Zambia Hunt

“Missions is not simply one of God’s many concerns. It is His central concern. It should come as no surprise that Christ’s Church has been the most spiritually vibrant when it has been its most missionary.” – Culbertson

The fact that God is glorified by the ingathering of worshippers from every tongue, tribe, and people, the church should not be casual or indifferent toward the mission of gospel proclamation to the ends of the earth. Far too often, churches operate as though missions is an optional extra to tack on to what the church is doing rather than the very core of her existence. Because we have not given attention to the missionary work entrusted to the church, we make poor mission decisions based on ignorance or, worse yet, apathy. Pastors, it is your responsibility to lead your church into intentional, personal, sacrificial engagement in global gospel advance. As Zig Zigler is reported to have said, “Aim at nothing, and you will hit it every time.” That is true in missions.

Here is a biblical example of a Holy Spirit-directed strategy for missions, followed by some practical suggestions on how you can develop a missions strategy for your church.

Paul’s Strategic Plan to Reach the Roman Empire:

The call placed upon Paul and his missionary band in Acts 16:6-10 required spiritual obedience. As a result, they found themselves at the end of Asia at Troas, by the sea, but there they needed guidance on where to go next.

Refusing to continue spreading the gospel would be disobedience.  As Paul and his team crossed the border, they encountered serious trouble, including being flogged and thrown in jail. Our duty is to aggressively push back the wall of darkness with the light of the glorious gospel. But venturing further out requires even more grace as it often faces opposition. Remember that Satan will not allow you to push back the wall of darkness unchallenged, and you may very well suffer consequences for your efforts (Acts 16:19-24).

In Jewish territory, the opposition was different than in Gentile territory. The Jews could rough you up, but they had no authority to put a person to death. But this move to Macedonia was going one step further – now they faced official government opposition. They were accused of going against their culture and religious beliefs, and threats were made to their physical well-being.

Despite their suffering, Paul believed the gospel enterprise was worth it. He looked to the example of Jesus, who suffered and died to bring salvation to all (Heb. 13:1-3). The early church courageously witnessed to all people the reality of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, publicly proclaiming that there is salvation in only one name – the name of Jesus – that no other name, under heaven, given among men existed, by which they could be saved. (Acts 4:12). This invitation to men and women to repent of their sins and receive forgiveness in Jesus Christ was the same to the orthodox Jews of Jerusalem and Judea, the secular Jews of Samaria (Acts 3:19-21), as it was to the Gentiles, those who had never heard (Acts 17:29-30).

Here are three lessons from Paul’s strategy of global gospel advance:

Strategy 1: Urban Centres-Outward

Paul was on a mission to reach the Roman empire with the gospel. He and his missionary band traveled through several small towns before arriving at Philippi. Paul had a clear plan to spread the Gospel to major urban centers such as Philippi, Ephesus, and Corinth, key centers of population, economy, and education. Gospel influence, like water, runs downhill, often along channels of relationships. He was confident these churches would serve as powerful agents for spreading the gospel throughout the region. Paul’s strategy was both strategic and highly effective (Rom. 15:19,23).

Strategy 2: Begin With Those Closest in Understanding and Work Out

Initially, he visited the Jewish Synagogues for evangelism, as the individuals there were already acquainted with the storyline and precepts of the Old Testament (Acts 13:14,18:26,19:8). They were closer to understanding the concepts of the gospel message. Their conversion and grounding in the gospel would provide a platform for reaching the city and the church to take the gospel to the regions beyond. Paul began with those who were closest and moved outward.

Strategy 3: Adjust Your Starting Point For the Gospel

Adjust your starting point for the gospel based on the knowledge of the people you are sent to reach. End with the death, burial, and resurrection. Regardless of their knowledge of the Christian faith, or their lack thereof, Paul’s strategy was to tell them of the reality of their sin and that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only way that any person, in any culture, in any generation would know forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Paul’s engagement in Athens on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-32) is a textbook example of engagement with a pagan, unreached cultural worldview. Paul begins where they are and speaks of the person of God as Creator, of the sinfulness of man, the justice of God, and the provision He has made to reconcile mankind through Jesus Christ.

Suggestions For Developing A Missions Strategy In Your Church

1. Labor in the Word and Prayer until the Holy Spirit convinces you of His power to use your church to do missions.

2. Fast and pray until God breaks your heart for the lost.

3. Teach your people a biblical theology of the church.

4. Prayerfully select disciples and pour your life into them through life-on-life discipleship.

5. Mentor one or two Timothys at a time – they go with you everywhere. You teach them everything you know. Your fire will light theirs through personal contact.

6. Constantly share your broken heart for the world with your church.

7. Empower your disciples to teach others the Word.

8. Develop a Missions Policy for your church.

It is imperative that church plants figure out how to provide for their pastors as part of their maturing process. Missionary funding through the sending church is not to be the permanent arrangement; the church planter hands off to a trained pastor or becomes the supported pastor. (https://www.9marks.org/article/six-principles-for-funding-foreign-missions/)

Conclusion:

Developing an effective missions strategy for your church requires prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit, a heart broken for the lost, the discipleship of the congregation for world evangelism, and a strategic approach that begins with those closest in understanding and expands outward. Like the Apostle Paul, we must be willing to face opposition and suffering as we aggressively push back the darkness with the light of the gospel. By focusing on key urban centers, adjusting the starting point of our gospel presentation to the audience, and ultimately proclaiming the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can fulfill the Great Commission and see the church planted among every “ethnos.”

May these principles guide your church as you seek to develop a strategy to make disciples of all nations for the glory of God.