Forty Motivations For Outreach Ministries

40 Motivations for Outreach Ministries (Heb. 12:1-4)

By fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ we are enabled, empowered and enlightened to be energized for the outreach ministries that please the Lord and bear fruit in every good work while we increase in the knowledge of God.

1. Commission - The Lord gave us the great commission seven times in the New Testament each describing a specific facet of our responsibilities to reach the lost. (Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; Luke 24:44-48; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Romans 15:20,21; Acts 26:18,19)

Paul summarizes the essential message when he writes, "I make it my ambition to evangelize where Christ has not been named."

2. Christ's Purpose - John wrote of Christ's purpose for coming to earth, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) To follow Christ involves proclaiming His main purpose in seeking and saving those who are lost. (Luke 19:10)

3. Character of God - The Father seeks those who would worship Him. (John 4:22-24) In Luke 15:1-7 we see the heart of God who seeks out the one lost sheep and leaves the 99 as there is more joy in heaven over one who is lost. "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

4. Calvary - Kurt Kaiser wrote, " Oh, how He loves you and me,

Oh, how He loves you and me.

He gave His life, what more could He give;

Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,

Oh, how He loves you and me.

Jesus to Calv'ry did go,

His love for mankind to show.

What He did there brought hope from despair.

Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,

Oh how He loves you and me.

Oh, how He loves you and me,

Oh, how He loves you and me.

He gave His life, what more could He give;

Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,

Oh, how He loves you and me.

5. Completer - Paul wrote, "He who began a good work in you is able to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6) He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He wants to see that the gospel is preached to the whole world so that everyone has a chance to clearly understand the gospel in their own language. There remain approximately 3000 unreached people groups or about 2.7 billion people in this category.

6. Church - Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18-20) We believe that the Lord is enabling those who will plant and grow His church throughout the world in greater quantity and quality.

We see the model for this in the fifteen qualities of the early church described in Acts 2:41-47

7. Contact the Lost - Jesus said, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save those who are lost." We need to be in contact with the lost and engage them with the power of the gospel of love, grace and forgiveness.

8. Concern - Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God for salvation, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. For the righteous person will live by faith." (Romans 1:16,17) There is power in the gospel to save the lost from sin, death, hell and the power of satan and sin. Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you. By this will all men know that you are my disciples because you have love for one another. (John 13:34,35)

9. Conviction - "And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment." (John 16:8) Let the Holy Spirit of God use you to bring conviction to the heart and mind of people about where they will spend eternity.

10. Collaboration - Paul wrote, "Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." (Phil. 2:2,3) When the church is united around outreach ministries they find harmony, like mindedness and cooperation unlike any other ministry.

11. Conquering - Paul wrote, "If God is for us who can be against us. He who spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all. will He not freely give us all things." (Romans 8:31,32) In outreach ministries we find the greatest demonstration of God's mighty enabling to conquer our fears, foes and problems. We tend to forget about our problems and watch God do amazing things far beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works mightily within us. (Eph. 3:20)