“…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace…”
Shoes of readiness of the gospel
Jesus’ call to his disciples is to go and make disciples of all nations. This is the Great Commission. Shoes are an apt symbol of going. We have been given the good news, the news that brings hope to the hopeless. And it is our job to be ready at a moment’s notice to go. By participating in a short-term mission trip, we are going, thus equipping ourselves in a way. But each day of the trip is a new opportunity to go out into the streets again. To the extent that the gospel is truly good news for us, to the extent that we are ready to share it each day, we are equipped. But in another way, this trip costs us little. It lasts a short time and we return to a way of life that is easy. For many, it is actually a kind of experiment and it results in an inoculation and the conclusion that “missions aren’t for me.” Many are not ready to do any more than the trip, and therefore have not put on the shoes of the readiness of the gospel. They have not acquired a Great Commission lifestyle.
Specific steps
How do we acquire a Great Commission lifestyle? First, we have to get God’s heart for the lost, then we have to be prepared to act as His ambassadors every day of life. Here are some specific ways:
- Study scripture about God’s heart for the poor.
- Touch the poor & the lost.
- Meet a felt need.
- Pray about God’s call on your life.
- Decide to regularly reach out back home.
- Feel what God feels.
- Understand your spiritual gifts & how to apply them.
Measuring progress
How is progress measured? Disciplers should help count each time their assigned participant actually interacts with the poor and lost. The outcome of these interactions should be to identify felt needs and in some way express God’s love for them. They should furthermore have a conversation with the participant at the outset of the trip in order to ascertain their level of understanding of and commitment to the Great Commission. Ultimately, it is the specific changes to their lifestyle that participants make that matter most.
Challenge… 1. Read Matthew 25:31-46. 2. Spend quality time loving on one person that does not know Christ, and tell them about The World Race, while explaining the Great Commission. PLEASE SHARE your experience! Scripture Memory… Matthew 28: 19,20
Prayer… “Lord, I want to be a Great Commission Christian. I want to follow you wherever you lead me. Break my heart with the things that break your heart. Fill me with a holy compassion to reach the world for Christ”
