Gracepointe Church (Dover, OH)
Gracepointe Church (Dover, OH)
Why Missions? | Mark Miller
What does it truly mean to commit your life to a cause greater than yourself? Join us as we embark on a captivating journey through the lives of CT Studd and Annie Funk, two extraordinary individuals who epitomized selflessness in their mission to spread the gospel. With CT Studd swapping his cricket fame for missionary work across continents, and Annie Funk's ultimate sacrifice on the Titanic, their stories challenge us to reconsider what it means to live with purpose and conviction. These tales of dedication set the stage for a deeper exploration of global missions and their impact on the world.
Our episode then unfolds the profound theological implications of the Christmas story, centered on the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The miraculous union of the divine and the human in "The Word became flesh" resonates globally, uniting Christians across cultures in a shared belief. As we reflect on this transformative truth, we delve into the historical efforts of missionaries and the Great Commission's call to evangelize all nations. The ultimate goal is worship, glorifying God, and the bringing together of all peoples, illustrating the mission's enduring significance.
Finally, we underscore the vital role of the local church as the primary instrument of worship and transformation. By examining the Apostle Paul's legacy and the church's purpose, we spotlight the church's mission to spread the gospel as the true catalyst for change. As we reflect on the mission of Grace Point, we invite you to consider how you can align with a purpose that transcends individual interests. With a heartfelt prayer for the church's mission across all nations, this episode encourages you to embrace your calling and become a beacon of hope and salvation.
This thing fired up again. I'm going to have to wake this thing up again, is it? We'll just get right down in there. Okay, back again here, all right. So why? Missions is what I've chosen to talk about this morning, and I did this because it connects with the presentation earlier and I just thought it would be appropriate and fit. So, by the way, unite, if you're going to, if you're thinking about joining there, do it's worth doing. It is a really cool connection with people across the world. Impact's going to be one of the organizations listed there and connected. You'll see Tim present some things. Listed there and connected. You'll see Tim present some things.
Speaker 1:Back when I was growing up in my grandpa's house, there was this old plaque up on the wall and it said only one life will soon be passed, only what's done for Christ will last. That was a saying by CT Studd. That's CT Studd up there. Ct Studd was a professional cricket player in England. He was the best college-level cricket player in the entire known world of England there, and so probably the best in the world, because there's not many places that play cricket India does, by the way, and so cricket's a big deal. Anyway, that play cricket India does, by the way, and so cricket's a big deal. Anyway, we get one pass at this life, it's over after that. Who was he? He was a, like I said, he was a really good cricket player. He was also a committed Christian. He had a choice to make. He could go professional and enjoy an incredible amount of wealth, or he felt called to the mission field. Enjoy an incredible amount of wealth, or he felt called to the mission field. So he decided to become a full-time missionary. A few years later, about 10 years later, his father passed away and he inherited a substantial amount of wealth. He again faced a decision, recognizing that this money will change my life. Gave it all away because, he said, I am called to serve Jesus Christ and I cannot let anything distract me. He devoted his life to be a full-time missionary. He went to China under Hudson Taylor in 1888 and where he met and married his wife Elizabeth, and then he devoted his life to missions in China and then then India and Africa. He passed away in 1931. Some quotes are the first one here is Only one life till soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. That's a part of a. That's actually just a phrase from a much larger poem it's worth looking at. The other one I'd like to look at here is Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. That's aggressive, right.
Speaker 1:This is Annie Funk. How many of you know the story of Annie Funk? Okay, fantastic.
Speaker 1:Annie Funk was born in 1874 in Pennsylvania to Mennonite family just north of Lancaster. Her father was a deacon. She attended the state normal school at Westchester, pa, and then the Mennonite training school in Massachusetts. After her graduation she went down to work with the immigrants in the slums of Chattanooga, and then she went to Patterson, new Jersey, and worked in inner city missions. And then it was her lifelong dream to be a missionary, and so she couldn't get the Mennonite board of missions to send her as a single girl alone. So she finally found someone to go with her. So they were planning, her and another lady were planning to go along over to India, but about a month before they left the girl that was going to go with her got sick, and so she just went alone, went over to India, and she lived there for the next for years, and then, in 1914, she got a telegram from home. You need to get the book. It's a really cool children's book. She got a telegram from home saying Mother is sick. We've secured passage, get on the next ship home. And so she realized that she wanted to see her mom gets on a ship, takes a ship around the Horn of Africa there, goes up to Britain where she transfers to another ship, and that ship happens to be the Titanic. Halfway across the ocean, of course, or up close to they hit the iceberg. The ship is going down, she gets into a lifeboat, but here's a woman on the deck calling out my children, my children. There's a woman with children standing on the deck with no place to go. Annie gave up her seat. The lady got onto the lifeboat. Annie got back on Titanic and that was the last I've ever heard of her.
