OUTLINE

I. Introduction

II. Facts

III. Fallacies

IIII. Conclusion

From THE DAILY TELEGRAM p1; vol. 8 no. 102; Torrington, WY.

BOBCAT TAKING SURVIVAL TRAINING

KANSAS CITY, MO (AP) --- A bobcat turned wimp is being sent to Texas for survival training.

The 35-pound male cat has been in captivity at the Swope Park nature center since September, when it blithely entered a home. Naturalist Kevin Hogan said

the cat, which obviously had been around humans, was as tame as a domestic cat and would not survive if placed back in the wild.

We will return to the bobcat later.

This is one of the dangers of capturing and keeping animals. they can not be safely returned to the wild. They can't survive.

It is not unlike Lot in the Old Testament. The city drew him in and trapped him - even when he was taken out of Sodom he lived as the sinful citizens lived!

I. Introduction

There are some in Christian circles that are working to bring foreign mission dollars home to home missions. This is understandable due to the great hardship of raising funds for home missionary work. It is not Biblical, however. The Lord has the world in view as He tells us to go with the Gospel.

Some accuse the foreign mission people of being to high priced and not producing enough fruit. We sat across the table from a man at dinner in Pennsylvania that was very concerned with the high cost per convert ratio in foreign missions. I am not sure how he decided that you could put a price on a soul. He was not sure that it was wise for the church to send people out and spend that much money when they aren't winning souls. It costs thousands of dollars for one soul to be won he said. This man was very serious and very concerned about the problem.

I had a mind to read the great commission to him as adapted by his thinking and attitude. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, if it gets to expensive to go just stay home and continue to heap the Gospel upon those that are saved and those that have heard it dozens of times, even unto the end of the age."

Yes, the man is concerned about costs, yet there are so few that are concerned about souls. Yes, we need to be frugal with our monies, but we are also told to "go". The cost does not change nor negate the commission to go.

I would like to contrast this man's thinking to the thinking of the missionaries of the past that have really and truly had excesses in their lives, excesses that make one wonder where the real missionaries of our own day are.

II. Facts

1. J. Hudson Taylor: Great man of faith. Trusted God to supply the need for he and his family and then for another worker, and another, and another until his entire mission was supported by faith. He went against the standards of his day and received much ridicule yet prospered for God.

Hudson Taylor - born 1832 in England - Wanted to be a missionary at 5 years of age.

O.K. Parents - how have we done in this area?

His father influenced him greatly in this. He was saved at 17. He fell in love with a woman that was not burdened for China as He was. "I know I love her. To go without her would make the world a blank." His commitment to God was first - they did not marry.

In Later years his frustration was similar to mine today. In speaking of China, "More than 1000 every hour are passing away into death and darkness." His frustration - if he had 1000 evangelists each reaching 250 people a day China could be evangelized in 3 years. Not so today.

I feel a close kinship with his frustration. I've been challenging churches with the facts and figures of our own generation for eight years plus and see no more reaction and change than Taylor saw.

His work resulted in a peak of 1,368 missionaries on the field under his mission in 1934. He died in 1905 at 73. His condition - "severe mental and physical exhaustion"

David Brainerd: A man that had as his entire desire to reach the American Indians of colonial days for the Lord. "He spent his life for that cause. At the age of twenty-nine, after a mere five years of missionary work, he died as a result of his strenuous labors. Brainerd's place in history is based largely on the tremendous inspiration his personal life has had on others."

His diet for many months was Hasty-pudding - you know we used to sing about it and always wondered what it was. It isn't pudding that mom made in a haste. It is oatmeal or flour boiled in water. His diet was hasty pudding, boiled corn and bread baked in ashes.

The following quote mentions two things of this man. He was committed to the work by the traveling he did. He was committed to the Indians. "My work is exceeding hard and difficult: I travel on foot a mile and a half, the worst of ways, almost daily, and back; for I live so far from my Indians."

He was plagued with sickness and problems throughout his ministry. His final end is not a pleasant one. After spending the winter in the home of a pastor-friend in New Jersey, Brainerd traveled to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he spent his last months in the home of the great preacher and scholar, Jonathan Edwards, whose daughter, Jerusha, he hoped to marry. This dream, however, was never realized. For nineteen weeks Jerusha tenderly nursed him, but to no avail. He died on October 9, 1747. The following Valentines's day Jerusha joined him, dying of consumption that she apparently contracted from him." (consumption is tuberculosis)

When I think of men like this the Psalmists thought is very clear to me. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Ps. 116:15 The death of all the saints is precious, yet one must think that the Lord must really rejoice to reach down and take someone that has been through so much and take him home to glory!

William Carey: Born into a poor family Carey became a cobbler or shoemaker. He worked to support himself while preaching at small Baptist churches as a layman. He became convinced that it was the churches responsibility to reach the heathen with the same life transforming Gospel that had saved him.

