Commiting to the Journey
The SVM2 network is calling 100,000 new message bearers, from sending countries around the world, who will “GO” long term (at least two years) to the forgotten, using any means necessary, through a multitude of organizations, agencies, and other sending avenues.
What is a Message Bearer?
The term “Message Bearer” is simply an alternative term to that of “missionary.” A Message Bearer is a young adult who has made the following three commitments:
1. To wholeheartedly devote him or herself to the person of Jesus Christ and be committed to the marks of a true disciple.
2. To persistently pursue revival and the spread of the gospel in the midst of the forgotten, through disciplined prayer and the commitment to “GO” for at least two years.
3. To intentionally influence others to develop an awareness of the global purpose of God, with an aim of his or her personal involvement.
Young adults ready to make this commitment are invited to make their GO Declaration as a way of stating their intentions toward these ends. They are invited to keep the larger portion of the card and put it in their Bible or on their mirror so that they will be reminded of their sense of direction before the Lord.
There is a spiritual principle involved in this form of a commitment. In our generation that struggles with dedication, it is important to combat this with a challenge of making firm decisions, based not on emotions, but on the leading and direction of the Lord, and then holding to them.
Why at least two years?
The job of seeing the glory of God declared throughout the earth is, more than ever, in great need of gifted laborers who will devote a large portion of their lives primarily to the forgotten people of the world.
It is becoming increasingly clearer that this cannot be substituted through short term activity. However, most of the church today highlights the short-term emphasis, to the neglect of the long term.
In fact, only eight percent of mission speakers present a long-term challenge to the younger generation in their messages. For this reason, we challenge the younger generation to “GO” for at least two years to the forgotten.
A minimum of two years gives the opportunity for Message Bearers to learn language, grasp cultural issues, and have meaningful relationships built, all means for sharing the gospel.
It also provides a long enough amount of time to hit the “wall” of culture shock, and to persevere through the real temptation of wanting to leave and get back to what is familiar.
A radical shift in focus evokes a longer term emphasis, and subsequently, a significant increase in the longer term challenge put before the younger generation. Without this, the completion of the Great Commission in our lifetime is only an elusive dream.
Who are the “forgotten”?
As we look at what remains in the task of global proclamation, we must be strategic to focus our attention on those people and places where the gospel has had the least activity.
Our priority in going must be to those who have the least opportunity to hear the message of life. The SVM2 initiative terms these people the “forgotten.” This is a term that we use to describe the least of these, and those with the greatest need and least opportunity of a gospel witness.
The forgotten reminds us that these are people who have value, as ones for whom Jesus paid the ultimate price to deliver them from their bondage and sin. Yet most of us in the body of Christ do not keep their need for salvation at the forefront of our hearts, our prayer lives, or our mission sending strategies.
Will you commit to the journey?
Being a Message Bearer to the forgotten will require all that you’ve got. It’s a BIG commitment of time, energy and resources. The choice is yours. What will you do with the years God has given you? How will you use your blessings and your passion?
