You have likely heard the statement in a number of contexts: “it’s a small world.” Perhaps someone was amazed at overlapping personal connections or friendships, perhaps someone was considering technology and the possibility of instantaneous communications, or perhaps someone was thinking about the ease of travel in today’s world. All are indications of a shrinking world which is more and more accessible, more and more interconnected. This shrinking world also makes our response to the Great Commission–Jesus’ stated desire that the gospel go into all the world–easier and easier.
In just over three months this year, we have spent two ministry weekends with churches in Arkansas, attended mission meetings in Texas and Arkansas, preached two weekends in Michigan, preached at the Hispanic congregation at Park Plaza–Tulsa, visited and preached at the Kiowa and Fort Gibson churches on behalf of Baxter, preached at home in McAlester a couple of times, participated in the 50th Anniversary weekend with the church in Lansing, Michigan, shared the Baxter story at the Edmond church, spent 3 weeks in Guatemala preaching and teaching, and we are looking forward to two weeks in Honduras in May.
What will we do in this shrinking world? Will we see and seize the opportunities? Will we seek new and better ways of communicating the gospel, fresh ways of training missionaries, ministers and evangelists, renewed connections to those formerly untouchable–or we will stay in BAU mode? For Christians genuinely committed to faithful discipleship, followers of Christ who have taken his mission as their own, the latter is a non-starter. Will you pray today about how and where and when God is calling his church forward? Will you pray about the who–remembering that the who may be you? Our God is able to exceedingly, incredibly, abundantly above and beyond anything that we have thought, dreamed, or imagined. Our God is able through energizing us.
The opportunity of the present moment is perhaps unsurpassed in the history of world. Do we see it? Will we seize it? Or will we sit idly?