Study overview

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

Who should I send?

Who will go for Us?

I said: Here I am. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8, HCSB).

The year was 740 B.C., and the kingdom had long been divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Neither kingdom had been faithful to God. They had turned their backs on their loving Creator. The northern kingdom was about to suffer God’s judgment at the hands of the Assyr-ians, and the same would happen to the people of Judah if they did not turn their hearts back to the Holy One of Israel.

God put Judah and Jerusalem on trial in a vision He gave the prophet Isaiah. First, God stated His case against them (see Isaiah 1-3). The people had failed to show the natural gratitude and devotion that could be expected of even a domestic animal. Their sacrifices and praise were nothing but empty ritual in light of their sinful disobedience in ignoring justice and oppression. Their women were haughty seduc-tresses, and their leaders were leading the people astray. If only they would acknowledge their sin, re-pent and do what was right, God would forgive and cleanse them. If not, they would face His judgment.

Isaiah was horribly aware of the sins of the people. He saw it every day as he lived among them. Then Isaiah received a life-changing vision of the Lord Himself in all His holiness and splendor. Of course any vision from God would be life-changing, but in this one Isaiah was an active participant. The vision

produced a deep conviction of sin in the prophet, which brought him to the place of confession. His unclean lips were cleansed, his wickedness removed and his sin atoned for. Then Almighty God posed two questions:

“Who shall I send? Who will go for Us?”

Isaiah never hesitated.

“Here I am. Send me.”

Isaiah was a man who was first called and then sent. He embraced his mission wholeheartedly, though, knowing the message would be unpopular and that he would likely suffer in his delivery of it. So should be the attitude of Christians today. An entire world of people is far from God and needs to hear His message – the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God is sending us. Unlike Isaiah’s message of im-pending judgment, we get to deliver the message of grace alluded to in subsequent chapters of the Book of Isaiah. Our message is that, through Jesus, forgiveness is available and eternal life in heaven is a reality. We should all be excited and willing to take this good news to those who are bound up in sin and hopelessness.

Southern Baptists stand on the precipice of seeing greater and more challenging changes in today’s cul-ture and their communities. No longer can we stand on the sidelines assuming that right will win. We live in a time when what is wrong is deemed as right and what is right is deemed wrong. In this context, we are called to stand and declare our allegiance to God and to speak and live boldly as evidence of that.

2016 North American Mission Study

for Adults

North American Mission Study for Adults 2

We wholeheartedly support and encourage our Southern Baptist missionaries who are sent out with God’s command to be obedient and to take the message of Christ to all people, but we know they cannot do it alone. In a world characterized by pain, brokenness and sin, all of us must be beacons of light in dark places. We must be everyday missionaries.

The North American Mission Board’s strategy seeks to send Christians from all walks of life to shine the light of truth into the dark places of North America.

God issues the challenge to each of us, “Whom should I send? Who will go for Us?’

Our response should be swift and without reserve.

“Here I am. Send me.”

Prepare for the study

• For overall promotion of the North American Missions Emphasis to your entire church, order the free North American Missions Emphasis theme poster, Annie Armstrong Easter Offer-ing® envelopes and prayer guides from your state WMU office. Ordering information can be found at AnnieArmstrong.com/statewmu.

• Work with missions leaders and other church leaders to plan aspects of the study, such as scheduling, scope and promotion. Encourage these leaders to enlist other church members to take ownership by helping in the planning and implementation of the study. You may choose to do the study as a special event or incorporate it into an existing meeting or group setting.

• Publicize the study through church bulletins, social media, churchwide announcements, newsletters and so forth.

• Ask Sunday School classes and church members to pray for the study outcome—that individuals will be inspired as they learn about missions efforts in North America and will eagerly sup-port those who are serving as missionaries and church planters with the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

• Consider enlisting an outside speaker, such as a North American missionary, to address the church before the study or as part of it.

• Explore the website, AnnieArmstrong.com, for resources that will enhance the learning ex-perience for your church, such as bonus video segments, promotional materials, information on the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, sup-plemental materials and more.

• Download the study materials and video seg-ment from the website, AnnieArmstrong.com, or print from the Annie Armstrong Easter Of-fering promotional DVD/DVD-ROM your church should have received from NAMB in January. Other segments on the DVD can be used for study purposes or for the Week of Prayer and Annie Armstrong Easter Offering emphases. The video segments used in this study for youth are titled, “A Face in the Crowd” and “When Obeying Is Hard” and features Zack Randles, a church planter in Washington, D.C.

