No Excuses – Just Do It!

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19, NAS.

Four years ago Dr. Barry Weinberger, an oncologist/hematologist from Brookwood Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, was bitten by the missions bug. The result has been a passion for the Great Commission that he frankly hopes he will never get over. He has been to the Ukraine, Mexico, and most recently to an unreached, minority people group in Cambodia.

Barry has been a doctor for over twenty years. It’s what he’s wanted to do all his life, even when he was a little boy. He finds deep satisfaction in using his vocational passion to bring glory to God among peoples who have never heard the gospel. He is quick to point out that you don’t have to be a doctor to be involved in short-term mission trips. Whatever skills you have can be used for God’s glory on the mission field. He remarked that one medical clinic in which he participated had benefited from the organizational skills of a librarian who set up the clinic pharmacy. All you need is a willing heart and a servant attitude, and God can include you in His mission to reach the lost peoples of the world.

The impact of mission involvement has touched Barry in several areas of his life. His prayer life has deepened. The focus has moved away from personal wants and has grown in the area of being grateful for God’s blessings. He has also found himself praying with more fervor for the lost peoples of the world. “CNN can show you the world in real time,” said Barry. “But there is something about having your boots on the ground and seeing the people for yourself that makes a big difference.”

Bible reading has taken on a new dimension as a result of mission involvement. Many of the mission passages are filled with deeper and richer meaning because of Barry’s personal involvement. Many of Jesus’ teachings have taken on a deeper context after Barry walked in a third-world culture, which is much closer to the setting in which Jesus taught than our American culture. “Being involved in missions has made me a much better Sunday School teacher,” said Barry. He also recommends a trip to Israel for the same reason.

Stewardship of time and resources is another area of Barry’s life that was impacted by his ongoing involvement with missions. Instead of going to a resort or amusement park for vacation, Barry is much more likely to spend those resources on short term mission trips. He normally goes on two to three trips a year. When it comes to mission giving through his church, he has no hesitation. “My mission giving has become more sacrificial, but more importantly it has had more meaning and has given me deep joy,” he said.

Barry has been to Cambodia three times, and he plans on going back. When asked why he keeps returning Barry said, “When I go to Mexico I’m working with an existing church and most people have at least heard the gospel. This is different. This is virgin territory. Every time I walk into a village I’m working with a group of people who have never before even heard the name Jesus. That makes a huge difference to me.” He quickly asserts that any mission experience, at home or overseas, is good.

At the most recent clinics in Cambodia, Barry’s team saw 303 patients, and 142 people responded to the gospel. “This may be the only opportunity for people to ever hear the name Jesus,” said Barry. “If the only reason they come is to get some vitamins or medicine, but in the process they hear the gospel, then that’s what I’m here for.”

The good doctor prescribes that every Christian who can, should go on a mission trip. “The idea that God doesn’t want you to go on a mission trip is ridiculous,” said Barry. “You don’t need to go home and pray about it – if you can, He wants you to go. There are very few legitimate excuses for not going – I understand some have medical limitations, but there are few excuses. I think there are a great many things in our Bibles that we won’t fully understand until we get off our pews and get outside the church building.”

When it comes to missions Dr. Barry’s advice is simple – no excuses, just do it!

Pray that:

Many believers will get off their pews and follow Dr. Barry’s advice.

God will glorify Himself among the nations as His children are obedient to the Great Commission.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.