A Missionary God and His Missionary Church

Lead Vocalist (Kelly)

Welcome & Announcements (Bubba)

Good morning family!

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Announcements:

1) Discover Class

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Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (Daniel 7:13-14)

Prayer of Praise (Shelly Robertson)

Revelation Song

The Love of God

Prayer of Confession (Ryan Bounds), Partiality

Assurance of Pardon (Galatians 3:27-29)

Holy Forever

Is He Worthy?

Scripture Reading (Romans 15:18-33)—page ____ in the black Bibles

Pastoral Prayer (Bubba)

Prayer for PBC—Help us to love the gospel

Prayer for kingdom partner—Ciudad de Gracia (Carlos Llambes)

Prayer for US

Prayer for the world—Bhutan

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

START TIMER!!!

Imagine you’re on vacation in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s hot, so you stop at a small restaurant to order a refreshing drink. You know pomegranates are common there, so you decide to order a pomegranate juice.

You don’t speak Portuguese, but thank God for Google Translate. You carefully write down on a piece of paper what you think are the right words, and then hand it to your server.

He looks at it, and his face turns white. He forces a smile, walks away… and doesn’t come back.

A few minutes later, five armed police officers rush in, guns drawn. They order you to the ground, handcuff you, and take you to the police station.

Your crime? You thought you asked for a pomegranate drink, but you actually told the server you had a grenade.

Believe it or not, that’s a true story. [1]

And it’s a reminder that using words wrongly—even when you mean well—can have serious consequences.

That doesn’t just happen across languages.

It happens when we use the same words… but mean different things.

And I believe it often happens in the church when we talk about missions.

When I was 12, I heard a sermon about missions and I assumed there was only one way to be involved in the missionary task, so I surrendered my life to be a missionary in Australia. I still haven’t made it to Australia, but I believe the Lord has used me and is using me to be faithfully involved in missions.

When I was 25, I led my very first mission trip—a team of 20 teenagers and adults to lead Bible clubs among poor barrios in the Dominican Republic. One day we were sightseeing and came across a group of children begging for food. I was prepared to give them some of the money from our trip fund because I assumed that doing good works in another country was the same thing as doing missions. But my friend Carlos stopped me and said, “Give through the local church.” So that the people would look to Christ’s church—not wealthy Americans—for help.

Confusing “pomegranate” and “grenade” can get you arrested.

But confusing what missions is can distort the church’s work for generations.

So we are devoting the next several weeks to carefully studying what we mean by missions.

Our elders and our mission team have spent the last five months rethinking how we approach missions at PBC, and we agreed it would be helpful for us to devote several weeks to this topic.

Over the next four weeks we’re going to answer three basic questions:

Today we’re going to answer the first two: What is Missions? and Why Do Missions?

Those two questions will form our outline for today’s sermon.

Then we’ll spend the next three weeks talking about How We Do Missions.

Here’s the Big Idea I hope to communicate with God’s help this morning: We should be engaged in the missionary task because God is a missionary God.

In the first half of this sermon, we’ll work to very carefully and very clearly explain what we mean by “the missionary task.”

Even if you don’t agree entirely with my definitions, hopefully you’ll at least understand them.

You won’t think I’m saying grenade when I really mean pomegranate.

Then in the second half of the sermon, we’ll consider why we should be involved in the missionary task.

Let’s begin by considering...

1) The MEANING of Missions

Believe it or not, there is a lot of debate among Christians about missions.

Some argue every Christian is a missionary. Others say you have to at least live overseas. Or you have to be a church planter. Or you have to be working among unreached people groups.

One of the reasons there’s such confusion is because the Bible doesn’t give us a definition for the word “missionary.”

In fact, you won’t even find the word “missionary” in most English translations of the Bible.

The word “missionary” comes from a Latin word which means “sent ones.”

And over the past few hundred years, it’s been used to describe the work of those who are sent out to do gospel ministry.

Even though the word “missionary” isn’t in the New Testament, the idea is certainly there.

Perhaps the clearest example of what it looks like to be involved in what we call “missions” comes from the Apostle Paul.

In Romans 15, Paul describes his third missionary journey.

From his description will emerge three definitions that will help frame our entire month studying missions together.

First, what is missions?

A) MISSIONS is crossing cultural distance to make disciples in and through local churches throughout the world.

Notice this definition has four parts...

First, missions makes disciples.

