The qualifications of a missionary
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Talk about Colombia
-Natural beauty, mountains, forests, Amazon jungle
-Animals, crocodiles, snakes, leopards, etc.
-The people who need the Lord and how our family went to their to tell them about Jesus
-Our church and ministries, kids ministries, Bus ministry, VBS, camps, neighborhood Bible clubs, etc.
What I want to talk to you guys today about is a problem that we are having right now, that is that we are having fewer and fewer missionaries go to the mission field.
In Colombia, we have been working alone for almost ten years, there is a new missionary coming to help soon, but so many places don’t have any missionaries.
But, I remember when I was a boy, I thought that I could never be a missionary.
I had plans for my life, things I wanted to be and do.
-I wanted to be a professional hockey player (Red Wings)
-I wanted to join the military
-I wanted to be an engineer
But yet, God had other plans for my life.
He wanted me to be a missionary, and I am so glad that He did.
And so tonight, for our message, I want to tell you about the qualifications of a missionary.
What is it that God is looking for in a person that He wants to use to be a missionary?
What are the requirements?
1. Someone small
1. Someone small
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
Example: How when I was a young man, I was not someone that thought he could ever be a missionary.
I never wanted to go visit other countries…I would cry when I went to camp because I was home sick.
I never thought I could learn a new language.
Example: What I said to myself after it was suggested that I learn Spanish
Example: I was even afraid when I saw missionary presentations of ever having to go to some of those places.
And when God called me to go to the mission field, I told Him that He had the wrong guy.
I was like Moses.
But God told me that I was right, I could never do it, but He could do it.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
What is so interesting, is that people that think they could never do something like be a missionary, are exactly the type of people that God is looking for.
God is looking to use the weak people to do great things for Him.
Example: Gideon hiding and God calling Him to save Israel from their enemies.
Why?
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Its because God wants us to be humble
To realize we can do nothing, and that every time God uses us to do something amazing, it is all His credit.
Story: The chief of the village who got saved.
That was all God who helped use someone weak like myself.
Example: The apostle Paul, how he had physical problems and thought he could not do it. But God used him because of this.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
So young person, if you are someone like I was who thinks, I could never be a missionary, you are someone that God is looking for.
2. Someone willing
2. Someone willing
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
The second thing that God is looking for in a person that He could use as a missionary, is a willing heart.
The prophet Isaiah was not a special person, but he was a willing person.
He was simply willing to let God use His life however He saw fit.
He saw a need, and he said Here am I Lord.
We see this all throughout the Bible.
Example: Samuel and how he said, here am I.
That is what God is looking for.
Not everyone is a willing person.
Not everyone is willing to drop their plans for their lives and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
Example: Jesus called simple fisherman to be his disciples, but they were willing to leave their nets and follow him.
That is what God is looking for today.
Young people who are willing to say “Here am I Lord, do what you would with my life”.
Example: How God tested my willingness in a missions conference.
9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
Are you willing young person to do whatever it is that God wants you to do?
3. Someone with a good testimony
3. Someone with a good testimony
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Example: The young man Timothy that God used in extraordinary ways.
He got to travel with Paul, He was tremendously used of God even as a young man.
And one of the reasons that God was able to use him so much is because Timothy had a godly testimony.
He was an example of what a Christian should be like … even to the people that were older than himself.
Sometimes young people, don’t take their christian life very seriously.
They think that being an example to other is something for adult Christians to worry about.
But that is simply not the case.
Example: How when I was a young man, I looked up to Matt, and then he lost his testimony and that was a hurt to me. We need to be careful.
We can be examples to others in the words we say
In how we live our lives
In our charity, or our love for others.
In having a good spirit
In having faith in God
In living purely
In telling others about Jesus Christ
Example: How I learned to soul win when I was a teenager. How I learned to pray for others when I was a teenager, so many important things in my spiritual life that I use today, I learned as a teenager.
And its these types of Christians that God is going to be able to use to help others, even on the mission field.
4. Someone that loves Him
4. Someone that loves Him
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
God is looking for people to use that are simply people that love Him above all else.
The apostle Paul did not care about all the riches of this world
He counted all that this world has to offer as simply dung.
What Paul was interested in was that he could know and walk closely with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
He just wanted to serve the Lord
He wanted to make a difference for Christ.
Because He loved Him.
And that is what God is looking for in people that He uses today.
He simply wants someone that will love Him with all his might and heart and soul and strength.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Would you be that person?
Are you willing to forsake all that this world has to offer in order to just simply love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ?
Conclusion
Conclusion
We need more missionaries in our world today
And each of these four things that I just mentioned are things that all of us can do and be.
We just need to allow God to use us as He sees fit.