March Missions Madness
Havasu Christian Church
March 6, 2022
Why do we send and Support Missionaries? Answer?????? It’s Biblical!
INTRO: I guess we’re done for the day! It’s Biblical, IS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION!
I guess I should SHOW you that this is true rather than asking you to take my word for it!
(I) Jesus gave His disciples their Job to do.
Matthew 28:16–20 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
a. It was a JOB. (singular)
i. It was not Jobs! (plural)
1. They certainly did other things, but their one true Job was to do what these verses say!
b. Jesus had the authority to give them this job.
i. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
1. He told them to GO!
a. To all the nations.
2. He told them to make disciples.
a. A disciple is a follower
b. A disciple hasn’t made the “big commitment.”
i. Jesus had LOTS of disciples…
1. Some stuck with Him, others did not!
2. Some of them became Apostles!
a. “One Sent!”
3. He told them to Baptize those disciples.
a. Baptizo…. To DUNK!
i. In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
1. We are making a commitment to all three of Them!
ii. Why did Jesus say to do this?
1. It is a reenactment of burial and resurrection!
a. The old me was buried in the water, the new me came up out of the water!
Romans 6:1–11 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
2. Baptism is all about Submission!
a. There’s nothing you have to do but ALLOW someone to baptize you!
4. He told them to continue to teach them!
a. “Observe all that I commanded you.”
i. “Observe” doesn’t mean “stand back and watch what happens!
ii. It means “Do what I say!”
5. Jesus promised to be with them!
a. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus was with them all the way.
(II) Jesus told His disciples how to do it!
Acts 1:8–11 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
a. They were to expect the power of the Holy Spirit to work through them!
i. Did He ever!
b. You will be my witnesses….
i. In Jerusalem
ii. In Judea
iii. In Samaria
iv. And everywhere else!
1. They were to do their best to carry out this mission as far, and as close, as they could!
c. Jesus made sure there was someone around to remind them to get busy!
i. “Don’t just stand there looking! He’s going to come back the same way! You have a job to do! Get busy!”
(III) They did it!
From CHRISTIANITY.com
How Did the Apostles Die?
Reports and legends abound and they are not always reliable, but it is safe to say that the apostles went far and wide as heralds of the message of the risen Christ. An early legend says they cast lots and divided up the world to determine who would go where, so all could hear about Jesus. They suffered greatly for their faith and in most cases met violent deaths on account of their bold witness. Here is how some of the Apostles are believed to have died.
Peter and Paul Both martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified, upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.
Andrew went to the "land of the man-eaters," in what is now the Soviet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.
Thomas was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.
Philip possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.
Matthew the tax collector and writer of a Gospel ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not martyred, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.
Bartholomew had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of how he met his death as a martyr for the gospel.
James the son of Alpheus is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.
Simon the Zealot so the story goes, ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.
Matthias The apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.
John The only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian's persecution in the middle '90s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament--the Revelation. An early Latin tradition has him escaping unhurt after being cast into boiling oil at Rome.
These men devoted their lives to the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
These ordinary men, through the power of God, did the impossible! They spread the Message of Christ to all of the Roman world and beyond! Even Rome itself had enough Christians for Nero to use them as a scape –goat for his burning of Rome.
CONCLUSION: What should I take home with me today as we start our March Missions Madness?
* The job of the Apostles became the Job of the Church!
Acts 8:3–4 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
God used a terrible tragedy to further His Kingdom.
Look for God to do this in our day as well!
* The Apostles suffered in order to carry out their mission!
We may have to suffer to do what God wants us to do as well!
At least, leave our comfort zone a bit!
* We may be called to “Jerusalem,” “Samaria,” “Judea,” or the “uttermost parts of the earth!”
Start in Jerusalem! See where the Lord leads!
* Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to work through you!
He has unlimited resources…
He will give you what you need to do what He wants you to do!
* If you are a Christian, you are God’s witness! ACT LIKE IT!
Dead to sin, alive to God! Live that way!
* In the next three weeks, we’ll continue taking about how we can help do what God wants to do through us!
