October 29, 2017

Missions: Here and There

There: Long Term

Matthew 28:19-20
19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

I can pretty much guarantee you, that God has a plan for YOU to be a missionary in a different context than you are used to at some point in your life.

This is the Near West Side at St. Clair and Warman in the 1950’s vs today. Things change in our context a lot. Even if God tells you to stay exactly where you are, you are going to be brought out of your comfort zone.

England
- only 28% of the UK believes in God or a higher power
- only about 11.2% of the UK attends church
- church membership is declining so fast in the UK that by 2025 it is projected to only include 4.3% of the population
- in 2011, the UK population of Muslims rose to 4.4% and is growing quickly

Brazil
- In 2015, Brazil had 60,000 murders… more than United States, China, all of Europe including Russia, Northern Africa, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand combined.
- Brazil is only 2.7% of the worlds population, but consumes 10% of the world’s cocaine

What about the rest of the world?
- The International Mission Board lists 3,179 people groups that are unreached and unengaged with the gospel.
- Of those, 360 people groups have more than 100,000 people.
(see the full list of unengaged, unreached people groups here: grd.imb.org)

I want to get the idea out of our heads, that there is someone else who can go, and that there’s someone better for the job. Here's what the Bible says:

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.”

Matthew 28:19-20
19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Romans 8:11
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Pray
- Pray and ask God if you should go.
- Pray for people God has called overseas.

Give
- Give to a missionary who is on the field.
- Give to our missions offering through the Living Faith app.

Go

- Say Yes when God calls you
- If God hasn’t called you somewhere else yet it probably means He’s called you here... So live like you are on mission!

Communication Card
1. I will “Pray” this week for a missionary on the field.
2. I will start to “Give” to a missionary on the field.
3. I will pray about if God may some day want me to “Go.”