God eads and provides Study 1: Stewards, not Owners by david corneius equip We think in terms of Christians being invoved in missions in at east four ways: praying, encouraging, giving and going. Whie ack of financia resources is one of top reasons given by peope for not partnering in short-term mission trips, a study of Scripture eads one to understand that this shoud not be case. I ] Luke 10:3-7 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 Proverbs 17:16 Luke 15:13 Luke 16:1 Numerous reasons are given for faiure to carry out God s ca to go: I can t afford to pay for a trip ike that, or I can t even take care of my present financia obigations, or what about my chidren s education and my retirement? or I m uncomfortabe begging for money to support me or to pay for this trip. Whie re are those who may truy ack funds to go at a particuar time, for many ors, I have no money, serves as an excuse not to participate in short-term mission partnerships. They eir don t want to go, y have not responsiby managed what God has paced in ir hands or y prefer to use God-given resources to satisfy ir own desires. When re s no money Occasionay, a ack of resources may be God s way of saying, Not this time. For those who reay do not have resources to partner in missions, Scripture has some hepfu exampes. Read Luke 10:3-7. What insight might those who ack funds gain from this passage? What is meant by phrase, The worker is worthy of his wages? Does church benefit from work done by short-term mission partners? What does this verse have to say to those benefiting from foower s work? David Corneius is a church deveopment consutant. As a former missionary to Nigeria and retired missiona church strategist at IMB, he uses his mission experience for gory of God.
This section of Scripture tes of occasion when Jesus sent out 70 of his foowers to prepare various towns and viages for His coming (Luke 10:1). Jesus tod those 70, sent in pairs, that harvest is abundant, but workers are few, and pray to Lord of harvest to send out workers into His harvest (HCSB). He didn t send m with anything but faith in God who woud provide for m. For some of us, faith is a we have! When we have not been good stewards Scripture points out numerous times that God owns everything. This means that even though we might consider ourseves owners of certain things, we do not reay own anything. Not ony does He own our ti, but He owns or 90 percent as we! We are simpy managing resources for true owner. Scripture aso has something to say about those who serve as managers (or stewards) of God s possessions. Read 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. What does it mean to be found faithfu? What do se verses have to say about standard used by God to judge His managers? Does this information hep churches determine which short-term mission partners to support? If so, how? If not, why not? The Great Commission to make discipes among a peopes has been given to church, body of Christ. Utimatey, this requires that individua members of Christ s body be faithfu in managing what He has paced in ir hands. Resources are to be managed in such a way as to be avaiabe for support of His mission. When we satisfy our own desires Anor reason we find ourseves without funds to support a mission partnership is that we find or things that are more important to us. We show this by way we spend our money. We woud rar spend most a of our money on excessive materia things, expensive vacations or more-than-needed investments. Read Proverbs 17:16; Luke 15:13; Luke 16:1. How are se verses reated? What does it mean to squander? Reaisticay ook at your expenses for a month. What unnecessary things can you cut from your spending? If each of us woud pray and ask God to use our paychecks for His gory, I wonder what woud happen as a resut! Ask yoursef, Am I being honest with resources that God expects me to manage?
Doing what is necessary Our Lord fuy equips those whom He cas to short-term mission partnerships with a that is necessary for fufiing that ca, be it itte or much. It often requires use of one s persona resources, which shoud be no probem since everything beongs to God anyway. As Lott Carey prepared to eave Virginia to serve in West Africa in eary 19th century, one of things he did was to se property that he owned. He used money he received from that sae to hep pay for his famiy s voyage to ir fied of service. Though this was not for short-term missions, exampe is appicabe. A that we have beongs to Him. Group discussion questions 1. Is it egitimate to say, I reay can t go on this mission trip, even though Lord has caed me to participate in it, because I do not have money to do so? 2. If God owns a resources, what are some possibe reasons for funds not being avaiabe to be on mission with God? 3. How can a church provide for a member who is convinced that God has caed him to go on a mission trip? 4. Shoud a church assist members in carifying God s ca, or shoud this be eft to member and God? 5. In some circumstances, how might a ack of finances for missions be a spiritua issue? (Optiona) Digging deeper Read Matw 25:14-30. Even though you may have read se verses in Austin Ramme s studies on materiaism in this IMB series, read m again. This time, think about how a church can be a good manager of support of missions.