He wrote a booklet giving forth his view to a church that felt that the heathen were being killed off to make way for the white man. The heathen had no right to, nor reason for wanting to hear the Gospel. This was in the late 1700's.

The title of his book is very interesting though somewhat off the subject of our line of thinking. I'd like to share it with you just for information's sake.

"AN ENQUIRY INTO THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTANS TO USE MEANS FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE HEATHENS. IN WHICH THE RELIGIOUS STATE OF THE DIFFERENT NATIONS OF THE WORLD, THE SUCCESS OF FORMER UNDERTAKINGS, AND THE PRACTICABILITY OF FURTHER UNDERTAKINGS, ARE CONSIDERED, BY WILLIAM CAREY"

His thinking led him to prepare to go to India. This was met by great opposition from his father that thought him mad and his wife that refused at first to go with him. His wife later went insane and was a constant burden to his ministry. He did most of his preparation and translation work in the room next to hers. She was literally mad and raving.

He lost many translation works and manuscripts in a large warehouse fire. He went back to work and did the work all over again.

His life is tied up in a statement of his own, "I, however, never intended to return to England when I left it, and unless something very unexpected were to take place, I certainly shall not do it....My heart is wedded to India; and though I am of little use, I feel a pleasure in doing the little I can."

Adoniram Judson: He and his wife arrived in India in 1812. After long and hard work in reaching the people he was imprisoned due to a war in the the land. A quote will give you some insight to his time in prison. "The missionaries were confined with common criminals in a filthy, vermin infested, dark, dank prison house, with fetters binding their ankles. At night the [guards]... hoisted the ankle fetters to a pole suspended from the ceiling, until only their shoulders rested on the ground. By morning the weary prisoners were numb and stiff, but the daytime offered them little relief. Each day executions were carried out and the prisoners never knew who would be next."

He contemplated suicide at one moment when things were looking the worst.

In the mean time his wife with child was bribing the guards for visits with her husband. After the birth of the child both his wife and child became sick and ultimately died. He remarried and the second wife died after awhile and he married a third time. His third wife went through her own set of trials as well.

A final quote will end our look at the Judson's. "Adoniram and Emily served three years together in Burma. The birth of a baby girl brought happiness to them, but much of the time was marred by illness. In the spring of 1850, with Emily soon expecting another child, Adoniram, who was seriously ill, left on a sea voyage, hoping to recover. Less than a week later, he died and was buried at sea. Ten days later Emily underwent a stillbirth, and not until August did she hear of her husband's death." She returned to America with the remaining children to make a home. Her health was poor and she died three years after her husband at age 36.

Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth: The Goforths ministered in South East Asia. They were very effective in their lives and basically wore out in their old age. "...Goforth, at seventy-three, kept up his hectic pace of revival meetings. Even after being stricken with blindness he continued his ministry, aided by a Chinese assistant. At the age of seventy-four he returned to Canada, where he spent the last eighteen months of his life traveling and speaking at nearly five hundred meetings. he carried on to the very end, speaking four times on the Sunday before he peacefully died in his sleep."

Carey lived to age 73.

Taylor lived to age 73.

Judson lived to age 62.

In more recent days I have heard accounts that would be less troublesome than the lives that we have just heard, yet just as hurtful to families.

A Young family was surveying a possible location to begin their work in the jungles. The whole family was in an airplane when it crashed. All but one small boy was killed. The tribe of Indians that found the boy was well known for their hatefulness toward outsiders, however they took a liking to the little boy. They informed the outsiders of the boy being alive and allowed other missionaries to come in to get him.

Through this contact the tribe was reached with the Gospel and many were saved.

We heard a missionary several years ago talk of the tribe he worked with in South America. They had been among the Indians for a number of years with no success. They had not been able to share the gospel fruitfully at all. One day their child was swimming in the river and was killed by an alligator.

The couple was able to go through the experience with the peace of the Lord and the Indians began to ask questions. The gospel went forth and many were saved.

There are many others that could be mentioned both past and present. People that have taken their commission to go to the world seriously. These are people that hold Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; and Rom. 12:1-2 as something to be lived and not just read.

Missionaries of the past counted the cost of missions and went anyway.

Today many count the cost and find it to high a price to pay, so settle into an occupation and a comfortable church and do little!

Due to the labors of the Taylors, the Judsons, the Careys, the Goforths and the modern day Elliots many souls have entered into eternities glory.

Not because of the missionaries great works, but because of their willingness to go!

None of these did anything but serve the God that did mighty things through them. God said of the great people of faith listed in Hebrews chapter eleven (38) "Of whom the world was not worthy."

A human estimation on my part would be that the people we've looked at in this study were also people "Of whom the world was not worthy."

Just walking by faith.

Are you what you ought to be for God? Are your Christian instincts beginning to click?

You have heard a lot of info about missions. You have heard the same information that others have heard over the years. Each of us is responsible for what we have heard - seen and studied.

