Excerpt From Ten Shekels and a Shirt
The speaker reveals that his initial motivation for mission was humanism, but ultimately came to understand that God's love is for His own sake, not for the sake of others.
In this sermon, the speaker reflects on his philosophy of mission and evangelism. He initially went to Africa with the belief that he was improving upon the justice of God by giving sinners a chance to go to heaven. However, he soon realized that the people he encountered were not ignorant or in need of salvation, but rather living in defiance of God. This realization led him to question his purpose and consider returning home. But in a moment of wrestling with God, he came to understand that he was not sent to Africa for the sake of the heathen, but for the glory of God. This revelation transformed his perspective and he began to serve God wholeheartedly, recognizing that it is God who deserves the reward of his suffering and death.
Full Transcript
Now I ask you, what is the philosophy of mission? What is the philosophy of evangelism? What is the philosophy of a Christian? If you'll ask me why I went to Africa, I'll tell you I went primarily to improve on the justice of God. I didn't think it was right for anybody to go to hell without a chance to be saved. And so I went to give poor sinners a chance to go to heaven.
Now, I hadn't put it in so many words, but if you'll analyze what I've just told you, do you know what it is? It's humanism. That I was simply using the provisions of Jesus Christ as a means to improve upon human conditions of suffering and misery. And when I got to Africa, I discovered that they weren't poor ignorant little heathen running around in the woods waiting for, looking for someone to tell them how to go to heaven.
That they were monsters of iniquity, that were living in utter and total defiance of far more knowledge of God than I ever dreamed they had. They deserved hell, because they utterly refused to walk in the light of their conscience, and the light of the law written upon their heart, and the testimony of nature, and the truth they knew. And when I found that out, I assure you, I was so angry with God that one occasion in prayer, I told him that it was a mighty little thing he'd done, sending me out there to reach these people that were waiting to be told how to go to heaven.
When I got there, I found out they knew about heaven and didn't want to go there. And that they loved their sin and wanted to stay in it. I went out there motivated by humanism.
I'd seen pictures of lepers, I'd seen pictures of ulcers, I'd seen pictures of native funerals, and I didn't want my fellow human beings to suffer in hell eternally after such a miserable existence on earth. But it was there in Africa that God began to tear through the overlay of this humanism. And it was that day in my bedroom with the door locked that I wrestled with God.
For I was coming to grips with the fact that the people that I thought were ignorant and wanted to know how to go to heaven and were saying, someone come and teach us, actually didn't want to take time to talk with me or anybody else. They had no interest in the Bible and no interest in Christ, and they loved their sin and wanted to continue in it. And I was to the place at that time where I felt the whole thing was a sham and a mockery, and I'd been told a bill of goods.
And I wanted to come home. And there alone in my bedroom, as I faced God honestly with what my heart held, it seemed to me I heard Him say, yes, will not the judge of all the earth do right? The healer lost. And they're going to go to hell not because they haven't heard the gospel.
They're going to go to hell because they are sinners who love their sin and because they deserve hell. But I didn't send you out there for them. I didn't send you out there for their sake.
And I heard as clearly as I've ever heard, though it wasn't with physical voice, but it was the echo of truth of the ages finding its way into an open heart. I heard God say to my heart that day something like this. I didn't send you to Africa for the sake of the heathens.
I sent you to Africa for my sake. They deserve hell, but I love them. And I endured the agonies of hell for them.
I didn't send you out there for them. I sent you out there for me. Do I not deserve the reward of my suffering? Don't I deserve those for whom I died? And it reversed it all and changed it all and righted it all.
And I wasn't any longer working for Micah in ten shekels and a shard, but I was serving the living God. And I was there not for the sake of the heathens. I was there for the Savior that endured the agonies of hell for the heathens, who didn't deserve it.
But he deserved hell. Let me epitomize, let me summarize. Christianity says the end of all being is the glory of God.
Humanism says the end of all being is the happiness of man. And one was born in hell, the deification of man. And the other was born in heaven, the glorification of God.
And one is Levite serving Micah and the other is a heart that's unworthy serving the living God because of the highest honor in the universe.
Sermon Outline
- Humanism vs. Christianity
- The Problem with Humanism
- The Revelation of God's Love
- God's love is not for the sake of others, but for His own glory
- We serve God, not for the sake of others, but for His sake
Key Quotes
“I didn't send you out there for them. I sent you out there for me.” — Paris Reidhead
“Do I not deserve the reward of my suffering? Don't I deserve those for whom I died?” — Paris Reidhead
“Humanism says the end of all being is the happiness of man. And one was born in hell, the deification of man.” — Paris Reidhead
Application Points
- Our motivation for mission and evangelism should be to glorify God, not to improve human conditions or happiness.
- We serve God, not for the sake of others, but for His own sake.
- People reject God because they love their sin and don't want to change.