Motivations For Missions
Introduction - Bible students, Pastors, and lay people without motivations for missions become complacent. Without the proper kinds of motivations, people might involve themselves in missions for other reasons than doing the will of God.
Illustrations:
DETERMINATION
Someone once asked Paul Harvey, the journalist and radio commentator, to reveal the secret of his success. "I get up when I fall down," said Harvey.
Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, p. 16.
The 1992 Summer Olympics featured two tremendously poignant moments. American sprinter Gail Devers, the clear leader in the 100 meter hurdles, tripped over the last barrier. She agonizingly pulled herself to her knees and crawled the last five meters, finishing fifth--but finishing.
Even more heart-rending was the 400 meter semifinal in which British runner Derek Redmond tore a hamstring and fell to the track. He struggled to his feet and began to hobble, determined to complete the race. His father ran from the stands to help him off the track, but the athlete refused to quit. He leaned on his father, and the two limped to the finish line together, to deafening applause.
John E. Anderson, "What Makes Olympic Champions?", Reader’s Digest, February 1994, p. 120.
Everybody recognizes that Ludwig van Beethoven was a musical genius. But few realize the adversity he had to overcome to achieve greatness. In his twenties, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. Because he couldn’t feel the music as he once had, on one occasion he said his fingers became "thick." His hearing problems haunted him into the middle years of his life, but he kept it a guarded secret. By the time he reached his fifties, Beethoven was completely deaf. But he refused to give up. He was once overheard shouting at the top of his voice, "I will take life by the throat!" Many of his biographers believe the only reason Beethoven remained productive for so long was this determination.
Today in the Word, September 5, 1993.
As a young man, film director Robert Flaherty spent many months in the far north looking for iron ore and cod. He found neither, but he did shoot 70,000 feet of film in his travels. Someone encouraged him to edit the film and make a documentary, which Flaherty spent weeks doing. But just as he finished, a match from his cigarette dropped among the celluloid, consuming the entire film and burning Flaherty badly. His response to the disaster was a determination to return to the far north and make a film of Eskimo life "that people will never forget." He did just that, and the result was the classic 1922 documentary, Nanook of the North.
Today in the Word, July 19, 1993.
D.L. Moody had a keen memory for names and faces. If one of his children was missing from Sunday school, he knew it, and he would do everything possible to find out why. One day he saw an absentee coming down the street, so he took off after her. She ran down the sidewalk, across the street, and through an alley into a saloon, up the stairs to a back apartment, into the bedroom, and then dived under the bed. Moody went after her, and just as he was claiming his prize, the mother showed up. Panting from the exertion, Moody simply explained, "I’m Moody," He said that he had missed the girl and would be happy if all the family could come to the services. Within a few weeks he had every child in the family in his school.
W. Wiersbe, The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 203.
As Abraham Lincoln prepared to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, he took his pen, moved it to the signature line, paused for a moment, and then dropped the pen. When asked why, the president replied, "If my name goes into history, it will be for this act, and if my hand trembles when I sign it, there will be some who will say, ’he hesitated.’" Lincoln then turned to the table, took up the pen, and boldly signed his name.
Today in the Word, July, 1990, p. 8.
A young fellow wanted to be a star journalist but lived in a small town (not much possibility). One day the dam upstream broke and the town was flooded. He got in a rowboat and headed out to look for a story. Found a lady sitting on her rooftop. He tied up the boat and told her what he was after. (They both watched as various items floated by). She says,
"Now there’s a story." "No, that’s not a story." Finally a hat floats by and then does a 180 degree turn, goes upstream a ways and does another 180 degree turn, etc. The fellow says, "There’s a story." "Oh no, that’s not a story. "That’s my husband Hayford. He said that he was going to mow the lawn come hell or high water!"
Source Unknown.
POEMS
Press on.
Nothing in the world
Can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not;
Nothing is more common
Than unsuccessful men
With talent.
Genius will not:
Unrewarded genius
Is almost a proverb.
Education will not;
The world is full of
Educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination
Alone are important
Anonymous. Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.93.
Example - One man became a missionary in order to experience another culture first hand. He was motivated to be a missionary to experience the adventure of living in another culture. He looked at cross-cultural work as an adventure that permitted him to travel. After several months on the field he became tired of the rigors of missionary life.
Wanting desperately, to return to his home, he told his supervisor that he was willing to go to Lagos to buy supplies for the mission. Since, the supervisor had plenty of work, he gladly gave the young man all the money he had to buy supplies for the mission station. However, when the young man did not return within several days everyone became worried. Some thought that the young man might have had an accident.
