Missionary Challenge
Missionary Challenge
INTRODUCTION Notes taken from IFMA literature and Messrs. Frame’s and Knights’ survey report of the Philippine Islands.
There are 3 1/2 billion people in the world today. At least one half of these have never heard the Gospel once.
Two-fifths of the world’s population is communistic (800 million).
Moslems are advancing rapidly today, particularly in Northern Africa.
There are less than 22,000 active Protestant missionaries today. The Philippine Islands is a great mission field with unreached Islands, barrios and tribes. Of the 31 million people in the Philippine islands, probably 25 million are Roman Catholic; 4 million Aglipayan, 2/3 million Moslems, 1/2 million pagans, with only 2/3 million Protestants, and many of these only nominal professing believers.
Surely this presents a tremendous challenge to spread the pure Gospel.
There are at least 87 languages spoken in the Philippine Islands, which makes it impossible for the Islands to be reached by radio or foreign missionaries.
Foreign missionaries are hindered by the heat of the Tropics; high cost of living; and language barriers.
Filipinos are born linguists and find it comparatively easy to live on the meager diet of rice, fish and bananas of the remote islands and forests.
Filipinos have precious souls and need salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It behoves the true Filipino to arise and give the Gospel to every Island and tribe scattered on the 700 inhabited Islands (out of 7,000).
MISSIONARY OBJECTIVES Notes from" Ambassadors for Christ," pages 34-37.
The wrong objectives:
To teach the true brotherhood of man. This is wrong for it overlooks the vital sin question.
To reconcile the Filipino to God. Jesus has already accomplished this on Calvary.
To seek the uplift of the pagan people by civilization. Education and civilization cannot save one soul from an eternal hell.
Pleasure, adventure, escape from boredom, an easy task, are false and unsteady motives that will quickly wear off in a few months of arduous service.
The right objectives:
Obedience to the command of Christ. Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations." Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. "
Acceptance of the will of God for our lives. Ephesians 2:10, God has ordained that we believers ought to walk in certain "good works." Romans 12:1-2.
A passion for the souls of men. Psalms 126:6, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed. . ."
A desire to preach the Gospel, to beseech men to turn from sin to God, Acts 3:26.
Ezekiel 33:11, "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways."
To teach the whole counsel of God, to establish Christians in the truth, Hebrews 5:12.
To establish indigenous churches that will become self-propagating, Titus 1:5.
MISSIONARY MOTIVES Notes from Progress of Worldwide Missions, Page 21.
External motives:
Their temporal condition-dire poverty, poor homes, long toil, intellectual ignorance, unrelieved sufferings.
Their moral condition-filthy and degrading habits, abominable practices, unmentionable cruelties, moral corruption, slavery, witchcraft, immorality, polygamy, etc.
Their spiritual condition-bound by a false religion, spiritually lost for they are wicked sinners in the sight of a holy God, Ephesians 2:12.
Internal motives:
Loyalty to the Master we serve. He longs for these lost sheep, John 10:16. Let us go and rescue them for Him, even as the men got the water from the well of Bethlehem for David, 2 Samuel 23:15-16.
Gratitude to the Saviour who has redeemed us. I could have been born a heathen on a remote island of the Philippines.
Love. Constrained by His love to serve HIM. Jesus said to Peter, If ye LOVE Me feed My lambs and sheep, John 21:15-17.
MISSIONARY PRINCIPLES "Progress of Worldwide Missions"
The aim of missions is to make Christ known to all men as the Saviour from sin.
It is a distinctive aim, a spiritual aim. Our work is not commercial, political, philanthropic. Let us hold steady to our original course.
It is a unique aim. It claims that all men irrespective of class, race or color are lost and need to be saved in exactly the same way, by having their sins cleansed in the Blood of Jesus Christ.
It is a determining aim. It ought to rule our spirits and control our methods. All our energies are to be bent in this one direction.
The policy of missions is to widest diffusion.
The Lord Jesus taught that the field is the world. Our commission is to the world, Mark 16:15, to all nations, Matthew 28:19, to every creature, Mark 16:15. In the Book of Acts God used persecution to scatter the Christians and reach greater and greater areas with the blessed Gospel.
The responsibility of missions rests upon every member of the body of Christ. The Saviour’s command was individual and personal, "go ye."
When God calls one to service He calls by name, Genesis 22:1; John 21:15.
God has called you and me by name into this glorious soul-saving task of reaching Filipinos for Christ.
Romans 11:29, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." God doesn’t change His mind on such important subjects.
God may change your field but not your occupation. He may change the visa but not the passport.
Paul was a Jew, loved the Jews, was called to Jewish work (Acts 9:15 c), fitted for it, prepared to live and die for it, but God sent him far away to the Gentiles when the Jews rejected the message, Acts 22:21. The Overseas Missionary Fellowship was called to China. We loved the Chinese, were called to Chinese work, perhaps fitted for it, prepared to live and die in China, but after 85 years God said, "I will send you out of China to the peoples of Southeast Asia. "
REQUIREMENTS OF MISSIONARY CANDIDATES
He must be born again. This is the first and greatest requirement.
He must be willing to bear the cross. Missionary work is not easy, Luke 9:23.
Youth is highly desirable that he better adapt to the new surroundings.
Boldness is necessary to preach the Gospel in the open air or everywhere.
Health is of prime importance for living conditions are poor and disease rampant.
He must be zealous for His Master, always putting the Lord first in everything.
He must be humble, teachable, willing to learn daily from the Master how to act.
He must be sincere for others will soon see through a mock hypocrisy.
Straightforwardness and honesty before God and man is desirable, Acts 24:16.
Education is important to prove his perseverance and the enlarging of his mental faculties.
Experience is highly desirable, for missionary work abounds with problems.
CONCLUSION The challenge is to wait upon the Lord for the revelation of His will for your life and then obey it regardless of the price. Luke 9:62.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
What is the present world population? (in round figures)
Would you consider the Philippines a Mission field? Why?
List four wrong missionary objectives.
Mention six correct missionary objectives.
Name three external missionary motives.
What are the three highest missionary motives?
Describe the aim of Missions.
What is the scope of Missions?
Upon whom does the missionary responsibility rest?
List seven requirements of missionary candidates.