To those ministering to resistant peoples… (continued)

A follow up from the last post, we are trying to answer the question, “Is the usefulness of a life in direct parallel to the number of people I stand in front of every Sunday?”

Written to encourage myself and my brothers working especially on Muslim fields but also those other fields of the world that seem as slow as mud like Western Europe and other “Missionary Graveyards”.

4. Can you leave the results to God? And the glory of the results to God?

Everyone wants to eat bread that’s already cooked but few are willing to invest the years planting and plowing in hope that wheat will grow so that you can harvest it, grind it, and finally cook it. Do you need to fill your pews with people who have hopped into your church from the church down the street to feel purpose in life?

Next time you are in your church, look around you. How many people have a parent who was a Christian before them? How many of them were saved before they were 15 years old? How many of them had a grandma praying for them to be saved long before they believed? Then come with me to my city. You won’t find anyone that I know of (out of 1 million people) who have Christian parents. The rate our crowd will grow is slower because there is much less witness.

As my friend and mentor Austin Gardner has often said, “Our responsibility is to obey, His is to give the fruit.” Trust God that he WILL bring fruit in his time to His work. Don’t loose hope or whine that you work on a “hard” field. But remind yourself that God WILL do a great work. This city will never be the same after I leave it!

5. Examine your methods

Sometimes we accuse a people group of being resistant to the gospel when in truth they are resistant to us! Maybe your wife glares at everyone who comes. Maybe your meeting place is a dump. Maybe your music is the only thing uglier than your meeting place. Maybe your language is so bad that they have no idea what your saying? Maybe you sit at home playing computer games and chatting on Skype with friends back home till noon?

Here are some questions we all must ask ourselves:

What could I do to get the Word out more? I’ve never seen a fish jump in a boat. But I have sat in a boat all day with my dad with only two strings in the water and caught just a couple fish. Could I put more poles out? Could I use a net? Am I utilizing every possible tool in the search for what works best in this culture?

We have found that internet is a great way to find those interested in the Gospel here in North Africa. It may not be necessary in China but here it has catapulted our ministry years ahead of where it would have been otherwise. We’ve seen people saved and baptized and churches started through the internet outreach alone. What might work in your country? Maybe those little pink and grey tracts aren’t cutting it in your culture? Maybe?

6. See a crowd by faith that you may never see with your eyes

If you can only serve a God who can bring you a visible crowd then you’ll never serve by faith and never please God. Faith is not sight. Once it becomes sight it is no longer of faith.

Some men won’t ever stand in front of a large crowd of the people group God has given them to work with. If a man dedicates his wife to evangelizing Saudi Arabia, the chances are he’ll never stand in Mecca at the pulpit of the First Baptist Church and preach to a crowd of hundreds (or even one!). But what an amazing and wise use of a life to poor it out as  love sacrifice to the Savior on the greatest “enemies” of the cross of Christ on the globe today!

Jim Eliot and Nate Saint never saw the first Auca come to Christ. He never saw the first church meeting. He never sang with them. Never prayed with them. Never stood in front of them and led an invitation. But what an amazing meeting they are going to have when all the spear carrying Auca’s are gathered together at the throne of the Lamb to worship Him in their tongue. Jim will be there. And he’ll be SO happy that he didn’t seek crowds but God’s glory.

I have NO idea how big a crowd God will allow me to pastor. Right now it just hit double digits and we’re PUMPED! Maybe we’ll get kicked out before we ever hit triple digits. Maybe. Who knows? Only God. And He has called me and I believe with all my heart that these guys we are training will pastor hundreds. Together in heaven we’ll all gather with everyone who had part and no one will be looking at a pulpit. No preacher will feel like “the big shot” as he spins his brilliant oration. But we’ll all be lifting up holy hands to our Savior singing, “Worthy is the Lamb to receive honor, and power ,and riches, and glory for ever and ever.”

I see by faith an immense crowd that has come out of the darkness of Islam. It may take years after my death or the whole of my life but it will happen. Can you see that crowd? If not, you aren’t serving God in faith.