The Power of Missions

This is the Truth Network I was sitting next to a missions pastor.

That's right, this guy is one of the leading cutting-edge missions. Pastors in all of America. He just got back from a foreign land in Asia and what we can't get too specific friends because there are Christian suffering, all the world and we do not want to put them at risk by this interview. But what we want to do is want to put you at risk because I'm sitting with the cutting edge. This one, two, three, four, five, I'm sitting with eight juniors at Calvary day school they've never been on aspiration as an S ratio they say gives you a very awake, somewhat, and pastor Matt, what's it like to be with these young people. This is the next generation were dead and gone there got to carry the gospel got all the world, absolutely.

I think students have a great opportunity.

The willingness to be able to do whatever God wants him to do some glad to be with the guys.

So tell us a little bit about what is a missions pastor do you have no 345 6008 even more on the role here or try your view when you try to do with the people is sadly a lot of Christians are going into the world where there's billions of folks that need Jesus like you just came back from a big area.

Yes, so the most important thing I think is going as disciples is to live with the heart and mind on mission. When we do that when we fall more in love with Jesus were going to pray more were going to give more were going to go more and so that's really what I want to try to help people have a heart and mind for Christ and then we take care of all the other details. Okay, now I know one of these guys has a question whose income for first okay young man.

State your first name and your question for pastor Matt about his recent missions trip in about important submissions for young he will be will engage reach our world for Christ will have a quick first thing I'm they and what was your initial thought when you first heard God tell you that he wanted to do this so I was 18 years old so miss you guys age whenever I since God telling me to spend part of my life serving him as a missionary for years and my initial thought was God if this is my own idea. I'm not going to do that. But if this is really your voice then I'll do and I just fell to confirmation piece that he wanted me to do that and so I lived there for years in South Asia that I'm glad that still go back on short-term trips taken other people there. Okay we got another question young man, set your first name and a quick question for pastor Matt about his most recent missions throughout this whole thing of going in the world reaching people with the gospel. While we still have time. My name is Rob and I was an ass. I really ever nervous going on a mission trip? That's a good question. I am sometimes nervous. I was nervous if I would get into the country this time because they are resistant to the gospel. Sometimes so. Prayer helps a lot. So just praying that God gives peace in second Timothy 17 says God did not give us the spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline and so I definitely since other people praying for me. That gave me a lot of peace while I'm Stu Epperson got another question: of these young many are these great questions government and they are yeah now just in your thinking. You always parents what you kids you're getting the kids eager young men you guys are juniors and seniors.

There was a they were going to college. We want to double may we should be saying wait a second baby words. Got call you to plant a church know in Burma any of the least, maybe in China baby in Canada. Maybe somewhere else in the world and we we don't want to sort change God's great commission right so I'm Stu.

I am in. This is a unique situation. I teach leadership session with a lot of other of my peers.

We teach the young people and we had called advice orally we go through the Scriptures we go to principles of leadership. Servant leadership based on Christ's example and model and it just so happened I had my hand any mic with me in it happen that are our amazing premier missions pastor of our church here in North Carolina was available this morning.

He just got back for an amazing missions trip he's fired up left a small family meanness you title at risk you leave your kids you they will just a kiss goodbye may not see the ceiling of it all for the name of taking the gospel. Such good news were taken everywhere so he's challenging the kids this morning. The young men and I thought he lets interview let's let's let's must make a show of it never done this before, or it's a great question. A young man. What's your name what's your question here for pastor Matt on this whole topic of missions on my name's jaws was the best part about being missions pastor Ray? That's a great question really for me it's to see other people living according to the gifts and passions God has given to them.

