UNDERSTANDING MISSION (9)

MISSIONARY STRATEGY

It is thrilling to see how a small group of nondescript disciples living in an obscure corner of the world were imbued with a glorious vision for the evangelization of the world and how they carried it out. Each one felt directly involved in this task and gave himself or herself to it without reserve.

Much of the evangelism was carried on by local believers in connection with their everyday duties. They “gossiped” the gospel in their own neighborhoods.

In addition, the apostles and others traveled from country to country, preaching the gospel and planting churches. They went out by twos or in larger companies. Sometimes a younger man went out with an older; for instance, Timothy with Paul.

Basically there were two methods—personal evangelism and mass evangelism. In connection with the latter, it is interesting to notice that most of the preaching was impromptu, and arose from some local situation or crisis.

Nearly all the preachings that took place as recorded there (in Acts) were under circumstances which precluded any possibility of the preacher preparing his discourse; every one of these occasions was unexpected.61

As E. M. Bounds has said, their preaching was not the performance of an hour but rather the overflow of a life.

The apostles and their associates were guided by the Holy Spirit, but this guidance was often confirmed by their local church. Thus we read that the prophets and teachers at Antioch laid their hands on Barnabas and Paul and sent them off on the First Missionary Journey (13:2). Again we read that Timothy had the confidence of the brethren at Lystra and Iconium before he set out with Paul (16:2). And Paul and Silas were recommended to the grace of God by the church at Antioch prior to the Second Missionary Journey (15:40).

It is commonly taught that their geographical strategy was to go into large cities and plant churches so that those churches would then evangelize the surrounding territory. This is perhaps an oversimplification. Basically their strategy was to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whether to a large city or a small one. The Holy Spirit led Philip from revival in Samaria to a single man on the road to Gaza (8:26-40). And He led Paul to Berea (17:10), which Cicero called an “out-of-the-way city.” Frankly, we do not see a fixed, inflexible geographical strategy in the Book of Acts. Rather we see the sovereign Spirit moving in accordance with His own will.

Local churches were established wherever people responded to the gospel. These assemblies gave permanence and stability to the work. They were self-governing, self-financing, and self-propagating. The apostles revisited the congregations to strengthen and encourage the believers (14:21, 22; 15:41; 20:1, 2) and to appoint elders (14:23).

In their missionary travels the apostles and their associates were sometimes self-supporting (18:3; 20:34); sometimes they were supported by gifts from churches and individuals (Phil. 4:10, 15-18). Paul worked to provide not only for himself but for those who were with him (20:34).

Though they were commended to the grace of God by their local church, and supported by local churches, yet they were not controlled by local churches. They were the Lord’s free agents in declaring all the counsel of God and in holding back nothing that was profitable (20:20).

At the conclusion of their missionary journeys, they returned to their home church and gave a report of how the Lord had worked through them (14:26-28; 18:22, 23). This is a good pattern for all missionaries to follow in every age of the church. (Tecarta Bible)