I know it is a lousy title but that’s what we call every February. It is a time when we focus on the different ministries we support outside of our local area. Missions Month sounds very dated but until someone gives me a better title that’s what we’ll stick with.

In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells his disciples that they are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. I can’t imagine what the disciples must have felt like at hearing that. I know I would have turned around to look at who He was talking to. He couldn’t have meant them could he? Surely he was talking about His grand plan for the world and what He really meant was that the disciples would start right there in Jerusalem, and the next generation would spread out into Judea and Samaria, and then maybe several generations later they would eventually get to the ends of the earth, didn’t He? Apparently the disciples took Him seriously as it appears they traveled extensively to be His witnesses.

I think Jesus’ approach is a great motivator. When we see the whole task before us it motivates us to get to work. After this message it would be hard for the disciples to think any other way but big. They wouldn’t be focused on their church in Jerusalem, they would be focused on the church across the world.

It would also be impossible for them to be inward focused. With such a large job before them they wouldn’t be able to waste time on trivial things or programs that would have little real impact. They would look for what was effective and not what was comfortable.

We need to make sure we don’t lose sight of the task we have as a church and that’s why it is important for us, our little church, to think big. Being involved in His mission around the world makes us more efficient in our work right here at home. As we go through this month let’s renew that vision in our hearts.

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