Unconventional Wisdom

-Robert Thomas was a Welsh missionary who felt led to go to Korea. He was told that it was useless and that his efforts would be better spent elsewhere but he felt called to Korea. And so, like Paul, and against the counsel of well-meaning friends and advisors, in 1866 he went anyways. Sure enough he was met with instant hostility. The governor of Pyongyang (who happened to be Kim Jong-un’s great-grandfather) ordered for the boat that Thomas was on to be attacked and to take no prisoners, but to kill everyone. Thomas jumped overboard holding a Korean bible that translators had worked on for years. Thomas held out the bible to a Korean who mercilessly killed him on the spot. The soldier took the bible and used its pages as wallpaper. Later however, he began to read the wallpaper and became a Christian. Word about the “talking walls” got out and people traveled great distances to stay at that guest house to read the walls. In 1907 (41 yrs after Thomas had been killed) a revival broke out in Korea. Today, South Korea is considered the 2nd most Christian nation and they are 2nd only to the USA in the number of missionaries they send out each year.

God can see the orchards in a single apple seed. He sees the big picture.

CONCLUSION

Remember how we started this morning? We began discussing Johnathan Chau, the young missionary who went against conventional human wisdom and was killed trying to share the gospel with an unreached people group.

It’s important that you know that Chau was not an uneducated adrenaline junkie who just spontaneously decided out of the blue to take the gospel to a remote island in the Indian Ocean. He had actually spent years preparing. He fully understood the risks for trying to share the gospel to this specific unreached people group.

All Nations, the evangelical organization that trained Chau, issued an interesting statement saying,

SLIDE 14

“The privilege of sharing the gospel has often involved great cost. We pray that John’s sacrificial efforts will bear eternal fruit in due season.” -Dr Mary Ho, All Nations.

I believe that they will.

Empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit may we follow Jesus wherever He leads us, trusting, like those who have faithfully, and bravely, gone before us, that fruit will follow.

And so, may we be mindful that sometimes, God will call us to do things that seem illogical and counter-intuitive.

Secondly, seek counsel but allow God to be the final decision maker for your life. Give Him veto power.

Third, be guided by the Holy Spirit, not comfort.

And finally, remember that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. He sees the bigger picture and its always a blessing to be a part of His plans.

Has God been calling you to do something illogical, uncomfortable?

-Maybe its sharing the gospel with a friend or co-worker. Maybe its asking your waiters and waitresses how you can pray for them.

-Volunteering at the church or for a ministry for which you don’t feel skilled or equipped for.

-Tithing

-Going into vocational ministry.

Whatever it may be, may we...