Me, a Missionary?

The men that you see on this screen were missionaries to the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador.

Their names: Roger, Pete, Jim, Nate, and Ed.

On January 8, 1956, all of them were killed by members of the tribe that they were intending to bring the message of Jesus Christ.

They died as they were bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to this community leaving behind wives and children.

I am sure this caused their families a great deal of pain.

However, what is most impressive is one of the widows - Elisabeth Elliot was determined to bring the message of Jesus Christ to the tribe that had killed her husband - Jim Elliot.

Two years after her husband was killed, Elisabeth Elliot went to live amongst the Huorani, learned their language, and brought the message of Jesus Christ to this community.

Many came to know the Lord Jesus Christ, among them Dayuma - who helped Elisabeth and Rachel Saint (another of the widows) translate the Bible into the Huaorani tribe’s language.

Roger, Pete, Jim, Nate, Ed, Elisabeth, and Rachel were missionaries.

Christian believers who left their homes to go on the mission field to bring the message of Jesus Christ to those that did not know Jesus.

This is very much like what we read in the Bible:

Hechos de los Apóstoles 13:1–3 NIV

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The church in Antioch was growing and many people were being reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

…and all of a sudden God calls Barnabas and Saul to leave the church of Antioch and go into the mission field to preach the good news of Jesus Christ.

In the case of Roger, Pete, Jim, Nate, and Ed - their missionary service would be short lived as they would be killed without even having the opportunity to preach to the Huorani tribe.

In the case of Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint - they would dedicate much of their life to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to the tribe that killed their husbands.

Barnabas and Saul left their church community to go to the mission field - not knowing the hardship or opposition that they would face.

They did not have any assurance.

They did not know if the people would welcome them with the Christian message.

Saul knew better than that, after all he had persecuted Christians and opposed the Christian message for much of his life.

…however, they were sure of one thing:

God is a missionary God, meaning God wants non-believers to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

God calls christian believers to take this message to the ends of the earth.

…and in this case, God had called them to the mission field.

You may have heard about missionaries.

We collect an offering every Christmas to support our missionaries all around the world.

You may feel called, like Barnabas and Saul, to go to the mission field.

…however, did you know that we are all missionaries in a sense?

Jesus said:

Mateo 28:19 NIV

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

This means…that we are all called to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

This could mean that God calls you as a missionary to leave your home in Idaho to share the message of Jesus Christ in China, Africa, or a jungle in Brazil.

…however, it could also mean that he calls you to be a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, a social worker, a soccer player, or a chef - so that you can reach the people that you work with with the message of Jesus Christ.

In other words, God may not call you to be a missionary in a remote part of the world…

…but you can be sure that God calls you to be a missionary in whatever path you choose in life.

Let’s pray:

Father, you are a missionary God. Your heart is to reach all men, women, and children with the message of Jesus Christ. We pray for those career missionaries who risk their lives to take the message of Jesus Christ into the many dark places in the world. But we also pray, that you use each one of us…in whatever career we choose, to be a missionary to those that would otherwise not hear the message of Jesus Christ. …and although we me choose a career as a chef, lawyer, plumber, or physician - that we may understand that we are first and foremost missionaries serving a missionary God whose desire is that all humanity would hear about his son Jesus Christ.