Great Commission Opportunities Are Closer than You Realize.

By: Jerry Benge

In his book, Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global, Andy Johnson observes: "The heart of missionary obedience to the Great Commission is sending and supporting Gospel workers to gather people into churches across ethnic, cultural, or geographical boundaries (Matt. 28:18-20). That's what we mean by missions." (p. 101). This is not only Jesus' command to every local church, it is the model we see throughout the book of Acts. It is what Cornerstone continues to strive for and to grow wiser in achieving.

At the same time, the Great Commission

encompasses more than just sending missionaries overseas. Today, modern transportation and a worldwide interdependent economy has transplanted millions of people far from their countries of origin. In light of the current challenges related to immigration, many believers are tempted to look at this phenomenon exclusively through a political lens. While we can agree as Christians that our government has the responsibility to guard its borders and maintain an orderly process of immigration, we must not lose sight of what our Sovereign God is doing in the world, namely, rescuing people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). And He not only does this through faithful local churches who send missionaries abroad, He can (and does) do this by bringing people to us from places where there is little Gospel access. 

Have you ever considered that Matthew 28:18-20 might be coming to a neighborhood near you?! Metro Detroit (including the tri-county area around the city of Detroit) has around 400,000 foreign people from various parts of the world. Some of those people have come from areas where we support missionaries. Many of us encounter such people, yet give little thought to that reality! Stop and listen the next time you go shopping at Meijer or a neighborhood Randazzo's Fruit Market. If you’ll patiently tune your ears to conversations around you, you're sure to hear an unfamiliar language, be it Middle Eastern, Latin American, Indian, SE Asian, Eastern European or something else. If you are presently caught up in the whirlwinds of current political discussions, you may be inclined to bristle or even feel a bit threatened by the unfamiliar sounds. You might even complain to yourself, "Why don't they speak English!?" But if you have Great Commission eyes and ears, you will be moved at the very least to pray for them and the people whom they represent.

There are other venues by which you can meet such people: Many of them are involved in the kind of trades that would service your home such as landscaping, roofing, remodeling etc. Others may have children in the school where your children or grandchildren attend. If you walk your dog a lot like Kellie and I do, you will likely encounter them in your neighborhood or at a local park.

So, then what can you do? Love them! (Lev. 19:34). Start with a smile and a warm greeting. Let them know you are glad they are here. But you’re thinking to yourself, “What if they don’t speak English well?” That’s ok. Just try to imagine if your role was reversed and you were in their country and barely knew their language. How would you want them to respond to your dilemma? Not, “Why don’t you speak ______________?!” Of course not! Instead, tell them about Cornerstone’s ESL Club where they can be welcomed warmly and receive competent language help from caring people. This ministry is already going on. It meets every Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:15 PM (during electives). We have a team of workers who love foreigners and are helping them take steps in acquiring our language and navigating our culture. Most of all, they are building planks of trust which form a relational bridge for sharing the Gospel.

You can support this ministry by being the “hands and feet” that point foreigners to a community where they will experience Gospel-driven love leading to Gospel-centered conversations. For more information on this, drop by the Information Desk in the Gathering Space where you can pick up a brochure.



Preaching to (add to) THE CHOIR (Rev. 5:9-10),

Jerry Benge