Our Missionary:

Alda de Sousa

E-mail: aldadesousa@hotmail.com

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Motivations For Missions ( Acts 1:8 )

I remember that when I was a kid, I used to be motivated by a few things to do good my number one motivation wagon was promises of giving prizes. Number two was promises of going out for a ride on the park. A third way of motivation that I had was a threatening of spanking.

So what is motivation?

Motivation, according with the Webster dictionary, is something as a need or desire that causes a person to act.

The Best motivations are found in spiritual healthy homes, it means in the houses of those who has an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Are you motivated in your spiritual life?

I am sure you are motivated to do or finish some plans in your life.

Lets see some examples of motivation in life:

The young man preparing for the first date, he spends money buying the best dress, best shoes, what about the heir? Thinking about the girl his going to meet, instead of going in a normal way he want to impress, so he goes to the most expensive heir saloon, but he so motivated about the girl his going to meet that he not even know that look like a clown.

I remember in my case that one time I went to meet a girl in one Sunday afternoon, and because I was so motivated, I want to impress her with my shoes, so I decided to get one of those platform shoes very common in the 70's. The thing was so original and heavy that I twisted my foot, and the girl only notice my shoes because of my phony way of walking.

What about the girls first date? They are not much different; they only take little longer time to prepare them selves and when they finish it some of them comes out of the room just like a standing Christmas tree.

The Excitement, the imagination, the creativity, all come as a sign of motivation in both of them, men and women when there is a beginning of a new relationship. If there is a connection in marriage, there will be also motivation for buying a house, having children, and of course have a nice job.

What about job?

I think every body are motivated to go to work, and that would be because of the prizes, good salary or because of the pleasure of many other things like a nice ride on the park. But I know that some jobs are like a spanking job too. And people go to work because they need to make living.

Motivation reminds me about of the Olympic race of Mexico in 1968, one man representing the country of Tanzania. He injured his leg along the race course; however this did not stop his motivation. With his bloody leg he entered the stadium more that a hour behind the winner. When asked why he didn’t stop along the course, he said: "My country did not send me to Mexico to start the race, they sent me to finish the race."

The interesting point is that, where is no motivation there will be stagnation. Stagnation is something without motion, without movement, without action. If there is stagnation for long period of time, automatically there will be no life.

Have you seen a police car following your car on a road and how quick you are motivated to stick with the speed limit? And you don't change that speed as long as you see that police car in your mirror?

MOTIVATION FOR MISSIONS is just one of works of the HOLY SPIRIT.

In the Scriptures we saw (Acts 1:8), Jesus told his disciples: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Look at the verse. Jesus said you will receive power. When? When the Holy Spirit comes on you. Now, if we claim that the Holy Spirit came upon us, we already receive power. Now the second question is: Why I need power from the Holy Spirit? And the answer is: To be a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some one may say, I don't need power to witness to someone. Yes you need. God knows better then us what we need and He don't give us something we won't need.

There is a lots of challenges when we go out to witness to others. The first challenge is within our selves. Jesus tells me go and witness in Cambridge. My self tells me, don’t go, stays home, you are to tired, you going to miss that ball game, etc.

Other challenge is Satan, he works telling us. You are not somebody important, you are going to be mocked by somebody, respect others believe, don't tell them anything about Jesus. Just tell them that you love them.

We need to tell people what's important, God loves you. Jesus Died for you and He is a live, He is the only living God. We need to tell people that be religious will not save anybody, just attending church will not save anybody, be a good person will not save anybody; but salvation comes through the confession and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

The Holy Spirit is our Motivation For Missions. Now, Jesus said that we need the Holy Spirit to be witnesses first in Jerusalem, second in Judea, third in Samaria and fourth to the ends of the earth.

I don't want to see people start thinking in going to Jerusalem now; because your Jerusalem is in your local City. Judea and Samaria are the other cities. After you done witnessing in these areas you can go the ends of the earths. But please come back home.

Toronto is our Jerusalem; Igreja Metodista Livre are the disciples that Jesus empowered to do missions, and mission is to preach the good news to the poor and few other things recorded in Luke 4:18-19.

The Holy Spirit, also gives us courage, motivating us towards missions. He gives us love for the lost souls. Driving or walking during this week back and forth we pass many lost souls. Did you ever think about telling someone about the free gift of salvation this week?

When was the last time you done that?

Talking about the scripture reading from Jonah, why did God have to motivate Jonah to be a missionary to the Gentiles?

The book of Jonah begins with the Lord giving Jonah a missionary mandate to go to Nineveh and preach to the people, but Jonah refuses.

Jonah is like many Christians today who are running from their responsibility to witness, to give towards missions, to pray about and reach out for the lost.

How did God motivate Jonah to go to the Gentiles?

Well we know the story; he tried to ran from God taking a boat going to other place, disobeying God. And the Lord  brought a storm checking the people of the boat.

While God caused a storm to get Jonah's attention, the prophet sleep, trying to ignore God's warnings. Many people in the church today are sleeping through the storms, not paying attention to God's warning.

Some people on the boat, are like people in the some churches, tried to look for other causes besides disobedience for their problems.

Jonah refused to believe that other cultures were as good as his own.

So, what should motivate us to be involved with Missions?

My question to you is are you motivated for Missions? What can you do to bring someone to Christ?

May God bless you!

Pastor Rev. Edilton da Silva.

Alda de Sousa ( Missions Department )

Free Methodist Church Of Toronto ( Portuguese Speaking Ministry ) - "Holiness And Service To The Lord"