Acts Day 151 - How Far Does Our Mission Field Extend?

Near the end of Acts 13 a partial verse from Isaiah is quoted. Here is the entire verse:

 "Indeed He says:

 ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;

 I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

The One speaking is God. The "You" is Jesus. Jesus is the One who raised up the tribes of supplanters (Jacob) and restored the overcomers (Israel). However the mission was not over. The Light of truth and the love of God was to extend far beyond Jacob and Israel to the ends of the earth. Jesus had started the mission. He had taken His disciples to Decapolis and as far north as Tyre and Sidon. To His followers He had declared "You will do greater things than I have done." Jesus is the Light of the world and His followers are to spread the Light to everyone, everywhere.

It seems somewhere along the way we lost sight of that mission. We lost the vision. We switched from Kingdom building to nation building. Even within Christian nations we have erected walls between us. We build neighborhoods for the rich, the middle class, and the poor and then never go beyond our own walls. We have neighbourhoods for different ethnic groups as if they are a plague to be contained. Those from Judah traveled around Samaria and we travel around the "bad" neighbourhoods. We leave the wealthy without hope because they aren't "one of us". On an international scale we visit certain countries without hesitation and other ones we rarely if ever step a foot.

 It's not all negative. My church has a presence in almost every nation of the world. For this I am thankful. Men like J. N. Andrews made sure from the beginning that we embraced Jesus' words "Go into all the world..."

But I'm challenged lately by an ever increasing burden. How far does my mission field extend? Where are my walls and borders? Am I sharing the Light everywhere or are there "neighbourhoods" where I won't go?

God gave us Jesus as His ambassador. Jesus started the mission and then called His church to carry on the mission. Are we sharing His Light everywhere? Are we as eager to reach the dark skinned as the light skinned? The Liberals as the Conservatives? The Democrats as the Republicans? The Atheists as the religious? The Middle East as the Midwest? The Far East as the Deep South? The LGBTQ as the straight? The addicted as the free?

Are we engaged in this war to save as many lives as possible wherever they be found or are we studying our own comfort and seeking to build walls around our little kingdoms here? Jesus. We either follow Him or we are taking His Name in vain.