“Missions is
not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because
worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate,
not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall
on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary
necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal
of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring
the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions
is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.” – John Piper Let
the Nations be Glad!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Below is a sermon I preached in 2015 in Thailand)
Two questions we are often asked:
1.Why did you want to be a missionary.
2. Why did you choose Thailand.
I hope during this time of sharing with you that 2 things will happen:
1. You will see and believe that God uses the weak to accomplish his work
2. You will see that God gives his people specific desires to accomplish His mission.
- So I will start with answering the 2 questions that were given to me. First being why did I want to be a missionary?
- Actually I never thought I wanted to be a missionary. The first time I came to Thailand was in 2009 with a short term team. On that trip I never imagined that I would return to Thailand and someday be a missionary here.
- But God had big plans for a trip that I thought was so small. It was life changing for me and my family.
- So back in 2009 our short term missions team went to Ubon Ratchathani for about 3 weeks to teach English and Basketball in a small village.
- After we finished our English teaching and sports training we had the opportunity to share with the students and some of the monks the gospel.
- That opportunity forever changed my perspective of missions. I have heard there are people in the world that have never heard the gospel, but that time was the first time for me to see it in person.
- It broke my heart, and from that moment on I had a passion to share the good news about Jesus to people who otherwise would never hear.
- Scriptures I had read before burned in my heart a new way and conviction and desire came.
- Ex: Romans 15:20-21 “20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
- Romans 10:13-15 "For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 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!”
- Let’s read that verse again and let it sink even deeper into your heart.
- I pray that God will call men and families from this church to go and make disciples in areas that have so few.
- Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"
- Isaiah 6:8 "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
- God speaks to us through His Word, He uses His Word to call us to go.
- After we returned to America from Thailand in 2009, God continued to use stories in the Bible and verses like these to stir my heart towards missions.
- At that time it was like I had a fire inside my bones that I couldn’t tame.
- (Jeremiah 20:9) "If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."
- In other words when I don’t mention God or speak about Him to others I have this fire in my heart and its contained in my bones. It burns I can’t hold it in any longer.
- I felt like my love and passion for the villagers in Ubon Ratchathani was going to cause my heart and bones to split wide open. I couldn’t stop thinking about them and wanting to be with them and share with them who God is and what His love is like.
- So I had this fire inside of me to return to Thailand and share with these sweet people about the hope, love, and salvation that Jesus has for them.
- But I had a problem. In my eyes I had two big problems that would keep me from ever being a missionary, which were my age and my speech. Let me explain.
- I hope by sharing my weaknesses you can relate and see how God can use them for His glory.
- Problem #1 Speech I was the kid in school who did horrible in speech class and would get really sick if I had to get in-front of others to speak.
- My thought was I could never become a missionary because they get before people and speak all the time, and most have to do so in another language!
- But the more I read the Bible my mindset changed about my weaknesses.
- I hope yours will too with me.
- For example I remember reading (and still often do)
- Exodus 4:10-12 This is where God is calling Moses to go to Egypt and free the Israelites. God had a mission for Moses. Listen to Moses response:
- Moses excuses are focused on mans ability: Exodus 4:10 "10But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
- You want a man who can’t speak well to free several million slaves from one of the strongest cities of the world in that time? Really?
- God’s puts an end to Moses excuses Exodus 4:11-12 "11Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
- What a great promise! What a beautiful truth. God has made everything, controls everything, and has all power to help us complete the mission He has given us!
- We have no excuses. We have no lack of resources. We should march to our Egypt with unshakable confidence in God’s abilities.
- Here God showed me that he choses people who are weak.
- And now I’m learning why God does that.
- When a weak man does something great for God he gives all the praise and honor to God, because for him it is clear that God alone could have done that task.
- And also the weak man is a man of prayer, because He often goes to God for help because He knows he is unable himself to complete the hard task God has given him.
- Problem #2 My age was another area that I thought would hold me back from being a missionary.
- I worked in a church for about 3 years before we came to Thailand. I often had people tell me I was young. And it would take them a while to listen to and except what I had to preach because of my age.
