A sermon about missions can be very instrumental in encouraging the listeners to engage with spreading the gospel. They may feel a desire to become a missionary. They might feel led to donate money to a specific person or project. They might be inspired to pray more diligently for a missionary. One never knows how each listener will respond.
For a sermon or talk about missions to be effective, I believe it should include the following things:
- A link to the Bible and the call to spread the Gospel – include verses about the Great Commission in Matthew or verses about the nations praising God like in Psalm 67
- An explanation of why the listener should be involved – this can be in depth or something simple explaining how we are all called to do the work of making disciples among the nations. Some might choose to emphasize the fact that “some go as missionaries and the rest of us have the responsibility to support them”.
- Practical applications for how the listener can actually participate in missions – If they are called to go, there should be an invitation to come talk in more detail with members of the staff. If they are planning to stay put and not move overseas to work in missions, the talk should include practical ideas of how they can help spread the gospel and support missionaries. I do not think that overwhelming the listener with huge lists of ideas is ideal, but giving a handful of well-thought-out ideas can be very useful. Recommending a book like “How to Bless a Missionary: Practical Ideas for Your Church and Family” can help, too. 😉
- An invitation – Depending on your church and denomination, some will choose to have an invitation where people are invited to come forward in response to the challenge they have heard. Others will not be as comfortable with this, but I believe that they should still issue a challenge to the listener and an invitation to act. The listener should leave with a conviction to act and an idea for a plan about what they will do. Encourage them to think this way. A sermon about missions without an invitation to respond is missing the boat.
A fun missionary story is also something that many people choose to include in their talk, but probably is not a vital element. It could serve to engage the listener and make a point, though.
Have you attended a great sermon or talk about missions? I’d love to hear what you think should be included! Leave a comment and let me know.