We are currently receiving our annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. This is a very important offering. Today the International Mission Board has 3,651 missionaries on the field.
In 2014, the latest year for which we have a full report, those missionaries were used by God to train 15,205 pastors.
3,842 new churches were formed.
127,385 people professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
54,762 believers were baptized.
896 different people groups were engaged through the work of the International Mission Board.
Still ... 3,060 people groups remain unengaged by any Christian missionary work.
The Vision Statement of the IMB says;
“Our vision is a multitude from every language, people, tribe and nation knowing and worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Mission Statement of the IMB says;
“The IMB partners with churches to empower limitless missionary teams who are evangelizing, discipling, planting, and multiplying healthy churches, and training leaders among unreached peoples and places for the glory of God.”
The population of this world is about 7.4 billion people. Only about 2.2 billion of those profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That means there are 5.2 billion people on this planet who are still lost in their sins. There is no greater task in this world than reaching those 5.2 billion people with the soul saving and life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This year’s national goal for the Lottie Moon offering is $155 million. Our goal here at First Baptist Church is $28,000. Imagine what our missionaries could accomplish if every Southern Baptist Church exceeded their goal by a large margin.
Now $155 million sounds like a lot of money, but you must remember that there are about 16 million Southern Baptists and Southern Baptists are the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Sadly, that’s only $9.69 per Southern Baptist. Furthermore, most Southern Baptists give nothing. But just imagine what we could do if more gave and more gave sacrificially.
Yes, $155 million sounds like a lot of money, but did you know that Americans spend more on Twinkies ($500 million), more on Halloween costumes for pets ($310 million), and more on tattoos ($2.3 billion) than Southern Baptists spend on International Missions?
Jesus said in Acts 1:8 (NASB95), “ ... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Psalm 96:3 (NASB95) says, “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.”
The Lord said in Acts 13:47 (NASB95) , “‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’”
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19 (NASB95) to, “Make disciples of all the nations.”
Luke 24:47 (NASB95) says that “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
The command and expectation of Jesus Christ is clear. He has done His part. He has finished His great work of redemption. Now it’s time for us to do our part. Let’s pray, let’s give, and let’s go.
Brother Shep