Sermon Central
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The World's Biggest Business
Contributed by Bruce Howell on Apr 17, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Christian Missions is still the world’s largest endeavor and here are the reasons why.
THE WORLD’S LARGEST BUSINESS
44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
WHEN JESUS WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD, He went to Jerusalem with Joseph and His mother. When His parents returned home, they thought Jesus was in the company of those returning home, but at the end of the day they couldn’t find him. At like any concerned parents, they went looking. After three days they found Him in the Temple and Mary asked Him, “Son, why have you treated us this way?” And He answered her question with a question: “Didn’t you know that I had to be about my Father’s business?”
In John’s Gospel, His answer includes these words: “For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). At another time Jesus said, “For I always do those things that please the Father” (John 8:29)
And He says to us, “As my Father has sent me, even so send I you.”
Don’t you think its high time we got down to business—our Father’s business!
I. What Is the Father’s Business?
1. The Father’s business—the thing that is dearest to His heart, is to rescue the perishing. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” When He was seeking and saving the lost, He was doing the Father’s business.
2. Like Jesus, we should also be about our Father’s business. In fact, it must become our business. It is the grandest and greatest business to ever be a part of.
Illus.: “Biggest Business in the World”
A missionary was seated on a plane next to a well-dressed young man and they soon began conversing. The missionary asked him what he did for a living. He answered, “I’m in big business.” “So am I,” replied the missionary. With that the young man remarked, “I cover the entire U.S. with my business.” “Well,” said the missionary, “I’ve traveled all over the world in connection with mine.” The young man continued: “I’m in partnership with my father. He’s a millionaire.” The missionary smiled and said, “I, too, am in partnership with my Father. He’s a multimillionaire.” The young man said, “We have representatives in most states.” The missionary replied, “We have representatives in almost every country in the world.” By this time the young man looked at the missionary and said, “What sort of business are you in, anyway?” When the missionary explained, the young man said, “Sir, you’re not just in big business. You’re in the biggest!”
II. Why Christian Missions is the
Biggest Business
1. Because of the SIZE of the task—6 billion people on this planet. The population has increased faster in the last 60 years than during all the previous centuries put together. At present, it is increasing at the rate of a million a week
For example, Hong Kong has about 6 million—45% under the age of 20; 90% never go to church.
All of this simply means that there are more people to be reached than ever before in the history of the Church.
But to God, all of this is more than mere statistics. Each individual is precious to Him. He knows their name. Jesus died for them. Once a minister was visiting a family and noticed many children in the home, so he asked the mother, “How many children do you have?” She began to count them off on her fingers: “John, Lucy, Mary, David…” Then the minister interrupted and said, “I don’t need their names. I just want to know the number.” The mother replied, “I’m sorry, Reverend. They have names, not numbers.”
So also in God’s sight, the teeming millions of the world are not just a mass of numbers but are precious souls