Missions

Jesus’ final words to His disciples were, “Go into all the world and make disciples…” More than just a statement to those present at the time, His words commission every believer throughout the ages. At Crossway we take this commissioning very seriously. Jesus left His mission in the hands of ordinary people so that every one of us gets to play a part. This is something we are each called to do, and for which we will one day need to give an account.

Read Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20.

Discuss

1. 1. Read Matt 28:18-20. When you read these verses, what emotions are evoked in you? Why might that be?
   2. What do I need to do to be obedient to this commissioning? What am I currently doing to fulfill this? What could I do differently?
   3. Jesus left the mission of the church in the hands of ordinary people like you and I. How do you feel about this? Is this empowering to you, or daunting? Why?
   4. Read Acts 1:8. What is your understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon a believer? Why is this essential for us to be effective for God’s mission? What could prevent this?
   5. “The Church doesn’t have a mission, Jesus’ mission has a Church!” Discuss.
   6. We are all called to take the mission of God and make it our own. What can we do to make this personal? What is God calling you to do with this?

Respond

Every believer has a part to play in making disciples who multiply, but this must come from a heart given completely to God, and not from a sense of duty or obligation. There are many ways we can do this in our everyday lives, with people whom God has already placed in our world. Commit to do at least one of the following steps this week:

1. Prayer, Prayer, Prayer!
2. Ask a pre-Christian friend to read the Bible with you.
3. Do Discovery Bible Method with a friend or group of people. crossway. org.au/dbm
4. Find a young leader in whom you can invest.
5. Invest in local mission work with finances, resources or your own time and energy.
6. Go with the expectation that God will give you an opportunity to be His disciple and share your faith.
7. Ak the Holy Spirit to set you free in an area in which you are currently trapped.
8. Whatever it is that God has placed on your heart to further His kingdom and multiply disciples. Go.
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Missions

The heart of God is to engage with the lost to offer forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with Him. The book of Revelation states that in heaven “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” will be worshiping God. This means that the gospel needs to go out to every people group and culture. Even in the darkest circumstances the gospel has brought about salvation, hope, social change and transformation. Yet, there are few laborers before a great harvest. What can we do to meet this challenge and keep ourselves engaged in the work of cross-cultural missions?

Read Luke 15:1-10, Matthew 22:1-10; Revelation 5:9, Revelation 7:9

Discuss

1. 1. Luke 15 tells the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. What are the unique lessons about each lost item or person being found? Which of these parables best reflects your journey to faith in Christ?
   2. Matthew 22:1-10 tells the parable of the wedding feast and how the most marginalized people were invited to the banquet. How is this parable reflected in society today? What can we learn from Pastor Dave’s story of the ministries that were started in the slums of India?
   3. Read John 4:35-38 and Matthew 9:35-38, where Jesus describes the harvest. How could we respond to this? What happens to a harvest left uncollected? How can we better “lift up our eyes”?
   4. Read Matthew 24:14. How does this verse connect the preaching of the gospel to all nations with the return of Christ? What does this mean for you?
   5. Have you been on a mission trip? Share this experience with your small group. What did you learn from this experience and how does it impact your faith today?
   6. Have you felt called to serve God internationally? Share this prompting. Have the small group pray over you to consolidate God’s calling on your life.

Respond

The call to missions is easily overlooked in the busyness of daily life. Yet the heart and purpose of God when birthing the church was to see the good news spread “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Consider what you and your small group can do to keep cross cultural missions in the forefront of your faith, such as:

1. Nominate a missionary to support prayerfully and financially as a group or individually.
2. Share a short inspiring story of a missionary breakthrough every month in your small group.
3. Commit to praying for a missionary endeavour you are passionate about.
4. Consider going for a short term overseas or cross-cultural mission trip.

What else can you or your small group do?

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