Why Money?

We just got through with our Missions Convention yesterday and I feel that I need to address an issue that was brought up at church in the middle of the service of "Why Money?" Mark Oberbeck who is our Iowa Youth Director was talking about Speed the Light which is a missions organization that raises money for missionaries so that they can have vehicles, sound equipment and other tools to effectively preach the gospel in other nations. The question was basically why do we need to talk about money or can't there be other ways of helping? There are other ways we can help our missionaries, first of all by praying for our missionaries. Many missionaries will tell you that they covet our prayers while they are on the missions field. Another way is going on a missions trip ourselves and helping the missionaries with projects that they may have. About six years ago, I went to Peru and helped build a Teen Challenge Building for a church. It was an awesome experience. The third way is by giving. The fact of the matter is, it takes money to live and to have the tools necessary to do your job. For example, if our missionaries didn't have vehicles they could not reach some of the far reaching areas and villages in their nations. Our missionaries are 100% supported by the local churches. Just as we need a home to live in and food on our tables, so do missionaries. Many of the places that they live are very poor regions and the people there cannot support them. It is the local churches job to do that. These missionaries have given up their lives to the call of going over seas and reaching areas that we simply cannot reach. They will be honored in heaven because of their call and we need to honor them now on earth. Missionaries should be our heroes! I am not ashamed as your pastor to ask for money to help missionaries. We are obeying the command of Jesus to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." Jesus said that He would come back here on earth after the Gospel has been spread to the ends of the earth. Think about that for a moment. The only thing that is holding Jesus from coming back and taking us home is His love for people who have not heard His message yet. This should show us, His concern for other nations and those who still need to be reached. One of our core values at Community Hope is "Missions Minded." If we are missions minded, God will bless. I know this, because I've seen it time and time again. Let's be about the priorities of Jesus and have a heart to reach our world with the love of God.