Mims Chapel Church
Lesson 10 • First Week
The Importance
of Mission
Background Reading Devotional Reading
Matthew 9:35-36, 28:19-20; Colossians 1:3-14
Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8;
Luke 4:11-19
Central Verse
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seeth the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" Isaiah 58:6-7, KJV
"No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help." Isaiah 58:6-7, NLT
Key Terms
Samaria—District of Ancient Palestine west of the Jordan River between Galilee and Judaea, and capital of the Northern Kingdom (Israel).
Scorned—To be someone or something very much disliked; to be rejected or dismissed because of scorn.
Unchurched—Not belonging to or connected with a church.
Introduction
It has been said many times by many people that mission is the heart of God. The Church's mission is to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and to make disciples throughout the world, teaching them exactly what Jesus taught in Mark 16:15 and Matthew 24 and 28:19-20: "And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14).
Believers must never lose sight of their mission within this world. They can have all kinds of programs, but if they are not fulfilling the mandate that Jesus gave to His disciples, then they have missed their purpose in this world. This mandate did not end at the death of the early disciples, so Jesus depends on every believer to do their part in reaching this world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Church believes that its mission includes confronting injustices and helping to alleviate suffering as it tries to show God's love for the world. But believers must never become so focused on these issues that they lose sight of their God-centeredness and their proclamation of the Gospel.
Discussion
Mission must be an important part of the Pentecostal Church, for it must continue to spread its message to the world as it connects with people on a personal level. Believers must not only be concerned about people within their ethnic group; they must reach out to every culture. Believers must love God more than they love any person, place, or thing. They must love God more than themselves and be willing to lay aside their own agenda to complete the assignments that God has given to them.
God's plan in this world is to establish new churches and bring new people to Christ as believers take the mission around the world. It was a direct command from Jesus as He prepared to go back home to His Father. It is His desire for the Good News to be carried to all the places around Jerusalem and beyond.
All believers must work together to deliver the message of salvation around the world. Some believers will go as missionaries to various places, and some will stay home and pray for God's Word to be effective and glorified in the lives of believers. Some believers who have been blessed financially will be willing to share in a monetary way, because missionaries need money for travel and room and board, as well as money to help the new ministries. Some of our Mission workers were in South Africa when a young man, his wife, and his children moved into an area where the people were unchurched. They bought property, built a house, and used part of the land to put up a tent. While we were there helping, we found that the house did not have a bathroom. We inquired and found out that $2100 US Dollars could build a bathroom. Two of us got together and gave that money, and four weeks later, it came to fruition. They also had enough money to put up two walls on the church. So, there may be times when a person cannot physically go, but their finances can go with someone who is going.
Jesus was always concerned about the unchurched or the people that the Church looked down upon. He felt the need to go through Samaria when travelers usually traveled around this area (John 4). He knew that there was a woman there who had a problem that needed fixing. He found a woman at the well whose life was messed up because of her lifestyle. She was scorned by the people in the town that she lived in and felt the need to go to the well to get water when it was inconvenient for the other women of the town to draw water. Her encounter with Jesus changed her life, and she became an evangelist to the men of that town. Mission can be a life-changing agent when it is applied in the right area and to the right people.
Conclusion
Mission is important in the life of believers because it is important to Jesus. When Jesus was talking to the church in Matthew 25, He let the church know the importance of mission. In verses 34-36, He let them know that their position in the kingdom would depend on their treatment of the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the imprisoned, and the stranger. He said that when believers take time to see about these people, they are taking time to see about Him. He stressed the importance of doing mission for their fellowmen.
The Apostle Paul let believers know that it was God's will for them to witness and to strengthen the Saints. He was happy, because Epaphras, a dear fellow servant, was a faithful minister of Christ because he had taken the time to let his faith in Christ be tuned into work for the kingdom. For faith without works is dead. It is important for believers to let their light shine so men can see their good works and glorify their Father, which is in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Questions
What makes mission so important?
What can believers do to help promote missions?
What does Jesus say about missions?
Why do people say that God's heart is mission?
Essential Thought- "Until believers witness to every area of the world, the end of the world cannot come."
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