- Example #1: We had a youth event, and one of the parents came and said they wanted to know who was in charge. Everyone pointed at me, but the parent laughed and said I thought you were one of the kids.
- True, I was young then and still am.
- Example #2: We would visit churches to raise support so we could come to Thailand. Many people were surprised and expressed their shock with me when they saw a kid take the stage to ask others to send him to another country.
- But again God encouraged me with what I found in His Scripture:
- Jeremiah 1:4-5 " 4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
- Is’t that amazing! God knew Jeremiah before he was even born. God appointed him to be the Lord’s mouthpiece to the nations.
- In other words He was chosen before He was even born to be a missionary to speak the Word of God to other nations.
- Same as Moses, Here is Jeremiah’s excuses: Jeremiah 1:6 “Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”
- God’s puts an end to Jeremiah's excuses also Jeremiah 1:7-8 "7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”"
- I have lost count of how many times I’ve gone back to read this verse for encouragement.
- God chose someone who was young to speak to the nations about the holiness of God and the love of God.
- So those are some verses in the Bible that have helped me and encouraged me to trust the Lord in coming to this country to serve the Thai people in missions.
- Maybe some of the things I have described is how you feel:
- Maybe you feel unable to serve God because you have weakness, maybe you lack the courage needed to stand boldly for God, or maybe you think your knowledge of God and the Bible is not enough.
- God can use you and grow you in the process.
- Be like Paul boast in that weakness and realize in that weakness you are strong.
- 2 Cor. 12:10: "10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- Now to answer the 2nd Question: Why did you choose Thailand?
- The simple answer is we didn’t choose Thailand.
- The story behind why my family is here all started back in 2008. Brittney (my wife) met a girl in a Bible class at her university.
- This girl invited Brittney to Thailand in 2008
- And in 2009, like I already mentioned, we both came to Thailand.
- From 2009-2013 (4 years) we were in Seminary trying to figure out what to do.
- The more I thought about and researched missions my mind started to change. There were months in our lives that we thought we were going to Africa to serve with our friend there.
- For almost a year we thought maybe God would want us to be in China, so we started attending Chinese bible studies and trying to learn Chinese.
- But during those four years of Bible learning and searching God made it clear to us we are suppose to be in Thailand.
- I will never forget the day that God did something supernatural to help us know we were going to Thailand. We had to pick the country we wanted to go to soon.
- One afternoon we went to a park in Dallas, TX. We walked all through the park. We didn’t say our prayers out loud, but we knew that each other was in prayer about this subject of what country to go to.
- When we got back into the car and were going down the street, at the exact same moment we looked at each other and in unison said… “We are going to Thailand.”
- It’s hard to describe the peace God gave us at that time and after. All we knew is it was his perfect timing in letting us know, and that he answered our prayers.
- Another reason we are here in Thailand is because of Jo.
- I met him at the Seminary we were going to in Texas. We were both students there together.
- Looking back I know God had a reason for us meeting. He was the first Thai person who attended our Bible school. I know that wasn’t a coincidence.
- And now we are working together. I look forward in supporting Him plant a church here in Thailand, and can’t wait to get started. We both have no idea what God has planned and will do. But that is exciting.
- So I don’t want to end with just speaking about my story and call to missions without you thinking about yours.
- How are you serving God right now?
- Has God called you to go or stay where you are?
- Are you using your gifts and talents to serve?
- Have you asked your pastor or church leaders how you can help?
- Do you know your weaknesses and strengths? God will use both.
- Do you pray specifically for missionaries you know and for church leaders?
- Have you prayed lately for God to give you the opportunity to share about Him?
- Do you try to maximize the message you have and minimize yourself the messenger?
- Is God calling you to go or to send others.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Below is a sermon I preached in 2015 in Thailand)
Two questions we are often asked:
1.Why did you want to be a missionary.
2. Why did you choose Thailand.
I hope during this time of sharing with you that 2 things will happen:
1. You will see and believe that God uses the weak to accomplish his work
2. You will see that God gives his people specific desires to accomplish His mission.
- So I will start with answering the 2 questions that were given to me. First being why did I want to be a missionary?
