A Biblical Basis For Church Planting And Missions

Using A Biblical Basis For Church Planting

The Biblical Basis For Missions and Church Planting

Learning Objectives

1. The students will be able to explain five Biblical basis for evangelism and church planting.

2. The students will write three plans for doing evangelism and church planting.

3. The students will give three reasons to their church why supporting missionaries is important.

Introduction - A certain man read in Mark 16:15 that Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Sincerely wanting to be obedient to the Lord’s command, he raised hundreds of thousands of naira to travel to 143 different countries to preach the gospel. However, he misunderstood what God wanted him to do. Upon arriving in each country’s airport, he went into the town, stood in the middle of the largest market he could find, preached for one hour, and then left for his next destination.

After one year of traveling into every country he could gain a visa, the man came home and said;

``Now that I have completed what the Lord told me to do, I can go back to being a teacher and I will tell others to do as I have done!’’

That poor man was mis-guided. He failed to understand the Biblical mandate, the message, the models, and the methods for Christ’s great commission found in Matthew 28:19,20 which says:

``All power in heaven and earth is given to you. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age!’’

I. A Mandate for Evangelism and Church Planting

A. God called Abraham and made a covenant with him (Gen. 12:1-4) promising that He would bless him and all of his posterity (followers in faith).

B. Christ reinforced that mandate for his disciples in Matt. 28:19,20 where He emphasized going to all nations, not just to the Jews. In the original language all nations is ``Ta ethne’’ meaning every people.

1). The Lord expects us the gospel to be preached to every people group.

2). There should be a church for every people group.

Example - Today, it is estimated that there are 17,500 different people groups in the world. People groups are tribes, language groups, interest groups, castes or classes which see themselves as uniquely belonging to one another. For example, the Jarawa tribe of Plateau State are an unreached people group. Approximately, 5,000 of those people groups are yet to be reached with the gospel of Christ. Many of these unreached people groups are in countries like Nigeria, yet no one has to effectively reach them with the gospel!

One man in Plateau State was told about Jesus Christ by an EMS missionary and he said,

``Fine, I would like to meet the man. Does he live in Jos? Does he have a family? Where does he work? What tribe does he belong to?’’

Other people groups which were once reached with the gospel need to be re-evangelized because they have returned to idol worship, carnality, or secular materialistic humanism!

C. Acts 1:8 tells us that our source of power to be witnesses for Christ will be given to us in the person of the Holy Spirit.

D. In Matt. 9:36-38 Jesus gave us a mandate to pray as he looked to the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd and said, ``The harvest is plenteous, but the workers are few. Pray therefore, to the LORD OF THE HARVEST, that He would send forth workers into His fields!’’

1). God is a missionary God, Christ is a missionary Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit!

2). The Lord expects us to be involved in bringing lost souls to him. We should not just spend our entire time solving people’s problems in the church.

3). The Lord tells us to ask the Lord to send more workers. It is God who convicts, leads, directs, and calls his evangelists, Pastors, teachers, and church planters into His field.

E. In John 15:16 Jesus said: ``You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you that you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit . . . that whatever you asked in my name it will be given to you.’’

1). Christ calls certain people to the ministry of evangelism, missions, and church planting. He correspondingly gifts them with the abilities to do His work.

2). Not just anyone can successfully do church planting and missionary work. You must be led by the Lord to do so.

3). We are called to preach, teach, and bring forth fruit.

Example - One missionary in Kangiwa Sokoto State had labored for 30 years seeing only 20 people come to Christ in his entire term. When he left, the station closed because no one was available to replace him. Years later, the chief, found several evangelistic tracts left by the missionary. After, reading them, the Holy Spirit convicted him to become a Christian. The next morning, he told all the people in the village about his decision. Many argued with him that it was just a demon that had tricked him into making a foolish decision, but he insisted that his decision to follow Christ as Lord and Savior was genuine.