The Church and It's Missionaries

Introduction

In this passage we find Paul and Barnabas closing out their first missionary journey and returning the church that had sent them out.

By carefully examining this passage of scripture we can clearly see some detail of the relationship of the church and its missionaries, as well as the responsibilities they had toward one another.

We will look at this passage primarily from the perspective of the church since we are not missionaries being sent out.

The Missionary’s Responsibility to the Church

Their first responsibility is to REACH people with the gospel message- - the call of the Spirit of God to the work

The very definition of a missionary is a believer who has been called of God to fill a specific role in furthering the gospel around the world.

Some are called to plant churches, some are called to train others, some are called to translate scripture, some are called to get the scriptures into the hands of believers, some are called to help in a specific area of missionary ministry.

Whatever the call of God is, the missionary has the responsibility to those who have sent him/her to fulfill the purpose for which they were sent out.

Illustration- Hoppers & Lockards- getting Bibles into foreign lands, Melissa Houston- helping missionaries with their children’s and music ministries, Dennis Terry- holding revivals in the Texas Prison System, John Vincent- getting the Word of God into the public school system, Ryan Nez-planting churches among the Navajo people, Dan Knickerbocker- traveling the country to evangelize the lost and revive churches, Curtis Hall- working in Southeast Asia to train nationals and get the word of God into the hands of believers there, Keister’s planting churches in Italy.

Every missionary we support has the responsibility to fulfill the work which they have been sent to accomplish.

The missionary also has the responsibility to REPORT back on the work that is being done.

We support missionaries to help them to fulfill the call that God has placed on their lives. We also expect to receive a report of the work that is being accomplished

Our desire is to hear from the missionaries we support to keep us informed of the progress they are making. This give us an opportunity to rejoice in their successes and to pray for those who are facing opposition and hardships.

The reports from our missionaries help us to ensure that the investments that we are making are worthy investments.

The reports we receive help us to provide for specific needs we may be made aware of.

The Church’s Responsibility to the Missionary

The first responsibility of the church is to SEND- any legitimate missionary will be sent out of a bible-believing local new testament church.

It involves a thorough examination of the candidate’s call to the mission field to ensure it is God who has called them.

The sending out of a missionary is more than just handing them a check and sending them on their way. The sending involves helping to prepare the missionary for the road ahead with training and instruction.

It involves thoroughly grounding them in right doctrine and ministry philosophy.

Will you help me pray that God would call someone from the membership of HPBC that can be trained and equipped to be sent out into the harvest fields?

The second responsibility of the church is to SUPPORT- the local church has a responsibility to support every missionary that they have a relationship with but especially those who are sent out from among their membership.

The church plays a vital responsibility in making sure that a missionary is provided with everything that they need to be successful in accomplishing the task to which they have been called.

This often involves financial support but also includes supporting the missionary in prayer.

We should pray specifically for the needs of the missionaries we support and for their fruitfulness in the ministry God has called them to accomplish.

If (WHEN) we have the opportunity to send out an individual from HPBC, it is our responsibility to make sure that we do everything in our power to equip them to be successful.

The missionaries that we have relationships with also need out support. We have a responsibility to address their needs and contribute to help them to be successful as they carry out the work that God has called them to do as long as it is within our power to do so.

Illustration- Bro. Esmerki hosting their inaugural service in their new building on Feb. 28th- we had a significant part in making this a reality.

The third responsibility of the church is to STRENGTHEN- the life of a missionary is a very difficult one and they will often need to be encouraged and refreshed.

Paul and Barnabas spent a significant amount of time with the church at Antioch after they returned from their first missionary journey. There is no doubt that during this time they were refreshed and encouraged by the church and strengthened after all the hardship they had experienced.

We ought to rejoice in the successes of our missionaries but also share their sorrows in the midst of the discouragement and defeats that will often be part of any missionary endeavor.

We can strengthen them through our communication with them, a simple text, phone call, or email to let them know that we are praying for them has encouraged and refreshed many a missionary.

We should strive to be a blessing to them when they return from the field to show them that we care and to help them to return refreshed and renewed to the field.