If you are wondering what would be the most powerful impact your life could have in the Cause of Christ, you may do well to consider the adventure of world missions!

What in the world is “Missions”?
Missionaries do all kinds of good things, but the truly unique task of missions is not "winning more souls." (We will always have the job of evangelism.) Neither is it social involvement. (Life and culture will always be under attack.) The unique task of missions is to establish a viable growing church movement among every tribe, tongue, people and nation that Christ might be exalted in all the earth.

In a sense, missions is raising up “worshipers” from all peoples!

It is the pursuit of God's glory and righteousness among the nations….. an invitation to the nations of the earth to come and worship before Him.

"let the people praise thee O God;
let all the people praise thee!
let the nations be glad and sing
for joy!" (PS.67:3-4)

John Piper says "Worship is the goal of missions." It is the goal of the church to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God."

“Worship is also the fuel of missions”. Piper continues, "Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. But you can't commend what you don't cherish. Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak."

Until we are sure there is a strong church movement within every one of the people groups, the Great Commission is not finished.

Until individuals in every people group can see how their "new life" relates to their culture-as it has in thousands of others throughout history-they will not feel comfortable or have the fellowship necessary to be reproductive followers of Christ.

The greatest “Kingdom” need in our day is to have biblical disciple-makers inside every people group (Matthew28:19,20).

Yet according to The US Center For World Mission only two percent of American congregations are alive in any very meaningful sense to "Declaring His Glory among the Nations."

* Out of every dollar put in the offering plate on Sunday morning approximately 96 cents stays at home. Out of that 40 cents goes to building funds!
* Out of the 4 cents that makes it overseas, less than one fifth of one
cent goes towards the unreached peoples!
* Evangelicals spend more money on pet food than on world missions!
* There is one missionary for every one million Muslims!
* There are more missionaries to the state of Alaska than all of North
Africa above the equator.
* There are 4558 languages without any of the Bible translated in their
language.

Why the deficit in missions?
Many churches today do not see the Great Commission and the spreading of God’s glory among the nations as the priority of their ministry. As one person said “Missions is for missionaries and I’m not a missionary!”

Yet Scripture is plain that the Great Commission was given to all of God’s people. It would be foolish to say that worship is only for worship leaders, or witnessing is only for evangelists!

Some argue that we have plenty of work to do here at home and that Jesus said that we would be His witnesses “beginning in Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8).

He actually spoke these words to his disciples who were from Galilee. Jerusalem was already a cross- cultural experience for them!

Yes, there is plenty of work to do here at home. But imagine villages, cities, entire countries where there is no church at all. Compare that to how many churches there are here where we live.

Today there are approximately 11,000 unreached people groups (tribes, tongues & nations) out of which 946 are not only unreached, but unengaged. In other words, no church, no organization, no one is working among them in an effort to plant the church!

Getting started!
We can all be involved in world evangelization either as “goers” or “senders” or sometimes both! But the point is we must all be involved! If your Church is engaged in missions then start there. If you or your church needs help, click here for list of links that can provide valuable resources and answer many of your questions.

E-mail: Scott Wesley Brown