We Must Do More Than Pray! | Four local church imperatives to keep missions alive.

In 2023, do you want to be in maintenance mode or mission mode?

Maintenance mode - doing fine, but just getting by.

Mission mode - relentlessly pursuing the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

Both personally and corporately.

Our country is facing a problem that is far greater than any political problems we face.

I hear about it all the time.

I read about it everywhere.

I hear churches lamenting.

I hear mission boards complaining.

I hear the desperation of Bible colleges and seminaries.

There are more pastors over 65 than under 40.

Pastors are quitting for countless reasons.

We are facing a massive lack of pastors, church planters, and missionaries.

This is not a Bible College problem, this is a local church problem.

I would offer that we as pastors have helped create this problem.

Let’s think about it this way...

Since I have been on the board we have had a prayer request that comes from Matthew 9.... pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers.

Too often that’s where it stops.

I believe there are four things every local church should be doing.

1. Pray for laborers to go to the harvest field.

Matthew 9:35–38 ESV

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

1. Pray for laborers to go to the harvest field.

a. Jesus put Himself where the lost people were.

He went through all the cities and villages.

Teaching, preaching, meeting physical needs.

We forget that Jesus didn’t tell us to bring them in.

He didn’t give us that example.

He went out to them.

1 Corinthians 14:22–24 ESV

22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,

We need to go.

b. Jesus understood their situation.

Like sheep without a shepherd.

Lost and hopeless.

c. Jesus commanded us to pray for laborers.

Pray for God to raise up through conversion and growth laborers for the harvest field.

How often and how earnestly do you pray for laborers?

How often and how earnestly do we pray in the church?

2. Disciple people continuously.

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

2. Disciple people continuously.

This is our mission - make disciples.

I believe we often assume disciple-making is happening, but do you have an identifiable and reproducible system in place in your church so you and your people can make disciples who will make other disciples?

We need to seek the culture Jesus created.

Jesus culture of investing in His disciples created a reproducible process in the early church.

Many lack a hands on, practical understanding of how to makes disciples, and what it takes to make disciples.

Let alone creating a culture that constantly makes disciples.

There are four key components in the life of Christ.

These are identified by Brandon Guindon in “Disciple-making Culture”

1. Biblical foundation.

Galatians 1:11–12 ESV

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

1. Biblical foundation.

Jesus grounded His disciple-making efforts in scripture.

Paul didn’t invent something new.

He modeled His efforts after Jesus.

We are often looking for the key to church growth.

There are all kinds of ideas for filling pulpits and planting churches.

We make it too hard.

We need to do what Jesus did.

2. Intentional leadership.

Jesus lived it.

He showed the disciples how to make other disciples.

Pastors and church leaders are always trying to find ways to grow their church.

There is so much talk about church growth strategies.

Pastors try everything.

We need to keep it simple.

Do what Jesus did.

Do what Paul did.

Pastors have to be the driver of the vision.

Know where the church is going and why.

Disciple making should be the clothes line.

Pastors have to be the modeler of the vision.

1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV

1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

3. Relational environment.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV

8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

3. Relational environment.

It isn’t just about learning information.

Lives must be shared.

Life on life.

Not simply teaching scripture, but showing them how to live it.

Letting them live life with you!

4. Reproducible process.

The entire book of Acts exists because Jesus had a reproducible process.

The disciples did what Jesus did.

Others did what the disciples did - what Jesus did.

1 Thessalonians 1:6–7 ESV

6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

4. Reproducible process.

Do you have a reproducible process?

Do you know what it is?

3. Train laborers for the harvest field.

2 Timothy 2:1–5 ESV

1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

3. Train laborers for the harvest field.

a. The power for training.

The grace that is in Christ.

b. The process of training.

- Find men who are faithful.

Invest this treasure of ministry into men who are

Responsible

Reliable

Trustworthy

- Teach them well.

The things you have heard from me.

Paul’s words emphasize the ongoing nature of the teaching.

- Prepare them to repeat the process.

c. The price of training.

-Fight like a soldier.

This is going to be hard but stay focused on the task.

We can’t let other things distract us from the mission.

- Compete like an athlete.

This expresses the effort and determination it will take for us to be successful.

There will be failures and setbacks but we keep going.

-Work like a farmer.

Paul’s idea was to labor to the point of exhaustion.

d. The place for training.

The local church.

Paul put the responsibility on himself, then on Timothy, then on those Timothy taught.

One well known (and solid) Bible College/Seminary has a goal putting 500 men on the path to ministry in 5 years.

7/10 Pastors say it is hard to find spiritually mature men who have a desire to become pastors.

I have a couple thoughts on this...

Titus 1:5–9 ESV

5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

d. The place for training.

First: These are simply marks of spiritual maturity.

This maturity comes through disciple-making.

We can’t find them because we are not making them.

It is a fault of the local church.

What are we doing to make mature believers?

We can do more!

Reform SUNDAY SCHOOL!

Second: where will this school find men?

Where was Titus to find these pastors?

He couldn’t put out a plea to Bible colleges.

He could take them from other churches.

Think about how crazy our church culture has become...

We find a good pastor in one town and take him from that flock so we can have him.

These men were spiritually mature people found in the early church plants in Crete.

Humanly speaking we are always one generation away from pastoral/church planting/ missionary extinction.

4. Send laborers to the harvest field.

Acts 11:19–22 ESV

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

4. Send laborers to the harvest field.

a. Local churches must be paying attention to the need.

The church in Jerusalem was aware of what was happening around them.

Persecution pushed the Christian Jews out of Jerusalem.

Several gathered in Antioch.

Antioch was the 3rd largest city in the Roman empire.

It was a wicked city.

The need was great!

We also see Christians doing what Christians do.

Witnessing and leading people to Christ.

There was a group of Christians growing.

The church did not ignore what they heard.

They could have completely ignored the news.

Or they could have heard it and wished someone would do something.

Wish a mission agency would step in and help.

Wish a missionary or pastor would go.

But they did more than that!

b. Local churches must be willing to send.

They must be willing to meet the need they see.

Like Jesus, the Jerusalem church was burdened and took action.

The gospel requires engagement.

We must GO to the people.

Lets look at who the church sent.

Acts 11:24 ESV

24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

b. Local churches must be willing to send.

He was a good man.

Meaning he had a big heart.

He was a giver (Acts 4)

He sold a field and gave the money to the church.

He was a doer.

He was well loved and loved others well.

He was full of the Holy Spirit.

He was a Godly man.

He knew scripture well and taught it well.

He was full of faith.

Sending Barnabas was a huge sacrifice.

He was an encourager.

He was a joyful man.

He was a discipler.

He was a leader.

We must be willing to send our best people.

c. Local churches must be preparing to send.

Where do we get these kind of people to send?

This was not a foreign idea to the church in Jerusalem.

They had to have been making preparations.

This was fairly quick thing.

How can we prepare?

Teach our people.

Create a culture or spiritual reproduction.

Continuously look outside your church to other opportunities for service.

Four local church imperatives to keep missions alive.

Pray

Disciple

Train

Send

Where are you in this process?

The church is only as healthy as each one doing its part!

Questions for the week:

Is someone discipling me and am I discipling someone else? If not, why?

Does First Baptist HC have an Antioch? Am I praying for it?

Do you have a Barnabas? Am I praying for that person and those that are preparing to send them?