Finding Purpose in Missions: Understanding God’s Call to Share Jesus with the Nations

God is sending His people to proclaim the supreme beauty of Jesus to all nations. This powerful message explores what motivates authentic mission work and how we can discern if God is calling us to serve cross-culturally.

What Makes Someone Qualified for Mission Work?

Many Christians put missionaries on a pedestal, viewing them as “super Christians.” However, this misunderstands what it means to follow Jesus. All disciples are called to surrender everything to Christ, though not all are specifically called to overseas missions.

What Should Motivate Mission Work?

Three key questions help discern healthy motivations for missions:

1. Are You Amazed by Jesus?

– Mission work must flow from genuine delight in Jesus

– God delights in Jesus and wants the world to share in this delight

– Our evangelism often fails when we care more about people’s approval of us than their joy in Jesus

2. Do You Love Lost People Like Jesus Does?

– Jesus had compassion on lost people, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd

– Being “unreached” doesn’t mean being unreceptive to the gospel

– The problem isn’t rejection of the gospel but lack of exposure to it

3. Will You Declare That No Idol Compares to Jesus?

– Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ

– We must be willing to confront both heart idols and literal idolatry

– The exclusivity of Christ is Christianity’s most radical belief

Common Misconceptions About Missions

• You don’t need to be spiritually perfect before considering missions

• Adventure, personal growth, and guilt are sub-Christian motivations

• The harvest is plentiful – the issue is lack of workers, not receptivity

Life Application

This week, consider these questions:

• How much do you truly delight in Jesus? Does your joy in Him overflow into sharing Him with others?

• Do you weep for the lost like Jesus did? Or are you more concerned with temporal things?

• Are you open to God’s calling to cross-cultural ministry, whether as a vocational missionary or through your profession?

Challenge: Spend time in prayer asking God to break your heart for what breaks His. Ask Him to show you how He wants you to participate in His mission to reach the nations, whether by going, sending, or supporting those who go.