Note: Your church has permission to copy the DVD or you can download videos and other resources at AnnieArmstrong.com. Downloads are free.

Prepare for the lesson

• Download and print the 2016 Week of Prayer Missionary Contact Information and prayer requests from AnnieArmstrong.com.

• Ensure that you are equipped to show the featured video and that you have previewed it with the equipment you will be using and in the setting in which you will be showing it.

• Read Ed Stetzer’s online article from the July 2011 issue of Christianity Today: http://goo.gl/TAMbzz.

• Gather the materials listed below as “items needed.”

• Look up the meaning and origins of the words mission and apostle. Note that the word mission

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is derived from the Latin word missio, which means a sending out, or being sent out. The word apostle has Greek origins and indicates someone sent out on a special mission.

• Read and become familiar with Isaiah 1–6.

• Study ahead the Scriptures cited in the next bullet below.

• Write the following Scripture references on the whiteboard: Exodus 3:10; Jonah 1 and Jonah 3; 1 Samuel 16:1; Isaiah 6:8-10; Jeremiah 1:1-10; 29:10-13; Matthew 10:1-8; Luke 4:18-19 and John 3:16-18; John 1:6-9; Acts 9:10-18; Matthew 28:18-20.

• Write the following questions on the whiteboard:

› Who?

› To do what?

› Willing?

› Result?

Lesson summary

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word sent is used about 690 times in the Bible, 184 of those times being in the New Testament. The word go is used 251 times in the New Testament. Jesus says or implies 40 times in the New Testament that He was sent by God.1 Clearly, God is a sender by nature.

In the Old Testament, He sent prophets, angels and the very special Angel of the Lord. In the New Testament, He sent not only angels, but John the Baptist, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, among others. Jesus sent the apostles, and He has sent us.

Through this lesson, adults will learn that God’s nature is one of action; He is a sender. He calls people to partici-pate in His work by sending them out to perform specific duties. Whatever responsibility He chooses for us, He expects us to do. Send is a small word that evokes big action, expecting a big return.

Learners will identify through Bible study some of those God has sent on a mission, how they responded and what was accomplished. They will also understand that our unchangeable God still sends people today, just as He sent Zack Randles to Washington, D.C.

Items needed:

Bibles

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Whiteboard

Dry-erase markers

Introduce the lesson (10 minutes)

Welcome learners to the North American Mission Study. Using the information from the study over-view and the lesson summary, introduce the theme of the study and the lesson.

Ask class members what they think of when they hear the word missionary. You may receive responses such as “someone sent to a foreign country to share the gospel” or the like. How about the word mission? You will likely receive answers pertaining to a task to be accomplished or similar.

Tell the class that our English word mission is derived from the Latin word missio, which means sending out, or being sent out. The word pertains to the sender as well as to the one being sent. Considering how many times in the Bible God sent people, we can assume the word mission applies to Him as well. As is stated in the lesson summary, God’s nature is one of action; He is a sender. He calls people to par-ticipate in His work by sending them out to perform specific duties.

In this lesson, you will learn about people in the Bible who were sent by God on specific missions. You will examine who they were, what they were sent to do, whether or not they were willing participants and what the result was. You may point to the list of ques-tions on the whiteboard.

1 http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2011/july/developing-missional-churches-for-great-commission-part.html; accessed August 5, 2015.

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Lesson (20 minutes)

Divide the large group into 10 smaller groups, if possible (One per Scripture passage written on the whiteboard). If your group is small, assign the passages to individuals or adjust as suits the size of your group. Inform class members that as they read they will be identifying the following: Who was sent? What were they sent to do? Were they willing to go? What was God’s response to their reluctance or willingness (if applicable)? What was the result of the mission?

Scripture passages:

• Exodus 3:10

• Jonah 1; Jonah 3

• 1 Samuel 16:1

• Isaiah 6:8-10

• Jeremiah 1:1-10; 29:10-13

• Matthew 10:1-8

• Luke 4:18-19; John 3:16-18

• John 1:6-9

• Acts 9:10-18

• Matthew 28:18-20

When all groups or individuals are ready, have them read their passages and briefly discuss the questions assigned. Below are answers:

1. Exodus 3:10

• Who? Moses

• To do what? Moses’s mission was to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land.

• Willing? Moses was not willing at first and made excuses, but God was patient and provided Aaron as a helper.

