Please open your Bibles to Romans 10:9-15 which we will read in a few minutes.
(You can insert your own intro here. this is what I used)
[Ten days ago when Michael and Cailyn Wheatley were here for our Faith Promise service things got mixed up and we ended up not making the presentation for Faith Promise commitments. And, you know what? That’s OK. If the Lord God can take the dust of the earth and create a human out of it He can certainly make something good out of whatever mistakes were made that night.
On that night we were introduced to the Extreme Nazarene arm of the missions of the Church of The Nazarene.
Today we’ll be talking about what we commonly know as the traditional missionary arm of the church.]
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read: Romans 10:9-15
The second part of Romans 10:15 is a direct quote from Isaiah 52:7 and I love how the International Children’s Bible phrases Isaiah 52:7 …
Isaiah 52:7 ICB
“How beautiful is the person who comes over the mountains to bring good news. How beautiful is the one who announces peace. He brings good news and announces salvation. How beautiful are the feet of the one who says to Jerusalem, ‘Your God is King.’”
If we look at Romans 10:13-15 in reverse we see that it is
1) A beautiful thing when someone brings the Good News of Jesus Christ
2) But first someone must be sent
3) The one who is sent will preach the Good News to those where he is sent
4) Those who hear the Good News will believe what they hear
5) Those who believe what they hear will call up on the name of the Lord
6) Those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved!
(Illustration ... this is the one I used)
[A few years ago we showed a video either in church or during a Wednesday evening gathering where missionaries went to a tribe in Africa who knew absolutely nothing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This tribe was animist and worshipers of their ancestors. There would often be armed conflict between them and the neighboring tribes.
Every day the missionaries would have a time of teaching the Bible to the tribe and the entire village would come to hear what would be said.
These missionaries began teaching them starting in Genesis with creation, through the necessity of blood sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin and up to the time of Jesus.
When it came time for the crucifixion to be told they had men from the village take part in reenacting the story and when the blood of Jesus was shed on the cross they immediately understood that His blood was shed for the forgiveness of their own sins.
When they understood this they all stood up and started shouting, “It’s true! It’s true!” and they kept that up for two to two and a half hours.
During this time of shouting and praising Jesus for His gift of forgiveness of sin the missionary was being held high in the air on the hands of the villagers.
(Read Isaiah 52:7 ICB from the screen again)
A short time after this some of the men from the surrounding tribes came to the village and said, “When we look in our eyes we see only darkness but when we look in your eyes we see light. We want what you have.”
Now this testimony was not of a Nazarene missionary but the good news of Jesus is being taken by Nazarene missionaries to people with darkness in their eyes all over the world and Jesus is transforming them into followers of Jesus, the Light of the world.]
OK. Now let’s look at Ephesians 4:11 NKJV
“[Christ] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.”
Now, which of these categories would include missionaries?
When we think of Evangelists we think of preachers who go from church to church holding special revival meetings, predominately preaching in established churches to those who have already heard the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Missionaries are just Evangelists who go to foreign countries but the difference is that they declare the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ to those who have never heard.
But in addition to Evangelists we see missionaries filling the roles of prophets, apostles, pastors and teachers as well.
(Next use examples of missionaries supported by your denomination or church. These are the ones I used.)
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Phillips, Jonathan - Romania
Jonathan Phillips serves as a specialized assignment missionary with the Church of the Nazarene. He lives in the Transylvanian town of Sighisoara, Romania.
Jonathan first came to Romania as a study abroad student during his sophomore year at Eastern Nazarene College. During this 6-month cultural immersion experience, he took academic classes covering Romanian language and culture, while also serving in local Nazarene ministries and living with a Romanian host family.
Since returning to Romania in 2009, Jonathan has been active in equipping Romanians for ministry. A priority has been the development of discipleship ministries in local churches. He is now the Romanian literature coordinator, which means overseeing the translation process of the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene and books in the “Power of One” and “Books for Pastors” projects. He also administers the Nazarene Child Sponsorship program in Romania, and has the opportunity to teach about once a year in European Nazarene College’s learning centers in Central Europe.
