Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret - Chapter 16

type names in chat for attendance

Evangelism Videos

Subject: salvation (2 scriptural references)

Potential Topics

How to be saved

Why I am glad I am saved

What many don’t understand

My salvation testimony

Procedure

make a script and turn it in so that I can make suggestions/correction

sign up for a recording date (after church, beginning in June)

practice and be ready (words, hair, clothes)

Chapter 15 Recap

peace and joy despite many trials and tribulations

Learned that no matter what happens, keep coming to God in faith for every situation!

do it continually, make it a habit, just like we drink water everyday

and the scripture promises that he will satisfy your soul, so much so that you will have water to overflow to others

Taylor lived this out in 1870!

young son died

had to send three remaining children back to England

riots and threats of riots happening all around

His wife got pregnant again, but the baby died, and she died (33) soon after

personal illness

Favorite Quotes from Chapter 16

Sharing Time

p. 190 - “it is no small comfort . . .”

p. 195 - “Though things are sadly discouraging

Narrative of Chapter 16

Again, Hudson Taylor has established this organization, China Inland Mission, whose goal is to evangelize China

There are two main sides of ministry (this includes churches, charitable organizations, Christian schools)

administrative (operations)

the ministry work /service

The Bergers do the administrative

Hudson Taylor - directs the missionaries in the field

The Bergers, the people in charge of the administrative side of the ministry, got sick, so Hudson Taylor head back home to London.

So Taylor took on both of the main roles: administrative role and directing the missionaries Despite that difficulty, he felt called to expand the vision

After year and a half returned to China: had some help on the administrative side, but they had very little money,

Things were so bad when he got back that he didn’t have time to think about expanding, just trying to save what had already been established Got remarried and worked on current problems but kept the vision alive to expand, wrote prayer in bible

Soon after, Taylor got sick and funds got super low (how is that for a prayer response from God)

But God blessed a man to send a lot of money for the express purpose of expansion of the ministry . . . and the money was sent before Prayer in the Bible was written!

Trials continued, no surprise

Taylor got news that a faithful worker was very sick, and he headed back to London to see her, but she died before he could get back, and by the time he got back he experienced partial paralysis because of a fall

But he did not give up hope, and he did what he could.

did more work on the administrative side

Him and his new wife gave a lot of their personal money to fund the vision

Article in paper about their mission work caused volunteers to come to help him. And despite his paralysis, He got a tremendous amount of work done because of all the volunteers

money was tight, but God always provided: chapter mentions a couple of miracles that came in with just the right amount king of money

Finally had the funds and people to expand in China, and he had recovered, but there was England and China suffered broken relations. So there was a chance of war, Foreigners being put out, England calling all citizens in China home . . .)

People told him not to go, but wait to see if things would be settled

By faith, he decided to sail to China anyway, and prayed about the situation on the way. By the time he got there, the hostilities had been worked out, and they could begin the business of expansion!

two lessons from chapter 16

God is already on the case!

When I know Peyton and Ken are coming over for the weekend, this is what I buy (show slides)

because I love them, because I know them, because I know what’s coming (talk to parents ahead of time), I know what they will want

so money is put in the bank, then I order it, then I place them fridge/pantry . . . . All they know is that when they ask for it, it is here

before they asked me, I was already on the case. I am steps ahead of them

while they were at school on Friday, I was already preparing things for Sunday after church.

God is able to do that for us, provide the answer/solution, before we even call on Him

Isaiah 65:24 NASB95

24 “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

They money Taylor needed was sent, before he even wrote the prayer down in his Bible

Let that encourage your faith:

What you are going to ask for, God is already working on!

God is already on the case!

whatever you are dealing with now, God has already finished it. It’s done!

lesson #2

All things work together for your good!

do you really believe that?

How do we act when we . . .

get a shot from the doctor

hard workout in the gym(sweating and muscles hurt)

send your hard earned money to the phone company . . .

why do we do those things? (reluctantly, but we do them)

because we believe that the pain will work out for our good:

we trust the doctor, the gym process, trust the phone company

we trust that despite the pain and suffering, that things will work out down the road (healing, health, a phone that works)

let’s give God that same trust

Think of a bad/tough situation you are in right now: finances, relationship, health, trouble . . . God WILL make that work for you!

so face it with faith!

Romans 8:28 NASB95

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

the only caution - this promise is to those who trying to serve God, live out the calling on their lives, live for God

Hudson Taylor being stuck in bed with partial paralysis worked out for his good - it helped him to really get the administrative side of the ministry working really well right (he had no choice but to focus on administration, and then God sent so many volunteers)

that groundwork help pave the way to expansion

goes back to my favorite quote on page 190

where I am

as I am

I usually am not satisfied with either

don’t like the situations

feel inadequate to deal with it

but take comfort that God is in control and knows what he is doing

He will work THAT (whatever THAT is) for your good. YOu just concentrate on serving Him

questions and comments

Announcements

Going to Waxahachie this Sunday

shortened Service, then to Waxahachie (only time this year so far where there has been a extra service)

God’s Master Plan for the family - you can start submitting questions, I won’t tell whom