The majority of cities and villages in the world that remain unreached with the Gospel are in such a condition in part because they are resistent to the Gospel. Islam is the largest religious group of unreached peoples and Hindus make up the majority of what is left of the task of world evangelism. So we are beginning to focus on those places with no churches in the Muslim and Hindu world as missions-minded churches and missionaries. That is good. However, along with this invigorating goal of reaching the last of the unreached comes great discouragement at how their religions have prepared them against the Gospel.
Working now for five years in North Africa I have gone through my own struggles with discouragement and frustration with these people and now I am watching my friends go through it. The tendency is to blame ourselves (our lack of a winning personality or strategy) or blame them (in the sense that they’ll never be reached). However, there are a few lessons I have learned that have helped keep my mind focused on the task and my heart encouraged. Because with a discouraged heart, a mind cannot concentrate effectively.
Lesson #1: Rejoice in the Sowing
The main text to be considered is Ecc. 11 (at the bottom of this post). With zeal the new missionary starts sharing Christ with his Muslim friends around him (or at least he should). Within the first two years, if he dreams are dashed in the harsh reality of the harvest. We don’t sow today to reap today. We sow today to reap tomorrow. Tomorrow in terms of real harvest happens once a year. Tomorrow in terms of reaching people for Christ may come next year, may come next term, may come after I die.
So what? Am I to work sad and discouraged until I SEE the fruit the sowing?
No! Faith is not sight! Faith says, “Rejoice now with every seed you sow knowing that God will bring a harvest.” Doubt in God says, “Well, I’m giving this guy the Gospel but he probably won’t respond. Few every have.” A new church in a Muslim city with no church will take great faith! It will take the same faith on our part to plant that church as it will take on the part of the Muslim who leaves every social blanket he has to come to Christ.
So rejoice. Everyday leave your home and share Christ. Try 100 different ways to do it. Try all these ways on all different earth around you: rich people, poor people, students, laborers, bums, everybody! And rejoice while doing it because God is going to bring fruit and fruit that remains. He has promised. The gentiles will hear! (Acts 28:28) So, off to give some Bibles out now…
Ecc 11: Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.