Missions: The Why
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“[Christ] was able to place himself second and just be a servant”
When we see a servant in action, it is always someone that is giving to others and has no expectation for themselves. To become like a servant we need to put ourselves in the position of a servant. This means that we must act like one, which requires decisions that will make us uncomfortable.
1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
As a church, we are familiar with the term “go ye therefore...” right? Yes, that’s the mission that God called us to do. However, before we can do so, we must be free from all men or the influence of man and replace the old nature that we all have in us (when we were born) and add the new man in Christ Jesus. This allows us to be free to minister to the lost and reach the nations for Christ’s glory.
See, to be free from all men, we must seek and destroy our old nature and look for the things above. If that’s going to be our goal then we must think and be like Jesus. One of the ways to do this is to follow the model that he established for us and imitate it.
Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
This is a great picture for us to see in the life of Jesus. He was able to place himself second and just be a servant. This is one of the reasons why we encourage faithful members to participate in the trips that we are doing in our church. Servanthood causes us to not only think but also act like Jesus, and one of the best ways for believers to practice this is through a mission trip.
“Going on a mission trip requires the sacrifice of our own agendas”
The goal for us in a mission trip is not only to expose the believer to a different cultural experience, but also to a different world in terms of relationships. We want is to expose the person so that they can learn how to serve like Jesus when they are not in the comforts of their own culture. Paul gives us a good example of this in the first letter to the Corinthian church:
1 Corinthians 9:20-22 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Going on a mission trip requires the sacrifice of our own agendas. This scripture helps us to understand the idea of being “all things to all men” so that we can gain more for the glory of God. If we are going to be a part of a mission trip, we must not try to run it in our own way or have expectations for the people we are going to encounter. For us to be a blessing, we must put away what we know and embrace the things that we don’t: how other cultures and ministries work. This must be established in the believer’s life if they are going to be effective in the mission. This has be done without compromising the vision that the Lord gives us at MBT.
“[Our philosophy] is to send proven servant leaders that understand the mission”
The following steps help us better understand how to move forward in terms of our participation in the mission. Use these guidelines as you prepare to go on any of the trips planned this year.
Pray for vision in terms of how and where to go.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
A lot of times our participation with a missions trip starts and ends with the idea of supporting others (prayers, financial help, etc). However, our goal is that you participate in one of our trips by going.
Prepare not only your heart but your mind.
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
It is important to enroll in our Living Faith Bible Institute so that you can learn the Bible. Our philosophy in terms of ministry is to send proven servant leaders that understand the mission. In order for us to accomplish this, we not only need to prepare in knowledge but also to be proved out through the structure we have in place.
Predispose your heart.
Exodus 3:1-6 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Many times the mission requires us to take trips to places that we had never planned to go (we typically plan for locations based on our own desires). But, our leadership team may suggest we go somewhere unexpected and we need to be ready to support the need at that time, regardless of where. Unless we have the right heart, we are going to miss an opportunity to participate in what God wants for us in terms of the mission.
“Now that you know the ‘why,’ are you prepared to go?”
Our challenge for you is to consider the structure that we have in place and start praying to participate. The goal is to reach the world for the cause of Jesus. Now that you know the “why,” are you prepared to go?
Will Mata is the pastor over the Spanish Ministry and is a part of the Missions Team at Midtown Baptist Temple.