- Actually I never thought I wanted to be a missionary. The first time I came to Thailand was in 2009 with a short term team. On that trip I never imagined that I would return to Thailand and someday be a missionary here.
- But God had big plans for a trip that I thought was so small. It was life changing for me and my family.
- So back in 2009 our short term missions team went to Ubon Ratchathani for about 3 weeks to teach English and Basketball in a small village.
- After we finished our English teaching and sports training we had the opportunity to share with the students and some of the monks the gospel.
- That opportunity forever changed my perspective of missions. I have heard there are people in the world that have never heard the gospel, but that time was the first time for me to see it in person.
- It broke my heart, and from that moment on I had a passion to share the good news about Jesus to people who otherwise would never hear.
- Scriptures I had read before burned in my heart a new way and conviction and desire came.
- Ex: Romans 15:20-21 “20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
- Romans 10:13-15 "For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 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!”
- Let’s read that verse again and let it sink even deeper into your heart.
- I pray that God will call men and families from this church to go and make disciples in areas that have so few.
- Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"
- Isaiah 6:8 "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
- God speaks to us through His Word, He uses His Word to call us to go.
- After we returned to America from Thailand in 2009, God continued to use stories in the Bible and verses like these to stir my heart towards missions.
- Scriptures I had read before burned in my heart a new way and conviction and desire came.
- At that time it was like I had a fire inside my bones that I couldn’t tame.
- (Jeremiah 20:9) "If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."
- In other words when I don’t mention God or speak about Him to others I have this fire in my heart and its contained in my bones. It burns I can’t hold it in any longer.
- I felt like my love and passion for the villagers in Ubon Ratchathani was going to cause my heart and bones to split wide open. I couldn’t stop thinking about them and wanting to be with them and share with them who God is and what His love is like.
- So I had this fire inside of me to return to Thailand and share with these sweet people about the hope, love, and salvation that Jesus has for them.
- (Jeremiah 20:9) "If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."
- But I had a problem. In my eyes I had two big problems that would keep me from ever being a missionary, which were my age and my speech. Let me explain.
- I hope by sharing my weaknesses you can relate and see how God can use them for His glory.
- Problem #1 Speech I was the kid in school who did horrible in speech class and would get really sick if I had to get in-front of others to speak.
- My thought was I could never become a missionary because they get before people and speak all the time, and most have to do so in another language!
- But the more I read the Bible my mindset changed about my weaknesses.
- I hope yours will too with me.
- For example I remember reading (and still often do)
- Exodus 4:10-12 This is where God is calling Moses to go to Egypt and free the Israelites. God had a mission for Moses. Listen to Moses response:
- Moses excuses are focused on mans ability: Exodus 4:10 "10But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
- You want a man who can’t speak well to free several million slaves from one of the strongest cities of the world in that time? Really?
- God’s puts an end to Moses excuses Exodus 4:11-12 "11Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
- What a great promise! What a beautiful truth. God has made everything, controls everything, and has all power to help us complete the mission He has given us!
- We have no excuses. We have no lack of resources. We should march to our Egypt with unshakable confidence in God’s abilities.
- Here God showed me that he choses people who are weak.
- And now I’m learning why God does that.
- When a weak man does something great for God he gives all the praise and honor to God, because for him it is clear that God alone could have done that task.
- And also the weak man is a man of prayer, because He often goes to God for help because He knows he is unable himself to complete the hard task God has given him.
- Problem #2 My age was another area that I thought would hold me back from being a missionary.
- I worked in a church for about 3 years before we came to Thailand. I often had people tell me I was young. And it would take them a while to listen to and except what I had to preach because of my age.
- Example #1: We had a youth event, and one of the parents came and said they wanted to know who was in charge. Everyone pointed at me, but the parent laughed and said I thought you were one of the kids.
- True, I was young then and still am.
- Example #2: We would visit churches to raise support so we could come to Thailand. Many people were surprised and expressed their shock with me when they saw a kid take the stage to ask others to send him to another country.
