DIVINE MISSIONS (Part One)
Memory Verse
"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." John 20:21
BIBLE PASSAGE: Genesis 12:1-3
INTRODUCTION
A great number of believers are indifferent towards missions and missionary work. Little do they know that missions is the heartbeat of God. God has been behind missionary activities since the fall of man. Today, we want to study about God and His missionary purpose to all nations. May the Lord open our eyes to see what He wants us to see, in Jesus' name.
OUTLINES
1. GOD IS MISSIONARY PURPOSE
2. WHO IS A MISSIONARY?
GOD IS MISSIONARY PURPOSE
If not for God who revealed to us through His word, we would not have known that we are supposed to take the Gospel to the whole world Matthew 24:14; 28:19·20; Luke 24:47. God created man for His glory and to fellowship with Him but Satan came in and destroyed that fellowship Genesis 2:19·22; 3:5; Isaiah 43:21. God is interested in removing every barrier to that fellowship. God is a missionary God. We can see God's missionary purpose to all nations right through the Bible particularly after the tragic fall of man - Genesis 3:1·15; Jonah 1 :2.
God's first reaction was to promise that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, even though he would also suffer in the process - Genesis 3:15. Sin and defeat came to all people through the head of the human race, Adam. The defeat of Satan will come for all
Adam's descendants (all nations) through this promise.
The covenant with Noah and his descendants - Genesis 9:1·17, was with all mankind in every nation. The call of Abram - Genesis 12 was not to give special privileges to a special nation but to provide a means for God to save all nations. God needed someone to keep the knowledge of the true
God alive in the world. God's intention was to use a nation who would write down the revelations of God and preserve them as a message to all nations (the Bible.) In the nation, He used a family as the preserver of truth. God told Abraham, “...in thee all families of the earth be blessed." - Genesis12:3, 18:18, 22:18. Therefore, the call of Abraham was purposely aimed at bringing salvation to all nations.
WHO IS A MISSIONARY?
Some people think a missionary is a white man who comes from a rich country, advanced in technology and education. Because of the advantages, of his culture, he comes to help those less fortunate by starting schools, hospitals and preaching the Gospel. The word, "missionary" comes from the Latin word, "mitto"which means, "to send." The Greek equivalent is "apostello." A missionary then is someone who is sent with a commission from a higher authority - John 20:21; Acts 13:1-3. Some of the missionaries introduced to us in the Bible are Jonah, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy.
CONCLUSION
Since God takes missions seriously, we as His people should not do less. We must find our place in the business of preaching the Gospel to the whole world and play our parts well.
QUESTIONS
1. Why is missions the heartbeat of God?
2. How do you know a missionary?
3. What kind of blessing is God talking about in Genesis 12:3?
BLESSED WEEK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
MONDAY: Jonah 1:4 - Do not cause people trouble by refusing to preach to them.
TUESDAY: 1 Corinthians 1:18 - You are denying people the power of God if you fail to preach the Gospel.
WEDNESDAY: 1 Corinthians 9:16 - We are not doing God any favour if we share His love with sinners. It is a command.
THURSDAY: 1 Corinthians 9:18 - We should not preach the Gospel with the intention of exploiting people. .
FRIDAY: 1 Corinthians 9:29 - We must practice what we preach so that we would not be hypocrites. .
SATURDAY: 2 Corinthians 4:8 - Doing God's will may bring persecution but we must not relent. .
SUNDAY: 2 Corinthians 4:5 - Jesus only should be our message and nothing else.
DIVINE MISSIONS (Part Two)
Memory Verse
"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." John 4:34
BIBLE PASSAGE: Isaiah 61:1-3
INTRODUCTION
In our last lesson on divine missions, we were told who a missionary is so that we do not begin to have a wrong idea about him. Missionaries are people with a call. They are special. It is interesting to note that Jesus our Lord was a missionary. May the Spirit of the Lord open our hearts as we study, in Jesus' name.
OUTLINES
1. JESUS AS A MISSIONARY
2. JESUS AS A SENDER OF MISSIONARIES
JESUS AS A MISSIONARY
The most important aspect of the definition of a missionary is that a higher authority sent Jesus. Jesus said it several times that He was sent by the Father whom He said is greater than Him - John 7:16, 9:4, 3:17, 17:4. Jesus mentioned the fact that His father sent Him, forty three times in the Gospel of John as well as in the other Gospels. The purpose of this sending was that the world might be saved.
Another thing about a missionary is that his work usually requires a change in location as well as culture. Jesus left Heaven, a different place, with a different culture, different language and a different people to come to this earth that is different in every way to Heaven so that we would know and serve the true God. He came to provide us with salvation and reconcile us to God -
John 8:23; 5:33, 38; Acts 26:16-18; Luke 19:10.
What did Jesus do as a missionary? He taught publicly and ministered to the crowd. He taught both Jews and Gentiles such as the Samaritan woman in John 4 who recognised Him as the Saviour of the world. He met the Syropheonician woman (Matt. 15:21-28), the Roman Centurion (Matthew 8:513), healed the possessed man and other people in Decapolis (Matthew 5:1-20; 7:31-37.) Those Gentiles put their faith in Him as He helped them. He first sent them to the Jews and later to all nations. This is cross-cultural missions - Matthew 28:19-20; 10:57. We must teach, preach and heal. We must be ready to suffer in order to take the Gospel to those not yet reached who are lost. We must complete His work by taking the news to them Matthew 4:23.
JESUS AS A SENDER OF MISSIONARIES
Jesus was not only a missionary but also sends out missionaries to all the nations of the world to preach the good news. Jesus, during His ministry on earth, said the good news about Him would be preached to the whole world. This did not materialise until His resurrection from the dead. Before He went back to Heaven, He commissioned all His disciples in what is generally known as, "The Great Commission" to take the Gospel to all the nooks and crannies of the earth. We all are His disciples and therefore should be fully involved in carrying out His instructions - Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-49; John 20:21-22; Acts 1:8.
This instruction was given at various times. It was given on the resurrection day, as recorded by Mark, Luke and John, on the mount of Olives before His ascension and on the mount of Galilee as recorded by Matthew. This instruction was so important to Jesus that He had to give it more than once. He also gave Paul a similar call in Acts 26:16-18. The prayer of Jesus in John 17:18 clearly shows that sending people out was part of what Christ was sent to do.
CONCLUSION
We cannot afford to disobey the Lord in this regard. If He takes it seriously, we must also.
QUESTIONS
1. Why did Jesus repeat the instructions to preach to all nations several times?
2. Apart from Jesus and Paul, name three other missionaries in the New Testament.
BLESSED WEEK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
MONDAY: Isaiah 6:8-9 - We must be ready always to do God's work with our whole heart.
TUEDAY: Isaiah 5:14 - People go to hell everyday in large numbers. Let us rescue them.
WEDNESDAY: John 3:3 - Before you tell others about Christ, Christ must be in you.
THURSDAY: Matthew 5:9 - To make peace between God and man, this is our work.
FRIDAY: Hebrews 10:.39 - No matter what we may be going through, going back is not the best option.
SATURDAY: 1 Peter 3:15 - Christ must be the reason for anything we do.
SUNDAY: James 1:22 - Let us do the word that we may see the Lord.
