Mission Starts Here: Listening to the Spirit, Living the Way
Recently, I listened to a sermon on Psalm 67. He described it as a “Harvest Psalm” structured in a chiastic form, an intentional literary form that highlights the core message right in the middle:
“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” (Psalm 67:4)
He started with a simple question:
Where is the Gospel in this Psalm?
His answer: Right there—in the middle. Verse 4.
This isn’t just a Psalm about worship.
It’s about worship that sends.
Worship that overflows.
Worship that fuels mission.
Then he offered a simple, actionable rhythm:
Pray. Welcome. Send. Go.
But what is mission, really?
As I sat with those words, I started to wonder if we’ve sometimes painted mission with too narrow a brush.
- Is mission only about going overseas?
- Does it have to involve preaching to unreached people groups?
- Is it only for full-time missionaries or those called to dangerous, desperate places?
Or could it be something closer? Something quieter? Something deeper?
That’s when my heart returned to something I wrote a while back on spiritual leadership:
Live it. Model it. Multiply it.
That’s mission too.
Jesus didn’t start with the crowds.
He started with twelve. He lived among them. He modeled the Way. He multiplied His life through them so they could do the same with others.
As I reflected, the Holy Spirit stirred some questions in me... questions I believe we all need to ask if we want to live missionally in a way that aligns with Psalm 67 and the heart of Jesus.
Six Questions for the Missional Life
1. Am I right with the Way?
Before we go, we have to abide. Am I walking in daily alignment with Christ? Mission flows from relationship, not religious performance.
2. Am I modeling the way of Jesus?
Do my habits, speech, and responses reflect His heart? Am I living in such a way that someone could see the Gospel before they hear it?
3. Am I multiplying within my circle of influence?
Who are my 1–3? Am I discipling anyone? Mission often starts with intentional proximity.
4. What does outreach look like for me?
Mission doesn’t always mean traveling far. It might mean showing up with a meal, sending a text, or having coffee with someone who’s hurting.
5. What does outreach look like through small groups or Lifegroups?
Are we a group that grows for our own sake, or for the sake of others? Could we pray for someone outside our circle, serve together, or simply open our doors?
6. What does outreach look like through my church?
Are we supporting, praying for, and sending missionaries? Are we equipping people in the pews to live out the Gospel in the everyday?
Mission Begins With Listening
In the end, this Psalm, the sermon, and my own reflections have all pointed me to a simple truth:
Mission isn’t just something we do. It’s someone we become.
And it starts by slowing down and listening to the Holy Spirit.
We each carry unique stories, gifts, and callings. We each have different places of influence. We each will be led into mission in different ways.
Some are called to go. Some are called to send. All are called to live it.
So the question we must return to is this:
What is mission for me?
And am I making space to hear the Spirit’s answer?
Let’s be people who live Psalm 67.
People who are blessed so that others may know.
People who pray, welcome, send, and go wherever the Spirit leads.
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