A recent Barna survey revealed that half of all church-going Christians cannot identify the Great Commission. So before we dive deeply into the role of the marketplace in God’s mission in the world, this episode goes back to the basics and unpacks the reality of Jesus’ final instructions to us: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)
Over 3 billion people are considered unreached with the Good News of the Gospel today. That’s 42% of the global population and rising. A huge portion of these people are what we call “inconveniently lost.” There are no Christians, no churches, no Bibles, no way for them to know about Jesus unless we make extreme sacrifices to go and tell them. This is the greatest injustice in the world today and one we are passionate about engaging as marketplace believers.
In this week’s missional moment, we talk to our dear friend Dick Brogden, the global leader of LiveDead and missionary to Saudi Arabia. Dick and his wife Jenn are on the front lines of the Great Commission in more ways than one. You do not want to miss Dick’s challenge to take up this Great Commission calling. It will encourage and discomfort you in all the right ways.
You can learn more about the incredible work LiveDead is doing in the hardest to reach places around the world by visiting https://livedead.org.
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Transcription:
Speaker 1 [00:00:00] And when people hear the word injustice, all these emotions come in. Right. You know, sex trafficking is a gross injustice. Right. Right, right. Racism is a gross injustice. And we should be against these things. Right? Hunger and disease are grave injustices. Genocide is a gross injustice. People not having clean water is an injustice. Right. All of these things are terrible injustices. But I believe the injustice under all the other injustice in the world is that people are without the gospel.
Speaker 2 [00:00:43] It’s another episode of the Missional Marketplace podcast, Accelerating the Great Commission through the Marketplace. I am co host Mr. Darren Cooper here with the one and only Eric Cooper. How are we doing this morning?
Speaker 1 [00:00:57] We’re doing well. We’re back for another week. We are the powers that be continue to allow this to happen.
Speaker 2 [00:01:04] It’s America fired us yet. Not fired us yet.
Speaker 1 [00:01:07] No. We have not been shut down by by the authorities.
Speaker 2 [00:01:10] No, no, not at all. And at the time of this recording, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 has just been run. And you are Eric with a K. That’s just that’s true. The Swedish spelling. Yeah, right. Yeah. And and Mr. Ericsson just won the Indianapolis 500. The only problem is he spells it with a C.
Speaker 1 [00:01:32] I know. And he’s Swedish too. I know. It’s really.
Speaker 2 [00:01:34] Odd. I almost called him, but I was just like, you know what? Now he was a.
Speaker 1 [00:01:38] Little busy drinking milk and kissing bricks and all that.
Speaker 2 [00:01:41] It was. It was crazy, but. But no is. So if you ever wonder why it’s with the K now, you know it’s right.
Speaker 1 [00:01:47] We are we are good Swedes here.
Speaker 2 [00:01:48] Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, hey, welcome back to another episode, like we said were were rock and roll. And if you’ve taken this journey with us, like we say pretty much each and every week, we are following Missional Marketplace, the book that you have penned and kind of given that outline and walking us through. And so we’ve gone with work in the great story work and the great commandment, right? And now here in the next few episodes, we’re going work in the Great Commission. It’s true work in the Great Commission. And I know that this is something that’s extremely passionate, not only for you, but for us here at the Stone Table for Sierra, for our housing organization, it has been kind of the DNA, the foundation of everything we’ve done from the get go. So I’m just going to kind of tee up here and say, hey, like talk to us a little bit about where this comes from and how it how it’s been put together, not only in your life, but ours here at the stone table as well.
Speaker 1 [00:02:47] Yeah. In the book, Darren really drives towards the great commission. As you said, we broke it into the great story, you know, the metanarrative of scripture working and the great story work and the great commandment, you know, how how does it end? How does the gospel embody itself within the context of our daily lives and our daily work lives? But now we’re going to talk about work and the Great Commission, and this really is our driving force as an organization. It’s why we’ve existed for the last 30 years. And really, when it comes to our contribution to the faith and work dialog, this is really kind of our special sauce, I guess, to speak, right? You know, your way of putting it. Yeah, sometimes I call it marketplace and missions instead of faith and work. You know, we are really a missions organization that was rooted in the marketplace. We are emissions organization. The Faith and work and marketplace conversation really is is just the seat we sit in. And so we wanted to contribute to that conversation from our seat on the bus.
