Is everyone a missionary?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon is reported to have said that “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.” Others have put it this way: “You are either a missionary or a mission field.” Both those statements roll off the tongue, but are they correct? At great risk, I will venture to suggest something different from Spurgeon.

That is like saying that everyone in the Navy is a Navy SEAL. It would be more accurate to say that everyone in the Navy is a sailor, but not every sailor is a Navy SEAL. If every Christian is a missionary, then who are missionaries? Whatever we may call them, there is something different between the person who stays home and the one who has left home, family, comfort, security, culture, country, finances, and safety for the cause of Christ. Missionaries are the “special ops” of the church.

However…. every believer should be involved in the Great Commission. Making disciples is not the job description of a few hyper Christians. Everyone should in some way participate in the mission of the church. Just like everyone in the church is not a pastor and not everyone is an evangelist… not everyone is a missionary, BUT every Christian should be involved in evangelism.

Multiple passages of scripture indicate evangelism is the job of every believer, but here is just one:  

^“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

1 Peter 2:9-12 (ESV)

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A mission statement is a brief description of why we exist. This verse is a clear articulation of the mission statement of every Christian. There is a purpose for being on earth, and he uses four descriptions to show us that we have purpose in this life:

1.    A CHOSEN RACE:  The word "elect" indicates there is a purpose. We choose a tool because we have a specific job we want to accomplish. God chooses us to do something very specific.

2.    A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD:  One of the tribes of Israel was chosen for the specific purpose of leading the nation in worship. They cared for the tabernacle and temple. They handled the sacrifices and served the nation as they worshipped God. They had a purpose.

3.    A HOLY NATION: The term “holy” simply means “separate.” Something that is holy is set aside from all others for a specific reason. Again, this indicates purpose.

4.    A POSSESSION: The Greek word means literally “to make around,” that is, to make something and then to surround it with a circle, thus indicating ownership. We are a people who belong to God for a specific purpose.

We don’t have to wonder what that purpose might be because the rest of the verse tells us “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

The term "proclaim" is the same word from which we get the word evangelize. He is saying that our purpose is to tell the good news. Additionally, we are to be able to give our salvation testimony of how God called us out of darkness. All this should be done to show the greatness of God to people who don't know God.

So, even though not all of us are missionaries… we should all be doing mission work.

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