Missions on Point

MoP248 The Church and the Parachurch - Vocation

A Christian's job can also be thought of as a parachurch ministry. It's important to make a distinction between what the church does and what a Christian does, and a distinction between what the gospel is and what the implications of the gospel are. Thus Christians live out their faith in the workplace and around the world while maintaining the primary importance of the work of the church and church planting missionaries.

MoP247 The Church and the Parachurch - Church Support

Churches have two kinds of ministries they operate: essential and support ministries. In this episode, we talk about how to make a distinction between the two and why that is important, along with some potential dangers and some helpful implications. Did you ever consider that your church operates parachurch ministries from within? Perhaps what your church has considered really important should be viewed as a non-essential parachurch support ministry. May all of God's churches be healthy in how we spend our ministry efforts.

MoP246 The Church and the Parachurch - Parachurch

Once we understand what the essentials of the church are, then we are able to define a parachurch ministry. The definition proposed in this episode will help us to keep the priority of ministry on the local church. It will help us understand why missions is important for churches as we compare and contrast all churches everywhere. And hopefully, you will be motivated in your own ministry to not exceed its mandate and see how it rightfully sits in submission to the local church. 

MoP245 The Church and the Parachurch - Essentials

Getting the church right sets the foundation for understanding all Christian ministry. The church is God's institution for his purpose of global glory. The church is essential and when we see how important the church is, then everything else we do as Christians will fall into place. What is essential for a church?

MoP244 The Church and the Parachurch - Introduction

Christians do a lot of things, most of it on their own as an act of faith that God has given them a ministry. Yet, Jesus warns us that many will claim having done many things in Jesus' name, but Jesus will reject them because he never knew them. How can we sort through what is a Christian ministry and what is not? Before we can answer that question, we must first understand what ministry the church does. Getting the church right will begin to help us sort through the confusion.

MoP243 Preaching About Missions - Wisdom

Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. Old Testament wisdom points us to Christ and to the work of the church to go into all the world confounding the wisdom of this world. The wisdom literature gives us guidance for life, teaching us through the schoolhouse of the Old Testament to walk by the Spirit in faith, and not according to the letter of the law. Wisdom is for missions, and missions is only possible with the wisdom of Jesus.

MoP242 Preaching About Missions - Ezra Nehemiah Esther

The final history books of the OT, lead us to think about the hard work of building God's temple and kingdom. Clearly the old temple's glory would not be restored, but God's glory is worth our efforts because we look forward to a better temple. The book of Esther too teaches us about the limitations of man. Yet, we are responsible to do what we can, and God may use our works if he pleases. God will build a dwelling place for himself and we must look forward to that one day when people from all nations will worship the Sovereign God of earth and time together. 

MoP Preaching About Missions - Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The post-exile prophets have a unique message for the church today. Hope in the coming Messiah and the wealth of the nations being brought into the temple of God. Yet with a new temple that doesn't compare to Solomon's, we are taught to look for a glory greater than Solomon's. Today missionaries are God's messengers going to all the world, preaching the law and the gospel, preparing for the final coming of the Lord.