So in this world you know there so many millions of people, hundreds of millions of people who have not heard of Christ and there's only one person. There's only so much I can do and so it's exciting for me to see other people raising up and be living out the calling that God is put on their lives and you know when things were just talking about of planning for the future. I think that it's really important for us to be the plan to go but be willing to stay. We usually do the other way around like you know I'm planning on staying you now. I'll try to be willing to go. If God led me to do that but to try to flip that on its head and say, hey, Gary told us go make disciples of all nations. If he tells me to do that right here where I grew up, and that's fine as well but let's plan on going pretty go and we may have a mission of future missions pastor). This pastor met you never know right yet you know you do you assure me a statistic recently that more money will be embezzled from churches this year and will be invested in reaching unreached people groups that occur in that crazy it is unfortunately and yeah okay another young manager which first name and a question for pastor met here about miss it all mission segment here we Stu Epperson right here in this amazing interview podcast where we are trying to reach the world. How do you change the world introduce the world to life changer to the living water. Jesus Christ go answer young man what you question your freshman hymen is Bailey and my question is what you miss the most in your way from home on your mission. When I am on a mission trip or traveling, definitely miss my family so my wife Allison and then our kids Joshua, Jen and Ethan, so they are 12, 10 and eight years old, but I am thankful for technology that allows us to keep Entiat seen that even when I'm halfway around the world. Very cool. Okay, what's your name young man your question, pastor of missions pastor met.

My name is Tanner and has your faith been tested since you been spreading the word. Yeah, I mean my faith has deftly been tested. It's a good question. I think that there so many challenges that are are in this world and yet I feel like God has blessed me with faith is one of my spiritual gifts so that's I'm trying to say that with humility because that's not something that I am I have on my own. I'm not just this guy who's adventurous and just wants to go do this because I I love traveling the world.

It's God is put this faith in me and a passion that says there are so many people who have never heard about Jesus one time and so for that I'm willing to set all the temporary worldly things aside so okay first name enclosure pastor met. Hey, I'm Jacob, and how do you deal with the language barriers when you're on a mission trip while great question yes with the language barrier.

Thankfully, when I lived in another country. I learned the local language and so was able to speak and that and that helped a tine.

However, if I'm going on a mission trip to a different place have to go with someone who can translate usually a local believer and so just trying to be careful in how we speak and not use idioms sometimes.

I've heard things that just don't get translated well and saves got a kind to be mindful and not use too difficult of words when you're trying to get some translated hi Zach, how do you deal with people who reject the gospel in a hostile way, it's good question.

Try to do it the way that Jesus said in in Luke chapter 10 Jesus sent out 70 of his disciples 2 x 2 to the different villages where he was about to go and he said whenever someone resist you. Whenever someone rejects the gospel, wipe the dust off your feet and go on to the next place and so I don't try to make a big show of it. If someone resist just say I got bless you. Jesus said, tell them the kingdom of God is near you, but MoveOn I'm Damien. I was wondering what is the hardest thing for you to overcome when you're out in the field. The hardest thing to overcome in the field I think are Christians who are locked into tradition so there's a ton of lost people who are willing to receive Christ, but you know first on 44 says that he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world and so Satan is not the main problem. It is Christians who are not obeying the Holy Spirit are not filled with the Holy Spirit. That's really the roadblock and seen the whole world hear about Christ. If the whole if all the Christians would get aggressive in intentional, ambitious and gracious about sharing the gospel good news sharing with others like you and your cells won't happen in our world with two billing who never heard pastor met well I think about what Paul said in Romans he said in chapter 10 verse 13 everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on the one they have not heard and how can they hear without someone preaching to them and how can they preach unless they are sent and says how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. And so we gotta tell the gospel to everyone we can. That's awesome. I am so proud usually greatly these yet.

These guys are there there there there going to be an amazing guy got what to see how God uses them great questions. Yeah, absolutely. You guys are sharp and thanks for asking thoughtful questions all right of interview with a missions pastor right here in our leadership training with these young men a Calvary day school just awesome.

And guys say thank you to pastor met all three think you pastor met 123 pastor Matt God bless you man and bottom line.

Jesus said, go Geo right is right.

