MISSIONS

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8

Summary: A look at our responsibility to reach the world for Christ

Missions

Acts 1:8

Introduction

Pastors in Germany
Q. What do they call pastors in Germany?
A. German Shepherds.

We talk a lot about missions in our Church.

Because if we talk about church, we can’t help but touch also the topic of missions.

In our experience.

We grew up in a church where we talked about

missions.

We heard about missionaries and in fact some went to our church and talked about their
mission works other.

We feel blessed if:

- They showed pictures of their work

- They told stories of reaching people for Christ

and starting churches.

- here in our church, we pray for missionaries and give to

Missions as well.

Because our church love missions and have a heart for

missionaries.

They’ve answered God’s call

They’ve prepared to go to their fields

They leave family behind

They go to a foreign country to lead people

to Christ, baptize them, and teach them in the

Scriptures.

They learn a new language

They learn to live in a different culture.

All for the work of the Gospel

I. The importance of missions

A. Five times the Great Commission is given in the NT

1. Matthew 28:19-20

2. Mark 16:15

3. Luke 24:46

4. John 20:21

5. Acts 1:8

(Once in the OT Isaiah 43:9-10)

B. This is what we as believers and the church should

be doing.

C The Great Commission defined Matthew 28:19-20

1. Making disciples

2. Baptizing them

3. Teaching them

II. The instructions for missions Acts 1:8

1. Jerusalem – home

a. Through the local church

b. Through personal contact

c. Through outreach

2 Judea – the region

a. Through reaching those who are nearby

b. Such as, county, state, nearby cities

3. Samaria – another culture

a. They had stepped beyond their area

b. Across cultures

c. Some have suggested this represents countries

nearby.

- Canada, Mexico, Caribbean nations

4. Uttermost part of the world – worldwide

a. Everywhere

b. Across the sea

III. Personal involvement in Missions.

What can I do?

What can we do?

A. Pray

1. Specifically (by Name)

2. Daily (1Th. 5:17 Pray without ceasing.)

3. For God to raise up more missionaries

Matt. 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his
harvest.

B. Give

1. Our missionaries are supported out of our

General Fund.

a. We support ____missionaries

b. At ____ a month

2. Give to our missions’ fund.

a. Was our Sunday School offering

b. Now by envelope (special or marked)

3. You can give to a missionary directly

a. Mark the name on the envelope

b. Ask about supporting them directly

c. Give when they come

C. Go

1. Go locally (work, neighbor, JERUSALEM)

2. Work locally in your church

3. Answer God’s call

The Judsons were frequently acquainted with sickness, suffering, and death. They lost three
children. After falling gravely ill, Nancy spent two years in America convalescing, only to
discover she and her husband were celebrities there. Shortly after Nancy returned to the
field, war broke out between Burma and England.
In 1824, the Burmese emperor imprisoned nearly all Western men as presumed spies for the
British government. This included Adoniram, who spent nineteen months in two different
prisons, including one overseen by convicted murderers who had been spared death in
exchange for serving as jailers!
Many prisoners died, but Nancy’s devotion kept Adoniram alive. She pestered, begged, and
bribed so that she could provide food for her imprisoned husband. She even managed to
give Adoniram his personal pillow, into which was sewn his translation of the Burmese Bible.
All the while, Nancy was nursing an infant and raising two orphaned Burmese girls.
Adoniram was eventually released from prison so he could serve as a translator for the
peace negotiations between Burma and England. But the end of the war wasn’t the end of
the Judsons’ sufferings. Nancy died in 1826, followed by two-year-old Maria Judson six
months later.
Adoniram’s grief led him to eventually retreat into seclusion. He grew increasingly reclusive,
finally building a hut in the jungle. He named his hut “The Hermitage” and spent forty days
living in the jungle, eating little besides minimal rice rations. He dug his own grave and spent
many hours contemplating death. The jungle was tiger-infested, and many locals feared
Adoniram would be eaten. When he returned safely from his self-exile, everyone was
surprised he had survived.
Over the course of 1830, Adoniram increasingly emerged from his spiritual darkness with a
new resolve to reach Burma for Christ. He enjoyed a decade of evangelistic fruitfulness,
especially among the tribal Karen people. He also continued his translation work and
mentored the steady stream of younger Baptist missionaries coming to Burma to work
among the Burmese and Karen. Adoniram married two more times and made one trip to
America, where he spoke about missions all over the Eastern Seaboard. He died in 1850.
“Adoniram’s translation work—his most important legacy—continues to reap gospel fruit in
Myanmar and serve as an example for countless missionaries the world over.”
Legacy

Adoniram Judson and his wives, especially Nancy, hold a preeminent place in the history of
missions. His baptism and subsequent resignation highlight the importance of doctrinal and
personal integrity. His endurance through numerous trials reminds us of the way God often
uses suffering to advance the gospel.
His grief over the loss of a wife and daughter serves as an important reminder that
missionaries are real people with real needs, struggles, and aspirations. His commitment to
evangelism continues to inspire. Finally, Adoniram’s translation work—his most important
legacy—continues to reap gospel fruit in Myanmar and serve as an example for countless
missionaries the world over.

Conclusion
We MUST be a part of missions

We must be obedient to His Command

John 4:35…Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Ask – What can I do to reach the world for Christ.