Embracing Our Divine Call to Global Missions
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound call to missions and evangelism that is deeply rooted in our Baptist faith. We began by acknowledging that missions are not just a church initiative but a divine command from God. This command is evident from the call of Abraham in Genesis, where God promises to bless all nations through him, to the Great Commission in Matthew, where Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. We also looked at Acts, where Jesus tells His disciples to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth, and Romans, which emphasizes the necessity of preaching the gospel for people to believe.
Missions are a spiritual necessity for every believer, akin to our need for food, shelter, and clothing. We are called to be on mission, and this involves a strategic movement of God's people. Just as athletes follow strategic plans to win races, we too must be strategic in our mission efforts. This includes partnering with other churches and organizations to maximize our impact.
We also discussed the importance of encompassing the whole world in our mission efforts. While it may seem daunting for one church to touch the entire world, partnering with other churches makes this possible. Being involved in missions broadens our perspective and helps us understand that God's work is not limited to our local context.
Furthermore, missions demand a gospel witness. We are called to be witnesses, not just in our actions but also in our words. Sharing the gospel verbally is crucial for people to hear and believe. Lastly, missions should become a way of life. Being missional means recognizing that we are on mission for God every day, whether locally or globally. It involves a passion for what God is doing in the world and a willingness to be part of it, whether through going, praying, or supporting those who go.
### Key Takeaways
1. Missions as a Divine Command: Missions are not a human invention but a divine command from God. From the call of Abraham to the Great Commission, the Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of spreading the gospel. This divine mandate makes missions a spiritual necessity for every believer, akin to our need for food and shelter. [27:57]
2. Strategic Movement in Missions: Just as athletes follow strategic plans to win races, missions require a strategic movement of God's people. This involves planning, partnering with other churches, and being intentional in our efforts. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts exemplifies how God strategically places us in situations to share the gospel. [42:21]
3. Global Perspective in Missions: Missions encompass the whole world, and partnering with other churches makes it possible to have a global impact. Being involved in missions broadens our perspective and helps us understand that God's work is not limited to our local context. This global involvement also makes us more effective in our local missions. [44:14]
4. Gospel Witness in Missions: Missions demand a gospel witness. We are called to be witnesses, not just in our actions but also in our words. Sharing the gospel verbally is crucial for people to hear and believe. The Bible says we will be witnesses, and it challenges us to consider what kind of witnesses we are choosing to be. [49:07]
5. Missions as a Way of Life: Being missional means recognizing that we are on mission for God every day, whether locally or globally. It involves a passion for what God is doing in the world and a willingness to be part of it, whether through going, praying, or supporting those who go. This mindset transforms our daily activities into opportunities for mission. [50:24]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[27:57] - The Divine Command for Missions
[29:46] - Biblical Foundations of Missions
[31:17] - The Great Commission
[32:46] - Witnessing in Acts
[34:16] - Missions as a God-Commanded Proposition
[35:40] - Lessons from Jonah
[37:33] - Strategic Movement in Missions
[39:07] - Strategy in Athletics and Missions
[42:21] - Strategic Examples in Acts
[44:14] - Encompassing the Whole World
[45:46] - Local and Global Missions
[47:18] - Supporting Various Missions
[49:07] - The Necessity of a Gospel Witness
[50:24] - Missions as a Way of Life
[52:06] - Being Missional in Daily Life
[53:52] - Practical Examples of Missions
[55:53] - The Call to Missions
[57:34] - Supporting and Praying for Missionaries
[59:43] - Personal Mission Experiences
[01:07:07] - Time of Response
[01:07:07] - Closing Prayer and Dismissal
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 12:1-3: "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'"
2. Matthew 28:19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
3. Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
### Observation Questions
1. What command did God give to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3, and what were the promises associated with it?
2. According to Matthew 28:19-20, what are the specific tasks Jesus commands His disciples to do?
3. In Acts 1:8, what does Jesus say will happen when the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples, and where are they to be His witnesses?
4. How does the sermon describe the necessity of missions for every believer? [27:57]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is the call to missions described as a "spiritual necessity" for believers, similar to basic human needs like food and shelter? [27:57]
2. How does the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts illustrate the strategic movement of God's people in missions? [42:21]
3. What does it mean to have a global perspective in missions, and how can partnering with other churches enhance this perspective? [44:14]
4. How does the sermon emphasize the importance of verbal gospel witness in missions, and what challenges might believers face in this area? [49:07]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the idea that missions are a divine command. How does this understanding change your perspective on your daily activities and interactions? [27:57]
2. The sermon mentions the strategic movement of God's people in missions. What are some practical steps you can take to be more strategic in your mission efforts, both locally and globally? [42:21]
3. How can you broaden your perspective to encompass a global view of missions? Are there specific ways you can partner with other churches or organizations to achieve this? [44:14]
4. Sharing the gospel verbally is emphasized as crucial. Think of a recent opportunity you had to share your faith. How did you handle it, and what could you do differently next time to be a more effective witness? [49:07]
5. The sermon suggests that missions should become a way of life. Identify one area of your daily routine where you can intentionally incorporate a missional mindset. How will you implement this change? [50:24]
6. Consider the various mission efforts your church is involved in. How can you personally support these efforts, whether through going, praying, or giving? [47:18]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt reluctant to follow God's call, similar to Jonah. What steps can you take to ensure you respond obediently to God's commands in the future? [35:40]
Devotional
Day 1: Missions as a Divine Command
Missions are not a human invention but a divine command from God. From the call of Abraham to the Great Commission, the Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of spreading the gospel. This divine mandate makes missions a spiritual necessity for every believer, akin to our need for food and shelter. [27:57]
Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV): "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"
Reflection: How can you respond to God's command to be a blessing to others today? Think of one specific way you can share God's love with someone in your community.
