Introduction; the Tasks of Missionaries, Part 1

Introduction to the Missions Policy Series and Transition from Covenant Theology

0:00 This Adult Sunday School class was held on June 25, 1989, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now, it has already been my joy to be introduced to one visitor, and I'm sure there are others visiting with us today, and we do cordially welcome you in Christ's name to this, our adult class, which, in a very real sense, is the backbone of the more formal teaching ministry of our assembly. And lest those of you visiting here today think that I do all the work, I assure you that for many months I've been sitting where you sit,

0:44 having my own heart warmed and my mind instructed, as Pastor Nichols has led us in an extensive study of the very profound and yet wonderfully helpful subject of God's covenants. And that subject matters. And that subject matter was completed last Lord's Day, prior to Pastor Nichols leaving for South Africa. And many of us, I am sure, found our hearts burning within us, Lord's Day by Lord's Day, as we were led to an examination of God's oath-sworn promises to do good to the sinful sons and daughters of Adam.

1:29 And in the light of those studies, it should not be difficult, for us, to make a transition into the subject matter that I have been asked to handle by my fellow elders today and for five subsequent Sunday mornings in this adult class. And that subject is, in the general realm of missions, and more particularly, the missions policy of our church. And I say the transition should not be difficult, because if you were here for the studies on the Abrahamic covenant, you know that, to Abraham, And God made an oath sworn promise that through his seed the nations of the earth would be blessed.

2:14 And if you were here for the studies on the Davidic covenant, you know that God had promised that a seed of David would sit upon the throne of David, dispensing the sure mercies of David, which are nothing less than the blessings of salvation through the Messiah. And then if you were here for the studies on the Messianic covenant, you know that the covenant made with Messiah was that God would give him a light unto the Gentiles, that he would be his servant to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. So I say, if our hearts burned and our minds were truly instructed,

2:55 and all of that was not just a passing spiritual indulgence, but true edification, then the transition... The transition into the subject of missions should be a very natural one.

The Precise Limits of Our Study: Trinity Baptist Church's Specific Policy

3:07 In fact, it ought to be one for which we are actually eager. Now, as we begin our study, what I wish to do by way of introduction, in, I hope, the first 20 minutes this morning, is to set before you four considerations which, as an introduction, set the field of our study. And the first point of the introduction is, the precise limits of our study. I have been directed by my fellow elders to lead you in a study which has as its focus the missions policy of Trinity Baptist Church.

3:44 In other words, we will not be dealing just with what we might call the generic or changeless principles of missions derived from the Word of God, which would find application in different specificities, in specific ways, in different places, and in different congregations. But I have been asked to take up the subject of the specific missions policy of Trinity Baptist Church. So what we will be doing again and again is going to the Scriptures,

4:24 seeking to lay hold of the precepts and principles and precedents of Scripture, and then articulate, why we are applying those principles in the specific ways that we are applying them in this specific Church, at this specific time. And we must keep in mind that that is the precise focus of our study. I will not be here pontificating for the whole Church of Christ, throughout the entire world, with respect to principles and practices of missionary endeavors.

5:03 endeavor so that as we work through these matters, let us constantly remind ourselves of the precise limits of our study. I'm a man under authority, and having been asked to speak on the missions policy of Trinity Baptist Church, I am not at liberty simply to articulate general principles and leave them there, or to make an effort to say how they ought to be applied in other contexts. We articulate them and then seek to give the rationale and the explanation of how and why they work out in this way in our own assembly. All right, so that's the first point of introduction

Origins of Trinity Baptist Church's Missions Policy: A 20-Year Development

5:44 is to keep before us the precise limits of our study. Secondly, we need to know something about the origins of our policy as articulated in this study. If you ask the question, where did this missionary policy for Trinity Baptist Church come from? Was one of the elders sleeping ten years ago and suddenly awakened by the sound of the flutter of angels' wings? And then a voice from the netherworld speaking,

6:16 O elder of Trinity Baptist Church, hear the word of the Lord. Get out thy pen and pencil, I will articulate thy missionary policy. Well, alas, that would make things a lot easier, but I know of no such practice. Well, alas, that would make things a lot easier, but I know of no such practice. Well, alas, that would make things a lot easier, but I know of no such practice.

