How do we equate ‘success’ in mission mobilization? Well, I think for most of us, it is what we have managed to get people to do for mission that would determine success.
I would like to suggest that this is far below what a true mobilizer/prophet is ‘called’ to do!
The best example of a mobilizer in the Bible is John the Baptist. Jesus referred to him as the greatest of prophets (mobilizers)! (Mt 11:11)
As a prophet, John did not major on predicting future events, but in keeping with the true calling of a prophet, he drew people back to God – to a place of repentance, obedience and worship. He prepared God’s people for God!
Listen to how the angel described John’s calling and ministry, “Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk 1:16-17)
Our highest calling, as a mobilizer, as a prophet, is not to get God’s people doing noble things – as noble as this might be! Our highest calling is to ‘make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’
A prepared people for the Lord, are those who understand that their life is no longer their own but is now “hidden with Christ in God,” (Col 3:3), who realize that they have been saved by grace for works prepared in advance for them to do (Eph 2:10), who understand the will of the Lord (Eph 5:17, Ac 1:8), who willingly take up their cross and daily lay down their lives for Jesus’ sake and for the sake of the gospel (Mk 8:34-35). Prepared people understand that being a Christian is not about securing a ticket to heaven but being redeemed (bought back) so they can now begin to live for the reason why God made them in His likeness and image in the first place!
A prepared people, above all else, become ‘followers of Jesus.’ They know their masters voice and they follow Him (Mt 4:19, Jn 10:27), into meaningful participation in the world Christian movement.
Jesus is the head of the Church – He is the Lord of the harvest (Col 1:18, Lk 10:2). We are to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest field. (Lk 10:2) What is needed is ‘prepared people’. This is the true ministry of mobilizing – making ready a people prepared for the Lord – so the Lord of the harvest can thrust out workers into the harvest fields of the world!