The clearest passage that talks about making disciples is a passage that has been called “the Great Commission.”

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples this...

Matthew 28:18–20—… “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Making disciples begins with baptism, that moment when a new believer publicly identifies with Jesus and His people.

Which means, before you do that you’re going to tell people the gospel—the good news of what God has done to save sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

And when some people respond by turning from their sins and trusting in Jesus, you baptize them and gather them into local churches where they learn to obey everything Jesus has commanded them.

It’s clear in our text that the Apostle Paul’s ministry is that kind of ministry...

Romans 15:18–19—For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ

What is Paul doing? He’s “bringing the Gentiles to obedience.”

He’s telling them the Good News and urging them to respond in obedience, by turning from their sins and trusting in Jesus.

When they do respond, they’re getting baptized and then gathering in local churches where they are taught to obey.

This is disciple-making ministry, which is why Paul calls it “the ministry of the gospel of Christ.”

The second part of this definition is that missions requires the local church.

You cannot faithfully make disciples without the local church.

So as missionaries proclaim the gospel and see sinners converted, they gather them in churches where they can grow.

The local church is God’s greenhouse where believers grow. A palm tree has a better chance surviving in Antarctica than a Christian does without a church family.

Sometimes missionaries must start churches in order for believers to have a place to gather.

Other times missionaries will strengthen existing churches—but a faithful missionary will work in and alongside the local church!

The third part of this definition is that missions crosses cultural distance.

By “cultural distance,” I mean the gap created by differences in language, culture, or geography—the things that make people think differently, live differently, and communicate differently than we do.

With God’s help, we are faithfully making disciples here at PBC. But we share a language, and a culture, and we live in the same basic area. So even though what we’re doing is essential—it isn’t missions, because it does not cross cultural distance.

Look at Paul’s explanation again...

Romans 15:19b—… from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ

As Paul traveled on his missionary journeys, he crossed cultural distance.

He went to Gentiles with radically different worldviews and he made disciples.

The fourth part of this definition is that missions goes throughout the world.

Another way to say this is that we want to prioritize those people and places in the world with the least access to the gospel.

That seems to be Paul’s emphasis in...

Romans 15:20–21—and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

This doesn’t mean that every missionary has to go to an unreached people group.

In ten years at PBC we’ve sent out four mission teams—three to Mexico and one to Turkey. Mexico has much more access to the gospel than Turkey does, but both places need missionaries.

But I do believe our priority in missions should be getting the gospel to the darkest places.

Here’s a practical implication of this first definition: Not everything that calls itself “missions” is actually missions.

If it’s not disciple-making it isn’t missions.

Digging wells, administering vaccines, clearing rubble, and serving orphanages are all wonderful things.

These are important mercy ministries that are worth supporting. But they’re not the same thing as missions.

That’s why my friend Carlos taught me to give through the local church, so people aren’t looking to me but to the local church.

If it’s not starting or strengthening local churches, it isn’t missions.

Our goal is not to get people to make decisions for Christ, but to make disciples of Christ. And discipleship requires the local church.

If it’s not crossing cultural distance it isn’t missions.

Evangelizing your friends and neighbors is wonderful and essential. But it’s not the same thing as missions.

Making disciples of your children or the people in your discipleship group is beautiful and good. But it’s not the same thing as missions.

And as we send missionaries, we should send them wherever there is need, but especially where there is the least access to the gospel.

Starting a church in Hawaii would be a good and glorious thing.

But even better would be to support a work to start a church in a Belgium city where there isn’t a church.

Perhaps you’re hearing all this and feeling guilty.

“I’m not crossing cultural distance to make disciples in and through local churches throughout the world. Is that something I should do?”

Maybe. But not necessarily.

Let’s answer our second question...

What is a missionary?

B) A MISSIONARY is a qualified Christian set apart by the Spirit and sent by the church to do missions.

If missions is crossing cultural distance to make disciples in and through local churches throughout the world., than a missionary is a qualified Christian set apart by the Spirit and sent by the church to do that work.

This means that, if you want to be really technical there is a sense in which our five identities as a church are off just a bit here.

Do you remember our Five Identities? We say them every time we recite our church covenant: we are worshippers… disciples… family… servants… and missionaries.

There is a sense in which all of us are missionaries. All of us have been sent by Jesus to obey the Great Commission. All of us should pursue opportunities to proclaim the gospel and make disciples.