6:31 Now, the present elder on the eldership of Trinity Baptist Church who makes any such claim, if he did, he would soon be shorn of his office, I assure you. And we would have him in a place where we've ministered for a number of years there on the border of Verona and Cedar Grove on Fairview Avenue. And the members of Trinity Baptist Church know the institution to which I refer, know the origins of our policy as articulated in this study. did not drop down to us out of heaven nor have we looked out around us and tried to see, well, what does this church do and what does this church do and this church do

7:15 and let's pick and choose what we think is the best and collate it and let's run with it. But rather, the origins of what I will be articulating as the mouthpiece of your elders goes way back to the beginnings of our life together in January of 1967. Now, some of you hadn't even seen the light of day then. But way back in that ancient history, right from the very beginnings, may I say it, I trust without being crude, but to drive home the point, we were hardly washed from our birth blood as a church when the concern of the church was to be involved in the work of God.

7:59 And one of our first policies established long before we had elders and beacons and even a membership was the decision to take 10% of all of our income right from the beginning and begin to give it to missionary endeavors beyond our own shores. So, in a sense, we were born spiritually as a church in a context, albeit very limited and very elementary, but nonetheless very real. A context of missionary concern. And over the years, that concern expanded as we studied the scriptures, as we wrestled with the questions of should we make a distinction between home missions

8:43 and foreign missions? Where does the Bible make that distinction? Is missions the propagation of the gospel and the establishment of churches 10 miles away, 30, 100, 1,000, 10,000? Or at what point does it cease to be a mission?

8:59 Does it cease to be home missions, become foreign missions? And we wrestled with those issues. And while we were wrestling, we were seeking to live up to the light we had. So, having been constituted a church only about a year, we gave ourselves to a missionary endeavor to plant a church 100 miles west of us.

9:18 And I had the joy a couple of months ago of going and preaching at the 20th anniversary of that church, which was the first fruits of our missionary endeavor. So, right along in the life, and history, and experience of Trinity Church, there has been an emerging missionary policy and practice. But for a number of years, it was sort of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants operation. Now, you all know what that terminology means, or am I dating myself again?

9:47 Back before the technology needed to fly an F-16 and an F-4 fighter during the Second World War, fighters who, fighter pilots who flew by their instinct, and not by their limited instruments, were said to fly by the seat of their pants. That is, they flew by feel and instinct, rather than by a careful adherence to their instrumentation. Well, that's what we were doing. We were seeking to feel our way in the area of missionary policy and articulating principles as we moved along, and as we were confronted with a problem, driven to the Scripture, sought to walk in the light of that.

10:28 And I think that's what we were doing. I could underscore many instances, but time will not permit it. But then, in February of 87, and here's a significant date, in February of 1987, at the annual elders' retreat, one of our major items on the agenda was the attempt to articulate and put down in some kind of structured and orderly fashion our present missionary policy.

10:57 And so what I will be doing in these classes is articulating what came into some kind of discernible and tangible, concrete, structured expression at an elders' retreat in February of 1987. Leading up to that time, several of the men were assigned specific responsibilities to examine the word of God on crucial issues. For example, Pastor Nichols was assigned to work through all of the verbs used to describe the activity of missionaries in the book of Acts, and to do so in his Greek Testament.

11:38 And here are some of the study sheets where we have a family of words with respect to the whole matter of preaching and teaching and proclaiming the gospel. Dialego, dialegomai, all of these references. Uangelizo, uangelion. Uangelistas, evangelist.

11:58 Pro-angelizamai. Catangelo. And all of these various words and their usages in the gospels and acts, and much study of a formal nature preceded this articulation of the policy into some structured form. So it was not done hastily or overnight, nor, and I want to emphasize this, is it final.

12:25 Final. And inflexible. Just as for years we felt our way along seeking light, and then in 1987 sought to crystallize the light we had up to that point, we are not at all convinced that God has given us the last word on our missionary policy. As we continue to wrestle with scripture, as we continue to wrestle with our responsibilities, the deposit of gift, the pressures of divine providence, we are convinced.

12:56 That there will be further unfolding of the mind and will of God. There will be some mid-course corrections in our policy, but with respect to some of these fundamental issues, if you ever hear us change on some of these, you'll know it's time to rise up and challenge your leadership, or leave and go someplace that is sticking more closely to the word of God. So what I will be articulating as expressive of our missionary policy in 19...

13:26 In 1987, when it was formally brought to some kind of tangible structure, is not something that was hastily done on one elder's retreat, but that elder's retreat was the cumulative input of the experience and the study over many years, going back to 67, about 20 years, and it is neither final nor inflexible. All right, now thirdly, by way of introduction, having said a word about the precise limits of our study...

The Fundamental Conviction: Absolute Sufficiency of God's Word

13:56 The origins of our policy as articulated in the study, third point of introduction, the fundamental conviction which undergirds our study, the fundamental conviction which undergirds our study, we are dealing with this subject of the missionary policy of Trinity Baptist Church. Is there someone who would venture a guess as to what the most fundamental undergirding conviction of this study will be?

