Transcript The Missionary

The Missionary
God’s plan is to communicate with
people through people. Can everyone
a missionary? What qualifications
and preparations are needed? How
does one get from here to there?
Definition: “missionary”
• Not found in Scriptures
• “Apostle” translated into Latin is misio, meaning “a sent one”
• Selecting and commissioning is illustrated in Luke 6:13,
• “And when day came, He called His disciples to Him (probably about
70); and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles”
• At Antioch (Ac 13) church leaders were selected and sent
• Is an evangelist-pastor-teacher sent by a local church to make
disciples into local churches in distinct cultures or peoplegroups from their own
• Usually implies linguistic, cultural, social and geographic
barriers to overcome
• Home team is to identify, confirm, prepare and support those
who are sent
Identification
• A “passion” or burden is to reach the unreached
• The idea of a “call” is a little misleading—there are
no voices today.
• Is using one’s spiritual gift in a strategic area
• An entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to
evangelism, discipleship and a care for people
• A sense of responsibility of getting the gospel to
every people group on the globe
• Active in a local church ministry
• Takes the form of short-term or career
Conditions for Guidance
• Our “workmanship” (Eph 2:10) is in line with the prearranged path God has planned: S.H.A.P.E.
• Discern God’s workmanship profile: (S) Spiritual Gifts,
(H) Heart or passion, (P) Personality, (A) Ability or
Talent, (E) Experience
• God reveals His plan one step at a time
• He is more about what we should do today, than tomorrow
• No fear of difficulties, criticism or “impossibilities”
• Honest evaluation and openness to God using you in a key
role for a world impact
Counsel on Guidance
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Prayer for people groups, for laborers to go
A consuming passion to fulfill the heart of Jesus
Maintain mobility, especially minimum debt ($20K max)
Keep an open mind
Prepare for God’s leading
Examine motives—
• How important is approval, financial security, popularity, or
“stuff”? Is this a selfish desire?
• How important is a burden for people to me?
• Everyone must master the key ministry tools:
evangelism, discipleship, mentoring and counseling
Guide to Decision-Making
Two categories of decisions:
1. Areas that are specifically addressed in the Bible
• Commands (i.e., imperatives, “Go make
disciples of all nations”)
• Principles (i.e., church planting focus)
• Examples (i.e., Paul’s love for church members)
2. Areas where no command or principle is followed
• Here the believer can feely choose his course of
action within Biblical guidelines
• These choices and motives for making them are
the primary focus of the Judgment Seat of Christ
10 ways to avoid becoming a
Missionary!
1. Ignore Jesus' request in John 4:35 that we take a
long hard look at the fields.
(John 4:35 "Do you not say, `Four months more and
then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look
at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."
2. Focus your energies on socially legitimate targets.
Go after a bigger salary.
3. Get married to somebody who thinks the “Great
Commission” is what your employer gives you
after you make a big sale.
10 ways to avoid becoming a
Missionary!
4. Stay away from missionaries.
5. If you happen to think about missions, restrict
your attention to countries where it's impossible
to openly do missionary work
6. Think how bad a missionary you would be based
on your own past failures.
10 ways to avoid becoming a
Missionary!
8. Always imagine missionaries as talented, superspiritual people who stand on lofty pedestals.
9. Agree with the people who tell you that you are
indispensable where you are.
10. Worry incessantly about money.
If you still feel you must go, go out right away
without any preparation or training.
Seven Wisdom Steps:
1. Common Sense
• We should seek the best choice Philippians 1:10
“so that you may approve the things that are
excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until
the day of Christ”
• Proverbs gives many Wisdom concepts to follow
• NLT Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your
heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6
Seek his [revealed] will in all you do, and he will
[providentially] direct your paths.”
Seven Wisdom Steps:
2. Spiritual Counsel
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Proverbs 15:22 “Without consultation,
plans are frustrated, But with many
counselors they succeed.”
May include parents, close friends, teachers,
pastors, or other spiritual leadership
Beware of selfish motivation in their counsel
If viewpoints differ, evaluate the reasons
behind their differing viewpoints
Weigh their advise by how well they know you
and how much they value God’s revealed will
NAU
Seven Wisdom Steps:
3. Personal Desire
• NAU Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart” –
Implication is that the desires are met in the Lord
• NAU Proverbs 19:21 “Many plans are in a man's
heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.”
• NLT Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you,
giving you the desire to obey him and the power to
do what pleases him.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:19 “Do not quench the Spirit.”
• As you mature your desires come from God’s
desires in your heart
Seven Wisdom Steps:
4. Circumstances
• Accidents do not happen. Evaluate how they can
affect your decision
• NAU Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his
way, But the LORD [providentially] directs his
steps.”
• NIV Proverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD.”
• The people God allows in your path, the books
you choose to read, the messages and classes you
really listen to will affect your will and desires
Seven Wisdom Steps:
5. Scripture
• God’s Moral Will is objective, complete and adequate as revealed in
His Word--It does not tell us everything, but enough for us to decide
• NAS 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped
for every good work.” – No additional revelations necessary!
