Adult
• 4 Sessions of Learner’s Materials
• 4 Sessions of Teaching Materials
• 4 Handouts
1. Luke 16:19-31
2. Matthew 25:31-46
3. Luke 10:25-37
4. Isaiah 6:1-8
The apostle Paul is well known for his three missionary journeys. He was probably the first person to make a deliberate effort to take the gospel to Europe. He was among the earliest Christians who aspired to spread the gospel to Gentiles. What gave Paul his missionary vision? What drove him to lead the church's first missionary efforts?
Paul often used the human body as a metaphor for the church, noting that, just as various limbs and body parts comprise a unified body, individual Christians should act together harmoniously. In 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere, the body metaphor is used to illustrate how the various gifts, or talents, of Christians can work together to benefit the church. First Corinthians 13:11 presents a key requirement to developing a missions vision: "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways."
This unit explores how developing a missions vision is essential to the maturing process of individual Christians and the church. Each of the unit's four lessons looks at a specific characteristic of human development and compares it with a principle of missions. Each characteristic is particular to a different period of human growth and is vital to our maturing as human beings. We will see how the Bible guides us in understanding each of those mission principles and how we can put these principles into action.
The first lesson urges us to renew our vision for missions. Just as toddlers learn to see things differently as they grow, Christians learn to envision the entire world from a new perspective. The second lesson concerns missions as service to Christ. Just as children can learn that a single object may take different shapes, we can learn that serving our Savior can take many forms. In lesson three, we are challenged to invest the time, study, thought, and energy necessary to struggle with the complexities of global missions, both domestic and international. Just as the imaginations of adolescents transform into an ability to think abstractly, separate the real from the possible, and test hypotheses, all of us Christians can imagine how the vast amount and variety of resources in our churches can efficiently, effectively, and creatively reach out through missions to a hurting world. In the final lesson of this unit, we are challenged to engage actively in opportunities for missions study, support, and the missions ministry actions of our local churches. In our effort to mature as adults, we Christians need to become more productive, respectful of others, loving, and giving.
Understanding these missions principles can help us mature in our commitment to missions support and missions action. They can also produce maturity in all areas of our spiritual lives.
by Ronnie Prevost
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