The Bible Basis for Raising Missionary Support
Many people are afraid to obey God to do missionary work because their culture has told them that it is shameful to ask for financial backing. “Do I have to ask people for money?”
The automatic assumption is that you need to become a beggar; that you are asking other people selfishly so that you can give up your job and go do something else. It is a cultural distortion of Biblical principles warning against disorderly conduction and laziness, taking advantage of other people.
Is asking people to engage with you as you obey God the same thing? No, it is not. Are you asking for money because you are too lazy to work? Are you asking people for your own selfish interests so that you can have a free exotic vacation? Who is your trip for, you or others?
The same people who find begging dishonorable would find it honorable for you to ask them to help a neighbor whose house burned during the night by giving a blanket, food, clothing, money, or shelter. 1 Samuel 15:24
How much more honorable could it be to ask Christians to help untold unbelievers escape from the fire of eternal separation from God? …especially considering that God designed His Church to function as a Body and commanded us to go tell everyone?
Raising support is about much more than money. It’s about building a team of like-minded Christians to accomplish what no one else is doing. It’s about teamwork to do together what none can do alone.
We need to let God’s word transform our thinking. In raising support for missionary training and work, you are leaving your self-sufficiency to go obey God, doing extremely important WORK, eternally important work, that other people are unable or unwilling to do.
The Glad Tidings
Missionary work is about delivering good news to people who desperately need it.
At the beginning, after Creation, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and became unfit for His fellowship because they were no longer good.
God provided a temporary covering, which people would repeatedly offer by faith, acknowledging their need for a solution. They were looking to God to provide the promised a permanent solution; the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. Genesis 3:15
People could restore fellowship with God only by faith; expressed, according to God’s terms, by offering an innocent animal to die in their place. Children’s video: “The Lamb” – Written version – The Lamb
Over the next four thousand years, God progressively revealed more information about His permanent solution, the Redeemer, the Messiah, or in Greek the Christ. God revealed the lineage, the birthplace, and the circumstances of His life, death, and reign. God Himself would come to redeem mankind. , “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus“, Messianic Prophecies, Who is Jesus Christ?, “The Story That Matters”
Christmas is about celebrating the fulfilment of God’s promise. Two thousand years ago, God took on flesh, being born of the virigin Mary, to live a sinless life, and give His life to solve a four thousand year old problem. Why Celebrate Christmas?
An angel announced His coming to shepherds saying, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.” Luke 2:9-11
The good news is for everyone.
The good news is that Jesus Christ purchased the pardon of every sinner through His personal sacrifice. His gift of being clothed in His own perfect righteousness is effective for every person who will believe Him.
The Good News is great for the people who hear it and believe God.
People need to hear what is true to believe it.
This why God commissioned every believer to go tell others.
The best gift one person can give to another is to deliver God’s message accurately.
Historically, Christians have been personal couriers of God’s message for two thousand years. That’s a key reason you know about Jesus today and have a Bible in your language.
What is a Missionary?
The word “missionary” simply means a person sent on a mission. One who is sent.
In Acts 13:1-3, the Bible records the events in 46-47 A.D. of Paul and Barnabas being sent for ministry abroad by Holy Spirit and the local church. About ten or eleven years later, the apostle Paul wrote the book to the Roman church where points out that faith comes by hearing the word of God which is spoken by messengers who are sent. Romans 10:9-17 Someone has to tell the people who have not heard the glad tidings.
“The word mission originated in 1598 when Jesuits, the members of the Society of Jesus sent members abroad, derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning ‘act of sending’ or mittere, meaning ‘to send’.” – Wikipedia
The most common use of the word “missionary” refers Christian mission activity of sending messengers where Christ is unknown. The first missionary organization in the USA was founded in 1787. Though the idea behind missions, the spread of Christianity, was a stated purpose of the Pilgrims in the Mayflower Compact of 1620, written before going ashore at Cape Cod.
The Mormons began hijacking the word “missionary” in propagating their cult in the 1830’s, but they do not at all fulfill the commands of Jesus or deliver His message. However, neither their God nor their Jesus are the persons described in God’s book, the Holy Bible.
Since the time of Christ, local churches around the world have sent people to deliever God’s historical written message where people have not heard God’s good news.
The Great Commission
On the highest authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus told His disciples to go to every ethnic group to preach, baptize, and teach obedience. Matthew 28:16-20
He told us to go into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
Jesus did not tell people to go only where it is safe or only where there is no cost to go. Luke 24:46-48, Matthew 16:24, John 13:34, 15:13, 16:32-33, Philippians 3:7-18,
The great commission is for all people who believe God’s written word. Jesus repeatedly rebuked people for not knowing or believing what was written.