- But again God encouraged me with what I found in His Scripture:
- Jeremiah 1:4-5 " 4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
- Is’t that amazing! God knew Jeremiah before he was even born. God appointed him to be the Lord’s mouthpiece to the nations.
- In other words He was chosen before He was even born to be a missionary to speak the Word of God to other nations.
- Same as Moses, Here is Jeremiah’s excuses: Jeremiah 1:6 “Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”
- God’s puts an end to Jeremiah's excuses also Jeremiah 1:7-8 "7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”"
- I have lost count of how many times I’ve gone back to read this verse for encouragement.
- God chose someone who was young to speak to the nations about the holiness of God and the love of God.
- Jeremiah 1:4-5 " 4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
- I worked in a church for about 3 years before we came to Thailand. I often had people tell me I was young. And it would take them a while to listen to and except what I had to preach because of my age.
- So those are some verses in the Bible that have helped me and encouraged me to trust the Lord in coming to this country to serve the Thai people in missions.
- Maybe some of the things I have described is how you feel:
- Maybe you feel unable to serve God because you have weakness, maybe you lack the courage needed to stand boldly for God, or maybe you think your knowledge of God and the Bible is not enough.
- God can use you and grow you in the process.
- Be like Paul boast in that weakness and realize in that weakness you are strong.
- 2 Cor. 12:10: "10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- Maybe you feel unable to serve God because you have weakness, maybe you lack the courage needed to stand boldly for God, or maybe you think your knowledge of God and the Bible is not enough.
- Actually I never thought I wanted to be a missionary. The first time I came to Thailand was in 2009 with a short term team. On that trip I never imagined that I would return to Thailand and someday be a missionary here.
- Now to answer the 2nd Question: Why did you choose Thailand?
- The simple answer is we didn’t choose Thailand.
- The story behind why my family is here all started back in 2008. Brittney (my wife) met a girl in a Bible class at her university.
- This girl invited Brittney to Thailand in 2008
- And in 2009, like I already mentioned, we both came to Thailand.
- From 2009-2013 (4 years) we were in Seminary trying to figure out what to do.
- The more I thought about and researched missions my mind started to change. There were months in our lives that we thought we were going to Africa to serve with our friend there.
- For almost a year we thought maybe God would want us to be in China, so we started attending Chinese bible studies and trying to learn Chinese.
- But during those four years of Bible learning and searching God made it clear to us we are suppose to be in Thailand.
- I will never forget the day that God did something supernatural to help us know we were going to Thailand. We had to pick the country we wanted to go to soon.
- One afternoon we went to a park in Dallas, TX. We walked all through the park. We didn’t say our prayers out loud, but we knew that each other was in prayer about this subject of what country to go to.
- When we got back into the car and were going down the street, at the exact same moment we looked at each other and in unison said… “We are going to Thailand.”
- It’s hard to describe the peace God gave us at that time and after. All we knew is it was his perfect timing in letting us know, and that he answered our prayers.
- The more I thought about and researched missions my mind started to change. There were months in our lives that we thought we were going to Africa to serve with our friend there.
- Another reason we are here in Thailand is because of Jo.
- I met him at the Seminary we were going to in Texas. We were both students there together.
- Looking back I know God had a reason for us meeting. He was the first Thai person who attended our Bible school. I know that wasn’t a coincidence.
- And now we are working together. I look forward in supporting Him plant a church here in Thailand, and can’t wait to get started. We both have no idea what God has planned and will do. But that is exciting.
- The story behind why my family is here all started back in 2008. Brittney (my wife) met a girl in a Bible class at her university.
- So I don’t want to end with just speaking about my story and call to missions without you thinking about yours.
- How are you serving God right now?
- Has God called you to go or stay where you are?
- Are you using your gifts and talents to serve?
- Have you asked your pastor or church leaders how you can help?
- Do you know your weaknesses and strengths? God will use both.
- Do you pray specifically for missionaries you know and for church leaders?
- Have you prayed lately for God to give you the opportunity to share about Him?
- Do you try to maximize the message you have and minimize yourself the messenger?
- Is God calling you to go or to send others.
- The simple answer is we didn’t choose Thailand.
No comments:
Post a Comment