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| From our home state of New Hampshire we are already missing Africa! |
Missions Bible Studies Here is Part NINE: We are continuing our online series of short missionary challenge messages from Romans chapter 15. With each installment, you will see a new facet of the passage and how it relates to missions. In all there will be nine parts--if you miss any one of them just email us and we will see that you get the whole outline! Part nine is now here! Your Partners for the unreached of the world,
Dan and Michelle Dore ------------------------------------------------------------ Missions Minutes Part 9 -- Mutual support through prayer (Rom. 15:30-33)
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Mutual support through prayer vv. 30-33--Paul shared with these partners in ministry his specific prayer requests, and he also supported them in prayer. Notice his requests in vv. 31-33:
*For his protection from those who oppose him.
*For the success of his humanitarian efforts.
*For success and joy in all his endeavors.
*For his own needs of spiritual refreshment and rest, and those of his partners.
*That his partners would sense the God of peace ever-present in their midst.
These requests are valid for any missionary you know today. Want to support him or her in prayer? I am sure they would ask the same of you that Paul asked of the Roman Christians. Protection. Success. Joy. Rest. Peace! Commit yourself today to being a prayer partner for missions!
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(Here are parts one through eight in this online series, in case you missed them.) Part 1 -- The Church’s missionary priority (Rom. 15:18-21) v. 8 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
v. 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
v. 20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:
v. 21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
vv. 18-21—The Church’s missionary priority: We see in these verses that the great passion of the apostle Paul was preaching Christ where He had not yet been preached! Is your church targeting unreached areas in your state? Are you partnering with a missionary team to reach an unreached tribe overseas? What is your church’s missionary priority? May Paul’s heart in this passage be the passion of our hearts as well!
Part 2 – Achievable goals (Rom. 15:18-19)
v. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient--
v. 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
vv. 18-19—Achievable goals: Paul had the territory covered. From Jerusalem to Illyricum. He had “…fully preached the gospel…” here. If we compare verse 23, where Paul says he has no more place in these parts, we can deduce that by fully preaching the gospel he means there are no unreached areas. There are no more places in that circuit he can say Christ has not been named. He must move on to other areas.
Do you have achievable goals in your missionary program? Is your “territory” covered? Where do you plan to “go” next? Remember Christ has left us here on earth for one reason—to reach the unreached until all have heard. New Tribes Misssion’s original purpose statement was: “Reaching new tribes until the last tribe has been reached.”
Part 3 – A Commitment to pioneer missions (Rom. 15:20)
v. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation,
v. 20—A Commitment to pioneer missions: Paul said it was his aim to preach Christ where He was not named.
Did you know?:
In the 10/40 window live 2/3 of the world’s population. 95% of whom are unevangelized!
Only 7% of the current missionary force works with the least-reached peoples of the world (places like the 10/40 window.)
93% of missionaries work in areas where the gospel has been preached or is already available.
Are we committed, as was Paul, to make it our aim to target areas of our state, or of the world, where Christ is not yet known? What is your commitment to pioneer missions?
I am thankful to be a part of New Tribes Mission, whose early motto was: “Reaching new tribes until the last tribe has been reached."
Part 4 -- A Biblical foundation (Rom. 15:21)
v. 21 but as it is written: "To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand."
v. 21—A Biblical foundation: Paul’s commitment to missions was based on revealed truth in the Scriptures. Perhaps this verse (quoted from Isaiah 52:15) was one of his life verses. We should be able to say “As it is written…” to back up all decisions we make with regard to missions!
What is your life verse? When I first got saved at age 18, the Lord used 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 to challenge my life: “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
God’s Word tells us that we are no longer free to live for ourselves, but to live for Him Who died for us and rose again!
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Part 5 -- An ongoing vision (Rom. 15:23-24)
23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you,
24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.
vv. 23-24—An ongoing vision: Paul was not going to retire just because this geographic area had now heard the gospel. He had a vision and a passion to keep moving onward with the gospel, to regions still unreached!
Do you know any missionaries who have planted a church in an unreached tribe? Pray that God will strengthen them to go on to reach yet another one! Pray that God would open more doors of opportunity to target and reach another unreached tribe! ----------------------------------------------- Part 6--Partnership with the local church (Rom. 15:24)
24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.
v. 24—A Partnership with the local church: Paul expected not only to be a blessing to the church at Rome (v.29) but he expected them to help him financially on his missionary journeys. We read of some historical characters in the history of the church who refused to make their needs known to men--only to God. This sounds so “spiritual” but it is not Biblical. Here in Romans 15 we see the great missionary Paul letting his needs be known to a local congregation of believers so they could partner with him in the spread of the gospel.
Paul also was known to tell a local church, or group of churches in a certain area, to help out other missionaries. In Titus 3:13 he speaks on behalf of Zenas and Apollos: “Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.” Another translation says: “Do your best to help Zenas, the Teacher of the Law, and Apollos, on their way, and see that they want for nothing.” Basically he is saying, “Provide for their transport and whatever else they need for this journey.”
You may meet some missionaries who seem reluctant to share financial needs. Perhaps they are waiting for you to initiate this type of conversation. You go ahead ask if they have any needs. Then you can truly be a prayer partner—and after God provides, you can join in on the rejoicing! Part 7 -- A concern for material needs of the poor (Rom. 15:25-28)
25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.
26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.
28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.
vv. 25-28 --A concern for material needs of the poor: Paul’s concern for preaching the gospel did not stop with a message only, it was followed by humanitarian deeds. Some claim that mixing social assistance programs with the preaching of the gospel is a compromise. They say we should limit our activity to the preaching of the gospel. This is not Biblical.
Paul tirelessly preached the gospel—but he also had a heart to help the poor and needy.
In our 16 years in Africa, we saw the Lord take our social assistance projects and use them to open hearts for the gospel message. So people were not only helped with schools, clinics, wells and bridges, they were helped to know God as well! ------------------------------------------------ Part 8 -- A concern for the needs of the church (Rom. 15:29)
29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
v. 29—A concern for the spiritual needs of the church: Paul did not view his passage through Rome as just a time of getting supplies, or as just a breather in between mission trips. He had a heart to be a blessing to the brethren there in Rome. Ever been to a missions conference where the emphasis was on fund raising? Ever go away from a missions conference feeling guilty? In contrast, did you ever go away from a missions meeting tremendously blessed by what you heard? That is what Paul wanted, to be a blessing!
This is what we want to do, as missions representatives for NTM—we want to share God’s Word with you, and share what He is doing in missions today, in such as way as to be a blessing to your hearts! |
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