Feb 07, 2011 Future Grace: The Vision of a Missionary Spirit
Originally posted on May 11, 2005
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:6
The Vision Of A Missionary Spirit
What vision the psalmist had! He didn’t say, “let everyone I know, or everyone in my family, or everyone in my church, or all my friends praise the Lord” but, “let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
This isn’t laziness talking, like when we are too unimaginative or uninterested to pray for real people in real situations with real problems, so we just throw up one of those “God bless the world, Amen” prayers and move on. Not so with the psalmist. His “everything” prayer was inspired by a spirit very much in touch with reality, and very much consumed with Reality.
A Missionary Spirit Is Consumed With Reality
God is Reality. God is God. If we see Him clearly, or even clear enough to understand His significance, we will be consumed with Him and want nothing less than His praise to be declared by every living thing on the face of the earth.
A Missionary Spirit Is In Touch With Reality
People have real needs and are really lost. The worship of God is the real purpose everything with breath was created. If we are in touch with these realities, we will long for everyone to know the joy of worshipping God in spirit and in truth.
Everything Also Means Everywhere
Our great calling is to share the vision of the psalmist that everything with breath praise the Lord. This vision will be worked out everywhere we breathe. Our missionary spirit inspired vision will be for our families, our friendships, our church, our schools, the market place, and every corner of Nashville and the world.
Yes, this vision is beyond our level of experience. But it is the biblical vision and the cry of those possessed with a missionary spirit and indwelled by the Missionary Spirit.
As we ponder the future of Grace in this Future Grace renewal season, let’s think big, pray big, and have a big vision. Let’s be filled with the Spirit and enlarge our missionary spirit. With our breath, let us praise the Lord!
Pastor Scott