Difficulties in Reaching a People

2 Corinthians 10:1-4

Each of you must have asked yourself at some time, “What can I do about the difficulties on reaching our people.  How helpful can I really expect to be as an individual?”

The Scriptures have an answer to these questions. We might expect that they would, for they are designed to perfect the man of God, that he may be perfect, completely furnished unto every good work.

2 Tim 3:16-17 ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

So we should expect that there would be ample guidance given in the Scriptures to enable us to handle the problems and questions which pursue us on every side.

The passage we will be looking at is in Second Corinthians, Chapter 10, the first six verses.

1 ¶ By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you– I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away!

 2  I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

 3  For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

 4  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

5  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

6  And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

Paul was letting them know that (verse 2-3) that we are not the same as the world, or should we do things the way the world does.

Perhaps it might be helpful in this connection to review the rendering of certain other versions. Phillips puts it this way:

The truth is that, although of course we lead normal human lives, the battle we are fighting is on the spiritual level. {2 Cor 10:3 Phillips}

The New English Bible puts it:

Weak men we may be; but it is not as such that we fight our battles. {2 Cor 10:3 NEB}

Perhaps the most helpful is the Living Letters translation, which says,

It is true that I am an ordinary weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. {2 Cor 10:3 Living Letters}

He says, first, we live in the world. We don’t run away from it.

“Yet,” says Paul, “though we live in the world and do not run away from society, still we do not use human plans and methods to win our battles.”

It is important that we understand that, because here is where all the problems have come.

Many have recognized that Christians are to live in the world, but they go on to assume that a Christian living in the world must be like the world, that he must think like the world, that he must depend upon the thoughts, philosophies, ideas, and writers of the world, and draw all his arguments and his solutions to problem from these sources.

“No,” says Paul, “you are quite wrong there.

If you judge me as doing this then you have not understood the Christian position at all.

We do not use human plans and methods to win our battles.”

Here, in my judgment, is the fundamental error of those who seek to make social concern the primary task of the church today.

They are opposing the right enemy but with the wrong weapons.

They are seeking to employ the weapons of the world, which Paul renounces; he repudiates them entirely.

He says, “we do not war a worldly warfare, we do not use human plans and methods to win our battles.”

What are these weapons of the world, these human plans and methods to win battles?

“We look not at the things which are seen, but also at the unseen; we look not only to the temporal, but also to the eternal,” {2 Cor. 4:18}.

There is a new dimension that must come in here.

The Christian approach to any basic problem, whether of society or in an individual life, must be different than that of a worldling if he expects to win any battles.

There are no secular solutions that work; at best they only temporarily rearrange the symptoms of the problem. That is the most we can hope for from worldly approaches.

“No,” says Paul, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are not fleshly, they are not worldly. But they are mighty!

They have divine power, unto the pulling down of strongholds. They work. They win.

They destroy strongholds, they overthrow entrenched evil, they strike off shackles, they set men free.

That is what they are for. If they do not do that, they are worthless, they are no better than any other program.  But these work. They may not be evident, but they are effective.”

Well, what are these weapons?

If they are not normal human plans, what are they?

If they do not include these approaches that are so common today, then what are they?

What are the weapons with which we are to encounter the problems, the battles of life?

The interesting thing is that Paul so takes it for granted that his readers would know that he does not even list them.  We must read them into the text from other places. He takes it for granted that they would know what his weapons are.

Strongholds are situations where evil is entrenched and powerful. Yet God has adequate weapons for these.

In general, they are:

1. TRUTH: Truth is our chief weapon of the Christian.  I do not mean education.  Truth reveals reality. Jesus Christ came, and He IS truth.  Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free,” {John 8:32 NIV}.

2. The second weapon is LOVE. Biblical love, the kind that requires no return from the individual loved. That is love, the kind that is described in First Corinthians 13.  Love without a hook.

3. The third weapon is RIGHTEOUSNESS. Fundamentally, that means obedience to both truth and love. It is what we call integrity. It is the refusal to yield to expediency.

4. The fourth weapon is a compound one. FAITH-PRAYER. I put the two together because they are almost indistinguishable. Faith is reliance on the direct activity of God in human life. Prayer is the request for that activity; faith is the expectation that God will do it. These two things link together.

There they are: truth, love, righteousness, and faith-prayer.

These are the weapons of our warfare.

They are not carnal, they are not of the flesh, they are not of the world; but they are mighty.

They have divine power to the eliminating of strongholds, pulling down high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

They all work together.

You can hardly isolate the one from the other; they are all necessary.

And when we begin to major on these weapons we will be mighty power in this society. 

 

THE COMMISSION OF OUR RISEN KING – Matthew 28

Date: 10*7-1995

Taught at GKII – Medan, Indonesia

INTRODUCTION:

¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The resurrection and the Great Commission are linked.

Paul said that if Christ was not raised from dead our faith is in vain, and we are still dead in our sins.

If Christ is not alive – He is not King!

He has no authority!

Here in this chapter, we see four types of people:

1.   Those who are seeking Him. (v.5).

2.   Those who knew him but deny to believe Him.  Even though he demonstrated that he was alive, many believed him to be dead (v.11-15)

3.   Those who are his brothers (v. 10) who obey Him.  From this group there are two types:

1)   Those when they realize He is alive worship Him. (v.17)

2)   Those who doubt (v.17).

It was to this group of brothers he spoke these famous words to. (v.18-20)

LET’S TAKE A CLEAR LOOK AT MATTHEW 28:18-19

I.   JESUS’ AUTHORITY

Matthew 28:18 lays the basis of authority for the mandate upon Christ’s enthronement. Missions does not enthrone Christ as King, rather, because he is indeed already King of all, his Lordship is to be proclaimed everywhere.

HE HAS ALL AUTHORITY! JESUS IS KING AND CONQUEROR!

We need to allow the victory of Jesus to rule in you!

 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, (Luke 4:18 NIV)

JESUS CAME TO WIN !!! HE HAS ALREADY WON THE VICTORY

• HE HAS VICTORY OVER DEMONS

MARK 1:15, 21-26 …

15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” ….

21  They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

22  The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

23  Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,

24  “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”

25  “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”

26  The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. (Mark 1 NIV)

Here is the Kingdom of God!  Demonstration of our victory.

• JESUS HAS VICTORY OVER DISEASE

Healing is the Father’s heart.

Sickness & Disease is a work of Satan’s kingdom and domain.

Jesus desires to drive out Satan and his works!

LUKE 13:10-17 …

10  On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,

11  and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.

12  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”

13  Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

14  Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

15  The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?

16  Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

17  When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

SET FREE !!!

Did Jesus mean what He said? or was it just an example?

Jesus came to stop the Devil’s work!

• JESUS HAS VICTORY OVER NATURE

MARK 4:35-41 …

35  That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”

36  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.

37  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

38  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41  They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

What does this teach us?

How to handle the storms of life – maybe?

But I know it teaches that Jesus has authority over nature!

• JESUS HAS VICTORY OVER DEATH!

LUKE 7:11-17 …

11  Soon afterwards, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.

12  As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out–the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

13  When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14  Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”

15  The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16  They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.“

17  This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. (Luke 7 NIV)

God comes to help us!!!

• JESUS HAS VICTORY OVER SIN!

He came to save the Whole Man!

Salvation is for the whole man!

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NIV)

Jesus gained that authority by living without sin and then dyeing for our sin and being raised from the dead!

Jesus gets rid of the enemy and brings into the earth His Kingdom Domain  … that is the Gospel!!

When we consider His commission to us, He backs it up with who HE IS!

The Commission Jesus gives us is very clear: (v.19-20)

1.   THERE IS A DEFINITE TASK

•     In a general sense, Jesus’ followers were to continue his work:

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21 NIV)

•     Specifically they were to be international witnesses:

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.” (Acts 1:8 NIV)

to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.

and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47 NIV)

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (Mark 16:15 NIV)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19 NIV)

2.   THERE IS A CLEAR OBJECTIVE

•     They were to proclaim the gospel to “all creation”, not “every creature” (Mark 16:15), working until somehow the whole of humankind is affected.

•     Still more specifically, they were to make disciples from every people (Matthew 28:19), working until a cluster of followers from every people group believe and obey, that is, until there is an intelligible internal witness within every network of communication.

3.   THERE IS A BASIS FOR OUR MOTIVATION

•     The mission is actually the mission of the father.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21 NIV)

•     The mission is founded on the OT scriptures.

44  He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45  Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46  He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47  and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48  You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:44-48 NIV)

•     Jesus’ resurrection Lordship establishes both the authority of the message and the disciples authority to proclaim it.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18 NIV)

II. JESUS’ CONTINUING MANDATE TO GO

A.  “Go” means to cross boundaries, whether sociological, racial, cultural or geographical.

B.  Grammatically, the main verb of the sentence is “make disciples”  All three verbs in the sentence: “going”, “baptizing”, “teaching” describe how to make disciples.

C.  Three options are possible in understanding “baptizing” and “teaching”

•     “Baptizing” and “teaching” are subsequent “follow up” activities to making a disciple.

•     “Baptizing” summarizes how one makes a disciple but “teaching” is education after someone is saved.

•     “Baptizing” and “Teaching” together are the process of making disciples.  Both are focused on persuading people to live under Christ’s Lordship. “Teaching” does not focus on knowing everything that Christ has said, but rather on willingness to obey everything that Christ has commanded.  This is in fact the obedience of faith.

Paul speaks of this crucial phrase as his aim for all nations in Romans:

Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. (Romans 1:5 NIV)

but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him– (Romans 16:26 NIV)

Seen in the context of the Kingdom of God, this teaching is indeed the gospel of Grace from Genesis to Revelation.

D.  The object of the main verb “make disciples of” is “the nations”.  This is the gathering of disciples in every nation – planting of churches within the remaining nations of the world.

We cannot talk about the unreached people of the world without discussing what is known as the 10/40 window.

The core of the unreached people of our world live in a rectangular shaped window.

(SHOW MAP  OF 10/40 WINDOW ON OVERHEAD)

It has been referred to as resistant belt (it would also include Indonesia).  Within this bloc are the Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.  It lies between ten degrees north to forty degrees north of the equator (thus the name 10/40 window).  It extends from West Africa and across Asia.

If we are serious about providing a valid opportunity for every people and city to experience the love, truth and saving power of Jesus Christ, we cannot ignore the reality that we must concentrate in this region of the world.

1.   Seven realities

The 10/40 window is reveals seven important realities that we cannot ignore:

1) The historical and Biblical reality that this area must be reached!

2) The unevangelized people and countries. 

3) Islam. 

4) The three main religious blocks. 

5) The poor. 

6) The quality of life. 

7) The stronghold of Satan.

2.   Unevangelized and the Unreached – What is the difference?

      As we look at this window let us consider two terms; the unevangelized and the unreached.  These two terms do not have the same meaning.

a.   The Unevangelized are people who have a little knowledge of the Gospel, and they have not had the opportunity to respond to it.

b.   The Unreached are the two billion people who have never heard of Jesus as their Savior, and are not within reach of Christians of their own people.  there are in fact some 2,000 peoples or nationalities in which there is not yet a vital indigenous church movement.

3.   Why do we need to focus on the 10/40 window? Consider those 7 realities I just mentioned:

a.   Because of its historical and Biblical significance of this part of the world.

This area includes the area where Adam and Eve were created.  Abraham received his promise of Gen 12.  It is considered the cradle of civilization.  It is where Christ was born and preached the Gospel.

b.   Because it contains most the least Evangelized countries in the world.

55 of the least evangelized Countries are in this area.  97% of the people in the least evangelized nations are located in this window.

c.   Because here is the heart of Islam.

We see that North Africa and the Middle East are the core areas of Islam.  They must know Jesus!

d.   Because here is where the three main religious blocks are located.

We see the Muslim block with 706 million people or 22% of the people.

We see the Hindu block with 717 million people or 23% of the people.

