12 Ten Challenges in Missions

12

Ten Challenges in Missions

(Counting the Cost)

Jesus said,

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Luke 14:28-35, NIV)

Knowing the Situation

At the beginning of a consultation such as this, it is appropriate to count the cost. It is important when we are in a spiritual conflict to know what our situation really is. The Bible teaches about spiritual warfare.

The church situation today in Britain is very badly divided. A leader of one of the great evangelistic thrusts going on in this country, has written an article indicating, “We are not ready to evangelize.”

My heart pounds in agreement with a lot that he states. There are great tensions and divisions in the British Church. I am convinced, however, that considering the claims of Christ, we cannot wait until all the church is united, until all gossip ceases and everybody is loving one another. This is because we have a commission and an example in the Book of Acts that evangelism goes forward even in the midst of weakness. Though the church in some ways may be weak, God is great. Evangelism, not just nationwide, but world evangelism must go forward. It must go forward as we also emphasize revival, holiness, spiritual life, and simultaneously declare war against all gossip, unbelief, sin, all that divides true believers.

There is no reason why we cannot simultaneously work toward renewal, revival, and world evangelism. I can share honestly with you that my first burden is not world evangelization, but the glory of God. One of the reasons that we in Operation Mobilisation have been able to place people in the Muslim world and keep them there for five, or ten, or even fifteen years, is because as we went there our first burden was not the conversion of Muslims, or the establishing of the church in the Muslim world, but the glory of God. Many of God’s people, I believe, have missed his perfect will. I am not convinced that it is the will of God for all these People Groups to have no witness. We cannot take some extreme Calvinistic cop-out and blame it all on God any more than William Carey could do that when they told him so many years ago, “If God wants the heathen to be reached, then he will take care of it, without the likes of you.” It is God’s plan because it’s revealed in his Word that these people hear the gospel; that they receive a witness. It’s impossible for us to predict how much fruit there will be. Our first burden is the glory of God, therefore, we obey him and we go forth to lay down our lives in witness.

Renewal

My second greatest burden is for renewal among God’s people. When I say that, I’m not referring to any one stream. I’m happy to see people renewed in any way the living God chooses to do it. The way it happens in California isn’t the way it happens in Sweden, and the way it happens in Sweden is not necessarily the way it happens in Germany. God does not destroy our humanity nor our nationality when he works in us. Only as we understand different cultures are we going to be able to see more recruits coming from these cultures. Of course, then they will have the job of trying to understand the cultures they go to. In speaking about the Holy Spirit and the victorious life, Billy Graham said, “I don’t care how you get it, just get it.” I long to see a combination of emphases on holiness, godly living, commitment, discipleship, the simple lifestyle and spiritual revolution; and to see them combined with outreach to every nation, and every people in world evangelism and cross-cultural communication. Count the cost. We know the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 9:37, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.

This is a very serious and needed consultation. I can objectively say that because I had nothing to do with the organization. I know the criticism that goes on against consultations and congresses. For people that are widely read, it sounds like a lot is taking place, but the average person may not be that widely read. Most of you were not invited to Thailand, or Lausanne, or wherever such meetings are going on. But somehow you have managed even as feeble, weak students to squeak in the door of this consultation. Such a consultation is needed because the situation is desperate. All kinds of consultations are taking place right now to try to solve the Iraq– Iran crisis. Endless money will be spent. They know that the crisis in the Middle East could bring on World War III. Beloved, as followers of Jesus Christ we are already in a warfare that makes the Iran–Iraq crisis look small, at least spiritually speaking.

Therefore, to have a consultation concerned about half of the people of the world, the unreached people, to pray, work and plan together and do anything we possibly can to increase the thrust, our numbers, and our unity, is well worth it.

Building Together

It’s very easy to criticize. There is far too much criticism among evangelicals today, and far too many negative thinkers. In Philippians we are challenged to think on that which is good, pure and right. Anybody can tear down, but it takes an architect to build. May God make each one of you a spiritual architect to build for God as Nehemiah who was sent forth by God, built despite opposition, mocking, and a lack of resources. We are called to build together.

There is a verse in Nehemiah that often challenges me when I may be doing something I don’t like to do. (You will never be a missionary if you don’t like to do some things you have to do.) This verse speaks about having a mind to work. Would you pray with me that God will give us a mind to work?

Commitment

We are committed to Christ, to his Word and to world evangelism. But do we really know what that word means? It seems to me that in many countries and in cultures, especially in affluent societies, this word is losing its meaning. People talk about total commitment and then drive away in their new car to live in their million dollar home; and no one can say anything lest you be accused of being embarrassing or something worse.

