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Into all the World
Luke 4:17-19 (New International Version)
“The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place here it is written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’”
Romans 10:14, 15 (The Message)
“But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims,
“A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people
telling all the good things of God!
“But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: ‘Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?’ The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.”
1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)
“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘Jump,’ and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
“Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always ‘me first,’
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
“Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
“When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
“We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
“But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 38
- Finish this sentence: “When love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, not because of favors received from them, but. . . .”
- Finish this sentence: “This love is as broad as the universe, and is in harmony . . . .”
INTO ALL THE WORLD
Wycliffe Bible translators have been translating the Word of God into as many languages as possible. William Cameron Townsend, pioneer of linguistic and missionary endeavors in Central America, desperately wanted to translate the Bible into the local Indian languages of Mexico. So he sought an interview with the Mexican president to ask permission of the government. The president adamantly opposed the idea and furthermore committed to never allowing him to do so because he thought the Bible would only upset their culture. Townsend tried every angle he could to negotiate, but the door was tightly closed.
Instead of pressing the issue further, Townsend moved with his family to an obscure Aztec village and began learning the language of the local people. He worked diligently to improve the quality of their life while celebrating the unique qualities of their culture. In the village where he worked day to day, he noticed a freshwater spring that ran down the backside of the village, only to be wasted on the steep slope. He encouraged the villagers to plant crops in such a way as to take advantage of the water supply. They diverted the spring to an open area, and soon successful crops were producing much food. The economy in that area blossomed, and Townsend wrote an article about the whole experience.
The article found its way to the desk of the president of Mexico, Lazaro Cardenas, who was curious about this gringo who would live among his people and help them in such a profound way. Townsend had gone to live in an area where even the local government employees refused to live. The president made a journey to the village to meet Townsend, and when the car pulled into the center of the village, the humble missionary made his way over to meet the visitors. Townsend greeted the president and was surprised to be greeted with, “You are the man I have come to see! Tell me about what you are doing here.” Townsend shared his story and reminded the president of his desire to translate the Scriptures into the local language. Lazaro Cardenas gladly allowed him to translate the Bible into the local tongue; this began a friendship with the Mexican government that lasted many years. Townsend even wrote a biography of the renowned statesman. During that season of favor, the gospel spread throughout the region, and the Word of God proliferated among many different cultures.
Mission work is all about sharing the gospel, but in many scenarios, the walls have to be broken down by selfless service and hard work. It’s not unlike the Savior and the way He worked on behalf of people. Can you think of some examples in the life of Christ?
- How did Jesus minister to the people?
- Was Jesus giving us an example of how missionaries should do their work? If so, how?
- What is the main job of a missionary?
- What does a person need to be an effective missionary?
Acts 16:6-10 (Contemporary English Version)
“Paul and his friends went through Phrygia and Galatia, but the Holy Spirit would not let them preach in Asia. After they arrived in Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not let them. So they went on through Mysia until they came to Troas. During the night, Paul had a vision of someone from Macedonia who was standing there and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us!’ After Paul had seen the vision; we began looking for a way to go to Macedonia. We were sure that God had called us to preach the good news there.”
Here’s What I Think
The lines below are provided for you to write your ideas about being a missionary. What do you think it takes to be a missionary? Do you know any missionaries? What do you think a missionary should be like? You may want to share your thoughts with your class later.
Acts 8:26-36 (New International Version)
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’
“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.
"‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."’
“The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?’”
- Was Philip doing missionary work? Explain.
- How can you be a missionary without having to go far away from home?
- Can you think of other Bible missionaries? Who were they?
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 37
- Finish this sentence: “Without a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour it is. . . .”
- Finish this sentence: “Unless the Holy Spirit can use us as agents through whom to communicate to the world the truth as it is in Jesus. . . .”
Galatians 5:22-24 (The Message)
“But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
“Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.”
SO WHAT?
One of the most moving scenes in all of Scripture is found in Matthew 9:35-38: ”Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’ (NIV).
The word compassion actually means, “your guts twist and cry out”! Crude? Maybe. But compassion moves people to action. From a distance, you can pity someone who is hurting. You can even sympathize and hurt for people who are suffering, because you know what they are going through is horrible. But you can still stay home and do nothing. Compassion, as seen in the life of Jesus, forces people to act. Jesus shouts, “I need workers to help!” Most people stop short of responding because they do not know what to do.