We see the Buddhist block with 153 million people or 5% of the people.

e.   Because here is where the poorest people in the world live.

Over 2.4 Billion people live in poverty in this area.  It is interesting that the poorest nations of the world are also the countries that are unevangelized.

Could their be a relationship between these two facts?

Of course!

f.    Because the quality of life is so bad in this area.

When you measure quality of life you basically take three variables: life expectancy, infant mortality and literacy.

More than 8 out of 10 of the people living in the 50 countries of the world with the lowest quality of life also live in the 10/40 window.

g.   Because it is a stronghold of Satan.

Satan has established territorial strongholds with his forces of evil.  Spiritual battle is needed.  The greatest persecution of the church has been in this area.

When we look at this area, we must also see that only 8% of all missionaries work within this window.  Our priorities need to be changed!

Let me share with you some recent testimonies from what God is doing in the area of the world

III.     JESUS’ PROMISE

Jesus’ promise to be with his disciples in this task “all the days” until the end means that the commission not only has abiding force of Jesus, but that those engaged in the mission can expect abiding power of Jesus. 

A fascinating possibility is that Jesus may have been consciously quoting the first part of Genesis 28:15!

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15 NIV)

•     Missions is connected to the end of the age.  Missions continues to be the business of the people of God (even Gentile nations who have received the Gospel) until Jesus comes!!

•     Jesus is not offering an unrelated lesson on God’s omnipresence, or offering comfort for general loneliness.  He assures the church of his abiding leadership and empowering as the disciples obey by participating with in the mission.

CONCLUSION:

You are called to reach these people – (10/40 window). What greater opportunity than a people who know their God, who are filled with His spirit and are not bound by the things and systems of this world.

A empowered to be used by the holy Spirit.

A people willing to follow the New testament pattern and establish churches through the ministry of Apostle and Prophets, not shying away from the five fold ministry!

observation from this past week:

The people on the 10/40 window are relational people,

they are a people who understand covenant,

they are a people who expect God to do the miraculous,

they are a people who’s religious systems (specifically Muslim) that function through the works of Apostle like men, prophets, teachers and evangelists.

Who better to reach these nations than the portion of the Body of Christ that strives to be on the cutting edge of New Testament Christianity?

That’s you – and he is preparing many of you to go!

Certainly all of you to send!

Are you willing?

Amen!

 

ARE YOU READY!

Preached at Believers Fellowship, West Chester, PA

Something is happening!  Something big!  Something dangerous!

And you can be a part of it!

Question:

1. Who (or what) is in charge of your life?

2. What is this person (or force) doing?

3. Where do you fit in?

God desires   you   to be a part of what he is doing!

What is God doing?

The Bible tells us:

Genesis 12:1-3  ¹ The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

A people who will be blessed and will bless all nations.

Matt 28:18:19  ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus command us to go to all nations.

Matt 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

What has to happen first before the end?

All nations = all ethne’ ethnic groups, people groups.

Rev 5:9  And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Jesus died for people in every tribe tongue and nation!

Those that have not been reached are called – Unreached Peoples

There are about 12,000 people groups that have been reached.

And about 12,000 who have not – these are called unreached people groups.

The target:

4,000 Muslim groups

3,000 Tribal groups

2,000 Hindu groups

1,000 Chinese groups

1,000 Buddhists groups

1,000 Other groups

Show globe ….

Why haven’t we reached them?

The world’s Christians spend about .01% of their income to reach them!

Can it be done?

We have the resources if we just do it!

Will we obey Jesus’ command to go into all the world making disciples in every ethnic group?

What will it take?

100,000 new missionaries.

Double our missions giving.

Pray, pray and pray.

We have more than enough resources right here in the church.

In the U.S. !

70,000,000 born again Christian in U.S.

17,500,000 are under the age of 35.

100,000 needed – only 1/2 of 1%!

$850,000,000 of disposable income a year.

$1,500,000 a year will support the needed missionaries.

If we pray 1 hour a day, we will only use 2% of the time American Christians use in shopping and watching T.V.!

That is why we are going to the mission field.

Share the vision ….

Challenge:

Are willing to be a part of what God is doing?

(1991 statistics)

3,500 new churches are being started every week.

28,000 become Christians every day in China!

There are now over 60,000,000 Christians in China!

20,000 become believers every day in Africa which is now 40% Christian!

22,000 become Christian in the rest of the world making a total of 70,000 added to the church every day!

Can you be a part of this harvest –

If not, I have a form that you can fill out and give to your pastor.

Great commission exemption form…

No motivation?

Hell, tribulation, God’s love has been given …

Not equipped?

His Word,  His Spirit …..

Therefore go!

Amen!

 

CALLED TO BE A MISSIONARY

Location: Believers Fellowship, West Chester PA

INTRODUCTION:

Missionary – the word missionary is not in the Bible.

The closest words we have that would describe a missionary are:

A. Apostolos

B. diakoneo

C. diakonos

A.  0652 apostolos {ap-os’-tol-os} from 649; TDNT – 1:398,67; n m

AV  – apostle (78)

    – messenger (2)

    – he that is sent (1) [81]

1) a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders

2) specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ

3) in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers; as Barnabas (Acts 14:14),

   Timothy and Silvanus, also cp Rom. 16:7

B.  1247 diakoneo {dee-ak-on-eh’-o} from 1249; TDNT – 2:81,152; vb

AV  – minister unto (15)

    – serve (10)

    – minister (7)

    – misc. (5) [37]

I) to be a servant, attendant, domestic,; to serve, wait upon

1) to minister to one; render ministering offices to, to be served, ministered unto

2) to wait at a table and offer food and drink to the guests, used of women preparing food

3) to minister, i.e. supply food and necessities of life; to relieve one’s necessities (e.g. by collecting alms), to provide take care of, distribute, the things necessary to sustain life; to   take care of the poor and the sick, who administer the office of a deacon; in Christian churches to serve as deacons.

4) to minister, i.e. to attend to anything, that may serve another’s interests

C.  1249 diakonos {dee-ak’-on-os} probably from an obsolete diako (to run on errands, compare 1377); TDNT – 2:81,152; n m/f

AV  – minister (20)

    – servant (7)

    – deacon (3) [30]

I) one who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a servant, attendant,   minister

1) the servant of a king

2) a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use

3) a waiter, one who serves food and drink

Simply, the missionary is someone who is a delegate or messenger of God sent out of his own culture to run errands for God!

Then there is the call – what does this mean?

The Greek word for call literally means to respond to a command or an appointment.

GENESIS 12:1-4 THE CALL OF ABRAHAM:

1  The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

2  “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

4  So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

Abraham called lot followed.

Abraham became the father of our faith.

And believed the blessing and became a blessing Gen 12:1-3

Lot lived in an ungodly society and died ineffective and lost his family

In the call of the missionary is to be taken serious and not sought after for the glory or the “romance”.

It’s a commission form God.

If a man goes on the field following the reports of an Abraham, his life will be ineffective!

I.  READY TO BE CALLED

1. AVAILABILITY

1. Have a lifestyle that is flexible. Not afraid of change or inconvenience, not burdened by debt or carnal obligations.

• Have your heart prepared to do whatever he would call you to do – regardless of the task.

• Beware of greed and the deceitfulness of sin.

Ask yourself, “If God called me tonight, what would I have to do to get ready to go.” Don’t wait for him to call you -prepare now so that you will be available.

B. ACCOUNTABILITY

1. Have a pastor or a prayer partner etc – someone who can speak into your life correction and counsel without fear of you overreacting and getting upset.

2. Allow to have your life examined without pride or rebellion entering in.

C. ACTIVITY

Be active in ministry now.

If you are waiting to be called to that special place with that special task – you will wait a long time if you are not already ministering everywhere you go.

And not just Church – but your job, your family, your community etc.

You can’t be a church only Christian!

II. REASONS TO WANT TO BE CALLED

How many times have you heard people consider going to the mission field something to avoid.

God may call you to (fill in the blank)

The reaching the lost in all nations is God’s highest priority!

God so loved what?  The world!

MATT 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

A. JESUS’ IS COMING SOON

B. UNREACHED NEED TO BE REACHED

C.  SPEED THE COMING OF THE LORD

III. REALITY OF THE CALL

1. THE COST – ALL THAT YOU HAVE!

All that you want to have!

• THE REWARD – ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.

Basically, you have to live out what you normally speak of theoretically in scripture

EXAMPLE:

MATT 16:24-27 24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

CONCLUDE:

If you a willing to run errands for God away from your own family or homeland – prepare yourself and trim your lifestyle so that you can get up and go when you receive your orders from God!

Amen

 

THE CALL OF THE MISSIONARY

5/1992

Location: GKII – Indonesia, HYCC – Thailand

INTRODUCTION:

Contrast Abraham and Lot –

Gen 11-12 ¹ Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. ² As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

³ They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

⁵ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. ⁶ The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

⁸ So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. ⁹ That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

¹⁰ This is the account of Shem.

Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. ¹¹ And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹² When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. ¹³ And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁴ When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. ¹⁵ And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁶ When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. ¹⁷ And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁸ When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. ¹⁹ And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁰ When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. ²¹ And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

²² When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. ²³ And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁴ When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. ²⁵ And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁶ After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. ²⁸ While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. ²⁹ Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. ³⁰ Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.

³¹ Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.

³² Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

²     “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

³     I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

⁴ So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. ⁵ He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

⁸ From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. ⁹ Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. ¹¹ As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. ¹⁵ And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

¹⁷ But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” ²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Abraham called Lot followed.

Abraham became the father of our faith.

And believed the blessing and became a blessing

Gen 12:1-3 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Lot lived in an ungodly society and died ineffective and lost his family

I.  REQUIREMENTS TO BE CALLED

A. Availability

B. Accountability

C. Activity

II. REASONS TO WANT TO BE CALLED

A. Jesus’ Is Coming Soon.

B. Unreached Need to be Reached.

C. Speed the Coming of the Lord.

III. REALITY OF THE CALL

A. The Cost

B. The Reward

 

BIBLICAL BASIS FOR REACHING THE UNREACHED

Taught in various locations from 1996-2001

Romans 15:8-9 says:

8  For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9  so that the Gentiles (nations) may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles (nations); I will sing hymns to your name.”

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church – Worship is. 

Missions exists because worship from all the nations doesn’t!

Therefore, we must take the Gospel to all nations so that they will worship Him!

That is why Jesus said in Matt 24:14 –

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (ethnic peoples- people groups), and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 NIV)

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)

World evangelization is a big job!  How can we do it?

Some approach the world as 167 countries with their provinces and territories to be reached.

Some approach the world as an assortment of world religions to be challenged.

All of these perspectives are valid, but the task is most easily grasped and accomplished by focusing on sociological groupings.  The way people tend to view and understand themselves.

Therefore, others approach the world as over 25,000 people groups (over 10,000 have not yet been reached).

DEFINING A PEOPLE GROUP

From the viewpoint of evangelization, a people group is the largest group within which the gospel can spread, a church can be planted without encountering barriers of acceptance and understanding (such as language and culture).

On our planet live over 5.7 billion people within about 24,000 of these nations and languages and peoples.  Some of these 24,000 have heard of the Gospel – some haven’t!

Those already reached: – About 14,000 peoples have embraced the Gospel, resulting in strong churches led by national (non-missionary) leaders with a serious commitment to evangelize their people. 

3.7 billion people live among this group of “nations”.

Those who are unreached is an estimated 10,000 peoples who don’t yet have a church in their midst to be a testimony of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and therefore have no access to the Gospel! 

Almost 2.1 billion individuals live within these peoples.  The Word says: “they are without hope and without God.” Eph 2:12

THE UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS MUST BE OUR PRIORITY

Let me illustrate the situation this way:

Divide groups as follows – keep them in this order in the room.

33% – Christians in general.

Includes those who are active committed disciples of Jesus as well as those who would just call themselves Christian because of their family or because they culturally identify with Christians.

31% – “Culturally Near Non Christians”.

