Written by Van Yandell
John 4: 9 “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”
Several years ago we witnessed a surge of young people in the church being called as missionaries to Africa, Asia or parts of South and Central America. When this was announced in churches of various denominations around this country, halleluiahs and amens were heard echoing off the church walls.
Then someone noticed this was wonderful as long as the called was the child of someone else. “I don’t want my son/daughter going to that dangerous place in a far off land. My child should be a doctor, teacher or truck driver and live in America, land of the free (because of the brave) and pursue the American dream.”
“Preach this Gospel to all nations,” (Matthew 28: 18) as mandated by Lord Jesus just before He ascended was well and good as long as someone else did it.
It seems many times we preach and teach a different tune to others as opposed to our own family and self. This is seen in politics as well as the church. “Do as I say and not as I do,” is an old adage and it is just as inappropriate now as in the past.
To change hearts and minds concerning the calling of “one’s own” to a foreign mission field may be a fruitless effort. Parents of the called must be reinforced by fellow Christians and certainly a matter of prayer.
For a young Christian to announce, “Mom, Dad, I’m moving to the jungle on another continent and taking your grandchildren with me,” has to be devastating. Surprise, surprise! But you’ve raised them in the church and taught them to be mission minded, but many have difficulty seeing this as a blessing.
Proselytizing (recruiting into a belief/religion) is an example of an essential work that is not being done. “It’s the pastor’s job; it’s the deacon’s/elder’s job; anyone but me.” The promoting of the Gospel is urgent but many are not seeing it as being critical.
We are seeing a decline in America in church attendance and affiliation. A 2021 research claims that 63% percent of Americans claim a connection to Christianity. Many of those, however, are not in church attendance or in the engaging process as mandated by the Great Commission.
Many of that 63% fall short on taking Christianity seriously (not to be judgmental but obvious is obvious). A point to be made here is: what could be more important than one’s eternal destination?
If we can’t see a connection between the degradation of America in recent years and the departing from the church (1 Timothy 4: 1), we are examples of ignorance and apathy to the fullest. The United States is increasing in characteristics of a third world country, including an increased infant mortality rate, massive amounts of poverty, a smaller middle class, and an inconsistent economy with an increase in crime. The church is partly to blame.
How can anyone be held responsible for not knowing the difference in right and wrong unless someone tells them? The teachings of God are the primary source of such information. Should Cain have known it was wrong to kill Abel (Genesis 4)? How could he have known? As far as we know there was no one else on earth to tell him. His parents had no way of knowing, they only had one commandment and they broke it. The murder took place 2500 years before Moses brought the Ten Commandments off Mt. Sinai.
When Christian teachings were a priority in families, children grew up knowing the difference in right and wrong. That has changed dramatically. Are we going to be able to build prisons big enough and fast enough to contain all those not knowing God’s commandments?
How long can a nation last under these news rules of “anything goes”, perversion and permissiveness? A statement heard recently, “I have great fear for America; God will be true to His word.”
When a people forget or ignore the teachings of God, there are consequences. We may think of the Ten Commandments when we think of the difference of right and wrong. But another, and as important a commandment we are ignoring, is what Christians call The Great Commission.
The teaching of Jesus crucified for the remission of sin and resurrected, leads to the teaching of the differences in right and wrong. Some actions and attitudes are essential in a civilized society and those are exactly parallel with the teachings of God in the Holy Bible.
We are allowing the world to fall into eternal damnation (Romans 6:23). Yet we sit on our own smugness and blessed assurances within a state of apathy not seen in America’s history.
Acts 1: 8 “And ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” This is the last statement Jesus made before ascending into Heaven. This makes it important.
As a firm believer in the New Testament commandments (Jesus’ Commandments), the Great Commission takes precedence. Since we have not heeded this one, the United States of America has degraded into a Sodom and Gomorrah.
The time is way past due for us to begin working the last commandment of our Savior Jesus and tell the world about Him.
There are at least six Great Commission verses in the Bible and every one is powerful. Acts 1: 8 however, contains a word that stimulates my thoughts. That word is Samaria. Notice in the verse, Jesus listed four geographic locations: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.
Jerusalem is our town/city; Judea is our state or province and the uttermost parts are the uttermost parts. Samaria, however, is similar to Judea and my thinking is Jesus was telling us something completely different from what many perceive.
The Samaritans were a despised people by the Jews. By definition they are people that are crossed between Jews and another race of people. In today’s world that attitude is politically incorrect but in Jesus’ day (on earth) ethnic purity was seen as a good trait.
In 2022, very few people are ethnically singular. Could Jesus have been telling us that all mankind is important to Him? If “I’m looking for someone just like me” to tell about Jesus, I’ll never tell anyone.
Probably all people are like the Samaritans and if Christians do not have a burden for the unsaved, someone along the way has miserably failed. Working as an evangelist and missionary I must accept a part of that blame. Who have I missed telling about the saving power of Lord Jesus?
It may be amusing to hear someone say, “Send someone’s child to the jungle but not mine.” But it surely is a contradiction of what we claim to believe.
Christians, based on Bible teachings, believe in callings. When God calls one to the mission field, He is signifying the importance of promoting the Gospel to a lost world. Don’t be upset. Turn to God in prayer. Feel privileged to have a person in your life God calls into service.
Romans 10: 15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, “how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”