- Start with your money. People who give to missions are more likely to live the mission. Another paraphrase might be “Put your money where you want your heart to be.”
- Carve out time to pray for and write letters to missionaries.
- Send a disposable camera and enough money for postage to a missionary to take pictures of where they are working and have them send the camera back to you to develop so you can see what is going on.
- Sponsor a student missionary with letters of encouragement from home.
- Send Bibles to a school or church overseas.
These are just a few ideas. The important thing is to do something. And it seems that the more you do, the more you will know what to do. It is not entirely clear why this is true, but it works. Try it.
- What do the “fruits of the Spirit” have to do with being a missionary?
- Does it matter what condition our hearts are in? Shouldn’t we just do the work?
- What are some ideas to share with your class for doing mission work?
Look up the texts and complete the verse on the lines provided.
- Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
“‘
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” - Acts 1:8 (NIV) “‘
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria,
’” - Mark 16:15,16 (NIV) “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news
.’” - John 20:21 (NIV) “Again Jesus said,
‘
.’” - Psalm 22:27, 28 (NIV)
, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
.’” - Isaiah 49:6 (NIV) “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
.’” - Revelation 14:6 (NIV) “Then I saw another angel flying in dmiair, and he had the eternal gospel to
.”
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 88-91
- What happens to the mind when treasure is laid up on earth?
- Where will the heart be?
- How can we make our devotion to God even better?
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
Try to imagine yourself as a follower of Jesus when He was alive on this earth. Envision how compelling it must be to watch Jesus as He walks among the people, hearing and caring, coaching and giving. People are drawn to the Savior because He saves. He helps. He changes people with the touch of His hand or the truths in His message. When Jesus walks through a town, people are different.
Now jump back to reality, 2,000 years later. Would it surprise you to know that He promised the same kind of results for you? Check this out: ‘I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father’ (John 14:12, NIV).
Sounds unbelievable? Not for God. Look at the book of Acts and see for yourself that it’s ordinary people doing little things for their Savior who produce extraordinary stories. What we have to remember is that these great people, these workers for God, are just like you and me. Ordinary people. But the step from ordinary to extraordinary is the moment we do the little things in response to God’s call to “go.”
- What does it take to be a missionary?
- Do you think what may seem ordinary to us could be extraordinary to God—if we are doing what He asks us to do? If so, what are some ordinary things that God may be asking you to do?
- Do you need Jesus to work a miracle in your life? Do you need the kind of change only Jesus can make happen? Why not ask Him give you a miracle in your life just now.
“Paul loved Timothy, his ‘own son in the faith.’ 1 Timothy 1:2. The great apostle often drew the younger disciple out, questioning him in regard to Scripture history, and as they traveled from place to place, he carefully taught him how to do successful work. Both Paul and Silas, in all their association with Timothy, sought to deepen the impression that had already been made upon his mind, of the sacred, serious nature of the work of the gospel minister.
“In his work, Timothy constantly sought Paul's advice and instruction. He did not move from impulse, but exercised consideration and calm thought, inquiring at every step, Is this the way of the Lord? The Holy Spirit found in him one who could be molded and fashioned as a temple for the indwelling of the divine Presence.
“As the lessons of the Bible are wrought into the daily life, they have a deep and lasting influence upon the character. These lessons Timothy learned and practiced. He had no special or brilliant talents, but his work was valuable because he used his God-given abilities in the Master's service. His knowledge of experimental piety distinguished him from other believers and gave him influence.
“Those who labor for souls must attain to a deeper, fuller, clearer knowledge of God than can be gained by ordinary effort. They must throw all their energies into the work of the Master. They are engaged in a high and holy calling, and if they gain souls for their hire they must lay firm hold upon God, daily receiving grace and power from the Source of all blessing. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’” Titus 2:11-14 (The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 204, 205).
HOW DOES IT WORK?
With a group of your friends or family members, choose areas of the world to pray for this week (and every week). Pray for a different area each day, or each person choose a different area to pray for all week.
Go to http://www.adventistyearbook.org, scroll down to the map of the world, and click on a colored area you want to pray for. You will be taken to plenty of specific names and places for which to pray. You may even want to send the ones you pray for a letter and encourage them to continue serving diligently for the gospel (the addresses are there too). Imagine how powerful it would be if teens from all over the world were praying for and sending notes of encouragement to those working around the world!
Missionaries we will pray for
Missionaries addresses