Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Missions

Why Send Missionaries?

INTRO: 'I am here, I am here and I am His. For such a time as this.' It gives me great joy that you have heard God's Word and have responded by saying, right now, I really have no choice but to voice the truth to the nations. You have said missions is a priority here at CBC.

     It would be easy to say, lets spend our..I mean God's resources on our local church. We can use the money for ministry here, more money for outreach, more money for Sunday School programs, more money for the men's, women's or youth programs. But, praise God, you have chosen the road of faith. You have heard the still small voice of God and have said we will not minimize the missionary outreach of this church. And God is pleased by your faith, in action.

     And Becky, as your dad and your Pastor, it gives me great joy to know that you too have been sensitive to the call of the Holy Spirit in your life. Amidst all the things that teenagers do; school, studying, band, friends, dating, church activities and family stuff, you have still taken the time to listen and respond to the still small voice of God calling you to ministry, to missions. There are many things you could have been doing this summer; going to the beach and Great Adventure with friends, attending band camp, spending time with Josh before he goes away to college, going on vacation with us. But you too have chosen the road of faith and by your obedience, I know God will bless your summer as you serve Him.

Background: But the question is sometimes asked, Why place such a high priority on foreign missions. Let me answer that by saying the primacy of missions is written in bold print across the pages of the NT. All the Apostles gave themselves to missions and only the sword and death cut short their path to the uttermost part of the earth.

      Why? First and foremost because of the love of God

Read: John 3:16-17

     God's love for His people, His remnant, His elect from every tribe and nation of the world is so great that He sent, He commissioned His Son, Jesus, to come and share the Good News of eternal life.. and then to die on the cross of Calvary to make our salvation sure. The first and most important reason we are missions minded and missions active is because God loves.. and what God loves, as true followers of Jesus Christ, we ought to love as well.

Trans: Why does the church send out missionaries? Because of the great love God has to those who will hear, believe and call upon the name of the Lord. But Scripture does give us other reasons why the church must send out missionaries and I would like to examine 4 this morning.

I. The COMMAND from above (Mark 16:15)

ILL: A veteran missionary to Thailand was asked why she stayed on the mission field so many years. She responded without hesitation, 'God's command. If it wasn't for God's command I wouldn't be here. It wasn't the love of the land or the people, although I am sure she loved them. It wasn't the need the people had for salvation. Although it was great. She was under orders, she was not her own, she belonged to the Lord, she had God's command.

Listen to the Word of the Lord.

Read:  Mark 16:15 ,Matthew 28:19a, Acts 1:8,
            Luke 24:47-48, Mark 13:10, John 20:21

     World evangelism and missions is the imperative of the New Testament. The power to accomplish this great task is the Holy Spirit while the divinely appointed agency for the proclamation is the Church of Jesus Christ. The church has a responsibility to send those God calls to the mission field and those God calls have the responsibility to be obedient and go.

Charge to Becky: Becky,  understand that you are not being sent to preach sociology but salvation; not economics but evangelism; not reform but redemption; not culture but conversion; not progress but pardon;
 not a new social order but a new birth; not revolution but regeneration; not renovation but revival and resurrection, not a new organization but a new creation.

     Becky you are being sent to preach the Good News of eternal life in Jesus Christ..you have no other message. We are not sending you to be a diplomat. We are sending  you to be an ambassador for Christ. A big task, but we also want you to know that you do not go alone. You go in the power of the Holy Spirit and we here at CBC, although here in Oceanport, will be standing right beside you all the time in prayer.

Trans: The church sends missionaries because we are commanded to. A second reason is found in Luke 16.

II. The CRY from below (Luke 16:22-29)
Read:  Luke 16:22-29

     I don't want to get into the theology of all that is here in this text, but I believe the point is that because of the finality of death, the fact that there is no second chances to be saved once you are dead,  it is imperative that we try and reach those still alive with the truth of the Gospel.

     The cry of death, eternal damnation, separation for all eternity from God, spending all of eternity in the fiery pit of hell calls out to us, no cries out in sheer agony, tell those still alive that they need not come to this horrible, God forsaken place. They can have newness of life, in Christ Jesus.