Speaker 2 [00:03:47] Yeah, and I love that too, because at that, I mean, obviously it’s kind of our, you know, you said secret sauce, our niche, whatever you want to say there. But we can have the faith and work dialog and what that looks like can inspire others to join in. But it really does come down to that that great commission. That’s right. And how we can step into it. And so I guess to kick us off here, because when you say the word missions, I think it’s easy to have maybe a couple of different thoughts, like if you’re listening today, when we say missions, you might think of something and whatever that looks like. Right? Not right or wrong, but just weird. What does that mean to you? Or I guess explaining what the Great Commission is? And then what does that mission’s piece look like for us as an organization?
Speaker 1 [00:04:37] Yeah. And let let’s kind of go back to the beginning here, because I think this is really good foundational stuff therein. And really what we want to talk about today is the great commission and this concept of missions. And then over the course of the next few weeks, we’re going to work that back into the marketplace conversation. But you know, if we say what is the great commission? Mm hmm. That that’s that’s a question that we really need to answer, because there was a Barna study that was done in 2018 that said 50% of church going Christians could not identify the great commission. Now, in fairness, the Great Commission is not specifically mentioned in Scripture. It’s what we’ve we’ve called it or what the church has begun to call it over the last 2000 years. But this idea of the Great Commission, half of churchgoing Christians could not identify what it is. So I think that’s what we want to do today. What is the Great Commission? And it really goes back to Matthew 2819 actually it’s it’s the verses around 2819. 16 through 20 or 18 through 20. I’m going to read 18 through 20 the day. But it says Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. This is the last recorded words of Jesus to His disciples before He ascends into heaven. So like the last words, usually a pretty important word.
Speaker 2 [00:06:22] Yeah, that’s a pretty big thing.
Speaker 1 [00:06:23] Yeah, he said, go like get out there, get moving. Or some translations say as you’re going, but motion like let’s go. Yeah, it’s convert. It’s a call to action, make disciples which is proclaim the kingdom, train up followers, baptize followers, right. Go and make disciples. And then this is the key there and of all nations. Now, the translators have used the word nations, and we understand why they’ve used that word. But it’s really when we think of nations, right? We think of the United States of America. We think of, you know, Canada and Mexico and and, you know, we think of of nations as nation states the way geopolitically we would. Yes. You know, define nations. But really, the word here, the word Jesus used here is in the Greek footnotes. It’s footnotes. And really, if we if we define that properly, the word the words we would use as people groups, so not nation states. Interesting, but people groups, groups of people joined by similar customs, language, culture. Right. That’s the word Jesus used there. And he said, go to all of them.
Speaker 2 [00:07:41] All of them. Wow.
Speaker 1 [00:07:43] So this is the crux of Jesus. Last words. Go, move, call to action. Make disciples, proclaim the kingdom, train up followers of all ethno or people groups. And this is really at the crux of who we are as an organization, but it really is the crux of who we are as God.
Speaker 2 [00:08:05] Yeah, right. Yeah. And that’s why when you when when I said when you say missions, it can mean different things, right? It could be a mission of a business to have clean water or I think of time shoes or things like that. Right. Really good things. But when we say missions, what does that foundation stand? And that’s really what it is right there is the great commission. And and so that’s why I wanted to make sure that you broke that down and and that we knew that that’s where we’re coming from. And really, like you said, that is to all of us. It’s not just to us at the stone table. It really is to all of us.
Speaker 1 [00:08:42] Yeah. So let’s take this down even another level then, Darren. I mean, let’s talk about making disciples among these people groups. Right. But, but, you know, when Jesus said all at ethno, he said, all nations, all people, groups, we need to wrestle with some specificity there. Okay. Because there are depending on how you count them, there are approximately 7000 people groups in the world today. We say, guys, unreached, unreached people groups. There are there are 7000 people groups are up in the world today. Seven that that do not have access to the gospel that that 7000 people groups would would break out to approximately 3.2 billion with a B people or 42% of the global population. Wow. So 42%.
Speaker 2 [00:09:40] 2%.
