Intro: The apostle Paul was not always a missionary for Christ. Before he met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus he was a mercenary for the Sanhedrin.
When the apostle Paul became a missionary for the Lord Jesus he became sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as a missionary.
Much like police officers, fire fighters, and other public servants the apostle Paul was marked with certain badges that made him recognizable as a missionary.
Acts 9.20 “and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
The first badge of a missionary
I. Under God’s Commission
Illustration: Baptism – Baptism is a ceremony that is showing the church and the world that we are identifying with Jesus. Immersion shows our complete confidence in Christ. Baptism is not merely a ceremony of confession.
Baptism is also a ceremony of commission. According to Romans 10.9,10 we accept Him as Savior and Lord, as we confess we are also commissioned.
Acts 9.18 Saul was baptized, 9.20 He evangelized.
A) Our Broadcast
Definition: To make known over a wide area:
1) His atoning
If you are under His covering blood you are under his commanded commission.
2) Our Announcing (Proclaim)
To be a herald to announce, proclaim openly especially something that has been done.
a) We are assured of our forgiveness
2 Timothy 1.12 “for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” (Biblical illustration of faith)
Hebrews 11.1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
b) We are confident in Christ’s control
c) We are convicted to take up our cross
I believe that Paul would agree with Dr. Vance Havner’s statement about the good news of Jesus Christ.
Vance Havner: “The Gospel is not a secret to be hoarded but a story to be heralded. Too many Christians are stuffing themselves with blessings, while millions have never had a taste.”
Someone that has not yet been born again will have to be spoon-fed!!
Psalm 34.8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
B) Our Base of Operations
Acts 1.8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the world.”
A) It’s Local Caroline Association
B) It’s National SBC/Arkansas Baptist State Convention NAMB
C) It’s Global SBC IMB (World)
The second badge of a missionary
II. Urgent to fulfill God’s Mission
Illustration: McKinley and the greased lightning in his eyes. When McKinley got cleaner in his eyes we had an urgent need to get him to the hospital and looked at by a doctor. We took him to children’s so that a specialist could make sure he was ok.
We as the church need that type of urgency, Jesus is the Great Physician who specializes in forgiveness of sin, and we need to get people to His office without delay!!
Without delay Saul began to proclaim Christ!!
Where does the urgency come from?
A) Urgent because of the importance of the message.
Luke 2.10 “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.”
1) The message is inclusive (And the world says we are intolerant)
2) The message is intense (great joy)
B) Urgent because time is short.
1 Corinthians 7.29-31 “But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, and those who buy, as though they did not posses; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.”
Proverbs 27.1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
1) Life is short live for the Lord Jesus Christ
2) Life is often used bragging about our plans instead we should brag about what Jesus has already done!!
C) Urgent to waste no opportunities.
Colossians 4.5 “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity.”
Dr Jimmy Allen
We missed him. Our chance to change things came and passed and we did not know it was there. A dark-skinned little boy sat through Sunday School classes for three years at a great Baptist Church (First Church, San Antonio) but some one missed him. His name was Sirhan Sirhan, and at age 24 he shot and killed Senator Robert Kennedy. In a welter of words and the shudder of grief throughout our nation, the persistent thought keeps recurring...someone missed him.
The third badge of a missionary
III. Upheld by God’s Provision
Acts 9.22 “But Saul kept increasing..”
“But Saul’s power grew ever greater.”
The word increasing comes from a word whose root is the word we get our word dynamite.
2 Peter 3.18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity, Amen.”
Paul was growing in power to confound his culture and critics.
Paul was growing in power to confirm that Jesus was the Christ
Paul was growing in power to confront the every day difficulties that lay ahead.
Paul was making progress in the Christian Life. Growing in every aspect.
A) He Grew in Grace
· Increasing in likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ
B) He Grew in Knowledge
· Increasing knowledge of Jesus through the Bible the Word of God.
· “Increasing Study and Subjection to His
1) Word
2) Work
3) Ways
C) He Grew in Strength
The Lord Jesus will use you in dynamic explosive way the more you become like Him and follow His Word, Work, and Ways.
Conclusion: All Christians are commissioned at conversion. Do you have the markings of a missionary? Do you carry any of the badges that make you a mobile testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ?
It is not only the professional missionaries that should be marked.
We should all be under God’s commission
We should all be urgent to fulfill God’s mission
We should all be upheld by God’s provision.
Do you need to be marked and receive any of these badges today?
Are you already marked and God is calling to a life as a missionary?
What can the church do?
I. Prayer – Ask God to reach all people groups of the world.
Ask God to begin to work in the mission field of America
II. Partner – Last Sunday we learned that we are in a God-partnering ministry.
-- Let us also continue to partner with the SBC as we give to World Missions
III. Participate – Take a mission trip to get a whole new perspective on the world and
how people live and need the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If we participate God will provide for us.
