Romans 15

Mark 3

http://radical.net/podcast/mission-precision-defining-missionary/

Is there a role of a missionary that sets them a part from other Christians?

Everybody is called to make disciples.

But there is something unique in some peoples’ lives to go beyond where they live to spread the gospel. God calls certain people to a particular task.

Romans 15:

The goal is not to be missionary police. We’ve seen there is a range of definitions.

IMB’s Definition: A disciple of Jesus, set apart by the Holy Spirit, sent out from the church to cross geographic, linguistic and/or cultural barriers as part of a missionary team, focused on making disciples and planting churches among unreached peoples and places.

The church of Antioch was sending out Paul and Barnabas for a particular task. (Set a part by the Holy Spirit, sent out by the church for a particular purpose.)

Crossing at least one of those barriers for the sake of the gospel.  (Acts 22:21 – I will send you far away to the Gentiles.)

Missionaries serve in teams – people have different roles in the team. (Acts 13 – Paul and Barnabas went out as a team.) (Luke 10 – Two by Two) Paul is almost always traveling with a team. It’s not just him but them. You see “them,” “we,” “us” in Scripture.

Romans 16: 3-16 different roles defined. Working together to see churches planted. Missionary is always moving to the places where Christ is not yet named.

No Christian is meant to live in isolation, so no missionary is meant to live in isolation. Bible precedent for this. We don’t all have the same gifts as Paul. Team is a group of missionaries who meet together regularly, working together intentionally for the spread of the gospel. We need others alongside of us in this task.