14:26 Maybe I should phrase the question this way, when we articulated our policy in 87, what was the most fundamental bedrock conviction which you think regulated our thinking, hence our judgment, hence our conclusions, hence our policy? All right, Jerry, stand up and say that at about 10 more decibels, Jerry. All right, you all hear that? You've hit the nail right on the head.

15:03 The absolute sufficiency... The absolute sufficiency...

15:06 The absolute sufficiency of the word of God with reference to this subject, and that conviction grows, of course, out of our understanding of and commitment to such a passage as 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17. Paul has reminded Timothy that he has known the sacred writings, which in Timothy's case would have been primarily, if not exclusively, at that time, the Old Testament scriptures. The Old Testament scriptures. From a child, from a babe—a brefos, from a nursing babe he has known the scriptures, which are able to make one wise to salvation.

15:46 But then Paul goes on to say, in verse 16, all scriptures, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, all scripture is inspired of God, that is, breathed out of the very mouth of God, and is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction... Paul is connected to the vision of truth, as well as the vision of goodness.

15:56 Mark, you think... Yeah.

15:58 He has used the allegation that when a church receives an attention, it has very little effect on the drawing of the buenas o' cloths or the law in the world. Well, he didn't take the power of the Holy Spirit ever into account. I think she used them all. But will you agree probably?

16:05 Mm-hmm. or training which is in righteousness, now notice verse 17, that the man of God, and in this case that has an explicit reference to Timothy, 1 Timothy 6.10, but thou, O man of God, that is a designation for a recognized servant of Christ, which has its tap roots in the Old Testament prophetic ministry. And he says, Timothy, scripture is all of this, that you as a man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. So you have God-breathed scripture sufficient

16:48 to equip the man of God unto every good work, even the good work of missionary ministry. Endeavor. So with reference to this whole matter, we are simply expressing what is beautifully articulated in our own confession of faith. And I want to read several statements from our 1689 London Baptist Confession. The opening words of the first chapter of our confession are these,

17:19 The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. It is the only sufficient rule of obedience. So in our obedience to the Great Commission, the only sufficient rule is scripture itself. Then in paragraph 6 we read, The whole counsel of God, that is the whole mind and will of God, concerning all things,

17:58 necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down, that is, you'll find an explicit statement, or necessarily contained in the Holy Scriptures. Some things are not stated, Thou shalt do this. But if we understand what is in a text, we will see contained in it the principle we need. For example, when Paul says, Proverbs 5, 1-10, and Paul is proving that elders who labor in the Word and in Doctrine and do it well, should be remunerated, he says,

18:37 the laborer is worthy of his hire, quoting the Lord Jesus. And then he says this, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And then in 1 Corinthians 9 he says, Did God say this for the dumb ox's sake? He said no! He said it for our sake. In other words, contained in that injunction in

18:58 in the old testament thou shall not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn is a principle that ought to regulate our missionary policy that missionaries who labor in the proclamation of the gospel should live of the gospel and that's the conclusion paul draws even so hath the lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel now that's what our confession means when it says the whole counsel of god concerning all things is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the holy scripture now listen carefully unto which nothing

19:40 no thing at any time is to be added whether by new revelations of the spirit or traditions of men you so we are not regulated in our missionary policies by traditions of men or people who claim to have new revelations of the spirit or what is the curse of missions in our day the so-called new revelations of anthropology anthropology as a study primarily under the pressure of humanistic views of man is the great guru who dictates to modern missiologists

20:24 and computers have taken over and computerized demographics dictate missionary policy brethren these things ought not so to be ought not so to be if we are a confessional church that declares the whole counsel of god concerning all things necessary for god's glory and surely the fulfillment of the promises of the abrahamic davidic and messianic covenants are necessary for god's glory and we're going to find our materials in the word of god and then paragraph 10 the supreme judge by which all controversies of religion

21:09 are be determined even the controversy of how should missions be done and all decrees of counsels opinions of ancient writers doctrines of men private spirits that is our own individual judgment are to be examined and and in whose sentence we are to rest can be no other but the holy scripture delivered by the spirit into which scripture so delivered our faith is finally resolved in other words dear people we ask you to embrace intelligently support wholeheartedly the missionary policy

21:48 of trinity baptist church only so far as we can convince your church to believe in the judgment from the word of god that that policy is rooted in the scriptures but if it's rooted in the scriptures then you are to be supportive of it not because well that's the way my church does it i like it but because your lord whom you profess to love has mandated and he has said if you love me keep my commandments all right then there is a fourth word of introduction and i'm just going to go through it and then i'm going to go through it and then i'm going to go about on target i've taken 17 minutes and i said i wanted to complete my introduction in 20 minutes

