It Starts Here - Michael Martinez

Devotional

Day 1: The Church’s Biblical Responsibility to Assess Missionaries

The local church is entrusted with identifying and preparing those called to cross-cultural missions. This process ensures missionaries are spiritually mature, theologically grounded, and practically equipped. Just as a doctor undergoes rigorous training, those sent to proclaim the gospel must be tested and proven within the community of believers. The church’s role is not passive but actively cultivates faithfulness to Christ’s mission. Sending unprepared workers risks undermining the gospel’s credibility and effectiveness. [19:21]

“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers… While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: What practical steps can your church take to intentionally identify and nurture individuals who sense a call to missions? How might you participate in this process?

Day 2: Character as the Foundation of Missionary Service

Biblical character is non-negotiable for those sent to represent Christ. Qualities like self-control, hospitality, and humility (1 Timothy 3) protect both the messenger and the message. Spiritual maturity isn’t about perfection but proven faithfulness in ordinary life. A missionary’s ability to steward relationships, resist temptation, and lead with integrity begins long before they cross cultural boundaries. The church must lovingly examine these traits in aspiring workers. [24:33]

“An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… He must manage his own household well.” (1 Timothy 3:2-4, ESV)

Reflection: Which area of character growth (e.g., patience, integrity, humility) do you sense God highlighting in your life? How could cultivating this trait prepare you for greater gospel service?

Day 3: Convictions That Anchor Gospel Ministry

Missionaries need unshakable theological foundations: God’s sovereignty in salvation, Scripture’s authority, and Christ’s exclusive claim as Savior. These truths sustain workers when faced with spiritual warfare, persecution, or discouragement. Convictions about suffering’s purpose and the church’s centrality guard against mission drift. Like Paul, missionaries must “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9). [29:13]

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: Which biblical conviction do you find most sustaining in difficult seasons? How could you deepen your understanding of this truth?

Day 4: Competency Developed Through Community

Ministry skills are honed through active participation in local church life. Teaching, discipleship, and evangelism practiced at home become tools for cross-cultural work. Just as Timothy learned from Paul, aspiring missionaries need mentors and opportunities to serve. Competency isn’t innate—it’s cultivated through faithful stewardship of small responsibilities. The church provides the training ground for eternal work. [44:46]

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What ministry skill (e.g., evangelism, counseling, teaching) could you develop through your local church? Who might help you grow in this area?

Day 5: Sending as the Church’s Shared Mission

The Great Commission belongs to the whole church, not just those who go. Through prayer, financial support, and practical care, every believer participates in global missions. Sending missionaries is a communal act of worship—a declaration that Christ deserves praise from all nations. As we equip and send workers, we join God’s eternal purpose to gather worshippers from every tribe and tongue. [56:02]

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace… in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 4:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: How is God inviting you to engage with global missions—whether through going, sending, praying, or giving? What specific step will you take this week?

Sermon Summary

The local church must intentionally assess, prepare, and send missionaries so that the gospel moves across cultural, linguistic, and geographic borders with fidelity. Missionaries receive assessment, affirmation, and commissioning from the congregation; they serve either as shepherding overseers (elders) or as serving deacons in cross-cultural contexts, and the same biblical qualifications apply. Readiness rests on three pillars: character (spiritual maturity and biblical qualifications), conviction (core theological commitments such as God’s sovereignty, the authority of Scripture, the exclusivity of Christ, and a theology of suffering), and competency (practical training, proven ministry fruit, and tested maturity). First Timothy 3 supplies the character standard—above reproach, sober-minded, hospitable, able to teach, household management, and being well thought of by outsiders—and the same accountability should guide missionary candidates.

Convictions shape motive and perseverance: missionaries must believe God sovereignly accomplishes mission, Scripture is the final authority, humanity is fallen, Christ alone saves, suffering accompanies faithful witness, praise to Christ fuels mission, the church is the primary sending agent, and the nations will come to worship. These convictions protect missionaries from pragmatic or sentimental approaches and anchor ministry in God’s promises. Competency demands intentional development: desire alone does not qualify. Like professions that require long apprenticeship, cross-cultural ministry requires training, mentoring, measurable practice, and congregational testing so senders do not ship immaturity overseas and thereby create harm.

Sending must become a collaborative, ecclesial process. The church encounters aspiring missionaries in the regular life of worship, discipleship, one-another relationships, prayer, and service; that proximity allows assessment, correction, and formation. The church must not outsource primary training to agencies alone but should disciple, test, and commission candidates so they go as recognized representatives of a local body. Ultimately, sending matters because the message is eternal: careful, church-centered assessment protects the gospel’s credibility, sustains missionaries under suffering, and advances the aim of gathering all nations to worship. It starts in the local congregation—where missionaries are made, not manufactured.