The neighbors of Christians.  This Includes non-Christians whom Christians can approach without having to cross major barriers such as language, customs. values etc.  These are categorized as reached or evangelized, but not converted.

36% – Unreached peoples.

These include “Culturally Distant Non-Christians”. Christians can approach only after crossing major cultural barriers such as language, values, customs etc.  These most likely do not have Bibles in their language, churches in their communities or any opportunity to hear about Jesus from the Word of God.

If every Christian were to win his neighbor, these unreached distant non-Christians would never have a chance to hear the Gospel.

Divide the Christian Group

In the 33% Christian Group, only 32% of these are born again.  The rest are Christian in name only.

Show were the Culturally near Non-Christians are and describe the term again.

Show where the Unreached are and describe the term again (use someone to do it). 

Ask them to guess which types of groups would be included among these peoples?

Muslim, Tribal, Buddhist, Chinese, Hindu, Misc. Western Asian and African People.

What are some of the barriers you would have to reach these people?

Divide the Unreached Group as follows (10,000 people groups):

Muslim – 34%       (3,400 groups –     1,000,000,000 individuals)

Tribal – 21%          (2,100 groups –          75,000,000 individuals)

Buddhist – 9%       (900 groups  –          250,000,000 individuals)

Chinese – 9%        (9,000 groups –        125,000,000 individuals)

Hindu – 18%         (1,800 groups –       560,000,000 individuals)

Misc. Western, Asian & Africans – 9% (900 groups – 90,000,000 individuals_

Now we are going to divide the active Christians up as workers (some will remain behind).  How would we divide them?

In reality, only 1 out of 100 Christian Workers work among the Culturally distant and most of them avoid the Muslim populations!

JEANNIE AND DEBBIE’S SKIT . . .

Psalm 23 for the Unreached

Christian:  The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

Malay: I have no shepherd.  I want and I am in need.

Christian:  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.

Malay: I have no one to feed me in green pastures.  I find no rest. I have no one to lead me to quiet waters. I have no one to restore my anxious and despairing soul.

Christian:  He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Malay: I find no one to guide me in right ways. I don’t know where to turn.

Christian:  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Malay: As I walk through the valley of death, evil surrounds me. I am terribly afraid, for no one is with me to comfort me.

Christian:  You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.

Malay: I have no feast prepared for me; I am overwhelemed by my enemies. No one anoints my wounds to heal them. My cup is empty.

Christian:  Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life …

Malay: All the days of my life are filled with uncertainty and disappointments …

Christian:  And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Malay: And I have no home for eternity. Will I dwell in the house of evil forever?

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

We must be like Caleb!  Numbers 13:30

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

We can take on the giants and not be afraid of them!  For God has given us the Land!

It can be done!

We are in the midst of the greatest harvest the world has ever seen!

IT CAN BE DONE!

IT WILL BE DONE!

When you consider the evidence of God’s Word when He says:

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9 NIV)

This is the future – God will do it – will you be a part?

 

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A WORLD VISION

2/8/2003

                              An outline of “A Mind for Missions” by Paul Borthwick^[1]

BUILDING BLOCK ONE:

THE SCRIPTURES

THE OLD TESTAMENT WITNESS

CREATION – After the fall God pursues Adam and Eve.  His desire is to restore them.

ABRAHAM – God calls Abraham for the purpose of blessing the nations with redemption.

THE LAW – God set apart a people to be priests to the nations.

THE PROPHETS – God used these servants to remind and provoke the nation of Israel to fulfill their responsibility to the nations.

THE PSALMS – The writers of Psalms reflect God’s purpose that always included the nations.

MISSIONARIES – Both Daniel and Jonah reveals to us the missionary called to a pagan nation.

God is a missionary God!  As William Dyrness writes in his book “Let the Earth Rejoice” – “The Old Testament prepares a universal message for what will become in the New Testament a universal mission.”

THE NEW TESTAMENT WITNESS

THE GOSPELS – Jesus came for the whole world. John 3:16.  And he sent his disciples to do the same:

Matt 28:19 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mark 16:15 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Luke 24:47 – And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

John 20:21 – Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

ACTS – 10:34-35 Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

THE EPISTLES – These books were written from missionaries to churches that had been planted by missionaries.

REVELATION – Rev. 7:9-10: After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

DOMINANT THEMES OF SCRIPTURE

•     There is salvation in no one else but Jesus. (Ex 20:3; Is 42:8; 48:11; 43:11; 45:23; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5; Phil 2:10)

•     The basis of mission is to reveal the glory of God. (Is 55:11; Dan 4:25; Is 66:1-2; Luk 17:10; 2 Cor 4:6.

•     God wants to use us. (1 Cor 15;10; 1 Pet 2:4-10).

BUILD YOUR WORLD VISION WITH SCRIPTURE!

                                                      BUILDING BLOCK TWO:

                                                             CURRENT EVENTS

SKILLS FOR BUILDING A WORLD VISION:

•     First, We need spiritual glasses.  See the world the way God sees it.  Jesus is our example – Matt 9:36-38.

•     Second, We need “bifocal vision”.  We need to both see and care not only here at home (close) but around the world as well (far).

•     Third, We must be open to seeing our own sinfulness and selfishness.

•     Fourth, We need to remember how God works through current events.

HOW TO BUILD VISION THROUGH CURRENT EVENTS:

We start by learning what is happening in the world.

WAYS TO RESPOND TO A WORLD VISION:

•     First, we must respond in prayer.

•     Second, we must keep from growing calloused.

•     Third, we must seek a manageable impact.  Ask – What can I do?

We increase our world vision by learning about what us happening in the world around us.  We put our vision into practice by acting in response to what we have learned.

A CASE STUDY FOR BUILDING A WORLD VISION:

“In 1987, 4.7 billion people inhabited the earth.  By 1990, that number will rise to 5.3 billion; by the middle of the next century, we will have 9 billion inhabitants.  Most of that growth will take place in the less developed world.  Today, 10 out of every 11 babies born are born in the Third World.  With most of the unreached currently in northern Africa and Asia, what will it mean to have 75% of our planet’s population residing there within two decades?“^[2]

HOW TO RESPOND TO WORLD EVENTS IN ORDER TO BUILD OUR WORLD VISION:

1.   Choose one city as your focus.  Pray for that city; learn all you can about it; start a file on it, collecting any articles you read about that city.

2.   Contact a Christian ministry working in that city (if there is one), and become more familiar with that mission’s work.

3.   If there is no direct work in that city, try to find out which mission agencies broadcast Christian radio programs into that city.

4.   Pray for and seek out an opportunity to meet someone. perhaps and international student, from that city.

5.   Find out the names of political leaders in that country and city and pray for them by name.

6.   Seek to understand more about urbanization and why it is happening.  Read news articles about the trend towards urbanization.

7.   If you can contact a Christian church or ministry in that city (or one that works indirectly to reach that city), find out about one individual for whom you can pray.

8.   Consider financial involvement in a ministry or church related to that city.

9.   Encourage others in your Christian fellowship to pray with you for that city.

10. Pray, plan, and save so that you might be able to visit that city in the future.

God sees our responses to the world, no matter how small they may seem.  He will work through our compassionate responses to the world around us to change it.  When we keep this thought in mind, our world visions will grow!

                                                    BUILDING BLOCK THREE:

                                                                      PRAYER

who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4 NIV)

      The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

      And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 NIV)

      “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV)

36  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:36-38 NIV)

WHY IS PRAYER SO IMPORTANT?

•     Prayer reminds us of who is in charge.

            “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10 NIV)

Prayer is our first work in the harvest.  And the reason is not hard to find.  It is this: the harvest has a “Lord.”  He oversees the harvest.  Someone supplies the workers.  someone controls the progress.  And that someone is God.  Our first business is not to look at the size of the harvest.  Our first business is to pray to our God.^[3]

•     Prayer changes us.

THOSE WHO PRAY CHANGE THE WORLD.

Nehemiah:

4  When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5  Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, (Nehemiah 1:4-5 NIV)

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:16 NIV)

Hudson Taylor:

“Prayer was the only way by which his burdened heart could obtain any relief.”^[4]

Jim Elliot:

“After reading, digesting, and recording, Jim set himself to praying.  He had lists of people to pray for, a list for each day of the week, and if time alone in his room was limited, he prayed as he walked up to breakfast on campus, or as he stood in line in the dining hall.”^[5]

The People Republic of China:

The spiritual activity taking place in the People’s Republic of China today is a testimony of God’s work through prayer.

They (the missionaries who had to leave China) were not defeated; they simply continued to do battle in one of the toughest arenas of all: intercessory prayer.  They were often maligned for not realizing that this was a “different world we live in, and there is nothing you can do for China.”  Few were (or have been) recognized for their contribution to the building of His Kingdom.  They nevertheless continued hour by hour, day by day, and year by year, remembering by name those they left behind in the villages and communities that spread across China.  Their work was for beyond any job description which man might design.”^[6]

LEARNING TO PRAY FOR A WORLD VISION

We can enhance our prayer for missions if we remember to apply the following principles:

1.   Start with worship.  Like Nehemiah, we must recognize that in prayer we come to the Lord of Heaven and earth.

2.   Confess our sins.  God’s purpose is to change us, and confession opens us to hear His voice.

3.   Start small.  If we pray for no one in missions work now, adding just one person to our prayer list is progress.

4.   Pray specifically.  We should choose a people group, a missionary, or a country fro which we can pray rather than offering generic, “Bless the missionaries,” prayers.

5.   Become a “prayer champion”^[7] for someone in another land or culture.

6.   Use available resources to direct your prayers such as: Operation World, The Day by Day Guide to Praying for the World by Patrick Johnstone and Frontier Fellowship’s Global Prayer Digest .

7.   If you are praying for a missionary, read his or her newsletters and research the place where that missionary serves so you can pray intelligently.

                                                     BUILDING BLOCK FOUR:

                                                                     READING

READING CAN HELP BUILD A WORLD VISION

If we read from the five general categories listed below, we can achieve a good balance of growth in our missions related vision.

1.   MISSIONS HISTORIES

5  Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 6  O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. (Psalms 105:5-6 NIV)

Start small such as the historical articles written in the book: “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.”

2.   BIOGRAPHIES

In Hebrews 11:1-12:1 the Lord reminds us of the great men and women of faith.  Missionaries such as William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, Cameron Townsend, Jim Elliott, C.T. Studd, Mary Slessor, John and Betty Stam and David Livingstone are missionaries we should read about.  They are certainly “a cloud of witnesses.”

3.   CURRENT ISSUES IN MISSIONS

Although TIME and NEWSWEEK are good resources, you may not discover the what the Lord is doing among certain tribes and Missions organizations.  Therefore read missionary periodicals and as well as newsletters from people on the mission field.

Some good newsletters you should subscribe to are:

AD 2000 Global Monitor. P.O. Box 129 Rockville, VA 32146

Evangelical Missions Quarterly. EMIS P.O. Box 794, Wheaton, IL 60186

International Journal of Frontier Missions. IJFM, P.O. Box 27266, El Paso, TX 79926

Missions Frontiers.  USCWM, 1605 Elizabeth St. Pasadena, CA 91104

World Pulse.  P.O. Box 794, Wheaton, IL 60189

4.   CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

Read books such as Christianity Confronts Culture or Making of a Missionary.

5.   GENERAL MISSIONS RESOURCES

SET REALISTIC GOALS FOR READING

A one year personal goal sheet might look like this:

1.   To read one missions history on the current age of missions 1700 to present.

2.   To read three missions biographies: two of them about people in the past and one about a person who lived in the twentieth century.

3.   To read one book related to the rich-poor struggle and how it effects missionary work.

4.   To read the preparatory information used by a mission that we are familiar with in order to understand what preparation is required of missionaries who work in a new culture.

5.   To read one specific resource book on the biblical basis for missions.

THE RESULTS OF READING TO BUILD OUR WORLD VISION

•     We are inspired.

