Somehow, in the midst of a busy world where absolutes are rejected, mediocrity accepted, and the Word of God diluted, our understanding of His call has lost its edge. From the coasts of North America to the deserts of the Middle East, the church has largely adopted a cafeteria form of Christianity: we choose what we like from the Word and leave that which does not appeal to us.

The Scripture passage we have coined the “Great Commission” does not suggest an action for Christ’s followers; it demands a response. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Hudson Taylor put it appropriately, “The great commission is not an option to be considered, but a command to be obeyed.”

Prior to my departure for the Middle East, a man informed me that the only solution for dealing with the Arab world was a nuclear bomb. Many believers wanted to be sure I would steer clear of any danger or precarious situations. Through these and other circumstances, my heart has been stirred to consider what “His call” involves. What does it demand of us? The simple answer: Everything.

I believe the reason His call is missed in today’s world is because we have taken the “all” out of the call. We have this perception that we can follow Christ without “forsaking all” (Luke 14:33), or that somehow we can follow Him without first denying self and taking up our cross. In Acts 20:24, Paul notes that “none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” That word “dear” could be translated “most precious.” In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells His followers, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (6:21) Therefore, when we make Christ our “treasure,” He is our most precious possession and everything else falls into the category of “these things [which do not] move me.” Until we can say with Paul in Colossians, “For I died and my life is hidden with Christ in God,” how can we expect His life to be seen in us?

In reference to the call of God, Christian artist Steve Green wrote, “I will go, and let this journey be my home… Cut the roots that run too deep.” Are we prepared to give up that which we cannot keep and see the eternal, rather than the temporal? The psalmist stated, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.”  (Psalm 84:5)

When we embrace and confess that this world is not our home, the whole earth becomes the foreign field. This does not mean that all must leave the land of their birth and family, but considering the 6500 unreached people groups in the world and the saturation of the Gospel in North America, the Lord of the Harvest may be asking some others to leave their “Jerusalem and Judea.”

Yes, many are called to stay and “hold down the fort” and without doubt, that job is no less vital; however if our choice is based on being unwilling to sacrifice something or someone for His name, we are boldly proclaiming to the world that the thing we will not give up is more important that the person of Jesus Christ. Perhaps the reason an abundance of people do not ask us “a reason of the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15) is that it appears to them that our attachments are here on earth. Perhaps they are right.

Another aspect of forsaking all is following Him, even against human logic. One of the greatest hindrances to modern-day missions are the parents, grandparents, and loved ones of children who want to follow the call of Christ to the ends of the earth. How often I have heard young folks share their desire to go, yet they have no support from their believing parents. How often is their calling to follow Him deterred because others tell them the call isn’t logical, realistic, safe, or a good investment? Perhaps He has not called you to go, but maybe your part is to be willing to send others, even those who are closest to you. I was immensely blessed to have parents who informed me that even if it cost my life, they would have no greater joy than to give a son for the name of Christ. To truly trust God is to put everything in His hands—not just our own lives.

Jerry Rankin, a former missionary to Southeast Asia, commented, “If safety is to be the criterion for missionary service, where does one serve? The safest place to be is not in the will of God, but it is the best place to be.” Isaac Watts wrote, “Must I be carried to the skies, on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas?”

If we as believers embrace the fact that we are indeed “citizens of Heaven” (Philippians 3:20) and “strangers and pilgrims on the earth,” then will we not choose, as Moses, “to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin”? (Hebrews 11:13,25) The word used for stranger in Hebrews 11 more literally means, “without a share.” How beautiful to consider that we have no shares or investments on earth; rather, our hope is with Christ in the Heavenlies.

Was God’s call to Abraham to go out “not knowing where he was going” logical? Was the Lord’s call to Peter to forsake home, family, and his livelihood a wise decision in the eyes of the world? Is Christ’s commission before returning to the Father any less demanding? Let us never forget that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Finally, we must remember that the call is to follow Him, not our set of plans.  As I headed off to the Middle East last year, it seemed clear that He was leading me to a particular location. But immediately after arriving in the region, bombs began falling in the area where I was to live, resulting in a closed door for entry. Though these events drastically altered my immediate plans, my mind remained completely at peace knowing only "my plans" had changed, not His.

If one waits for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place, where is the element of faith? “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) Let us not see this world with worldly eyes, which produce temporary solutions (such as governments pursue). Rather, let us with eyes of faith see the souls of men through His eyes. No true peace will come to earth until the Prince of Peace arrives. Meanwhile, He has provided a solution for peace within the hearts of men. As witnesses to that hope, may we be found faithful to our ministry to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.

These words are difficult to write. With Paul I say, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12) This I know: the harvest truly is ripe in North America, the Middle East, and in all the earth, but the laborers are so few!  Ripened fruit will not stay ripe forever. Right now He is saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" (Isaiah 6:8)

The call has gone out. His kingdom will come. Eternity is close. The night is far spent.  He is coming quickly. Therefore, GO!  

N.C.B., December 2006