Our Ministry
An Awesome Assignment
by Rev. Clark Gies, Director of Ministry
The highest, the holiest privilege we have as God’s people is to tell the dying world where to find the cure from the universal infection— the deadliest disease—that kills everyone everywhere. That’s what The Great Commission is all about. It is our privilege to proclaim God’s great and gracious invitation, so that the doomed and dying people of this world can find true health and life everlasting.
The Lord gave the church the commission to go into all the world. Why? The obvious answer is because the whole world is dying. The signs and symptoms are everywhere—the signs and symptoms that proclaim that the world and its inhabitants are not well.
What in the world is wrong with the world anyway? How in the world can things in the world be so bad?
The problem is first of all genetic. We have—each of us—inherited a fatal flaw. It comes with our conception. There is no way to escape it or filter it out. Each of us—everyone, everywhere—is infected. And because we are infected, we affect each other. Romans 8:22 says it concisely: “The whole creation has been groaning.” All of it. The planet, the people, the plants, the animals—all sick unto death.
That is the situation the Gospel addresses. It tells us about God and His love for the world. The Good News is that there is a cure for all that ails this weary world and its dying people. This cure comes from the heart and mind of God. Think of it! Realizing full well the mess the world is in, God sent His Son from Heaven to earth—into this world—from the place of perfect health to this place of disease and death. Why would He do such an extraordinary thing? He did it to bring the cure—the only cure that could really deal with what is ailing us. Isaiah saw it centuries before and said it so clearly: “The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all…He was pierced for our iniquities…by His wounds we are healed” (Is. 53:5-6).
“Though the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) It cost our Lord His life. 
He laid it down as the ransom—the cure—for the world’s inhabitants. But for us it’s free. He extends the most gracious invitation you could ever imagine: “Come without money. Come without anything to offer. Come! Come to me all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Come, all you who are sick and tired—and sick and tired of being sick and tired. Come, and I will give you rest for your soul and healing for what ails you.” That was the invitation Jesus extended wherever He went—and the people came. The poor—the rich—the lame—the blind—people with unhappy histories—rotten records—prostitutes and politicians—liars and thieves. They came and they received what He had promised: healing and a whole new life.
As Christians, we do know where the cure for the deadliest disease is found. Now the question is: What are we going to do with what we know? Jesus said to His apostles—and says to us—“You are my witnesses. Go into all the world. Make disciples! Baptize! Teach! Tell everyone!”
We all know those familiar words of the Great Commission. They are a logical progression flowing from His great invitation. First, He says, “Come to Me.” Then He says, “Go for Me.” Come and be cured! Then go and tell others where the cure is found. It’s that simple. It’s our task today!
Think of what an awesome assignment that is. Go into all the world. Preach the Gospel to every creature. That’s as inclusive as you can get. All people—every land—every language—every color—every culture—no exceptions. In other words, we are to take the Good News to a world of ailing people desperately in need of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ.
We in Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots U. S. feel especially called to reach out to the various nations of Native Americans among whom we live—
of whom more than 90 percent do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior - with the Gospel, so they, too, might know and tell others of the unsearchable riches of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
God has chosen to work through the people. There is something remarkable about that. There is something very chancy about using earthen, fallible vessels such as us to bring about His healing here on earth. But that’s how God chose to do His work.
God hasn’t placed us in this world simply to stay out of His way, to keep on His good side and avoid being totally obliterated by Him. God who lives in Christ Jesus has not called us to that. He has called us into freedom—freedom in Christ—into life in all its fullness. He has structured things this way so that we can become what He intends us to be—a family of caring—loving—builders of relationships. It is when His gift is passed along that such things begin to happen.
In Christ we’re called to live with the unthinkable—the unthinkable gift of free and total forgiveness in Christ by God’s grace.
The gift of forgiveness in Christ Jesus reshapes and empowers us—it sends us out into the world to do that for which God intended for His people. The Lord is good. The challenge is great. The future before us is bright. Your continued support through prayer, encouragement and financial contributions and the blessings of God on this ministry is what enables it to be a ministry of love and proclamation and service in his name.
Let us celebrate this gift from God—and let us pass it on—with joy!