preacher. He said, “A call to preach is a call to prepare.” That is so true.As we are in language school continuing to prepare for the future mission field of Belize what is our future game plan? How do we plan on influencing these people, the town, the whole district, indeed the nation of Belize?
Belize is a small country and has roughly 300,000 people. What’s our plan to reach them all? Let me tell you what it
won’t be first. It won’t be sharing the gospel with as many people as we possibly can as quickly as we can. But sharing the gospel will be part of our plan. It won’t be trying to get as many decisions for Christ as we possibly can. But encouraging people to repent and receive Christ will be part of our plan. Lastly, it won’t be trying to draw large crowds by using entertainment (face painting, balloons, clowns, music) then dropping the gospel on them at the end. But sharing truth with crowds will be a part of our plan.So, what are we going to do? What method are we going to use from the latest best seller at Lifeway? It will be from the all time best selling Book, the Bible. And it we will get our marching orders from Jesus.
When sending the disciples out into the world just before His ascension Jesus said,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus wants us to go and make disciples of who? All the nations. What does He want us to teach them? Everything that He ever taught, all of it! And teach them to live it out in their daily lives. He wants to see them knowing it, believing it, and living it out.
A lot of people ask us how long we are going to be in Belize. By His grace, we’ll be there until the Lord calls us home, or to a different location. What if we serve there for years without seeing anyone saved or even seeing the saved sanctified? We continue to obey God and use the method for growing the church that He prescribed in His Word.
But we have 300,000 people to reach, how are we going to reach
them all? What did Christ do? He had the whole world to reach and only 3 ½ years to do it. Did he throw thousands of parchment gospel tracts from the top of the temple? Did he just give a simple ABC presentation of the gospel once He had the big crowds around Him? No, He focused on 12 men. He poured Himself into 12 men for 3 ½ years.You may never read of large numbers of conversions in our newsletters, or of multiple churches being planted, but you can be assured that there will be a handful of people (anyone who is willing to listen) who we will devote ourselves to building up in the truth. Building them up in the only truth from God that gives salvation of the soul and greatest of joy to those who trust and obey.
