What was Paul’s strategy to share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What led him to the places he traveled to? Was Paul just an aimless wanderer or was there intentionality how he shared about the resurrection of Jesus Christ? No, Paul did not just go as the wind took him, but he traveled to cities to plant churches. So, we see two things that Paul really valued: cities and church planting. Cities because this was the engine of culture – this is where the greatest number of people were, and this is also where the greatest diversity of people were. Cities had incredible influence, and to Paul, they were like a fuse waiting to be lit. So, he went to start churches. He would preach the Gospel, disciple the people in covenant communities, equip them for the mission that lie ahead, and then he would move on and plant more churches. When it comes to disciple making, multiplication is the goal.
I say this because we were blessed during our trip to host a Cuban pastor in Haiti during our time there. He has been a part of planting over 200 churches in Cuba. We got to here about the wonderful ways God is showing his grace to people in what used to be a very closed country. But why was he in Haiti? He was the least likely person I would have imagined to see on this trip. But he was down because he is planning to send a family out of his church to be long-term missionaries to Haiti. A family that has been attending this pastor’s church speaks the Haitian language of Creole and feels a call from God to start a church in Haiti. How amazing!
I am extremely encouraged that missionary activity is no longer from the ‘West to the Rest’ but now from everywhere to everywhere. God’s mission is to bring glory to Himself by redeeming people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. And He is raising up missionaries to carry the Gospel across cultures, many at the cost of their lives, to ensure that this glorious good news is heard.
