Today we again come to a very important day in our church. A day in which we turn our attention toward carrying out the "Great Commission."

"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (St. Matthew 28:18-20 NRSV)

This is a day in which our lives will be challenged to walk closer to Christ, to commit ourselves even more to the cause of "doing ministry." To rid ourselves of superficially being the "church." And to really BE the "church."

As a minister I often query children and youth about their future plans. Sometimes I ask: "Where do you see your future?" You can imagine the answers many times are as unique as they are themselves. I almost always end my query with "Well as long as you do what God wants you to do - you will be happy."

As a minister I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for every single human life. Remember God’s words to the prophet Jeremiah? "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5 NRSV)

God calls each one of us to do something special - that He has designed for us - specific to our lives. For example; God has called me to be a Shepherd. He has called me to proclaim the Good News of Salvation and Hope as well as to minister to the spiritual and emotional needs of a congregation of people. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I am now doing that which God has called me to do.

God doesn’t however call us all to be Shepherds. Some He calls to be Evangelists. Others He calls to be teachers, farmers, insurance service people, factory workers, friends, encouragers, and the list could continue in perpetuity.

You see God calls you and I in two different ways. He calls us to those ministries unique to us thereby calling us individually. He also issues to us a corporate calling. A calling to us as the "Body of Christ." There are two calls that God sends that are universal in nature - that is for ALL humankind.

The first is a salvific call to all people! In 2 Peter we read: "The Lord is not slow about his promise, (notice that word - "promise") as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NRSV)

God’s desire is that every single human in the world be reconciled unto Him. And the only vein in which this reconciliation can be found is through His Son Jesus. That is a call from God to you and to me as well as every other person in this world. That’s the first universal call of God - for men, women, and young people everywhere to come and accept Christ as Savior thereby becoming reconciled unto God.

Now notice that word "promise." "The Lord is not slow about his promise," Look at our text this morning in the book of Acts and we see the word "promise" appearing again.

"Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the what? "Promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls - to - him."

Can you not more clearly see the Global call of God? This "promise," a promise of the presence of His Holy Spirit, a Comforter, and a promise of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ is for all the world.

Listen very carefully - not only does God call you and I to be saved, but He calls us to go and share that Good News with whomever we can find! He issues a universal call to all believers to be ministers of the Gospel of Hope!

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth "our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills (grace), but the Spirit give life."

Many people are like my son Seth. I have never known anyone who was more intense in viewing television than my son. His usual position is to sit "Indian Style" on the floor about five feet back from the screen. Inevitably whenever he is watching television and I need him to do something the monologue goes like this: "Seth? Seth??? SETH!!!!" He is so caught up in television that he doesn’t hear my voice.

That’s a little bit indicative of our relationship with God. We get so caught up in whatever it is that occupies our time, that we do not hear the call of God upon our lives. After many attempts to calling us to salvation through Christ we have responded. But we then fall victim to spurious, false thinking. We believe that’s it! That’s all there is to it. I’ve done my part! But that’s not it!

We live in a world filled with darkness. Jesus said that we "are light."

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." (St. Matthew 5:14-16 NRSV)

Our world has grown dark and weary. People’s lives are filled with a feeling of hopelessness and despair. You and I have been instructed to bring light into the darkness thereby ridding the world of that darkness. Doing Missions and Ministry is not an option but a mandate. And if each one of us are not actively involved in ministry and missions then I can boldly and confidently say we are not being faithful to the call of God upon our lives.

We all know the tragic crisis of Kosovo. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham recently went near the border of Kosovo and this is his report concerning that experience:

"What I have seen during the past few days in the Balkans is staggering. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Kosovo are in grave peril. They have fled the ethnic cleansing in their homeland and flooded into neighboring countries. Men, women, and children are hungry, tired, and sick—and they desperately need our help.

In Blace, Macedonia, I saw a refugee camp with 65,000 people crammed into a space not much bigger than six football fields. The conditions were deplorable. Barbed wire fences and Macedonian soldiers with guns kept the massive crowd hemmed in. With no sanitation facilities, the stench was terrible. The nations receiving the refugees, Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro, are doing all they can to help the more than 500,000 ethnic Albanians who have left Kosovo since the conflict began."

Again, on the home page of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship the word "URGENT!" appears in big upper case letters with an exclamation mark. Arville and Shelia Earl are CBF Missionaries serving Macedonia. Saturday morning I received this letter from them:

Dear Bro. Ray:
As I write this update, NATO planes are flying overhead, going into Kosovo. It is our daily reminder that airstrikes are continuing. Again yesterday and today, thousands (6,000 overnight) fled across the Kosovo border into Macedonia. They came on trains, buses, cars and mostly on foot. Many , this time, were already malnourished when they arrived. The problem grows everyday, as do the horror stories we hear. The refugees coming out now are telling us that whole towns are being ethnically cleansed and burned to the ground--- that their homes are gone.

The horror stories that you are seeing on television are more than true. It is heartbreaking to listen (to the refugees’ stories) and then be able to do so little to relieve their suffering, but they are SO grateful for everything we do -- it is so humbling. This work will be on-going for a long time, we feel. There may be more that we can do in the future than we are actually able to do right now. It will be a long road to recovery for many.