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Proverbs 4:5 “Acquire wisdom! Acquire
understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the
words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will
guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you.”
NAS
• Inner impressions can come from a number of sources. All must be
compared to God’s revealed wisdom for approval
Seven Wisdom Steps:
6. Prayer
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6:18 “Pray at all times and on every
occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert
and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians
everywhere.” (not so much about yourself!)
• One objective in prayer is not telling God your mind,
but asking God to give you His mind and heart for
people everywhere
• It may help to write out your prayers
• Spend more time praying over a decision than
agonizing over one
NLT Ephesians
Seven Wisdom Steps:
7. Previous Experience
• You don’t want to return to 2nd Grade if you can help it
• Learn from past decisions (yours and others)—Learn how they
were good and bad
• NIV Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.”
• NAU Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”
• NAS Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that God causes all things
to work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son”
• When His interests become our interests by our choices, maturity
results as well as the power for living
Confirmation of Guidance
• No sense of a “call” or self-appointment is enough—
no one is ever hired just because he says he was
“called”
• Pastors, teachers and spiritually mature peers should
help in assessing spiritual gifts, maturity and ministry
fit and potential
• Mission boards help determine the best place in
missions (as a coach’s role on a team)
Principle of Volunteering
• Friend Principle: “No longer do I call you
slaves, for the slave does not know what the
Master is doing, but I have called you friends, for
all things I have heard of my Father I have made
known unto you” Jn 15:15
• Unprofitable Servant Principle: Lu 17:10 "So
you too, when you do all the things which are
commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves;
we have done only that which we ought to have
done.'“ Profitable servants decide to do more!
Principle of Volunteering
• Volunteer Sacrifice Principle: 1 Cor 9:17, “For if I
do this thing WILLINGLY (hekon, “unforced,
unasked”) I have a reward, if not voluntarily, I am
simply discharging the trust committed to me.” –
Only doing what he was told.
• Personal Initiative Principle: Acts 15:36 And after
some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and
visit the brethren in every city in which we
proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they
are.“ Acts 16 attempted to go to Asia, Bithynia but
could not. Later a vision encouraged them to head
into Europe
Personal Qualifications
• Spiritual
• Not perfection but transparency, maturity and
integrity
• Need to know God and His Word
• Oral exams may include doctrine and evangelism
• Social
• Right attitudes and interpersonal relationships
• Self-acceptance and team player skills
• No place for egotism, divisiveness, complaining or
gripping, resentments or bitterness, unforgiveness,
prejudice or superiority
Personal Qualifications
• Academic
• Specific training varies according to mission to accomplish
• Life-long learning is encouraged
• Not afraid to take on a major learning project (language,
culture)
• Physical and Psychological
• Emotional resilience and stability, sense of humor and
cooperation
• Ability to endure hard situations, patience and
perseverance
• If life is filled with doubts and personal conflicts, no time
or focus is possible for others
Post-Schooling, Pre-field Preparation
• Pre-Field Orientation– 2-4 weeks for candidates
• Full explanation of administrative and foreign policies
• Principles and practices and financial procedures
• Information
• About places and people they will be working with
• Demographic studies of place of service
• Pre-Field Ministry (Deputation)
• Home church, denomination and individuals for prayer and
financial support
• Constant communication and vision casting
• Commissioning
• Language learning
• After support has been raised—usually a 1-2 year course
Relationships
• To Churches
• Focus on 2 types of churches: sending and planting
• Building relationships, communicating a vision, serving
• To Other Missionaries
• Most church staffs get to chose their coworkers
• In another culture, one usually needs a few friends from home
culture – most will come from within the culture
• Should learn to model the love one-another actions
• Within the Family
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Ministry pace and obligations can affect family
Important to make whole family feel a part of ministry
Father’s role usually defined; wife’s role varies
Parent’s attitude toward co-laborers, work and nationals has
effect on whole family
• Decisions regarding education of children not easy
Summary
• People skills are key to cross-cultural ministries
• Requires supernatural motivation, guidance, gifts,
abilities and resources
• Faith process: leading, perseverance, training, finance
and prayer support
• God uses people with limitations and weaknesses yet
when empowered they make eternal importance
• Vital that missionaries live the message they preach,
“For our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but
also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full
conviction; just as you know what kind of men we
proved to be among you for your sake.” 1 Thes 1:5
Count me in!
"I believe that God's command to take the Gospel message to all peoples
applies to every Christian.
"So, I pledge myself to doing whatever God asks of me to fulfill the Great
Commission as articulated in Matthew 28:19-20.
• "I understand this will likely mean praying regularly for those peoples who
have not yet heard.
• "I understand this will likely mean giving money to support missions.
• "I understand it may mean going myself as a missionary.
• “I understand that if my gifts, talents, personality and experience suggest that
I could contribute to the expansion of the kingdom of God now, I will begin
making decisions in that direction, trusting that God will intervene to open
doors or close doors as He will, but open doors will be pursued.”
• "Whatever it means, I am saying 'yes' to all of it."