The Send is vital

Romans 10:15 tells us that preachers cannot go unless they are sent. What does this even mean...sending? Don't they just preach? No my friends, it is much more complicated than that.

First, people in ministry need your prayers. Your prayers are their armor, lifeblood, and spiritual support. Prayers are what open and close doors that no man can. Prayers protect lives. This isn't a hyperbole. It's the truth. I cannot count how many times I have heard stories where someone in the U.S. was praying at 3 a.m. for someone on the other side of the world, and in that exact moment, that person was facing a life or death situation. We can't see what our prayers are doing in the spiritual realm, but we should KNOW they do make a difference.

Second, the entire body of Christ is not called to preach, but we are called to play our part in the Great Commission. Studies have shown that most Christians are not even sure what the Great Commission means. That's ok! Let's look at Matthew 28:18-20 "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" Our Great Commission given to us from Jesus is to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them. The Great Commission is possible for anyone. We can help our co-worker in XYZ town, U.S.A. to be a disciple of Jesus. Your location doesn't matter -- being faithful to the calling does!

So why should we be involved in multiple places? If I'm making disciples in my hometown, why do I still need to be involved if I don't feel the call to go to another country? Because Jesus calls us to the nations. He calls us to share the good news with people who have no access to Scripture or a witness. He says, "make disciples of all the nations" and in Acts 1:8 Jesus says, "...And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." We are called to go everywhere for Jesus!

When you can't go, or don't feel called to go, to another country to share the Good News, then you SEND. The send involves praying, supporting, and giving to preachers who can and want to go! When you pray, offer help, or give financially to a preacher, you are going WITH that preacher because the preacher CANNOT do his/her task alone. It is impossible alone. Every time you pray or give, not only are you explicitly helping that person, you are also encouraging and affirming the call on his/her life.

Please, hear me today, never believe a lie that says you are not doing enough for God's kingdom because you're not here or there or because of some current circumstances. As long as you are faithful with what God has called you to today, then you are doing God's work. I, personally, am amazed by the people who give and pray year after year because they are faithful at their job and relationship with Christ. I am amazed at the moms and dads who are faithful at raising godly children, teaching them , and praying together. I am amazed at the women's groups that get together to pray or raise money. These are all ways that we send. We all need each other in the body of Christ!

I will leave you with this scripture because it is a beautiful representation that shows we all have a part in the Church.

1 Corinthians 12:12-21

"The human body has many parts, but the many part make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by the Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."

All Scripture quoted from NLT