Speaker 1 [00:09:41] 42% of the global population is what we would consider unreached with the gospel. It is possible for you to live in these places of the world, to be born, to live and die, sometimes with ever as much as meeting a Christian. So, you know, if Jesus like, if Jesus showed up in the middle of the night and revealed himself to you in a dream, you would wake up the next morning and you would literally have no one to go talk to about this. There are no Christian people, there are no churches, there are no established ministries. These are the people we call inconveniently lost 3.2 billion 7000 RPG’s, 3.2 billion people, or roughly 42% of the global population are unreached with the gospel.
Speaker 2 [00:10:28] Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:10:29] And so we get passionate about that here, Daryn, because I believe in this may I don’t think it’s not meant to be a controversial statement, but it may be a controversial statement. I believe. We believe. You hear that this is the greatest injustice in the world. And when people hear the word injustice, all these emotions come in, right? You know, sex trafficking is a gross injustice. Right. Right, right. Racism is a gross injustice. And we should be against these things. Right? Hunger and disease are grave injustices. Genocide is a gross injustice. People not having clean water is an injustice. Right? All these things are terrible injustices. But I believe the injustice under all the other injustice in the world is that people are without the gospel.
Speaker 2 [00:11:18] Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:11:19] And if 42% of the global population is without the gospel, we need to do something. We, as the people of God, need to be about that calling. This isn’t about selling a new religion to people like, you know, slimy door to door salesmen. Right. This is about proclaiming the lordship of King Jesus and the new life and resurrection power of his kingdom. Yeah. That is what we are about as an organization.
Speaker 2 [00:11:44] Yeah. And for 100%. And to even think about what you said there about, you know, you alluded to somebody having a dream and waking up and they have nobody that they can go talk to about that. I mean, that’s a real those are real stories that we’ve heard. Right. But it isn’t necessarily about like you know, like you said, it’s not this door to door salesman. It really is getting to a place where those folks that are having those moments, these dreams, these visions, these things where they’re oh, man, they’re having that real connection with God that they have a place to go where they can be disciple. They can, you know, whether it’s a church or a place that you can have those deep conversations, because I think it would be easy to to go, oh, well, you know, you’re just you’re saying that, you know, God, God isn’t in those places. You know, they oh, we until we get there, God isn’t there. Well, no, he’s working and moving. But it’s in those moments that those dreams happen, those visions happen that there’s no place to go. So what do you do there? How do we battle against that, as.
Speaker 1 [00:12:48] We’ve talked in other aspects, right? Like for some reason, God chose to partner with us. Right. His image bearer’s, right? Absolutely. He chose to partner with us and to bring his kingdom to fulfill his kingdom and to proclaim his kingdom to the ends of the earth. Yeah. And, you know, I don’t know why. I don’t feel like I’m a trustworthy person he should have picked, but for some reason, he’s chosen to work. Yeah, that’s right. And so we have an obligation to obedience to the words of Jesus. I don’t understand all of the sovereignty of God discussions that are out there right now. I know. All I know is, as Jesus said, go and make disciples of all nations, and we have to be about that. So and, you know, there sometimes people people say to us, you know, aren’t there unreached people in our own communities, too?
Speaker 2 [00:13:34] Yeah. I mean, this is a valid question.
Speaker 1 [00:13:36] And I would say the answer to that is no. And and it’s really a matter of terminology. Okay. There are there are unchurched people. There are unsaved people. There are people who are far from God in our own communities. But there are not what we would call unreached people groups in our own communities. There are well, let’s face it, in the United States of America, no matter where you live, even in the most liberal, secular of communities, there are churches literally on every corner. Right. You have access to the if you live in the United States of America, you have access to the gospel. So when we talk about this idea of unreached, I really want that to grab people’s heart that there are 42% of the global population has has no shot at the gospel of we don’t go. Yeah, right. Yeah. And that should move us deeply. It should move us deeply. And we see it there in in our in our giving as well. I think this is really important to talk about. A vast majority of church giving goes towards home based ministry, and that’s understandable. Right. That’s understandable. And you see stats all all over the board here. But of the portion of church giving or church dollars that goes to cross-cultural missions work, almost all of it goes to what we would call already reached areas and people groups. And you can you can look this up. The Joshua Project has great statistics on this radical has great statistics on this, but a majority a majority goes to already reached people groups. And the stats would tell us Darren’s somewhere between one and 3% of the funds that go to missions. This isn’t even all of the giving to churches, but of the funds that go to missions, only 1 to 3% actually goes towards these unreached places in the world. And this is what keeps me up at night. This is what keeps your big brother up at night because because we will answer to God for what we have done with his great commission one day and. Everything we do with encouraging marketplace believers here is ultimately pointed in this direction. What are you doing to see the name of Jesus proclaimed among every nation, tribe and tongue?
