MISSION SUNDAY (SHILLONG NORTH EVANGELICAL UNION) - MAY 27,2007

“Every Christian is a missionary both at home and abroad"

"UESI seeks to evangelise post-matric students in India, nurture them as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they may serve the Church and Society".

The day of Pentecost’ was "the natal day of the Christian church and the inauguration day of world wide missions which constituted the church's great God given task"

Dan 12:4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."

There are 30,000 verses in the whole bible.

As we look around there are two kingdom themes running through the Bible. The Bible is not a book of history though it contains history.

1. The finished work of Christ ( Redemption)

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."

It is finished but ongoing

2. The Unfinished work of Christ (World Missions)

The supreme task of the fellowship is the evangelization of the world.

When God loved, He loved the world.

When He gave His Son, He gave His Son for a world.

When Jesus Christ died, He died for a World.

God’s vision is a World Vision.

So many of us are localized in our outlook we see only our own community, our own village or town and we never see beyond.

William Booth founder of the Salvation army was asked by the King of England what the ruling force of his life was, he replied, “Sir, some men’s passion is for gold, other men’s passion is for fame but my passion for souls.”

Gen 12:2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

Gen 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

This condensed version of the Abrahamic covenant is found 5 times in Genesis and more than 395 times through out the Old Testament.

Points to Note:

1. The blessing refers primarily to salvation (Ps 67:1-2 “God be gracious to us and bless us, {And} cause His face to shine upon us-- Selah.That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.”)
2. God will bless the people of the earth through His people- not apart from them.
3. A TWO-FOLD CHALLENGE

A A “peoples” challenge- people refers to ethnic groups (NT ethne- nations ( ethnic groups)

A A geographical challenge- (Gen 28:14 "Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.)-NORTH,SOUTH, EAST WEST.

“‘For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
— Malachi 1:11 (author’s emphasis)

HISTORIC OVERVIEW

AD 400- AD 800

L New enemies- stagnation, syncretism, loss of missionary zeal

L New solutions- Monasticism. It produces renewal and a missionary movement.

L Methods- prayer, discipline, character, serious bible study, community service, and preaching (power encounter)

L RESULT: Europe was reached with the gospel.

AD 800- AD 1600

L New Enemies: Vikings & Islam

· The Christian faith conquered the Vikings (they turned the other cheeks)

· The church failed miserably to conquer the Muslims (they responded with the sword)

POINT OF INTEREST:

9. Lay movements emerged to recover the ideals of early Christianity.

THE MORAVIANS

· A community of refugees based in Germany led by Count Zingerdorf

· Experienced a revival of 1727

· Began sending out missionaries in 1732

· Within 25 years, they had sent out 100 missionaries (More than protestant church had sent in the first two centuries of the Reformation.

· Rallying cry : “ May the lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering”

· They had a prayer chain that went for 100 years (24 hrs/7 days a week)

THE REDISCOVERY OF MISSIONS (END OF 18^TH CENTURY)

William Carey, the father of Modern missions

ü He challenged the church to missions

ü Started the first mission agency

What happened?

1. The great century of Protestant expansion (the 19^th century)

It was William Carey, father of the modern world evangelization era who said: "Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.";

2. The Amazing growth of the Non- Western Church in the 20^th Century.

3. The sending of the Missionaries from N.E.India (21^st century)

"You are not his witnesses because of the number of souls that you may have saved or won to the Lord, or because you have been a Christian for ten years or for two days. You are his witness because you belong to God. You and I have God's last name; we are in Christ."

It is the history of disobedient Churches and an unfinished task. And yet God has used even those disobedient Churches to do great things ... Missionaries have on the whole been a feeble folk, not very wise, not very holy, not very patient. They have broken most of the commandments and have fallen into every conceivable mistake. And yet God has used their weakness to bring into existence a universal Church.1 (Stephen Neill, The Unfinished Task (London: Lutherworth Press, 1957), pp. 221-222.)