Go make disciples of all nations. Thanks for interviewing me today. Awesome was a special thank you to a wonderful partner helping us advance the message of this program of the gospel in the thank you goes out to my pillow.com Mike Lindell, the inventor and CEO has now open his heart to say thank you as well. He wants to give you the opportunity to do what I've done I've slept on this pillow.

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You can also call this toll-free number 800-944-5396 thank you my pillow for partnering with us to advance the good news the gospel and thinking all you guys that have checked about supporting our sponsors/resources for you for missions to encourage folks in your church around you to go on a missions trip family should go on mission trips together.

Pastor met real quick on that. I mentioned that living with a heart and mind on mission is so central.

One of the best tools that you can do for that is to take a class called perspectives in go to perspectives.org's perspectives on the world Christian movement that really helps you if you're tired of just doing church. This is really going to take it to the new level where you're able to see what is God been doing throughout eternity and throughout the world and how you can be a part they know you're also a part of a pretty cool new radio show – podcasting teller. What about that little bit yeah that's right that's called Jesus junkets J you and K ETS you can find that on iTunes now that is different stories from around the world that are just amazing of what people are doing Latin. The Holy Spirit works through them totally awesome and really what you're kind of waking people up to me it's sad. I've heard statistics is Lowe's lesson 4% of Christian sure their faith mean your not getting a passport going to the other side of the world. In some cases, but like right here in America and Utah in North Carolina and Iowa pastor Matt why are we sure our faith is like you can like drink the water, speak the language not have to leave your house sleep in the same home every night, have dinner with your family dropped the kids off at school and be on a missions trip.

Like right now but why don't we get that pastor met where's the disconnect and I'm saying we because I think I'm blind to it is much as anyone sure. I think there a couple of reasons.

I think the main reason there was fear.

People are afraid of rejection or they're afraid they don't know what to say so I unfortunately think that's the main thing you were afraid and we really need to pray for boldness and for courage but we also need to obey a meme. I'm afraid there's a lot of things I'm afraid of potentially is a believer or that might intimidate me, but that doesn't mean that I don't share we have the greatest message about the greatest Savior who came and died for the worst of sinners like me and we have so much to share as okay so let's get real here like nitty-gritty as a missions pastor. If your event what would sit will be a one your biggest frustrations being around a bunch of sheep like me who are, like, glossed over nose like hate people are dying and going to hell like a where's my latte.

You don't look at my watch I got the service I got to be depressed or is lunch what your biggest frustration. Yeah, I think people who are caught up in the cares of this world, the wealth that's in there, the love of money that is just self absorbed and I had not sacrificial I Jesus said if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. I think too many Christians are just content with showing up at church on Sunday and go on. I've done my thing up at in a couple bucks in the offering plate. I'm good, but take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. Okay were to have interviews with vicious pastors like maybe every every week on our true thought.

We can show our our podcast where it will go podcast for for on this big Facebook page. She's daily were trying to again wake people up and could mobilize people like were trying to summon an army of people say, hey, come join us to reach the world for Jesus your listener right now and you're not save her call you trust in the only one who can save you call upon anymore.

You'll be saved if your listener out you've been saved, you know the Lord then there is a one-to-one correlation between you.

Knowing God in you making him known. This not an option.

And so the question is, all the people around you that you know the don't know the Lord you hang out with you, laugh with and and and and and God's put you in those relationships so you can leave them to Christ and on the positive side – and I know we talk other negative how little monies given to missions. I'm hit so sad. It's almost embarrassing like with the statistics I quoted them to a group the other day and Utah. They were like shocked that much money that more money spent on Halloween costumes for people's pets than to reach the 2 billion unreached peoples in the world is probably more than 2 billion. It's almost 3 now but passionate on the positive side using people a missions trip. They come back on fire. Click on the lazy man that pastor Matt all I didn't I couldn't go. I had I had you know stuff going on at work in a family we are in the middle of some things that there was no way I just did it. I just he talked me into the I prayed about it and somehow got the Holy Spirit in this pastor.