Speaker 2 [00:15:53] Yeah. Wow. Wow. And I, like I said at the beginning, I know this is not only a passion for you, but a passion for the organization, the stone table as a whole. And and yeah, I hope that in that passion for what we’re talking about here, that you hear that, that you go, Oh, man, what can I do to get involved? What can I do to help in this this regard? And and I know, Eric, that a lot of times stories move people. Right. Yeah. They’re they’re the beautiful things that allow us. I mean, we all watch Netflix and movies. It’s all based in story. Right. And so tell us a story. Tell us a story about, uh, maybe some unreached people groups or something that you’ve seen happen in this amazing and radical way that kind of highlights the necessary need for what we’re talking about today.
Speaker 1 [00:16:44] Yeah, one of the stories that always resonates deeply with me, this was, you know, early on in the day is if it was right about the time we started this, don’t say, well, I think probably 2014 Stone Cable launched in 2015 officially. But I was in rural and was to say rural when you when you think of rural Indiana, you think of farming. So I was in I was in rural Tanzania. Right. Which is a.
Speaker 2 [00:17:08] Completely different thing. Rural Indiana.
Speaker 1 [00:17:10] I like to say National Geographic, Tanzania. And the folks knew I was a little skittish. You know, I mean, you and I aren’t campers. We are parents is not. Raise us in the outdoors.
Speaker 2 [00:17:23] No, no. What is dad always say his idea. Camping is an RV with a black and white.
Speaker 1 [00:17:28] With a black and white TV. That’s it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 [00:17:30] That’s how we were raised.
Speaker 1 [00:17:31] That’s how we were raised properly. I would say we were raised properly. But you know, I found myself in rural Tanzania with some missionary friends and my brother in law, David Wigginton, who loves to push me a little bit further, that I’m comfortable going as well. But we actually we drove out in this Range Rover to the edge of civilization and then we went for more hours. So we went for hours on dried out riverbeds out into the wilderness. I mean, we were in the wilderness. We were going to see the ditto tribe in the hot bay. We were going to see National Geographic, Africa and actually spend the night there. And it the stories are crazy. I tell people it was the most meaningful night of my life that I never want to have again.
Speaker 2 [00:18:20] Please don’t make me do it again.
Speaker 1 [00:18:21] Please don’t make me do that again. I’d rather tell the stories. I mean, we we we ran into a black mamba snake, which is a whole nother story in and of itself somehow. Yeah. I mean, but we were out with the hot tub. They were teaching us how to shoot bows and arrows, which was a trip because these little kids can shoot these bone arrows. And I couldn’t. I couldn’t even pull the bow back.
Speaker 2 [00:18:39] Right, right.
Speaker 1 [00:18:40] And so this was this was an amazing 24 hour period. But on our drive, we were on these dried out riverbeds, you know, out in the middle of nowhere, Tanzania. And we crest this hill and there’s a woman walking along the side of the road, and she’s carrying a little baby kind of in this wrap around her neck. And so it was time for us to make a stop anyway. So we kind of pull over to the side. I was going to say to the side of the road, but there was no road. We just.
Speaker 2 [00:19:10] Got pulled over to the side of the.
Speaker 1 [00:19:12] Bed. Yeah. And we get out and we’re with a ditto tribesman who was there with us. He was driving with us and he gets out and he and the missionary begin to speak to this woman. She’s walking along the side of the pathway here and it’s obvious from from just viewing her, the baby is not feeling well. It had, you know, like snotty noses. It was all crusty around its nose and mouth. And the woman informed us that she was taking the baby to the next village over.
Speaker 2 [00:19:44] Right, right.
