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What Missions Involvement Will Do For You 

by Doug Marsh

The Master Ranger Himself has given you a direct order! "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19).

A popular commercial says, "Milk, it does a body good!" As milk is good for the body, so obedience is good for the soul. How can you obey the Great Commission, and what will obedience do for you and your outpost?

There are three practical ways you and your Rangers fulfill the Lord's command. Your participation is biblically mandated! The spiritual results of your involvement are guaranteed in direct proportion to your obedience.

Here are some practical ways to lead your outpost in obedience to the Great Commission and to receive the corresponding results:

Pray (Result of obedience=Unity)
In Acts 2 we learn that the church was born out of united prayer. The Assemblies of God fellowship, too, was born out of prayer in 1914 when a group of independent individuals were united in prayer for three days.

After the Acts 2 prayer meeting, the disciples together embarked on an ambitious mission to change their world, starting with Peter's evangelistic sermon in Jerusalem . After the 1914 prayer meeting, our fellowship pioneers were bound together for the purpose of establishing the greatest evangelistic enterprise the world had ever seen.

Edwin Louis Cole describes the results of obedient prayer in this way: "Prayer binds you to whom you pray, with whom you pray, and for whom you pray."

So why should Rangers pray for missions in America and abroad? Because as you pray, unity will be developed between you and God; between you and your Rangers; and between you, your Rangers, and the needs of those near and far. Prayer produces unity.

Pray fervently and regularly with your boys that God will open doors for the gospel in hard places that have been dark too long.

Give (Result of obedience=Vision)
Has your outpost budgeted for obedience? Some say that if you dedicate your heart to the cause of Christ, your budget will follow. But Jesus says the opposite is true. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21 ). If your outpost earmarks funds for your community and world missions outreach, your heart will beat for the lost.

The difference between a stingy outpost and a generous outpost is visionary leadership. John Wesley had a global vision. He said, "The world is my parish."

Is the world your outpost? A shortsighted leader might answer like this: "I've just got 17 Adventure Rangers." A visionary commander's enthusiastic answer would sound more like this: "The 17 Adventure Rangers in my outpost are impacting our community and the world. We minister to boys in Africa by supporting J.R. Gould, boys in Latin America by supporting Eugene Hunt, and boys in Russia by supporting Mark Broberg. Eleven of them are Jr. LFTL Councilmen providing evangelistic literature to missionaries around the world. Last week the Rangers pitched in and helped the men of our congregation rebuild a neighbor's home that was destroyed by a storm. Next year we plan to go to Mexico to minister in.and." Got the idea?

By obediently giving to missions, God will enlarge your vision. It will be local and global. The spiritual impact of your outpost will never exceed the size of your vision. Let God enlarge your heart and he will enlarge your vision.

Boys want to belong to something big. Even the most remote and small outpost can participate in the world's greatest cause, the spread of the gospel to every person.

Go (Result of obedience=Passion)
What is 750,000 miles long, reaches around the world 30 times, and grows 20 miles longer each day? It is the line of people marching through life without Christ. Thousands of them are boys in your community, and boys all around the world.

As soon as you have found someone who does not know Jesus Christ, you have found a mission field. Nothing will breed more enthusiasm for witnessing than witnessing, because an evangelistic outpost is a growing outpost. An outpost that does not equip boys to reach the lost is lost.

The fact is, most overseas missions opportunities currently available are for men and older boys. But that should not stop you from preparing your Rangers to reach boys in their school and community. This poem says it well:

We little boys cannot go
Across the oceans foam
And bring the Truth to heathen lands
But we can work at home.

We cannot preach the Word of God
Unto the sick or poor
But we can bring a blessing great
To many people's door.

God made this world so big,
We boys so small;
But we can tell what we have learned-
That Jesus died for all.

Once your boys begin to witness at home, they will have a passion for the lost wherever they are found. Don't allow yourself, or your Rangers, to get used to the sound of heathen footsteps marching into hell. Only by going will they get passionate about rescuing those without Christ.

Obedience to God's commands always pays off.

Prayer will produce unity.

Giving will enlarge vision.

Going will produce passion.

Wouldn't you like to lead a united, visionary and passionate outpost? You can if you obey the Great Commission. "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19).

 

From the National Royal Ranger Website:  http://royalrangers.ag.org/leadership/missions-involvement.cfm

 

 

 

 

 

 

"...we know that there is so much more work to be done.  New requests for help come into our offices almost daily.  We are praying that the Lord of the harvest will raise-up more workers and resources to help us meet the needs and win as many boys and girls for Christ as possible."

Excerpt from the April 2008 RRI report to AGWM.

 

 

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