Dear HCMC,
This Sunday is Missions and Evangelism Sunday. Our church is also preparing to enter a season of evangelism, when both our English and Mandarin congregations will be reaching out to our family members and friends through 幸福小组 (Happiness Groups) and the Alpha Course. It is thus timely for us to reflect and act upon spreading the Gospel.
The emphasis on missions and evangelism should not be unfamiliar to any Christian. Sharing the Gospel goes to the very heart of our Christian faith and our life purpose here on this earth. We are called to fulfil the Great Commission, to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20). We are also called to obey the Great Commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). These great imperatives find their focal point in us experiencing and sharing the good news of God’s grace.
Both missions and evangelism are necessary. Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. And they commend us toward two main ways of Gospel outreach.
“Mission” comes from the Latin verb mitto meaning “to send”, namely, to be sent forth to do God’s Gospel work. This may involve transnational or cross-cultural Gospel outreach, or more generally, any kind of outreach that requires us to move out of our comfort zones, cross some boundaries, and minister to people who are different from us. We might term this as “Go and Tell” Gospel outreach.
“Evangelism” comes from the Greek word euangelion which simply means “good news”. Evangelism, broadly speaking, is about sharing the good news (i.e., Gospel) of Jesus Christ. There are many ways we might use the term, and in today’s church parlance, it usually refers to sharing the Gospel in our day-to-day contexts, or to church-based Gospel gatherings. We basically invite people into our daily Christian life and church circle. We might term this as “Come and See” Gospel outreach.
Both the “Go and Tell” and “Come and See” approaches to Gospel sharing have been integral to my own faith journey. Every mission trip I have been involved in over the years has been impactful for me, including my first mission trip in 2000 when I first sensed my full-time ministry calling. I have experienced highs and lows in my personal evangelism to friends over the years, but no doubt, through the process, I have learnt to wait upon God and witnessed firsthand His life-transforming power in the lives of those around me.
How will you obey God’s command to love others by sharing the Gospel to them today? On this Missions and Evangelism Sunday, would you make such a commitment. Perhaps the next step you can take is to say to those around you “Come and See!” You don’t need deep Bible knowledge, eloquent words or sophisticated arguments. Just share your own testimony, and invite them to church. Invite them as your “Best” to one of the evangelistic groups. Or perhaps God is prompting you to “Go and Tell” – to join one of our upcoming mission trips, or to spread the Word to someone different from you, maybe the next stranger you meet.
May we embrace the heart of Paul, to become all things to all people, so that by all possible means, we might save some, by God’s grace and power (1 Corinthians 9:22).
Rev Timothy