Speaker 1 [00:19:45] To see the witchdoctor, because the baby was very ill and she wanted the witchdoctor to perform some, you know, some ceremonies and maybe give some some herbs or something to the baby to to make the the baby get better. And so the tribesmen that we were with and the missionary asked if we could we could pray for the woman, and we said we prayed for her. And then they said we would like to. This was how it came through the translator. We would like to introduce you to Jesus and I kid you not. The woman’s eyes lit up. They lit up and she said, I would love to meet. I would love to meet this Jesus. I will be back at my tent later this afternoon and I will make some tea and you can bring him by. And I would love to meet him. Right. And we kind of chuckled in the moment. Yeah, but that moment is is drilled into my spirit, Daryn, because this woman. Literally had never heard the name of Jesus before. She had no context for who Jesus was, for what Jesus had done for her and for her baby and for her family. She had no context. She had she had no access. She had never heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what he does for centers.
Speaker 2 [00:21:05] And that even goes back to what you were saying about, you know, local people in the U.S.. Right. That the if somebody if you say, I’d like to introduce you to Jesus to your neighbor. Right. They have a general idea. Even if they didn’t grow up in church, they have a general idea of what you’re talking about. But in this moment, they this lady had no recollection and literally thought it was an actual person that you were going to bring over. Right.
Speaker 1 [00:21:33] Right.
Speaker 2 [00:21:33] Like that’s. Wow. That that idea. I think it does like like we said, story is powerful and that story right there just highlights and just puts a spotlight on why we’re so passionate about that here at the stone table.
Speaker 1 [00:21:49] Yeah, there are 3.2 billion people on planet Earth just like that woman, you know, in different forms or fashions, different cultures, different people, groups, different, you know, different realities. But the world needs the good news of Jesus. And like we said, for some reason, he’s chosen to partner with us. Right. Right. And it’s our responsibility. Yeah.
Speaker 2 [00:22:10] Wow. And that’s that’s a strong call to, you know, in all of that. And so I guess what kind of question pops up in my mind or what what begs the question, I think at this point is, you know, we are a Market Place podcast, right? We’re talking to a marketplace, people that are out there doing their jobs each and every day. The last few weeks we’ve been talking about just how important their work is and how and why it’s important and all that stuff. So when you start to switch this conversation into the mission side of things and unreached people groups, and all sudden it’s like, whoa, whoa, whoa, what is my what does my day job have to do with that? Erik, where in the world? This is a left turn I didn’t see coming. Right. So so talk to us about why and how those things overlap.
Speaker 1 [00:22:56] Yeah, well, what what is what is the great commission have to do with marketplace believers with this faith and work conversation? And what does it have to do with it? I would say everything only ever simple answer. Yeah, and you know, the way it has embedded in my heart and my spirit is that if. If you belong to Jesus. Then the great commission belongs to you. So this isn’t about missionaries.
Speaker 3 [00:23:26] Right?
Speaker 1 [00:23:27] This isn’t about pastors and professional ministry people. There is no great commission, B-team. Right. This is the calling for all followers and disciples. You know, when Jesus was talking to his disciples, before He ascended to heaven and he gave them this commission, he was he was talking to those people, but he was also talking down the generational line to you and me. We are disciples of Jesus and we are being sent out. So I would say, if you belong to Jesus, the Great Commission belongs to you. And that means if you are a marketplace believer, if you are trying to figure out how to engage the gospel through your everyday life, to embed your work story in God’s great story, to live out the great commandment through your everyday work, I would say, don’t stop there. Don’t stop there. We are called to embody the gospel and proclaim the gospel. We are called to the Great Commission. If you belong to Jesus, the Great Commission belongs to you. So this has everything to do with the faith and work conversation. And next week, we’re going to we’re going to talk about how the marketplace is actually being used in these unreached places around the world. And we’re going to tie together some of these marketplace conversations with the Great Commission more directly. But but I felt like today we had to go back to the roots and really dig up some some soil and plant some great commission seeds in them all over again.
Speaker 2 [00:24:58] Yeah. And I think that’s a great place to start. You know, when we start to have this conversation, it has to be that foundational conversation. And I think not only your passion, but the passion of Stone Table as a whole comes through in this conversation today. And I’m excited as we we transition now to the end of this episode. I know that the last few weeks we’ve been doing these missional moments and they’ve been so special to hear these conversations. And over the next couple of weeks, we have some pretty special, I guess is the word to use pretty special ones with some friends of the stone table and friends of yours that just have some beautiful stories and beautiful challenges for us. Beautiful stories to tell. And so in this missional moment, who are we talking to and kind of set that and frame that up a little bit?