UNHCR (United Nations High Commisssion on Refugees) and other aid organizations are working to meet the initial flow of refugees and their needs, but the on-going problem and one that we can help deal with is meeting the needs of the Albanian families in Macedonia that are taking in refugees. These families are already poor by anyone's standards, but these are their people that are being abused.

Arville & I now have access to many resources and connections with communities in Gostivar and the surrounding villages - so once the wire transfer from the CBF Global Missions Office - the offering for Refugees - arrives next week, we will be able to meet many of the needs that have already been asked of us here (food, clothing, medicines, etc.).

We will be dealing with families that have taken refugees into their homes and need assistance in supporting them. An example of this is a family of 16 members that has opened their home to 34 refugees (some are family, some are not). We are hoping that we can make a good start meeting the needs that we can before we go to the States the 2nd week of May for the birth of our first grandchild & then for the CBF Assembly in Birmingham in June. When we return in June, we will have a good base established here to work with the schools, city government officials concerned with Albanians, and hospitals (clinics) to continue to meet the needs in our area. There will be added needs of counseling to the many who suffer the trauma of loss of loved ones, loss of homes & livelihood , and the many problems as a result of war.

In Albania, there are not the restrictions on doctors & nurses working in the country that there are here, so perhaps the volunteer medical personnel from CBF will be able to help with the situation there.

Again, we thank you for your prayers and support. We are relying heavily on that. We look forward to seeing many of you in the near future.
Love, Shelia & Arville

Within the Southern Baptist Convention, International Missions Board Missionary Dwayne Doyle in Tirana, Albania says:

"Tonight I was speaking with a fellow colleague. He was visiting a Kosovo Albanian refugee family who walked for days to cross from Kosovo to Albania and faced things that most of us could not begin to imagine. During this time their 7-year-old died from exhaustion. Also, their 18-year-old is missing without any clue.

The needs here are immense. I've been told that refugees are staying in groups of up to 25-30 people in one two-bedroom flat. Just imagine 25-30 people living in your house and only having access to one bathroom, that may or may not have running water."

Our world needs to experience the Hope, Peace, Comfort, Salvation and Light that can only be found in Christ Jesus. You and I have a God-given responsibility to "Light Our World!" What’s the alternative? What if we don’t? Many will die without Christ. Many will die never knowing what it felt like to be loved. Many will go hungry and thirsty not just for love but for tangible food and water. Many will continue to never know what it is like to have a roof over their heads or shoes on their feet. They will never have the luxury of going to a doctor when they are sick.

Sometimes it is difficult for us to see how we can make a difference in such a far away place as Macedonia. We make a difference through our prayers. We make a difference through our offerings. We make a difference by doing our best to see that people like Arville and Shelia Earl and Dwayne Doyle get the things they need to minister to the lives of Refugees.

And while we make a contribution which facilitates ministry over there we also need to make a difference right here.

There are within the Shadow of Our Steeple those who are hurting. Who are crying out for help. Those who do not know what it is like to have someone to love them and accept them. Whose faith in God has been tainted by those who only told them that if they don't "change their ways" their eternal destiny is Hell. Yet in the course of the conversation they were never told how much God truly loves them. There are within our community the hungry and the poor who need to know what it is like to receive the things they truly need in the love of Christ without the risk of losing their dignity. Youth who make mistakes need to know that they aren't alone - that we all have made mistakes and continue to do so and that God loves them and desperately wants them to know His Son.

As we begin our "Light Your World 2000 Missions Emphasis" here in our church we must first allow that mission to begin in our lives. By committing our lives deeper than we ever have before to Christ. By walking closer with Him than we ever have before. And then by allowing that light which only He can give to pour out of our lives into our church, our community, and to the utter most parts of the earth.

There is a song by Kathy Tracolli the words of which are:

There is a candle in every soul. Some brightly burning; some dark and cold. There is a Spirit who brings fire, Ignites a candle and makes his home.

Carry your candle, run to the darkness. Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn. Hold out your candle for all to see it. Take your candle and go light your world.

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to light his own candle some other way. See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to-- still holds a candle without a flame.

Carry your candle. Run to the darkness. Seek out the lonely, the tired, and worn. Hold out your candle for all to see it. Take your candle, and go light your world. Take your candle, and go light your world. We are a family whose hearts are blazing. So let's raise our candles, and light up the sky. Praying to our father in the name of Jesus. Make us a beacon in darkest times.

Carry your candle. Run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor. Hold out your candle for all to see it. Take your candle and go light your world. Carry your candle. Run to the darkness. Seek out the hopeless, confused, and torn. Hold out your candle for all to see it. Take your candle and go light your world. Take your candle, and go light your world.

What about you this morning? Are you willing to commit your life being a minister of the Good News - the Gospel of Hope and Peace and Salvation? Are you willing to say "Lord here I am. Use me in whatever way is pleasing to you.?" Are you willing to commit your life to the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ even if it were to mean sacrificial commitment?

Our world is crying out to us "Help! Help us please!" God is calling out to each of us: "Take your candle, and go light your world!"

Amen

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