Lesson in a mini session at the Summit

Be absolutely sure of your own salvation

• Several missionaries have gotten saved after serving on the field
• Others have fallen into deep sin
• Others have totally quit on God
• It is Biblical to make your calling and election sure!

II Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Be an ardent student of the word of God

• Read it all through many times-how can you claim to be a teacher and preacher of a book that you have not read many times
• Be disciplined in spending time with God each day. If you aren’t disciplined enough to spend time everyday to personally grow then how will you study in a disciplined manner to teach others
• As a student you read to learn and apply! If God’s Word does not change you then how will it change others?
• You should be able to see God changing you through the Word. If the Word doesn’t work in your life then how do you expect it to work in someone else’s life.
• Become a self feeder

Fall in love with the church

• If you don’t like fellowship with God’s people how will you spend a life time bringing others into the family and building the family
• Church planting is the only way to really fulfill the Great Commission!

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

• Learn how to do church work
• Study the pastoral epistles until you are very familiar with them
• Learn how to treat your brothers and sisters in Christ
• Be very helpful to the pastor, missionary, church staff and other spiritual leaders

Luke 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

• You learn more by serving than studying and leading!
• No doctor, lawyer, or dentist begins work without training, and neither should a missionary.  The best place to get this training is in your church and on the field.  You need to get involved in the ministries of your church.

Become a discipling machine, if you do not disciple now you will not do so then either, “remember you will only be more of tomorrow whatever you are today!”

• The key ministry used all over the world is discipleship
• We go to reproduce others like ourselves
• That means you have to be who you should be
• That means that you need experience in taking a person from the beginning all the way through maturity
• If you do not know how or will not reproduce yourself on the mission field then do not go.
• You have to learn to work with people that no one else would.
• You have to learn to swim in sewage
• You have to realize that it is not the Bible College’s job to reproduce men, it is your responsibility to reproduce Christ in those that surround you.
• Everyone must be discipled.
• Know how to disciple before you go over.
• The process is a funnel, you win (lots) people to Christ, you disciple (some) those that accept Christ and then you train (few) those who are called of God to do the work.

Learn to cross the street and find new people and witness to them and get them in church

• Be involved in local outreach and getting to lost people to share the gospel with them
• Remember to work the process and not be so worried about the product
• You will learn to do hard work but then you must learn to do smart work

Read missionary biographies

• Take notes
• Think of the difficulties and trials that accompany missionary life.
• Discuss them clearly with your wife and family
• Keep a journal as you read and discuss so that you work through foreseeable problems

Get real training for the mission field

• Bible College training is very important. Knowing your Bible is important
• Bible Colleges do little to train however in cross cultural ministry.
• They teach theory not practice but you can get lots of practice if you work at it
• Get with missionaries with actual field time and that have been successfully used of God
• Spend at least 6 months on the field to see how you and your wife will adapt

Develop personal convictions so that you can stand no matter what others do or think

• Get victory over sin and temptation
• Get your thought life under control
• Do by living out who you are, pay your bills, and do not be known as a deadbeat or someone who does not pay your bills
• Develop a strong marriage because it will be tested

Become a disciplined and self motivated person

• Develop your gifts and be honest with yourself
• He will give you the desire and ability to do it Philippians 2:13
• You will have inescapable thoughts
• You will fill the necessity and woe laid on you 
I Corinthians 9:16-17
• Know who you are and just live out who you are in Christ

Notice what I didn’t say

• Worrying about where you are going to go-mission field
• Getting to the field as quickly as possible without getting trained
• Getting a prayer card
• Getting a mission board
• Getting there syndrome

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