The Missionary and his Sending Church, Part 2

The point: Understand our mission policy and its roots in the word of God for the stability and cohesiveness of our prayers and vision as a congregation.

Martin recounts the joy of commissioning a home missionary to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and preaching at that congregation's 20th anniversary, illustrating the long-term fruit of their missions policy.

providential dealings with us as a congregation. And in pursuit of that practice, we had the joy long before we had a building of our own of commissioning a home missionary, sending him out to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in a church planting endeavor. And I had the joy a few months ago of preaching at the 20th anniversary of that congregation. And then as the work here developed and as the years passed, we were driven again and again to the scriptures, seeking to extract the precepts, the principles, and the precedents that ought to shape our mission's policy. Then in February of 1987, we were abl...

2:40 - 4:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not send 'flunkies' or incompetent individuals to the mission field, but rather proven, well-equipped, experienced servants of Christ with sufficient gift of utterance.

The example of Barnabas bringing Saul to Antioch to teach for a year illustrates the need for missionaries to have sufficient gift of utterance and to seek help when needed to build up young saints.

To evangelize effectively and to build up young saints into a measure of maturity in Christ, Acts 14. They so spake that a multitude believed, and concerning Barnabas, he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost, and he exhorted that infant church at Antioch that with purpose of heart they should cleave unto the Lord. And when Barnabas ran out of sermons. And felt he was in over his head, he chased off after Saul, brought him in, and for a whole year together they taught and much people was added unto the Lord.

13:15 - 13:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Obey the rule of sending missionaries forth with at least one fellow worker, as this would greatly advance the cause of missions.

The sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark's qualifications, leading to their separation, illustrates that even in conflict, the principle of not sending a 'lone ranger' missionary was upheld.

And in contrasting Acts 13, 1 through 4 with the end of Acts 15. You have a context. Of waiting upon God where the spirit is not grieved by the leadership and the Holy Ghost says, separate me, Saul and Barnabas for the work where unto I have called them at the end of Acts 15. You have a context of sharp disagreement.

15:37 - 16:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Obey the rule of sending missionaries forth with at least one fellow worker, as this would greatly advance the cause of missions.

Martin quotes Bishop Ryle's comment on Mark 6:7, stating that if the rule of sending missionaries in pairs had been more obeyed, the cause of missions would be much greater advanced, underscoring the importance of companionship.

And so in studying this matter of the companionship element in the work of missions, we came to the conclusion so beautifully articulated by Bishop Ryle in his comments on expository thoughts on the Gospel of Mark. And I commend his comments to you so that you do not regard this as a simplistic biblicism. But. Our good friend, the bishop says, if this rule, he calls it a rule, had only been more obeyed and recognized, the cause of missions would be much greater advanced in our day.

16:50 - 17:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain a vital and dynamic relationship between missionaries and their sending church, involving periodic visits, reports, and reintegration.

Martin uses the current visit of missionaries Steve and Carol Hoffmeyer to illustrate the vital need for periodic reintegration and re-acquaintance between missionaries and their sending church, especially for new members who haven't met them.

easy to answer what is the relationship of the sent ones to their home church and we saw in such passages as the end of Acts chapter 14 that the relationship of the missionary to his sending church is to be a vital relationship one that involved periodic visits reports and a real live ministry to the home church that there might be reintegration to the church semłość that there might be a quite intense made word the newly added members of that church and it was at that point that I asked how many of you have never seen Steve and carol Hoffmeyer face to face and about a third of the hands in th...

20:42 - 22:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He then addresses the relationship of missionaries to planted churches, noting the apostolic practice of guiding churches to recognize indigenous leadership rather than…

Martin uses the analogy of a corpse being fully static to emphasize that a living church is dynamic, growing, and changing, requiring a dynamic relationship with its missionaries.

all right universal language which was whenever the wonderful of that were true you guys in the academy would have all those headaches pastor nichols wouldn't be having his mustache turned gray trying to teach you greek that's right all right we had a universal language and we had in many ways we had universal culture you had both hebrew culture in these pockets of the jews who would have their life centered around synagogue gatherings and the instruction there and then also the greco-roman culture so those are a couple of factors which mean that the situation is radically different when we se...

26:10 - 27:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Respect the principle of local scrutiny and voluntary acceptance for eldership in planted churches, rather than imposing leaders from the sending church.

The story of Pastors Dixon and Bob guiding the Moonwalk Community Bible Fellowship to formal constitution and local scrutiny of Steve Hoffmeyer as an elder illustrates the process of establishing indigenous leadership in a planted church.

That is joyful voluntary acceptance of this man as a gift of Christ to give spiritual leadership and oversight. And that is exactly what transpired there in the Moonwalk Church. When Pastor Dixon and Pastor Bob were in the Philippines. They were in the Philippines.

33:47 - 34:08 Read in full sermon

The point: When entering a mission area with existing churches of like faith and order, identify with them, seek their counsel, and avoid acting as though they do not exist.

Martin recounts Paul's ignoble escape from Damascus in a basket, noting Paul's later use of this as a 'stroke of iron' to mark his apostleship, illustrating his willingness to suffer for Christ and validating his testimony to the Jerusalem church.

that's pretty interesting isn't it if ever a church could be accused of having unrealistic standards it would be the Jerusalem church but there's no indication God frowned on their holy skepticism so what happened well the Lord very kindly brought along someone who knew he was not a fifth columnist he was not a good fake he was the real thing but Barnabas took him in took him I'm sorry and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him there's his individual testimony but now here's his external validation and how at Damascu...

42:01 - 43:28 Read in full sermon

The point: When entering a mission area with existing churches of like faith and order, identify with them, seek their counsel, and avoid acting as though they do not exist.

The story of Pastor Blaise's call to East London and the elders' decision to send him to consult with existing evangelical and Calvinistic Baptist pastors illustrates the principle of identifying with and consulting existing churches in a mission area.

saying it's been lovely to have you but Lord in a basket so perhaps even that was brought in he's for real he's been willing to expose his very life for the sake of Christ then what happened and it says he was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem preaching boldly in the name of the Lord he identified himself with the church that already existed and then from that base he exercised his ministry now again we have the factor of an apostle so we can't make one to one equations but certainly there seems to be a principle and the principle is this that when a missionary is sent into an area...

43:28 - 44:57 Read in full sermon

The point: When entering a mission area with existing churches of like faith and order, identify with them, seek their counsel, and avoid acting as though they do not exist.

The example of Steve Hoffmeyer spending a summer under Brian Ellis's oversight and then being sent to become part of the Cabajo church in Manila illustrates the principle of missionaries working under the oversight of existing churches in the area.

and was shared with the entire eldership and discussed and prayed over the first thing we did was to send him I can't recall whether it was two or three weeks it was at least two and possibly three weeks to go into that general area of London and meet with every evangelical pastor and particularly any of the strict Baptist pastors Calvinistic Baptist pastors who were anywhere in that area and to sit down with them and to share his concern and burden and to ask them whether or not they believed that another church was needed in that area there was consultation with the churches in that area bef...

44:57 - 46:26 Read in full sermon