Matt stayed on me when they came back from that missions trip to Asia or wherever they went, they were changed. People can you describe that dynamic and can you give some encouragement he will violently just go you want adventure in adrenaline junkie. How about seeing someone receive Jesus who's never heard the gospel for we talk about the positive side of it and give people such as encouraging their yeah I love to see the passion that comes out when people come back and just say why I'm excited to one go back to be more involved and maybe even go back longer.

When I went to South Asia. Just last month.

One of our members stayed there for two months, so she still there.

She's in her 80s while and is staying there is like a one weeks not enough. I want to be here for longer. Another thing that's exciting is when people are wanting to apply it back into their normal life back here in the states and so there was one lady I know that she went to a country in Asia. But there's some believers from that nation here in our church and she's like I want to go visit the congregation. I want to see how I can help them how to reach others, and so I think that's a great thing to connect both the global and the local that short-term with the normal daily life is awesome.

How hard is it for so another listing to go to missions trip with their listing like I want to go in. And of course want to be careful on this because we don't want to go on a missions trip to make it more complicated and difficult for the embedded missionaries. We want to go to serve and love them.

And so it may be you go and maybe watch their kids so they can go on a date night or maybe you go when you help them you know you know build a church or you know it could be hard labor or it could be you go you join them in and some kind of sports evangelism and whatnot but what would you say to folks that want to go to a missions trip in. Maybe they'll have a missions pastor were small.

I think I would. Austin is awesome for us in our church here Missions pastor like you will just what you say so. It was to go, just maybe, the next step.

So I think that as a believer in Christ you have skills you have spiritual gifts you have something to bring to the table and so I would encourage you to find a mission trip that fits your gifting well and then I get trained to be able to make sure that your more helpful than a hindrance to the people who are there long term, but there's a ton of mission organizations that you could, you know, find out about and get equipped if it's not your own church find another local church that's kind of an area seeing kind of in person do training.

One mission organization that does short-term trips plus long-term missionaries that I find really helpful because I used to serve with the organization is called the International Mission Board die Ambien so you can go to their website@imb.org you can see different mission trips that they've got available. Awesome. Just ask yourself how is the gospel change my life. Number one, number two how his God gifted me to take that to the world. It's really not. We over complicated things not, getting awfully bashful get old fattened and beat up but I played basketball in his company at a good guy, who may never listen to me.

Surely gospel but we play ball were sweating and were growing and were playing ball and in its count, competitive, and afterward is like the Lord always opens the door for me to share Jesus and I realize let's why am doing all this, or is not, so I can. I can't remember how many shots it probably did more initiative last game but sharing the gospel. Thank you so much was that website for perspectives to discuss some amazing videos and is part of the ministry that with your podcast and all you're doing. What's a good point of contact for people are yeah perspectives.org so the whole course is called perspectives on the world Christian movement and one last question that I would leave with those of you who are listening, not just what can I do or how can I help what is God want me to do.

But this question wig take wig take and wig stands for. What's it gonna take so what's going to take to see every man woman and child hear the gospel of Christ, see his love on display that question leads us to things like Jesus and the harvest is plentiful with the laborers are few. So we need to ask more laborers to go around his harvest field.

Amen. Passionate. You blessed me man you got me challenged now – only to assure Loris about you right now were doing that with his soul of the radio you in the in the podcast and this this venue here because we can share with a whole lot of folks and we can challenge folks out there before your head is the pillow like delude you say don't go sure Christ one person for your head. It's a pillow and only stories of him getting out of bed getting an umbrella going out leaves only Christ videos I forgot. Do you want to call child thank you – if we reach out to be going on a mission should all connect with battle connect you with all kinds of people that are ready to take you just go to Stu Epperson.com or TruthNetwork.com some information over falling all the G DME on the IG that's all you people talking on Instagram Greg message me at Stu Epperson on Twitter as well and on Facebook