The post below was prepared by Mary Cooper for the Mission Team Manual/Devotional

(any errors however, are my responsibility in transcribing the notes)

Missions Mindset

The place God wants us to start in missions work is not to get a passport, buy a plane ticket or develop vacation bible school curriculum.  The place to start is by recognizing that you and I must trust God’s plan and not our own.  The short-term missions trip is an instrument God uses to help Christians – that’s you and me - learn to trust him in deeper and profound ways.

I am used to hearing Matthew 28:18-20  as a missionary-pitch passage, something used to motivate people for missions. The emphasis falls on the middle text, while the first and last parts of the text are afterthoughts as follows:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.  Mt 28:18-20

This passage comes at the end of Matthew and is referenced as The Great Commission.  It is our call to evangelize. This follows The Sermon on the Mount, where we are taught who we are to BE in CHRIST; and the Life of Christ and all of his teachings.  Remember, The Gospel comes to us individually before it can come globally. 

So read the passage again…

Whose authority is it?

How did He receive it?

How extensive is His authority?

Where does it reach – What does it cover?

How much authority does He have?

What is the basis of Jesus command to make Disciples?  (hint…what is the THEREFORE there for?)

The kingdom of God is all about His Authority of us, over ALL mankind.  There is ONE GOD – only one – and it is not you or me!  And because He Alone is GOD – I owe my allegiance to Him and no other.

We are truly a part of the May Your Kingdom Come. Maybe we should read the passage more like this:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Mt. 28:18-20

Really, it’s as if Jesus springs from the page of the Bible, saying “I love you.  I am in charge.  You’re in the middle of the Great Commission, now believe the two ends of this passage.  For I have all authority and I’m going with you-Forever!!!”

I pray that we will reach many for the Kingdom; that we will faithfully preach the Gospel; that we will be His witnesses to the nations.

I pray that we will experience that God is bigger than the challenges of foreign logistics, bigger than the frustrations of cultural differences, and bigger than our fears.  

I pray that we will personally discover that the 18” journey from head to heart is even longer than the journey from home to the heart of the Dominican Republic.  

But I also pray that the best part of our trip will be learning firsthand that God is Faithful to His Word.  God is in charge.  He goes with us.