At first glance, one might think from the title that this
article will fail to promote a healthy interest in missions. Who would be
interested in biblical and Reformed missions if he is told that it is a humanly
impossible work from many perspectives?
Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to remember that the work of
faithful missions, including its important result of positive fruit, is truly a
wonder of grace alone. Faithful missions is the wonder-work of the sovereign
Lord of the harvest, in which the faithful missionary is only a servant and a
tool in His hand.
Due regard to the impossibility of missions does not hinder
support or interest in it. It will not drive a missionary to quit, nor produce
pessimism about missions. Instead, it gives a missionary a proper direction,
realistic expectations, a humble attitude, burning motivation, and sustaining
encouragement in his labors.
The labors of a missionary are demanding. He must “preach
the Word” (II Tim. 4:2a), which requires that he study the Word of God and
rightly divide the Word of truth for faithful, expository , Christ-centered,
and edifying preaching within the context of his field of labor. He must preach
the Word in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with
all longsuffering and doctrine (II Tim. 4:2b).
The missionary must serve the Lord with all humility of mind
and faithfulness of heart in the work. He must testify “...repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:19-20). He must in all
his teaching and preaching not fail to declare “all the counsel of God” (Acts
20:27). He must apply the Word of God to those who are in his audience and not
fail to warn them of idolatry, heresy, false doctrine, radicalism, and
ungodliness. He must call sinners to repentance from their sin and to faith in
the only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The missionary seeks to fulfill his work after the example
of the apostle Paul, who testified about his work that “though I be free from
all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more...
I made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I
do for the gospel’s sake that I might be partaker thereof with you” (I Cor.
9:19-23). He crosses the cultural and economic boundaries as best he can to
prevent unnecessary hindrances to the hearing of the gospel.
When we consider his demanding duties, it should become
clear to us that a missionary faces an impossible task. This becomes even
clearer when we notice that, as the Lord sends His servants through His church
into mission endeavors, He charges them essentially with the same charge He
gave to the apostle Paul: “...unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes,
and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:17b-18). What missionary of himself
can do that?
If a missionary, particularly in a foreign work, might
forget the human impossibility of missions, then it will not take long for him
to be reminded. For example, some missionaries are met with hostility by those
who refuse to turn from the darkness of their false religion and idolatry,
seeing the messenger of Christ as a serious threat. As a result, we know that
missionaries have suffered death for the sake of Christ.
More commonly, there are other daily realities that a
missionary probably did not think much about before he came to the foreign
field. There may be for him the daily reality of a language barrier, if he does
not enjoy complete fluency in the local language of his field of labor. He may
experience occurrences of miscommunication due to differences in ways of
communication. He may have day-to-day irritations of living: air pollution in a
major city, roads choked with traffic, time consumed in perplexing traffic jams
or in seemingly endless lines at government offices, and such like things.
Compared to former experience in his home country, his family’s simple trips to
a grocery store or bank in his foreign field of labor now consume much more
time than expected. His work output, which previously in his home country may
have been quite high, may drop due to unexpected demands from daily life in his
mission homeland.
Perhaps when he preaches there are irritations of the tropical climate
that sap his energy for the preaching and the energy of the congregation or
mission group for their full attention. During worship he may experience the
irritations of interruptions and distractions from the noise of passing trucks,
muffler-less motorcycles, farm-tractors, barking dogs, crowing roosters,
cackling hens, the deafening noise of an afternoon downpour on a tin roof, and,
sometimes, loud karaoke music from ungodly neighbors. With all of the
disruptions and distractions, he may well wonder in discouragement in his work
is effective.
If he is a western missionary, having come from a relatively
affluent country and laboring in a place that has lesser wealth, he faces the
reality of unfamiliar poverty. He will feel constantly the economic differences
between himself and those among whom he labors and among the world in which he
lives. This in itself brings an element of daily stress, concern, and
responsibility in his labors.
The faithful missionary soon faces the reality of his own
limitations. While he may want to preach far and wide and take on a massive
load of mission work, his unique set of God-given abilities allows for only a
limited workload. Especially in his times of sickness, he has time to reflect
on his human limitations, his weaknesses, and the human impossibility of
missions.
Even a calling church faces the impossibility of missions
when calling a missionary. A calling church faces the question: will it be this
call, the next one, or the next one after that, that results in a favorable
answer? There are many factors and considerations that go into a call. Whether
a minister accepts the first, second, or twelfth call of the calling church,
that acceptance of a mission call is a remarkable work and gift of the Holy
Spirit.
