You Must Get This Settled
Is God calling you to cross-cultural missions? Whatever your age or life circumstance, have you specifically wrestled with God about his plan for you in relation to the nations? God’s calling on your life will direct your daily life priorities, choices, and behaviors, so you must get this settled right away.
Does This Permeate Your Heart?
Your great privilege as a Christian is to first love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. From this love, you learn to love your neighbor as yourself. And true love for God necessitates that you love what he loves and hates what He hates.
So, what does God love? God loves his glory known among the nations. He desires all the diverse people groups scattered throughout the world to worship him and magnify his character. If you know the Bible, this is no surprise to you. Yet, we all need to be reminded of what is on our Lord’s heart:
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you… All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. (Psalm 86:5, 9 ESV)
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1:11)
"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4:11)
Yes—a passion for God’s glory among the nations permeates the Bible, but does it permeate your own heart? Do not let any lesser competing passions overrule your heart. The more you grow in your love for God, the more you will care about his glory spread to the ends of the earth. As Eric E. Wright explains, “A passion for God fuels the missionary impulse!” (A Practical Theology of Missions, p. 25)
Does This Distress You?
Of the nearly 8 billion people in the world, at least 3 billion have never heard of the biblical Jesus and his good news (Joshua Project). Likewise, about 86% of Muslims globally have no personal contact with a single Christian (Zwemer Center). The good news is not good news for those who have never heard it!
These unreached peoples continue in ignorance of the only way of salvation from sin, Satan, and eternity in hell. God takes no pleasure in the death of these many perishing peoples. Moreover, these billions are actively glorifying lifeless idols instead of the true, living, and all-worthy God. God hates such glory-stealing:
I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. (Isa 42:8)
Does this distress you? Billions of lost souls exchanging the glory of the Creator for the created. Do you long for the whole earth to “be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14)? True love for God and love for neighbor ought to compel you to action.
What Can You Do?
This brings us to our original question: Is God calling you to cross-cultural missions? Or another way: Is God calling you to be involved in spreading the glory of his name to the nations? Absolutely yes! When God called you to himself, he also called you into his worldwide mission.
There are two ways that you can get involved: go or send. Both are crucial to fulfilling the Great Commission. The senders are like those who sent Apostle Paul on mission with their personal, financial, and spiritual support (see Acts 13-15). The goers follow the pattern of Paul, going to where Christ has not yet been preached, i.e. the unreached (see Romans 15:20). Either way, there is sacrifice by every member of the body of Christ to advance God’s kingdom to all nations.
So, is God calling you to send or to go to unreached peoples? It could be a combination of both. Wrestle with God about this question until you have it clarified. Pray. Fast. Search the Scriptures. Seek counsel from others. Research the nations that are still unreached. Also, do not forget to love your immediate neighbors with the gospel, especially the internationals moving into your community.
In the words of Dr. Samuel Miller, “What more worthy object can we seek, than contributing to fill the earth with the glory of the Lord?” And in the Word of God:
May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! (Psalm 72:17)
PS: There is an immediate need for teammates for work among the unreached in northern South Asia. Contact RPGM to inquire more.