In a world where millions are starving, where tens of millions have no homes, where evangelists in India are praying that they might have a bicycle (and some have been praying for ten years), those of us from the affluent section, I believe, have sinned against God, and therefore, have failed to understand Christ’s demands upon our lives. Luke 14:33 is very clear: Likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. If there is going to be a powerful missionary invasion in our day, there must be a return to the standard of Jesus Christ and of the New Testament. An abomination that some of our countries are now propagating—a doctrine that teaches all spiritual people will prosper financially, has confused thousands. When people get into that doctrine, it doesn’t work, they go away feeling that they are unspiritual or that they are not men and women of faith.

A.W. Tozer said that the more keen Christian is easily led astray. The more keen (enthusiastic, excited, boldly dedicated) Christian, is more easily led astray. When I first started preaching twenty-five years ago, the main messages were about world missions, total commitment and all that side of the challenge which is in the Word of God. As I went on and saw the strategy of the enemy, I had to start speaking about extremism, calling people to spiritual balance, and to compare Scripture. One of the greatest hindrances to world evangelism and to the vision that you and I have is extremism. My whole life is involved with students and young people. The amount of extremism in Europe among students is just unbelievable. There are little house groups that don’t believe in world missions. I’ve heard tapes, more or less explaining that world missions is a thing of the past.

Unlimited Possibilities

As we count the cost, seeing “the fields that are ripe unto harvest,” there are unlimited possibilities for short-term evangelistic opportunities. Isn’t it amazing that the Mormons have 20 to 30 thousand men on the field? They have over 100,000 converts in Britain alone. They want to have some 70 or 80 thousand men on the field by the turn of the century. The church of Jesus Christ should have at least, at any one time (apart from the standard missionary force) 100 thousand men on a one or two year program. I recently read something countering the concept that we needed a great number of missionaries; that there were so many of us that we would start to get in the way. I wonder if they have ever visited a country like Italy? When I went to Italy, the student work there consisted of two middle-aged ladies trying to reach all the university students in Italy. It has not improved very much since.

The challenge of world evangelism is as great as ever. These huge numbers of missionaries that are being prayed for, can be used if they are Spirit-controlled and committed people. I don’t think that they will get in the way of each other and hinder the national church if they know a few of the basic rules—like submitting to the national leadership in that country, working alongside people, not lording it over them, but learning from them and turning the leadership to nationals as quickly as possible. Let us count the cost and realize that we are in a spiritual warfare. Satan has a strategy and he will counter-attack. He has many dead-end streets into which he likes to get God’s people.

Committed to Each Other

We need to count the cost in terms of our commitment to one another. How easy it is today for each group and each individual and to some degree, even churches to do their own thing. This has so overwhelmed me at times that I have wanted to leave my own fellowship simply, so that I could be identified with the whole body. We need one another, different fellowships, different organizations. And we have different ideas and will never all agree on every point, but if we are going to evangelize the world, we are going to have to build up our relationships.

This is another reason why such consultations are to be valued. We get to know one another and understand what others are doing. I attended a mini-seminar at the World Congress on Evangelism in Lausanne and found that a great experience. It was a humbling experience to attend this Congress as in OM I’m the leader. People are very kind to me and I am esteemed. I walk into a place and they let me say a few words. But when I arrived at the World Congress on Evangelism I was just one of a thousand, a nobody with all these great men of God, such as Dr. Schaeffer and John Stott; you are just humbled.

When you get together with God’s people and hear about their work and all that God is doing around the world, I tell you that is a good therapy. You realize that little OM, with all its ships and whatever else is just a drop in the ocean. What a great experience for our spiritual growth to be brought into a situation where we are just part of the body! You know that when you are in that situation, your joy will have to come from the Lord himself. There is always the danger when we come together, we try to get bits of joy from one another. The Word of God tells us “not to be ministered unto but to minister.” We are going to have to look to the Lord, or we will be overwhelmed by the challenge or by so many interesting people. I’m convinced that God wants us to build our relationships.

In OM we have been trying more in our nights and days of prayer to pray for other missions, fellowships, and groups. We bring in visiting speakers, look at their slides, find out what they are doing, and God has blessed us as we have done that. Many people in their own country do not know what other groups are doing even in a peripheral way. I do not know whether they read Christian magazines or whether they don’t like people. One fellow said, “Not that I am anti-social, I just don’t like people.” It is valuable to know what others are doing as we come to know of God’s work. We should rejoice with those who rejoice. God helps us if we rejoice over a victory in our work. We delight in any member of the body of Christ being used or blessed. We attempt as the Scriptures teach us to believe the best about other fellowships and groups.