God eads Study 2: Can Church Hep? and provides by david corneius What is roe of church in supporting those who receive specia cas to serve as missionaries and those He cas as mission partners, both carrying Gospe to unreached peope in word? As body of Christ, to what extent does church have a responsibiity to support work and workers? These are vita questions to ask as we discover that Jesus gave Great Commission to church, and He wants church to be financiay on mission with Him. I ] equip Matw 28:19-20 Luke 8:1-3 Luke 9:1-6 2 Corinthians 11:8-9 Read Matw 28:19-20. Are se words addressed to an individua or to a group? According to this passage, what does our Lord expect His foowers to be doing whie He is physica absent from earth? Was obedience to this statement optiona or obigatory for those to whom it was given? Does this statement have any bearing on ife of church today? If so, in what way? What is importance of ast sentence in passage for today s church? Churches empoy numerous methods as y seek to obey Great Commission. Among m, short-term mission partners provide crucia channes for se efforts. Churches vary widey in ir approaches to supporting peope who serve as short-term mission partners. Some churches practice providing a that is necessary to carry out mission. Or churches require those y are sending out to provide a portion of cost. Sti ors require ones going to provide a of needed funds. Sometimes, those going on mission trips aso must provide additiona money to cover expenses for work. Supporting what benefits church Whie not definitive for every case, Scripture does provide some insight into how eary churches handed some of se issues. Read Luke 8:1-3. What does this passage indicate about at east one source of Jesus support as He carried out His mission? Can you cite exampes of this method of sup-
port being used today? What message about support for short-term mission partners and short- or ong-term missionaries can church of today gean from this exampe? What is message to those who benefit from Good News? It is cear that Jesus had a group of supporters who were committed to providing for His basic needs. Their commitment was based, at east in part, on how ir ives had been changed by His ministry. Supporting what benefits ors Occasionay, Jesus sent some of His discipes to peope who had not heard His message (and who knew of no benefits that His mission might bring to m). His approach to providing support for se workers is instructive. Read Luke 9:1-6. What was mission given to discipes who were being sent out? What were y to do for necessities of ife (food, cothing, sheter) as y carried out mission given to m by Lord? Does Jesus expect everyone to support his or her own work? How does this passage compare to Luke 10:1-7 (Study 1)? How do churches of today approach providing support for those carrying Gospe to unreached peope groups? Pau s exampe of receiving support from an estabished church to send him to a pace of new ministry gives furr insight into roe of church in missions funding. Read 2 Corinthians 11:8-9. What does Pau s expression, I robbed or churches... to minister to you, revea about his phiosophy of his support as a missionary? Why did Pau seem to pace so much emphasis on not being a burden on those peope to whom he was sent? Based on se few exampes, re appears to have been a number of methods of support for missions during time of Jesus earthy ministry and eary years of church. Likewise, today s church is to be invested financiay in missions, wher in sending out workers, supporting work or both. The Gospe has benefited us by saving us, and peope a over word need to hear Good News. It costs money to take Gospe to those who have not heard.
Group discussion questions 1. Does church have a responsibiity to provide financia support for mission workers as y carry out mandates of Great Commission? 2. How might Scripture passages in this esson assist a congregation in deveoping guideines to use in determining how to support missionaries and mission partners and work y do? 3. How is spreading Gospe by support of missions incumbent in nature of church? 4. How is aowing your oca church to hep fund missionaries and ir work a benefit to your church? (Optiona) Digging deeper Read 2 Corinthians 8. How did generosity of one group of churches affect work in a new area? How did new work respond? What can be earned about support of missions from 2 Corinthians 8 that might be appied to your church?
} God eads Study 3: Reocate Your Heart and provides by david corneius I ] equip Matw 6:19-21 Matw 19:21-22 Acts 18:1-4 What does it mean to reocate your heart? How and why does a person do this? Obviousy, we are not taking about physicay transpanting your heart to anor person! Actuay, heart describes your deepest feeings or passion. Your treasure is anyone or anything upon which you pace great vaue. Read Matw 6:19-21. What is message of this passage to individuas concerning what y vaue? What is difference between earthy and heaveny treasures? What might be reevant message for mission trip participants supporting or heping to support mseves on ir God-assigned missions? Whie we were serving as missionaries overseas, our son finished high schoo and entered Bayor University. Prior to that time, I knew about Bayor but had itte more than a passing interest in schoo. When our son moved to Waco, Texas, to begin his studies, my whoe outook on Bayor University changed. I studied history of schoo, ooked up information about many of facuty and staff members, studied maps of campus, earned about buidings on campus, investigated severa campus organizations and ist goes on. In addition, I took time to earn more about Waco. Whenever I saw or heard name Waco or Bayor, my attention was immediatey drawn in direction of source. In a sense, I began to stak (in a positive sense) Bayor University. Why? Because I had paced someone of great vaue to me re. When my son reocated to Bayor, a part of my heart did too! } What is treasure? Some years ago, whie participating in a conference in New Mexico, I met a young ady who had graduated from university a year or so earier. She had setted into a new job, had a ovey condo in an upscae community and was driving car she had aways dreamed of owning. As we discussed what she }
described as her ca to become an internationa missionary, it became cear that she was strugging. She eventuay said something ike this: I know God has caed me to serve as a missionary overseas, but I can t go. Naturay, I wanted to know why. She answered, I must have misunderstood ca. I just don t beieve that God woud give a that He has given me and n ask me to eave it to go overseas to ive ife of a missionary. } Read Matw 19:21-22. What does expression, If you want to be perfect, mean in this passage? Why did Jesus require this young man to get rid of his possessions? Does Lord often ask individuas whom He cas to a mission to give up that which y vaue most first? What if we foow? When we yied our hearts to God and store up our treasure in heaven, God wi be abe to speak to us about our roes in His mission around word. As He speaks to our church, ors around us wi join in this great adventure caed missions, wher it s through prayer, giving or going. We have seen that churches do have a roe in supporting missions. As we are good stewards of what we earn, we wi be abe to contribute money as we as to be on mission with God. Read Acts 18:1-4. How does attitude of Pau in this passage contrast with that of young man who came to Jesus in Matw 19:16-22? As y were ministering, what did y do at this time to support ir iving expenses? During and shorty after Civi War in United States, some Sourn Baptist missionaries aready serving overseas took jobs in ir country of service in order to take care of ir food, housing and or iving expenses. This tentmaking became necessary because of difficut financia situation of Foreign Mission Board. From a human standpoint, se missionaries coud have returned home since re was no money to support m and ir work. Instead, y simpy experienced God providing in a different way. Getting re Wher paying your own way, working as a tentmaker in country where you are ministering, raising support from or beievers or a combination of se, God is caing you to be invoved in Great Commission. Trust Him to show you what to do. Get your heart in right pace. Pray to Lord of Harvest for harvest. Be a good steward of your money. If He s caing you to career missions, foow Him. He wi provide.
