Why We Go To Thailand (6/9/19 The Mission Week Message)

The mission our commander-in-chief has given to us is spelled out in Matthew 28:19 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

– Three quick observations:

Observation 1: If all authority has been given to Jesus, then why do we need to do anything to get the message out? Couldn’t Jesus simply miraculously write it in people’s minds or magically appear in the sky or get the angels to deliver the message? But He tells us to go and deliver the message of the gospel. Why?

1. That’s the God decided evangelize the world. And we must trust that that’s the best way.
2. He involves us in doing His great work, so that we get to share in His joy. One of the greatest joys in life is seeing somebody come know Christ.  

Observations 2: Make disciples – not just make converts, but to make disciples – those who follow Jesus. So, our job is not done when they say, “I believe in Jesus and I’m going to heaven when I die,” but we are helping them turn every aspect of their lives over to Jesus so that they conform to Jesus’ image. This will take a life time. This is why the local church is so important. There are Paul-type missionaries who preach the gospel where no gospel has been preached. But there are also Timothy-type who are to stay in one place longer and teach and guide the people to conform to Jesus.

Observe 3: Baptize and teach them to obey. Baptism is publicly identifying with Jesus and declaring to other believers he/she has joined the family of God. We will hold a baptism ceremony today after service at Clover Park Pool and you are to keep them accountable by coming alongside them, through bible studies, walking with them, correcting, rebuking, encouraging… By being baptized, they are giving you the right to encourage, correct and rebuke them to help them become more like Christ, because that’s what you do for a family member you care about.

So, as individuals and a church, we strive to be faithful to this mission our commander called us to. Since 2013, we’ve been sending people overseas to make an impact for Christ globally. The very first year, 2013, six of us went to Indonesia. We got connected with an International Mission Board missionaries in Indonesia and worked with local college students. The next year, Mrs. Lee and I went to Thailand to explore a new mission opportunity because Indonesia observes Ramadan – a muslim holiday – in the summer time when we are available to go, emptying the college campus of the college students whom we are targeting. Then, the year after that, in 2015, we took a team with us Thailand and saw that there is much work that we can help with and every summer since then, we’ve been sending out a team of 6 or 7 people to the northern Thailand. This year marks the 5th year we are going to Thailand. It is physically and emotionally grueling work for the team. It is not a simple vision trip where they observe the missionaries but rather they get their hands dirty, sleep with lizards and mosquitoes, swim in sweat and bug repellent, but come back joyful and energized by the smiling innocent faces of the people they come in contact with.

The main work we do there is to support the local missionaries already there and helping them achieve their objective of reaching the thai people for Jesus. . We are not the stars. We are the bench players – the supporting cast –  who give these star players a break and a boost. So, please pray for them. And support them monetarily. Either we are to go or to send. So, if you are not going this year, please send them and do that with your money and prayer.