When a missionary considers that the work of missions is to
bring sinners to repentance from their sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
he realizes that he cannot open one heart to receive that Word. He cannot make
the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk in
the ways of God. He cannot breathe true life into a dying, withering soul. He
cannot make lost sinners into saints, unbelievers into believers, lost sheep
into repentant sheep, and the proud into the humble. It is humanly impossible
to create that good fruit.
There are a multitude of things that are necessary to make
this entire, spiritual enterprise of missions do what Christ promised that it
would do and to make it possible for His servants to fulfill their mission
duties. When one considers carefully all of the aspects of missions- from the
calling of a missionary, to the moving of a missionary to the foreign field, to
the establishment of a missionary in is work, to the actual preaching and the
hearing of the preaching, and to many more factors and elements in missions
besides- we need to realize that foreign missions, like the ministry of the Word
in a local congregation, is a humanly impossible enterprise.
How should we respond to this reality? Our response might
often be discouragement. Lofty expectations may have been dashed. Repeated
calls to the mission field are repeatedly declined with repeated
disappointment. The direction desired for important aspects of the work may
often take unexpected turns. Unanticipated problems seem to interrupt progress.
All of these things can add up in a missionary’s mind and heart, and he can be
tempted to thoughts of quitting. He may feel as Elijah did, when the aftermath
of the display of Jehovah as God alone on Mt. Carmel was not immediate and
dramatic national reformation of Israel. It appears that even the apostle Paul,
when facing hardened and fierce opposition to his initial labors in Corinth,
and experiencing some discouragement before the hard reality of missions,
perhaps contemplated heaving Corinth and going elsewhere (Acts 18:8-10).
Our response should be, among other things, that we reckon
that missions is humanly impossible, and that the struggles and problems one
faces underscore that fact. We need to reckon with that reality, lest we
become proud when there are positive results, lest we quit when anticipated
results do not materialize, and lest we forget the extent of our dependence
upon Jehovah for faithful missions.
We must also remember God’s promises in connection with
missions, and remember that God is willing and able to fulfill those promises
for the sake of Christ. He knows that He has His sheep and lambs in this global
city (Acts 18:9-10). He will gather those other sheep that ye must be brought
under the rule of His grace, Spirit, and Word. Concerning His promises and
commitment to them, “is anything too hard for Jehovah?” (Gen. 18:14a). No. What
remains impossible for faithful missionaries to do is possible with our
covenant God.
Often the work of foreign missions does not grow in grand,
staggering leaps of progress. Often the work progresses slowly, with periodic
setbacks; yet is is nourished and nudged forward by the still small voice of
the foolishness of preaching. The work often begins in a humble way, which the
Scriptures admonish us not to despise, because God has chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of
the world to confound the things that are mighty (Zech. 4:10; I Cor. 1:27).
What is the reason for that with respect to missionaries? The reason is, that
no flesh should glory in His presence (I Cor. 1:29)- particularly when we
observe that the Lord is using us to gather His people into the fellowship of
His truth.
The wonder-work of missions is entirely dependent upon
Jehovah from beginning to end. That truth gives missionaries incentive to do
their work faithfully, within their limitations, and in their particular field
of labor. They have the confidence that, by His Holy Spirit, the Lord will
direct the preaching where it needs to go. He will make sure that His chosen
people among the nations hear His Word at the right time and place for their repentance,
faith, and salvation. That encourages missionaries, and even those who support
and oversee them in the mission work, to give their best efforts in the service
of the Lord, not doubting the value and usefulness of their instruction,
sermons, advice, discussions, decisions, and labors. It encourages missionaries
to fervent trust in Christ for His indispensable blessings unto faithfulness in
the service of Christ.
Even though what will remain day after day is impossible of
ourselves, yet day after day missions is possible for our God in and through
us. Daily He will add to His church such as should be saved (Acts 2:47b). By
His grace, Jehovah will draw unto Christ His elect out of their sin and depravity
from all of the different cultures and nations of the world, and create them as
one body in Christ and His truth. It is possible for Him to do that through the
foolishness and weakness of the preaching of His glorious Word.
What a wonder of God’s grace alone to behold!
What a blessing it is to be involved in His wonder-work!
To God alone be the glory because He makes the impossible
possible!
Rev. Richard Smit
The Standard Bearer (Nov. 1, 2014), Vol. 91, No. 3, pp.
66-68
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