Crucial Difficulty: The Unique Role of Apostles in the Book of Acts

22:29 and that is what i'm calling a crucial area of difficulty in undertaking such a study a crucial area of difficulty in undertaking such a study now there are many areas of concern and many problems and many difficulties but there is a particularly crucial area of difficulty and i think i can milk it out of you with a question or two in considering the biblical principles and precepts and precedents for missions what book in the bible will be our primary not exclusive but our primary source book all right

23:11 tom acts all right how many agree with tom how many disagree how many are cowards and unwilling to say all right okay good all right we got one honest man over there vince good yes the book of acts now will someone tell me second question what is the full title of the book of the acts without looking at your bible all right cliff the acts of the apostles the acts of the apostles now perhaps a more accurate title should be if you'll turn to the book of acts

23:49 a more accurate title according to luke's own emphasis i believe should be the acts of jesus christ to the apostles well you'll notice we read in acts one one the former treatise i made oh theophilus that is the book of luke concerning all that jesus began both to do and to teach until the day in which he was received up after that he had given commandment through the holy spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen to whom he showed himself alive etc so he says my former treatise contains the

24:31 record of the things that jesus began to do in other words his work is not complete there's a work he did while on earth in the period of his humiliation there is now a work that the ascended christ does in heaven by the spirit through his apostles now can you see if the book of acts is a record of the acts primarily of the apostles not exclusively why the book of acts is a record of the acts primarily of the apostles not exclusively why the why that causes an area of difficulty in undertaking this study of seeking to grasp missionary policy and to apply it to our own church why should that create any difficulty

25:16 someone want to venture a guess all right let's go back here ron all right are the acts of the apostles in every area normative for all christians in all ages and in all circumstances yes or no no i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't know i hope we're clear on that question as a church no the bible is clear that apostles had a unique

25:57 position with unique authority validated by unique gifts you got that a unique position there is no perpetuity of the apostleship when the last apostle had the death rattle in his throat that was it no more apostles amen a unique position and they had unique authority

26:20 validate that position and authority, they had unique gifts. Now, we know they had the unique position because in Ephesians 2, we are told that the church is built upon the foundation of the what? Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself, the chief cornerstone, Ephesians 2.20. We also

26:39 know that from Revelation 21, 9 and 14, when John looks up to see the bride, the wife of the lamb, he sees a city coming down with 12 foundations on which are the names of the 12 apostles of the lamb, a unique position. Then with that, they had unique authority. Paul could say in 1 Corinthians 14.37, if any man seems to be spiritual or a prophet, let him acknowledge that the things which I say unto you are the entole, the commandments of the Lord. Apostles' words

27:16 equal to the commandments of the Lord. Equal the words of Christ, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you as apostles. That's the unique authority. And then the unique gifts in 2 Corinthians 12.12, Paul says, the signs

27:35 of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience by signs and wonders and mighty works. Now, you see, this, it creates a tremendous difficulty in this matter of seeking to articulate missionary policy. And we ought to be honest about that. And as your elders, when we're wrestling through the biblical materials, and we come and we see that in a given place, one of the major factors in awakening a whole community to hear the gospel was that Paul healed a sick man, are we to reason? Let's start

28:13 having prayer and fasting meetings that God will raise up healers. So before we send Jonathan to the Philippines, we got to send a healer with him. We said, no, that's not right. Why? Because we recognize the uniqueness of the office and the position and

28:33 authority and gifts of an apostle. However, in the midst of all of that, there are certain principles that have now merged into the standing life and responsibility of the church, and this is where we need, as our own confession says, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to make a proper use of the scriptures. Now, a secondary problem that grows out of that is that not only did you have apostles, you had direct apostolic connections and direct apostolic representatives. You had men like Philip who were not apostles, but received from the apostles directly the power to do miraculous things. And you had pilgrims who were not apostles, but received from the apostles

29:18 direct commandments and governing principles in living contact with apostles. And we don't have any such people today. And yet so much of missionary policy is also found in the pastoral epistles. So you see, this is no simple thing. This will help you to appreciate why we were 20

29:37 years before we felt we were even in a position to begin to attempt to articulate a missionary policy of our church. All right? So those are the four principles that have now merged into the four introductory perspectives that I would set before you. The precise limits of our study, it's the missionary policy of Trinity Baptist Church, the origins of our policy as we articulate the study, not hasty, not something done overnight, no claiming of direct revelation, and it's certainly not final and unchangeable, and then the fundamental undergirding conviction, the absolute sufficiency of the word of God, and fourthly, the crucial,

30:18 area of difficulty in undertaking the study is the gnawing awareness that everywhere you turn in the book of Acts, you've got an apostle with his unique position, unique authority, and unique gifts. All right, any question now on those introductory principles that would not get us too far afield, but are those clear to you now in setting the field of our study? Now, my fellow elders didn't give me that material. That had to be worked out in the sweat and toil at Albert N.

