October 10, 2004: “Your Mission’s Portfolio” by
Tom Telford, Church Relations Director - United World Mission (http://www.uwm.org.) Preaching from Luke 19:11-26 Tom pointed out that we, like the
servants of the man of noble birth, are to be investing what God has given us
until Jesus returns, for it is the Fathers desire that every nation bow down to
his son, Jesus. We have a choice in
using what God has given us in reaching the world for Christ. We can either use what we have been given
wisely, as participants in bearing fruit, or unwisely as passive spectators who
are regarded in the parable as a wicked servant.
Application Questions:
1.
Praying for missionaries: How are you doing in investing
your time in praying for those God has sent into the harvest? Prayer support is not supplementary but
absolutely essential to a healthy Mission’s Portfolio. It is the essential key to world missions.
a.
What do the scriptures say about
praying for those God has sent? John
17:20-21, Ephesians 3;16-19, 6:18-20;
Philippians 1:3-6; Colossians 1:3-14; 4:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2
Thessalonians 1:11-12, 3:1-2, Hebrews 13:18-19
b.
How much time do you regularly invest
in praying for those God has sent into the harvest?
c.
What would be the effects if we
individually and collectively spent more time in doing so?
d.
What can we do to encourage one
another in our flock group to become more active participants in praying for
our missionaries?
2.
Reaching out to others where we
live:
How are you doing in investing your life in reaching others for Christ
in the area in which you live? In Acts
1:8 we are instructed by our Lord to propagate His message beginning in the
area we live.
a.
What do the Scriptures suggest our
role should be? Matthew 5:13-16; John
13:34-35; 2 Corinthians 5:20, Colossians 4:3-6, Philemon 1:6, 1 Peter 4:7-11.
b.
Are you engaged in building
relationships as Christ’s Ambassadors?
If yes, whom are you claiming for Christ, and praying for God to use you
in reaching them?
c.
Who are the non-Christians you are
developing relationships with in order to bring them to Christ?
d.
What can we do to encourage one
another in our flock group in reaching others for Christ?
3.
Reaching out to the world: What is the level of your
personal involvement in world evangelism?
What might we do to personalize our involvement? Here are some thought starters shared by Tom
in his message:
a.
Do something that will get you out of
your comfort zone, like going on a vision trip (sponsored by the church), or
participate in an intercity outreach ministry (i.e., Kid’s Church at Brookside
Park or the Oak’s Academy, Wheeler Mission, Child Evangelism Fellowship, homes
for the elderly, Crisis Pregnancy Center, etc.).
b.
Become actively involved in praying
for missionaries we support as a church (i.e., include missionaries in our
flock group prayer time, join a focus group that prays for specific
missionaries the church supports, etc.)
c.
Sponsor indigent students who have a
desire to go back into their country and reach their others for Christ in the
area in which they live (i.e., NEGST or UETS student).
d.
Send special gifts to missionary kids,
or monetary gifts to their parents to spend in whatever what the Lord leads.
e.
Donate books and school supplies for
The Oak’s Academy, clothing for Liberia, etc.
f.
Eat an ethnic meal once a week, or go
out together as a group once a month to experience foods of other cultures.
4.
Investing in the cause of
Christ:
How are you doing in investing your financial resources for the cause of
Christ? We seem to not have any
difficulty investing in ourselves…the American dream of everything for
Meeeeeeeee.
a.
When you dine at a restaurant, or stay
at a hotel, do you generally give a tip for services received (i.e., waitress,
waiter, maid service, bell boy, etc)?
If so, why do you give a tip?
b.
What is the expected tip in most cases
for services rendered?
c.
When people attend the services at
church, do they do likewise in placing a tip in the offering plate?
d.
What does the Scriptures say should be
our attitude toward giving of our financial resources to the cause of
Christ? (i.e., Matthew 619-21, 2
Corinthians 9:6-8)
e.
Should we view 10% as we do the posted
speed limit signs, as a threshold of opportunity?
f.
When asked in heaven what did you do
with the resources I gave you, what would you like to be able to answer?
g.
Prayerfully consider what God may be
leading you toward in this area of your life.
Remember, you can’t out give God!!!
5.
Being willing to be sent,
and/or send your children: Are you willing to invest of yourself, and even send our own
children, into the harvest?
a.
When Jesus looked over the people in
Matthew 9:35-38 what was his heart’s desire?
b.
Are you willing to be used of Jesus in
reaching the lost for Christ?
c.
If you had an opportunity to send even
your own children, would you be willing to do so?
d.
What do you sense God is calling you
to do in the area of missions?