Several weeks later, they learned that the young man used the money to buy an airplane ticket back to his home country. Apparently, by the time the young man arrived in his home, it was too late for the mission to retrieve the money. The missions soon learned to screen the motivations of their new missionaries better before new ones were sent to the field. We must all learn to distinguish internal motivations (Spiritual reasons for contributing to missions) from external motivations (Thrills of adventure, desires to travel, or man-pleasing efforts).
Let us ask the Lord for wisdom in learning how to correctly motivate people to be involved with missions through church planting, giving, praying, writing, serving as host families for a Bible study or prayer meeting, or joining EMS!
I. Why Did God Have to Motivate Jonah to be a Missionary to the Gentiles?
A. Jonah lived at a time of external peace in Israel so most of the people became complacent toward spiritual things.
B. Israel hoped for the destruction of other nations and longed for God’s darkness to fall on other nations.
C. The book begins with the Lord giving Jonah a missionary mandate to go to Nineveh and preach to the people, but Jonah refuses.
D. Jonah is like many Christians today who are running from their responsibility to witness, to give towards missions, to pray about the lost, and to involve themselves as missionaries.
E. Jonah, like so many Christians, had no heart for people who are headed for destruction in hell.
F. God warns Jonah against an intolerant attitude toward non-believers.
``For there is no partiality with God.’’ (Rom. 2:11)
Example - Many Christians have an intolerant attitude for other tribes, Muslims, or any non-Christians. God shows no partiality toward anyone, neither should we.
G. The people of Israel had become preoccupied with themselves. They failed to look at the fields of needy people in the world who were headed for hell without a Savior!
Example - Everyday, nearly 400,000 people go to a Christ-less eternity in hell!
H. Israel, a chosen nation, blessed with many special privileges from God, refused to share their blessings and God became displeased!
I. Jonah’s running away from God is like many lazy, indifferent, and rebellious Christians who refuse to obey God!
II. How Did God Motivate Jonah to Go to the Gentiles?
A. First, God gave Jonah a mandate to go and preach! - 1:1 (Matt. 28:19,20)
B. Second, God directed Jonah to go to the most violent people on earth, the Ninevites.
Example - The Ninevites were warlike, vicious, people who tortured their captives, and chose to oppose any people who got in their way!
C. When Jonah ran from God, the Lord pursued him, he did not give up on him. He convicted Jonah by causing tribulations to come into his life.
Example - God may have to use external motivations on Christians in order to motivate them for service. One man had to experience a terrible car accident, have his arm and leg broken, temporarily lose the vision in his right eye, and be restricted to bed for 6 months before he was willing to do all of God’s will!!
D. God had to impress on Jonah that he must be willing to obey God even if no one else would go with him.
Example - We sing the song, ``Though none go with me, still I will follow . . . I have decided to follow Jesus . . . no turning back, no turning back!’’ But do we really believe it!
E. While God caused a storm to get Jonah’s attention, the prophet slept, trying to ignore God’s warnings. Many people in the church today are sleeping through the storms, neglecting God’s warnings for them to obey!
F. People, on the boat, like people in the church, tried to look for other causes besides disobedience, for their problems. Only when the people were willing to listen to God’s prophet, to throw him overboard, did the storm subside!
Example - Many people are suffering unnecessarily because they are not listening and obeying the voice of God’s prophets!
G. God sent a large fish to swallow Jonah. There is no escaping from God’s will. He can even use a fish to perform His will when man refuses!
H. Jonah cries out to God for mercy even when he showed no mercy to the Gentiles to whom he was sent! God speaks to the fish to spit Jonah onto the shore. Jonah has now experienced God’s mercies first hand.
Example - Many people have experienced God’s mercies numerous times, but they fail to remember and consider them! One Pastor forgot how good God had been to him. When he started raising chickens he noticed that the more chickens he had, the more money he made. One day, he moved all of his children into one room to make more room for more chickens. Finally, the wife said to her husband, ``Either you get rid of those chickens or I will pack for home!’’
The Pastor thought for a moment and said, ``You stupid, hopeless, and fruitless woman, leave my house at once!’’
That Pastor eventually had to be dismissed from his church because the love of money had consumed him. ``The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil!’’ (I Tim. 6:10)
I. Jonah has to confess, ``Salvation is from God!’’ (3:1-2ff) Until Jonah experiences God’s deliverance from death first hand, he does not appreciate the importance of delivering the message to the Gentiles!!!
J. God tells Jonah that his message must be one of promise, judgment, warning, salvation, repentance, and mercy! Many Pastor only preach with judgment and not with the other elements.