30:49 study. They gave me much help in the policy, but they didn't ease us into it that way. All right, so I claim full responsibility for the introduction. If any of my fellow elders said, hey, I don't remember that stuff, if you want to take exception to me, see me afterwards, and I'll attempt to defend what I've done, but I do want to say in all honesty that introductory material is the fruit of my own attempt to ease you into the study and prepare you for it. Now, in the course of our study, we're

Overview of the Seven Areas of Trinity Baptist Church's Missions Policy

31:18 going to attempt to cover the introduction of the book of Acts, and I'm going to attempt to cover the book of Acts, and I'm going to attempt to cover the book of Acts, and I'm going to attempt to cover the seven areas of the missionary policy of Trinity Baptist Church. Now, don't try to write all these down, because we'll take them up one by one, but I want you to just for a minute back off, and let's turn the telescope around and look through the big end and see, as it were, in little mini-print what we're going to cover. First of all, we're going to address, and we'll start that this morning, the identity of the primary tasks involved in missions. According to the scriptures, what is the primary task involved in missions? It's the identity of the primary tasks involved in missions.

31:50 Secondly, we're going to deal with the authorization and warrant for undertaking and overseeing the work of missions. Some of them might ask, well, who in the world do you think you are as a church involved in missions? That's the job of mission boards. You ain't experts on missions. What in the world are

32:08 you guys doing? Are you a bunch of egomaniacs? What are you doing? What authorization do you as a local church have to be undertaking and overseeing the work of missions? Well, we want to answer

32:22 that from the Bible. Thirdly, we're going to look at the practice of inter-church cooperation in the work of missions. Our missionary policy involves many other churches, both in prayer, support, and counsel. Well, where do we get that idea? Well, we want to show the biblical basis of that.

32:40 Fourthly, the selection of missionaries. We don't have the Holy Spirit speaking directly as apparently he did through perhaps a word of prophecy in Acts 13. The Holy Spirit said, separate Paul and Barnabas. Boy, that's wonderful when a true prophet stands up and says, in the name of the Lord, Saul and Barnabas, send them out. You just throw a quick salute to the Lord and say, yes, Lord, send them

33:03 on their way. We don't have such revelation. What principles must guide us in the selection of our missionaries? Fifthly, companionship in the work of missions. Do we have a right to send men out

33:15 alone or just with their wives? Or should they be sent two by two or in groups, in teams? Does the Bible tell us that? Does the Bible tell us that? Does the Bible tell us that? Does the Bible tell us that?

33:22 Does the Bible tell us that? Does the Bible tell us that? Does the Bible tell us that? Does the Bible give us any light on that question? Well, we're going to wrestle with that. Sixth, the relation of missionaries to the sending

33:30 churches and to the churches already planted. Now, here's where you get wheels within wheels.

33:37 Here's Trinity Baptist Church. Here's Kubao Reform Baptist Church in the Philippines. What's the relationship of a Steve Hoffmeyer who's sent out from this church to this church with a view to planting another church in the Philippines? What's the relationship of a Steve Hoffmeyer who's sent out from this church out of a Bible study in the moonwalk subdivision of Manila? What lines of

34:00 authority is this man subject to? Who's he take his orders from? Oh, yeah, from the Lord. But the Lord through whom? To the elders here? To the elders here? To a combination of the two? Or does

34:15 he just do his own thing? Well, that's a good question. We're going to wrestle with it. And then finally, we're going to deal with the essential elements of biblical methodology and strategy of missions.

34:26 As we wrestle as elders with the whole question of where should we put our eggs into what basket and what shape basket and who should carry it? What are the biblical principles that should guide us in methodology and strategy of mission? So I've got no little task to accomplish in the next five and a half lesson times. All right, so let's take up number one. In the remaining 20

The Identity of Primary Tasks in Missions: Distinguishing Core from Ancillary Activities

34:51 minutes, we'll begin to take up number one.

34:56 Take up number two if you're worried about 1.635. Look at this, C cię I. Listen up, please.