•     We learn from the mistakes of others.

•     We grow in our vision of God.

•     We see the people God uses.

•     We grow in our ability to influence others for the world evangelization.

•     We will pray for our missionaries more effectively.

•     We will see how God brings good out of adversity.

                                                      BUILDING BLOCK FIVE:

                                                     FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (ethnic groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19 NIV)

Jesus commands his disciples to go to all ethnic groups and make disciples.

A FEW EASY, CROSS-CULTURAL EXERCISES

•     Next time you eat at a Chinese Restaurant, use chopsticks instead of a fork.

•     Eat international foods thus participating in an exercise that broadens our horizons.  We identify with a different people group or culture.

•     Visit a different area of your city or town.

•     Be involved with internationals who live in your community.

•     Worship with Christians from other ethnic groups or cultures.

MORE SACRIFICIAL CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

•     Host an international student in your home.

•     House immigrants as they settle in this country.

•     Learn another language.

•     Travel to another country.

MAKING THE MOST OF CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

If we want to make the most of cross-cultural experiences, we must make certain decisions that will allow us to grow.

•     We must be willing to identify our biases.

•     We must become World Christians, not just well traveled Americans.

•     We must ask questions and listen.

•     We must be willing to change.

Take courage!  Step out into the worlds of others.  Stepping out will cause our world vision and our view of our great God to increase!

                                                        BUILDING BLOCK SIX:

                                                                 FELLOWSHIP

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13 NIV)

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24 NIV)

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 NIV)

BUILDING WORLD VISION IN FELLOWSHIP GROUPS

The following six suggestions can help create a more missions-oriented world vision-building fellowship:

1.   Incorporate the building blocks described here into the fellowship.

2.   Pray about missions together.

3.   Adopt a giving project together.

4.   Work together.

5.   Adopt a project together such as a missionary, country or people group.

6.   Send someone out.

MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR EFFECTIVE VISION-BUILDING

1.   Remember that our goal is to build a greater outward focus, not to ignore each other.

2.   Make learning together fun.

3.   Make our missions world-vision growth manageable.

4.   Building a world vision is a commitment.

5.   We must see ourselves as “infecting” agents.

6.   We will do our best to influence others if we let God direct our steps regarding missions.

                                                     BUILDING BLOCK SEVEN:

                                                                       GIVING

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21 NIV)

THE BIBLICAL MANDATE REGARDING MONEY

1.   GOD WANTS US TO BE GENEROUS.

8  “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9  You are under a curse– the whole nation of you– because you are robbing me. 10  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Malachi 3:8-10 NIV)

6  Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV)

2.   GOD MEASURES OUR RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP BY OUR RESPONSE TO THE POOR AND NEEDY.

Consider these examples from Scripture:

Genesis 1:26-31    God gives man all good things for the purpose of benefiting the whole world (stewardship).

Psalm 112:1-9       The faithful worshipper of God is richly blessed, and “his righteousness endures forever” because “he has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor.”

Proverbs 31:10      The wise women does very well in business (verses 14,16,18), and she is marked by the fact that she “opens her arms to the poor” (verse 20).

Amos 2:6-8                 The wealthy are condemned because they “trample the heads of the poor … and deny justice to the oppressed.”

Matthew 25:31-46 God’s judgement is seen in direct correlation to an individuals response to the poor, needy, homeless, etc., because that poor person represents Christ himself.

Luke 16:19-31      The rich man is rebuked after his death because of his ill treatment of the poor man, Lazarus.

1 Timothy 6:17-19      Those who are rich in this life are instructed to be “rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” so that they can lay up treasures for themselves in the coming age.

3.   GOD WANTS US TO KEEP THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS OUR PRIORITY.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:21..33 NIV)

FINANCIAL GIVING WITH A WORLD VISION

The seven principles of giving outlined below will help increase effective management of our financial resources.

1.   We need a personal financial strategy.

2.   We need to have some targets for giving.

3.   We need to check on the financial responsibility of the agencies (or people) to which we give.

4.   We need to periodically evaluate where our money is going.

5.   We need to become involved with the ministries we support.

6.   We need to sacrifice.

7.   Pray.

GIVING INCLUDES GIVING OUR TIME WITH A WORLD VISION.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE?

•     When we give money to ministries in the developing world, we realize just how far our money can go.

•     When we are involved in worldwide giving, we become increasingly aware of the fact that God has blessed us and the United States with an unusual stockpile of resources and money.

•     When we commit ourselves to giving in a way that builds our vision for the world, we will become acutely aware of the need to make world evangelization a priority for ourselves, our churches, and our fellowships.

Oswald J. Smith challenges us to give to missions through these four observations:

1)   If I refuse to give anything to missions this year, I practically cast a ballot in favor of the recall of every missionary.

2)   If I give less than heretofore, I favor the reduction of the missionary forces proportionate to my reduced contribution.

3)   If I gave the same as formerly, I favor holding the ground already won; but I oppose any forward movement.  My song is “Holding the Fort,” forgetting that the Lord never intended His army to take refuge in a fort.

4)   If I increase my offering beyond former years, then I favor an advance movement in the conquest of new territory for Christ.

                                                    BUILDING BLOCK EIGHT:

                                                      MEETING MISSIONARIES

On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. (Acts 14:27 NIV)

MISSIONARIES CAN TELL US ABOUT GOD’S WORK

If we want to grow through our personal relationships with missionaries, we must be willing to go beyond superficial encounters and erroneous assumptions so we can know and learn form these special teachers.

“Reporting back” is a biblical concept.  Biblical examples reveal to us what should we look for in our personal meeting with missionaries?

•     First, they should give their reports to those who sent them in order to encourage the faith of others by detailing what God has done.

•     Second, when they report back, they give the senders vision.

HOW TO GET TO KNOW A MISSIONARY

1.   Start receiving a missionary newsletter.

2.   Write personal letters.

3.   Telephone a missionary.

4.   Be faithful in prayer.

5.   Invite missionaries into your home.

6.   Visit missionaries at their field of work.

DEEPENING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH MISSIONARIES

Consider these ideas for promoting growth between you and the missionary friends.

1.   Ask them questions related to daily living.

2.   Do not generalize about missions or missionaries.

3.   Ask about financial needs.

4.   Ask for specific prayer requests about their personal lives and families.

5.   Do not forget to ask about the missionaries spiritual life.

6.   Let God speak to you through them.

                                                      BUILDING BLOCK NINE:

                                                          LIFESTYLE CHOICES

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21 NIV)

17  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

(1 John 3:17-18 NIV)

VOLUNTARY LIMITATION: A BASIC CHOICE

In the book, Living More Simply, Howard Claasen offers four goals for simpler living for all world-concerned Christians:

1.   Learn to understand the poor be lessening the large economic gap between us and the them.

2.   Try to avoid materialism, the love of possessions and money.

3.   Reduce the consumption of resources that are scarce and non-renewable.

4.   Reduce the causes of international tensions and wars.

LIFESTYLE CHOICES WE CAN MAKE AS WORLD CHRISTIANS

1.   LANGUAGE.  With a view toward the world, we will find it difficult, if not impossible, to speak of our own needs as “great.”

2.   MONEY.  Rather than focusing on our money as a way to benefit ourselves, we can choose to view our money as a way to benefit others.  With this in mind, we can live according to Jesus’ example.  He gave al that He had for us.

3.   SUCCESS.  One primary reason we become self-centered and strive for personal gain is because we want to be successful in society that determines success by wealth and possessions.

4.   SEPARATION.  Not believing the lies of the this world.

5.   SIMPLICITY.  Our vision should not be cluttered with things, but our eyes should be set on eternal things.

6.   AFFLUENCE.  We need to change our dreams if we are to live lifestyles that are consistent with and complementary to our world vision.

LIFESTYLE CHOICES: SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

David Bryant, missions expert, poses some excellent questions to consider as we evaluate our lifestyles according to world Christian priorities.

•     What most determines my sense of needs?  TV? Career? Status? Peers? Or, Christ’s global cause and the needs of unreached people?

•     Is my lifestyle shaped by a  desire for more – more possessions, more happiness, more power?  Or, is it shaped by a desire for increased personal freedom and availability of resources in order to serve the world’s unreached?

•     What are the excesses in my life?  What do I have too much of right now?  Where do I presently squander, waste, or overindulge?  How will this effect further outreach to the ends of the earth?

•     Should my involvement in the cause right now be from surplus or sacrifice?  How might future involvement in the cause be effected by my approach to this?

•     Out of my 168 hours a week, can I justify the overall allotment of my time in light of Christ’s global cause?  What specific time commitments need to be cut back in order to prepare me for increased future outreach?  Are there places my investments of time should be rechanneled now?

•     Of the decisions I am making right now which ones will have a lasting impact on how I involved I am in worldwide outreach in the future?  Which decisions might increase my effectiveness over what it is now?  How should love for the unreached guide my choices, such as where we live, whom to marry, what profession to pursue, new friendships to seek, our purchases, prayer and Bible reading habits, service on a church committee, magazine subscriptions, or Christian conferences I attend?^[8]

                                                       BUILDING BLOCK TEN:

                                                                 OTHER INPUT

19  This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20  and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NIV)

We have choices to make.

SETTING THE WORLD BEFORE US

1.   Making the world your hobby.

2.   Keep the world visible in your home and in your office.

3.   Learn about places of the world.  Play geography games with your family.

4.   Start young.

---

^[1] This outline is for the purpose of academic review only.  The reader should refer to the book for further study.

^[2] David Bryant, With Concerts of Prayer (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1984), page 108.

^[3] Tom Wells, A Vision for Missions (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1985), page 138.

^[4] Dr & Mrs Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (Philadelphia CIM, 1958), PAGE 78.

^[5] Elisabeth Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), page 52.

^[6] Carl Lawrence, The Church in China (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1985), page 117.

^[7] A pray champion is one who not only prays for him every day, but who requests prayer for him in any Christian prayer gathering and champions the missionaries cause.

^[8] David Bryant, In the Gap (Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press, 1977), pages 228-229.

 

BORN FROM ABOVE – SOLD OUT FOR JESUS

January 1986

Believers Fellowship – West Chester, PA

JOHN 3:1-21 (read & comment)….

¹ Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

⁴ “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

This is the basis of all that we do!

The purpose of our existence is capsuled here!

A people Born Again – being blown about by the Holy Spirit to do His will A people who put up their sails & follow the Lord.

Who need to be sold out to God!

BORN FROM ABOVE!

GENESIS 1:11-25 ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

²⁴ And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

All creation was to reproduce after its own kind … God saw that it was good. 

Genesis 1:26 – ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

God then creates after His Kind …man, Born from above!

But man fell …

ISAIAH 55:8-9  ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Man becomes contrary to God.

ROMANS 3:23; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

GALATIANS 3:22; “But the scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin!”

God made the way to restore us back into His likeness.

JOHN 3:16-21 ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Our lives, our purpose MUST change from the things of this world to HIS KINGDOM!

MATTHEW 6:33; “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well!”

Choose to serve God!

To the point that all that we are and have belongs to HIM!

Then we become part of that LIGHT …

(See above) JOHN 3:21!

EPHESIANS 5:1-2 & 8-16  Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ….. ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴ for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Are we willing to do this?

Are we willing to put all that we are on the line for him?  To Give as he gave – his son?

To be like him?  Imitate him?

We are living in a day that requires sacrifice & obedience in all areas of our lives towards God!  NO COMPROMISE –  NO GAMES!

He has called us out – the disciples – Nicodemus – YOU!

ARE WE SERIOUS ABOUT DOING WHAT HE HAS CALLED US TO DO?

Reaching out to West Chester? …

Reaching out to Chester County? …

REaching out to the Delaware Valley? …

Reaching out to Philly? …

Will we leave it all & follow Him?

The cloud is moving ….  And we need to follow it!     or be left behind in mediocrity!