And yet, there’s another sense in which all of us aren’t missionaries, because not all of us are going to cross cultural distance to the least reached people to do that.

And not all of us are set apart by the Holy Spirit and sent out by the church.

As yet, if you look at Paul’s calling to the work of missions, he experienced both...

Acts 13:2–3—While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

The Holy Spirit didn’t call everyone to go. But He did call some.

And I believe the Holy Spirit does the same thing today.

Not everyone in this church is called to cross cultural distance to make disciples. But perhaps some of you should.

Notice that a missionary experiences both an internal and an external call.

Internally, he or she feels the Holy Spirit is calling them to the work of missions. There’s a longing and a desire to do this work. But that’s not enough.

There’s also an external call. The local church—like the Antioch church in Acts 13—hears that person’s desire to go and they agree. “Yes, you should do this!”

Which means, even if you’re never set apart by God and sent by the church to be a missionary, you have a job to do in the missionary task.

What is the missionary task?

C) The MISSIONARY TASK is the shared responsibility of the local church to support missions by praying, sending, and going.

William Carey—the father of modern missions—famously said that he would “go down into the mines” of India if the churches in England would “hold the rope.”

Even if you never become a missionary, if you’re a Christian you have a responsibility to hold the rope and support our missionaries.

And we can support our missionaries in three main ways...

First, the local church is involved by praying.

Romans 15:30—I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf

Ask any good missionary what they need an almost without fail the first thing they’ll tell you is prayer.

And yet, I wonder if we don’t take them seriously when they ask for prayer. How often do we actually pray for them?

How often do you pray for them, Christian? Do you know the missionaries supported by this church? Do you know what they’re doing? Do you know their needs? Do you know how to pray? Are you striving in your prayers to God on their behalf?

Second, the local church is involved by sending.

Romans 15:22–24—This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.

The Apostle Paul is planning to visit Rome, and while he expects the believers in Rome will “help him on his journey” to continue to take the gospel to the least reached.

Missions costs money. Traveling, visas, lodging, living expenses, ministry expenses, and more. And many missionaries live in places that are more expensive than here, making their needs even greater.

One of the crucial ways we hold the rope for our missionaries is by giving to support them financially.

At PBC, we have historically done this through our missions budget. Nearly 16% of every penny you give is allocated towards missions and ministries focused on making disciples.

But we believe PBC can do even more to support the work of our missionaries around the world. To that end, we’ll be introducing a new missions offering this month that we trust will enable us to do even more to support the spread of the gospel around the world.

I’ll say more about this offering in the coming weeks, but for now please know that the bulk of our missions support will continue to come from our budget, so please don’t cut your normal giving to support this missions offering. Instead, we’re asking you to prayerfully consider how God might be leading you to sacrifice and go above and beyond to support this work to send missionaries.

Regardless of how the Lord leads you to give, all of us have a shared responsibility to help send out missionaries.

Third, the local church is involved by going.

This one isn’t explicitly stated in our text, but I think it’s implied.

Look again at...

Romans 15:24—I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.

Notice there are two needs Paul highlights in this verse. He needs financial support, which we’ve already talked about. But he also needs relationships. He needs to spend time with these believers.

It is a tremendous blessing to our missionaries when some of us go to encourage them and support them on the field.

We see this clearly in...

Philippians 2:25—I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need.

When the Philippians learned Paul had been imprisoned during one of his missionary journeys, they sent a man named Epaphroditus to encourage Paul.

And just like sending missionaries costs money, sending individuals and teams to support our missionaries costs money too.

And that’s one of the main reasons we want to launch this missions offering, because we want to do a better job sending teams to support and encourage our missionaries.

So even if you are unable to go, you can help us go by helping us send messengers and ministers to our missionaries in their time of need.

Even if you never are actively and personally involved in the work of missions, even if you never become a missionary, you can be engaged in the missionary task...

...by faithfully praying for those who go...

...by faithfully sending missionaries through your sacrificial giving...

...and by faithfully going to encourage them. Or supporting those who do.

That’s the meaning of missions. Now let’s briefly consider...

2) The MOTIVE for Missions

Why care about missions?

If you spend 41 years in Baptist churches like I have, you’ll hear all sorts of motivations for missions.

Some will motivate you through admiration. They’ll tell stories of bold missionaries who risked everything, and you’ll start to imagine being one of them.

Some will motivate you through your sense of adventure. I think that’s what motivated me to want to be a missionary when I was 12. I really wanted to go to Australia and being a missionary seemed like the best way to do that.

