Introduction
SENT is an introduction to a short study on the topic of missions. SENT aims to introduce you to who God is, what God wants, and how He wants to accomplish it. Use the below video, questions, and diagrams to enter into the missionary heart of God.
DISCUSS
#1 What comes to mind?
What do you know about missions? What comes to your mind when you hear that word?
#2 What countries have you traveled to?
Where did you go and why did you go? What were some experiences you had.
Missions is about traveling too. God desires his people to travel all over the earth with the the good news. Because missions is not just local, but global. It has a vision that extends to the ends of the earth and encompasses all people, all nations, and languages. God, in Jesus Christ has traveled to earth to make world travelers. “For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son…” (John 3:16)
DEFINE
Missions, in a simple form, is about getting the message of God’s Son to God’s world through God’s people.
The definition above and verse below answers the what, where, and how questions of missions. How would you answer:
What is the purpose of missions?
Where is missions going?
How will missions be completed?
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
INTERACT
The map below shows the percent of each county’s population who professes to know Jesus, but may or may not actually. This is known as the percentage of the population that identify as Christian.
PROFESSING CHRISTIAN %
ACTUAL CHRISTIAN %
The map below shows the percent of each county’s population who actually or probably more realistically actually know Jesus in a saving way. This is known as the percentage of the population that actually Christian, or knows Jesus in a saving way.
DISCUSS
What do these two maps tell us about the progress of world missions?
How does understanding these two maps help us to share the gospel more intentionally?
What does this tell us about the need to evangelize (or share the gospel) with all peoples?
EVALUATE
Who would you be?
If the pool is world missions, who do you think represents you best? Why?
PRAY
Watch the below video and pray for a stat you remember or a pray the verse below for the country you learned about from the above maps.
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him... ACTS 17:26, 27