Speaker 1 [00:25:48] Yeah, we’re we’re talking to Greg Mundus, the executive director of Assemblies of God World Missions. And Greg has become a dear friend. He’s a dear friend to many. But back at the genesis of the Stone Table, we actually went out and met with him. And he really was key in helping shape some of our our missing ology, some of our businesses, mission, passion. And I wanted I wanted everyone to hear a little bit from my conversation with Greg Mundus, because I think it’s going to encourage you in this in this regard.
Speaker 2 [00:26:21] Yeah, well, enjoy this week’s Missional Moment.
Speaker 1 [00:26:25] When we were first launching the Stone Table, my leadership encouraged me to drive to Springfield, Missouri, and meet with the executive director of Assemblies of God World Missions, Greg Mundus. When we spent a few hours with Greg, we asked him what is happening in world missions today and how are we as an organization uniquely equipped to meet that need? And it was at that meeting that Greg unfolded the strategy of business as mission and why it is so vital to our mission ology today.
Speaker 3 [00:27:00] You know, there was a time in the 20th century when going into countries as a missionary was more or less acceptable, maybe not desired, but more or less acceptable. Or with governmental change, independence, sovereignty issues. Or pulling away from Western influence and so on, etc., that times have radically changed since those days. And I think we as a generation, Eric, have experienced that change. And I think we we can’t be we can’t stick our head in the mud or stick your head in the ground and say, no, this is who we are. This is how we do it. No, you have to have your eyes on the horizon and say what’s happening and what is what is God saying to us?
Speaker 1 [00:27:54] When we think about the skill sets necessary for a missionary on the global field, we think of the traditional things. We think of preaching, we think of theology, or maybe higher ed and education, compassion type skill sets and ministries. And all of those are still vital to missions work today. But there are other skill sets that are beginning to emerge. Marketplace skill sets. That are vital to the future of global mis geology.
Speaker 3 [00:28:27] Having having people that have a heart to share the gospel, to be able and have skill sets, you know, beautiful different skill sets. I just heard of a of a missionary that is going to opening open a skating rink. Yep. And Easter. I know that. Yeah, that’s Oksana and and and and they’re there and they’ll be able to share their testimony. And someday they’ll be able to establish a community of faith, a church, in whatever form that’s going to be. Others that have, like, skills in it, in like sports or in coffee making or in business consulting or in travel. Legitimate, legitimate businesses and legitimate reason why these governments want in in the country, because they provide they provide work for their local people, add value. It’s a beautiful combination because there is there is a mission. It’s not just to make successful business, but to share the gospel.
Speaker 1 [00:29:34] I often quote a Barna study that was deeply troubling to me that highlighted the emerging generation’s disillusionment with the concept of global missions. I shared that study with Greg, and he had a completely different take on how to interpret it.
Speaker 3 [00:29:50] I am encouraged by this. I am encouraged by this, Eric, that I also, which is a student ministry on secular campuses across the United States from Assemblies of God, are doing a fabulous job. And every several years we have a joint venture of 72nd world missions in Cairo in what we call World Mission Summit. Yep. And we have seen literally thousands of young people give a year and pray about a lifetime in overseas missions. That encourages me. Yeah. There are other organizations that have these kind of events and and they’re still happening. So there may be a whole lot of surveys out there, but it’s kind of like sometimes, you know, you kind of feel like Elijah, you know, and saying, I’m the only one. I’m the only one. Okay, lift up your head out of the mud. And there are 7000 out there that have not bowed their need a veil. And so I’m just going to choose to say, let’s keep on preaching, let’s win. Let’s be advocates for world missions, for us for missions. And let’s see the gospel get into every tribe and every nation so that we can all celebrate around the throne of God. As Revelations five, he said.
Speaker 1 [00:31:12] The more I talk to Greg, the more encouraged I got that this global missions, this great commission mandate that our organization and our business here has given its entire existence to and and that Greg and so many of our missionary friends have given their lives for it will go forward and it will make an impact in this world.
Speaker 3 [00:31:35] The bowl will go or it’s going to take men and women like our missionary body and like these national church believers that we partner with to share the gospel. And people’s lives are still being changed. People are coming into the kingdom still because of that flexibility. So great. But the spirit of God got the stores closed. That’s what Paul experienced. Hey, you can’t go into Asia minor, but you can go to Europe. So what are you going to do? Okay, Spirit, we go and that’s what’s happening.
