Todd Lafferty, executive vice president of the International Missions Board, spoke at Union University’s chapel on Friday, Sept. 27, challenging students to live their lives on mission for the gospel of Christ.
Lafferty served as a Journeyman in Scotland from 1983-1985 and continued with the IMB in a variety of roles both stateside and internationally since then, living overseas for 29 years in six different countries.
His son, Jonathan Lafferty, sophomore Christian ministry and missions major at Union, introduced his dad in chapel, speaking highly of his dad and his heart and passion for missions.
Lafferty shared how his college roommate had started reading the Bible out loud to him. Slowly but surely, he started listening as his roommate read and asking questions, and eventually he accepted Christ. The gospel had reached him in time too, and his decision to accept it required practical action. It required that he surrender his time and his gifts to Jesus, so that others would hear and receive the gospel.
Lafferty began by telling the story of a furniture maker in Indonesia who led two men named Tiger and Tattoo to Christ. The gospel message reached them in time to make the decision to turn to Christ.
“The mission of the Great Commission is to make disciples,” said Lafferty.
Lafferty told students that following this commission requires three things: going, baptizing and obeying. Making disciples requires action from every believer.
“To make disciples, we can’t stay in our houses or dorm rooms,” Lafferty said. “We have to go out.”
Lafferty reminded students that Christians in the United States often take baptism for granted. In many other countries, the act of baptism immediately invites persecution, but Jesus requires his disciples to be baptized.
Baptism is one act of obedience. Lafferty told students that obedience to Christ is an act of loving Christ.
“We’re obedient when we walk with him and share the good news,” said Lafferty.
He continued by saying that every Christian’s primary calling is not to grow individually but to make disciples.
“It’s important for college students to be challenged because life isn’t about us,” said Zane Lancaster, junior nursing major. “It’s easy to enter college in the mindset of starting your career so you can make a bunch of money, but that’s not what we are called as Christians to do. Life isn’t about us—it’s about glorifying God, and we need to remember that.”
In a chapel full of college students, Lafferty emphasized that this was a message for students now.
“It’s an ingenious strategy that Jesus created because anyone can do it,” said Lafferty. “That’s our challenge—to take the message to the ends of the earth.”
As he spoke to Union University students, Lafferty reminded them that this commission still stands for their generation, and he asked them to pray about this calling and consider whether the Lord would be leading them to live on mission abroad.
Lafferty shared about opportunities for students to join in the mission to go and make disciples with the IMB and NAMB through programs such as Hands On, Go 2 and Journeyman. As he concluded, Lafferty reminded the audience that the Tigers and Tattoos of the world were still waiting and called them to go and join the mission.
“After he spoke, the missional calling in my heart was beating even harder than before,” said Abby Bone, freshman nursing major. “I have been called to go and make disciples of all nations, and I must be obedient to the Lord.”
Photo courtesy of Neil Cole
