Acts 18:1-6 

¹ After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Missionary Abram

Was Abram the first missionary God sent out to bless all peoples on earth?

In Genesis 12:1-3, ³ The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Whenever God sends missionaries, He will sustain the missionary and the project.

Someone claimed, “If you can open the heart of God, you can see mission in it.”

God wants all nations to exalt Him; the Lord wants Him to be exalted in the earth. Lord Jesus sent out 72 disciples and gave them a strategic approach to missions.

In Luke 10:5-7, ⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’  ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Bible students have diverse claims but most missionaries assumed that when Christ instructed His disciples to find a person of peace, He pertains to mission contacts. Mission contacts are not limited to mission partners [teammates]; mission contacts could be mission target people.

1.  Teammate

¹ After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Paul’s next mission point was Corinth; Corinth was a leading city in trade industry. Paul’s strategy was to go to cities where Jewish people lived, not to small villages.

Why big city? Most people who prefer fast-pace-kind-of-life in the city are more open to new ideas than those who prefer to live in the country side. It’s strategic approach to have people we can trust in pioneering mission works.

It’s good to learn from those who are familiar with the place; Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla to have mission partners while waiting for Silas and Timothy who were left behind in Berea. Aquila and Priscilla were persecuted in Rome and Paul can identify with their experience because he was persecuted everywhere he went.  Aquila and Priscilla as were also tentmakers like him and Paul needs financial supply.

Financial support is very crucial to life and ministry not just in mission. But for those whom God called to mission, money is the least of concerns.

East Asia

When we went to missions as a family, we only have $300 pocket money. Our first mission contact suggested to postpone our flight because he cannot assure us of any financial support, no sure source of income.

I told him, “If you can assure us of a place to lay our head at night, we will come as scheduled because we have already said goodbye to everybody.”

Few days after arriving at our mission point, we meet another missionary who helped us find teaching jobs with pay. God sufficiently supplied our family needs for 30 months mission adventure.

Because of financial constraint, many churches don’ dare to explore possible involvement in international mission; financial status regulates mission adventure. We have proven through our firsthand experiences that when God calls anyone to mission, He will bless the missionary to become blessing to the nations.

Mission contacts, mission teammates and missions targets should not be left out when praying for possible mission involvement. Know your mission target people.

2.  Target

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Why did Paul decide to go to the Gentiles? Why not continue to reach out the Jews?

On Damascus road, when Paul met the Lord, he was blinded and the Lord sent a disciple from Damascus named Ananias to go and see Paul. Ananias was so scared because he heard about the reputation of Paul but the Lord told Ananias that He has chosen Paul to proclaim His name to the Gentiles.

In Acts 9:15…¹⁵  “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.

It was not written if Ananias told Paul what the Lord told him about His plan for Paul; Paul has been very sure that He was an Apostle to the Gentiles.

Later, Paul wrote in Romans 11:13, ¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry.

It is our human tendency to reach out to people we are comfortable with. Paul was preaching to the Jewish people, at first; subsequently, his experience in Corinth made him focus his mission ministry to the Gentiles. It was easier for Paul to talk about his faith to the Jewish people because he knew their culture. Similarly, most Christians are comfortable talking about their faith with fellow Christians but have reservation with others.

God allowed Paul to be persecuted by the Jews for him to have that firm decision to reach out to the Gentiles. In missions ministry, be sure to know the mission target people. Research will be more specific, focused, and to have boundaries or scope of mission work.

College Students

Going to the mission point, we did not have any clear idea who would be our mission target people; we did not even think about it. We just want to obey.

Since we worked as teachers, students were our immediate contacts. We offered English classes for free after our regular teaching schedule. We assume that God wanted us to reach out to the students because they were enthusiastic learning with us; they were more considerate and helpful.

Mission is thrilling adventure; one can sense more of God’s presence in missions. It was no question, that Paul had the heart to reach out his fellow Jewish people but God wanted him to tell the good news to the Gentiles.

When the Lord limits ministry opportunities to contemporaries, if you desire more ministry adventures, it might be that God is telling you to consider missions. First, be sure you have heard your calling to mission very clearly. If there’s doubt in your heart, that’s a warning to get more assurance from the Lord.

Keep remembering Acts 1:8…  ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

If Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria don’t listen, proceed to the ends of the earth. Mission contacts [teammates and targets] are strategic people to work with but only by God’s grace through leading the Holy Spirit that mission work flourish.

Keep praying for personal mission involvement; the heart of God is missions!

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