Group discussion questions 1. How can reocating your heart hep send ors or hep send you to serve in missions? 2. Do you have anything in common with young woman who questioned her ca to be a missionary once she was bessed financiay? If so, what? 3. Where is your treasure? How do you know? 4. If you ooked at your church s annua budget, what woud you say is your church s treasure? 5. How has God spoken to you through this esson? (Optiona) Digging deeper Go to www.imb.org and cick on Give tab at top. Research how Sourn Baptists fund internationa missions and how that money is used. Find out how much your church gives to missions, wher through Cooperative Program, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering or or mission funding.
God eads Study 4: The Utimate Source and provides } by david corneius A retired friend of mine used to say on a reguar basis, What God orders, He pays for. This was his way of saying that God provides needed resources for what He cas peope to be and do, and He provides those resources out of His abundance. J. Hudson Tayor, founder of China Inand Mission, expressed idea in se words: God s work done in God s way wi never ack God s suppy. I have never had someone te me that God has ed m to do something but that He faied to provide needed resources to do job. I ] equip Phiippians 4:15, 18-19 Psam 24:1-2 Matw 6:24-34 } God provides Read Phiippians 4:15, 18-19. How were Pau s needs provided, enabing him to fufi mission God gave to him? Is re any indication in se verses that Pau had to beg Phiippians for support? Is re any indication that those who provided offering for Pau acked anything? Who was utimate suppy source? Peope sometimes caim that y are destitute, because y do not want to use ir persona resources to do what God cas m to do. God can even suppy necessary funding to go on mission for oder church members on fixed incomes. I know one woman in this situation who was caed by God to participate with her church in reaching an unreached peope group. God provided for each mission trip she has taken. She very easiy coud have said that she had no money to make se trips, but she has a caing to fufi, and God is taking care of her. God owns it a Read Psam 24:1-2. To whom does everything and everyone beong? On what basis does God caim ownership?
} God uses mundane and mirace God has numerous avenues for providing for what He orders! More often than not, He provides in rar mundane ways ways that coud easiy be expained away by someone who does not see God as Provider. From time to time, however, He works in rar miracuous ways. When my wife and I became convinced that God was caing us to serve as internationa missionaries, we approached our mission board and ran into a probem immediatey. We had significant debt that had to be paid off before we coud be considered for appointment. Given our income, it woud take us severa years to pay off this debt. To compicate matters, mission board s poicy was not to appoint famiies with teenage chidren. We had a chid who woud turn thirteen in a itte over a year. Our efforts to se our house, our ony significant asset, faied time after time. In a way that I sti do not comprehend, God used our meager income to pay off those debts in ess than a year. At same time, a of our day-to-day needs were met. We acked for nothing! What God orders, He pays for! } Quit worrying and seek Him Read Matw 6:24-34. What does Jesus te us not to worry about? Why? What does Jesus instruct in verse 33? How can someone appy se words of Jesus to a situation concerning funds for mission invovement? At times, Christians express a ack of faith in One who has ca m to join Him on mission. Worrying about provisions is not a new probem. Even Jesus had to address issue. Jesus, however, has a soution God wi provide as we seek Him. Have faith, brors and sisters!
Group discussion questions 1. What is ikey probem when a person says that God has caed him or her to be a mission partner but can t go due to ack of funds? 2. Discuss an instance when God provided a need for you miracuousy. 3. Discuss what you ve done since starting se four essons to better budget your money so that you can support and go on mission. 4. What step of faith have you made toward going on a mission trip or becoming a career missionary? (Optiona) Digging deeper Read Exodus 36:4-7. What can be earned from this passage in terms of God s peope today supporting mission work of shortand ong-term missionaries? Of supporting or going on mission trips? Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from Homan Christian Standard Bibe, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Homan Bibe Pubishers. Used by permission. Homan Christian Standard Bibe, Homan CSB, and HCSB arefederay registered trademarks of Homan Bibe Pubishers.