you had never heard The Good News?
This is why we go. This is why Mission Partners For Christ exists: to ensure that unreached people throughout the world have the opportunity to both hear and experience the gospel of Christ for themselves.
However, the call to the mission field is not, as many assume, limited to those who are called abroad. If you read the above passage carefully, you will note that Jesus did not specify that the Great Commission was specifically for missions abroad. This is because Jesus wanted everyone to hear the good news – near and far.
The Early Church Understood This
If you read through the book of Acts, you will note that some, like Paul and Barnabas, see their mission as going out into the world to share the gospel. However, many of the apostles remained in Jerusalem to encourage and build up the early church at home:
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria
Acts 8:1
Every person in the early church had a role to fill in order to spread the gospel. Not everyone’s job looked the same, but every job was essential to building up and growing the Body of Christ.
Paul made note of this in one of his letters,
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
1 Cor 12:4-6
He then goes on to specify how varied the gifts are that the Holy Spirit gives to each of us:
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:3-8
The Impact For Today
To put this in perspective, let’s jump back to our modern-day example of the missionary serving abroad on an medical mission trip.
This missionary has this gift of teaching – she knows the gospel of Jesus and has been called to a new world to share this soul-saving knowledge with those who need to hear it.
When our missionary friend feels discouraged in her role, perhaps she will contact a friend with the gift of encouragement who will remind her of the reason she left to serve and teach the gospel.
Her brother might have the gift of giving and can support her while she serves abroad.
Her pastor back home has the gift of leadership and leads his congregation to be a missions-minded community and use their gifts to serve missionaries abroad and to support evangelism efforts at home however they can.
Only one of them was sent abroad, but every member of her Christian community back home had a role to play to get the gospel message out into the world.
In the same vein, we all have gifts that support the great commission in one way or another. Not all of us can be involved in medical missions trips. We can’t all be missionaries, like Amy Carmichael, or great evangelists, like Billy Graham, but we are all called to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus left for His believers.
What Is Your Role?
Have you ever considered what your role in missions might be? Wherever your gifts lie, there is a place for you among the supporters and volunteers of Mission Partners For Christ.
Do you have the gift of giving? If you cannot physically come with us on a medical missions trip, consider a donation. Every single gift from you gets used in our ministry for the glory of God.
Maybe you have the gift of faith and would like to join our prayer team. We meet the third Monday of every month, and you can get more details by contacting us here.
If you have the gift of serving, we hope that you will think about joining us on an upcoming medical mission trip. We need volunteers to go with us on our medical mission trips. We need all kinds of medical professionals who are willing to use their skill-set to serve unreached populations. We also need those without medical expertise to help us in our clinics and with sharing the gospel.
How do you see yourself and your place in medical missions trips? Do you feel a call to go and serve? Or do you feel God is calling you to remain at home and use your gifts in a different way to support the spread of the gospel? We would love to hear from you.
Please leave us a comment and let us know!