Key Takeaways

1. Character must be proven and public Genuine missionary service requires visible spiritual maturity that a congregation can verify, not private claims of readiness. Biblical qualifications (above reproach, household leadership, sober-mindedness, teaching ability) function as safeguards so that the gospel does not become tarnished by arrogance or moral failure. Public proof protects both the missionary and the churches they will serve. [20:20]
2. Convictions anchor missionary perseverance Deep theological commitments—God’s sovereignty, Scripture’s authority, Christ’s exclusive salvation, and a theology of suffering—sustain missionaries when opposition, loneliness, or apparent failure arise. These convictions reframe hardship as participation in Christ’s mission rather than as evidence of mistake, and they orient ministry toward worship as the end goal. A missionary without such anchors will drift toward methods that prioritize comfort or approval. [29:13]
3. Competency requires deliberate training Desire alone cannot substitute for skill. Cross-cultural ministry needs instruction, supervised practice, language learning, and measurable fruit so that those sent can lead, teach, and shepherd under pressure. Sending immature workers risks creating more brokenness than gospel advance; rigorous preparation honors the eternal stakes involved. [43:59]
4. The church is the essential sending body Missions flow from congregational life: worship, fasting, prayer, discernment, and corporate commissioning provide the context in which the Holy Spirit sets workers apart and the church bears responsibility for their formation. Outsourcing the core work of disciple-making severs the pastoral accountability that prepares faithful representatives for the nations. The mission begins where believers gather. [54:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:42] - Conference opening
[15:26] - Why churches must assess missionaries
[19:00] - Defining character, conviction, competency
[20:20] - Reading: 1 Timothy 3 qualifications
[28:43] - Transition to convictions
[29:13] - First conviction: God’s sovereignty
[43:59] - Competency and training required
[54:05] - The church’s role: It starts here
[57:26] - Prayer and dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 Timothy 3:1-13 (ESV)
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Observation questions

What specific character traits are listed in 1 Timothy 3 for overseers and deacons? How do these relate to a missionary’s qualifications?
According to the sermon, why is “being above reproach” critical for missionaries? [24:33]
What two roles (from 1 Timothy 3) do missionaries typically fulfill in cross-cultural contexts, and how do these roles differ? [23:28]
The sermon mentions eight core convictions missionaries must hold. Name three of these convictions and their supporting Bible references. [29:13]

Interpretation questions

Why might Paul emphasize household management as a qualification for leadership? How does this apply to missionaries serving in unfamiliar cultures?
The sermon argues that missionaries need a “theology of suffering” to persevere. How do passages like 1 Peter 4:12-13 or Philippians 1:29 frame suffering as part of faithful ministry?
How does the church’s role in “testing” deacons (1 Timothy 3:10) parallel the process of assessing missionary candidates? What risks arise if this step is neglected? [48:46]
The sermon states, “Missionaries are made, not manufactured.” What does this distinction mean, and why is the local church essential to this process? [54:05]

Application questions

If someone aspires to cross-cultural ministry, how could they intentionally cultivate character (like hospitality or self-control) in their daily life? What practical steps would demonstrate growth?
The sermon warns against sending “immaturity overseas.” How can church members lovingly help someone recognize they might not yet be ready for missionary work? What would this look like in practice? [50:24]
One conviction mentioned is that “Christ is worthy of all praise.” How might this truth reshape someone’s motivation for sharing the gospel, especially when facing rejection or hardship?
The local church is called to “disciple, test, and commission” missionaries. What specific ways can your small group support aspiring missionaries in your congregation? [53:42]
Reflect on 1 Timothy 3:7: Why is being “well thought of by outsiders” vital for missionaries? How could your interactions with non-believers this week intentionally model integrity and grace?
The sermon compares missionary preparation to medical training. What areas of competency (e.g., teaching, language, conflict resolution) do you need to develop to serve others more effectively, even in your current context? [44:46]

Sermon Clips

32s

#CalledToPastor

“When we send someone overseas to plant a church, what are we calling them to do? We're calling them to pastor. That's what we're doing. We're calling them to shepherd a flock, to build a church. We are calling them to pastor. But what if we're sending someone to be a strengthener of a local church or of a ministry overseas? What are they? They're deacons, they're servants. And so then we are calling them to serve as a deacon. It is unavoidable.”

28s

#LocalWitness

“Second question I have is, if am I a missionary if I share the gospel with my neighbor across the street? Am I a missionary? No. I am not a missionary. I am witnessing to what Christ has done inside of my life. I am not a missionary. I have not crossed linguistic borders. I have not gone and changed cultures. I have done none of these things. I'm only witnessing to what has been done in my life.”

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