Why spend your life investing in ministry, especially career missions?

Everybody who reads the Bible knows where James died. Most Bible scholars have a good idea where the Apostle Paul died. It seems that not much thought is given to where the other Apostles graduated to heaven. We might tend to think that they died near their home church like many of our recent church leaders. But where they died may help us to reconsider our view of the local church, leadership, and world missions. They all died far from home doing as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20. 

The short answer is JOY…

  • Jesus
  • Others 
  • Yourself

In Sunday School many years ago I was taught that JOY is found in putting Jesus first, others second and yourself last.

Each is an important part of bringing joy into our lives. None can be neglected. Missions motivation is found first and foremost in the identity, person, purpose, and plan of Jesus; aligning our hearts with His. Second is His design for us in regard to other people; loving them and serving them as He has directed. The third part is that God has good things for us that are entirely dependent upon our active responses of faith in Him and obedience to His word. 

 

Jesus

The Glory of God

  • God’s identity is motive enough in His mission. He is the author of creation, the provider of every good and perfect gift. His character is beautiful goodness beyond description.  He is the owner and designer of everything. All power and authority are His. His promises are irrevocable. His love is immeasurable. Who better to revere and obey? There is none else.
  • Knowing God’s purpose on earth and the wonder of His person, the goodness of His plan, and the role each of us play in His plan, as written for all to know in the Holy Bible, it is only reasonable that we who believe Him should wholeheartedly engage in His purpose and design for our lives.
  • His mandate for us is to go everywhere to tell about Him.

See The Bible Basis of Missions

Others

God’s Heart for People of All Ethnicities

  • Psalm 67 – Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.
  • Luke 2:10 – And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
  • Mark 16:15 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
  • Matthew 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations (ethnos), baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
  • 2 Corinthians 5:19 – To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
  • Galatians 6:14 – For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
  • 2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The Destiny of the Lost

    • Eternity is a long time to be separated from all that is good. (Jude 1:13, Matthew 25:46)
    • Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” 
    • Revelation 20:9-15 –  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. 

Yourself

Crowns of the Saints

Revelation 3:11 – Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

  • Crown of Victory – 1 Corinthians 9:25 – And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
  • Crown of Life – James 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
  • Crown of Righteousness – Gained for ourselves by faith in Christ. (Received also by those who believe because of our testimony.) 2 Timothy 4:8 – Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
  • Crown of Rejoicing – People won to Christ through our testimony…
    • 1 Thessalonians 2:19 – For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
    • Philippians 4:1 – Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you must stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
  • Crown of Glory – Christian Leaders/Shepherd’s Crown – 1 Peter 5:4 – And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Heaven’s Oscars | David Jeremiah 
Royal Rewards: 5 Crowns for Believers | David Jeremiah
5 Crowns 

Under Construction

Grace Given Through Jesus

  • Penalty Paid
  • Clothed in Righteousness
  • Completely Accepted
  • Brethren to be gained forever
  • Family business
  • Heirs
  • Ambassadors
  • Life Forever – knowing God, growing in fellowship

Personal faith comes by hearing God’s Word which told by messengers who are sent.

Missions – Another part of why is showing people what is involved in establishing thriving churches of Christians who are able to carry on the work of the ministry and multiply workers long after the missionaries have departed. One part is showing the process with the objective in mind. Another part is showing the teamwork and individual gifts or skills that are needed for the team to succeed in this Body function of church planting. e.g. Big Picture (link to other page? or import jpg?) and 

  • What does that look like
    • living
    • building
    • language
    • culture
    • literacy
    • translation
    • teaching
    • discipleship
    • ambassadors equipping others
    • Could use Wayumi Big Picture photos? Or EBI Big Picture videos? Or link to Big Picture in Randy’s Web Links?

This page should focus on the unreached and the ambassadors who may reach them. In the USA alone 36,000 Evangelical Christians for each unreached people group. 

What keeps 36,000 Christians from obeying Christ and working together to reach one unreached language group with the Gospel?   

  • Need of a foundation concerning God’s character and heart? (Basis) 
  • Need of Vision about what needs to be done? (Vision) 
  • Need of understanding of personal responsibility? (Why ME) 
  • Need of Knowledge of the Unreached Ethnolinguistic Groups? 

Impurity?
Disobedience?