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Don and Evie Gardner – Kenya
Don and Evie Gardner are serving as global missionaries with the Church of the Nazarene and reside in Nairobi, Kenya. Since 2001 Don has been serving as the Africa East Field Strategy Coordinator and oversees the work of the Church of the Nazarene in the countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Rwanda, Burundi, as well as Kenya. In 2013 he acquired the Horn of Africa which included Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Eritrea, and 3 creative access countries.
Evie is the East Africa Work & Witness and Event Coordinator. She also is mentor for many young adults and leads one internationally attended Bible study fellowship.
The Gardner’s have three married daughters: Amy, Erin, and Allissa and six grandchildren.
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Ruben and Monica Fernandez – Costa Rica
Ruben and Monica are descendants of the first generation Nazarenes in Argentina. Many in their family are church leaders and pastors. Ruben's older brother, Carlos, is also a missionary with the Church of the Nazarene. At a young age they committed their lives to follow the Lord completely. They consider it a privilege to be sent out to extend God's Kingdom into other countries.
Prior to their missionary appointment, the Fernandez pastored two churches in Argentina. Then God called them to serve in theological education at the South American Nazarene Seminary in Argentina. Their ministry was blessed as the extension program increased to 800 students and they reopened the boarding school with a group of 30 students.
They were called to go to Costa Rica in 1995. It was difficult, but God's peace filled them and showed them the way.
Ruben serves as Rector of the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas and Regional Education Coordinator for the MAC Region. Monica is the Regional Assistant for the Lifelong Discipleship Program.
Ruben and Monica have two sons, Juan Manuel and Andres.
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Lisa Lehman – Thailand
Lisa Lehman has been a missionary in Thailand since 2001. She serves as Southeast Asia Field Communications Coordinator, overseeing media communications development as well as literature development and translation work in 8 languages. She regularly teaches, preaches, and mentors Thai leaders in various roles on the Thailand District, and has been an instructor for pastoral training in 3 districts in SE Asia. She is currently involved in child and family/ community development in an area of Bangkok.
Lisa initially felt called to missions as a seven year-old, and her call was confirmed several times throughout her teen years before God called her to preach cross-culturally. Her passion for prayer and sharing the Gospel with unreached people propels her to fulfill God’s call to “be a light to the Gentiles” and to proclaim the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Is. 49:6, Romans 15:16, NIV).
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(Show slide with multiple missionary family photos)
(At this time have ushers pass out Faith Promise Commitment slips)
Most of us are not called to be missionaries. Actually, I sincerely hope that none of us in the past have been called to be missionaries because if the Lord had called us to be missionaries and we are still here then we are living in disobedience.
Of course, I’m talking about long term missionaries. Almost all of us are still physically capable of going on Work and Witness trips if we have the necessary self-discipline to save up the cost of travel.
But today we will be taking Faith Promise Commitments which will go to the World Evangelism Fund to support Global missionaries with support for living, housing, medical care, translated discipleship materials for those who come to know Jesus as their Savior, build Bible colleges and seminaries for those who are saved and called into the ministry in their home countries, medical missions, and so much more.
It is a huge undertaking which takes a huge amount of coordination to have the right people and the right resources in the right places in 162 world areas so that they may hear the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved.
Do you see these people? For everyone around the world who comes to know Jesus because they obeyed the call of Jesus they are beautiful ones who bring the Good news to those who are wandering in spiritual darkness.
It is the giving by those of us who are not called to go that makes it possible to send those who ARE called to go.
Now, before you fill anything out on the Faith Promise slips let me go over how to fill them out.
(Three PPT slides showing week/monthly/annual giving)
If I were to say, “Who would give $50 not many would raise a hand but anyone who would give $1 per week would give $52 in a year.” Or $10 a week would turn into $520 in one year.
(Speak of other examples as well …)
(Janet to play during prayer and collection)
(Return to Isaiah 52:7 slide)
Closing comments and prayer.
