MISSIONS INTENSIVE TESTIMONIES
This weekend was powerful and it was so encouraging to see the Spirit moving in a multitude of ways. As I reflect back on the weekend, there are two words that come to mind: control and freedom.
As Andy Kampman was speaking about releasing the tight grip that so many of us have on our finances, I was convicted that I often use my financial situation as a crutch for control. I am afraid of taking risks, and therefore don't often see God show up in that realm. God was speaking to me that if I want Him to show up in powerful ways, I must radically give up the control that I have. Both Margaux and I desire to use the resources that we have been given to advance the Kingdom and also challenge others in that.
After Ellen Ede got done speaking, I felt like the Lord told me that I have so much freedom in Christ and that I don't have to act like a Muslim. Furthermore, I don't need to do all of the things that a Muslim thinks he/she must do in order to earn favor from the Lord. I felt like the Lord was telling me to just rest as a son of the most high King, and that my identity is secure in Him. It was encouraging to hear from a variety of different roles in the Great Commission because it affirmed this idea of freedom. Christ is less concerned about what I do, but rather who I am. I want to rest in that truth as I move forward and I am thankful for this weekend to have the space for the Spirit to speak.
- Tyler Collins
The Mission Intensive took months to plan, and as we anticipated the event's coming, it felt like our to-do list grew longer. I say all of that because I had categorized this intensive as an event, a planned public occasion. Days before the intensive, the Lord convicted me into realizing that I had been Martha (Luke 10:38-42) worried about many things and too busy planning that I had missed Jesus. But how many fall into that busyness, even when working in ministry, that we miss the beauty and abnormality of events like the Mission Intensive. This weekend, we had 138 people who chose to spend time with God in Austin outside of Sunday service, which is fantastic. Much like the invitation that Jesus handed to Martha, He asks us to be like Mary, sitting at His feet listening. Mary knew that Jesus was worth it, worth not doing what the world was telling her to do, giving up and dying to herself. (Luke 9:23-24) I don't know about you, but that is hard for me, even when your job is ministry. It can feel like Jesus is calling you in a million directions (leading bible studies, evangelizing, mission trips, etc.), but He wants you with Him at his feet, listening. As you are about to read what I learned from the Mission Intensive, I want you to pray the prayer below:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Matt 6:10-13
As you prayed that, I want you to honestly examine your heart into realizing who you are praying to? Now I say that not to be arrogant but because that was one of the realities I had to face at the Mission Intensive. "Do I realize who I am praying to and the power that God has?" So again, it's taking the posture of sitting down at Jesus' feet and realizing who is behind the "Our Father."
Reaching the unreached is part of God's story of redemption- God's idea - God's desire for His Church. It's all over the old and new testament. The Great Commandment (Matt 29:19-20, Luke 24:44-47, John 20:21, Acts 1:8) gives us the calling, authority, and power to reach all Nations, people, languages, and tribes. The unreached are ready to say YES to His story because it is all part of God's plan - a story of Him drawing all peoples of the world to worship Him. (Rev 7:9) God blesses us to bless others so that they may know and worship God. During the Mission Intensive, I had the privilege of listening to people who have felt called to send missionaries or go as the missionaries. Sending means staying in the states and helping equip missionaries to go; equipping can look like many different ways - financial support, mentoring, training, etc. I heard heartbreaking statistics highlighting the need for missionaries to go, as the most unreached places are sending only 3% missionaries and giving 1% of their resources, also called the 10/40 window. Seven thousand people groups are considered unreached, having no access to the gospel!
The bible is filled with verses calling us to go and share the gospel; going to the unreached is joining God in what He is doing. Therefore, we must go with confidence because God's plan for Himself will not fail. The worthiness of Jesus’ death and resurrection will not fail. The power and purpose of the Holy Spirit will not fail. Each person of our triune God has an unstoppable role in His grand plan, and therefore we can go with unbelievable confidence! I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8) God is jealous of His name because He is the best. There is no one and nothing better in the entire universe to worship. And He is highly adamant about getting all the praise He deserves. He will not give His glory to another, so we go to the unreached with great confidence knowing that God’s glory will not fail. He will get His worship from every single people group— all 17,095 of them!
Two questions that I want to leave you with are:
1. What is keeping you from giving your whole life to Jesus?
2. What do you need to say yes to?
-Norely Escalon
This past weekend our team put on our biggest missions event of the year, the Missions Intensive. We worked diligently for months to prepare for this conference which ended up being a huge success and a blast! We saw over 120 people choose to spend their weekend at this conference worshipping Jesus and learning about the nations. We hosted a multitude of speakers including missionaries from the field in China, leaders of missions organizations, and missionary mobilizers. Each sharing lots of wisdom about the unreached. One theme that stood out to me is how as the body of Christ we are all called to play a part in engaging the unreached. God has always had a heart for the nations and wants his people to reflect that heart to the world around them. Scripture is laced with this theme from Genesis to Revelation. Whether it's moving overseas, mobilizing others, welcoming missionaries back from the field, supporting financially, etc., God desires for us to play a part in His great commission.
The Well is passionate about sending people to the unreached people groups around the world. A verse that fuels our vision to see 100 churches planted internationally primarily among unreached people groups is Romans 15:19-21 where Paul says:
"So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”"
Paul made it his mission to preach the gospel where it had not yet gone. Though his upbringing, experience, and resume could not have been a better fit for him to minister to the Jews alone, God ends up calling him to minister to the unreached Gentiles. He knew God's mission is to make His name great throughout all the earth.
God moved in amazing ways during the Missions Intensive. He grew my heart and the hearts of many others who attended for the lost around the world. It really is a privilege getting to be a part of his divine plan. I hope this story helps you understand that we serve a God who is desperate to save those that don't know him. We see from 2 Peter 3:8-9 that He is so passionate about saving the lost that he tarries his promised return for all of us because he wishes that none should perish! That is a God of abundant grace and love and that is the God we serve. I would encourage you to think and pray through this question: What role is God calling you to play in helping the gospel reach regions where Christ has not yet been named?
-David Beasley
He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust and yet He has chosen a messy group of people upon which He will build His church (Psalm 103:14, Matthew 16:18). At its core, the gospel is an inconceivable grace that can somehow be received with sobriety and delight, weight and glory, fear and playfulness.
At the Missions Intensive we sat under teaching of the sober reality of our world, seemingly so far from the promised Kingdom. And yet, despite our instincts of feeling overwhelmed, guilty, or fearful, there was such a lightheartedness that could only be found after we see how helpless we are (Matthew 5:3). The need of the Gospel in the world is a God-sized task and in our acceptance of our inability to do anything helpful on our own, there is a sweet surrender into the King who knows us, the world, and what to do (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Our attempts to present Him with something (worship, a sacrifice) worthy of Him is laughable. He’s the kind of parent who displays our macaroni art on the fridge because He delights in us. We have our ideas, our ambitions, and they bring a tender, knowing, playful smile to His face (Mark 12:44). He calls us to sacrifice, not because He needs our burnt offerings (Psalm 51:16), but because He is glorified and delighted when we remember the freeing truth that He is God and we are His (Isaiah 46:4).
Life with Jesus is one of transcendent joy amidst pain, eternal purpose amidst ambiguity and monotony. Our weekend together as a church, soaking in His heart for the people past our walls and borders, showed me the unique light and lightheartedness that our King have given us. Life, and life abundant (John 10:10). Freely we have received, so we freely give (Matthew 10:8).
-Ellen Ede