Be a people of total sacrifice …

ROMANS 12:1,2; “Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…”

Jesus said:

MATTHEW 16:25; “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it”

It is time for us as a body to make a difference in this community –

#1 – BY WALKING UPRIGHTLY BEFORE HIM IN ALL OUR WAYS!

#2 – BY BEING SOLD OUT – TOTALLY UNTO THE LORD!

#3 – BY IMITAING JESUS IN ALL THAT WE DO!  TO BE THAT LIGHT!

God is calling us to take hold of what belongs to US His people! 

Who does this town belong to?

Who does this county belong to?

Who does the Delaware Valley belong to?

Who does Philadelphia belong to?

Who does this building the YMCA belong to?

It is time to move on and posses what the Lord had prepared for us

It is time to raise the funds and purchase the facility He has for us here in West Chester!

And it may be right here in the YMCA!

All we need is $325,000.00!

That’s only about $6,500 a piece!

It’s time to invest – not in stocks, not in real estate, not IB bonds or CD’s

But

In the Kingdom of God!

So that this place would be used to send out that light in the midst of darkness!

An investment in the Kingdom!

MATTTHEW 6:19-21 ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also^.

IT’S ALL HIS

How can we a congregation of 50 adults come up with 350.000?

We have three sources to draw from (over & above your tithe), depending on where you are financially.

(show transparancy…

 3 POCKETS ILLUS …#1 PANTS POCKET…CHANGE & BILLS

   #2 CHECKBOOK – STASH HIDDEN FUNDS

   #3 SELL OUT – WATCH, TIE CLASP ETC)

1. Out of your day to day living expenses –

• Curb your standard of living to a place of sacrifice
• Live in moderation
• Turn over undesignated “pocket $” to the Lord!
• Then,   PRAY: “LORD HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE THIS WEEK TOWARDS THE KINGDOM INVESTMENT?

2. Out of your savings, investments, reduce them to a point of sacrifice. Cash it in as God directs Then,

PRAY: ‘LORD HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE FROM THIS TOWARDS THE KINGDOM INVESTMENT?”

3. Out of resources & Assets, Liquidate them as God directs: Cars, boats, guns, property, luxuries, real estate, attic & garage junk.

Then,

PRAY: “LORD HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE FROM THIS TOWARDS THE KINGDOM INVESTMENT?”

Add these three categories together & over a short period of time = $325,000.00! 

DOES GOD WANT US TO BUY THIS FACILLITY?

YES!

“GOD’S WORK DONE GOD’S WAY WILL NEVER LACK FOR FUNDS!”

  – Hudson Taylor

How are we going to respond?

II CORINTHIANS 9:6-15 ⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

CHEERFULLY?

GENEROUSLY?

Raise 15,000 by December 31, 1987

    To be used to secure a contract on this property & go towards it’s purchase. 

All funds collected into the “Kingdom Investment Fund” will be used for the purpose of securing a place of ministry by buying, renovating, leasing, building, etc. Any properties needed to fulfil the ministry needs of this congregation both ministry oriented as well as administrative.

What should you do?

1. LOOK AT YOUR “THREE POCKETS” AND OBEY GOD CONCERNING THEM

2. FILL OUT ON THE INSIDE OF AN OFFERING ENVELOPE HOW MUCH GOD HAS INSTRUCTED YOU TO GIVE INTO THE “KINGDOM INVESTMENT FUND” AND TURN IT IN NEXT WEEK IF POSSIBLE.

3. PRAY THE PRAYER OF FAITH & INTERCEDE CONCERNING THIS APPEAL SO THAT THE ENEMY’S HAND WILL BE STOPPED IN THIS COMMUNITY!

QUESTIONS?

 

BIBLICAL BASIS FOR MISSIONS

1990

Several Locations over the years

Compiled from U.S. Center for World Mission’s Perspectives Course

A. THE TEXT BOOK OF MISSIONS

The theory of missions begins in the Bible. In the bible is the record of the preparation of the kingdom of Heaven, its principles and its progress.

In the Bible we find :

• The Missionary Thought In Gods Heart
• The Missionary Message In Christ’s Atonement
• The Missionary Duty In Our Lord’s Commands
• The Missionary Motive In The Nature Of The Redeemed Life
• The Missionary Task In A “World Ruled By The Evil One”
• The Missionary Power In “The Holy Spirit Whom God Has Given To Those Who Obey Him”
• The Missionary Goal In “The Day” Of Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament gives us the grounds by which the Lord gives his plans and commands to conquer the world in his name.

The New Testament missionary is a product of the work of the early Christians.

The book of Acts is an inspired account of the first experiences in executing the commands under the impulse and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

What Jesus began to do in his personal ministry he continues in the person of his disciples under the power of the Holy Spirit.

The book of Acts:

Gives us the first chapter in the history of New Testament missions and its progress.

The book of Matthew:

Records facts about the life of Jesus and compares them with old testament prophecies and proves that Jesus is the Christ of God

The book of Luke:

Gives a universal account of the character and work of the son of man setting up God’s kingdom in men to take possession of the world.

So the Gospels are all missionary tracts setting forth the gospel that its conquests might be extended and its work confirmed.

In the “general epistles”, James:

Is for the instruction of the mission converts in the righteousness of the gospel.

1 and 2 Peter and Jude:

Are to encourage the mission converts under persecutions and to be faithful under adverse circumstances.

Paul’s epistles were written:

1. To follow-up the work of his missionary labors

2.  To maintain the purity of the gospel against corruptions in doctrine and life

3. To defend his own missionary apostleship against the juadizers

4.  To expound the universal principles of the gospel

5.  To reprove, rebuke, and exhort those who had received the gospel

6.  Three of his letters were to younger missionaries: to give the instruction in the work and to “commit to faithful men who should be able to teach others”

The whole New Testament can only be interpreted in the light of missions.

B. GOD IS A MISSIONARY GOD

[adapted from: PERSPECTIVES OF THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT; Study Guide and Reader]

Do you desire to follow the teachings of the Bible? 

But what kind of teachings does the Bible encourage? 

Some would say that Evangelism and Missions lie on the extremity of Biblical concerns.  Missions was almost an afterthought.

Others have an idea that evangelism is simply part of good Christian behavior; it is the right thing to do.

We will discover that missions lies at the center of God’s concern.  He is doing missions.  Evangelism is more than just doing the right activity, it is a partnership and fellowship with a living God, for He is a missionary God!

We will attempt explain how the Bible is the basis for Missions, how missions is the basis for the Bible, how all of scripture focuses on the missions mandate. 

We will look at God’s promise to Abraham as a call to missions, and describe the two fold problem God seeks to solve.

We will state God’s mission purpose and explain the unity of God’s purpose to redeem and God’s purpose to rule.

1. MISSIONS AND THE BIBLE

a. MISSIONS – THE BASIS OF THE BIBLE

No one doubts that missions is in the Bible somewhere.  A superficial reading of scripture readily reveals two things:

1)   Universal themes and passages reveal God’s concern for the whole world.

“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:22 NIV)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

2)   Isolated mandate verses in which God calls some of his people ot a special ministry.

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. (Psalms 96:3 NIV)

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (Mark 16:15 NIV)

These passages clearly show that God is interested in Missions, but one might easily guess from just these few texts that God is more concerned about other things than missions.

b.         THE BIBLE – THE BASIS FOR MISSIONS

It is clear that the Bible contains concepts about missions and reaching all peoples.  It is clear that the Bible is the very basis for missions.  But it is also true or clear that the reverse is true – that missions is the basis of the Bible.  So, the Bible is the basis for Missions and Missions is the basis for the Bible.

Consider this:

• The story of God accomplishing his mission is the plot if the entire Bible.  Therefore, God’s mission is the backbone upon which the whole Bible is built and is best understood.

• The way God accomplishes his mission is to reveal himself to men by the spoken and Incarnate Word and enlist them as his co-workers to bring the Word to others.  Therefore, God’s mission is the reason there is a Bible!

Thus the Biblical mandate for missions is not limited to a few references.  We do not engage in missions because the Bible says to do so, but rather because God is accomplishing His mission, and has instructed use through the scripture to join him in the work.

1) The Promise of God.

God’s promise to Abraham highlighted his missionary intent: to bless all the nations of the earth.  This promise was partially fulfilled in Abraham’s day, and throughout the period of the Old Testament.  It was most fully portrayed in the life of Jesus.  this promise will be perfectly fulfilled at the end of the age and is being fulfilled as He build His Church.  Through this promise of god we see Him as the God of history, the God of covenant, and the God of mission

2)   The Participation of God’s People

The nations are not blessed automatically.  He has promised to bless the nations “through Abraham’s seed”.  By faith, we are Abraham’s seed!

2. THE PURPOSE OF GOD

a. GOD’S TWO-FOLD PROBLEM

1)   A Satanic counter kingdom arose whose plan was to usurp God’s reign by stealing the allegiance of man.  Satan’s purpose is now to deceive and destroy man who was created in the image of God; the God who is now Satan’s enemy.

2)   Mankind entered into rebellion, he left his place of authority over the earth, and ironically, trying to gain more power, fell to Satan’s Kingdom which now meant slavery of sin and death.

b. GOD’S UNIFIED PURPOSE.

God may have a two-fold problem, but he has one greater purpose.  That purpose is distinctly that of a missionary.  God overcomes both problems with one strategy.  He redeems man in order to rule, and he rules (gains victory) in order to redeem.

1)   To Reconquer his rightful domain and to re-establish his rightful reign.  To gain victory over the satanic counter-kingdom and this way God redeems mankind!

2)   To Reconcile man to himself through the finished work of the cross and resurrection, and through this redemption to reconcile all things to Himself in order to rule over His creation.

We can state His Unified Purpose briefly this way:

To redeem a people from every people, and to rule a kingdom over all kingdoms.

3. THE PLAN OF GOD

We must understand that God has a plan.  God does not react to the circumstances of that mankind finds himself in.  God has a plan, a strategy for all things that happen.  This is seen in history.

a.   God deals with all of humankind in Genesis 1 – 11. This underscores the fact that his abiding purpose has always included all peoples.

DISCUSSION QUESTION – WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH GOD DEALS WITH HUMANITY IN THESE 11 CHAPTERS OF GENESIS?

b.   God dealt with humankind as a whole partly because people were not the first separated during this time into linguistic units. (Although the “Table of Nations” in Genesis 10 comes after Babel chronologically, it is placed before Genesis 11 as part of the overall literary structure of Genesis)  The human race was a single group of people who spoke one language.  The world was literally one nation. Their power was great, and they sought to control all creation through their idolatrous practices.  God saw that no evil would be impossible for them. They could not be reached as one unit.

The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. (Genesis 11:6 NIV)

Why did God scatter them at this point? 

It was an act of judgement, but it was at the same time an act of marvelous mercy and strategy.  They resisted God as a whole, so God would win them bit by bit!

God divided the race for his purpose.  He would reach them family by family, clan by clan, people by people, nation by nation.

An uninterrupted reading of Genesis 10-12 shows God doing exactly that.  He divides mankind into nations, and chooses one nation to bless the others.

c.   God’s choice of Abraham was then a starting point of battle, not a barrier.  It was a beginning, not a closing of his universal purpose.  It was all part of His strategy, and the sin of Babylon proved to be a success for God!

The choosing of Abraham was not a narrowing of God’s intentions, but a strategic breakthrough in order to reach all nations!

C. THE OBLIGATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY

[adapted from: PERSPECTIVES OF THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT; Study Guide and Reader]

Everyone enjoys Old Testament stories.  When all have heard the stories of Abraham, Moses, and David.  We enjoy hearing about Daniel in the lion’s den, or the victory of Gideon.  We see many illustrations about ourselves in these stories.

But are these stories connected?  Is there a larger story?  Is their an underlying plot that runs through the whole Old Testament.  There is a theme that recurs throughout the Old Testament that suggests its plot.  We get a glimpse of the heart and purposes of God.

