Ask a Missionary - Catch The Fire

Q:
I don’t sense God leading me to
become a missionary. Is it selfish
for me to send financial and prayer
support and not go myself?
A: Not at all. Be a sender.
We have all been called to the body of Christ and to function
within that body. Some will be witnesses in Jerusalem (your hometown);
some will be witnesses in Judea (linking arms in a greater
area ministry). Some will be witnesses in Samaria (among the “unlovables”
of the world), and some, as they are going throughout the
world, will be witnesses to the uttermost parts.
For those who go to the uttermost parts, there is a need for a
support team—a care group. For every military personnel who goes
to the front line of battle, a minimum of nine people back him up on
the line of communication. Those who serve as senders are equally
important. Their responsibilities are quite different from those who
go, but they are equally vital. No, it is not selfish to be a part of the
rest of the team. Imagine a baseball coach telling the right fielder,
“Hey, you didn’t touch the ball the whole game. We don’t need you
anymore!” Of course not. Likewise, though the ones who go might
be like a pitcher or a catcher who touches the ball every inning, the
other members of the team are equally responsible to fulfill their
particular role.
On the other hand, we see an interesting progression in
Matthew 9–10. Jesus has called on his followers to “ask the Lord of
the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field” (9:38). A few
verses later he seems to tell his followers, “OK, guys. You’re it. Get
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