Speaker 1:Why do I tell these stories? It's because these are people that have devoted their life to missions and to proclaim the gospel across the world. But why? What is so important? These are ordinary people that God used to build and further his kingdom. Would you commit your life to something like this? Are we called to do something like this? And this is a question that I want each one of us to look at.
Speaker 1:Here's a picture of worshipers. In Thailand, we went to a Buddhist temple and they were burning incense and people would come through and they would bow down and worship this golden Buddha. There's a god a little altar there and there's a monk there. A little altar there and there's a monk there. There is something within each person that wants to worship something. We want to worship something bigger than ourselves. We want something somewhere. There are very few true atheists out there. People want to worship something somewhere.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go to our text now. Turn with me to Revelation 7. We're going to be reading a bit here Revelation 7, 9 to 17. And we're going to look at what's going on here. This is the Apostle John as he wrote it, and he tells us what he saw it says. After this I looked. We're beginning to read in verse 9 of Revelation 7.
Speaker 1:After this, I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands and crying with a loud voice. Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb and all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen, and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. And then one of the elders addressed me, saying who are these clothes and white robes and from where have they come? I said to him, sir, you know. And he said to me these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They've washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple, and he who sits on the throne will shelter them. With his presence, they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat, for the lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There is coming a day when all the churches around the world will be united in an incredible worship service. This is a day when people from Muslim background, people with Amish background, people with Hindu background, former Baal worshipers, people that didn't know Jesus, will stand together around the throne and we will worship the Lamb. That didn't know Jesus will stand together around the throne and we will worship the Lamb. They will recreate the scene when Jesus walked down the Mount of Olives, when people were holding up palm branches and they were crying out and worshiping Jesus.
Speaker 1:It says they hold up palm branches. This is a diverse crowd. It says every nation there's about 195 different nations or countries in existence today. A very diverse group. Some are large nations India and China. Both have over a billion people. Most of them have much smaller, but there's an incredible amount of people there. It says every tribe and nation over 17,000 people groups in the world today, with 7,300 of them considered unreached. Unreached simply means there's less than 1% of the people that know about Jesus Christ and that means there's no one within their own people that can tell them a way to have eternal destination being changed. Every language it says approximately 7,100 distinct languages spoken today. English is the most spoken, but it's only understood by just a little bit over a billion people. Spanish is second with 548 million people speaking it. This is a diverse group around the throne.
Speaker 1:As John is looking at one of this, one of the elders approaches him and he asks a question who are these? Where did they come from? What are they doing here? They're standing around the throne crying out with loud voices. In verse 10, it says they're saying salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the lamb they're worshiping. They're worshiping the lamb. They're united in bringing praise to Jesus Christ. And then listen to John's reply. John looks at this and he says sir, I don't know, he doesn't know. He says you know, and he said to me these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They've washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
Speaker 1:Jesus is a common denominator here. Jesus is uniting them. What did the lamb do that united these people? He became one of us. Do you ever think about that? He became one of us. I'm afraid sometimes we get lost in our world and begin thinking that somehow we are the chosen people of God. Right, we've got it right. Right, we're doing it right. But recognize that Jesus isn't American. He might speak Pennsylvania, dutch, but he also speaks and understands Aramaic, hindu, german, spanish. He is there for the entire world. Let's keep reading here.
