This year, I have been using a devotional book compiled by Beth Moore entitled, “Voices of the Faithful.” The book is a compilation of devotional testimonies written by foreign missionaries. This book sheds light on some of the trials, blessings and inspiration that goes into the life of a missionary. I reviewed some of the devotionals this week. My review reminded me of the commitment that foreign missionaries make.
One missionary wrote these words. “When our son was born, we were still “green” in this culture, so we didn’t realize the traditions that went with baby hair. Our son was born with long, thick blond hair…I strutted around with my boy as if we had been blessed from on high since he had so much hair…It impressed no one in our new culture. Actually, we were the topic of neighborhood gossip since they think baby hair is dirty and needs to be shaved at 6 weeks of age…So with a beard trimmer, we gave our son his first cut (at 5 months of age)….I cried! I didn’t do a very good job, so I tried to touch it up with the trimmers, only making it worse. His hair now looked like I had taken a lawn mower right down the center. I was horrified! But when my friends saw it later that afternoon, they said, “Oh that looks so good.”
(P. 160. Voices of the Faithful)
Another missionary wrote “Everything was going wrong. Our house was being invaded by rats from the nearby garbage dump; the water tank had leaked overnight, dumping gallons of water into our neighbor’s yard; and our washing machine broke down, leaving me with piles of laundry to be done by hand. And then the unthinkable happened. I went outside to find that the clothesline had snapped, and all the clothes I had scrubbed were now lying in the dirt.” (P. 273. Voiced of the Faithful)
When appointed as missionaries, we knew that we would be striving against sin. We didn’t realize the many small frustrations in our daily lives that would be a part of that struggle…I was reminded of such striving again this week. I went to buy eggs. All the vendors said there were no eggs. A town of 30,000 people, and there were no eggs in the market…All the small frustrations lumped together made it challenging. If only the water was off—okay; if only the electricity was off—okay; if only the phone was off—okay. But if all three were off at the same time, our family would say, “Let’s go home.” (P. 174. Voices of the Faithful)
These stories sound like a lot of fun! Ha! Ha! They are challenging. However, the truth is, many people are glad and even excited about being foreign missionaries. What would motivate a person to desire to live under such conditions? What would motivate a person to leave their family, the comforts of America and live in some strange culture? That is an interesting question. For an answer we turn to Acts 16. In Acts 16 verse 9 we find Paul being called to go as a missionary to Macedonia. We read “a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us.’’ I want to examine Paul’s life and see if we can find some help in understanding the question: why be a missionary?
1. A foreign missionary is a person who has experienced a conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. We find Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. When we first meet him he uses his Hebrew name, “Saul.” “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem… And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’’ And he said, "Who are You, Lord?’’ And the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’’ (Acts 9:1-5 NKJV) After his conversion he used the name, Paul. In order to understand Paul, or any other missionary, you must go back to their conversion. There are several things worth noting in this passage. Saul was breathing threats and murder. The Greek word used here means that threatening and slaughter had come to be the very breath that Saul breathed. It was a way of life for him. He was controlled by such anger. He was not just angry. He was angry to the point of murder. Another telling thought is the fact that Saul would kill men or women. It is one thing to kill a man but another to kill a woman. The most brutal dictators of history killed women. When Saul met Jesus there was a conversion. Saul became Paul. The killer became a lover. The destroyer of the church became the defender of the church. Conversion means a change of life. Conversion means a change of character. The reason a missionary is willing to live in a foreign culture is because their way of thinking has been changed. Their values have changed. Their focus has changed.
Illustration: Oscar Cervantes is a dramatic example of Christ’s power to transform lives. As a child, Oscar began to get into trouble. Then as he got older, he was jailed 17 times for brutal crimes. Prison psychiatrists said he was beyond help. But they were wrong! During a brief interval of freedom, Oscar met an elderly man who told him about Jesus. He placed his trust in the Lord and was changed into a kind, caring man. Shortly afterward he started a prison ministry. Chaplain H. C. Warwick describes it this way: "The third Saturday night of each month is ’Oscar Night’ at Soledad. Inmates come to hear Oscar and they sing gospel songs with fervor; they sit intently for over 2 hours; they come freely to the chapel altar.... What professionals had failed to do for Oscar in years of counseling, Christ did in a moment of conversion."
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Kenneth Henes)
2. A foreign missionary is a person who is commited to the Lordship of Christ. Up until this moment Paul was his own boss. He was in control. However, when he submitted to the Lordship of Christ he asked a new set of questions. Look at verse 6 of Acts 9. When Paul was converted to faith in Jesus Christ he asked "Lord, what do You want me to do?’’ Paul submitted his will to the will of Christ.
