Commission Smermission

Commission Smermission

Mark 16:15-20

What is missions?

Who are missionaries?

Why do we send them?

A mission by definition is an assignment, a task, a calling or purpose

Specifically missions is the task of reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

So who are missionaries?

These are specific men and women we choose as an association to perform this task

Locally nationally and internationally

The BMAA currently has

22 American International Missionaries

21 North American Missionaries

680 National Missionaries

197 support workers and

140 CIS Missionaries

These are the people we read about in the Gleaner

Who come and speak at churches

Showing slides and asking for money right?

They are people like John David Smith whom I recently met one of our missionaries to Cape Verde

People like John Ladd, a medical missionary in Mexico

Whom I roomed with his son at CBC

People like Charles Costa in Lebanon who is witnessing a tremendous growth of the Gospel in the Middle East

My cousin Wade Allen in the Philippines

And it is Jason Burns at work in Colorado

And even Todd West building a church right here in Maumelle AR.

And why do we send these brave people out?

Because this world is dying and going to Hell

The world’s population is currently over 6.6 billion

And most of those people have never heard the Gospel

So this is a large task to reach these people

But do you know who else is a missionary?

YOU AND I!

We have the same calling as all these missionaries

We read the same Bible, and each and every Bible includes the verses we read in Mark 16:15-20

A well known authority on missions once said

“Christianity is the only religion that is missionary”

This call has come down through the ages and is ours today

I. The Need

The need is summed up in one word “World”

“Go into all the world”

First we must go into the world of

A. Sinful self within

This is the devil’s nursery/garden

Where every evil in the world is germinated

And then transplanted by our actual deeds, our sinful deeds

This is where it all begins within our own hearts

Of course the first step in our mission is to get our heart right with God

You must be born again

The prerequisite of all things is a true salvation experience

How many false teachers do we read about in the scriptures

These workers for Satan going about spreading a false Gospel

Doing nothing but hurting the truth

And we still see this today

Those claiming Christ without the authority given to them by Him

There is no telling how many preachers you can find on TV or the internet claiming to have a call from God

But not the slightest idea of truth behind them

But even those true Christians must fight this battle of sin within

Are we going to live perfect lives? No, we can’t

But into this world of sinful self the power of Christ must come

We must strive to live a life honorable and holy before God

In order to be a powerful and profitable witness for Him

This leads us into the world of

B. Fashion and pleasures around

This world ministers to the lust of the eye

The lust of the flesh

And the pride of life

That world of custom and habit and godless living

This is the world we must live in daily

The daily struggle we face around every turn

And in this world that seems to become more and more evil every day

This struggle becomes harder and harder

We are barraged with temptation from every direction

TV, movies, internet all of our entertainment venues are constantly trying to vie for our attention

And if we are not careful

If we don’t take precautions

We will fall victim to these traps

Those temptations will get the best of us

And again our sin will damage our witness

And will damage the name of Christianity

Many good Christian people have ruined the name of Christ by falling victim to the world around us

And then there is the world of

C. Heathen darkness beyond

A world perishing yet immortal souls

A world loved by God and for which Christ died (John 3:16)

The whole world lieth in wickedness

And they are watching

Watching you and me

They are looking for answers and we have them

The need is great

But where the need is great the Provision is greater

II. The Provision

The provision is the Gospel

“preach the Gospel to every creature”

Just like there are different elements in air and water

So are there in the Gospel

It contains good tidings of great joy

There is in it…

A. The Incarnation of the Son of God