The people of the past had, as you now have, responsibility for what they knew. You now know and are responsible.

Not only is there responsibility but there is accountability for what you do or don't do. Since you will be accountable, then it is wise to act upon your knowledge.

Today we know that in crimes and accidents the public doesn't want to get involved. There was the report of the brutal beating and murder of the young woman a few years ago outside a crowded apartment building. No one wanted to get involved.

There was a young woman attacked and raped repeatedly in a crowded bar while all present looked on. No one wanted to get involved.

We become indignant when we hear of such coldness yet we know that most of the world is lost and on its way to hell, yet no one wants to get involved.

Folks! We are involved and God is going to hold us accountable for how we react to our knowledge.

Right now it is your turn to act upon what you know.

Responsibility and accountability require action. What is your action going to be? You might act by getting involved in missions in your church. You might get involved in prayer for missions. You might get involved or further involved in giving to missions. You might get involved by going to the mission field - summer - Short term - Full time!

The point is that action is required.

A little boy came to me one morning in a worship service and was talking about a new parrot in their house. There was excitement plus in his voice. His body was even getting into the descriptions. His father quietly informed me that the parrot was only a toy.

AREN'T WE LIKE THAT? GET EXCITED ABOUT A TOY MISSIONS PROGRAM, GET EXCITED ABOUT A PROGRAM THAT REALLY ISN'T DOING ANYTHING EXCEPT MAKING NOISE AND INTEREST FOR THOSE AROUND IT?

III. FALACIES

The fallacy that we can be our own person and do our own thing is something that we have acquired from the world that we tend to mimic instead of reach. The fallacy that we can work in our own desired field of business or occupation is again something that comes from what the world has told us. We are first to check with God as to His wishes and desires for our lives and occupations.

Adam was told by his creator that he was to tend the garden. Adam did not turn to his creator and say, "I'm sorry God, that I don't have time to become a gardner. I'm going to be a computer programmer." As He leads and directs so go we, is the original idea of things.

The fallacy that God's commands and instructions are multiple choice and/or optional is not from the Scripture, but from the philosophical nonsense that the world is giving us. The fallacy of morals, sex, ethics etc. are again not from the God of the universe but the from the world.

Let me now read a text for you. "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2 Don't be conformed to this world. That is a statement of fact. Indeed are we not conformed to the world.

So many times we are so close to the world that no one can tell us from the world. People should be able to look at us and tell that we are something special - something that is not of this world.

Are we not told to be the salt? How can you tell if something is salty? It tastes flat. People should be able to tell that we are around. Are we not told to be the light? How can you tell if there is light in the room. WHAT A DUMB QUESTION! People should be able to tell that you are light!

Matt. 5:13-16 talks of our being the salt of the earth and that we are to show forth to the world around us. The men that we have heard about today were certainly light and salt to the world in which they lived. The question today is not about them but it is about you.

IIII. Conclusion

You are also to be salt and light. How do you measure up to the standard that has been set before you today?

We are told that Paul was to be an example to some of the people that he ministered to. How do you compare to Paul today? Is it a comparison that you even want to think about today? The apostle Paul went through many, many trials of his own and yet counted it worth it all. He was in the business of serving His Lord and Master. If you are a servant, then you do those things that your Master asks you to do.

What those things are or how hard they are is really not a part of the decision. You do it because you want to be the best servant that you can be.

(From THE DAILY TELEGRAM p1; vol. 8 no. 102; Torrington, WY.)

BOBCAT TAKING SURVIVAL TRAINING

KANSAS CITY, MO (AP) --- A bobcat turned wimp is being sent to Texas for survival training.

The 35-pound male cat has been in captivity at the Swope Park nature center since September, when it blithely entered a home. Naturalist Kevin Hogan said

the cat, which obviously had been around humans, was as tame as a domestic cat and would not survive if placed back in the wild.

Hogan said the feeble feline was being sent today to real bobcat experts," Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc. in Boeme, Texas.

The 8-to-9-month-old cat will be removed from human contact and placed among other cats on a 75,000-acre refuge in northwest of San Antonio.

"It's not difficult as long as they're fairly young, less than a year," said Kathleen Dowling, assistant director of the refuge.

"The instincts click when they get around other bobcats," she said. "All the memories come rushing back."

To summon up its feral instincts, the cat will be fed small rabbits, rodents, chickens and other birds it would catch in the wild.

"We want them to learn to identify these animals as food and not just as toys," she said. "When he is showing typical wild bobcat behavior he will be released."

I dislike the term wimp which means "a weak or ineffectual person" according to Webster, but his account reminded me of many Christians. We are tame and domesticated as far as the world is concerned.

Christianity as a whole is a wimp - we aren't up to the struggle of the wild world.

I would that someone could get our instincts to click! We need to be prepared to show typical Christian behavior!