Being Strong-Minded

When you get into missionary work, you come in contact with a wide range of strong-minded people. A lot of the missionaries in the world are such people. That’s how they got in there first place. Very few of you are ever going to get to the mission field unless you dig your heels in, a bit. Auntie isn’t wanting you to go, or maybe Mummy and Daddy aren’t either. Your own pastor may not even want you to go, or your employer. The teaching in England now is, go to university, get a good job, make money, then when you are settled, if the Lord leads, go to the mission field.

I want to know, how many have gone to the mission fields through that kind of philosophy? Once people are married and settled down, generally they are stuck with life. Very few married couples with children are launching out to the mission field, apart from those who already started to move before they got into that more interesting, complicated and frustrating phase of life. I believe the enemy is very, very clever, and he has a massive propaganda machine that is opposed to world missions. We need wisdom and discernment to know what is coming from the enemy and what is coming from the Lord. A.W. Tozer said, “The greatest gift needed in the church today is the gift of discernment,” and we desperately need this.

Communicating Cross-Culturally

We have got to count the cost of building relationships. Do you get on with people? Do you know how to listen to people? How to let love cover differences when someone says something that you don’t like? If you don’t, you are going to have difficulties, not only in missionary work, but in your life too. I don’t think that we can overemphasize the need to learn how to relate to people and to communicate cross-culturally.

Many of us have trouble communicating in our own culture. We must be very careful not to get discouraged thinking about it. Someone wrote recently that, we can’t really communicate cross- culturally unless we have the gift of cross-cultural evangelism. I haven’t met many people who claim to have this gift, and it’s obvious that people who read books on cross-cultural evangelism are not planning on going to the mission field. For 25 years I have seen simple humble people apply themselves in a foreign country as a servant, a learner, walking Calvary’s road, and I have seen them effectively communicate cross-culturally, encourage and work with nationals and vice-versa.

I am convinced that each one of us, to some degree can communicate cross-culturally. Some of course will be more gifted, but each one of us can communicate. There are a lot of things that we have to learn and books that we can read like Share Your Faith with a Muslim etc. One out of every six people in the world is a Muslim. Less than two percent of the missionaries in the world work among Muslims. Are we going to wait for those who feel that they have to have a special Muslim cross- cultural gift? We have enough obstacles getting people over to the field, much less putting up new ones! It is my sincere prayer that we will beware of this kind of thinking.

The idea that we need more and more studies so that we can do our job better is very much linked with intellectualism. It is text-book theory. Be out on the field for ten, or twenty, or at least two years and you will see that it is just not true. Think of the great movement of the Assemblies under the leadership of Bakht Singh in India, a movement I am personally familiar with. Ordinary men, many of them without much education, filled with the Word of God, started churches and communicated cross-culturally. Many Muslims have come to Jesus Christ, and 300 Assemblies exist today.

A Destructive Enemy

Lately I have read of a number of Christian organizations that are going through tremendous times of difficulty and disunity.

The warfare is real. As we have seen some great Christian personalities in America hit the divorce courts, our hearts have sunk, and we have been reminded that it is not a game, or some kind of a religious carnival. It is all out warfare, in which the enemy is out to destroy people. When you enroll in the army of God and decide to reach out to the unreached and be involved in God’s great purpose of world evangelization you will be a marked person. If you don’t know how to pray, to resist Satan, if you don’t have a disciplined life, and know how to share and fellowship in a way that is going to help you; if you don’t know how to wear the armor of God, and hold high the shield of faith, wherewith you can stop all the fiery darts of the devil, then you will be one more missionary casualty.

Quality, not Quantity

My greatest concern (it may sound like a contradiction) is not firstly more missionaries; it is the quality of the missionary that we train and send out, that is all-important. We have to count the cost of what it takes to gain quality of life—not perfection, nor super-spirituality, nor the total supernatural disciplined person (a sort of bionic evangelical), but rather quality of life in reality, brokenness, openness, and all that we can appropriate in Jesus Christ, for we are complete in him. A.W. Tozer was a great missionary thinker, and very much involved in world missions. He said that the task of the church is twofold: to spread the gospel throughout the world and to make sure that the Christian faith she spreads is a pure New Testament kind. The church will always produce itself after its kind. A worldly-minded, unspiritual church is sure to bring forth on her shores, a Christian faith much like her own. Not only the naked Word, but the character of the witness determines the quality of the convert. He goes on to say that the popular notion, that the first obligation of the church is to spread the gospel to the outermost parts of the earth, is false. Her first obligation is to be spiritually worthy to spread it—to spread a degenerate brand of Christian faith to non-Christian lands is not to fulfill the commandment of Jesus Christ.

