The Importance Of Missions

The Importance of Missions

Jeff Hughes – September 28, 2003

Calvary Chapel Aggieland

I. Introduction

a. Over the past few months, we have been looking at the spread of the gospel; and if you’ve been here a couple of weeks, and you’ve been listening, you’ll know that God didn’t just start a big ad campaign to get the message out.

b. He didn’t choose to use billboards or a direct mail campaign. He used people. He used people in a variety of ways, and the methods He used odd methods to send them out to spread His message.

c. I think it is fitting, as we just finished up Acts chapter 15, last week, with Paul and Barnabas returning from their first missionary journey. They returned back to their home church at Antioch, to share what had happened all along the way, and about all the people whose lives were changed through the gospel.

d. This morning, we are blessed to have Ms. Laurah Ward here this morning. Laurah is a missionary we support as a church. Her home church is Calvary Chapel Houston, and just like us, she was sent out by Calvary Houston to spread the gospel.

e. Laurah is a missionary to Russia, and she’s going to share with us just what God is doing there.

f. ***Laurah Shares****

II. PRAYER

III. Illustration

a. As I was looking around for an illustration to use for this message, I realized that I wasn’t finding one because We have one sitting with us here this morning.

IV. Study

a. Intro

i. I found it interesting that the word missionary is not found in scripture. Neither is the word trinity, but we know that God is a triune being from how He is described in several places.

ii. In the same way, we know that God would have the church send out missionaries from the commands and examples set for us in the scriptures, and as a footnote to Laurah coming and sharing with us, I though that I would teach a topical message on missions.

iii. Get your Bibles out, because we are going to hop around a bit this morning. There’s a handout for you to follow along and take notes. We will be looking at the Missions Mandate, The Missions Message, The Missions Method, and the Mission Field this morning, as we look at the importance of missions in the church.

b. The Missions Mandate (Acts 1:8)

i. So, why are missions so important? We find the answer in Acts chapter 1, verse 8 –

ii. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

iii. The setting for this was at Jesus’ Ascension on the Mount of Olives. There’s a few hundred people gathered, and Jesus is giving them one last set of instructions, before heading off up into heaven.

iv. Notice Jesus tells the disciples gathered that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. The word power there is the Greek word dunamis in the original language. We get our word dynamite from it today.

v. Why does He want us to have that kind of power in our lives? We see the answer in the end of verse 8. We see that the disciples would be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

vi. But I want us to take not of this; it is only after they receive power from the Holy Spirit that they are called to be witnesses. The two go together. God’s plan is that we get the Spirit before we step out into ministry. The two go together. Ministry without the Spirit is a miserable job. I know from previous first hand experience.

vii. Every one of us is called to be a minister. Not just me. I just stand up here and teach a message once a week. The real ministry happens when we leave this place. That’s where the rubber meets the road. A Recent study showed that most people are led to Christ by a friend or family member. You wouldn’t think that, though. Most attention is paid to these large crusades and outreaches by various ministries. But, by en large, people come to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through a personal relationship with another Christian.

viii. Jesus told His followers in Matthew 28:19 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

ix. We call that the Great Commission. As Christians, that is our number one job, to replicate our faith by sharing it with others.