III. How Did Jonah Responded Wrongly to Nineveh’s Repentance?
A. The proud leaders of Nineveh stepped down from their prideful thrones and humbled themselves before God. All the people of the great Gentile city are told to follow the leaders examples. (3:5-10) Often if the leaders are reached with Christ, others will follow in believing Christ as their Savior. Ask God for the ability to win the leaders first!
B. The entire city turns away from idols to serve God. Jonah’s preaching is effective, even when he did not anticipate it would bring success.
Example - Many missionaries have been amazed by the powerful results yielded by the preaching, teaching, and distribution of the scriptures. One missionary started reading his Bible under a certain tree only to find the entire village gathering around him to listen. After, he preached the gospel to them, everyone became Christians. It seemed that this tribe had a tradition, that one day a man would read from a black book underneath that certain tree the truth that everyone should believe! God had prepared those people for the gospel. They were just waiting for a prophet to bring the scriptures to them!
C. Jonah refused to follow-up the new converts with teaching, Bible studies, and prayer meetings. Many missionaries are good at preaching, but fail to follow-up the people after conversion!
D. God wanted to show Jonah that no one is too corrupt to be brought to repentance and faith in God, but Jonah refused to accept the genuineness of the Ninevites conversion.
E. Jonah was prejudiced to his own tribe, the Jews. Tribe prejudice hinders the advance of the gospel ministry!
F. Jonah was stubborn, narrow-minded, and refused to obey God fully!
G. Jonah wanted converts that fit his expectations of what believers were like. He refused to accept the fact that people from other cultures could worship God differently.
H. Jonah refused to believe that other cultures were as good as his own!
I. Jonah is mad at God for extending His mercies to another tribe. He believed that God’s mercies were only for the Jews. God is interested in all people becoming Christians. II Pet. 3:9 says:
``He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’’
J. Jonah wanted God’s judgment on the Gentiles, instead they were given mercy and this angered the missionary. Jonah became jealous of other people’s good fortune.
K. Jonah was a missionary whose heart was not into his work, his preaching, or the people to whom he was sent. If you are going to be a missionary you must ask God sincerely for a heart for his work, preaching, teaching, and a love for the people to whom you are sent!
Example - In I Thes. 2:7,8 Paul shows us an example of a missionary with a real heart for his work, preaching, and people. He says, ``. . . We were like a gentle mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us!’’
IV. What Should Motivate us To Be Involved With Missions?
A. God’s commands (Matt. 28:19,20)
B. Prayer (Matt. 9:36-38)
C. The needs of the lost who are headed for hell without Christ. (Rom. 10:1)
D. The Holy Spirit of God. ``For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.’’ (Phil. 2:13)
E. The counsel of Godly counselors. (Prov. 13:10)
F. The models of Godly missionaries (Heb. 13:7)
G. The teaching of the life of Christ and Paul.
H. The rewards for obedience. (II Cor. 5:10)
I. The promises of God. (Matt. 4:19)
J. The assurance that Christ will build His church and that no evil force can prevail against it. (Matt. 16:18)
K. ’The battle is not ours, but is the Lords’. (I Sam. 17:47)
L. God’s promise that He would be with us, helping, guiding, protecting, and giving us His Spirit. (Luke 11:13)
M. Assurance from Christ, that all power in heaven and earth is given to us in completing His will. (Matt. 28:19,20)
N. Assurance that the fields are white for the harvest (John 4:35). There are many people who are eager to receive the gospel!
O. Assurance that as we seek first His kingdom (Bringing people into His kingdom) and His righteousness (Christlikeness), all things will be added to us! (Matt. 6:33)
P. Jesus directive to Peter, ``If you love me, feed my sheep.’’ (John 21:15-21)
Q. A quest to be more like Jesus. ``As the Father as sent me, so send I you.’’(John 20:21)
Concluding Questions:
1. Why did God have to motivate Jonah to be a missionary?
2. What hindered Jonah from accepting God’s command to preach to the Gentiles? What is hindering most churches, laymen, and Bible students from becoming missionaries and church planters today?
3. How did God motivate Jonah to go to the Gentiles? How is God motivating people to start new churches and reach the lost today?
4. How did Jonah respond wrongly to Nineveh’s repentance? How do people today respond wrongly to the growth of the church, the growth of missions, or the growth of certain young people as leaders in the church?
5. What were some things that have motivated others in the Bible to be involved with missions in the past? What are some things that should motivate us to become involved with mission, evangelism, and church planting today?
6. What can you do to be more involved with missions, evangelism, and church planting as well as those in your church, school, and family?
