Why Missions?

Introduction:

First of all, on behalf of AGMM, I just want to thank you for coming out here. I know there are tons of other things you can be doing on a Saturday morning, but your presence here is an encouragement to us who are involved in AGMM.

I had the opportunity to travel to AGMM many years ago and was encouraged by the work. It was literally to the ends of the earth as I got to travel to the Island and also to a mountain of indigenous peoples.

What I would like to share with you this morning is that that everyone Christian should be involved in missions.

We often think that mission work is for the radical zealous Christians.

Or we think that the mission work is for the work of the pastors.

Or we think that mission work is the work of a faithful few on the mission committee.

But what I want to argue this morning is that everyone is called to do the work of missions, whether we are called to go to another land to another language to preach the gospel and plant churches or whether we are called to stay where we are at to support missionaries in our local church.

I want to give you five reasons why everyone Christian should be involved in missions. If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, that means everyone in this room should support mission work by supporting missions, sending missionaries, or going as a missionary.

I. Obedience

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

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.”

People have said that this is not called the Great Suggestion or Great Idea, but the Great Commission.

Therefore, the only two options for the Christian are: obedience or disobedience.

We preach the gospel locally and make disciples locally, but Jesus wants us to extend the gospel beyond our homes. And how do we do that?

One way is by sending and supporting missionaries.

II. Hell

Secondly, if we believe in the Bible, then we must believe that the Bible teaches about Hell. If we truly grasped the reality and horrors of hell, there would be a sense of urgency to preach the gospel.

The main goal of missions is then to preach the gospel to unreached people groups so that they would repent and be saved from God’s wrath.

Missions is not about relieving the poor, or trying to fix a government system, or setting up schools for better education, missions is about preaching the gospel.

“Christians care about all suffering, especially eternal suffering. Else they have a defective heart or a flameless hell”

God has created us to worship Him. But we have rebelled and deserve his judgment. And the only way to escape God’s judgment is by believing in the One whom He has sent: Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, who suffered the wrath of God in our place, and was raised on the third day and ascended into heaven and is coming back again to judge the living and the dead.

There is only one way to be saved and that is through Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

This is the goal of missions, to preach the gospel so that all people would repent and believe in Christ so that God would be glorified. This book you receive says this:

“The church’s mission is to display the glory of God by declaring the gospel to all peoples, by gathering churches in every place, and by filling them with disciples who obey God and will praise him forever for his grace”

Time is short. And if we believe in the reality of Hell, then we will seek to do everything in our power to redeem our time and utilize our resources for the preaching of the gospel.

III. Love

2 Corinthians 5:14–16 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

If we truly love God, and love our neighbor, what better way to love them then by preaching the gospel to them so that they would be saved from an eternity of wrath, and instead saved into an eternity and fellowship with the Trinune God.

Preaching the gospel is an expression of love to our neighbor. We care for people physically, but we also care for their souls.

Love will motivate a man to make great sacrifices. Just read the great missionary biographies where these men wept over perishing souls. You might not be familiar with the name, but one of the protestant Reformers was a man named John Knox. He is famously known for his prayer:

“Give me Scotland or I die”

He wanted to see all of Scotland converted through the preaching of the gospel. Do we have that same passion?

“Give me Los Angeles or I die?”

“Give me the Philippines or I die?”

IV. Privilege

“The church’s mission is to display the glory of God by declaring the gospel to all peoples, by gathering churches in every place, and by filling them with disciples who obey God and will praise him forever for his grace”

We have the greatest news of the world don’t we? If we had news of how men could be freed from the tyranny of sin, how they could escape death, and God’s wrath, why would we keep that to ourselves?

If you lived in WWII, and the war was finally over, wouldn’t it be a privilege for you to share the good news to those who were enslaved in the enemies camp? Wouldn’t it be a privilege for you to declare news of victory and great joy through our Lord Jesus Christ?

2 Corinthians 5:18–21 ESV

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

V. Glory

2 Corinthians 5:19–21 ESV

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:

The last reason why everyone Christian should be involved in missions is because we want to see God glorified.

Habakkuk 2:14 ESV

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

We want all gathered so that all may praise the One who has given us life and redeemed our souls from Hell.

Revelation 5:9 ESV

And they sang a new song, saying, “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,

Summary: Everyone Christian should be involved in missions because

We are commanded to obey

We believe in the reality of Hell

We love God and our neighbors

We have the greatest privilege in the world by being ambassadors of the gospel

We want God to be glorified for his great salvation.

Conclusion

So I just want to say thank you again for coming. And I believe AGMM is a worthy cause as the gospel is continuing to be spread by these faithful pastors who labor so diligently for literally nothing.

Pray for this Ministry.

Give to this Ministry (after you have supported your local church)

Go on a short term mission trip

Maybe God is calling you to continue to the work there. Talk to Pastor Glen or myself to see how you can get involved.