We have put together a 5-day devotion to help you see the part you can play in God’s mission through prayer, care, giving and going, to see a world that knows Jesus. Why not invite a friend to do this devotion along with you each day?

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Day 1 

Acts 1:6-11

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Today’s passage comes from the beginning of the book of Acts. At this point in time, Jesus has completed his public ministry. He has proclaimed the good news. He has healed the sick. He has died the death that we all deserve. And he has been raised to life in the resurrection. It’s no wonder, then, that the disciples are wondering, “Are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel (verse 6)?” Is the Israelites’ everlasting reign and rule here at last?

Jesus’ answer shocks them. His reign and rule is coming, he assures them, but it is not here yet. In the meantime, his people are to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth so that all people would know the name, the forgiveness, and the hope of Jesus (verse 8).

A world that knows Jesus

At CMS we want to see a world that knows Jesus. As we wait for Jesus’ return, our task is to be his witnesses for the gospel to the ends of the earth. Over the next few days you will be encouraged to see the part you can play in God’s global mission – to pray, care, give, and go. This week, will you be considering how you might play your part in God’s global mission, for a world that knows Jesus?

Day 2

Ephesians 1:15-19

¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

In this letter to the Ephesian church, Paul paints a stunning picture of what God has done for us in Jesus. In Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. We were predestined for adoption as sons and daughters. We have been lavished with the riches of God’s grace.

From here Paul directly addresses the Ephesian congregation, letting them know his prayers for them. Since they are included as believers in Christ, Paul has not stopped giving thanks for them. He asks God that they would know Jesus more and more through the Spirit, and that they would know the hope to which they have been called through the power of God.

Pray

Could you pray the Ephesians 1 prayer for your CMS link missionaries – that they would continue to know Jesus better as they serve him? And could you pray this prayer for the people in their location – asking that they would have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (verse 17) so that they would know the hope of Jesus? Your prayers for God’s people make a difference.

Day 3

3 John 1:5-8

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honours God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. ⁸ We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

Today’s passage is part of a short letter from “the elder” (also known as John), to Gaius, a dear friend and member of a church John oversees. Gaius is asked to welcome missionaries who are on their way to visit the church, since the church leader (Diotrephes) will not welcome them in a way that honours God. So Gaius is given the task of caring for these workers – showing hospitality to them in the name of Jesus.

John invites Gaius to be faithful in serving those who are strangers to him because of the love they share in Jesus. Gaius’ hospitality is an expression of his unity in the faith with the missionaries – and a way for them to work together for the truth (verse 8).

Care

When we send missionaries to share the love of Jesus across cultures, we are also working together for the truth! You may be good friends with your CMS link missionaries, or you may have never met them before. Regardless, the way we care for our missionaries makes a difference in their lives. Take some time today to consider how you might care for your missionaries in a way that honours God and expresses your gospel partnership.

Day 4

2 Corinthians 8:1-5

¹ And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵ And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

In this section of 2 Corinthians, Paul encourages the church at Corinth to give towards a collection for Jewish Christians in poverty. He begins by using an example of a church that was incredibly generous: the Macedonians. Paul wants the Corinthians to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian church, that despite their extreme material poverty, the church showed rich generosity (verses 1 and 2).

The Macedonians were not generous because they gave a lot of money. They were generous because they gave joyfully, and because it came at a cost to them. Not only that, but they saw it as a privilege to give (verse 4), not an obligation. Their generosity was an act of service, first to God, and then to those around them – it was modelled on the grace of Jesus himself.

Give

When we give to God’s mission, we serve God’s people by enabling vital gospel ministry to take place all around the world. Could you give generously for a world that knows Jesus? If you are already giving to CMS, or generally to global mission, remember that your generosity is serving the needs of the Lord’s people, and allowing more people to hear about the amazing message of Christ.

Day 5

Romans 10:9-15

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

In this passage, Paul answers the question that generations of men and women have asked: “How do I become a Christian?” Paul’s answer is simple: to declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and to believe in your heart that he was raised from death. Paul wrote these words to help the Roman church understand what it means to be saved – with the hope that the church would become a staging ground for the gospel message to go out to the ends of the earth.

Paul’s series of questions from verse 14 illustrate a flowchart for gospel proclamation. First, workers are sent to preach the gospel. Second, people hear the message of Jesus. Third, people believe the message of Jesus. Fourth, people call on the name of the Lord and are saved. But all of this can only happen through God’s work in preparing faithful Christians to send and become gospel workers.

Go

Have you considered whether you could be part of God’s mission by proclaiming the good news of Jesus across the world? CMS is passionate about setting apart, equipping and supporting long-term workers who cross cultures to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are prayerfully considering the part you could play in going to preach the good news, please get in touch.