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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Senders and Goers

3 John 7-8 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

At the church where I pastor we are celebrating missions day.  Missions day is where various missions organizations come and have the opportunity to interract and communicate God's work to His people.  The Apostle John, one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, wrote the above text under the inspritation of the Holy Spirit.  Any time a Christian goes out and shares the gospel, they are a missionary.  The word "missionary" comes from the latin missio meaning "arrow" or "a thrown spear" (where we also get our word 'missle').  Thus God literally desires for every Christian to be used in His hand to target the lost and reach the world for Jesus.

Today we will be hosting some missionaries who do the very thing John is speaking of here.  We must understand that the mission to reach the world for Christ's sake is not our idea, nor the idea of the missionaries going abroad.  Rather it is the passion of God reaching forth through the heart, minds and mouths of those who go forth in obedience to His call. (Please compare 2 Corinthians 5:15-21)  Now notice some of the things John commands concerning those missionaries that go abroad.

1. This mission needs our support
John writes - "Therefore we ought to support such men". (3 John 8).  The word there for "support" gives the idea of "bearing up, coming up from underneath".  And notice too how John emphasizes "ought".  Not should, not perhaps, not if it is convenient, but "ought".  This speaks of responsibility.  As God's people, we all have a stake in the great commission, and not just those few who go out and proclaim the message to an unbelieving world. 

2. The mission includes us
John continues in verse 8 of his short letter - "so that we may be fellow workers with the truth".  When you and I give of our finances, our time and our prayers, we are as much a part of the mission as those going forth.  In any Great Commission activity for Christ's glory there are two elements - senders and goers.  The senders support and the goers report.  The senders give for the gospel and the goers live out the gospel.  The senders pray and the goers proclaim.  Without one of those elements, the other could not fulfill its purpose. 

Senders need goers.  If there are currently no goers, pray to the Lord of the harvest that He may raise them up.  If the goers have no senders, the senders need to heed the call of their master.   May we, by the grace and power of Christ, work together and spreading the goodnews of Jesus Christ. For He has sent us to go!