Every Christian a Missionary?

Preface: This is not coming from an expert or someone who is the best at this topic. We can all do better, especially me.

Yesterday I was bored and decided to look up some of my professors on www.ratemyprofessors.com. I had heard about the site before but have never had an interest in using it until my sociology professor pulled the site up on the first day of class and showed us his profile. He then rated himself and left a comment. After I read through all of his comments I decided to check out some of my professors from Southeastern. Looking through the list of professors I saw a well known professor's name, who I had heard many good things about, on the list. So I checked out all of the comments. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people that left some quite critical comments. However, one comment stuck in my mind. The disgruntled student said that he was tired of being told that he should be a missionary and that every Christian should be a missionary. For those of you who have never been to Southeastern in Wake Forest, NC, there is a huge emphasis on missions. There are special days in chapel to focus on missions, there are missions classes, there's a missions center, there's numerous opportunities to go on mission trips during breaks, and there are even missions majors where you get a degree and then go serve on the missions field for two or three years. No one can spend a good amount of time on Southeastern's campus without seeing or hearing something about missions. Back to the comment left on this professor's profile. Should every Christian be a missionary? According to this guy, whom I'm assuming was at Southeastern to become a head pastor at his church back at home, no. In his thinking some Christians should just be pastors, some Sunday school teachers, some choir members, and some missionaries. So who is right? Should every Christian be a missionary or should only a select few that are brave enough and "called" to go be missionaries?

Every Christian should be a missionary. However, I am not saying that every Christian should go live in a foreign country for a year or two. I believe we have the wrong idea about missions. Missions is not just going overseas. Missions can be done in our everyday lives at work, next door, at school, etc.. Every Christian should live missional lives. I first learned about this concept from Mark Driscoll, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. He points out how many times Jesus uses the word "sent" in the Gospel of John. Jesus always said that he was "sent" to earth for a purpose/mission. He didn't just come here to chill and go to Sunday school. If we call ourselves Christians, we should be trying to be like Jesus since that's what the word Christian means. Since Jesus was "sent" on a mission, we are "sent" on a mission too. What exactly is that mission? To make disciples as Jesus says in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He also gives us the same command in Acts right before he ascended back into Heaven. The command to make disciples was his last message to His disciples, so I'm pretty sure its is of the utmost importance. So to the guy who was upset that he was told to be a missionary, I'm sorry but it's not just the professors at seminaries who are saying this. Jesus said it. No you don't have to go overseas but you can be a missionary any where you go. Jesus was and we should be striving to be like Him.