March Missions Madness
Havasu Christian Church
March 13, 2022
How should we support Missionaries? How do we?
INTRO: As a movement of Churches, the Independent Christian Churches & Churches of Christ have supported Missions and Missionaries of various kinds. We have done so in as close a way to the pattern in the New Testament as we can come. But it wasn’t always this way.
In the 1920s, the Disciples of Christ started several “Missions Societies.” These organizations received donations from Churches, particularly ladies’ groups, and pooled these resources to support Missionaries. The trouble was that they were run by liberals, who supported liberal “missionaries.” Conservatives had no control over which Missionaries their money supported. The more independent Churches tried to fight this, without success. This finally came to a head in 1927 at the Disciples of Christ convention. Those who had concerns about the way things were headed were ignored so many of the representatives of the conservative churches left, right during the middle of the Disciples of Christ convention and went across the street to an empty building and began the North American Christian Convention. These Churches left the Disciples of Christ group, and they were joined by many others. They quit giving to the liberal “Mission Societies and Bible colleges and began directly supporting and funding conservative Bible colleges, and Missionaries. This continues to this day.
Although there are still some conservative churches within the ranks of the Disciples of Christ, the group, which has since officially become a Denomination, as a whole has become increasing liberal over time.
While there are some larger churches who can and do support missionaries all by themselves, most missionaries reach out to many churches for help in funding their Ministries. Bible Colleges cannot function if they do not receive support from donors. Central Christian College of the Bible has a policy of not taking endowment money, so that if they ever drift from the truth, their supporters can quit giving, and they will cease to exist.
So the history lesson is over…. Now what?
We’re going to look at a couple of passages in the New Testament that shine some light on how missionaries were sent and supported in the First Century… Maybe we can learn something from them.
Acts 13:1–3 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to 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, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
(I) The Church at Antioch sent out a team of Missionaries; Barnabas and Saul.
a. They did this with God’s leading.
i. These men were “Ministering to the Lord and Fasting.
1. They are looking for God to do something with them! They are ready!
ii. The Holy Spirit gives them specific instructions.
1. “Set them apart”
a. Understand that I have a very specific job for these men to do.
i. “I have called them!”
1. God chose for these men to be sent.
2. The Church did what God said to do!
a. They fasted and prayed again.
b. They laid their hands on them.
i. This signified that they were giving their blessing to what was being done.
c. They “sent them away.”
i. This sounds very odd to our ears.
1. This actually means that they gave them what they would need for their journey.
a. Clothes, provisions, money, whatever they felt they would need to do the job.
b. Whatever they spent, it was the best investment a Church ever made. Barnabas & Saul (Paul) started many Churches.
d. Barnabas and Paul (somewhere in the trip he changed his name) report back to the Church that sent them.
Acts 14:26-27 From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
(II) The Church at Philippi and other churches supported this mission work.
Philippians 4:10–19 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
a. You could say that this is the first recorded “thank you note” from a Missionary to a church.
i. Paul thanks them for “reviving their concern” for him.
1. They actually were concerned, but had no opportunity to do something physically about it.
a. Perhaps they didn’t know exactly where Paul was?
i. No Cell Phones, no internet. They couldn’t look them up on facebook.
2. When they had the opportunity, they repeatedly sent gifts to help Paul do the work God had given him to do.
a. In fact, they were the first church to share with him while he was “on the road.”
ii. Their gift pleased God!
1. A fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
a. This has the imagery of the sacrifices in the temple, given to God.
iii. Their gifts benefited the missionary and the work.
iv. Their gifts benefitted them too!
1. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
a. When you love someone, you want them to do things that are good for them!
i. If it’s good for you too, that’s a bonus.
My parents taught my sister and me to be generous, not just to take. At Christmas time, we bought gifts for everyone in the family, including Mom & Dad.
2. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
a. If God wants you to do something, He will give you the ability to do it….
i. This includes giving to the work of His Kingdom!
Conclusion: What can I take home with me today that I need to know about the relationship between Missionaries, and the people who send them?
* We as a Church, should be praying for and expecting God’s leading.
Example: A parent waiting for a child to clean up their room…. Or take out the garbage… or pick up their socks off the living room floor….
We should be actively seeking God’s will, not waiting for Him to get aggravated!
* Missionaries NEED to be sent.
To be sent, they first have to understand that there is a NEED for them to go!
God has a part in making that happen.
God calls them… many different ways
The Church has a part in making that happen!
Part of a Churches job is to raise up Kingdom leaders!
We then need to work to help them be the best that they can be.
MARK: Went to Bible College, not to be a preacher, but to be an asset in his local Church. His goal was one day to be very useful Elder. He is still in his home church and I suspect he reached his goal.
Unless they are independently wealthy, a Missionary needs to be supported in what they do!
There is a financial need.
There is a need for prayer.
There is a need for concern.
Example: Charlene, Missionary kid in Africa… Lady sent new clothes to them when they were coming home so they came home in something nice.
* Like Barnabas, Paul and the Church at Antioch, the Church and the Missionary need to have a connection to one another.
This is why we receive news from our Missionaries. This is why we stay in contact with them as well.
We do this better with some missionaries than we do others. Regular contact with Stephen & Alisa, not so much with some of our others.
Perhaps, we need some people to be “pen pals” with our other Missionaries. Talk to me after Church.
* Supporting Missionaries comes with a promise.
you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
There is a blessing to the Missionary.
Being “amply supplied” is a good thing.
When Paul was making tents, not much happened in Ministry, but when he was “amply supplied” things took off!
There is a blessing to the Church!
When we set our minds to support God’s Missionaries, He sees to it that we have what we need as well!
A wrong attitude can be very harmful.
“We spend all this money on Missions, it’s about time we spend some money on ourselves.”
Song by Ray Boltz: Thank you for giving to the Lord
Then another man stood before you
And said remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry
You didn't have much money
But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today
One by one they came
Far as the eyes could see
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices made
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven now proclaimed
CHORUS
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave
