Thailand Trip & Christian Job Description

Introduction

Thank them for the opportunity to talk about Thailand

Talk about the honor it is to be able to speak at Selma after attending there for so many years

Introduce yourself: John Ravan, serve as a deacon at East Cooper Baptist Church in Charleston, SC.

Introduce Michelle: Missions associate at ECBC

Go through full description of flight experience and getting to Thailand

Started in Charleston Airport at 6 AM

Charleston to Atlanta, about 1 hour flight

Atlanta to South Korea, 16 hour flight

South Korea to Bangkok, 6 hour flight

Landed in Bangkok at about 9 PM their time

Exchanged $500 of USD for Thai Baht

Gathered our luggage

27 hours of flight time and we haven’t slept yet

Meet our long term partner at the airport

3 hour travel time from the airport to the hotel

https://vimeo.com/246274747

There is no God

I can control my own destiny

Shaped by superstition

Held captive by fear of spirits

Filled with suffering and hurting people

To be Thai is to be Buddhist

There was no true Buddhism. Just cultural sayings that were passed down and had no truth. I couldn’t even find a Tripitaka or Sutra. More animistic than anything.

Many cultural Christians do the same thing. They define their God as they see fit. They say things like, “I don’t believe my God would do....” and you fill in the blank.

Lobby with 3 guys that speak Thai

Why are we there? (besides the Gospel)

Talk about Joshua Project

ASEAN, founded in 1967 to replace the Association of Southeast Asia, brings together Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Talk about the layout of the course, why it’s important, etc.

One class in the morning

One in afternoon

Half of the class is teaching english, book structure

Vocabulary

Grammar

Sentence Structure

Games

The other half is Chrisitian worldview

Walk through Gospel presentation worldview

How did I, John Ravan, end up in Bangkok, Thailand?

Some would say a “leap of faith” but that suggests that it’s unknown as to whether God will sustain us.

leap of faith - an act of believing in or attempting something whose existence or outcome cannot be proved.

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Scripture is very clear that when we are within God’s will, God will be there to nourish and guide us.

Scripture is very clear that when we are within God’s will, God will be there to nourish and guide us.

us.

Psalm 84:11 ESV

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Talk about mini-series on God’s will and how we debunked the usual means by which christians sometimes try to seek God’s will. 1989 movie “Field of Dreams”. James Earl Jones, Kevin Costner, 1919 Chicago White Sox.

The two most important questions we’ll ever answer

1.) Is there a God?

2.) Has he spoken?

If so, whatever he as revealed is of the utmost importance. That’s why we, as believers in Christ, have such a high view of Scripture. We believe it to be the spoken Word of God and from this is where we determine God’s will for our lives.

So was the trip to Bangkok, a leap of faith? Absolutely not.

Tell your testimony

Walk the aisle at a young age

Wasn’t saved

Followed Jared

Continued in sin through high school and college

Met a friend in college that introduced me to my current church

Only went when I was feeling a guilt trip

For me, it was a checklist

Finished college

Started my career

Got married

Bought a house

Join a church?

New member’s class

We were baptized

180 Change - repentance

I grew - M2M table, bible studies, my desire for missions didn’t grow immediately

I really thought my calling was the local church

Started reading...

Still didn’t captivate me, was a tinge in my heart

Christian Job Description

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on 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 the Great Commission

Talk about the Dignity of work. We were given a job description but our Christian Job Description

We must make disciples that know Christ. Good behavior is not enough.

Talk about how the Thai people are the nicest people I have ever met, yet it is not enough

Video Thoughts

Video Statements

https://vimeo.com/246274747

There is no God

I can control my own destiny

Shaped by superstition

Held captive by fear of spirits

Filled with suffering and hurting people

To be Thai is to be Buddhist

There was no true Buddhism. Just cultural sayings that were passed down and had no truth. I couldn’t even find a Tripitaka or Sutra. More animistic than anything.

Many cultural Christians do the same thing. They define their God as they see fit. They say things like, “I don’t believe my God would do....” and you fill in the blank.

Talk about Moralism is not the Gospel

Romans 10:14–17 ESV

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:14-

“I am the way the truth and the life, no man come to the Father but by me”

Laughter Challenge

In , we see the Lord establishing his covenant with Abram and Sarai

Genesis 17:15–17 ESV

And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Genesis 17:15-17

Talk about Michelle having handouts for anyone interested

Some of you this will mean

mission trip

sacrificially giving

$500

$50

$5

sacrifice your time by serving

sharing your testimony with a coworker

sharing Christ

Talk about Ju

Talk about Michelle having handouts for anyone interested

Walk through the handout