• Result? The Israelites were free and eventually did live in the Promised Land, though they suffered in the desert for their grumbling and lack of faith.

2. Jonah 1; 3

• Who? Jonah

• To do what? Preach against Nineveh

• Willing? No. God sent a storm and then a big fish, which swallowed Jonah. Jonah finally reluctantly agreed to warn Nineveh of God’s impending judgment.

• Result? The people of Nineveh believed and repented.

3. 1 Samuel 16:1

• Who? Samuel

• To do what? Go to Bethlehem to anoint King Saul’s replacement.

• Willing? No, because he feared King Saul. God offered Samuel the excuse of offering a sacrifice and inviting Jesse to take part.

• Result? David was anointed king over Israel.

4. Isaiah 6:8-10

• Who? Isaiah

• To do what? To tell the people of Judah that they were in imminent danger of God’s judgment if they did not turn their hearts back to Him.

• Willing? Very willing

• Result? Isaiah delivered God’s message, but Judah did not respond favorably. Our obedience to God is what is important, not seeing a response. Some missionaries who are serving in hard places see what seems to be very little fruit for their labors. Our faith in and obedience to God trumps seeing fruit.

5. Jeremiah 1:1-10; 29:10-13

• Who? Jeremiah

• To do what? Jeremiah was sent to preach whatever God told him to the nations of Israel and Judah.

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• Willing? No, he used his youth as an excuse for not knowing how to speak. But God was patient, telling him that He would be with him, filling his mouth with His words.

• Result? The people did not repent and Jerusalem fell to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar and lived in exile in Babylon for 70 years. Again, our obedience is what is important. We don’t control the result—the Lord does.

6. Matthew 10:1-8 (Ask this group or person to also look up the words apostle and disciple in the dic-tionary. The word apostle has Greek origins and indicates someone sent out on a special mission. We call Jesus’ original twelve disciples apostles. Briefly discuss the difference between a disciple and an apostle.)

• Who? The Twelve.

• To do what? Go to fellow Jews to perform miracles of healing, to drive out demons and to raise the dead. They were to announce that the kingdom of heaven was near.

• Willing? Though not indicated, we can assume they went willingly.

• Result? News of Jesus spread, and He was glorified.

7. Luke 4:18-19; John 3:16-18

• Who? Jesus

• To do what? Jesus was anointed to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom to the captives, to recover sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. He was sent to save the world.

• Willing? Jesus was willing.

• Result? Because Jesus was faithful to His mission, we know what God is like, and we have forgive-ness of sins and the promise of eternal life. Proph-ecies were fulfilled.

8. John 1:6-9

• Who? John the Baptist

• To do what? John was sent to testify about Jesus, the Light.

• Willing? Scripture gives no indication that he was not willing.

• Result? John brought glory to Jesus, the Messiah.

9. Acts 9:10-18

• Who? Ananias

• To do what? Ananias was sent to heal Saul’s blindness.

• Willing? He was fearful at first, but the Lord persisted.

• Result? Saul was healed, filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized and sent to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

10. Matthew 28:18-20

• Who? The Eleven (and the church)

• To do what? To make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded.

• Willing? The apostles were willing—are we?

• Result? People from all walks of life and from all over the world are hearing the gospel and coming to faith in Christ.

Make sure everyone understands that God sends not only individuals, but His church. Too often we see the church as sending out individuals instead of remembering that Jesus is sending His church, not just individuals, to be His hands and feet in the world. The mission is for us all to take His message and our testimony outside the church walls.

Briefly discuss how different the world would be if we were all as willing as Isaiah to run with the mission with which we have been tasked. What would our neighborhoods look like? Our country? Our world?

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Prepare to transition to the story of Zack Randles, who is a church planting missionary in Washington, D.C.

While living in Texas, Zack and his wife, Autumn, felt the call to go to Washington. For 11 years they pre-pared, but when it came time to go, Zack’s life was turned upside down with the sudden illness of his father. That’s when obedience became hard.

Video: When Obeying Is Hard (10-15 minutes)

Download the video, “When Obeying Is Hard,” from AnnieArmstrong.com or prepare to play it from the DVD. Assemble the group, and show the video. Introduce the video, and Zack, with the following information:

Zack Randles, a Texas native and preacher’s kid, felt God’s call to plant a church near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. What better place to push back the spiritual darkness in North America than the place where public policies are made? For 11 years, Zack and his wife, Autumn, prepared, absolutely sure God had called them to move to Washington, D.C. But 36 hours before time to go something life-changing occurred, and Zack didn’t want to go. For Zack, that’s when obeying became hard.

