Missions & Outreach

Philosophy of Missions Sola Bible is committed to the Scripture, devoted to Christ, seeks to equip the saints, all for the glory of God. This is the philosophy that will drive missiology as we seek to be faithful to our Lord’s Great Commission that He gave to His disciples in Matt 28:18-20- And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” It is thus evident that God’s heart for the nations is seen clearly throughout the Scripture. With this crucial passage in mind, there are certain distinctives we affirm as we seek to carry out missions biblically. 1) Missions are primarily centered on God. While our prayer is to see the sinner saved through gospel proclamation, the primary goal of gospel proclamation is for the glory of God (2 Cor 4:11- For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh). Down in verse 15 of this same chapter, Paul says, For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. The process that Paul describes is evident- he proclaims the gospel which spreads God’s grace to more and more people so that they may bow the knee to Christ, and the result is the increase of the glory of God. This does not imply that the goal of missions is to get as many salvation decisions as possible. Rather, it is about committing to the indigenous people group and investing time and effort in order to learn the language (if needed), provide clear biblical teaching, proclaim the gospel, train leaders, and either establish or strengthen the local church indigenous to that area. While we should have a great compassion for the needs of people, we should have a greater concern for the glory of God. 2) The Local Church’s role in missions. It is the responsibility of every local church to carry out the Great Commission faithfully. 2 classifications can be made: goers and senders. However, there are certain qualifications and steps that are needed to be taken in order to accomplish this task in a manner glorifying to Christ. The local church, then, is to: - Ensure that missionaries that are being sent out are elder qualified. These are men and women who must be equipped with proper and sound doctrine and meet the character qualifications listed out in 1 Tim 3 and Tit 1. It is the responsibility of every local church to identify and train qualified elders. This is seen in 2 Tim 2:2- And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Where some are senders, others are goers. Therefore, some need to go. The ordinary means of God reaching the ends of the earth is His ambassadors. We are His ambassadors for Christ, 2 Cor 5:21. Therefore, those who go must know their Bibles. Zeal alone will not suffice. It has to be coupled with knowledge. Missionaries must be God’s polished arrow. Those who go need to be clear communicators. - Ensure that missionaries have the proper language training and tools, along with any other practical needs pertaining specifically to that indigenous group. - Ensure that missionaries are supervised. This principle becomes evident when one looks at the return of Barnabas and Paul to Antioch (Acts 14:27- And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles). Not only were these men commissioned by the local church, but they also held them accountable by gathering together to hear all that God had done in their ministry. The local church then has the primary responsibility to assist and exercise loving accountability for the actions and ministry of its missionaries. - Ensure that missionaries are supported. 3 John 6- You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. This is because missionaries go out for the sake of Christ’s name. Spiritually, this support includes prayer and encouragement. Practically, this support can be financial, medical (if needed), subsistence, clothing, etc…By properly supporting missionaries, the local church partners with them in the work of the ministry. Sola Bible is committed to take our missions responsibilities seriously both as individuals and members of this local church so that God may be glorified above all. - Ensure that missionaries are then planting local churches indigenous to the area, and identifying and training up godly and qualified elders, so that model and pattern can be repeated as Paul as stated in 2 Tim 2. - Ensure that, for churches needing strengthening, missionaries are assisting an existing church to develop or improve its ministry in areas like structure, individual ministries, philosophy, or leadership. 3) The Pursuit and Product It is the church’s prayer that as missionaries are trained and sent, the following will characterize the pursuit of our missions: i) Worship (Jn 4:24) ii) Fellowship (Heb 10:24-25) iii) Ministry (1 Pet 4:8) iv) Teaching (Eph 4:11) v) Discipleship and evangelism (Matt 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). As these biblically prescribed means of worship are pursued faithfully, it is then the church’s prayer that our missiology will produce the following in the people groups we seek to reach: i) Enduring faithfulness (Matt 24:13) ii) Ever increasing measure of conformity to Christ’s image (Eph 4:13) iii) Imitating elders as they imitate Christ (1 Cor 11:1) iv) Growing in personal holiness (2 Pet 3:18).