“A Heart For The World” (Part Two)

These are undoubtedly difficult and stretching times for the church and for missions organizations. What has contributed to that challenge? We saw some of the challenges to global ministry yesterday, and today we look at the tools we have to work with…

Evaluating Our Toolkit

• Prayer- “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Eph. 6:19-20).
• Money- “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, ‘HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ABIDES FOREVER.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9:8-11).
• People- “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.’” (Matt. 9:37-38)
• Materials- “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” (Matt. 25:35-36)
• Time- “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15-16)
• The Holy Spirit- not last due to lack of importance but as support to all that precede it. The Holy Spirit is absolutely vital to all of our endeavors in the church- temporal or eternal, local or cross-cultural, evangelistic or edifying, personal or corporate. Ultimately, all will fail to accomplish the purposes of God without the power of the Spirit.

Tomorrow we will consider the call to global outreach…