The Subsequent Technology of Missionaries

Audio Transcript

We like to focus our consideration right here on the podcast on worldwide missions. I do know it is a excessive precedence for you, Pastor John, which is evidenced in the place you communicate and make investments your life. Everybody right here at Needing God has excessive respect for frontier missionaries laboring within the remotest elements of the world. So, how do international missions and the native church work collectively? That’s the query at present. “Howdy, Pastor John. My identify is Jack, a seventeen-year-old highschool pupil within the U.S. with a ardour for world missions. My query is that this: Given the latest lower in long-term profession missionaries, and up to date will increase in church help for short-term missions, who ought to the native church be partnering with at present to advertise biblical missions? In different phrases, what do you assume is the perfect blueprint for biblical world missions in a neighborhood church at present?”

I actually need to communicate to this query as a result of I believe God is doing one thing very uncommon in our day with respect to frontier missions. And by frontier missions, I imply missionary efforts that try and get to locations in peoples or language teams that don’t have any peculiar entry to the gospel and don’t have any Christian church buildings that would construct up such a motion of gospel spreading. In all places they appear — in every single place the folks in these teams look — they see unbelievers like themselves. And most probably, they’ll be born, they’ll stay, they’ll die with out ever figuring out a Christian or listening to what God has completed in Jesus to avoid wasting sinners from destruction.

“God is doing one thing very uncommon in our day with respect to frontier missions.”

It appears to me that God is awakening his folks at present in a contemporary option to this unfinished mission Jesus gave us. It appears to me that, alongside historic mission companies which have been doing nice work for a very long time — many years — God is elevating up new conferences, new mission organizations, new on-line ministries, church buildings with the sort of biblical theology and ecclesiology and cultural methods which might be freshly empowering for advancing Christ’s international mission nowadays.

After I say biblical theology, I take note of Reformed theology that places a excessive premium on the sovereign grace of God in saving sinners who would by no means flip from their conventional faith to Christ other than God’s work of unconditional, all-powerful regeneration. They should be born once more. It’s a sovereign act of God. God is gloriously enough in his grace to avoid wasting the toughest of sinners in one other faith.

And once I say ecclesiology, I imply placing a excessive premium on planting wholesome biblical church buildings amongst peoples of the world that may stick with it the mission for many years, if wanted, earlier than Christ comes.

5 Assumptions for Missions

I’m going to say a number of of those newer works that I alluded to as a result of I believe that that’s what Jack is asking for. The place ought to we search for partnerships? However first, let me identify some assumptions that I’ve in in search of to reply the query about long-term profession missionaries in comparison with short-term missionaries. 5 assumptions.

First, all human beings, other than the saving grace of God in Christ, are beneath the simply wrath of God and are perishing and can spend eternity in hell if they don’t seem to be reached with the saving message of the gospel. That’s assumption one. It’s an enormous assumption that will get minimized in so many sorts of church buildings and theologies that don’t like to speak about that reality.

Second, there isn’t any different approach for folks to be rescued from the wrath of God than by the supply that he himself has made in sending his Son to bear the punishment of sinners and take up the wrath of God and canopy the guilt of the misplaced and free us for forgiveness and justification by religion alone in Jesus. There’s no different approach for folks to be saved than Jesus.

Third, due to this fact, they need to hear the excellent news, and we should take it to them in order that they’ll hear. We’ve information. I really like this phrase information. It’s not first an ideology. It’s information — spectacular, breathtaking, superb information about what God has completed in his Son Jesus Christ in historical past to rescue sinners from all of the peoples of the world. The duty of missions is to take this information to all of the unreached of the world — all of the unreached peoples and languages of the world — no matter the price. That’s quantity three.

Fourth, it’s important to the missionary job that biblical, worshiping, obedient, soul-winning, wholesome church buildings be planted in order that the continuing Christian life could be lived out over the many years the best way it’s described within the New Testomony. And so, the work of evangelizing the native folks group could be carried on even when the missionaries will not be there anymore. Church buildings, that’s quantity 4.

Fifth, translating the Bible into indigenous languages is essential. If such church buildings — those that I simply described — are going to flourish spiritually in the long term, everyone knows how treasured and totally essential it’s for rising in Christ that we immerse ourselves day-to-day within the Bible. That’s why the Bible is required within the folks’s coronary heart language, wherever the mission goes.

Our Main Process

Now, a lot extra might be stated in addition to these 5 assumptions. However due to these alone, I’d say short-term missions has a secondary place of worth in recruiting, motivating, and supporting what’s major. However what’s major — the first effort of the native church, the first funding of our assets for missions, the first problem of the pulpit, the first technique for ending the mission of Jesus — is to lift up, ship, help, nurture, and maintain the rope for profession missionaries.

If church buildings are to be planted and the Bible is to be translated and an ongoing motion of evangelism is to be sustained, short-term missionaries are most likely not the principle means by which that’s going to occur.

4 Commendable Companions

So, Jack asks, “Who ought to we be partnering with?” Now, you’ve already heard the place I’m coming from theologically, in order that governs what I’m going to counsel right here. And please perceive that there are dozens of actions and companies and ministries which might be devoted and that may assist you to and your church develop into a launching pad for the sort of missionaries I’m speaking about. However I’d point out, I believe, 4 explicit companies or teams that you need to take note of.

“The duty of missions is to take this information to all of the unreached of the world, no matter the price.”

First, Reaching & Instructing Worldwide Ministries is a sending company that shares these convictions.

Second, Radius Worldwide. It’s not a sending company however a outstanding coaching group making ready the sort of missionaries I’m speaking about.

Third, Radical, the ministry of David Platt, which waves the banner for the unreached of the world, and teaches and evokes and trains for the sake of sustainable, radical dedication to planting the church globally.

Fourth, two conferences: The Missionary Convention this fall in Jacksonville, on October 16–18, 2024. And the CROSS Convention, a missionary convention for 18- to 25-year-olds in Louisville, on January 2–4, 2025. I’m going to be at each of these conferences. And I’d like to see you, Jack, and many others of you who’re listening at these conferences.

God is as much as one thing wonderful in our day. It’s thrilling to be part of it.