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Missionary Motives

Missionary Motives
The Faculty and Leadership at CABU (2023)

This past week I was preparing to share our ministry plans to the teens at Resurrection church and was struck by Paul's discussion of what keeps him going. He "does not lose heart" because he knows that his ministry is all about bringing glory to God (2 Cor. 4:16).

God deserves worship. The gospel is God's way of showing off his glorious mercy through Christ. This is why more people need to turn from their sin and worship him with all of their lives. This is why the church goes to all the nations making disciples. We get to share in bringing God glory—which is a privilege.

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad!, 11)

Not ultimately because of humanitarian crisis—people without basic needs—do we go. Not ultimately because people are dying young, do we go. We go with the gospel because God is glorious and people are made to worship him. We are vessels of mercy for his glory to a lost world.

Top causes of death in Zambia. WHO Statistics.

The danger for any gospel-minister (pastors, teachers, or missionaries) is to lose sight of God's glory as their ultimate motivation. When we lose sight of God's glory being ultimate we to turn to the pragmatic methods Paul rejects in 2 Corinthians 4:

  • Deception (v2)
  • Distortion of the word (v2)
  • Winning people to ourselves (v5)
  • Winning people in our own strength (v6)

As you pray for missions and missionaries—pray for God to light a fire in them for his glory and worship. Please pray that God maintains our passion for seeing Him show off his glory in Zambia and beyond.

Jesus Over Everything!

Austin & Rachel Hunt