The apostle Peter wrote to the believers in Asia Minor, “I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder” (II Peter 1:13). The book of Proverbs teaches that a timely word is delightful (15:23) and the wounds of a friend are faithful (27:6). In the following, are found a few of the “reminders” that help us refocus whenever our heart has strayed from the Great Commission and the responsibility to take the Gospel to every person in our generation. I hope that they will serve as reminders to us to keep our focus in the midst of all of life’s distractions. I pray that you will employ your every resource to advance the Gospel and impact eternity!
God’s Heart
“God is a God of missions. He wills missions. He commands missions. He demands missions. He made missions possible through His Son. He made missions actual in sending the Holy Spirit.” – George W. Peters
“The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” – Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia.
The Missionary’s Heart
“A missionary is one who never gets used to the sound of heathen footsteps on their way to a Christless eternity.” – Unknown
“No one has the right to hear the Gospel twice while there remains someone who has not heard it once.” – Oswald J. Smith
“I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light.” – John Keith Falconer
“Oh, that I had a thousand lives and a thousand bodies! All of them should be devoted to no other employment but to preach Christ to these degraded, despised, yet beloved mortals.”– Robert Moffat, pioneer missionary and linguist to Africa
The Need
“We have a need for 200,000 new missionaries for a new millennium so that everyone in the world should receive the Gospel and that a church should be planted in every people group.” – George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization
The Call
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”– Hudson Taylor
“Is not the commission of our Lord still binding upon us? Can we not do more than now we are doing?” – William Carey
The Urgency “The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” – Carl F. H. Henry
“Sympathy is no substitute for action.” – David Livingstone, missionary to Africa
“All my forefathers have passed away into darkness without knowing anything of what was to befall them; how is it that your forefathers, knowing all these things, did not send word to my forefathers sooner?” – African Chief speaking to Missionary David Livingstone
The Cost
“Obedience to the call of Christ nearly always costs everything to two people – the one who is called and the one who loves that one.” – Oswald Chambers
After hearing an account of the spiritual needs of India, the secretary of the meeting remarked: “There is a gold mine in India, but it seems almost as deep as the center of the earth. Who will venture to explore it?” “I will venture to go down,” said Carey, “but remember that you must hold the ropes.”
“Does it really matter how many die or how much money we spend in opening closed doors if we really believe that missions are warfare and that the King’s glory is at stake?” – Unknown
“Let us press on. All Africa must be won for Christ. Though a thousand missionaries die, send more.” – Andreas Riis, missionary to Africa
For the Christian’s Consideration
“The Christian is not obedient unless he is doing all in his power to send the Gospel to the heathen world.” – A. B. Simpson
“God is not glorified when we keep for ourselves (no matter how thankfully) what we ought to be using to alleviate the misery of unevangelized, uneducated, unmedicated, and unfed millions.” – John Piper
“In our lifetime, wouldn’t it be sad if we spent more time washing dishes or swatting flies or mowing the yard or watching television than praying for world missions?” – Dave Davidson
“We have eternity to tell of victories won for Christ, but we have only a few hours before sunset to win them.” – Unknown
For the Church’s Consideration
“Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” – Oswald J. Smith
“A congregation that is not deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel does not understand the nature of salvation.” – Ted Engstrom, World Vision
“There is no better way to measure the self-centeredness in the Church than the lip service that we give to the heart of God concerning those who are living in total darkness.”– Dr. James L. West
“We have the means of evangelizing our country, but they are slumbering in the pews of our churches.” – John Stott
