The Force of Ekballo: Why "Sending" Isn't a Suggestion
Understanding the weight of Matthew 9:38 and the divine mandate to thrust laborers into the harvest.
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7 min read
Written by:
David Hawkins
Founder, Ekballo International
The Force of Ekballo: Why "Sending" Isn't a Suggestion
Written by:
David Hawkins
Founder, Ekballo International
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For many, the Great Commission feels like a polite suggestion—a request to consider missions if it fits our schedule. But the word Jesus used in Matthew 9:38 says otherwise. The Greek word is Ekballo. It does not mean a gentle "going" or a casual invitation; it carries the weight of being sent out, thrust out, or led forth with a force that cannot be resisted.
Birthed in Urgency
When Jesus looked at the crowds, He was moved with compassion because they were weary and scattered like sheep without a shepherd. The harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few. Ekballo is a word birthed in urgency. It is the divine response to a spiritual crisis. It implies that the resistance to the Gospel is so great that a forceful, purposeful sending is the only way to break through.
The Identity of a Sending Platform
Ekballo International was not founded to be a simple missionary profile; it was designed as a "sending platform". We exist to be the container for this forceful movement. Our mandate is to see laborers equipped, trained, and then "thrust" into the nations—specifically to those places where Christ has never been named.
A Mission That Won't Stop
This "force" isn't just about the initial push; it’s about the momentum required to establish lasting communities of faith. At Ekballo, we hold the tension between the urgency of the "thrusting out" and the relational depth of discipleship. We are sent with force, but we stay with purpose.
Key Takeaways
Ekballo is the very word Jesus used to describe how laborers enter the harvest.
It is a sending characterized by force, urgency, and divine purpose.
Ekballo International exists to equip and launch those called to the unreached.
Moving beyond evangelism to see people personally discipled and established in faith.