There is a fourfold theme clearly stated in this simple outline of the Old Testament:

1.   Israel is given an obligation with respect to the nations.

2.   Israel is given an opportunity to fulfill this charge.

3.   Israel, with a few exceptions is disobedient to God.

4.   God is persistent in bringing Israel back to an awareness of her obligation and her opportunity.

This theme applies not only to the entire survey of the Old Testament era, but finds fulfillment in specific lives and generations of God’s people before Christ.

This is not a rigid outline, but it is an interpretive theme.  The limitations of time will not allow us to examine each Old Testament event.  We do not divide the Old Testament into four time periods according to this outline.  But each story, each event recorded can be well understood by this four part theme as one perilous but victorious history, a sobering but thrilling drama, unfolding our lives with theirs, and revealing the heart of God for this world.

We want to explain:

• How the covenant with Abraham has mandate force. 
• How the covenant at Sinai has mandate force. 
• How the name of God encapsulates the Gospel Israel was obligated to share. 
• The terms sanctify and holy. 
• How the sanctification of God’s name depended on the holiness of God’s people.
• The mission and purpose of the triumphal drama of the Exodus and the Conquest.
• The mission purpose of the temple. 
• The theme of “antagonism” in the Old Testament. 
• Two ways that Israel failed its covenant obligation with respect to nations.
• How the story of Jonah demonstrates Israel’s obligation, opportunity, disobedience, and God’s persistence.
• Summarize what the prophets said about the Kingdom of God and the Servant of the Lord regarding Israel and he nations.
• The reason and the result of the Exile of Israel.

1. THE OBLIGATION

a.   The covenant with Abraham promised not only that Abraham would receive blessings, but that he and his seed were to be a blessing to all nations.

2  “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3 NIV)

The seed of Abraham was to proclaim God’s plan to bless the nations.

see:

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. (Romans 4:13 NIV)

The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” (Galatians 3:8 NIV)

If you believe, then you are part of Abraham’s seed.  Heirs to the promise and obligated to fulfill your portion of the covenant – be a blessing!

b.   The covenant of Sinai specified Israel’s role as a people who were able to move about among the nations, set apart to participate with God as priests.

4  `You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6  you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:4-6 NIV)

We see in these verses that Israel was to be a:

• Treasured Possession, among all peoples
  • Kingdom of Priests
  • and A Holy Nation

These are three ministries God specifies for Abraham’s descendants

We see this further in Psalm 67:

1. [For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.] May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah

2    that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

3    May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

 4   May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah

5    May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

6    Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.

7    God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Note how similar this Psalm is to Genesis 12:2-3! 

Three times this Psalm refers to the blessing of God. vrs – 1, 6, & 7  Bless us so that all nations might know the Lord!

The Psalmist calls us to prove & test God’s purposes for three reasons:

1.   God has been gracious to us v.1-3

2.   God rules and guides all nations v 4-5

3.   Because of the very goodness of God v. 6-7

When we proclaim this, there will be a great harvest, the land will yield its harvest – the salvation of many!

2. THE OPPORTUNITY

What was Israel specifically supposed to do?  What gospel did she have to proclaim?  to be sure the gospel of the death, resurrection and second coming of Jesus the Son of God was not announces at this time.  But, they did know God as gracious, loving, forgiving and faithful in open covenant relationship.

Abraham had worshipped the true God in “obedience of faith” and walked in a vital, trusting relationship with a living Lord.  This they could, and did announce.

They were to witness to his name.  God not only revealed his character (name) to Israel; he not only exalted his name by mighty deeds before the nations as an attraction to himself; but he also provided Israel ample opportunity to proclaim his name among the nations.

The clearest expression of God’s name if revealed to Moses in Ex 34:6-7:

6  And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7  maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

This is repeated throughout Israel’s history. Note the following scriptures.

`The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.’ (Numbers 14:18 NIV)

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Psalms 86:15 NIV)

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (Psalms 103:8 NIV)

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (Joel 2:13 NIV)

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry for ever but delight to show mercy. (Micah 7:18 NIV)

He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. (Jonah 4:2 NIV)

Israel recognized God’s name as the focal point of nations knowing God!

1  In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2  Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” 3  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4  In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5  Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6  Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” (Isaiah 12:1-6 NIV)

1  Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2  Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and for evermore. 3  From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4  The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5  Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6  who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? 7  He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8  he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. 9  He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD. (Psalms 113:1-9 NIV)

Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. (Psalms 48:10 NIV)

All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.” Selah (Psalms 66:4 NIV)

8  Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. 9  All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. 10  For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. (Psalms 86:8-10 NIV)

 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2  Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 4  For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5  For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6  Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. 7  Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9  Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. 10  Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. (Psalms 96:1-10 NIV)

Psalm 99:6-9 explains those who called upon his name and knew Him as holy forgiving and just.

6  Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. 7  He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. 8  O LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. 9  Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. (Psalms 99:6-9 NIV)

Psalm 145:8-20 Explains God’s name:

8  The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9  The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 10  All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. 11  They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, 12  so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendour of your kingdom. 13  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made. 14  The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15  The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16  You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17  The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving towards all he has made. 18  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20  The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

Other verses are:

19  O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. 20  Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!” 21  “Therefore I will teach them–this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD. (Jeremiah 16:19-21 NIV)

8  Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them–all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. 9  “Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. 10  From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshippers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. 11  On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. 12  But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. (Zephaniah 3:8-12 NIV)

My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 1:11 NIV)

a.   Israel was separated from the nations to sanctify God’s name.

1)   The terms “holy” and “sanctify” carry two coordinate meanings:

a)   Holiness can mean moral character.  To sanctify then is to purify.

b)   Holiness can also mean consecration. To sanctify then means to set apart.

Israel was to be a holy nation in both senses.  God distinguished Israel from all other nations in order to set his name apart – sanctify it – from the gods of other nations.

2)   The Exodus from Egypt not only set apart Israel from all the other nations, it also exalted God’s name among the nations.

Note the following verses for further reading:

Exodus 9:13-16; Isaiah 63:11-14; Jeremiah 9:9-10; Psalm 106:7-8; Exodus 32:1-14; Numbers 14:1-23; Deuteronomy 7:6-8; 26:16-19, 14:1-21

3)   The conquest of Canaan not only separated Israel from the idolatry of the nations who, lived there, it also exalted God’s name among the nations.

Note the following verses for further study:

Joshua 4:19-24; 7:6-9, 1 Chronicles 17:21; Joshua 9:1-10; Exodus 23:32-33; Deut 7:1-6; Ex 34:9-17

b.   Israel was placed in the midst of the nations to proclaim God’s name.

1)   The geographical location of Israel was a pivotal in the affairs of the ancient world.

2)   God allowed Israel to build a place for his name to dwell — the temple.  The temple was intended to be a focal point for the worship and knowledge of the only true God.  People of distant nations did indeed hear of God’s great name.

Note these verses:

Deut 12;1-11; 1 Kings 8:41-43; 10:1-9; 8:54-61; Isaiah 56:6-8

3. ISRAEL’S DISOBEDIENCE

Israel forgot her obligation and denied her opportunity.

a.   Israel mixed with the nations and so profaned God’s name.

1)   Religious intermingling.  Israel pursued the gods of the surrounding nations in addition to the true God.  In so doing, she assigned God to a position of a national deity — only one god among many gods.

2)   Political intermingling.  Israel abandoned her special relationship with God as her only king in favor of a monarchy like all the other nations. God was thought of as the national god rather than the God of all nations!

Note the following verses:

Judges 8:22-23; 1 Samuel 8:4-22; 12:6-22; 1 Kings 11:1-13; Ezekiel 20:5-44; 36:16-23

b.   Israel isolated herself from the nations and so withheld God’s name.  Jonah serves as the finest example of this provincial mentality.  Carefully note that he had the good new of the name of God which he wished wasn’t true.

He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. (Jonah 4:2 NIV)

4. GOD’S PERSISTENCE

a.   THE EXILE

During the events leading up to the demise of the nation of Israel, and during the time of her exile, several prophets brought incisive words challenging Israel’s preconceptions of her privileged position.  God was in effect reminding Israel of her obligation and destiny. 

The people were forced by their defeat to separate the true and living God from any national god.  If Yahweh was but a national deity, then he had failed.  But, if he was the God of the nations, then he must have some larger purpose.

What was that larger purpose?

1)   The word of the prophets and during the exile was that God was Savior not just of Israel, but of the whole world.  But God was king, not only of Israel, but of all nations.

Therefore Israel could not enjoy God’s salvation or kingdom without ultimately including the nations.

Note the following verses:

Daniel 7:13-14; Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 102:12-22; Zechariah 14:1-9; Micah 4:1-8; 5:2-5

2)   Israel could look forward to coming out of exile, but when she did, the restoration would in some way be for the nations as well.  Her role in this was to be the servant of the Lord as a light to the nations.

b.   AFTER THE EXILE

The exile was God’s means of not only reminding Israel of her obligation, but of providing her with grand opportunity.  Like Jonah before, if she would not bring good news willingly to the nations, God would take her involuntarily to the nations. Israel was scattered throughout the Babylonian and Persian Empires.

1)   The resolute allegiance of many of the Jews bore great witness to the one true God (Daniel, Esther).

2)   Synagogues emerged throughout the empire as beacons of light.

3)   Some jews even began to take their obligation seriously enough to begin missionary work to make proselytes.  Those who heard the good news of God’s name throughout the Mediterranean region, both Jewish proselytes and the “God-fearers” who never became Jews, were the first of the Gentiles to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Saul of Tarsus could have been of these Jewish missionaries.  Jesus denounces the missionary effort of the Pharisees only because the message they taught was distorted.  They taught that to be acceptable to God, the Gentiles had to become Jews and abide by the Jewish traditional laws.

E. THE KINGDOM OF GOD STRIKES THE EARTH –

[adapted from: PERSPECTIVES OF THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT; Study Guide and Reader]

We have seen in the unfolding drama of the Old Testament the very heart of God for the nations.  But more is to happen.  Christ came and brought with Him the Kingdom of God.

We shall see in this lesson that Christ’s coming was the decisive act of victory in accomplishing his purpose to rule over all other rival powers earthly and heavenly, and to regain his rightful kingdom.  By doing so he executed a daring but successful rescue operation that was call MISSIONS.

We pick up the story of the people of Israel still not honoring God’s name in a way that glorifies him among the nations.

1.   THE MESSENGERS OF THE KINGDOM

a. God’s Day – The Coming King

Israel lived by a deeply ingrained hope in a future time in which God, the mighty King-Judge would come, judge, rule; acting on his established sovereign authority to set all wrongs right, and reign forever.  This hope was often summarized as “The Day of the Lord”.

1)   A day of POWER, of his COMING in JUDGEMENT.

Note the following verses:

Isaiah 66:15-21;

15  See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16  For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. 17  “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things–they will meet their end together,” declares the LORD. 18  “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. 19  “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations–to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20  And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD–on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels. 21  And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the LORD.

Zephaniah 1:14-18;

14  “The great day of the LORD is near–near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. 15  That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, 16  a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. 17  I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. 18  Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’s wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.”

Zephaniah 3:8-13;

8  Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them–all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. 9  “Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. 10  From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshippers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. 11  On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. 12  But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. 13  The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no-one will make them afraid.”

Psalm 96:10-13;

10  Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. 11  Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; 12  let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; 13  they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.

Joel 2:28-32;

28  “And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30  I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32  And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

Joel 3:12-17

12  “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. 13  Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow– so great is their wickedness!” 14  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15  The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 16  The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. 17  “Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.

2).  A day of PEACE, of his KINGDOM for all nations.

Note the following verses:

Zechariah 2:10-11;

10  “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD. 11  “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.

Micah 4:1-7

1  In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2  Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3  He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more. 4  Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig-tree, and no-one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. 5  All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. 6  “In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. 7  I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and for ever.