Show the video, preparing for discussion points.

Suggested discussion points:

1. Luke 9:59-60 impacted Zack’s heart in a real way when his father fell ill 36 hours before his family’s move to Washington, D.C. After 11 years of prepa-ration, he didn’t want to go. What strengths had God provided along the way to give Zack assur-ance that he was to obey the call to plant a church in Washington despite the turbulence in his life? (Answers can be speculative)

a. Assurance of the call

b. The example of his father living for Christ

c. A move in his heart at Luke 9:59-60

2. Zack encourages other planters and churches to whom God is giving a mission to step out in faith and do it. No questions asked. God knows it’s hard. He knows it’s difficult. He knows that we will cry all kinds of tears, but He is there with us every step of the way. Zack encourages us to step out in faith and to do what’s right, and we will have amazing stories to tell of God’s awesomeness. Ask participants to discuss a time in their lives when it was tough to obey, but the reward was rich.

3. Property in downtown D.C. currently sells for about $1 million per acre. As a result, established churches in downtown have sold their property and headed for the suburbs, leaving few if any churches in the downtown area, while through the building of massive high-rises, the population has exploded with an estimated 28,000 people within the two-block radius of Waterfront Church, which is located just one mile from Capitol Hill. Zack tells the story of a congressman who began attending Waterfront regularly and Zack befriended him. He asked the congressman, “Why in the world would you come to be a part of what we’re doing?” The congressman kind of smiled and looked at him. “Because you’re all there is. You’re the only church in the area. We live just a few blocks away. We’ve been looking for a church home for quite some time.” Discuss how the absence of churches, and presumably the absence of the Holy Spirit, in Washington, D.C., can negatively impact what happens in the nation.

4. Zack says he believes with all his heart that if revival is to take place in the U.S., it has to start in Washington D.C. The enemy figured out long ago that he didn’t have to change the laws in Iowa, Tennessee, Texas or Massachusetts. He figured out that to really hamper religious freedom, he needed to get the megaphone in Washington, D.C. Zack says as long as you are behind the

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megaphone there you can spout as loud as you want, and your opinions sound normal for the rest of the area as well. Zack says the battle is not between political parties. The battle we are about to face in North America is for religious freedom. In D.C. are thousands of people and no churches. Not just Baptist or Christian churches, there are no churches, period. Discuss what positive impact numerous churches and acceptance of the gospel could provide regarding religious freedom. What could happen to the nation if God’s Holy Spirit blanketed the area?

Challenge (10 minutes)

When watching news stories, one cannot help but notice the fallen state of the world. How can we, as individuals, make an impact for the better? One way is to pray for our local, state and federal officials by name. Determine to faithfully spend time in prayer for them. God has placed them in their positions of influence, but our responsibility is to pray for them and to encourage them.

The following links will prove useful in learning who your officials are:

• Find your congressmen: house.gov/representatives/find

• Find your senators: senate.gov/senators/contact

• State and local government: usa.gov/agencies

Closing (5 minutes)

The world needs for the Lord to intervene now more than ever before. God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 if His people will humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their evil ways, He will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land. As God’s people, pray that now. Pray that Christians worldwide will stand firm in the faith and not stand idly by while darkness takes over. Ask for corporate forgiveness and determine to be obedient even when it is hard. Determine to eagerly raise your hand and say, “Here I am. Send me.”

Pray also for Zach and the ministry of Waterfront Church as well as all missionaries in North Ameri-ca. Pray for the requests on the missionary contact sheet. Pray that the offering goal will be met and exceeded and that many will commit to being active participants in taking the gospel to their circle of influence and beyond.

Missions Connection

Learn more about Send North America: Washington, D.C., by visiting namb.net/DC. A list of church planters, videos and articles about ministry in D.C. are available, as well as printable prayer cards and a printable city overview.

The North American Mission Board’s strategy seeks to come alongside churches and individuals to connect them to their next missions opportunities, such as church planting, community ministry, Disaster Relief and more. As you pray for Southern Baptist mission-aries all over North America and generously give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, pray also about your next steps in missions. Visit namb.net and click on Send Me, or call 800-634-2462 to learn how. You may also send an email to info@namb.net.