The disciples who received the command could not personally go to every person to preach the Gospel to every creature; therefore, the command is for the entire Body, all of us followers of Jesus. Acts 1:8
The Church Body Working Together
God created the global Church as a Body to work together, using our differing gifts and skills, to accomplish the commands of the Head, Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:4-6, 16, 32
Through His written word He told us to love one another with a pure heart fervently. 1 Peter 1:22 He told us to bear one another’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 He told us to not only look to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:2-5
If that’s not clear enough, Paul points out in Romans 10:9-17 that faith comes by hearing God’s word, which is spoken, to people who have not heard, by people who have been sent to tell them. How are they to preach unless they are sent?
Willing-hearted Givers
God’s design is to spread the message of His grace to the whole world through the cooperative efforts, particular gifts, and giving of the global Church working together.
This is not a new concept. God gave Moses specific, detailed instructions on how to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness. He commanded people to give. The Israelites had the opportunity to respond by faith to give as much or little as they wanted to give and to choose their attitude in giving. The willing-hearted people gave generously. Exodus 35:4-10, 21, 36:6-7 There were a variety of gifts of wealth, materials, and skills in labor.
Giving to Glorify God
God loves a cheerful giver who gives without compulsion. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Giving should be an act of worshiping God, not a response to a coercive plea from people.
The objective of the whole endeavor of missions is to glorify God, and we can only do that by faith. Matthew 5:16, Hebrews 11:6
In telling other people about your mission, make your purpose clear. They want to glorify God, too. John 15:8, 2 Peter 1:3-11
Giving Your Life
In missionary work, you get to lay down your life so that other people may live. You have the privilege of denying yourself and taking up your cross daily to follow Christ. Luke 9:23, John 15:13, Romans 12:1
Giving Money
Some people have the gift of giving but they cannot give unless they know about the need. Don’t deny other people the opportunity to act by faith in worshiping God through giving. The giving of His people is God’s design for providing for His workers. Romans 12:8, 1 Corinthians 9:14
Being Content
Part of your obedience is to learn to rest in God’s provision for you while you act by faith to serve Him. Don’t let anxiety about God’s provision for you derail your obedience. You are taking on an endeavor that requires intervention from God and His people both physically and spiritually. Matthew 6:24-34, Acts 20:32-35, Philippians 4:6, 11-13, 19, Hebrews 13:5, 1 Peter 5:7
Can you give more than God? God has a bigger scoop shovel than you. So, give what you have for His service and trust Him to give you what you need to do His work. Luke 6:38 (This not about a prosperity-gospel vending machine type of thinking. God owes you nothing. It is about intentionally trusting God in your obedience.
Career missionary work is about acting by faith at personal expense to glorify God, leading other people to know Him, and inviting God’s people to join you in His work. Short-term trips and fund-raising are often the first steps people take toward a career in missionary work. Can you trust God to pay for what He orders? Mark 8:35, Luke 12:22
Not Alone
Throughout Church history, God has caused the Body to work together as a team. Some people gave funds. Some traveled as delivery workers. Some stayed on location, risking their lives in support. Some traveled home to give reports.
Paul’s traveling companions supported Paul – Many people were part of the apostle Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles and fulfilled different roles: Among them were Barnabas, John Mark, Silas, Tychicus, Timothy, Luke, Titus, Priscilla, Aquilla, Epaphras, Aristarchus, and Tychicus.
In missionary work, you go to give. You can only give what you possess: youth, strength, service, funds. Through your giving of yourself, the rest of the Body of Christ can multiply their own giving to the people you serve. Let people give through you by including them in what God is doing through your ministry to others.
The work you embark to do is bigger than you. In fact, you can accomplish nothing unless the Holy Spirit empowers you and works in hearts to accomplish His purpose. Matthew 28:20
Increasing Faith
Support raising is not only about you.
As you raise support, you have the opportunity to increase your relationships and influence. Through those increasing relationships you have the opportunity to glorify God and build faith by casting vision, setting an example to follow, and and including people in what God is doing through you. Plus you will be doing the same things on the mission field as you share God’s word and disciple the people along your path; teaching obedience. Matthew 28:20
Rhetorical question: Is God big enough to pay for what He orders?
Trust God, moving forward by faith, inviting people to join you.
See Also: Missions and Money, Personal Support