The Missionary

1. The Missionary God’s plan is to communicate with people through people. Can everyone a missionary? What qualifications and preparations are needed? How does one get from here to there?

2. Definition: “missionary” • Not found in Scriptures • “Apostle” translated into Latin is misio, meaning “a sent one” • Selecting and commissioning is illustrated in Luke 6:13, • “And when day came, He called His disciples to Him (probably about 70); and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles” • At Antioch (Ac 13) church leaders were selected and sent • Is an evangelist-pastor-teacher sent by a local church to make disciples into local churches in distinct cultures or people-groups from their own • Usually implies linguistic, cultural, social and geographic barriers to overcome • Home team is to identify, confirm, prepare and support those who are sent

3. Identification • A “passion” or burden is to reach the unreached • The idea of a “call” is a little misleading—there are no voices today. • Is using one’s spiritual gift in a strategic area • An entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to evangelism, discipleship and a care for people • A sense of responsibility of getting the gospel to every people group on the globe • Active in a local church ministry • Takes the form of short-term or career

4. Conditions for Guidance • Our “workmanship” (Eph 2:10) is in line with the pre-arranged path God has planned: S.H.A.P.E. • Discern God’s workmanship profile: (S) Spiritual Gifts, (H) Heart or passion, (P) Personality, (A) Ability or Talent, (E) Experience • God reveals His plan one step at a time • He is more about what we should do today, than tomorrow • No fear of difficulties, criticism or “impossibilities” • Honest evaluation and openness to God using you in a key role for a world impact

5. Counsel on Guidance • Prayer for people groups, for laborers to go • A consuming passion to fulfill the heart of Jesus • Maintain mobility, especially minimum debt ($20K max) • Keep an open mind • Prepare for God’s leading • Examine motives— • How important is approval, financial security, popularity, or “stuff”? Is this a selfish desire? • How important is a burden for people to me? • Everyone must master the key ministry tools: evangelism, discipleship, mentoring and counseling

6. Guide to Decision-MakingTwo categories of decisions: • Areas that are specifically addressed in the Bible • Commands (i.e., imperatives, “Go make disciples of all nations”) • Principles (i.e., church planting focus) • Examples (i.e., Paul’s love for church members) • Areas where no command or principle is followed • Here the believer can feely choose his course of action within Biblical guidelines • These choices and motives for making them are the primary focus of the Judgment Seat of Christ

7. 10 ways to avoid becoming a Missionary! • Ignore Jesus' request in John 4:35 that we take a long hard look at the fields.(John 4:35 "Do you not say, `Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." • Focus your energies on socially legitimate targets. Go after a bigger salary. • Get married to somebody who thinks the “Great Commission” is what your employer gives you after you make a big sale.

8. 10 ways to avoid becoming a Missionary! 4. Stay away from missionaries. 5. If you happen to think about missions, restrict your attention to countries where it's impossible to openly do missionary work 6. Think how bad a missionary you would be based on your own past failures.

9. 10 ways to avoid becoming a Missionary! • Always imagine missionaries as talented, super-spiritual people who stand on lofty pedestals. • Agree with the people who tell you that you are indispensable where you are. • Worry incessantly about money. If you still feel you must go, go out right away without any preparation or training.

10. Seven Wisdom Steps: 1. Common Sense • We should seek the best choice Philippians 1:10 “so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” • Proverbs gives many Wisdom concepts to follow • NLTProverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his [revealed] will in all you do, and he will [providentially] direct your paths.”

11. Seven Wisdom Steps: 2. Spiritual Counsel • NAUProverbs 15:22 “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.” • May include parents, close friends, teachers, pastors, or other spiritual leadership • Beware of selfish motivation in their counsel • If viewpoints differ, evaluate the reasons behind their differing viewpoints • Weigh their advise by how well they know you and how much they value God’s revealed will

12. Seven Wisdom Steps: 3. Personal Desire • NAU Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart” – Implication is that the desires are met in the Lord • NAU Proverbs 19:21 “Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.” • NLT Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” • 1 Thessalonians 5:19 “Do not quench the Spirit.” • As you mature your desires come from God’s desires in your heart

13. Seven Wisdom Steps: 4. Circumstances • Accidents do not happen. Evaluate how they can affect your decision • NAUProverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD [providentially] directs his steps.” • NIVProverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” • The people God allows in your path, the books you choose to read, the messages and classes you really listen to will affect your will and desires

