Post by disciple on Jun 3, 2010 13:55:40 GMT -5
SUFFERING: THE PRICE OF MISSIONS
·LOSS & SUFFERING JOYFULLY ACCEPTED FOR GOD’S KINGDOM SHOW THE SUPREMACY OF GOD’S WORTH MORE CLEARLY TO THE WORLD THAN ALL WORSHIP & PRAYER
o MATT. 13:44—IF WE SELL ALL, WE VALUE HIM SUPREMELY; IF NOT, WE VALUE WHAT WE HAVE MORE. THE EXTENT OF THE MAN’S SACRIFICE & THE DEPTH OF HIS JOY DISPLAY HOW MUCH HE VALUES THE TREASURE OF GOD.
o STORY OF HENRY MARTYN, MISSIONARY TO INDIA (p. 72-3)
·SOME SUFFERING IS THE CALLING OF EVERY BELIEVER, BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE WILLING TO REACH THE WORLD FOR CHRIST
o MK. 8:35—TAKE UP YOUR “ELECTRIC CHAIR, ROPE, ETC”
o 45.4 MILLION MARTYRED IN THE 20TH CENTURY, ABOUT 6% OF ALL BELIEVERS
o IF SUFFERING WAS HIS CALLING, IT IS ALSO OUR CALLING (JN. 20:21)
·JESUS’ DEATH: SUBSTITUTION TO RECEIVE AND PATTERN TO FOLLOW
o 1 PET. 2:20-21—“FOR YOU” & “EXAMPLE...THAT YOU MIGHT FOLLOW.” BECAUSE HE SUFFERED FOR US, WE CAN SUFFER LIKE HIM.
o CALL FOR THE MINDSET OF SUFFERING AS A REQUIREMENT OF MISSIONS: 1 PET. 4:1, 4:12, 5:9; AC. 14:22; 2 TIM. 3:12
o STORY OF RICHARD WURMBRAND, MINISTRY IN ROMANIA (p. 79)
·HEB. 13:12-14—GOING “OUTSIDE THE CAMP”
o THIS IS PRIMARILY A WORLD MISSIONS TEXT. “OUTSIDE THE CAMP” IS OUTSIDE OUR COMFORT ZONE, OUTSIDE THE LINES THAT WE THINK DEFINE OUR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.
o GOING “OUTSIDE THE CAMP” IS COSTLY, BUT IT IS THE CALLING AND VOCATION OF EVERY BELIEVER. “OUTSIDE THE CAMP” IS WHERE JESUS IS.
o EXAMPLE OF SUDANESE CHRISTIANS, EXAMPLE OF CHARLES WESLEY & BRAY (p. 80-2)
·THE GREATER OUR SURRENDER TO GOD’S CALL, THE GREATER THE AFFLICTIONS IN THE FLESH
o PAUL’S EXAMPLE: AC. 9:15-16, 20:23; 2 COR. 6:4-10, 11:23-8
o GOD DOESN’T JUST ALLOW SUFFERING, HE ALSO APPOINTS IT AS PART OF HIS PLAN (1 PET. 3:17, 4:19; HEB. 12:4-6)
·6 REASONS GOD APPOINTS SUFFERING FOR HIS SERVANTS
1. SUFFERING DEEPENS FAITH AND HOLINESS
o SUFFERING TAKES US “BEYOND OUR STRENGTH” AND SETS OUR HOPE FULLY IN GOD ALONE (HEB. 12:10, 2 COR. 8:9)
o EXAMPLE OF JOHN PATON, MISSIONARY TO NEW HEBRIDES (p. 87)
2. SUFFERING INCREASES OUR REWARD IN HEAVEN
o OUR REWARD: EXPERIENCING & DELIGHTING IN THE GLORY OF GOD—2 COR. 4:17-18
o THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DEGREE OF SUFFERING ENDURED & THE DEGREE OF GLORY ENJOYED (ROM. 8:18, MATT. 5:11-12; THERMOMETER ILLUSTRATION)
3. SUFFERING IS THE PRICE OF MAKING OTHERS BOLD
o SUFFERING IS NOT THE KIND OF MISSIONARY MOBILIZATION WE WOULD CHOOSE, BUT IT IS GOD’S WAY (PHIL. 1:14, JN. 12:24)
o EXAMPLE: “THROUGH GATES OF SPLENDOR” WIVES (p. 90-1)
4. SUFFERING FILLS UP WHAT IS LACKING IN CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS
o CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS ARE NOT LACKING IN THEIR SUFFICIENCY; THEY ARE LACKING IN THAT THEY ARE NOT KNOWN & FELT BY PEOPLES OF ALL NATIONS. PAUL SUFFERED WITH & FOR CHRIST SO THAT IT WAS CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS THEY SAW (2 COR. 4:7-10)
o EXAMPLES: MISSIONARY IN INDIA; JOSEPH, AFRICAN MISSIONARY (p. 92-4)
5. SUFFERING ENFORCES THE COMMAND TO GO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS
o GOD USES PERSECUTION TO DECENTRALIZE HIS PEOPLE & SEND THEM OUT TO PLACES THEY WOULD NOT OTHERWISE GO TO (AC. 1:8, 8:1)
o WHAT OBEDIENCE WILL NOT ACHIEVE, PERSECUTION WILL. HARD TIMES USUALLY PRODUCE MORE PERSONNEL, PRAYER, POWER, & OPEN PURSES THAN EASY TIMES.
o EXAMPLES: DECENTRALIZING OF KOREAN CHRISTIANS; FRANK MARSHALL, LATIN AMERICA; MARTINHO CAMPOS, MOZAMBIQUE; HRISTOKULICHEV, BULGARIA (p. 96-8)
6. THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST IS MANIFEST IN SUFFERING
o CHRIST’S POWER IS OUR ONLY POWER WHEN OUR SUFFERINGS BRING US TO THE END OF OUR RESOURCES AND CAST US WHOLLY ON JESUS, THE PURPOSE OF “THORNS IN THE FLESH” (2 COR. 12:9-10)
o VERSES SHOWING JOY IN SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF HIS NAME: ROM. 5:2-3, AC. 5:41, HEB. 10:34, 1 PET. 4:13
·SELF-DENIAL V. SELF-INDULGENCE
o THE TYPICAL AMERICAN CHRISTIAN SEES “RETIREMENT” AS THE GOAL—FOCUSED ON APPEASING THE FLESH, RATHER THAN POURING OUT THEIR LIFE FOR THE SAKE OF WORLD IMPACT
o GOD CALLS US TO BE CONDUITS OF GRACE, NOT CUL-DE-SACS
o EXAMPLE OF RAYMOND LULL, NORTH AFRICA (p. 105-6)
o “IF I CAN BUT LIVE & DIE SERVING & HONORING THE LORD JESUS, IT WILL MAKE NO DIFFERENCE TO ME WHETHER I AM EATEN BY CANNIBALS OR WORMS.” -JOHN PATON