Through the electronic and printed media, transportation, and communications networks our world has become a "global village," as Marshall Mcluhan predicted. The world seems to have shrunk in recent years. Comparisons are now made on a world class level. The media has introduced us to many world class athletes and world class musicians. We hear about world class transportation and world class education. Ross Perot nearly wore out the phrase several years ago.

The familiar scripture read this morning speaks about being world class Christians. Many of the baby boomers, influenced by the me generation, have a United States, or even just a home town concept of missions. While God is concerned about you and me and the homeless and hungry of our city, He is also concerned about meeting the needs of individuals all across the globe. Yes God wants us as disciples. He want us to disciple others in our community. However, Christianity is not just for us in America, but for the whole world.

Not only does the New Testament tell us about spreading the good news of salvation to ALL nations of the world so does the Old Testament, especially the beautiful Psalms. We read Psalm 67 at the beginning of the service. In Psalm 96 we read, "Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!" One of our loved Christmas carols is "Joy to the World," based on Psalm 98.

To become world class Christians we should have hearts of:

I. Compassion

Until we have genuine compassion for the many people in our neighborhoods and around the globe who may be living without Jesus Christ we will not become world class Christians. People in our neighborhoods and across our city and in other lands are not only hungry and hurting, but many of them do not know Jesus. They are headed for an eternity without Christ, an eternity in hell. If we really love God and people we must respond with hearts of compassion. You and I alone are not going to save our city, our nation, or our world, but we must do something.

Peter Wagner put it this way. "Once you decide to ask Jesus Christ to take control of your life, involvement in world missions is no longer optional." Do we have compassion for those for whom God loved so much that He sent His son to die? While God's love is indeed for you and for me, it is also for the whole world. Do you love God and those for whom Jesus died to personally share your faith with an unsaved friend, to pray specifically for persons who need Christ and missionaries whom God may use to reach them? Do you heart a heart of compassion to give to mission outreaches that you know about?

This moves us to another means toward becoming world class Christians.

We should have hearts of:

II. Concern

John Stott told of visiting a rural church in England while on a study leave. He worshipped with them each Sunday and shared in their fellowship. Week after week he heard the pastor address issues facing the village and pray about concerns of the church. John Stott said, "I came the conclusion that these people worship a village God."

I believe that God really wants us to have hearts of concern for each other within the community of faith. That is clearly taught in the Bible. Just as clearly is the message that we who have been blessed with coming to know and experience God's love are to be concerned for others out in the world. If the God we worship is a village God He should be a global village God. To be concerned we may need to learn some more about the world.

The Gallup organization conducted a study for National Geographic. Adults from nine nations were surveyed. Guess where the American respondents came out? They finished third from the bottom. Seventy-five percent of the U. S. respondents in the survey failed to locate the Persian Gulf on a map. Less than half could find the United Kingdom, France, South Africa, or Japan. The average American could only identify four of twelve European Nations and fewer than six of ten states of our own country.

I am not suggesting that to demonstrate concern we must all become experts in world geography, but I am suggesting that if we know little about the nations of the world our concern should motivate us to at least learn a little more. Have you noticed the often when we have missionaries come to our churches to speak they tell us something about the people and the places where God has called them to serve.

This leads me to another means of becoming a world class Christian. We should have hearts of compassion, concern, and finally now companionship.

III. Companionship

One of the reasons that people of this congregation are world class Christians is because of their personal contacts with missionaries who are serving the Lord in various areas of the world. To maintain the heart of compassion and concern some companionship with either missionaries or the people in that group themselves can be extremely helpful. Several years ago I was stopped at the Clear Lake United Methodist Camp and asked for information to inquire about the location of a particular cabin. It was the cabin where this couple was to pick up a missionary. Their church had been giving some support, but wanted to find out for sure that such a person existed.

When we are blessed with personally knowing special people that God is using to share the gospel in different parts of the world we can better, more specifically and enthusiastically pray for them, correspond with them, and give to their work. You could pray specifically for a person with whom a missionary is working to disciple for Christ. Perhaps you might take a short term mission trip. In our global village you might find some persons from an interest area, like an international student or refugee who is currently living in our city. Use you imagination for other possibilities.

Conclusion

To become world class Christians we should have hearts of: Compassion, Concern, and Companionship, for people across the globe. This is Christ's Great Commission for us. Let's not miss it with a limited view of God's dreams. Those dreams include you and me and people of the whole world. I'm glad I am part of a congregation of many people with world class hearts.

As I close today I want to share a story about a little boy who saw a brightly colored poster advertising a circus that was coming to his town. He rushed home and asked his dad if he could go. His dad gave him a list of chores to do. He said that if he did the chores he could go. As the week unfolded, the boy worked hard and completed his chores. Saturday came and his father gave him a dollar bill in payment for the chores he had done.

The boy ran to town. Just as he turned the corner, he saw what he thought was the circus. He saw the circus parade. There was a marching band, trailers pulling caged, wild animals, acrobats turning somersaults and jumping into the air. There were people in all kinds of unusual costumes.

The boy, having never been to a circus before stood there with his mouth hanging open in awe of what he saw. Finally, when the last clown passed, he rushed up to the clown and gave him his dollar. He thought he had been to the circus when all he had seen was the parade.

Tim Sledge said, "If we think that the Christian life is just for our neighborhood, if we think the kingdom is simply about what God can do for us here, we may think we have been to the circus, but we've only seen the parade."

Wouldn't you rather see that whole circus, not just the parade? Let's have world class hearts.

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