by Mike Frazier
BBFI First Vice President, Missions
Let me begin by thanking you for your vote of confidence in electing me as First Vice President of the BBFI. It’s an honor for me to work with our mission director Jon Konnerup and his excellent staff serving in the Mission Office. I am so impressed with their love for our missionaries, efficiency, dedication, and commitment to the cause of Christ.
I believe you would agree that missions has been and is vitally important to the Baptist Bible Fellowship. Why is that?
First of all, missions is important because of the cross of Christ. If we were to choose only one symbol to represent Christianity over the centuries, it would be the cross. The cross has always been at the very center of our faith. At the cross God demonstrated His love for all humanity and provided a way for all to experience the forgiveness of sin. The Apostle John reminds us that Christ “is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Since Christ died for the sins of the whole world, it is logical that we should be deeply concerned about reaching every individual with the gospel.
Second, missions is important because of the command of Christ. In all four Gospels and also in the Book of Acts, Jesus Christ gives us the Great Commission. It is never presented as an option to be considered, but always as a mandate to be obeyed. For nearly 2,000 years, the marching orders of the church have been, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The phrase “all the world” means that when it comes to our proclamation of the gospel, everyone is to be included and no one is to be excluded. As one theologian said, “We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.” When God’s heart for the world becomes the heart of the church, then the church will surrender to do whatever needs to be done so that “every creature” has the opportunity to hear the gospel.
Third, missions is important because of the coming of Christ. In Acts 1, as Jesus ascended up into heaven, two angels asked the disciples, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?” It’s as if the angels were saying, “Don’t you have something you need to be doing? You aren’t supposed to be gazing up into heaven, but rather you are to be going into the world.” Then there was the angelic reminder that there is limited time to accomplish the Great Commission because “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” If we truly believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ, world evangelism will become an urgent priority in our churches.
Yes, missions is important to God, and therefore it must be important to every church in our Fellowship.