The Motive of Missions (15 minutes)
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14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Explain: How there are fewer people surrendering to the mission field.
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Explain: The example of the Moravian missionaries.
The story begins when Protestant refugees from the Catholic country of Moravia, following the legacy of reformer John Hus, came to Germany and settled on the land of Count Zinzendorf.
The community of about 300 people was soon attacked by division and disagreement, and the 27-year-old Zinzendorf cried out to God for reconciliation and revival.
1727 the small community of 300 started a round the clock prayer vigil…with one person praying for an hour at a time.
They based the prayer meeting on Lev 6:13
13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
This prayer vigil would go on unbroken for the next 100 years.
God gave this group a great revival that led to one of the most powerful examples of Christian missions that we have in history.
Count Zinzendorf their leader, was a man with a tremendous burden to see the lost saved around the world and his motto was, “I have one passion; it is for Jesus, and Jesus only.”
The community became greatly burdened for taking the gospel to the unreached people of the world.
After one message on missions and a call for laborers, 26 men came forward to go to out as missionaries to the unreached places of the world.
Keep in mind they were a congregation of only around 300. This is almost a full 10% of their church surrendering to go.
A seal was designed to express their new found missionary zeal.
The seal was composed of a lamb on a crimson ground, with the cross of resurrection and a banner of triumph with the motto; “Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him.”
The Moravians recognized themselves as in debt to the world as the trustees of the gospel.
Over the next 65 years, this small group of believers would send 300 missionaries all over the world.
William Carey, who is known as the father of modern missions, was deeply inspired by the example of the Moravians and took their prolific missions activity as a personal challenge:
Carey said, “See what the Moravians have done! Cannot we follow their example and in obedience to our Heavenly Master go out into the world, and preach the Gospel to the heathen?”
The Moravians had a powerful influence on the birth of the Great Awakening, too.
John Wesley, one of the leaders of this revival that hit the UK and the American colonies in the 1730s and 40s, was shocked and marked by witnessing the faith of the Moravians amid a storm at sea, and went on to fully trust Christ for salvation under their preaching.
Wesley lived with the Moravians at Herrnhut for several months, and the impact they had on him was carried over into his leadership of the Methodist Revival and the Great Awakening alongside Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, in which tens of thousands were powerfully convicted of sin and surrendered to Jesus.
One of the most powerful testimonies amongst the many Moravian missionaries happened in 1732.
In 1732, five years after the initial prayer revival, two Moravian tradesmen, 36-year-old David Nitschmann and 26-year-old Johann Leonhard Dober, became the first missionaries to leave Herrnhut.
They heard of the plight of African slaves on the island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean, and how there was a spiritual hunger but they had no one to share the gospel with them.
They determined to go by any means necessary, even when they were told they would have to sell themselves into slavery in order to minister among the slaves.
As they stood on the ship departing from the wharf, looking for what they believed to be the last time of the faces of their loved ones, they raised their fists and cried, “MAY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING.”
The Moravian’s passion for souls was surpassed only by their passion for the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
These missionaries understood the true motivation that is needed to truly fulfill the great commission…the love of Christ.
The apostle Paul was probably the greatest missionary that ever lived, and here he also reveals his primary motivation for doing all that he did.
The Love of Christ constraineth us.
We must have a burning passion in our hearts not just for the lost souls, but even more so for our Savior Jesus Christ.
Example: Paris Reedhead and how God showed him that the primary reason that God sent him to Africa was for His glory.
This is what the end result of missions is…the glory of Jesus Christ.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
The fruit of missions....souls from every people, tongue, and nation, will stand in heaven and praise Jesus Christ for all eternity.
That is the endgame folks…the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It is really that simple folks.
Oh that God would give us again that passion for the Lamb of God that the Moravian missionaries had, that the apostle Paul had, that so many great men of God have had in the past.
Folks the great commandment must be our motivation if we are to make a difference in missions.
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
We must be motivated by a love for the lost … that is your neighbor as thyself.
Be even more than that, we must be motivated by a burning passion for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Example: How Christ rebuked the church at Ephesus because they had lost their first love.
Why are we missionaries on the mission field…because of Jesus Christ.
The love of Christ constraineth us.
Example: I am in Colombia not just for the Colombians, not even primarily for the Colombians. The main reason I am there is because my Savior told me to go.
I am there for my Lord Jesus Christ.
Example: The guy that told me I was a fool for going and my response.
We want to lift Him up, He is worthy to be preached to the Colombians and every other people around this earth.
And why do you as a church have a missions conference and get behind the great commission with your prayers and support?
You must do it, because of Jesus Christ.
Love makes all the difference.
Example: The little girl holding her brother
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Explain: How no one should feel sorry for a missionary, because in obeying Christ and going to the mission field, we have seen that His commandments are wonderful, they are not grievous.
Being a missionary is the greatest job in the world.
I believe that God wants to even call someone in this church during this conference to go be a missionary in the harvest field.
If He calls you, please, trust Him.
But in order for that person to respond and obey, they must be motivated as Paul was by the love of Christ.
May we turn our eyes this week upon Jesus.
May we consider Him, who endured the cross.
And may we be motived by love…for the lost world, but even more so, for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
MAY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN, RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING.