A true commitment to missions means going overseas.

Myth number three is “A true commitment to missions means going overseas.” Another way of stating this myth is to say that that those who are truly committed to missions are in full-time ministry, especially full-time missions’ ministry.

There seems to be a sort of spiritual caste system in many people’s minds that separates what they consider to be first-class, really committed spiritual elites who go to the mission field from most normal, second-class Christians with secular jobs who stay home and only pray or give money for missions.

It’s very clear from Scripture that Jesus never calls anyone to follow him part-time. He calls all who follow him to full-time ministry whether they’re planting churches on the mission field or serving him in their normal work in the marketplace or with their family.

The roles of a pastor or missionary are important, but they are not more important in God’s eyes than followers of Jesus working full-time in their “secular” jobs. You might be called to be a full-time missionary in a culture that is foreign to you. If you are, that’s wonderful and missionaries are very needed.

But most followers of Christ are not called to be full-time evangelists, church planters, pastors, teachers, and missionaries, just like most citizens of a country do not go to war. Only a small minority of citizens go to battle in a foreign war. The majority need to stay home as senders and supporters to those on the field. Otherwise, the war will be lost.

And even in a cross-cultural context for missionaries, God’s plan is not for missionaries to do most of the work of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. The missionaries’ role is primarily to equip followers of Jesus, like farmers, teachers, and mechanics who are working in “secular workplaces,” to do the work of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.

So, the issue is not ultimately whether you go or stay. It’s whether you are truly being faithful to use all the resources and responsibilities he gives you for the sake of Christ and his kingdom mission on earth. Author John Piper summarizes this by saying there are only three kinds of Christians: 1) Radical goers, 2) Radical senders, and 3) The Disobedient.

A radical goer or sender is one who’s life purpose is wrapped around God’s mission for the world. These are the kinds of people who know the joy of putting their heads on their pillows at night saying, “I know my life is counting for Christ’s global cause.” And you can say that anywhere.

The goal is for you to become a world Christian And a world Christian is a follower of Jesus with a global vision and awareness that he or she is part of the international body of Christ, and who, as a member of this body shares a personal commitment to help start healthy, growing, reproducing churches in every nation on earth.

Theologian and missionary Leslie Newbigin is said to have always encouraged people to have three conversions as Christians, not just one. The first is a conversion to Christ. The second is a conversion to the church. And the third is a conversion to the world.

The first conversion is the most important. It involves a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The second conversion involves a personal commitment to Christ’s visible body, the Church as a vital part of all ministry and missions.

Foreign to the pages of the New Testament is a commitment to Jesus Christ that does not include a vital commitment to his local, visible, church. This view of missions places the church at the center of all ministries. For example, the end goal of evangelism is not merely having individuals believe in Jesus on their own, but having their confession of faith in Jesus confirmed by church leaders who receive the new convert into the church through baptism and continue to provide spiritual care and shepherding.

Thirdly is a conversion to the world when followers of Jesus realize they are called by God to be what we called earlier “World Christians.” These are Christians committed to radically aligning their life purpose with God’s purpose to see his name glorified and his kingdom come on earth today through making disciples of all nations.