Charge to Becky: Becky, it was Bob Pierce who once said 'may our hearts be broken with the things that break the heart of God'  And David said in Ps. 119 'enlarge my heart'. God's Word tells us that God desires no one to be lost. I am sure it breaks His heart to see the rebellion in mankind and to know that they will spend all eternity in hell separated from Him. That ought to break your heart as well.

     When you look into the eyes of the lost in Ireland and Scotland, remember that after death there is no hope for them. You might  be the one who brings them hope. Let the cry of eternal death motivate you to share your faith with all the fervor God supplies. And may your heart be enlarged by the love of God.

Trans: We send missionaries because God commands us and because of the cry of the finality of death. In Acts 16 we find the 3rd reason.

III. The CALL from without (Acts 16:9-10)
Read: Acts 16:9-10

     Paul, while in Troas saw a vision from the Lord of a man in Macedonia calling for him to come and help them. The help he was asking for was spiritual. they wanted to hear about Christ.

     There are many in foreign countries  today who are calling us to send missionaries...but we don't have enough missionaries to send or enough money to send them. There are many who are crying out without saying a word. It is seen through their sinful  and self destructive lifestyles...they need Jesus.

     William Cary in the movie about his life said that the Hindu tradition of the Sati where women where burned alive with their dead husbands was calling out to him to show them the freedom they can have in Christ.

     The call from without is saying ...come and help!

Charge to Becky: Becky, the Christian church in Ireland and Scotland is calling out to you to help them win souls for Jesus Christ. The lost souls in Ireland and Scotland are calling you as well. Although their countries have a history of true Christianity, their huge and gorgeous cathedrals are now no more than tourist attractions because the fire that once burned in their hearts for the Lord, has grown cold. In their apathy and rejection of our Lord, the people of Ireland and Scotland are calling out to you for help. Help to bring the warmth of life, abundant life in Christ where there is now only the coldness of sin and death.

Trans: The church sends missionaries because God commands it, because of the finality of death, and because the lost in their sin calls out to us. The last reason is found in 2 Cor. 5.

IV. The CONSTRAINT from within (2 Cor. 5:14)
Read: 2 Cor. 5:14

  Here we are back where we began. The Love of Christ.

ILL: St. Francis left a wealthy life to become a wandering monk for Jesus. Does anyone feel sorry for him?

         Mother Theresa could have lived her life in a comfortable apartment in Yugoslavia, playing with her grandchildren. We wouldn't dream of feeling sorry for her as she lived and ministered in Calcutta.

        David Livingstone traveled all over the continent of Africa, sharing the Good News of JC. He walked through thousands of villages caring for people and loving them. Would we tell him that he never should have left his comfortable life to minister to the savages in Africa?

        When God places the desire on our hearts to serve Him, whether it be here at CBC or on the foreign mission field, when we are obedient, nothing can keep us from joining God in what He is doing. The indwelling Holy Spirit fills us with the love of God and a love for God so deep, so, invigorating that we can do nothing else but serve Him.

Challenge to Becky:  Becky, the love of God and the love for God, deep within your heart, has been and will continue to be the driving force in your summer missionary experience. Regardless of what you may be giving up this Summer, it will pale next to what you will give to the lost souls of Ireland and Scotland. And it will pale when one day in the glories of heaven, you will hear these words from your heavenly Father 'Well done thy good and faithful servant'.

Conclusion
     In closing, I want to tell you that the work of a missionary is a blessed ministry. Because it's results are so glorious. Because it is so particularly unworldly and because the promises of God are so abundant to those who forsake houses and lands, mother and father, band camp, even boyfriends, for His sake.

     As a church fellowship, you have sent out Barbara Robinson to Costa Rica, Melissa Tavener on a summer missions trip, Andrew Whalen on summer missions and now on full time work in the Middle East, and now Becky Mills on a short term trip to Ireland and Scotland.

     You have faithfully supported with both prayer and finances many others called by God to the mission field not from this fellowship.

     And I believe God is and will continue to bless CBC because we honor Him by joining in His work to bring in the harvest of lost souls to the kingdom and family of God.