Ok we are going on a mission trip this summer! Yeah! Here is what to expect:
- We aren’t going to have enough people so pray for more
- Expect to be bullied, harassed, attacked, injured and to possibly die
- You cannot bring:
- Extra Money
- Extra Clothes
- Cell Phone
- Toiletries
- Electronic Devices
- You will eat and live with total strangers
- You are going to be expected to preform miracles
So who wants to sign up?
I’m not sure how many parents will sign the permission slip for this one! For that matter how many adults would be willing to go?
This is the short term mission trip requirements found in Luke 10:1-12. Jesus was going to send out 72 people (36 teams of two). However, He indicates there are still more people needed, so the first matter of business for his recruits is to PRAY! The same is still true for those who are interested in taking short term mission trips today. Prayer is vital. If you are planning a short term mission trip bathe it in prayer. Bathe the participants in prayer, bathe the city in prayer and bathe those who you are going to minister to in prayer!
Secondly, Jesus lets them know that He is sending them out “as lambs in the midst of wolves” (v. 3). All they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. For most of us and for most of the mission teams that we host in America, that simply means someone saying, “I’m not interested…get off my property, etc.” However, what if it meant more? Are we any better than the martyrs who willingly shed their blood to take the Gospel to the heathen? Make sure your mission team knows there will be opposition and prepare them to face that opposition with a Christ-like spirit.
Thirdly, Jesus instructed them not to carry any excess and to depend upon Him to provide them with a place to stay and food to eat (vv. 4, 7). I’m not suggesting you go on your next mission trip without any hotel reservations, money or food. However, pray for creative ways to help your group learn to depend on God to do something great! Jesus wanted these 72 disciples to strip away any dependence they had upon themselves and their belongings and depend wholly upon Him! Find a way to let this trip become a way to put God to the test (not tempt Him, but rather test Him…see Malachi 3:10).
Fourthly, Christ enabled them to have the power to heal the sick (v. 9). Though God still heals, these apostolic sign gifts are not for us today. However, if a mission trip does not have the supernatural touch of God upon it, what spiritual mission has it accomplished? Let this be a time when those who are involved depend upon the power of Christ to get out of their comfort zone! This summer, one young man had never taught a lesson before. However, he was willing to do so and the Lord used him to share the Gospel and a young man received Christ as his Savior! In a sense this young man was a vessel whom God used to bring healing (spiritual healing) to this lost soul!
If Jesus’ invitation were extended to your church or mine in hopes to recruit a short term mission team the volunteers may be few. However, the harvest is still plentiful and we need to pray that the Lord of the harvest would continue to send forth the laborers into His harvest field!
alightinerie 