Unreached Peoples: The Drokpa People of the Himalayas
Paul Hattaway's sermon highlights the cultural and spiritual challenges faced by the unreached Drokpa people of the Himalayas and the urgent need for the gospel in their lives.
This sermon delves into the unique traditions and lifestyle of the Drogpa people, who live in a fruitful yet isolated area, practicing ancient customs and idol worship. Despite their abundance, they hold on to beliefs that hinder their spiritual growth, remaining unreached by the gospel. The sermon emphasizes the need for their hearts to turn from false gods to the true God, praying for a transformation from idolatry to worship of the one who brings unity and true fulfillment.
Full Transcript
Recently the area of the Drogpas was closed. It is only 5 hours by car from Leh. Even after centuries these people still practice their very old traditions.
In contrast to the rest of Ladakh, the Drogpas live in a very fruitful area. They have two harvests in four months of mainly barley, tomatoes and wheat. The area is also full of flowers which they use in their idol worship.
But there isn't a lot of fruitful soil, so the eldest son is the only one to inherit the land, which happens on the day he gets married. His wife automatically becomes the wife of all his brothers. In this way the land stays in the family and isn't divided up.
The Drogpas are still cold towards the gospel and are not ready for the harvest yet. They are still completely unreached. The Drogpas farm with animals and grow crops to help them survive the long cold winter months.
During the short summer months tomatoes, apricots and nuts are dried on the roofs in preparation for the long winter. In spite of having enough water, the Drogpa don't bathe often because they believe that they will wash off their luck. The Drogpas are lost, trapped in Buddhism and the worship of their own false gods.
Even their jewellery is worn to honour Buddha. They grow flowers to wear on their heads every day, to make the gods happy, to get riches and wisdom from the gods and protection from demons. According to their faith the gods and humans used to live together in harmony.
The harmony was broken so the gods decided to rather live in the heavens. The Drogpas dance to celebrate this separation, but believe that one day in the dance they will be united again with their gods. Pray that their idol dance will be replaced by a praise dance for the true god.
The Drogpas dance to celebrate this separation, but believe that one day in the dance they
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to the Drokpa people
- Geographical context and lifestyle
- Cultural practices and beliefs
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II
- Agricultural practices and harvests
- Family inheritance and land ownership
- Preparation for winter
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III
- Spiritual beliefs and idol worship
- Impact of Buddhism on their culture
- Need for the gospel
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IV
- The significance of their dances
- Prayer for transformation
- Call to action for outreach
Key Quotes
“The Drogpas are lost, trapped in Buddhism and the worship of their own false gods.” — Paul Hattaway
“Pray that their idol dance will be replaced by a praise dance for the true god.” — Paul Hattaway
“The harmony was broken so the gods decided to rather live in the heavens.” — Paul Hattaway
Application Points
- Pray for the Drokpa people to be open to the gospel.
- Support missionary efforts aimed at reaching unreached peoples.
- Learn about and respect the cultural practices of different communities while sharing the message of Christ.