Mechanics of Missions

The Great Commission

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

— Jesus Christ in Acts 1:8

Mechanics of Missions

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The Great Commission

Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

–Matthew 28:18-20

The Great CommissionHe said to them, “Go into all the world, and

preach the Good News to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

– Jesus Christ in Mark 16:15-18

The Great Commission

Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”

–John 20:21-23

The Great Commandment

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

— John 13:34-35

Many other references to the importance of love are in the Holy Bible!

OK… How?• Listen to God and obey Him. God speaks

many ways… test the spirits, and make sure it is God, then if it is Him, just do it.

• Be sure. Confidence ≠ pride or presumption.• Take Action. Prepare. Go.

Kinds of Missionary Work

• Diverse ministry gifts, including not just the main 5 ministry gifts of Ephesians 4, but just about any trade or skill you can imagine (and some you never thought of).

• Short term, recurring, long term, and lifetime.• Local, regional, and remote; stationary and

nomadic.• Church, organization, and “independent”.• Meeting needs, serving people, and bringing

Good News

Challenges to Overcome• Finances• Health problems (faith and insurance mix) • Getting along with others• Culture stress• Spiritual warfare• Your flesh/sinful nature• Physical warfare and crime• Fear (which is the opposite of faith)• Wariness, boredom, and false expectations• Government opposition, intentional or not• PersecutionDon’t bring a knife to a gun fight. Prepare. Win.

Funding Models and SendersFor, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord

will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace,

who bring glad tidings of good things!”–Romans 10:13-15 (see also Joel 2:32 and

Isaiah 52:7)

Funding Models: self-support

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth. He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers.

–Acts 18:1-3

Funding Models: giftsYou yourselves also know, you Philippians,

that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need. Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account. But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.

–Philippians 4:15-18

Funding Considerations

• Faith• Accountability• Honesty• Taxes• Visas and work permits• Pooled vs. individual fund raising• True partnership development• Related businesses• Unrelated businesses and “fund raisers”

Sending Organizations

• Churches & denominations• Mission organizations• Specialized organizations, i. e . Bible

translation agencies & relief organizations

Preparation

• Spiritual• Formal training• Life experiences• Heart attitude• Be a missionary today by faith in God

Crossing Culture and Language Barriers

To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

–1 Corinthians 9:20-22

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Faithfulness

Persistence in doing what is right as unto the LORD, and doing it HIS way.

Reentry

“Home” is never the same again, because you are different.

Our real home is with Jesus Christ.

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The Great Commission

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

— Jesus Christ in Acts 1:8

MLJohnson.org

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MLJohnson.org