Campinas Metro Missions

An Engaging study

Recently, I started to do a study of different missionary, or evangelistic, methods in the New Testament.  I started out looking at the life of Paul in the book of Acts.  It was an interesting study that left me hungry for more.  So I decided to take a look to see what I could learn about Jesus approach to missions in Mark’s Gospel.  I was completely blown away.  Mark’s account is packed with solid, practical information on how to be a successful missionary.

Getting it straight

Before I go any farther, let’s make something crystal clear: we are all missionaries.   The basic definition of a missionary is a person sent on a mission.   Through the Great Commission, Jesus is sending every one us on a mission to make disciples of all the nations.  Which means you are a missionary! It means I am one too!  Every believer is a missionary.   The beautiful thing about our mission is that we can make disciples wherever we live.  We can move to a different city, state, or country.  We can also choose to stay right where we are.  What’s important is not our location, but our vocation. Jesus wants us to be making disciples.  We need to ask ourselves “How do I get started?” Mark provides us with the answer.

The Great Transition

Now, you may be waiting for some great revelation, some earth shattering truth that will rock you to your foundations, but the answer to the question is so simple, it’s profound:  make a decision to embrace your responsibility.  This is what Jesus did.  Mark records this for us in the first chapter of his gospel:

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  (Mark 1:9-11)

The starting point for Jesus’ ministry was his baptism.  Why?  It marked the transition from his private life as Jesus the carpenter to his public life as Jesus the Messiah.  Think for a moment about your own baptism.  What did it mark?  A transition.   You went from being a sinner to becoming a child of God.  And what does any transition begin with?  A decision. Whether it’s to move to a different place, taking up a different occupation, or making an internal change in your life, it all starts with a decision. Jesus decided that he was going to fulfill God’s plan for his life and take up his mission.  This led him to the Jordan River so he could begin his ministry.

It is often said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  It doesn’t.  It begins with the decision to begin the journey which culminates in taking that first step. This means that if you want to fulfill the Great Commission, you need to make a decision today that you are going to do it.  We’ll cover what you do next in Part Two, so stay tuned.