SERIES: NEXT SESSION: Remind teams that they are to present their research next session. DRAMATIZATION (Adapted from Comimex Your Church Can Change the World, p80) Teacher: If you have access to reams of paper, collect a stack of 7000 pages (14 reams of 500 sheets). If not, use one ream of paper (500 sheets) and express that there are 14 times this many unreached people groups. Explain to your students that if there are 7000 unreached people groups in the world each group is represented by one piece of paper. Fan through some of the pages to stress the number of people groups Discussion: How daunting is it to consider there are still this many groups left in the world to reach? How do we even begin such a task? What is the solution? While still flipping through the stack of paper select one sheet. Choose one group to focus on. If every church focused on one unreached people group, we could reach the whole world within a very short time. Galatians 2:7-8 (NIV) 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. 8 For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. In the Apostles day, every people group was an unreached people group. Each of the apostles spread out to have impact for the gospel in different regions and with different people. Where did they go? According to the historian Hippolytus: (there is some debate on these details) Peter: Andrew: James: John: Ministered to Jews from Jerusalem to Rome Crucified upside down in Rome Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece Crucified on an olive tree in Greece Put to death in Jerusalem Ephesus 5:1 Copyright 2014, Rob Laidlaw, All Rights Reserved
SERIES: Philip: Turkey Crucified in Turkey Bartholomew: Thomas: Matthew: India and Georgia Crucified in Georgia From Iran to India Pierced by spears in India Iran James (son of Alphaeus): Stoned and clubbed to death in Jerusalem Thaddaeus/Judas: Simon the Zealot: Paul: Mesopotamia (Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria) Died in Lebanon Died in Jerusalem Asia Minor and Rome Beheaded in Rome Have you ever felt called to minister in a specific place? List all the practical reasons why you would not go to an unreached people with the gospel. Why do you think the apostles (and many others in church history) were willing to go despite all the logical reasons not to? What did they understand that we do not? 5:2 Copyright 2014, Rob Laidlaw, All Rights Reserved
SERIES: There are still so many unreached people groups because they are often very difficult to get to or to gain political access to that region. How could a local church ever hope to be effective in reaching one of these groups? Share your thoughts. What practical suggestions might you glean from each of the following verses? Luke 10:2 (NIV) He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Pray that God would raise up missionaries within our church with a passion for the unreached. Acts 16:6-9 (NIV) 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Ask God if there is a specific location on which he would like you, as a church, to focus. Adopt an unreached people group and start praying for them daily Start to strategize how you will have impact there Acts 18:5 (NIV) When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Team up with others who are already ministering in an unreached area. This could be done by checking with your church denomination to see if they are already at work within an unreached people group and could use help. It could mean checking with various Mission organizations that focus on unreached people groups to see what needs exist and what help is needed. Ephesians 6:19-20 (NIV) 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Strategically pray for missionaries who are working in unreached areas for protection, courage and effectiveness. Encourage them in any way you can. 5:3 Copyright 2014, Rob Laidlaw, All Rights Reserved
What SERIES: are some UNREACHED possible ways PEOPLES to get the gospel in countries that are closed to missionaries? Radio broadcast Tentmaker missionary Work through Christians within people groups that do have access to that country Pray for policy change within the government to allow foreign missionaries Work among international students from these people groups, who can return home with the gospel CHURCH MISSIONS TEAM If a church is going to be truly serious and effective in reaching unreached peoples, then there needs to be a team of people who are meeting regularly to strategize their involvement. What might be the job description for this team? What would they do? Promote awareness within the church Determine a specific unreached community on which to focus Network with missions organizations who are experienced in working with unreached people groups Raise support for the missionaries Continually communicate with and encourage the missionaries Raise support for the missionaries and special projects in their location Determine how long will you support a missionary Determine mission policies for the church What are some of the policy issues they would need to think through? How they can raise support for the mission project What they will and will not support financially in the mission field so as to maintain a healthy relationship What mission organizations they will partner with What roles they need fulfilled on the church missions team What level of risk is too great for both the missionaries and visitors to the area What form of public communication to the broader church will maintain the safety of missionaries in hostile regions Etc. What are some ways this team could promote the idea of missions to unreached people to the church? 5:4 Copyright 2014, Rob Laidlaw, All Rights Reserved
SERIES: If you were personally interested in going to the mission field, what are some things you could do to start the process? Talk to your church Attend a missions conference Contact mission organizations Research various people groups Determine what type of mission contribution you are equipped to provide An excellent resource is the book and web site, Operation World. http://www.operationworld.org/ It highlights statistics and needs for countries in the world for prayer purposes. Discuss your thoughts and reactions to each of the following quotes: "I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light." John Keith Falconer "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." Hudson Taylor "The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become." Henry Martyn "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." C.T. Studd "No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once." Oswald J. Smith "Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist." Oswald J. Smith "This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!" Keith Green "If God calls you to be a missionary, don't stoop to be a king." Jordan Grooms Not called! did you say? Not heard the call, I think you should say. 5:5 Copyright 2014, Rob Laidlaw, All Rights Reserved
SERIES: Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face whose mercy you have professed to obey and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army "A congregation that is not deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel does not understand the nature of salvation." Ted Engstrom How is God speaking to you as you read these quotes? 5:6 Copyright 2014, Rob Laidlaw, All Rights Reserved