The Strategic Impact of Global Professionals
By David Cross
When we look at the Great Commission of Matthew 28.19-20 which starts, "Going, therefore, make disciples" (author's translation), we should think of making disciples while doing all of the other things the people of God do like creation care, blessing, justice, righteousness, humility, mercy, freedom, care for widows and orphans, and even work. These are the substance that show what a world is like when people follow God.
So how do we complete that Great Commission? Revelation 7.9 shows us the "rest of the story," as Paul Harvey would say, "After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. . . ." This comprehensive Gospel will result in people from every nation, tribe, people, and language coming to know Jesus.
Bold Questions
Let me ask a bold question. If my neighbor in America doesn't become a believer, can the Great Commission still be completed? The answer is yes because there is no promise that all people will become believers. On the other hand, if the Jibbali people of Oman don't hear the Gospel, can we say the Great Commission has been completed? No, because the above Scripture would not have been fulfilled. In short, we must prioritize the unreached in the hard places behind political, geographical, and linguistic barriers.
This presents serious challenges for missions:
Restricted Access Nations – How can we send missionaries when missionary visas are not granted?
Funding – It takes an average of two years to raise support for a single unit.
Networking – Missionaries often have to make force artificial relationships at coffee shops or malls that only last 1-2 visits.
Now let me ask another bold question: What if these challenges simply went away?
The Apostle Paul lived out this strategy as a tentmaker, that is, a person who is sent to use an occupation to live among and share the Good News with people who don't have it. Tentmaking has two broad fields, namely, Job Makers and Job Takers. Job Makers are entrepreneurs who establish businesses to foster ministry opportunities. About 3% of us have this gift.
Job Takers are people who take their degrees, certificates, experience, and training in a job and work among the unreached. These would be, for example, engineers, doctors, teachers, scientists, athletes, students, retirees, bankers, etc. etc. These are the 97%.
What if debt-ridden graduates heard the message that they could work overseas and be paid 30% more, with living expenses 30% less, and no taxes while having effective ministry? What if retirees learned they could enjoy ministry in the tropical climate of Kuala Lumpur while being treasured for their decades of work wisdom and expertise? What if engineers in the Middle East lived out faithful witness while receiving a paid flight home each year for the entire family? These are more than hypotheticals. They are reality for today's global professionals.
That's a fair question. Let's look at the biblical example of Daniel who served kings of three Unreached People Groups (Babylonians, Medes, Persians). Two kings professed faith in God through Daniel's work/faith integration (Nebuchadnezzar, Darius). Two more recognized God's superiority (Belshazzar, Cyrus).
Global Professionals have impact where traditional missionaries simply could not go.
This article is submitted by David Cross of Professionals Global. Professionals Global is a Missio Nexus member. Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.
David Cross is president of Professionals Global and author of the newly released book Work of Influence: Principles for Professionals from the Book of Daniel. Professionals Global is a mission training agency for fervent followers of Jesus to have effective witness through the integration of work and faith among the unreached. They serve mission sending agencies by offering courses to equip overseas workers as global professionals, language learners and those in Disciple Making Movements.
Scripture: NET©
Categories: Articles (EMQ), Member Highlight