A Real Pilgrim's Progress: A Purpose Driven Life

A Purpose Driven Life Chapter 38 - Becoming a World-Class Christian

Chapter Overview: The great commission is my commission. 'Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind. Psalm 67:2. This chapter is similar to the last one. It could probably get summed up in one of the sentences that Rick wrote: 'You are either a world class Christian or a worldly one.'

2011 (40 years old)

Absolutes like 'You are either a world class Christian or a worldly one.' really frustrate me. We are all working out our salvation, aren't we? What is the point of the scare tactics? Unfortunately preachers everywhere like to use fear to motivate people. I'm really not sure I agree with that. Perhaps there are good arguments for it in situations, (Jonah and Nineva, Sodom and Gomorrah) but I still find it frustrating. Maybe that's just me.

Rick spent a good bit of the chapter talking about how small the world had gotten in the last 2000 years and how much easier it is (or it should be) to fulfill the great commission. That all made sense to me.

2016 (45 years old)

What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short term missions trip this year? I don't know. Short like a concert with Grace Revolution or taking the BCS band downtown? God, you'll have to open my mind and open the door for this one to happen. Rick made some good points in this chapter though about changing my thinking. Mature Christianity is changing from 'me' centred thinking to 'other' centred thinking. The difference between children and adults... Kids think about themselves. Adults (parents) have to think about others.
Prayer is the only tool that non-Christians are defenceless against. Our most important tool. Shift from here and now thinking to enter all thinking. 'Fix our eyes on what is not seen'. 'Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts upon you'. Shift from thinking of excuses to thinking of creative ways to fulfill your mission. You don't need a special 'call' to fulfill the great commission - you've already got one.

For background on what these 'Purpose Driven Life' posts are about, click this link.