Speaker 1:It goes on. It says, therefore, there before the throne, day and night. That's a pretty long praise session. And then, in verse 15, it says they shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. They will find rest. There's an incredible amount of people today that don't find rest. They're always hungry. It goes on. It says they will not be hungry, they will not be thirsty, for the lamb is in their midst. It's about Jesus. It's about the lamb, the lamb and his bride. It's always been about Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:We're in the middle of Christmas season and when we think of the Christmas story, there's things our mind goes to right away, at least if you're me. You go to the shepherds, you go to the stable, the manger, mary, mary and Joseph, no room in the inn, the wise men coming from the east. But what would the Christmas story be like if it didn't include those things? Could you tell the Christmas story without these things? I think we could. The apostle John did Turn with me to John, chapter 1.
Speaker 1:I'm going to look at the Christmas story. Now, this is not a Christmas story that we typically talk about or use during this time of the year, but John, chapter 1, beginning in verse 1. It says in the beginning was a word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him I'm sorry all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made. That was made In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him. Yet the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own people did not receive him. But to those who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, verse 14,. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the father, full of grace and truth.
Speaker 1:This first 14 verses are John's version of the Christmas story. There's no stable, no manger, no baby. But he tells a story very well, no less a Christmas story. There's no stable, no manger, no baby, but he tells a story very well, no less a Christmas story. There's a line that stands out in this passage that encapsulate the Christmas story very well. This line tells the Christmas story in four words. It's this one. It says the word became flesh. That is a Christmas story.
Speaker 1:That's why we go halfway around the world and worship with believers across the world. We may sing different songs, we may do communion different, we even have different styles of preaching, but the common denominator is that Jesus Christ became one of us. He is God, but he entered our own individual world that he could be a part of the great worship so that we can be. He entered our world so that we can enter his world and worship him around the throne. Without this miracle, redemption could not happen. Without this truth, we would be creatures that fell from God and wouldn't be able to get back to him. Without this truth, then Jesus could have died on the cross, but it would have been pointless for us. It would have been pointless for us. It would have been meaningless for us. Without this truth, the resurrection of Jesus, while it would have been a good story, would not have benefited us. This changed everything for everyone. The Word became flesh. This is why we celebrate Christmas. This is a profound truth. It's a real story of Christmas.
Speaker 1:God has always used natural things to explain supernatural truth to us. We have communion, we have baptism, we also have the incarnation, a very natural thing. I say natural. He became natural. There are lots of natural details in this story, but let's not forget the supernatural part that God became one of us. But let's not forget the supernatural part that God became one of us. The eternal, infinite, transcendent, all-knowing, eternal, omnipotent. God became human being. The creator became a one of his creations. He created the womb that gave him birth. Now, that blows your mind. We sing that song, right? But that's incredible Limited himself to some of the very same limits that we have Emmanuel, god, with us. This is a message that we need to get a hold of.
Speaker 1:John gives us this supernatural element of the Christmas story. Matthew and Luke give us the natural elements and details and they matter, like the manger, the couple, the baby, the wise men, and that gives you color for this story. But Jesus is the reason we have life and he's the only reason that others can have life. We talk about billions of people that don't know him right. Does this matter? It absolutely matters. When God sent his son on the earth to become one of us, he did it so that all people would come to him, and this is made clear in Revelations.
Speaker 1:Here in this passage we looked at where John described the scene in heaven where he says that there's people from every nation. There's another scene. Sorry, I forgot to click on that. There's another scene here is, and that is that God's heart is for the nations. It says worthy are you to take the scroll? This is John again talking, looking at Jesus. He was now worthy to take the lamb. It says worthy are you to take the scroll and open its seals? For you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language, and people and nation. The gospel has reached every country. So, according to the Joshua Project, there's about 7,000 unreached people groups that it hasn't even reached yet. So the harvest truly is great. Jesus became human for all humanity, but not all humanity actually even reached yet. So the harvest truly is great. Jesus became human for all humanity, but not all humanity actually knows it yet. Jesus died for all humanity, but not all humanity knows it yet.
Speaker 1:There are many religions around the world, people trying to get to God. They're drawn up by an intense desire to understand the life hereafter and try to make sense of it. And we have the answer. We have the answer. That's why the Christmas story has to go to every part of the world because we have the answer. This was so important that CT Studd gave up his career as a professional cricket player to go to China. This was so important that Annie Funk went to India. This is so important that Mukul gets on his motorcycle and drives 41 hours to a different area so that he can plant a church there in a couple years.