A person who submits to the Lordship of Christ is no longer consumed with living for self. He is interested in the Lord’s values. He is interested in what Jesus wants. In our text Paul sees a man crying for help. Paul sees that man through the eyes of Jesus.
Illustration: Another story from the devotional book illustrates this point. “The day of trouble came for our family on June 18, 1999. Six months after arriving in Mexico as missionaries, my husband, my oldest daughter and two young summer missionaries drowned in the waters off one of the the beaches of Play Linda. As I contemplated the body of my 10 year old daughter, I felt my strength leave me”….What did that missionary do? Listen to the rest of the story. “As God made His presence real on that beach that day, not only I but also my children, the surviving summer missionaries and the crowd that witnessed our tragedy saw Him, too. My children and I now have returned to Mexico as missionaries. One of the summer missionaries now works with our agency, and the other one is preparing to become a missionary. Many from the crowd that day are now Christians.” (P. 270. Voices of the Faithful)
The people of the world would say this missionary lady is nuts. However, they do not see things through the same lens. She sees things through the eyes of Jesus.
3. A foreign missionary is confident in the person of Jesus Christ and his claims. When you read the life of Paul you meet a man who was totally confident in what he had experienced. We find one of Paul’s declarations of faith in II Tim. 1:12. “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”
Illustration: Next time you’re in an airport notice the difference between passengers who have confirmed tickets and those on standby (Hybels, Too Busy Not to Pray 113). Those who have confirmed tickets are relaxed. They are confident and expectant. Those on standby hang around the ticket counter, they pace and smoke, pace and smoke, pace and smoke…all because of uncertainty. God offers us freedom from the burden of uncertainty, so we can know for sure where we stand with God.
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Timothy Peck)
Illustration:Chuck Swindoll, in his book, "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity," tells about a church in the Soviet Union a few years ago that was forced to meet secretly because the holding of house church services was illegal.
They tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as they gathered on Sunday to worship the Lord, so they came at different times & casually walked into the house until they had all arrived. Then they would close the doors, pull the curtains, & quietly worship the Lord.
But one Lord’s Day, right in the midst of their worship service, two soldiers broke into the room, & at gunpoint lined the Christians up against the wall. One shouted, "If you wish to renounce your faith in Jesus Christ, leave now!"
Two or three quickly left, then another, & then two more. Again the soldier spoke, "This is your last chance. Either leave now & renounce your faith in Christ, or stay & suffer the consequences." Another left, & then another, almost hiding their faces in shame as they went out. But the rest stood their ground, children standing beside their parents, trembling, some even crying as their parents stood with their hands in the air, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned.
After all had left, who chose to flee, the other soldier closed the doors, looked back at those who stood against the wall & said, "Keep your hands up - but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians."
The two soldiers explained that some time earlier they had been sent to another house church to arrest the Christians there. But in the process, they had heard the gospel & had accepted Jesus as their Lord & Savior, too. But they explained, "We have learned that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted."
(Contributed to Sermon Central by MELVIN NEWLAND)
Those two stories illustrate confidence. A person must be confident of his/her relationship with Jesus Christ if he/she is to make an impact for Him.
4. A foreign missionary is a person with a calling from God. Paul’s calling is recorded in Acts 16:10. “Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Notice the phrase “the Lord had called us.” God’s calling can be divided into several categories.
There is the general calling to support missions. (Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)
Then, there is a specific calling which God places on some people’s lives. That was the case with Paul. God did not want Paul to go to just any place. He wanted him to go to Macedonia.
A. God’s calling gives you purpose. It gives you a reason for which to live. God intends us to do more than wander through life.
B. God’ calling gives you power. You will notice soon after Paul accepted God’s call to Macedonia he was thrown into prison. Did that destroy him? Did that defeat him? No! Why not? He knew that God had called him to be there and nothing would sway him from that place of service. He had a strength that was beyond himself.
C. God’s calling gives you passion. After being arrested in Philippi we find Paul and Silas sitting in a prison cell. Were they depressed? Were they discouraged? They were singing praises to God.(16:25) Real passion comes when God gives you a song. When passion arrives you will sing when you should be crying. In fact, the word enthusiasm comes from two words, en & theos. The basic source of enthusiasm is to be in God. As we do God’s will He will give us a new passion and enthusiasm for life.
Have you considered God’s calling to be a foreign missionary?
