Reflections

Sunday, July 19 is Mission Sunday.  Each member is asked to give $19.28 to support the advancement of the gospel beyond our borders.  In 1928, what is now known as the Marsalis Avenue Church of Christ was established.  The $19.28 is a reminder of our history.  In October of 2008, in celebration of the congregation’s 80th Anniversary, we held our first Mission Sunday.  The idea of supporting the work of the Lord outside of the geographic region of the local congregation is almost as old as the New Testament church (1 Corinthians 16:1-3, 2 Corinthians 8-9).  Additionally Mission Sunday is a demonstration of our commitment to the Great Commission.  Our mission is to make and develop followers for Christ.  We believe that all people should be believers in Christ, that all believers should become disciples of Christ, and that all disciples of Christ should make disciples for Christ.  Our concern should be that those who do not know Christ come to believe in Him and obey the gospel.  There are lost people across our borders and across the street.  Both need Jesus.  Both need us to carry the message of the cross.  Reflect on these questions:

• Do I see lost people as lost?  Often we fail to see people as eternal beings.  We may see a person as not being a member of the church, but do we really see their soul as lost?

• Do I care about those that I don’t know?  It is compassion for people that moves us to minister to them and share Jesus with them.  In Luke 10, the Samaritan cared more about the injured man than did the Jewish priest and Levite.

• Have I lost my zeal and joy for the gospel?  Many times when people are not excited and invested, they are not committed.  If it has been years or even months since you have told someone about the Lord, maybe your zeal has grown cold.

• Am I generous with the blessings of God?  Sometimes we do not support the work of the church because we see God’s blessings as our money.

While you may never go to a foreign country to share Jesus, you can support those who do.  It is my prayer that God gives each one of us a heart for the Great Commission.