3)   A Day of PURIFICATION, of ISRAEL in his JUDGEMENT

The people of Israel looked forward to the Day of the Lord as a time of judgement against their enemies.  The prophets made clear that the Day of the Lord was God’s judgement against his enemies, separating the righteous from the wicked and furthering his purposes with a purified people from all nations.  Israel as a nation would escape this purging judgement.

Note these verses:

Amos 5:18-20

18  Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. 19  It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. 20  Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light– pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?

Malachi 3:1-6

1  “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. 2  But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4  and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. 5  “So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. 6  “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

Isaiah 66:3-6, 14-21

3  But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations; 4  so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no-one answered, when I spoke, no-one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.” 5  Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word; “Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, `Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame. 6  Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve. … 14  When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. 15  See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16  For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. 17  “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things–they will meet their end together,” declares the LORD. 18  “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. 19  “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations–to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20  And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD–on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels. 21  And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the LORD.

b.   John’s Message — The Coming Kingdom

1)   The popular understanding was the Judgement was for the Gentiles, especially those that oppressed the nation of Israel.  Peace would be for all descendants of Abraham – Israel

2)   John’s message rejected Abraham’s ancestry as having value in the Day of the Lord — the Kingdom of God

Matthew 3:1-12

1  In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2  and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'” 4  John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt round his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5  People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9  And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10  The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11  “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

3)   At the same time, it was a word of good news: The Kingdom of God had come!

Note these verses:

Matthew 4:23; Luke 4:14-30

 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23 NIV)

c.   John’s Question — the Coming One?

Jesus taught and acted as if the Kingdom had already come and that it was not yet come.  John questioned Jesus about what he meant, raising the fundamental question about the nature of the kingdom of God.

2. THE MEANING OF THE KINGDOM

a.   The Meaning of the Kingdom

1)   The term kingdom is used to designate

a)   a realm

b)   people belonging to a realm

or

c)   royal authority, kingship

2)   The Bible uses the term as the right to rule, not as a royal estate.  The Kingdom of God is the exercise of God’s right to rule.

b.   The Mystery of the Kingdom

1)   The Old Testament perspective of the Kingdom saw the Kingdom coming as a single event.

2)   Jesus taught God’s Kingdom comes in two stages.

a)   the Kingdom will come at the end.

• Crushing all earthly powers
• Destroying every human attempt to usurp God’s rightful rule.
• Purging all sin and evil from the earth

b)   But the Kingdom has also now come.

• we’re to conquer the enemies, substantially and decisively freeing people.

What God will do to perfectly reconcile all things.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is a message of absolute joyous victory and blessing, and at the some time a condemning, convicting sentence of doom for those who refuse to give him allegiance and become his disciples.  he will indeed defeat all his enemies and those allied to them.

c. The Commission of the Kingdom

Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:114 help us understand his purpose and our involvement in the two-stage coming of the Kingdom

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 NIV)

The present interim period is then an overlapping of the “age to come” and the present evil age.  In this interim period, Christ’s victory must be proclaimed among all nations.  It is for the completing of this proclamation that Christ tarries.  Matthew 24:14 is the only verse of Scripture that give an explicit condition for his return.  The gospel of the Kingdom must be proclaimed in all the world.  Only then will the end come.

This truth gives meaning to history, and gives purpose to the church.  We have been left to continue what Christ began.  He is with us in the completion of the Kingdom proclamation till the end of the age.

This great fact of the purpose of the interim period between two comings of the Messiah gives us the greatest motivation of all:  the final victory awaits the completion of the task of proclaiming the Gospel to all the inhabited earth. and making disciples among the nations.

e.   The Prayer of the Kingdom

The essence of intercessory prayer as taught by Jesus is founded on this truth:  the status quo is not God’s will and plan, but rather he has broken the power of evil, and is bringing his rule to consummation.  Christians are charged to “rebel” against the status quo by intercessory prayer. 

We are to pray that his name be honored, sanctified, and blessed, where it is denied; that his Kingdom rule be known where it is defied; and that his will be done, by those obedient and rebellious. 

We have freedom to pray this way because the Kingdom has come with such force and hidden power that his final triumph and humankind’s redemption is absolutely certain!

f.    The People of the Kingdom

1)   God’s Cosmic Plan

The redemption of persons is the center of God’s plan, but this also includes the rest of creation.  God’s plan is to reconcile all things to himself through Christ and under Christ’s authority.  The conclusion of all things is, in fact, the Kingdom of God.

2)   The Church’s Place

The church is not the Kingdom, and must never be identified as the Kingdom.  But, the church is the agent of God’s Kingdom, carrying out God’s plan.

3)   The Community of God’s People

The church is not the culturally bound institution serving the church in life and mission.  But the church is the community of God’s people, expressing God’s Kingdom rule in all cultures.

g.   The Wideness of the Kingdom

If sin, death, and the devil are defeated, then are all men saved?  It is God’s plan to reconcile all things to himself, then are the lost beyond His rule?  How wide is God’s Kingdom?

1)   Universalism teaches that all men will ultimately be saved because God is good.

2)   The New Universalism teaches that all men will be saved because of Christ’s death.

3)   The Wider Hope Theory teaches that not all will be saved but many will be saved  without hearing the Gospel because God is just.

4)   The Wider Hope Theory teaches that not all will be saved on the merits of Christ through general revelation.

5)   The Narrow Way teaches that not all will be saved. God’s judgement is based on rejection or acceptance of the light of revelation.  Those who respond to light are given enough of the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved.

 

FROM ATTRACTIONAL TO SIMPLE – A PLAN TO CONSIDER

Several months ago my wife and I were observing the fact that some of the things we were doing were not producing the results we were expecting. We felt like we were adrift and needed to hear from the Lord regarding what we should do or what needed to change. So we took a few days off and went away to seek the Lord. We found a beautiful cabin the mountains of southwestern Virginia and determined to find our way as we listened to the Lord. To make it brief, what we discovered was that because of my ideal view of what the church should be, I had become stingy with the calling and gifts that the Lord had freely given me. I was given these gifts to minister and equip the Body of Christ, but because of my dreams for Church as God sees it, I was withholding what Jesus had given to me.

 

The solution is not yet clear other than I need to stop being exclusive and be willing to serve the Church regardless of how she functions. Therefore I committed myself to the Lord to serve his bride no matter what she looked like. That brought be to a place to consider what a more blended church would look like and the process to bring her to a more organic, simple expression which gave me the opportunity to write up this strategic plan. By “coincidence” after this time of seeking the Lord, I had received Neil Cole’s newest book (with Phil Helfer); “Church Transfusion – Changing Your Church Organically From the Inside Out” which greatly influenced some of my conclusions and observations. I recommend this book greatly.

The following strategic plan is in no way exhaustive or set in stone. It is still in the theoretical stage, and will certainly need to be tweaked as the opportunity to apply this plan is pursued. The idea of merging the concepts of organic, simple church to a traditional attractional model church is revolutionary. Although some have accomplished this with success[1], it is still experimental and risky. With the Lord’s direction, can an already established congregation be lead into a more simple and organic church life?

FIRST, THE PROBLEM

One of the major weaknesses in the local church in America today is that it has taken on a business model more than that of family. Neil Cole has said; “When you imagine the amount of resources, energy and time invested in a service held only one day a week, it is remarkable. With all the importance placed on this event, you would expect there to be a lot of scriptural directives to make sure people get it right. But if you search all of the New Testament looking for the commands or injunctions having to do with this important weekly event, you will find them sadly missing. Instead you will find verses, chapters, and entire books that speak to how we are to live together as a spiritual family”[2]

In the many churches today, results are measured by the size of meetings and income rather than the number of those who are being obedient to Jesus. Jesus said to make disciples of all nations by teaching them to obey what he taught. We have reduced that command to gathering members so that they conform to the traditions of men and pay for the “vision of the house.” The senior pastor has usurped the role of head of the church from Jesus and the congregation now looks to the senior pastor as their source for inspiration, spiritual food, comfort, guidance, and he is responsible for the ministry of the church. The five fold ministry may be recognized as valid and welcomed, but never to the degree that the congregation becomes equipped to do the work of the ministry. Ministry is still relegated to the clergy class, office holders and pastoral staff. Unfortunately those gifted in one of the five fold gifts have been elevated to “super star” status. The supernatural ministry of the presence of Jesus has been limited to spiritual manifestations, but never allowing him to actually be the head of the church in all activities.

This business model has caused the local church to be viewed as competitive with other portions of the Body of Christ. This drives the local church to become bigger and more entertaining, thus consumer driven. The pastor is expected to perform via his sermon along with his worship team and other attractions during the service. Finances, talent, time and energy is devoted to making the worship service everything the consumer congregation expects it to be. Unfortunately this leads to a church that has little time for making disciples, developing relationships in the community and simply being family together. Grant it, discipleship may happen amongst the leadership and ministry teams, but the congregation is merely spectators. If discipleship does become a priority it is attempted through preaching or institutional classes and seminars which focus on academics rather than obedience to Christ. This causes discipleship to be diminished to an intellectual understanding of doctrine and church practice rather than relationship with Jesus and being able to hear him and obey him.

The work of the Church in the world today has become complicated and systematic rather than simple and organic. Therefore the goal of this change would be to lead an existing congregation from its present condition to that of an organic, simple church focused on mission rather than events. Where disciples are being made and hopefully citizens within the surrounding communities are being transformed by the gospel in every area of their life.[3] Those who call this congregation their local church would be equipped to do the work of the ministry of Jesus not just within the confines of the local church events, but also in the world where they live. In fact greater emphasis would be given to the latter. The church would then be a true expression of God’s Kingdom bringing the gospel to where they live, work and play.

Here are some facts and trends to consider:

What is happening in the USA?[4]

• 65 million attend church, 25% of population
• Only 4 to 5 million have a great commission focus.
• In 1995 – 375,000 churches.
• In 2000 – 324,000 churches.
• In 2002 – 300,000 churches.
• There is a 50% divorce rate in the church.
• Eight out of ten pastors want to leave the ministry.
• The number of men involved in church is declining.
• Many children leave the church in their teen years.

Neil Cole states: “Churches lose 2,765,000 people each year, between 3500 and 4000 churches close their doors each year for the last time; while only 1100-1500 churches are started. Not a single county in all America has a greater percentage of churched people today than a decade ago.”[5]

George Barna has discovered that:

• 4 out of 10 born again Christians do not attend church totaling 10 million.
• 15-20 million do not attend a traditional organized church.
• Majority of those making a decision for Christ in an evangelical church were no longer found attending church after eight weeks of making their decision.
• Over the next 20 years the number of Christians seeking spiritual fulfillment in traditional churches will decline.
• In 2007, 70% of Americans relied on traditional church expressions, by 2025 this number will decline to 30-35%
• There will be alternative expressions of spirituality (house & market place churches) will rise from the current 5% to between 30-35%.

In light of these statistics, the church is certainly in need of a change, a reformation, a return to a more organic, simple model revealed to us in scripture.

WHAT WOULD THE PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY, GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND GOALS OF THIS ATTEMPT TO TRANSITION FOR A TRANDITIONAL, ATTRACTIONAL MODEL TO A SIMPLE, ORGANIC CHURCH?

Jesus is Primary – Jesus is the center of all that is said and done. Jesus is Lord will be the core affirmation then everything else will follow. From a Revelation of Jesus to Mission – Disciple Making to Church Happens.

Traditionally we establish a church, and then we develop programs and events with the intention to make disciples.. Knowing Jesus comes by revelation. This revelation of Jesus comes first, and then discipleship happens focusing on the mission and life of the disciple. This is the activity that causes real church to happen. Jesus’ will is to always remain the head of the church. So we are to reveal Jesus to them, disciple them and while this is going on, church happens! This also puts Jesus in his rightful place of building His church rather than men building his church.

Be Incarnational/Missional – It has been said that “What we draw them with is what we draw them to.”[6] That being said, the church must attract them to Jesus rather than to human achievements, personalities and programs. Although attractional churches make it easy for some seekers to visit them, incarnational churches go to where the people are instead of spending time and energy attracting people to come to a service. We see our God as a missionary God and we are a sent people.