Speaker 1:And for the next part of the message here, I want to give you some reasons that actually matters. It's not an exclusive list, but it's someone I want to look at. We are commanded to go. We all know this. I don't think we can teach or preach a message on missions without this verse. And Jesus, right before he ascended, his last command and he said and Jesus came and said to them All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. This is a simple reason why and it stops short of why God wants us to go, but this is one of them. It feels like maybe the lowest common denominator. You know we go to. Well, god commanded, so we should. Right, I get that, but why did God command right? There's something more. I want to go here because worship is a goal. Look here in Psalm 96, verse 3, it says it says declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples Make. In Isaiah 12, verse 4,. Make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted. Romans 15, 9,. God sent Jesus on His mission in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy In Romans 9, 17,. He does His mighty works in history that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. There's a denominator here that ties all these passages together, and that is simply this Not only are we commanded to go, but it gives a reason why it's these. We are to do this so that God's name is proclaimed along all the world.
Speaker 1:Worship is a goal. You don't worship something you don't know. Worship is the goal. You don't worship something you don't know. You know Paul at Mars Hills. He said they had a temple to the unknown God and he proclaimed them to them. There's a desire, maybe, to know that, but you actually can't worship something you don't know, because worship is actually understanding. And the more we know of God, the more we will worship him. And there are people across the the more we will worship him. And there are people across the world that can't worship him. Missions exist because worship doesn't. There's still people, groups, that are not worshiping God. There must be motivation.
Speaker 1:I want to go to a quote from John Piper. This is out of his book Let the Nations Be Glad. It says missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn't. That's actually the reason why right Missions exist because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more, but worship will go on right. It'll go on throughout eternity. If we think about this being one of the motivations, we'll think very different about missions.
Speaker 1:If worship is a goal, then the local church needs to be the primary instrument. You think about that? The local church needs to be the primary instrument. Paul understood this. Wherever he went, he planted churches. The local church is designed to act as a gathering place of God worshipers on this world.
Speaker 1:In Romans, chapter 11 and 12, paul speaks about the shift that happened after Israel rejected Messiah. Jesus had some Messiah. Paul laments that and he goes on, though he pivots and he talks about the fact that the Old Testament, god actually had favor with the nation, but after Pentecost this changed and now God's favor doesn't rest on any state anywhere. It rests on what? On the church. The church is actually the primary change agent of the entire world and this actually matters because the church should take the energy and it is a way that we go throughout all the world and we change. You can bring social justice to bear, you can make laws and you can do all sorts of things, but unless people's hearts get, you can get all excited about bringing people water, and that's awesome, bring them water, but by bringing them water and giving them food doesn't bring them to Jesus Christ. All you've done is made them comfortable on a way to eternity without God. They need to know that God exists and he cares about them.
Speaker 1:We just came through another very messy election cycle and some people get very worked up about the state of America and its direction right, but we live in a New Testament era. Folks, god I want to be. I just I get really frustrated by people not understanding that the change in this world needs to be through the church. It is not the state and we live here, but we understand that our allegiance is to Jesus Christ and his word. And if we'd get so excited about the church and then our priorities would change, we realize that we can do everything we can, but unless we are bringing people the gospel, it doesn't matter what happens today. We have to bring them the gospel.
Speaker 1:The end goal is worship. The greatest need of every human being on the planet is change brought about by the gospel. The end goal is worship. The greatest need of every human being on the planet is change brought about by the gospel. The gospel changes life. The gospel is a way that we combat evil. Mercy from God through Jesus. When we see the salvation we have, we will worship. If your acts of mercy and your human activity that you do are not designed to make much of Jesus Christ and to introduce him to every person you meet, you're not a merciful person. Because Jesus changes lives. You can reach out to the hurting. You can end the slave trade. We need to help the hurricane victims and we need to help the immigrants at the border, but unless there's a purpose of bringing the gospel to these people, where their lives can be changed, then all you've done is made them comfortable.
Speaker 1:Missions happen because worship doesn't. The other reason that we have to have missions is because there's salvation in none other. Jesus is the only way to God. Here in Acts 4, verse 11 and 12, it says this Jesus is a stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone, and there is salvation in no one else. That's the only way to God, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by where we must be saved. He goes on in John 14, verse 6, and this is Jesus talking. He said I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me there's only one way, emmanuel, god with us, and the miracle of Christmas is that Jesus came down and showed us a way. Without this miracle, our redemption story isn't possible. Without this truth, we'd be creatures without being able to go get back to God. The other reason for missions is because every church needs a mission and vision that's bigger than just itself.
