The Preach Vision

II Timothy 2:2 says, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." Only through this principle of church planting and leadership training will we experience the unrestricted growth in evangelism that will bring the close of the Great Commission. This can only be brought about as we reposition our mission efforts under the authority of the local church and send out our own called and chosen men under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Missions is not to be a mere program of the church, but it is the very purpose of its existence. It is more than placing money in an offering plate or holding a conference year after year. It extends beyond the talk about a burden or ministry, and entails the act of stepping out by faith to attain a God-given vision.

To quote the words of C. H. Spurgeon, "We must never think of leaving God's work to societies. They have had their day, and have supplied a great lack created by the loss ofthe apostolic spirit, but it is now time that the aroused and revived church should assume her true position and do her own work. The Lord will work, not by committees, but by his Churches. The Church must do her own work, and when all our Churches are thoroughly aroused by this fact, and every congregation shall send out its own men, pray for their own men, and support their own men, we shall see greater things than we have ever dreamed."

Biblical Missions must find its origin in the local Church. The book of Acts teaches that ITom the church, chief and chosen men are to teach and train other men who will evangelize their own people, being led and confirmed by the Holy Ghost. Missionary success in Apostolic times was not determined by buildings erected or numeric figures, but by the planted churches that continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine.

In 25 years of ministry, the Apostle Paul covered over 56,000 square miles while starting nearly 50 churches which he turned over to faithful men, he himself never pastoring a single one of them. How could one man in one lifetime so successfully focus on one thing to the extent that his entire known world had heard the gospel? His missionary methods are not just to be admired, but are to be the model of modem-day missions.