In 1993, the technology we know as GPS (Global Positioning system) became operational. It took the government $12 billion and several decades to design and launch the network of twenty-four satellites operated by the U.S. Air Force from five ground stations across the world. Today, GPS touches everyday life with built-in navigation in our cars and boats. Whether you are finding a restaurant on family vacation, hunting in the middle of nowhere, or just fascinated to plot your location while flying Continental, the hand-sized GPS can specify your longitude and latitude anywhere in the world within several feet. With every square yard of the earth’s surface mapped, the GPS is the ultimate clarity tool for navigation.
The clarity that comes from this little handheld device does not find its source from within. The receiver is dependent on a large, sophisticated network of satellites orbiting the globe. In fact, the GPS must receive at least four signals from four satellites to fix a “transcendent” point of reference.
Like the GPS system, the Christian leader’s role in providing navigation must rely on a source that transcends his or her point of view. For the Kingdom leader, the ultimate source of clarity is God’s perspective as revealed in Scripture. Only from God’s Word can we accurately understand the makeup of the people around us, and take them from where they are to where God wants them to be. So, let’s let GPS stand for God’s Perspective Summary of people and see people as God created them, thus people as they are. This summary may better equip you to “navigate” your community and not get lost on your mission.
1. People are dead
Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. …” By nature of their first birth, every man, woman, boy and girl is spiritually dead. Dead people cannot hear, see or understand. Don’t be amazed then that people don’t understand the Gospel and their need to be saved. No wonder they don’t get it – they are dead!!
2. People are lost
2 Corinthians 4:3 says, “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” It is tragic when someone is lost physically. Or, when one has lost his/her health. Or, their wealth. However, the greatest “lostness” is when one is lost spiritually. And that is the condition of every person ever born. Nowhere in Scripture are people without Christ commanded to “find the church.” Lost people cannot find their way. They must be “found” and shown the way!
3. People are blind
2 Corinthians 4:4 says “…the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” The blind need assistance to find their way. They can be in a place of great danger and not know it!
4. People are captives to Satan
I John 5:19 says, “… the whole world lies in wickedness.” A literal translation reads, “… the whole world lies in the lap of the wicked one.” 2 Timothy 2:26 speaks of people being in Satan’s snare (trap). People need to be rescued.
Before we get self-righteous, shake our heads and cluck our tongues at the plight of people without Christ, remember, that’s exactly where every one of us was before we were saved! How did we get to where we are in the family of God? Someone prayed for us while we were spiritually dead. Someone sought to find us in our lostness. Someone came to us in our blindness to help us along the right way. Ultimately, it was God who heard their prayers, honored their efforts to help us, opened our eyes, showed us the way and released us from Satan’s captivity.
Let GPS stand for God’s Plan for Sharing. His plan is that we return the favor and go to those around us who are in the same plight we were in! That is their only hope (one day it was our only hope!).
Here’s my challenge. Easter is only a few weeks away. Thom Rainer says that 80 percent of unchurched people would come to church on Easter if given a personal invitation. Invite some of your neighbors, co-workers, school mates, etc. to come to church with you Easter Sunday, April 8. Pray for God to open their hearts, hear and understand the Gospel, and be ready to come to Christ. Join God’s rescue team. Let GPS (God’s Perspective Summary as well as God’s Plan for Sharing) be the road maps you follow this Easter and forever!