Speaker 1:There are three core reasons that a church exists. If you look at the New Testament in Acts, the first one is to glorify God to the praise of His glory. We look at Ephesians 1, it talks about the fact that we exist as a church to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 3, verse 8 to 11 also talks about this idea that we're not going to do a deep dive here, but the church exists to glorify God. That's one. The second one is to equip the saints. In Philippians 4, it talks about the fact that we're called to build each other up. It says it gave the apostles, the prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers why? To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. So that's number two. So there's two reasons there. The third reason that the church exists is to call all people to worship. This is the Great Commission.
Speaker 1:Paul wrote to Romans that while he and he wrote the whole book of Romans, while he was on his way to Spain and he talks about this, he said we've been given this incredible gift of reconciliation. He goes on here this is in Romans 10. I'm going to read here it's in Romans 10, 11 to 17. It says, for the scripture says Everyone who believes in me will be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jews and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call upon him. And then it goes into here it says For how will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe on Him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach, except they be sent. It is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, for they have not all obeyed the gospel.
Speaker 1:For Isaiah said Lord, who hath believed what he has heard from us, we've been given an incredible blessing and purpose. This is one of the primary ways that the world sees the gospel. There must be goers and there must be senders. Come back to the whole purpose of the church. Right One is to glorify God. Other one is to equip the saints. The third one is to go into all the world. And there's three options here, really. It says there must be goers, there must be senders, or you're disobedient. That's actually what it says. It says that we need to go. We're either called to go, or you're called to send, or we're being disobedient.
Speaker 1:In 2 Corinthians it makes that very clear. He says all this from God who, through Christ, reconciled us to himself and gave us a ministry of reconciliation that in Christ Jesus. In Christ, god was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespass against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. God gave to us the idea that we should be priests and bring other people to worship, because we are ambassadors for Christ, god making his appeal through us, and I think sometimes we'll get this idea that if we're to be, you know, we are stewards of the gospel and if we're to be senders, we have to do this really great thing. That's not the case. There are times when we actually need to have a sending thing and actually go or have someone from our midst going. But being senders simply means praying for the people that are going. It means reaching out and encouraging. It means creating a network and culture of seeing problems much bigger than our own and recognize that there's a lot of people that need a lot of help and that we actually have the christmas story right. Uh, that in this whole idea, the story of jesus becoming down to us, we're given, we're stewards of the gospel, we're given this ministry of reconciliation.
Speaker 1:Not all people know this story. There are still worshipers missing around the throne. Remember, missions are not the ultimate goal. Worship is. But when men are not worshiping, then missions must exist to bring men into relationship with God. Psalm 22, verse 27 says All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and the families of the nations shall worship before Him. Our desire for missions needs to grow out of our worship of Christ. We need to have a deep connection with Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:So this Christmas season, when you think of Jesus coming to earth, remember the story in John, as well as the story in Luke. Think of the manger and the stable and the no room in the inn. That's fantastic. Remember that. But remember that God. Jesus became one of us so that we would have something to give the people. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and many people don't know it.
Speaker 1:So Grace Point exists right to glorify God. Grace Point exists to edify and build each other up, but Grace Point also exists to spread the news of Jesus Christ throughout the entire world. And I don't know what role you have there we don't know but we know that it is part of your call, right, and if your desire is that you thrive, then you must have a purpose that's bigger than the people that just attend here. It always is. It has to be bigger than ourselves. We get this and it must be synchronized with the mission that Jesus had for his bride Make the bride beautiful, every tribe and nation, his people around the world united in worship. That is the goal of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Let's pray, god. We thank you for your love. We thank you for the people here this morning. Lord, I pray a blessing on this church. I pray a blessing on everyone that comes through here, lord. I pray that, as they understand your story and how you became one of us, that they could also look out and say there's other people around us. Maybe it's people in Dover, maybe it's people at work, maybe it's people across the world that are not worshiping and they have connections with the people here. Lord, I pray that this church house would be an outpost for the kingdom of God and I pray a blessing here today. We pray through Christ, amen.