The Holy Spirit must empower our missional impact
October 2nd, 2007There is a renewed movement to the Great Commission in the church today in America as well as other places around the globe. And an old word has found new use. It is the word missional. If you Google this word you will find scores of articles, many written by Southern Baptists. I have preached on this topic at Olive and in conferences for fellow Baptists. I have often said it is not enough to be mission-minded. We must also be missional. We must do more than talk about and give to mission causes. We must all move a step forward to become involved on a corporate and personal level. Many see the missional movement as the answer to the tired and plateaued churches in America.
However, I submit to you being missional is not enough nor is it the answer to what ails us. Acts 1:8 tells us there is a great prerequisite to missions. Jesus told us we would be witnesses AFTER the HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME UPON US. We will never be effective in missional endeavors until we are first Pentecostal. Now I do not mean we are to change our doctrine to a Pentecostal church way of doing church. But I am saying we must have the power of the Holy Spirit before we will ever touch the world with the Gospel. Let the church get thoroughly right with Jesus, be filled with the Spirit and she will touch the world. When we are filled with God’s power, He can accomplish through us in just one day more than we could ever achieve on our own in an entire lifetime.
Don’t miss the order. PENTECOSTAL, then MISSIONAL, then GLOBAL.
O God, let the fire fall on us!
Pastor Ted Traylor
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:50 am
Dr. Traylor,
Thank you so much for bringing this point to the light. We tend to think in terms of what we can do when the reality is that God is moving in us to bring people to himself. I am thankful that the task of evangelism and missions does not fall on these frail arms alone, but we are empowered for the task he has called us too.
I think it was Moody who was asked, “what can we do to bring revival to our town?” and he replied, “Go into your prayer closet, draw a circle around yourself and ask God to send revival to that circle. When revival comes to that circle, revival will come to your town.”
Grace in Christ,
Jonathan