by Patrick Sawyer, Missional Living Pastor
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
One of my favorite missionaries is William Carey. Carey had a heart for the nations and believed Matthew 28 was a responsibility for all Christians to obey. He was burdened because Christians in his group were not going to the nations and actually thought it was a waste of time. So in 1787 in a minister’s meeting, Carey questioned the group on this and a man named John Ryland stood up and said. “Young man, sit down! When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do without your aid or mine!”
Because Carey believed the Great Commission was for all Christians, in 1792 he published a treatise titled An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christian to Use Mean for the Conversion of the Heathens, which challenged Christians that when God gave us the Great Commission is was not for a few people. It was not just for the apostles. It was not for a special group of people. God does not have His Navy Seal Great Commission team.
When God gave the Great Commission, He gave it to all Christians. Carey was so passionate about this that he would eventually leave and go take the gospel to India. Before he left for India, he wrote to a pastor named Andrew Fuller and said “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope”. This would go on to start the Baptist Mission Society which would go on to hold the rope for William Carey and many others.[1]
The truth is we are all called to fulfill the Great Commission and take the gospel to the nations. We have the opportunity to join God’s mission to take the gospel to the nations. What an honor and a privilege that we get to be a part of! Think about this - God could have chosen to do anything He wanted to get the gospel to those who have yet to hear. He could have drawn John 3:16 in the sky or He could have shouted the gospel from the heavens, but chose to use His people to take the gospel to those who have not heard.
Again, this is an honor and a privilege we get to do this, but it is also a great responsibility. Think about this, not only are there many people who are not saved in our city, state and our country, but there are over 3 billion people all over the world who have never heard of the name of Jesus.
The question is not am I called, but where am I called and what part do I play. We all have a part. We need people praying, giving, sending and going. We need people like Carey who will go AND we also need people like Fuller to stay back and hold the rope.
Some people will be called to live on mission where they are and some people will be called to leave and go to the nations. Do we have people in our backyard that needs the gospel? Yes. Do we need to reach them? Yes. But we still must be a part of getting the gospel to the nations and fulfilling the Great Commission. We all have a part to play in Birmingham and around the world. Are you doing your part?
[1] Biography of William Carey