Where is the mission field?

The Great Commission at the end of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus commands his disciples to “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.â€

Does this mean as a Christian you have to move to a non-english speaking country in the southern hemisphere in order to earn God’s favor?  That His grace gets repealed if you aren’t speaking Swahili?  That you have to enter The Seminary in order to make disciples?

There’s nothing wrong with leaving hearth and home, moving to distant lands to spread God’s message.  That is very honorable, and may God richly bless those who have done so.

But to paraphrase a friend of mine, who is a missionary, we are A City On A Hill, but a city doesn’t get to uproot itself and move.  We are The Light Of The World, but the candle gets placed where the Master wants it.

As the old song says, “brighten the corner, where you are.â€

And that’s the theme of the next two podcasts.  We interviewed David’s brother, Stephen Copeland.  A young christian man whom I have watched and cheered for as he stumbled and fumbled for a few years, not sure of his way but very concerned and concentrated on following His Way.  Imperfectly, yet diligently, following after Jesus.  A man who now finds himself in a situation that most would find perfectly average and ordinary.  Going to work every day, in just another job to pay the bills.

Or is it?

This was a really cool conversation about Purpose, and what it looks like to teach people about who Jesus really is, what The Bible really says, and how to make disciples.

Enjoy!

-Cliff

The post Episode #3 with Stephen Copeland- Mission field? What mission field? appeared first on God, Scrubs, and Workboots.