During the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill said of the brave men of the Royal Air Force, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” A similar statement could be made concerning the missionaries from our churches. Compared to the larger body of Christians, who are content to remain at home, our missionary force represents a small, almost insignificant percentage of the whole. Yet, millions around the world have the hope of eternal life because of the sacrificial ministry of these frequently forgotten heroes of the faith.
They leave the comfort of their homes, the companionship of their friends and fellow believers, to preach the gospel to those who might never hear otherwise. These faithful men and women are one of Christ’s greatest gifts to the church. In the New Testament, they are called evangelists. The word literally means “a messenger of the gospel.” The gospel is the primary message of the Bible, and its messengers are of extreme importance.
Historically, the New Testament evangelist is identified with our modern missionary. By definition of the word, their job was to carry the gospel to the un-evangelized lands. Eusebius, who was a fourth century church historian, defined the evangelists and described their ministry. He said,
They performed the office of evangelist, being filled with the desire to preach Christ to those who had not yet heard the word of faith . . . And when they had laid the foundations of the faith in foreign places, they appointed others as pastors . . . while they themselves went on again to other countries and nations.
Every Christian is compelled by the Great Commission to take part in evangelizing the world, including telling those in their own neighborhood about Jesus, but not every Christian is called to leave their own familiar territory and go out as a missionary to another state, or a foreign country.(1)
This evening we are going to take a look at a very special and significant calling that the Lord places upon a few individuals like those being recognized [commissioned] tonight. We will take a look at the importance of the calling of a missionary, and the significance of both God and the church in the missionary’s ministry.
A Missionary is Called by the Lord (vv. 1-2)
1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
A good question to start with this evening is, “What is the call of a missionary?”
From verses 1-2, we see that 1.) the call of a missionary is a singular call. It was not extended to every member of the church, but only to Paul and Barnabas. If you will notice, only a few men and women from our church have been called to participate in the (FILL IN THE BLANK) mission trip. But we can have confidence that they have been called by God and are the very ones whom God can use in His work.
2.) The call of a missionary is a specific call. We see that Paul and Barnabas were to be set apart for “the work” – in other words, a specific task. They were called to leave their ordinary occupations and devote themselves full time to preaching the gospel in the un-evangelized Gentile regions. The task of those from our church going on this (FILL IN THE BLANK) mission trip is to (FILL IN THE BLANK).
3.) The call of a missionary is a sovereign call. The Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas for this work. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to call qualified men and women to the work of missions. It’s not up to us to do the choosing.
The next question we might ask is, “What kind of people does God call?”
He calls 1.) those who are serving. Paul and Barnabas are identified as “prophets and teachers” here. They were busy preaching, teaching, and ministering in the church in a “volunteer” capacity. “Don’t expect to be called to missionary service unless you can serve the Lord right where you are.”(2) God calls workers to His work. He is looking for servants, not spectators.
2.) God calls those who are spiritual – verse 2 says they “fasted.” The word “they” refers to both the missionaries and the church. Ajith Fernando says, “Fasting gives evidence of an ‘atmosphere of urgent desire’ in the church.”(3) The church and all who were there earnestly desired to see God move. The reason why God can use missionaries as He does is because they have learned to seek Christ, to come to Him confessing their emptiness and allowing Him to fill them.
3.) God calls those who are sensitive – Verse 2 also tells us, “The Holy Spirit said.” The Lord spoke to the disciples through the Holy Spirit because they were sensitive to His will. God spoke to them because they wanted to “know” His will. God spoke to them because they were willing to “do” His Will.
George Peters writes, “When the ear is closed, the mind preoccupied, and the will and purposes set, man is outside of hearing distance, and the call of God will never reach him. Many people never receive a call from the Lord, not because the Lord is not calling, but simply because they are not within calling distance. They are out of reach.”
A Missionary is Commissioned by the Church (v. 3)
3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
In verse 3, we see what is called the “commissioning” of a missionary. The word “commission” is defined as, “an authoritative order, charge, or direction,” and “to authorize” and “send on a mission.”(4) If the Holy Spirit is the one who actually calls someone, then why does the church have to formally set a person apart for missionary service and commission the individual? Shouldn’t the call to missions be between the individual and God alone? What is the point of involving other Christians?
1.) The church sets apart a missionary to demonstrate that the church is God’s principle sending agency. The church is the body of Christ, the instrument through which God has chosen to accomplish His present work in the world. When the church commissions the missionary, it assumes its position under the authority of Christ as one responsible for world evangelism.
2.) The church sets apart a missionary to demonstrate the church’s confidence in the missionary. Only the Holy Spirit can call a missionary, but it is the responsibility of the church to confirm that call. The people of the church know the candidate better than anyone else and are in the best position to assess his or her spiritual readiness. The same Spirit that calls people into ministry also confirms that call to the church as seen back in verse 2. By the laying on of hands, the church is publicly authenticating the call of God and declaring the individual spiritually fit for missionary service.
3.) The church sets apart a missionary to bind the church and the missionary in a bond of common purpose before God. First, the church shows its willingness to God by being willing to give up its most productive people to God’s calling. In Greek the phrase “sent them away” literally means “to release them from their duties.”(5) We must be ready and willing to let go of them when God calls. Ajith Fernando says,
The message the church received was to release their best for missionary service, and their earnestness was such that they were willing to do so. This is typical of churches that have a missionary vision, churches whose main aim is more than survival or maintenance. Missions is so important to them that they willingly take steps that may seem harmful to the church for the missionary program to thrive.(6)
The church should also show its willingness to support the missionary both prayerfully and financially. In reference again to the laying on of hands, over in Acts 14:26 we learn that the laying on of hands symbolizes commending the missionary to the grace of God. The missionary is in God’s hands once we send him out. We have to learn to rely on God for the missionary’s safety, and the best way we can show our reliance upon God and our support for the missionary is to pray for him on a daily basis.
Secondly, the missionary is bound to the church. He is bound by being held accountable to the church. Over in Acts 14:27 we see that both Paul and Barnabas returned to the church in Antioch and gave a report of what had happened on their journey. You had better believe that when our missionaries return home, giving a report will be no problem. They will be so excited about how the Lord has used them that no one will be able to keep them quiet, and hopefully no one will try.
Charge to the Missionary and the Church
To our (FILL IN THE BLANK) Missionaries: We, the body of Christ at (BLANK) Baptist Church, recognize that you have been active in ministry in our church and community, and seeking the will of the Lord through prayer. We also recognize that you have received a sovereign call from the Holy Spirit to go out to (FILL IN THE BLANK). Right now, we release you to God’s calling and lift you up in faith, knowing that God has chosen you to be a part of His work of evangelizing all the nations.
To the Congregation: We enter a covenant agreement before God to faithfully support our missionaries in prayer while they are on their assignment. We do so from a sincere desire to pray for them and not because we feel obligated, pressured, or made to feel guilty. Let’s remember that we are entering into a covenant before God, so we need to be certain to be faithful and pray for them regularly.
NOTES
(1) David Zimmerman, “The Force of Missions,” a sermon found on the Internet January 2001 at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5487/Miss982.html. This introduction is taken from Zimmerman, along with much of the sermon outline.
(2) A quote from “Called to Missions,” from Sermon Seeds. Taken from the Internet January 2001 at http://www.alltel.net/~jpeters/a38.html.
(3) Ajith Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), p. 374.
(4) “Commission,” Dictinary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/commission (Accessed May 28, 2012).
(5) Kenneth O. Gangel, Acts, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Holman, 1998), p. 210.
(6) Fernando, p. 377.
