MISSIONS SS LESSON 2016

Acts 1:6-11

Today is Resurrection Sunday. The focus of the morning message will be on that, but today is also the last day of our missions emphasis so I want to use our Sunday school our to go over that one more time before we make our faith promises today.

I. THE FOUNDATION OF MISSIONS

Is purely biblical

The word mission is itself not found in the Bible.

But its meaning is; “the act of sending.”

A. Jesus Himself was sent as a missionary

John 17:18

“As thou hast sent me into the world even so I sent them in the world.”

Jesus was sent by the Father

“to seek and to save that which was lost.”

• Before Jesus left this earth He said to the Father, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
• Jesus came to this earth so He could give Himself as a ransom to pay for our sins.
• When Jesus died upon the cross He paid for our sins.

But the story does not end there because Jesus rose again from the dead and then

B. Jesus sent us to be missionaries

Acts 1:8 KJV

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We don’t actually die to save people but we are sent to be witnesses about how Jesus died to save. By being a missionary minded church we are following the Lord’s example and obeying Christ’s command found in the Bible.

C. The early Christians were missions minded

Peter and John are found in the Bible preaching in 

• Samaria
• Joppa
• Lydda
• Sharon

Paul started churches in

• Asia
• Macedonia
• Syria
• Cilicia

The early believers definitely believed in trying to penetrate the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians who were forced to move away from Jerusalem or some other well established church to a city without a church began to tell about Jesus and soon established new churches. 

And Christianity spread around the then known world because those early Christians believed in missions. They believed in sending people around the world to tell about Jesus Christ.

The foundation of missions is in the Bible. 

So 

• If our church wants to obey the Bible we will be supportive of missions.
• If you and I as individuals want to obey the Bible then we will be supportive of missions.

The idea of missions, sending people to spread Christianity, cause some folks certain

II. FEARS ABOUT MISSIONS

A. Is it right to try to spread our personal beliefs?

Doesn’t everybody have the right to believe as they please? 

Yes they do.

I would be, I hope, the first to defend the right of another to disagree with my convictions. 

But we have also got to see the other side of this thing.

Sending a missionary to tell another the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not forcing them to believe.  It is telling them what we know. If you do not believe that the truth is Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved, you probably are not saved yourself. 

When you become absolutely convinced that this is truth, it is normal to believe everybody needs to hear it.

Illustration:

If I see a house on fire and I know that someone is in the house…

It would be terrible if I did not do everything I can to warn them about the fire, wouldn’t it?

The only difference is that we are not always convinced ourselves that the fire of eternal hell is real. Otherwise we would be furious if someone didn’t warn others.

If we really believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven we must believe it is worthwhile to tell people about Jesus.

B. Won’t giving too much to missions hurt our church?

This is a good question.

1.  We need to support our local church.

Our own church is our first missions project.

Look again at Acts 1:8 KJV

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Missions begins at home. You may not always think about it, but Pastor Caleb and I are both missionaries every bit as much as any of the more than 40 missionaries we support.

The only difference is that we ask you to support us and a preacher whose own ministry can’t support him.

Fred Donnelson, an early pioneer in independent Baptist missions, said,

“The light that shines farthest shines brightest at home.”

In order to have a good missions program we must strive to have a strong local church.

• Reaching people begins here and then goes around the world
• Supporting missions begins here and then goes to the uttermost parts of the earth

People do need to learn to support the church first. But after you have gotten yourself into the pattern of helping your own church financially the next step is to give above that to missions.

As you abound in giving to both the local church and to mission’s works you will be blessed of God. You will

• Be a part of winning souls
• Share in the rewards in heaven
• Gain a greater love for those you support
• Anticipate going to heaven to receive “well done”
• Be sowing seed that God will be sure to return to you in good measure.

2. Church statistics show that those who give most to missions give most to their local church.

Usually a church that increases in missions giving finds that people also increase their giving to the church. 

Once people learn to give to missions above their tithes and offerings to the church it will not hurt the local church to emphasize missions.

C.  What would happen to Christian growth if we did not support missions?

What would happen to lost souls if we don’t support missions?

Christianity spread from just 12 disciples to the largest religious faith in the United States and perhaps the world because those early Christians believed 

• In telling others about Jesus.
• In trying to persuade people to accept Christ and
• In supporting people would traveled the world telling souls of Christ

If you are saved today it is because somebody believed in trying to persuade you to accept Christ.

• Somebody gave money to pay a missionary
• Somebody kept giving so a pastor could plant a church

You are going to go to heaven because for the last 2000 years Christians have somehow financed missions. 

I ask you, what would happen if our generation stops supporting missions?

D. In this economy, how can I possibly give to missions?

I can’t answer that for you. 

I imagine that, if you ask the Lord, He will tell you. 

But I also want to remind you that in our poorest state we are much more well to do than the majority of the world. Americans spend 

• 20 times as much money on dogs and cats as they do on missions?
• 40 times more on alcohol and tobacco than missions and
• 100 times more on recreation than missions

We even spend 1 ½ times more on chewing gum than missions.

We have luxuries that we have come to believe are necessities. 

Many of us could increase our missions giving by giving up just one espresso a week. 

What will happen if we don’t?

• I fear the apathy that has conquered today’s Christian.
• I fear that the concern for money and possession has so overcome the average Christians that it will take Christ’s return to wake up most of us

We can make a difference, but only if we put the cause of Christ and missions ahead of something in our lives.

III. THE FEATURES OF MISSIONS

A. Prayer

When you 

• know our missionaries, 
• read their letters and 
• pray frequently for them 

you are involved in missions.

B. Surrender

Perhaps God wants some of you to surrender your life to missions work.

C. Support

When you give money designated to help our missionaries on the field.