Missions: The Support
/
“God expects us all to be involved in supporting his mission”
It is probably pretty obvious to those reading this that God does not need men to accomplish his work. God does not depend on the power or ability of man nor upon the willingness of man to accomplish what he intends to accomplish. God is fully capable to do all that he intends to do with no outside help whatsoever. That is not hard for me to grasp, and I would bet it does not stretch your understanding of God either. The idea that God wants to include me (and you) in his mission is pretty crazy to me. God has sent a personal invitation to every believer to come and join him in his mission (Mat 28:19-20). Basically, God said, “Hey guys, I am going to redeem men, women, and children from every corner of the earth, so that they can worship me and I was wondering if you want to help out? (2 Cor 5:18-19) This is the mission of God and the work of missionaries.
Personal invite from the Almighty aside, why would I want to join in supporting missions and missionaries?
The simple reality is that God expects us all to be involved in supporting his mission. When I say us all, I mean every believer on the planet but more specifically, I mean every member of Midtown Baptist Temple. This is exemplified in the biblical principle of sowing and reaping, which says that where more is invested more will be received. This is the basic idea that undergirds Luke 12:48, which is summarized as “to whom much is given much is required.” This is God telling us that he expects a greater return in the areas where he has invested much.
We (MBT) have been given A LOT! God has been very generous with us, giving us the freedom to worship and study his word in our own language. We have been taught how to study the Bible, how to walk with God, how to disciple, how to rightly divide the word, how to evangelize, how to apply God’s word personally and in counseling situations with others, and the list goes on and on. God has made a very great investment in us, and the expectation is that mature believers will in turn invest what they have in others, missions support included.
“When you put your treasure into the things that God loves, you will quickly find yourself loving those things as well”
Consider the parable of the man who goes on a journey and leaves his goods to his stewards while he is away (Mat 25:14-29). Faithful investment of the things you have been given will pay dividends. Simply put, if you like to see returns on your investments (and who doesn’t!), then invest in the work of God. You can’t lose by putting your finances in the Lord’s hands.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
While it is true that not every servant receives the same responsibility, it is also true that every servant has the opportunity to be a faithful steward and to receive a reward at the return of the Lord. So you may see yourself as having received less than others, perhaps you are new in your walk with the Lord, are just beginning discipleship, or have not yet begun to understand missions. The good news is that you too can receive praise from the Lord by making wise investments with what he has given you.
Aside from the return found for faithful sowing, there is a second great impact missions support has on our lives: it changes our hearts. Luke 12:43 tells us that our love is tied to our investments, meaning we love or fall in love with, the things we put our money into. I can’t tell you the price of Apple stock or the value of Bitcoin today. I have no money in either. I have a patient who owns stock in many different companies, and he spends hours a day watching the market and keeping an eye on the current value of his investment. He loves his stock because he is invested.
When we start to invest in missions, we find that we become more concerned with the details of missions in general and of the lives and ministry of those we have invested in specifically. If you struggle with loving the nations the way God loves the nations or with understanding why God loves those who seem unlovable or can’t understand why fatherless children should be a concern of yours, then start investing in those things. When you put your treasure into the things that God loves, you will quickly find yourself loving those things as well.
“Watch what will happen to your prayers if you take time to get to know the missionary”
We also find the inverse of this equation to be true. Not only does investing money pull your heart in, but love will also pull your wallet toward the object of your love. As a child, I spent most of the money I earned on baseball cards, not because I saw them as a financial investment (wish I still had some of those cards now though!) but because I loved baseball. Ken Griffey Jr. was, in my mind, the greatest player on the planet. I memorized his stats, collected his cards, and watched his games or highlights when I could. I would argue with Frank Thomas, Tony Gwynn, Barry Bonds, and Will Clark fans all day. Griffey had my love and my loyalty. He also had my money. I had Mariners jerseys and hats. I went to card shops to seek out the cards of his that I didn’t yet own. I was willing to save money so that I would have enough to get the next Griffey thing that I wanted. When you have decided to set your affection on something, it will result in you seeking hard after that thing, no matter what it costs (Col 3:1-3).
As an added bonus, giving to Griffey forced me to learn to work hard, save, and budget. Loving God’s mission and supporting that will have the same impact on your life. You will learn how to better manage your money so that there is enough left to give to what you love. So if you suck at budgeting, prioritize the tithe and start sacrificing for missions. Running out of money for food for a few weeks will help you quickly see what things in your budget can be dropped.
The church at Philippi is the example of missionary support. Paul writes that they were with him and ministered to him both in giving and receiving and also in prayers. Paul says in Phillippians 4:17 that the reason he sent out his missionary prayer updates was not to make anyone feel guilty about how much they were (or weren’t) giving. He was keeping the churches informed because above all he wants them to join with him in the work so that they too are fruitful at the judgment seat of Christ. Now, I have to admit, this idea is a bit crazy to me. Paul is saying that somehow, through support, the church at Philippi was receiving a return on the work Paul was doing. That God was applying the investments Paul made to the account of those who were sacrificing with him, even though they were not there physically suffering beatings with him or preaching and discipling with him. This extended blessing, according to verse 14, is based on the Philippians willingness to communicate with his affliction.
Have you ever gotten into a conversation on a topic that you knew little about and realized that you were in over your head? Unfortunately, much of missions prayer is done from this position. We jump into a conversation that we know little about, typically only when a missions focused service forces us to, and quickly realize we have no idea how to pray as we ought. What made the Philippians support of Paul so powerful was the relationships they had with him. They supported him, financially and prayerfully, because they knew him, his heart, and his sufferings. So powerful prayer support is based on relationships. Watch what will happen to your prayers if you take time to get to know the missionary. Notice how your heart aches when they go into difficult times; notice how you start to own the burden, even though you may be physically or geographically far removed from the work; notice how you will start to communicate with their afflictions.
Nobody knows how to pray for a missionary as much as those who have shared in the work with them. A close second is those who share the joys and hurts of the work in agonizing prayer. It is from this position that Paul can say that his fruit is also extended to your account because while he was laboring to plant, you were weeping to water those seeds.
“You need to support missions because your physical reach is limited”
There is no greater privilege in the world than to partner with God in the ministry of reconciliation. This is the mission. There is no greater investment than to invest in the work of God and the workers devoted to his work. You need to support missions because your physical reach is limited. But, by identifying with the afflictions of the missionary, God has given you the opportunity to have unlimited potential for fruit. It almost seems like a loophole that only the best accountants know how to exploit. God wants to bless you through the work done by those missionaries that you love and labor with. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
James Fyffe has been a missionary for the last five years in Pakistan. While currently on furlough waiting for God’s direction, he is back at Midtown Baptist Temple with his family. He is also a part of the Missions Support Team.