14. Seven Wisdom Steps: 5. Scripture • God’s Moral Will is objective, complete and adequate as revealed in His Word--It does not tell us everything, but enough for us to decide • NAS2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” – No additional revelations necessary! • NASProverbs 4:5 “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you.” • Inner impressions can come from a number of sources. All must be compared to God’s revealed wisdom for approval

15. Seven Wisdom Steps: 6. Prayer • NLT Ephesians 6:18 “Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.” (not so much about yourself!) • One objective in prayer is not telling God your mind, but asking God to give you His mind and heart for people everywhere • It may help to write out your prayers • Spend more time praying over a decision than agonizing over one

16. Seven Wisdom Steps: 7. Previous Experience • You don’t want to return to 2nd Grade if you can help it • Learn from past decisions (yours and others)—Learn how they were good and bad • NIV Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” • NAUProverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” • NAS Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” • When His interests become our interests by our choices, maturity results as well as the power for living

17. Confirmation of Guidance • No sense of a “call” or self-appointment is enough—no one is ever hired just because he says he was “called” • Pastors, teachers and spiritually mature peers should help in assessing spiritual gifts, maturity and ministry fit and potential • Mission boards help determine the best place in missions (as a coach’s role on a team)

18. Principle of Volunteering • Friend Principle: “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what the Master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” Jn 15:15 • Unprofitable Servant Principle: Lu 17:10 "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done onlythat which we ought to have done.'“ Profitable servants decide to do more!

19. Principle of Volunteering • Volunteer Sacrifice Principle: 1 Cor 9:17, “For if I do this thing WILLINGLY (hekon, “unforced, unasked”) I have a reward, if notvoluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.” – Only doing what he was told. • Personal Initiative Principle: Acts 15:36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.“ Acts 16 attempted to go to Asia, Bithynia but could not. Later a vision encouraged them to head into Europe

20. Personal Qualifications • Spiritual • Not perfection but transparency, maturity and integrity • Need to know God and His Word • Oral exams may include doctrine and evangelism • Social • Right attitudes and interpersonal relationships • Self-acceptance and team player skills • No place for egotism, divisiveness, complaining or gripping, resentments or bitterness, unforgiveness, prejudice or superiority

21. Personal Qualifications • Academic • Specific training varies according to mission to accomplish • Life-long learning is encouraged • Not afraid to take on a major learning project (language, culture) • Physical and Psychological • Emotional resilience and stability, sense of humor and cooperation • Ability to endure hard situations, patience and perseverance • If life is filled with doubts and personal conflicts, no time or focus is possible for others

22. Post-Schooling, Pre-field Preparation • Pre-Field Orientation– 2-4 weeks for candidates • Full explanation of administrative and foreign policies • Principles and practices and financial procedures • Information • About places and people they will be working with • Demographic studies of place of service • Pre-Field Ministry (Deputation) • Home church, denomination and individuals for prayer and financial support • Constant communication and vision casting • Commissioning • Language learning • After support has been raised—usually a 1-2 year course

23. Relationships • To Churches • Focus on 2 types of churches: sending and planting • Building relationships, communicating a vision, serving • To Other Missionaries • Most church staffs get to chose their coworkers • In another culture, one usually needs a few friends from home culture – most will come from within the culture • Should learn to model the love one-another actions • Within the Family • Ministry pace and obligations can affect family • Important to make whole family feel a part of ministry • Father’s role usually defined; wife’s role varies • Parent’s attitude toward co-laborers, work and nationals has effect on whole family • Decisions regarding education of children not easy

24. Summary • People skills are key to cross-cultural ministries • Requires supernatural motivation, guidance, gifts, abilities and resources • Faith process: leading, perseverance, training, finance and prayer support • God uses people with limitations and weaknesses yet when empowered they make eternal importance • Vital that missionaries live the message they preach, “For our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” 1 Thes 1:5

25. Count me in! "I believe that God's command to take the Gospel message to all peoples applies to every Christian. "So, I pledge myself to doing whatever God asks of me to fulfill the Great Commission as articulated in Matthew 28:19-20. • "I understand this will likely mean praying regularly for those peoples who have not yet heard. • "I understand this will likely mean giving money to support missions. • "I understand it may mean going myself as a missionary. • “I understand that if my gifts, talents, personality and experience suggest that I could contribute to the expansion of the kingdom of God now, I will begin making decisions in that direction, trusting that God will intervene to open doors or close doors as He will, but open doors will be pursued.” • "Whatever it means, I am saying 'yes' to all of it."