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MINISTRY #9 YOUTH MINISTER...2B OR NOT 2B |
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MINISTRY #8 WHAT ABOUT NUMBERS |
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THE CHURCH ON HIGHER GROUND |
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HOMEPAGE |
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SERMON NETS HOMEPAGE |
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SERMON NETS MENU |
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SERMON NETS ON MINISTRY |
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MINISTRY #1 |
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MINISTRY #2 MINISTRY OR INDUSTRY? |
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MINISTRY #3 personal and corporate |
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MINISTRY #4 personal and corporate |
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MINISTRY #5 personal and corporate |
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MINISTRY #6 personal and corporarte |
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MINISTRY #7 WEB MINISTRY |
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MINISTRY #3 personal and corporate
#1 We Are His Messengers
#2 Some Modern-Day Missionaries
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In the early days of modern missions, Christians from Britain were the leaders in taking the gospel to the unreached masses. China, India and Africa were destinations for many who carried the Good News about Jesus. Though it is unfortunate that the Kingdom of God was sometimes confused with the British Empire, the fact is that many wonderful changes took place in the name of Christ; Education, Medicine, Sanitation, Law and Order just to name a few of them. Of course all of the good things that took place were the result of the proclamation of Redemption offered in Christ. Wherever the Gospel goes, there is "Redemption and Lift" (the improving of societal standards economically, educationally etc.) Moral standards are lifted as people are exposed to God and His message of love, forgiveness and holiness.
Unhappily, it is also true that "post Christian" standards follow when the vitality of the Gospel gives way to a dead form. This happens when human traditions replace divine truth and men are left with a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof*. All manner of wickedness creeps in when people give lip service to God but their hearts are far from Him*.
However, when the mission stations would be established in those new areas, the locals would learn something about the homeland of the missionaries. The nationals would be able to tell what life was like in Britain just by watching the missionaries. They would see the kind of clothes worn by people in England, the kind of food they would eat, the strange way in which they would prepare their food and then dine. A visit to the missions compound would reveal the kind of home life, social interaction and educational experience which was practiced by people back in Britain. The locals could see how British leisure time was spent by watching the missionaries "at tea" or playing games and sports. In other words, Britain was made known to the nationals by the presence and lives of the missionaries.
This is how it is with us today. Though we live in this world, we are citizens of heaven*. Therefore the kingdom of God is made known to the nationals of this world by watching the way we Christians live. You may never leave your homeland, but you are an ambassador for Jesus*. You may never have to speak a different language, but you are the channel through which God wants to speak to those around you. You may never go to those who have different diets, social structures or fashions from yourself, but you may be their only example of what it means to be a child of God. They should be able to watch your habits, actions, and reactions to tell what things are like in the kingdom of heaven. The way you work, play, study, worship and socialize tells your neighbors what life is like in the kingdom of heaven.
If you have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus, you are a positive example and a drawing card to Christ. If you have nothing but a dead form of Christianity, you are not drawing people to Jesus but driving them away with your hypocrisy. Remember, the kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy*. The world is not looking for a new religion, but a new relationship with God. If they do not see the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, they will only see the letter of the law which kills*.
We must love Him with our whole heart, mind and strength*. Live your daily life as if you are the only example of Christ they will ever see. Walk as He walked*. Remember, we are the only Bible some people will ever read.
Keep in mind, God is reaching this world through us*,we are His epistles (letters) to a lost and dying world*.
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My son David preaches the Sunday evening service in our church (The Church on Higher Ground) here in Cumberland County, Tennessee. He has been bringing us some very insightful and helpful messages from his study of the book of Acts. Last night he preached from Acts 16 concerning Paul's confrontation with the demon possessed girl who was employed in divination for her masters.
I did some further thinking on the passage and came up with these thoughts. (We should learn as we listen to someone preach, and we should think as we learn). Being delivered from the spirits which helped her tell the future, the girl was no longer a profitable prophetess (false one though she was) to her owners. This caused considerable upheaval in the community. In verse 21 it is stated that Paul and Silas were breaking Roman law by introducing new gods. This was a true statement, but it seems no one cared about the law until the missionaries impacted someone's pocketbook. They were not being stopped earlier, though it was unlawful for the missionaries to propagate their message and unlawful for the populace to receive the message. As a result, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison.
How very different the apostles were from some modern-day Christian missionaries from the west. How very different the missionaries of the past are from some modern-day missionaries. Some modern-day missionaries work under a cloak of secrecy. They vocally deny their Lord and/or their mission. They hide their true intent of evangelism and pretend to be in submission to "laws" which are abhorrent to God. There is a certain amount of deceit which accompanies much of today's modern missionary strategy. How strange that the Gospel of Truth is communicated through channels of deception. Something is wrong with this picture. How very unlike the Bible are these modern-day missionaries.
I know missionaries are going to places and people which are antagonistic to the Gospel. I know there are laws which forbid their work. I know that they face violence. But I also know that this was true with missionaries in the Bible as well as with missionaries throughout Church history, and they did not hide their light or deceive people in order to take the truth of Christ to other lands. It is not unusual for these missionaries to use code words instead of using the words, GOD, JESUS, CHRIST, CHRISTIAN, SALVATION, BIBLE, CHURCH, MISSIONS, CONVERT, BELIEVER and many other terms which "might give them away" to the authorities.
Obviously there is no honor in a Christian turning themselves over to godless officials and asking for persecution...but neither is there honesty or honor in taking this new and un-Biblical approach which so many Christian young people are being taught as right and normal.
The Islamic world does not hide it's motives to win the world to it's pagan and violent false god. Though deceit is not beneath their wicked devices for converting the world to their bloody and vile religion, they do not pretend to be something they are not when they carry their message to other people (of course, we Christians don't kill them for being Muslim either).
Some will argue that we must adjust our method to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. I say we must do God's work in God's way. There is no room for deception in Christian work. If we are worried about suffering for Jesus, we should just forget the whole thing and stay in our wimpy "churches" here in the west where it does not cost anything to "follow Jesus." Of course, those who truly follow Jesus in the west are also subject to persecution, and I do not mean simple insults or snubbing. People in the west who choose to follow Jesus may lose their jobs, homes, freedom, families and even their lives if they take a solid and uncompromising stand for Jesus.
If we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us, if we deny Him, He will deny us. It is faith which conquers fear, not falsehood.
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