35:02 He says 10.375 minutes of 10 and 42 real history, and the Bible isn't 15 minutes of knowledge,

35:14 but chances are I've taken up a whole lot of research on that.

35:19 And I'm going to put that into context of what we're going to do next in part two, because I'm going to draw certain things out of it later. All right? on every phrase and every line like you would in your devotions, but take a pencil and read through the book of Acts and circle every word that describes the activities of those who were involved in missions in the book of Acts. What were they doing? Circle such

35:46 words as they went into the synagogue and they reasoned out of the scriptures and they disputed and they preached the gospel in that city. That's what I mean. Circle the words which say what they did, because you see, that's what we are attempting to do this morning. We want to ascertain the identity of the primary tasks involved in the work of missions. Well, all right, with that little homework assignment behind us, let's ask the

36:17 question, what primarily are missionaries supposed to do? Now, please listen carefully in spite of how carefully I qualify it. I know somebody's going to misquote me and misrepresent me. Now, listen carefully. Oh, listen in. Working up your ears? We are not

36:33 dealing with the question, what may or what ought an ordinary Christian to do who goes to another town or another country as a Christian presence? We're not dealing with the question whether it's right for a Christian who has building skills to go to an underground underdeveloped nation as a Christian man and to use his skills to help those people to learn how to use their own raw materials to build more decent housing and while doing it be a Christian witness. We are not questioning the desirability and the right and in some cases the duty of an individual Christian to do that. We're not dealing with the question

37:16 of an individual doctor who goes to a hospital in some foreign country, a hospital that may have been originally a Christian hospital, but who goes to a hospital in some foreign country, a hospital that may have been originally a Christian hospital, but who goes to a hospital in some foreign country, a hospital that may have been originally a Christian hospital, but who goes to a hospital in some foreign country, a hospital that may have been originally built by a mission board and uses his medical skills. We are not dealing with the question of what an individual Christian may do as a Christian presence using his God-given skills and talents to help people. That is not the question. I don't have to state it any more plainly, and yet sure as anything, I'm going to get shot in the head because as the monserate people shouldn't build hospitals and build cities. I'm going to get shot in the head

37:55 schools. I didn't say that. I am asking the question, are missionaries supposed to go out as missionaries and build schools and gather all the little kids together and teach them how to read and how to write and teach them their Bibles? Is that what missionaries are primarily called to do? Well, if you looked at missionary activity back in the 19th century, you'd sure think so,

38:22 because that's what many of them were involved in doing. But is that what the Bible says they should have been doing? The question, is that what the Bible says? Does the Bible say that missionaries are supposed to go and build hospitals and staff the hospitals and minister to the sick?

38:43 Or in our day, should you go out and build a little amphitheater and bring in your trained gospel mime team to communicate the gospel in non-verbal forms to get the attention of the people? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

38:56 of people who are not too much taken up with abstract thought expressed in verbal concepts, but they are people who are very, very sensitive, so the anthropologists tell us, to visual impressions. Are we free to adopt what a missionary is to do to some so-called insight of the anthropologists? Well, that's our question, dear people. Do you see it? Now,

39:19 separate it from the other. I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but 38 years of ministry have have taught me you can be you can stand up here and say this is a square that is not a circle this is a circle and sure enough someone will go out and draw this and say pastor martin said that's not a square so the years have taught me i'm not getting old and crotchety i just think i'm getting old and more experienced all right now then in terms of the basic biblical text which answer the question what are missionaries to do and here class i want your help what do you think are some

Biblical Texts Defining Missionary Tasks: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Acts 14

39:59 of the most crucial and pivotal passages and i'll give you a little hint one or two of them are found in the gospels and one or two of them are found in the book of acts crucial passages that tell us what missionaries are supposed to do and i give you a hint one of them is found in the first gospel and it's found near the end of the first gospel all right let's see all right mike all right matthew chapter 28 and verse 19 i did all but put the cat in your lap i even let him out of the bag

40:42 all right matthew 28 verse 19 hear the ascended christ let's back up to verse 18 jesus came to them and spake unto them saying all authority hath been given unto you to me in heaven on earth in other words there's no realm where legitimate authority exists that is not deposited in jesus christ so no mission board no group of elders no group of missiologists no group of anthropologists no group of ecclesiastics has any authority to supersede

41:20 that of christ to negate to cancel the orders of christ all authority is his now he expresses that authority in a directive go ye therefore that would give the impression that that was an imperative it is not it's a participle going therefore assuming that they would go and the imperative to go is found in other accounts of the great commission here's the imperative make disciples of all the nations and now two more participles as they make disciples they are to engage in two attempts to make disciples of all the nations and now two more participles as they make disciples they are to engage in two attempts to make disciples of all the nations and now two more participles as they make disciples

