Wanted: Missionaries

Wanted: Missionaries December 28, 2008

Missionaries are Called Acts 26:15-19; Gal. 2:6-10

Last week we read about Paul being entrusted with monetary relief for the Jewish Christians sent from the Gentile Christians. These passages are about Paul defending himself to King Agrippa on his return to Jerusalem. Paul knew before he went to Jerusalem that it was a dangerous trip for him. His focus was on the welfare of the Jewish Christians instead of his own.

• What mission situations cause you to fear?

Paul also speaks of God calling him to take the gospel to the Gentiles just as Peter was called for the Jews. Paul was called to leave his fields while Peter worked within his. Another example of how some are called to leave their homes and travel to other fields to witness and some are called to witness at home. Regardless of where you are called, you are called to be a witness for Christ.

• How would you respond if you felt God calling you to leave your field to serve Him? http://going.imb.org provides information about International missions.

Missionaries are Commissioned Acts 13: 1-3

These verses speak of a local church, like View Acres, who the Holy Spirit spoke to. Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were to be set apart for the work they had been called for. In an act of obedience the church prayed and laid hands on Barnabas and Paul and sent them off.

• Is this a familiar scene to you? Why do we lay hands on and pray for those in our church who are called and go out?

Missionaries are Connected Acts 14:26-27

After everything they had been through, Paul & Barnabas came back home. Notice that they didn’t tell of the things they had done, they reported everything God had done with them and the door of faith God had opened to the Gentiles.

• We need to always remember to report what God has done through us, not what we have done.

• Why is it important to both the missionary and the church for the church to hear about how God is using the missionary?

One way to connect is through the Acts 1:8 Challenge at www.ActsOne8.com

• Pray and watch for the doors of opportunity God provides through you this week.

Your Mission Involvement

Romans 15:23-28

Paul offers a beautiful example of how God uses each of us to complete His plan for each of us.

Paul is ministering to the needs of the Jewish Christians by delivering relief offered by the Gentile Christians who have been touched by the Jewish Christians for Christ. While doing this he writes to the Christians in Rome for their support. He desires to travel to Spain to reach the people there for Christ. He wishes to see the Romans on his way and asks for their prayer but also for workers to travel with him to Spain.

Paul, one person, is serving four different people groups who may or may not ever meet each other. As we go through our day we witness, one way or another, to people we may never meet.

How many of you have heard of “The Six Degrees of Separation?” It is the idea that if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is an average of six “steps” away from each person on earth. As we witness to one person it creates a chain effect to reach people in infinate proportions. We do not know when our witness to one person is designed to reach a person six steps away from us that we may never meet. Our job is to simply be a witness for Christ.

Matthew 9:35-38

Examples of Jesus -
Jesus told his disciples to pray for workers
Jesus met both spiritual and physical needs
Jesus felt compassion for the crowds of people

Do we pray for workers?
Do we strive to meet spiritual and physical needs? Which is easier?
Do we feel compassion for the crowds of people?
How does God work through praying Christians? Can anyone tell me a prayer request that has been answered?

Matthew 28:18-20 The Great Commission

The Great Commission gives us assurance because Jesus has all authority. He is in control of all things – we don’t have to be.

Our mission is to make disciples. To go means to be deliberate, to have purpose. We are to go, make disciples in our daily walk with those whom we come in contact while we pray and provide support for those called to serve elsewhere. We should never neglect either mission field, home or abroad. We should be available always to offer ourselves where God needs us most.

Jesus promised “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Considering who is in control (Jesus) and our responsibility (to be available and respond to God’s calling), how do you feel about fulfilling The Great Commission now?

THANKSGIVING

I am thankful for SS this morning. I missed some of you and hope you had a fabulous holiday. Our theme this morning was - surprise! Thanksgiving.

I Chronicles 16:8-12
Psalm 100:4-5
Psalm 136

The common theme of these verses is the reasons we give thanks to God. One of my reasons was repeated over and over in Psalm 136 - His love endures forever. Anyone who has ever loved anyone has lived with the fear that their love would come to an end. We fear that our parents will not love us if we do something bad enough, we fear that our boyfriend/girlfriend will decide they don't love us anymore, we fear that our children will not love us.

With God we do not have these fears. God was, is, and will always be. His love endures forever. How thankful I am that God isn't going away nor will He ever take His love away from me.

In class we wrote things we are thankful to God for. We then talked about ways we can show our thankfulness to God. Some of the responses were: showing unconditional love to others, patience with others, faithfulness to God, knowledge of God's desire for us, communication with God. We discussed that with continual, open communication with God all other means of expressing our thankfulness fall into place.

My challenge to you now is to write out the personal ways you desire to show God your thankfulness. Be prepared! When you communicate your desire to God, He will go to work to help you make it happen. If your desire is to forgive a person a past wrong and you truly desire this as a gift of thanks to God, God will work in you to help you forgive.

Write out the ways you want to express your thanks to God and then watch as God blesses you in your thankfulness.

Have a blessed week! RC

God's Guidance

Class this morning was great! It's always good to share God's blessings and praise what He has been doing in our lives. As you go through the week remember to focus on God's guidance. As you reflect daily on the events of the day, remember to share with God those moments you wish you had done better or differently. Ask for God's guidance, open your heart to Him. God desires an intimate relationship with you. As you develop the habit of sharing, listening, focusing on God, your relationship grows closer.

Praying God's guidance as you go through your week.

RC

SUCCESS

I watched a great Life Principles video on success this morning. It's very short but very powerful and well worth the time. Enjoy!

http://www.intouch.org/site/c.dhKHIXPKIuE/b.2287431/

Baby Elliott!

Be sure to check out The Elliott's Blog. Baby Abby Nicole came home Friday. Sherylyn has created a dinner list for providing dinner for them this week. If you missed out and would like to take them dinner, call Sherylyn and let her know.

Congratulations Elliott's!

A Sense of Mission

Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Choose three (3) things you will do in the next 24 hours and describe how you can do them in a way that honors God.

Comment here or bring them to SS next week.

When our mission to glorify the Lord is clear, we cultivate the kind of stamina and perseverance needed for a God-honoring life. There are dangers and difficulties ahead, but the Christian with a focused mission will conitnue pressingonward and upward.

Have a Blessed Week!