Some will motivate you through pity. They’ll ask you to imagine how many people are dying every second without ever hearing the name of Jesus. And they’ll urge you to go.

Some will motivate you out of a sense of guilt. They’ll ask you to list how many churches you drive past on your way to your church on Sunday, then talk about a place where there’s no gospel church for hundreds of miles.

Some will motivate you out of compassion. They’ll discredit some of the stereotypes you have about people in different parts of the world. They’ll remind you that they’re made in the image of God, and they’ll urge you to go.

Some will motivate you through emotion. A powerful video, a moving testimony, a stirring song—and for a week or two you’re ready to sell everything and go.

Some will motivate you through dissatisfaction. Missions becomes a way to leave your ordinary life instead of obeying God in it.

Some of these motivations are better than others. But none of them are good enough.

Like a car running on empty, none of these motivations will last.

The only lasting motive for missions is God.

We should be engaged in the missionary task because God is a missionary God.

If you look at Paul’s example in our text, it’s clear that what motivates Paul in missions is God.

Romans 15:18a—For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me…

Paul is not bragging about how many churches he started or people he baptized.

Anything good he’s done is what Christ has accomplished through him.

Paul’s goal is not to bring glory to himself, but bring glory to Jesus!

As a church, our goal is not to do more than some other church. Whether you pray, send, go, or some combination of the three, our goal should be to bring Christ glory!

Look at what Christ is doing through Paul in the second half of...

Romans 15:18b—… to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed

Paul is not just trying to get decisions, he wants worshipers.

He wants disciples who obey Jesus in word and deed.

There is a tendency among some in the missions world to highlight what’s new—new churches, new converts—but it’s much harder to quantify the obedience of disciples. And yet, we should be just as excited to hear that God’s people are growing through the faithfulness of our missionaries.

Because Jesus isn’t merely interested in more people on His team. He wants lives to be changed by the Holy Spirit!

Look at...

Romans 15:20—… I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation

Paul is deeply concerned that there are lost people going to hell. But do you know what bothers him more? That there are people who do not love and worship King Jesus!

If you are motivated primarily by the needs of man, you will get frustrated with those people and you’ll eventually burn out. But if you are motivated primarily by the glory of God, your motivation cannot run out because God’s glory is immeasurable and eternal!

Look at...

Romans 15:21—but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

Here Paul quotes Isaiah 52:15, which prophesied about Jesus, the Suffering Servant.

But catch the significance of what Paul is saying here: missions is not something Paul invented. It’s not a human strategy. It’s the plan of God unfolding right before our eyes.

From the beginning, God has been a missionary God.

He went after Adam and Eve when they ran from Him.

He went after a pagan idol worshipper named Abram and told him that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his seed.

And when the people of Israel failed to be a blessing to the nations, God sent His Son on mission to live a sinless life and die a sinner’s death in our place.

Then on the third day He rose from the dead and sent us to go into all the world with the Good News that Jesus rescues sinners who will repent and believe!

So why should we care about missions?

Not because it sounds heroic.

Not because it feels adventurous.

Not because it eases our guilt.

Not because it stirs our emotions.

Not even primarily because we love the lost. Although we should.

We should care about missions because we care about God.

Because there are places on this earth where His name is not known.

Because there are peoples who have never heard that Jesus saves sinners.

Because there are people who should be worshipping Jesus that don’t even know He exists!

John Piper is right when he writes: “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” [2]

One day, missions will be over.

No more praying for gospel access.

No more sending missionaries.

No more going to support our missionaries.

But worship will go on forever. And that future is what we’re working toward now.

Because we are looking forward to that day we sung about earlier this morning.

When all the saints will gather around heaven’s throne and sing to Jesus...

Revelation 5:9–10—… “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

The question is not whether we are part of God’s missionary plan. The question is how.

Some of you may one day be called to be missionaries. Most of you will not.

But all of us are called to hold the rope.

To pray for our missionaries.

To send them by our faithful and sacrificial giving.

To go to support and encourage them when we can.

And if we get this wrong, we risk something far worse than translating the wrong word on vacation.

We risk aiming the church at the wrong mission.

“If missions disappeared from PBC tomorrow—our prayers, our giving, our going—would anyone outside this building notice?”

Let’s pray that God would make us a missionary church.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

Benediction (Hebrews 13:20-21)