41:59 and subsequent activities baptizing them that is those who are made disciples from all the nations they have to be baptized into the name of the triune god and then teaching them to observe all things that's intensive whatsoever that's extensive i have commanded you and then the wonderful promise you see that they're not doing this on their own and lo i am with you and i am with you always it is the acts of jesus christ through the apostles i am with you always even unto the end of

42:37 the world or the consummation of the age now from that passage we learn that there is a crucial emphasis upon the making of disciples the bringing of those disciples to an open confession of their attachment of christ in the divinely ordained life of the holy spirit and in the divine life of the holy life of the holy spirit and in the divine life of the holy spirit and in the divine life of the holy life of the holy spirit and in the divine life of the holy spirit and in the divine life of the holy initiatory ordinance of baptism and then securing for those disciples a framework of instruction that will expose them to the broad spectrum of the will of christ as their lord and their master all right another pivotal passage either from one of the gospels of the book of acts that gives us

43:21 sort of a summary of missionary activity yes buddy all right mark 16 and verse 15 if we regard this section and we'll come to this god willing in some months when we reach mark 16 the question of whether or not mark actually wrote this section of the gospel but let's assume now for the sake of our discussion that this is the inspired word of god verse 15 and he said unto them go ye into all the world and build hospitals go into all the world and build schools build

44:01 amphitheaters no go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation so in the making of disciples they are to make disciples not by holding a gun at people's head and saying are you going to be a christian or not make up your mind quick i'm counting to three nor are you to put them in a school and try by throwing out the cookies of an education and being kind to them to seduce them into becoming nominal christians who then become the leaders of the marxist revolutions this is it can be documented throughout africa and even in south america that most of the leaders of the

44:44 marxist revolutions in africa were trained in missionary schools very interesting no that isn't what he says preach the gospel to the whole creation all right now there's a pivotal tax in acts and some of you might find it pete if you get it i'll i'll i don't know what i'll do but let's see all right what is it now that's got some good stuff but that's not the text i'm fishing for so i'm gonna have to tell you all right good i'm glad i didn't make a i should have made a big promise i wouldn't have had to fulfill it all right but acts chapter 14 acts chapter 14 now i said there are many passages and and uh this may even appear a bit arbitrary but in studying the book of acts i personally

45:28 share the conviction of my fellow elders that this is perhaps the most crucial passage answering the question what primarily are missionaries to do so here's a description of some missionaries acts 14 21 when they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples sound like familiar language they returned to lystra and to iconium into antioch confirming now that word epis te rizzo is found five times one two three four times in the book of acts 14 21 and they had preached the gospel to acts and in each case it means literally strengthening the souls of the disciples

46:13 exhorting them to continue in the faith and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of god and when they had appointed for them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting they commended them to the lord on whom they had believed now because our time is moving quickly and i i enjoy drawing you out as a class but we've got to make tracks now in these last seven eight minutes let's try to focus upon the three essential tasks that are highlighted in these passages

Three Essential Tasks of Missionaries: Preaching, Organizing, Ordaining

46:52 and are supported literally by dozens and dozens of other passages in the book of acts and in the epistles the essential tasks are number one missionaries are to make disciples by preaching the gospel see verse 21 when they had preached the gospel and had made many disciples you see how that ties together matthew and mark made disciples of all the nations how not by healing their bodies not by educating their minds not by impinging upon their eyeballs

47:37 but by preaching the gospel to the whole creation and now we see the two things brought together they preached the gospel and by that means they made many disciples so they made disciples by preaching the gospel secondly they organized and confirmed churches you see that verse twenty two they confirmed or strengthened the souls of the disciples

48:17 they brought them into this relationship of a teaching ministry which began to make them strong and vigorous christians notice the same emphasis in verse forty one of chapter fifteen and he went through syria and cilicia this is paul and silas doing what confirming strengthening the churches chapter eighteen and verse twenty three of the book of acts and having spent some time there he departed and went through the region of galatia and phrygia in order establishing here's our same word confirming strengthening all the disciples

49:02 so you see the organizing and the strengthening of believers in an organization as an organization of statements that are then installed upon them as anomination assessors of the church will be also rather considered as 1800 and 68 into stable churches was one of the major activities of these missionaries. Now granted, certain things they did, no doubt, partook of unique apostolic authority. But extracting those elements, we see that since the commission of Jesus is make disciples and baptize them and teach them to the end of the age, even when all the apostles are dead and they only live in the apostolic writings, we are right to take our clue from Matthew 28

49:39 and say the abiding task of any church that claims to have a mission policy rooted in the word of God as to its principles and precepts will be one of making disciples by preaching the gospel, organizing and confirming or strengthening churches, and thirdly, ordaining elders in the churches, that is, providing permanent, qualified leadership. You see that in chapter 14, 23? When the believers were strong enough to have spiritual discernment enough to recognize true leadership, what did the apostles do and these missionaries do?

