Missions Week Devotion by Barbara Baker
Good morning! Today our Lord is blessing us in Romans 1:16:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
Romans 1:16
Paul penned these words to explain why he started his preaching at the Jewish synagogues in each city he visited. Once the Jews had heard, or in many cases refused to hear the Good News, Paul would move on and preach to the Gentiles. Of course, the Apostle Paul was a true missionary in every sense of the word. He was following the Great Commission’s edict to spread the Word to the far ends of the earth.
Let’s step back and take a look at Jesus’ ministry model. He developed his team, the original twelve, from Galilee, his homeland. They ministered within a hundred and fifty miles of home to those who spoke the same language, sharing their common Jewish roots and faith. As followers joined in Jesus’ journeys, they were not men and women from foreign lands or other faiths. Essentially, they were Jewish neighbors and fellow believers ministering to and healing folks cut from the same fabric of life. By the time we get to Jesus’ Ascension and the Upper Room after the Crucifixion, there are 120 gathered, a band of Galileans.
“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?’
Acts 1:10-11
What was Jesus teaching us about evangelism from His leadership team? Is it really as simple as genuinely loving our neighbor and sharing the love and joy of Jesus with them? Our Lord didn’t leave us with a written structure of theology. In fact, He didn’t write anything. We are blessed to have the Holy Spirit inspired accounts of those who lived, walked, ministered, cried and healed the sick with Him.
Their daily lives became the seed of the story we are entrusted to share today. Yes, we will send and support missionaries much like Paul, but those individuals each learned about Jesus in their own hometowns, churches, vacation Bible schools and church camps. That’s us! The hands and feet of Jesus speaking and sharing the Gospel in our own mission field. Our
neighborhoods are our Jerusalem!
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus loves you! Me, too!