- compared to new ministries here or paying down loan or improvements to the building, missions isn’t as exciting for most folks; missions easily gets put aside.
Four Excuses To Put Missions On The Back Burner:
1. “That’s their problem.”
- v. 14.
- sometimes we act like the problems that churches in other countries are facing are their problems and of no concern to us.
- Mission-minded churches count others’ pain as their pain.
- more concerned about helping others than helping themselves.
2. “We’re giving as much as other churches are.”
- v. 15.
- notice here that if the Philippians were giving "just like everybody else" then they wouldn’t have helped.
- consider the complete lack of missionary fervor a few centuries ago until William Carey revived it.
- our question is not to be "What are other churches doing?" but "What is God calling us to do?"
3. “We pushed missions last year.”
- v. 16.
- they gave more than once.
- Mission-minded churches treat missions as a priority, not a novelty.
4. “That’s the part of the budget we don’t get anything from.”
- v. 17.
- Mission-minded churches know all you give is all you keep.
- Mission-minded churches focus more on ministry than maintenance.
- bragging on the church building.
- seating capacity v. sending capacity.
Our church’s mission focus:
1. Increasing the percentage given to missions til it’s doubled.
2. Short-term mission trip.
3. Spring break trip for youth.
4. Praying over our missions checks before sending them off.