 Walk in love – Agape love is to be our motivation. Agape is love without expecting anything is return. It is the same love in which God loves us. In relationships with one another and the community, our goal will be to express the love of God to all. Our attitude towards other churches in the Body of Christ will be that of love and not comparing ourselves to them, but blessing them.

 Main focus is on Making Disciples – Discipleship will be the purpose of all activities. The simple, organic church discipleship desires to make no man or women dependent upon one leader or any source (such as curriculum or meetings) for spiritual growth and maturity. The goal is to make the disciple totally dependent on his relationship with Jesus using the Bible and his relationship with the Lord as his primary source. The only tools needed for the follower of Christ is his Bible and his life being applied to God’s word. Simply, they need to learn to feed themselves rather being dependent on a preacher to feed them. It has been said “to make a disciple all you need is two people who are willing to surrender to Jesus, the Word of God, and then use life’s circumstances that Jesus has given you as the curriculum, and maybe do this over a meal or a cup of coffee.”

 Resist Dualism – Dualism is the practice of seeing life divided as sacred and secular. Our goal is to see all of our life sacred. God is not just in church or worship services. We must see him in all aspects of life. Many times we have two spheres of life – our church life, and our life in the world. This is in error. You are the same whether in church or at work or visiting family or at play with your friends. When a part of our life is separate from our spiritual life or Christian life (church life); that part of our life is the breeding ground for idolatry. When we see all of our life under Jesus’ lordship and sacred, our spiritually is genuine and real. When we give our life to Jesus, our life becomes His, therefore all of our life is sacred.

Recognize the Priesthood of All Believers – Everyone has a part, a gift, and no one is better than another. Every believer must function as a priest and king. The church is a gathering of these priests and kings; a chosen people doing the Lord’s will. Since Jesus builds his Church, we can trust that He has placed those within the congregation with the much needed gifting to accomplish His purpose both generally and unequally for that specific congregation.

WHAT WOULD SOME OF THE GOALS BE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TRANSITION?

Here are some basic goals that would guide the congregation to a simpler, organic expression of church.

1. Transition the church from a traditional/institutional/attractional model to a simple/organic model.
2. To use the facility (which many times has an historic and cultural identity in a community) as a bridge to the community that expects church to be in a building and that has Sunday services. This will facilitate and spiritual environment where when there is gathering, it leads to scattering. The building will be seen as a tool and not a sanctuary or temple.
3. To make disciples who follow Christ and are able to mature regardless of the condition of organized Christianity or society, but based upon their relationship with Jesus and their family in Christ.
4. To equip the church to do the work of the ministry via the gifting/function of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher.
5. To acknowledge the church as already sent into areas of the community to reach those who may never come to a church service; establishing discipleship groups in homes, businesses and social gathering points.
6. To prepare the congregation to reach/disciple the nations (people groups) that have come into our communities as well as those who live in areas of the world where the gospel has not been preached.
7. To multiply the numbers of disciples that then make disciples themselves. Growth will not be measured by those who attend a service, but by those who are actively doing the ministry of Jesus as He has gifted and called them.
8. To serve as a base for other simple, organic, and house churches who need a place to gather with other believers for times of celebration, instruction and fellowship beyond their own small gathering.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STRATEGIC STEPS THAT NEED TO BE TAKE?

It is difficult to be exact regarding a complete strategy without having an opportunity to dialogue at length with an actual congregation. But there are several strategic steps that need to be taken in order to accomplish the goals mentioned earlier. All of these will need to be established in prayer and a gentle spirit. These steps will certainly overlap so they are not meant to be a hard fast sequence of events.

Get to know the congregation. The leadership of the congregation needs to get to know each person individually and learn about their dreams and visions. They should want to spend enough time with them to know where they were in their relationship with Jesus and the church. During this stage, not much would change within the activities of the church including the worship service. If any changes are made it would be done with a clear consensus of the active church members and for the purpose of instruction. There will also be a intentional plan where each of the members of the congregation get to know one another as well.

Prepare the congregation for change. This would be done through teaching both during the main service as well as in small groups and informal gatherings and visits.

Begin to introduce simple, organic church practices including the development of small groups in homes, the marketplace and gathering places outside the church facility. These gatherings would be developed in response to a valid paradigm shift amongst the congregation and not a dictated mandate. Let Jesus lead. These gatherings will include the following (not necessarily in any specific order):

• Meal/Lord’s Supper – There will be regular meals at the church facility as well as other places where they would gather.
• Praise and Prayer – Focusing on Jesus.
• Sharing what God has done, and is doing, as well as words of encouragement and revelation.
• Ministry – exercising the gifts focusing on one another’s needs. Traditionally referred to as “body ministry.”
• Ministering God’s Word via teaching, dialogue, discussion and exhortation.

The Sunday service will be focused on celebration and reporting together what the Lord is doing in our lives. There will be corporate training and encouragement in the form of teaching and exhortation. I Cor. 14:26 will be the standard or “order of service”, therefore being a participatory meeting.

Watch for leadership to emerge as each one does his part to serve, both in the context of the activities of the congregation and in other areas of their own life.

Begin to undergird and support those who have a specific burden or call, equipping them to do the work of the ministry. The ministry of the church will take shape based upon the gifting and callings of those whom the Lord has brought together. This is opposite of the traditional model where the pastor leads the congregation to do the ministry in which the pastor feels must be accomplished. Certainly the pastors and other fivefold leaders may have areas of ministry that they have a burden for, but these will not be the only ministries established, but it will be from the congregation as a whole. The congregation would encourage that as they gather, they would then scatter to reach their local community and the world.

 Prepare for growth. As the saints begin to do the work of the ministry throughout the region, harvest will happen. Therefore there will be groups of believers in many settings and sizes as well as the Sunday gathering at the main facility. Growth will be spontaneous and beyond the control of what can happen at the main facility. Growth will then be in the hands of Jesus who builds his Church, rather than man controlling and manipulating the growth.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES?

There will certainly be challenges regarding this strategy both internally and externally. Change is hardly ever welcomed.

The Congregation – The challenges amongst the congregation will be in the area of understanding and then agreeing with the proposed changes. Therefore, approach these challenges with love and gentleness but without compromising our purpose. Time and patience will be of utmost importance. Knowing when to wait and when to initiate takes the wisdom of the Lord. Therefore, the congregation will need to spend much time together not only in discussion, but prayer as they seek the Lord’s will together.

In the areas that seem to contradict simple, organic church. This will be in the areas of the clergy/laity issue, using a traditional church facility, being part of a perceived institution such as a denomination or “covering” organization, distribution of funds, and those who come expecting to be part of an attractional/program centered church. Each of these areas will need to be discussed, taught and understood. This will take much time and patience as well.

Expectations from the denomination or “covering” organization. One of the greatest challenges will be to get them to not only understand what is being done, but to accept it and give us space to experiment and follow the Lord’s leading. Our desire would be to always follow scripture rather than tradition. This may be perceived as rebellion or foolish by some, but I would attempt to maintain a loving respectful relationship and hopefully this experiment would prove to be a model to help the churches of the organization to become more fruitful and effective in making disciples and transforming communities with the gospel of the Kingdom.

Concerns regarding finances. Most organic, simple church folk do not subscribe to using tithing as a binding principle but see it as an Old Covenant law and practice. This does not mean that giving is not practiced; in fact statistically it is usually greater in organic, simple churches as much as we can tell. There is a strong belief in biblical giving from a New Covenant perspective which has greater sacrifice than the Old Covenant. There is very little measurement of who gives and how much other than the results of what we see many networks accomplish. Funds are usually not gathered for buildings, programs or clergy, but to help the poor and accomplish mission. The congregation can continue to take up offerings, and encourage those who may be gathering outside of the Sunday morning service at the church facility to participate in giving as well. But if they determine to use their financial gifts for other reasons, they should be free to do so.

How will the challenge to pay for the facility and staff be met? The staff will need to be providing a service that is not merely tied to the institutional activities of a church, but are truly providing a service to the congregation. Of course, this should never be true in the area of discipleship and ministry, which is the main purpose of the church. Instead funds are provided for those who are accomplishing tasks whose time requirements prohibit them from working in the marketplace.

Keep in mind that working in the marketplace is not less spiritual than working in the church. In most simple, organic churches which are small and usually home based, there is no need for a paid pastor or minister. In a blended model, a full time senior leader could easily justify receiving a salary based upon responsibilities and time commitments. The key is for the senior leader never to allow folks to become dependent upon him, but to be dependent on the Lord for all things. Full time ministry does not position us to have a closer walk with the Lord, or to have a special relationship that allows us to hear God better, nor does it qualify us to lord over others. It should be merely practical and not mandated.

All that being said; offerings would still be taken at most events and the understanding of biblical financial principles will be part of the discipleship process.

Concerns regarding the facility. Make the facility available to the community. If needed. the facility could be rented by several congregations which would help to pay for the upkeep and expenses of having a facility and possible supplement the cost of any staff including the senior leader. See the facility become more of a community center for the surrounding area. This would lead towards the facility being used throughout the week rather than one or two times.

It would be continually affirmed in word and practice that the facility is merely a tool of the Lord, but not a sanctuary or temple. It would be clear that the body of Christ, the people, is the only temple or house of the Lord.

CONCLUSION

As mentioned previously, this is not an exact science, but an experiment in doing church in a way that is familiar to many who are meeting in houses and are detached from a traditional denominational structure. But many are now attempting to bring the simple, organic way of being the church into their traditional context. This will not be easy; in fact organic, simple church can be more difficult than what we are used to doing. This is not because in its methods or practices we find greater difficulty, it is really much simpler. But, it is because we are not used to going in that direction or doing things that way. It is so much easier to do things the way we always have done and know how to do them. We have all heard the famous quote; “The definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” In this age we live in, we must seek and do something different in order to get different results. This dilemma is truly at the heart of the challenge.

It reminds me of when I used to drive in the snow before the roads where plowed and the ruts in the snow were deep and if you went into them you were sure to get stuck. Therefore you had to force yourself to drive out of the rut, straddling the ruts and fighting the tendency to fall back into them. This was very difficult, but fighting the wheel and staying out of the rut was the only solution. It is the same regarding changing the way we “do church” as we make our way in these changing times to reach our communities and bring transformation to those who live among us by the simple gospel of the Kingdom. We can drive into the ruts with ease. In fact we can just drift normally right into them; we don’t even have to fight the wheel! But if we do this, we find ourselves stuck and going nowhere.

I believe the simple, organic way of being the church is more than a model, but it is the way God intended his church to be and be seen. As we see our nation become more and more distant from the gospel, plus embracing a more post-modern worldview, we must be brave and trust the Lord to lead us beyond our previous understanding and traditions. Thus we see the changes around us as a tool of the Lord and not a barrier to the gospel and relationship with Jesus.

What do you think? What have you experienced in attempting to assist a congregation to function in a more organic, simple way?

[1] Cole, Neil, Church Transfusion – Changing Your Church Organically From the Inside Out, Jossey-Bass, 2012

[2] Cole, Neil, Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, Jossey-Bass, 2005 pg 40

[3] Neil Cole states, “Church attendance, however, is not the barometer of how Christianity is doing. Ultimately, transformation is the product of the Gospel. It is not enough to fill our churches; we must transform our world. Society and culture should change if the church has been truly effective.” Cole, Neil, Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, Jossey-Bass, 2005. Introduction

[4] Source: Dawn Ministries, 2007

[5] Cole, Neil, Cultivating a Life for God, ChurchSmart Resources, 1999, pg 11

[6] Cole, Neil, Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, Jossey-Bass, 2005, pg. 95

Other Sources:

Frost, Michael and Hirsch, Allen, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church, Hendrickson Publishers, 2003

Hirsch, Alan, The Forgotten Ways – Reactivating the Missional Church, Brazos Press, 2006