50:22 They guided them into the recognition of elders. Notice, not an elder in every church, one pastor, but it says, that when they had appointed for them elders, plural, in every single church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed. And that this was their universal concern. You find that sometimes when they couldn't do it personally, maybe they couldn't get back to an area where they had preached the gospel, made disciples and strengthened them, or maybe the people were not mature enough, yet, to be recognized as elders,

51:05 this concern was so crucial that when we turn to Titus chapter 1, we see this is the directive that Paul gave to Titus. Titus 1, verse 5.

51:20 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that is, the isle of Crete, that you should set in order the things that were wanting or lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave you charge. So these three essential tasks are the dominant tasks of the missionaries whose activities are recorded in the word of God. They made disciples by preaching, they organized and strengthened the churches, and then they secured permanent and qualified leadership. Now,

Observations on Missionary Tasks: Primacy of Evangelistic Preaching

52:04 I want to make two basic or three basic observations in the two remaining minutes, and then we'll pick up and amplify on one of these next week. Here are the observations. Number one, note the primacy of evangelistic preaching in the work of missions. This task is primary, foundational, and crucial.

52:26 Go through the book of Acts, as I hope some of you will do, speed read through and circle all the words that have to do with the verbal, moral, proclamation of the gospel, and then you'll understand why Paul could write as he did in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 17, the word or the preaching or the message of the cross. No, 1.17 is Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. To preach the gospel.

52:55 And then later on in the chapter, we read that the word or the message of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God, God ordained by the foolishness of the thing preached to save them that believe. Romans 10, No.

53:18 How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of those who come with stethoscope and sphygnometer and thermometer to heal us. No, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace. How shall they? How shall they hear without not a doctor, not an educator, not an actor?

53:40 How shall they hear without a preacher? Without a...

53:47 Oh, dear people, how desperate this emphasis is needed in our day. We're not distinguishing between the legitimate task of a Christian presence with his hammer and saw, with his seeds, with his bag of medicine, with his books and the rest. That is good. That is a legitimate activity, but don't call it mission.

54:14 Sign is one thing, but God is called another.

54:25 We have no right to do that. It confuses things.

54:30 Therefore, in our missionary policy as a church, we are committed to these dominant concerns, the primacy of evangelistic preaching in the work of missions. Secondly, the important relation between the manner, tone, and climate of evangelistic preaching and the blessing of God upon the ministry. This is where we'll pick up next week, God willing, looking at Acts 14.1, how they preached and how that relates to the people we send.

55:01 And then thirdly, there was an ancillary or secondary or attendant task of healing and benevolence. You'll see in the book of Acts that the miraculous power of healing given to the apostles often attracted the attention of men. Amen. Should we in our missionary endeavors consider such activities as ministering to men's temporal needs, not as missionary activity per se, but as an ancillary and attendant activity, creating a climate for the central task of preaching?

55:39 We have to ask that question and certainly benevolence. In their missionary endeavors, when they saw poor churches in one area, they stirred up the church. The church is in another area to respond. And Paul could say in Acts 20, these hands have provided for my own needs.

55:55 I've shown you the truth of the words of the Lord Jesus. It's more blessed to give than to receive. Well, we need to note those various emphases. And God willing, next week we'll pick up with that second observation on the kind of preaching God used in the book of Acts and then move into our second major area, what authorization.

Conclusion and Prayer

56:18 And warrant do we have as a Trinity Baptist Church to oversee and to undertake the work of missions? Well, let's pray and ask God to write these things upon our hearts.

56:33 Our Father, we thank you for your presence with us this morning, for the joy of holding in our hands a book, which we do believe is the sufficient, the final, the infallible revelation of your mind and will to men. And we pray that as a congregation we will become well-grounded in the policies and principles that ought to regulate our missionary endeavors. That when we pray for our missionaries, when we give week by week, knowing that a portion of our gifts go to support them in their endeavors, there will be no doubt in our minds but what we're doing, your work, your way, according to your word.

57:17 Seal then the word to our hearts. Continue to teach us. And if in anything we now err, show us our error and give us grace to correct it. For Jesus' sake.

57:29 Amen.