HOW TO SUCCEED AS A MISSIONARY

Matthew 28:19, 20

Who is a missionary?

This is someone that goes on a mission. A missionary is more or less a sent one. He is an
errand boy for God, bearing the instruction of the Lord in his mouth. You can’t be a
missionary unless you are sent with a divine commission.

A Missionary can also be known as someone that is sent by a gospel organization to

fulfill a mission for the organization in the area of his ability.

Examples of a missionary

1. The disciples or apostles of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:1)

2. Jonah (Jonah 1:1)
3. Philip (Acts 8:5-8)
4. Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1-16; 15:1, 2, 25; 11:19-26)
5. Judas and Silas (Acts 15:27-29)
6. Dr. G. D. James of Singapore
7. Reverend Theodore Williams of India
8. Dr. David Cho of Korea

What is mission?

A mission in this aspect is known as carrying out a divine order.

a. It could be spiritual, bringing deliverance to an ethnicity or country

b. It could be educational- bringing enlightenment to a generation.
c. In those days, it was used as a tool for colony.
d. It could also be an alleviation of poverty as a way of helping a nation out of economic
down turn, stagnation, or recession. It could also be to help a certain group of people-
orphanage, helpless, or a society suffering from lack of water, or food.
e. It could be to help the sick people in nations that are poor.

Nevertheless, the major purpose of a missionary activity is to preach Jesus Christ to

people who are not saved and to establish those that are saved in the faith with God’s
word.

Diversities of mission activity

1. Church planting (Romans 15:19-21)

2. Preaching (Matthew 9:35; Mark 16:15-18, 20)
3. Teaching (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 14:1, 3; Luke 5:17)
4. Hospitality (Providing of help to the dying world, building of orphanage homes,
providing of health services, building of schools and hospitals etc.

Note:

The missing benefits of some mission activities today are found in these scriptures,
“Psalms 103:1-5”. This is the full package of redemption.

Today, many mission activities are only governed by fun of sightseeing and the study of
cultures. This is a deviation from the command of Jesus Christ. Every true mission goes
with a divine backing that brings result in the hand of the missionary (Mark 16:20).

4. Establishing the people in truth and creating of order (Acts 15:1, 2, 25-29; 16:4, 5)

How to succeed as a missionary

1. Go where God is leading. Be sensitive enough to know where God wants you to go to
(Acts 16:6-15). You will always have result where God send you to. God backs you when
he sends you. If you go contrary to His instructions, you may suffer some untold things.
Remember Jonah and Jesus Christ (John 4:39-42; Luke 9:51-53)
2. Do exactly what God asked you to do. Focus on the reason for the mission.
3. Deal wisely with laws of the land
4. Understand the culture of the people to enable the word of God have positive effect on
the people.

One of the ways that the gospel has spread today is by the training of heavenly called
ministers from different cultures or nations and commissioning them to evangelize their
own people. These trainings have given rise to so many bible institutes today in the
world, like the once in America, in Asia, and even in some African countries. This
method still remains the most successful method of spreading the gospel and establishing
people in the faith today.

Spiritual factors that boost success

1. Love and compassion for the people you are sent to (Matthew 14:14-16)
2. Obedience to God’s instructions (Luke 10:1-11, 17-19)
3. Prayerfulness- develop a habit of communing with God often in order to stay on course
by gaining direction from God; and also dismantling the enemies plans against (Acts 4)
4. Maintaining the presence of God (John 8:29)
5. Interpersonal skill- this makes you able to work together with people.
6. Commitment (John 4:34, 35; 9:4)
7. Focus (Proverbs 4:25-27; Luke 11:34). When you are focused, you will always gain
inspiration on what to do to go to the next level.