Tozer’s statement has meant a great deal to me. It would be a glorious thing if many of us here would renew our commitment first to the Lord Jesus Christ himself and to wherever he leads us. The last thing we would want a consultation like this to produce is a lot of people with a guilt complex, if somehow they don’t quite make it to the Muslim world. God is wanting to deal with you and me on the basis of love, grace, and mercy. What happens is that people may go out to serve just long enough to get rid of their guilt trip and then they come home. I’m convinced that some of you who are afraid of missionary work have these ideas of cockroach invasions, eating all kinds of weird food and suffering in extreme climates. If you would understand God’s ways and move by faith, many of you would discover that you actually enjoy it when you get to those countries.

The true missionary is not some kind of ascetic who is perpetually pining for the California beaches and MacDonald hamburgers. (In any case, MacDonalds are getting there faster than we are!) I have seen on the mission field, in Spain, Belgium, Holland and then India, that in the midst of the battle there are many wonderful and enjoyable aspects of missionary life. It is one of the fullest and most challenging occupations anyone could ever get into. Of course, we are all missionaries, but I’m talking about when you move out of your own culture.

The Call

Let’s count the cost, what it is going to take in terms of quality of life. Then let’s have a plan over the next couple of years to build up our spiritual lives through the Word, prayer, fellowship, the cross, feeding on some of the powerful Christian books and great ministry that we can get on tape and CDs. The Word of God says: “I commend you to his Word, the Word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among them who are sanctified” (Acts. 20:32).

God may give you a crisis experience during this week which may be a turning point in your life. God works in different people in different ways. Some people have very emotional missionary calls. They can tell you the moment and the hour. Johnny Jungle came back from New Guinea, and was showing slides in the church, and at that moment you were hit, “Lord, take me; I’ll go.” I’ve heard some of the most unbelievable stories of how people were called to the mission field. Praise to be the Lord! As long as you go, and persevere, and the Lord uses you, it's fine.

Many of you are never going to get that kind of emotional call, so stop looking for it. If somehow you feel you must have it, let me know, and I will send one of my coworkers, and at midnight we will show some slides, play some music in your room, and the next morning you will be ready to go. I can assure you that you probably will not get very far! Some of the people who are doing the greatest work on the mission field are laid back people with far less emotion, who perhaps never had a special call, but slowly it was revealed to them by the Lord guiding them, others instructing, or giving advice that this was the way, and they walked in it. Sometimes messages on the will of God leave us all the more confused than when we started, because it’s a narrow message showing a narrow way to follow God’s will. As well as working in different people in different ways, God is working in different groups in different ways. He is working through the Navigators, Campus Crusade, and others who perhaps don’t feel they should fellowship that much with other groups.

Right Priorities

When we think of the size of the task, it is vitally important to count the cost about the quality of our lives. Many of us have too many convictions. We must have discernment and wisdom to know what the priorities are! The “good” is enemy of the “best.” Some people are caught up endlessly in secondary issues. That’s all right, if you feel that way, but let’s unite on the major issues of God’s Word.

Even important biblical convictions, if they are not mixed with love, can turn to bitterness. If we are not careful, what we receive here eventually could turn to bitterness. I found this is possible as I have been preaching the challenge about the Muslim world for 24 years in many nations. Considering the amount of people who have heard the challenge, the response has been small. In trying to reach out to these countries, it seems so often that most of the churches are not with us. Often you are a lonely voice, crying out in the wilderness; and if you’re not careful, you can become bitter, and God doesn’t want bitter missionaries.

Probably most of us have heard of somebody returning from the field who suffered, and maybe was living on the barest essentials, and they saw the way people were living in their home country. When they started to speak in meetings, you could sense there was bitterness and harshness. It was not the sweetness of Jesus Christ. I feel, no matter how many times we are walked on, our message is thrown to one side; no matter how few people respond to our challenge, we must always remain loving, kind, tender and compassionate. We have no axe to grind; we only have a Savior to serve.

We must be patient in spreading this unique vision that we have for all the people of the world. I may have a few strong points, but I also have many weak points. I find far greater interest on the part of youth to move out in evangelism than I do in the church to send them out. That is not a statement against the church because there are many good churches that want to send out missionaries.

God has brought us to Edinburgh for a great purpose. Those of us especially in this Student Consultation are not the most famous, strongest or the most educated, but if Jesus Christ be for us, who can be against us? Let us stand together, uniting the great qualities of spiritual reality with the great vision of reaching all people with the gospel and believe by faith that it can come to pass. The decision is always ours. God will take us so far, lovingly pushing and drawing us, but the ultimate step to be a doer instead of just a hearer is always yours.

I hope you will take it.

Note: As you read this chapter, keep in mind this message was given many years ago at a Student Consultation in Edinburgh organized by Ralph Winter.