March 27, 2022
March Missions Madness
“Can I be a Missionary?”
INTRO: Today we answer a BIG question! CAN I BE A MISSIONARY?
The quick answer is “YES!”
But what if……
I’m old? I don’t get around so well?
I have a job? I have responsibilities?
I have any other excuse/reason there is.
You CAN be a Missionary at any age… The real question is “what kind of Missionary has God called me to be?”
(I) You can be a Missionary that goes far away!
a. This type of Missionary is the least common.
i. This type of Missionary is one who goes away from their home to reach out to someone else.
1. Philip is an example of this type of Missionary.
Acts 8:5–8 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city.
Acts 8:25–40 So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.
“IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;
WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?
FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.”
The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
b. Philip was not an Apostle (one of the 12)
i. He is actually one of the first 7 Deacons (servants) of the church in Jerusalem.
1. He has learned directly from the Apostles.
c. He was an Apostle in the sense that he was “one sent” which is what that word means.
i. No record that God spoke to him to tell him to go to Samaria.
ii. No record that someone else told him “You should go to Samaria.”
1. Perhaps, God put concern for Samaria on his heart.
2. Maybe that’s just where he found himself, and being a Christian, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut about Jesus?
iii. After a “major revival” breaks out, God DOES speak to him through an Angel.
1. “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
a. God sends him from a revival, to the middle of nowhere!
b. Philip must have had some doubts… Why am I going there?
i. God had a “Divine Appointment” all set up for Philip.
1. The Ethiopian comes to Jesus!
2. Philip is “snatched away” and finds himself in Azotus.
a. He keeps on preaching and makes his way to Caesarea.
d. My dad used to refer to people like this as GO - Missionaries.
a. You can be a “GO – MISSIONARY” if God wants you to do that!
i. You can become an “Overseas Missionary.”
1. You can be young, but you don’t have to be.
a. If God puts it on your heart to go….
i. Don’t ignore your Master!
ii. Short term Mission Trips.
1. People with Medical specialties are what I usually think of, but they can use many different abilities. FAME
a. IDES uses volunteers to build prefab sheds, they pack emergency food, they send people to disaster areas to help with clean up.
b. Operation Christmas child has sites where you can volunteer to go through shoeboxes and help get them ready to ship.
iii. Create your own Mission.
1. Neil & Pam Garnaas
a. Went on cruises, visited missions, helped them then, continue to help!
(II) You can be a Missionary by supporting those who go far away.
a. Two weeks ago, we read about how Barnabas and Saul were “Set aside for the work” that God had called them to… being Missionaries
i. The Church at Antioch fasted and prayed for them, then “sent them away.” (supplied them with what they needed”
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.
b. We also talked about how they came back and reported to the Church about what they had been doing.
c. The Church in Antioch sent them out!
i. As my dad used to say, they were “CO – MISSIONARIES!”
ii. They gave and prayed, to help the “GO – MISSIONARIES” to be successful!
iii. The “GO MISSIONARIES” came back to them and let them know the about the good that had been done!
Acts 14:26–28 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. And they spent a long time with the disciples.
iv. The Church in Antioch sent them, and received them back!
1. It was a joy for the Missionaries to be home.
2. It was a joy to the Church to welcome them back.
a. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Missionary that you sent elsewhere, but when they came back, they were part of your staff?
i. Great for the Church, great for them.
v. As a Church, we are “CO–MISSIONARIES” with 12 different people/organizations.
1. In reality, we are “CO-MISSIONARIES” with many more than that.
a. Various individuals support a multitude of Missionaries.
i. My Mom personally helps support 8 different Missions.
(III) You can be a Missionary in your own backyard!
a. You can be a Missionary to your job.
b. You can be a Missionary to your neighborhood.
c. You can be a Missionary to the people in the stores you buy from.
d. You can be a Missionary to your friends.
e. You can be a Missionary to your family.
Conclusion: Guess what? If you’re a Christian, YOU ARE A MISSIONARY!!!
Your Mission field will not be the same as mine, the way you do it will not be the same as someone else.
* Maybe God will call you to be a GO-MISSIONARY!
* God HAS already called you to be a CO-MISSIONARY!!
* You have your own Mission Field… Work in it!
