Your mission.....should you choose to accept it...

Here's the biblical account of Jesus sending out some workers, who were to go by twos into every place that Jesus would visit.  They were the "front men," to prepare the hearts of the people with a message, "The kingdom of God is coming near to you."

Luke 10:1-7
"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house."

The basics of the story include:

1.  Jesus is sending out front runners  which he will be following soon.

2.  They are going two by two into every town and place.
3.  The purpose of their mission has several aspects.
        a. To pray for and recruit people to be the harvest of workers for Jesus.
        b. The work is dangerous.  Like lambs among the wolves.
        c. Pack light. No purse, no bags, no sandals.
        d. Don't waste time with social visiting.
4. Proclaim the message of peace.
        a. If your message falls on a promoter of peace, it will stay with them.
        b. If the message falls on those not promoting peace, it will come back to you.
5.  Eat and drink with the families welcoming you.
6.  Don't move around from house to house.

This is the mission plan of Jesus himself, as his workers were sent out to reach others.  How does it compare to your concept of mission working?  However we answer that, remember when doing this type of work for the Lord, there will some success in reaching others, and some will not be moved in the direction of Jesus' mission.

Notice Jesus did not give them a list of the things to take along.  Instead, he mentions several things they should leave behind.  Someone has suggested when we are called on to make a mission endeavor for the Lord, we pack by first making three stacks .  Stack one, will contain the essentials, everything we know as necessary for such a trip and work.  Stack two will include the things we would like to take, but are not exactly essential for the trip.  Stack three contains the things that might make the trip more comfortable for us, and add a bit of luxury to our lives while we are working.  The suggestion of the three stacks concludes by telling us to discard stacks two and three, leaving only the first stack.  That's the way Jesus wants to prepare you for your work and influence.

No one has ever claimed mission work is easy.  However, it is the only way we can be instrumental in fulfilling the commands of the Great Commission.  It is mission work with a purpose if you are dealing one on one with someone over the back yard fence, or if you have the opportunity to talk to multitudes.

For you and me, as children of the Most High King, telling  others the gospel story, is a way of life.

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