Packing For A Missions Trip Across The Street - Part 1 Series

Packing for a Missions Trip

Across the Street

Part 1

Acts 17:16-34

Part 1

Know God is in Control

Know what Christianity really is

The Essentials of the Gospel

People must believe that…

…they are sinners separated from God

…that Jesus is the Christ, God in the Flesh

…That Jesus Died for their sins

…that Jesus Resurrected from the dead

Part 2

Know the Culture

Know How to Communicate

Acts 17:16-34

Slide

Intro

I was in Florida last week.

I got to spend some time relaxing as well as doing some planning for the next 6 months in terms of sermons and thinking through how to lead through the growth we have been experiencing.

I want to thank Rich Pyle for speaking last week. I heard he did an awesome job.

But I want to ask you, when you prepare for a trip, what kind of packer are you?

Are you one of those who begin preparing and packing days before your trip?

Thinking through all of the stuff you need, what the weather possibilities are, the possibilities of the things you may do so as you know what to bring?

Or are you like me, who grabs a suitcase the night before or morning of, throws a bunch of clothes in and heads out the door?

Laura is a packer who prepares, thankfully.

The problem with my way is that I have been known to forget things.

I have forgotten bathing suits, toiletries, even dress shoes for the nicer pants that I have packed.

Laura, because she has planned and prepared, usually has everything prepared and is helping others think through what they need.

Business trip

Now these are just clothes and it is not terribly important if something gets forgotten, but if I was going on a business trip and I forgot the plans and proposals and the contracts that I was going to a client with, it could cost me the sale or my job.

Transition

There are some trips that we need to be better prepared for and make sure we have everything we need packed if we are going to be successful in accomplishing the purpose of the trip.

Slide

Today, I want to talk about what we should pack when we go on a mission trip.

Now I am not talking about what we pack in our suitcase.

I am talking about what we need to pack in our minds so that we are able to help others to be prepared for the eternal trip we are all going to take one day when we leave this world in death.

We have been focusing on missions this month and our theme has been

Across the street and Around the world.

Today we prayed for the persecuted church.

The message of the gospel is so precious to these saints throughout the world that they willingly suffer and die for their faith and to share that faith so others might have eternal life.

And while many of us have not received a call to foreign missions, each one of us have been called to be missionaries. Missionaries in the place God has placed us, in our neighborhoods and in our workplaces.

The way we live, the way we speak, the way we interact with those around us effects how we do in fulfilling our mission.

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”

Each one of us needs to be prepared.

We need to have the suitcase of our mind packed with all that we need so we can give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have even when we have been called to reach the person just across the street.

Do you have everything you need packed?

Are you prepared to unpack the gospel to someone who wants to know how they can have the hope of everlasting life for eternity?

Today we are going to help you pack so that you have everything you need available so you are prepared for that missions trip across the street or around the world. (Use your inserts today. Fill them out, study them, keep them in your Bible as a resource.)

To help us, we are going to look at Paul and how he was able to share his faith with the people of Athens in Acts 17:16-34 (p. 785).

Slide

We are going to discover all the things that we need to have packed in our minds so that we will always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have.

Now before we get into our text, I want us to see an essential thing that we need to have firmly packed into our minds so we can effectively be used by God.