Mission Duration

Acts 18:7-11 

Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

Avocado

Much of avocado fruits in my hometown were harvested for consumption. There was so much avocado but town folks had no idea to market them. Transportation was not very accessible; no merchants wanting to buy them.

In North America, avocados are very expensive, rare, and not ordinary fruit.

Similarly, the gospel of Christ is an ordinary worldview in North America but in the mission frontiers, the gospel is no common concept. Throughout Christian history, God has been calling disciples to join mission.

How long should missionaries stay and work in one place and not overstay?

Paul stayed in Corinth longer than in Berea because of mission work demands.

1.   Demand

Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

It could have encouraged Paul to stay much longer in Corinth because a synagogue leader and his entire household believed and were baptized.

What is the connection of the conversion of a synagogue leader and his household to Paul decision to stay in Corinth for a while; how does it matter to Paul?

Synagogue leaders were very aggressive oppositions to Christianity; Crispus, the synagogue leader must have some influences among Jewish community. It’s strategic approach to missions to convert community leaders.

Aside from Crispus and his entire household, Paul had Aquila and Priscilla, Timothy and Silas, and Crispus as mission partners; they can easily start a church. Paul’s mission team has to trained leaders or pastors for a while.

Paul visited Titius Justus, a worshipper of God, and with little imagination, there could be other followers of Crispus and Titius that have been converted, also. And there were also many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized; Bible student translated or used the word “multitude” or “great number” of Corinthians was converted.

The demand of mission work in Corinth was so enormous; Paul and his mission team stayed in Corinth a little longer and planted the Corinthian church.

While praying for possible church planting project, we support church planters.

Mission Support

Our mission ministry has proposed to support local churches for 3 years. After 3 years, we are still supporting the same church, why?

There’s a new ministry demand that needs continuous financial support. The church we are supporting is actively planting churches; the support we send regularly is directed to their church planting effort.

As a local church, we direct our mission support to church planting; we support mission project and missionaries geared to planting churches. There are many important mission projects to be considered but the mission demand our church thrust in missions is toward church planting endeavour.

This need discernment; not all mission endeavours are geared to church planting. We support church planting projects with the same doctrine that we adhere to; we particularly choose church planting projects with the same beliefs like ours.

The Lord helps us know when to keep supporting and when to stop supporting. There’s no exact number of years as to how long we extend support. Initially, we start at 3-year diminishing support then decide later, if we continue or not.

Paul stayed in Corinth for some times after he discerned the Lord’s voice.

2.  Discernment

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

No attack, no harm, and many people of God in the city of Corinth—those are the needed affirmation a missionary would love to hear from the Lord. Missionary calling comes from God—not of human decision, not of human will. It needs God’s grace in the mission field; it’s dangerous, risky to go to missions. With God’s grace at work, the dangerous and risky mission field is adventurous.

Corinth was a foreign city to Paul; it was not known if he had been to Corinth before but he might have some concerns about his safety in Corinth. If it was not so, why did the Lord need to guarantee Paul’s safety?

Indeed, the Jews in Corinth made united effort to attack Paul but the Corinthian authorities efficiently kept the city out of troubles; it favoured Paul and his team.

The Heavenly Man

Most mission stories highlight many dramatic struggles in mission frontiers.

Before we fly out to our mission point, I bought the last copy of the book “The Heavenly Man” found in a Christian bookstore and read it. The book narrates persecutions and God’s miraculous work among the Christians centred in the life of the man called “The Heavenly Man.”

After I read the book, I required my family to read it themselves. I asked my family if they were afraid about possible persecutions we might encounter in mission but they felt no discouragement.

We observed in the book of Acts that Paul was constantly persecuted wherever he went but not persecuted in the city of Corinth, why?

Was it because Corinth was a very strategic centre of commerce, at that time, that God kept Paul and his mission team safe while planting a church in Corinth?

Missionaries have their share of dramatic and horrific struggles in missions. But why do missionaries persevere in the mission field if there’s so much persecution? Do they find fulfillment of life in what they do in missions?

God has given each believer a mission in life but not all Christians are called to international mission; not all Christians are called to be in the mission frontiers. Doubts, uncertainties, safety or financial concerns cannot discourage those who are called to go to the mission frontiers or international missions; God is sufficient.

There are other equally significant ministry where disciples can be involved with. Get involve in a ministry that you sense you are called to join. It maybe tough or easy, but as long as you find joy and peace from God, you’re inspired to get involved.

The Lord has called all believers to be involved in the ministry; it could be that you are called to train others, to support financially, prayerfully, or go as missionaries.

God has called all disciples, all members of Christ’s body to function accordingly. Just as hands, feet, eyes, heart, stomach have specific functions, every believer has been given specific function that would coordinate with the need of Christ’s body; the church is Christ’s body, local and universal. Missionaries are called for the universal body of Christ while others are assigned to the local body of Christ.

Imagine those who insist on doing what they are not called to do. It’s like using the hand to walk, their ears talk, or their eyes chew food. It’s weird right?

Many Christians are weird and confused because they don’t function accordingly.

You’ll find no fulfillment until you found yourself in the centre of the spiritual function God has designed specifically for you only in the body of Christ. That spiritual function is God’s designed for you to have fulfillment in this life.

Keep praying and ask God to bring you to that situation where His plan for you will be accomplished and you will find fulfillment in your life.

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