Today you can make a simple decision that could have a Kingdom impact. The St Matthew’s Missions Working Group is inviting you to join in God’s mission and ours by adopting a missionary. This is an easy, three step process:
1. Decide who you are going to adopt by checking out the pictures on the walls or reading their biographies at www.stmattsshentonpark.org.au
2. See someone at the Global Gospel Focus Adoption Desk in the foyer today
3. Read the next four editions of the church bulletin to learn how you can care for your adopted missionary including by:
• praying for them;
• keeping in touch with them;
• treating them; and
• looking after their financial needs.
During this month of Global Gospel Focus the St Matthew’s Missions Working Group is on a mission for missions! However, the most crucial issue in missions is the centrality of God in the life of the church. Our main goal is the worship of God. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Well-known author John Piper puts it this way:
Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice!” (Psalm 97:1). “May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy!” (Psalm 67:3–4).
But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish. Missionaries will never call out, “Let the nations be glad!” who cannot say from the heart, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in you, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 104:34; 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.
We need to be centred on the exultation of the majesty and beauty of God in order to have a desire to “declare his glory among all the nations” (Psalm 96:3). Let us make the worship of God our main focus. Only then will we start to have a global gospel focus. (John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad! Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003, p. 17),
Khim Harris
1. Decide who you are going to adopt by checking out the pictures on the walls or reading their biographies at www.stmattsshentonpark.org.au
2. See someone at the Global Gospel Focus Adoption Desk in the foyer today
3. Read the next four editions of the church bulletin to learn how you can care for your adopted missionary including by:
• praying for them;
• keeping in touch with them;
• treating them; and
• looking after their financial needs.
During this month of Global Gospel Focus the St Matthew’s Missions Working Group is on a mission for missions! However, the most crucial issue in missions is the centrality of God in the life of the church. Our main goal is the worship of God. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Well-known author John Piper puts it this way:
Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice!” (Psalm 97:1). “May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy!” (Psalm 67:3–4).
But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish. Missionaries will never call out, “Let the nations be glad!” who cannot say from the heart, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in you, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 104:34; 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.
We need to be centred on the exultation of the majesty and beauty of God in order to have a desire to “declare his glory among all the nations” (Psalm 96:3). Let us make the worship of God our main focus. Only then will we start to have a global gospel focus. (John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad! Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003, p. 17),
Khim Harris
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