Music and Missions

Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord, as we serve the Lord Yahweh, the Anointed One!  A disciple will be repaid for what he has learned and followed, for God pays no attention to the titles or prestige of men.

– Colossians 3:23-25

Since Paul and Aquila were both tentmakers by trade, Paul moved in with them and they became business partners. Every Sabbath day Paul spoke openly in the synagogue, to both Jews and non-Jews, attempting to persuade them to believe the message of Jesus.

– Acts 18:3-4

CONNECT

As Christians reaching out to a lost world, I have found that common interests are a great place to connect with someone, build a relationship, and introduce them to Christ. God created us each with desires and interests and that is GOOD! Many people feel guilty for their hobbies if they are not explicitly Christian (i.e. sports, music, video games, shopping, etc.). But have you ever considered that your interests have been given to you to further the kingdom. There are so many things that I enjoy and God has showed me how to enjoy them in a way that can build relationships with others and share His truths.


I love coffee! So the Lord has given me this dream of one day being a coffee roaster. The coffee roasting industry is an avenue to make direct relationships with farmers all over the world, buy their products, and share the good news of the gospel.

I love hiking! Last year God allowed me to go to Alberta, Canada and walk in His Spirit (or Hike in His Spirit is more like it). Going with two other friends and listening for direction from God and being obedient, we met two other hikers. For 4 hours we were on a long hike with these two individuals and we were able to share Christ’s Gospel with them.

There are so many avenues to connect with people. Three of my favorite things are music, coffee, and soccer. Not necessarily in and of themselves, but for the fact that they are a common language across the world. You will find them in almost any country.

WHY MUSIC

Music, however,  is my favorite because it reaches people in so many ways.

1.  You create unity with someone, by sharing a similar language (music), and are able then to meet them where they are.

Why it’s biblical: Jesus, though fully God, He also chose to be fully human. He brought himself to our level to understand our human needs and to be tempted in every way, but overcame it. He related to our humanity.

2.  You learn to die to self. By embracing nuances of other cultures in your music, you unify with them even more for the sake of the gospel. You don’t even have to fully know a language in order to memorize a powerful song with deep theological teachings.

Why it’s biblical: Jesus spoke in parables. His parables were always symbols that were relatable and understandable to his audience. He knew what appealed to them and what they understood.

3.  We embrace in creativity… which is how we were designed. God expresses who He is in his creation. We express who we are in our creation such as music. How many times have we found ourselves without words to pray to God, or words to express how we feel or what we think, but we find a song, an artist, or collection of songs that embrace it. Music, art, creativity is a symbol of who we are. We learn so much more about each other and once again create a deep unity.

Why it’s biblical: Romans 1:18-20 and Acts 17:26-27 

THE POWER OF MUSIC IN MISSIONS

I first saw how powerful music can be in missions when I watched a documentary done by Bethel Church called “Holy Spirit”. In this film I watched as a man and his guitar posted up in a public place in India and just simply played his guitar and sang… he sang about freedom. People began to crowd around and soon he was walking streets and he had a crowd of followers drawn to him and his music. Soon he was asked by Hindu temple officials to play on the steps by one of their sacred rivers and also was invited into the temple. This is unheard of.

However, this man and camera crew went with courage in obedience to India. They just followed the Holy Spirit’s lead. As I watched this, I wept. I wanted to be a part of this. 
I pray that when I leave on the World Race (11 countries, 11 months mission trip), that one of the ways that I can share the truths of God is through music. 

Use music; use your interests in this world to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the Earth!

Kaylin

See the same blog on my World Race blog page:

https://kaylinstarbuck.theworldrace.org/post/music-and-missions