Day 2: Strategic Movement in Missions
Just as athletes follow strategic plans to win races, missions require a strategic movement of God's people. This involves planning, partnering with other churches, and being intentional in our efforts. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts exemplifies how God strategically places us in situations to share the gospel. [42:21]
Acts 8:29-31 (ESV): "And the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go over and join this chariot.' So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him."
Reflection: What strategic steps can you take this week to be more intentional in sharing your faith? Consider one person you can reach out to and how you might do so.
Day 3: Global Perspective in Missions
Missions encompass the whole world, and partnering with other churches makes it possible to have a global impact. Being involved in missions broadens our perspective and helps us understand that God's work is not limited to our local context. This global involvement also makes us more effective in our local missions. [44:14]
Matthew 24:14 (ESV): "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
Reflection: How can you broaden your perspective on missions? Think of one way you can support global missions, whether through prayer, financial support, or learning about different cultures.
Day 4: Gospel Witness in Missions
Missions demand a gospel witness. We are called to be witnesses, not just in our actions but also in our words. Sharing the gospel verbally is crucial for people to hear and believe. The Bible says we will be witnesses, and it challenges us to consider what kind of witnesses we are choosing to be. [49:07]
Romans 10:14-15 (ESV): "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"
Reflection: Reflect on your recent conversations. Have you had opportunities to share the gospel verbally? How can you be more intentional about sharing your faith in your daily interactions?
Day 5: Missions as a Way of Life
Being missional means recognizing that we are on mission for God every day, whether locally or globally. It involves a passion for what God is doing in the world and a willingness to be part of it, whether through going, praying, or supporting those who go. This mindset transforms our daily activities into opportunities for mission. [50:24]
Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV): "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
Reflection: How can you incorporate a missional mindset into your daily routine? Identify one daily activity that you can transform into an opportunity to share God's love.
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "As believers there's a necessity that we have in our lives to be on mission. We are called to be people on mission and the Bible just gives us a lot of passages so today we are going to do bible aerobics has everyone got you got your thumbs ready you got your your bible flipping thumbs ready to go here we go." [29:46] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The church today is to be a blessing to the nations. The church today is to be a blessing to our communities we are called in every way we can to be a blessing and so that's something that we certainly see in there." [31:17] (14 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Missions are a god commanded proposition. It's a god commanded proposition it wasn't my idea it wasn't it wasn't the church's idea it wasn't paul's idea it wasn't peter's idea it was god's idea and that's an important thing for us to remember." [34:16] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Missions should become a way of life. We are to be missional. Now you may have never heard the word missional. I'll try to explain it here in just a moment. But several years ago I was working in a, I was doing some classwork and I was taking a class called Becoming a Missional Church." [50:24] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Every believer has a mission call to fulfill. Every single one of us, if we know Christ, has a mission call to fulfill. I'm on mission right where I'm at. Right now, right where I'm at. I'm on mission. You're on mission. When you leave this place today and you go to a restaurant, you're on mission." [53:52] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Missions involve the strategic movement of god's people. Abram had to go somewhere he never went before the disciples were told go into all the world we see in acts that they're judea samaria you know all the uttermost parts of the world so all around the world even it says when we go that we're to go into all the world." [37:33] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Missions encompass the whole world this is an all-encompassing thing and now that may sound rather simple but can i tell you it's hard it's hard it's hard to encompass the whole world when you think about it we have this could take this attitude how can we as one church touch the whole world well as baptists we said we can't but if we partner together we can." [44:14] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Missions demand a gospel witness. I think that becomes very clear in our text. In Acts 1-8, it says, you will be my witnesses. That doesn't sound like you might be my witnesses. You can be my witnesses. It's very strong. You can be my witnesses. You can be my witnesses. You can be my witnesses. You can be my witnesses." [49:07] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Missions brings us face to face with God and we're going to have a great time and we're going to have a great time one thing the worst味 I can tell you if you don't believe me be as true as a man when I didn't believe it that's where you come to be right today if you don't believe in Jesus go to something you're not generally allowed to do." [01:05:51] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Missions involve the strategic movement of god's people. Abram had to go somewhere he never went before the disciples were told go into all the world we see in acts that they're judea samaria you know all the uttermost parts of the world so all around the world even it says when we go that we're to go into all the world." [37:33] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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