The Mission of the GospelBy Ray Baumann <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
God enables and equips His children to take on different roles for His mission. We see from the book of Jeremiah that God calls, equips, and sends. It was the story of Jeremiah that put the fire in my bones, to think outside the box to reach the lost. Each believer has been given unique gifts and talents that all work together for God's glory. Whatever you do, wherever you are, whatever situation you are put in, these are all opportunities to engage people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The American church has turned God's mission into a cliché, passionately talking it about only within the four walls of the church building, and limiting evangelism to bringing people to a service and no more. 
 
God's mission will consume a true believer to the point that nothing even comes close to its value. Time and money will easily flow through their hands to support that mission.
It is a heart aligned with God's plan that is required for reaching the lost, no matter what the cost. The mission of the gospel will soak you to the bone until every part of your persona reflects it. It's the cause above every cause; it is the only thing worth dying for.
 
There is a misconception in American church culture that Christians get "called" into ministry. The ministry of the gospel is our calling however that looks in your context. Last time I checked, if you are a Christian you become a missionary. Every believer gets sent (John 20:21).
 
Recently, we believed God was commissioning our family to birth a new ministry, something that would strategically take the gospel to as many people as possible. We looked at planting a church, we looked at after school programs, and we explored other opportunities until God revealed a ministry that would put us in the hotbed of a community, giving us contacts with hundreds of people a day and offering endless ministry opportunities. It would also act as a neutral place where many churches could be involved. It would be the perfect scenario for a fisher of men that would incorporate a place where people would gather and also serve a need in a city? That, my friend, would end up being a thrift store.
 
Opening a ministry-minded thrift store would be a major undertaking. Among other things, it would require the resignation of my staff position at our church and we would need to sell our house and take the biggest step of faith ever in our lives. We set out to find the perfect place and started visiting thrift stores in the area to gather as many ideas as possible. We also met with many people to cast the vision of this great undertaking. God began bringing everything together, including the discounted rent on our building and the opportunity to purchase store fixtures for pennies on the dollar. It truly came together in a way that no one but God could get the credit.
 
We would call the thrift store The Mission, which would help us to remember why we exist, and people would be our focus - selling used clothing and other items would be secondary. We knew a thrift store would also be of value to the city considering the current state of the economy. 
 
We opened our doors on May 1st, 2009 and saw thousands of people come through the store to buy our donated items. People really make it easy to share Christ when they ask what our mission is. God's mission for every believer will look different; ours just happened to be a thrift store.
 
God wants to commission His people but few are hearing His voice. Many talk about the great commission but few are willing to sacrifice anything for it. Our church culture has given people the idea that they actually deserved what Jesus did on the cross for them so in their "uniqueness" they see no need to share that news.  It is the indebtedness for the love shown on the cross the causes believers to be willing to go out of obedience.
 
We are all called to infiltrate the city in which we live with the gospel. It is, however, God who allows you to do it (1 John 3:16–17). God is not looking for people with great ability - He wants your availability. He made you to serve him with your gifts, to share Jesus with you, and to live to engage the world around you. God is not calling everyone to open thrift stores. He is calling His people to live for Jesus among unbelievers and to share the gospel, however that takes shape.
 
As God continues to mold and shape this ministry we know it is God's plan for us to share the love of Christ to our city. I would pray our story would be an encouragement and a reminder of our responsibility in the great commission.