Speaker 1 [00:32:12] So maybe you’re out there and you’re feeling stirred, but you’re saying I’m just a bookkeeper or I just wait tables. I don’t have any great missions, skill sets. I think Greg has a different perspective for you.
Speaker 3 [00:32:27] First of all, I want to dispel any. Imagination or presumption that missionaries are special people. Missionaries are ordinary people that in obedience have heard or heard their voice of God in obedience responded. Doesn’t mean they’re superhuman. Doesn’t mean they’re super spiritual. Doesn’t mean they’re great businessmen. It just means they’ve responded in obedience.
Speaker 1 [00:32:55] A huge thanks to my dear friend Greg Mundus and really the the thousands of missionaries on the field with organizations like Assemblies of God World Missions. If God is stirring you, if he is if he is doing something in your heart, if you feel that pull and tug of the Holy Spirit and you’re thinking, Gosh, could God use me if I just raise my hand and say, yes, I’ll go, I’ll follow, I’ll obey. You can go to a GWM Borg and about halfway down that page there’s a button that says Become a Missionary. And I know our friends at GWM would be thrilled to help you connect and see what God might be stirring in your life. The Gospel will go forth to every nation, tribe and tongue, and all of us carry a mandate and calling to be a part of that great commission.
Speaker 2 [00:33:50] Man. I love that conversation with Greg. Just somebody that’s passionate about it, somebody that’s encouraging. You just can’t help but watch that and go. Yes, let’s go. Let’s go. So I love all that he brought to that mission.
Speaker 1 [00:34:04] Always a special guy. He’s a special guy who’s lived this out for a long time.
Speaker 2 [00:34:08] Yeah, for sure. For sure. Rich, rich history with him so. Well, I know today, Eric, we we kind of pivoted a little bit. We were saying that we were having this faith and work conversation. Now, all a sudden, we’re talking missions and and we hope that some people can connect the dots between the two. But maybe today somebody is feeling inspired. Maybe it was by the missional moment or something that you shared. And they just want to know some more information, like just what it’s about. Like where? Where can they go other than the stone table, dawg?
Speaker 1 [00:34:36] That’s right.
Speaker 2 [00:34:37] Other than their. Where else could they go to? To. Yeah, right now. That was a night like it. Where else could they go to find out more about what we were talking about?
Speaker 1 [00:34:45] Well, there are some incredible missions organizations out there, a lot of them doing some incredible work, for sure. Our friends, today, we talked to you with Assemblies of God World Missions, which is where kind of our roots come out of. Yeah. And a GWM, Assemblies of God World Missions is doing just incredible work around the world. They’ve been doing that for over a century now. Rich history, huge heart for the unreached areas in the world as well. And so you can always go to AGW Smaug and you can trust those folks there. They’re doing some, some incredible work and then obviously stay connected. As you already said, Darren, we’ve got a resource page at the stone table. You know, pass this podcast along as you could do us a huge favor just by continuing to subscribe and share. I mean, we’ve built this podcast this season of the podcast to really live on for sure, you know, long past the 12 weeks that we’re releasing it. So this is this is something we really want. Subscribe, share, pass this along to people who are interested in talking about missions and the marketplace. So yeah, the stone table dot org, our resource page. And then of course you can always pick up missional marketplace the book, you can pick that up, you know, links from our website, but it’s at Amazon and we’ve got the audio book as well, which a lot of people seem to enjoy for some reason. Love to hear 5 hours of me reading to them versus, you know, a couple hundred pages of actually reading.
Speaker 2 [00:36:12] At your site. So you can also get it at Eric Cooper dot me. That’s Eric with a K because we.
Speaker 1 [00:36:17] Are we are Swedish. That’s correct. Right. As well. Scandinavians are.
Speaker 2 [00:36:21] I love it. I love it. So yeah. Go check out those resources. Make sure you’re part of that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:36:26] Like subscribe rate share please. It’s huge. Huge.
Speaker 2 [00:36:30] Helps us get good stuff. And so thanks for joining us again on another episode of the Missional Marketplace podcast. We hope that it was an encouragement to you and until then, we’ll see you next week.
