Are You a World Christian?
When I was in seminary, there was an emphasis on being a World Christian. A World Christian is someone who is:
Aware of God’s working in the entire world and
Uses their God given giftedness to make a difference for God and the gospel.
Throughout God’s word in dozens of passages, God shows love and concern for ALL nations, even from the very beginning. While God is concerned with what is happening in our lives and our locales, God is the God of the WHOLE world, and he cares about what is happening everywhere. As we become aware of God’s working in the entire world, we can see how he has been working, and we learn to consider current events in light of the gospel going forth to the nations. Regarding how he has been working, consider the following amazing advances of the gospel:
This is just a snapshot of the great growth of Christianity. It is obvious that God has been doing an incredible work over the past few decades. However, this does not happen in a vacuum. There are many people sacrificing, giving, praying, traveling, teaching, discipling and supporting to make this happen.
The other aspect of God working to be aware of how world events affect the gospel. One simple example: Most of us are aware of the conflict in Iran. However, do we stop to consider that according to the data above, there are 1 million of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are being dramatically affected by this? How does this create barriers, or possibly opportunities for the gospel? What happens in the world matters, and when we consider these things, it just widens our appreciation for God’s reach across the world, and how we are a part of that, because we are a part of His family and what He is doing.
The second part of being a World Christian is using your God given giftedness to make a difference for God and the gospel. This difference may be around the corner, but it can also be (and should also be) around the world. Here are some practical ways of making a difference as a World Christian:
PRAY: Commit to praying for a specific missionary, ministry, or people group
Prayer is still the first and most requested form of support from missionaries. Know who your church is supporting, what they are doing, and how you can pray for them.
SEND: Support missionaries through encouragement, logistics and finance
Financially support those who are called to help them reach the field, and support them on the field with encouragement and responding to their ministry needs.
GO:Serve God in a different culture
Some of you may be called to go to a different place. Today’s missions take many forms and use many gifts, from teaching to media to business to sports to medicine. These are all gifts, talents, and passions that can be used to advance the gospel.
WELCOME: Care and befriend those who come for work, study or a new life
More and more, the world is coming to us. As people come to our communities, be aware of who is coming from other cultures, and be aware of gospel opportunities this may present.
As you reflect on being a World Christian, I would challenge you to pray and ask God how He is calling you to make a difference in the world!
