“Every Christian is either a missionary
or an imposter.”

– Charles Spurgeon

I was reading this afternoon about a
church mission trip in a foreign city
this past week.

The group did all sorts of great stuff —
taking time to talk to people on the
street, getting to know store owners
and business people.

They prayed wherever they went and
met together to study, worship and
pray some more in the evenings.

Question: Why would a group of people do this?

Answer:  Because they are on a missions trip in a foreign city.

Why do we (typically) only do this on missions trips in foreign cities?

Yeah, we will occasionally do something in our own communities.
But walk the city and pray?
Get intentional about the people in our own neighborhood?
Join soccer clubs, the PTA, go to parks, shopping malls and
restaurants — backed by prayer, armed with the gospel
and on vigilent mission to see the kingdom of God advanced?

Probably not.

So why shell out $2000 to do it in a place you can barely speak the language?
I’m not advocating less mission trips.
I’m advocating more.

John Wesley said: “The whole world is my parish”.

The most neglected part of the world is the part you and I live in.

It doesn’t matter if there are tons of churches and Christians where you live.
Until every ounce of your community is saturated with Jesus–
the work isn’t finished yet.

Let’s go on a mission trip this week.

Here.

Now.

Even if where you live doesn’t seem so special.
It’s special to God.

Let’s walk the streets prayerfully.
Let’s arm ourselves with the gospel.
Let’s spend time with Jesus so that we will
have something to say.
Let’s be intentional and on mission.

We are either missionaries, or imposters,
but we can’t be both.