Main Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Memory Verse: And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us – 2 Corinthians 8:5
Introduction
Sustaining the work of Missions involves praying, sending and giving. Thus, to secure the progress of the work of missions in the church, we must excel in sending missionaries, giving to Missions and praying for missionaries. For this reasons, structures exist in the Church of Pentecost for these three areas of support mentioned. However, these structures require our immense support to function and run effectively. In today’s study, we shall examine how the churches in Macedonia gave themselves and their substance in support of the work of Missions.
Questions For Discussion
- How did the Macedonian churches demonstrate the grace that God gave to them? Verses 1-2
- How did the churches in Macedonia give? Verses 3-4
- What enabled them to give beyond their ability? Verse 5
- What structures exist in the Church of Pentecost for financial support and prayer for Missions?
- How can we be generous with our resources like time, money and talents among others in support of Missions?
Conclusion
The manner in which we use our financial resources, time and talents tells a lot about our relationship with God. The Macedonian churches were not endowed with so much physical wealth but their relationship with God resulted in their rich generosity towards His work. Structures exist in the Church of Pentecost for the support of Missions. While the sending of missionaries is the sole prerogative of the Executive Council, the areas of prayer and financial support for Missions depend very much on us. In the area of prayer, the church has designed a chart that details the prayer requests of the various Mission Nations. In addition, Wednesday of every communion week is set aside for prayer support for missionaries. In the area of financial support, Missions Offering is given every Communion Sunday to support the work of Missions. Also, the annual McKeown Missions’ Week celebration helps to raise funds to support the work of Missions. Like the Macedonian churches, we must continue to give our resources generously in support of the work of Missions.