TOUCH THE WORLD:
Perspectives on World Mission
Beulah Congregational Church
John Fanella
PREFACE
These talks were prepared for the Lenten season 2007. They were presented to Beulah Congregational Church, but are relevant to all Christians of all denominations. In my estimate these talks touch the vital nerve of the evangelical church in our generation—the nerve of unfinished mission.
My aim in these messages is more than informing Christians about other countries. It is, rather, to create “World Christians.” By this I mean Christians who are at once concerned for their own back yard as well as people groups across the sea. I believe this is the Spirit of our Lord Jesus, who was concerned about “
Of course these talks were originally just that—talks. I have attempted to edit my notes so as to be readable, but this is rarely a successful endeavor. Nevertheless, what follows should be able to be read and digested (and taught) with moderate ease.
I am deeply thankful for the Joshua Project and Operation World for many of the statistics and research that I site. Their work is without parallel in the history of world mission.
John Fanella,
Lent 2007
Congregational Parsonage
Beulah, ND
INTRODUCTION
Lent is a time to prepare for celebrating Easter. It often focuses on the theme of repentance and the sufferings of Christ on the cross. One of the things we often neglect when we think about Christ’s death is FOR WHOM DID CHRIST DIE? The answer is the whole world. But the condition is that the world must be told that Christ died for them.
So I wanted us to focus this year on where we are in telling the world that Christ died for them. That’s what mission is: Telling and showing the world that Christ died for them.
So over the next six weeks, we’re going to look at what’s happening in world mission. How are we doing with spreading the message? What has yet to be done?
The way we’re going to do that is by focusing on one major continent each week. Tonight we’ll focus on the world as a whole.
1. THE WORLD
It’s important that we not be in the dark about mission. I know we all have active lives right where we are. I know it’s hard to be concerned about anything but our own agenda and families and concerns.
But Christ has called us to be “World Christians” because heaven will be a world heaven. The Bible says there will be people from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people.
The Biblical Basis for World
John 3:16 – "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life."
Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
The Bible teaches that Christ came to die for the world, and that the world needs Him. We’re to have a concern for the salvation of all people.
Franklin Graham and others have taken much flack for saying publicly that the world needs Christ and must be evangelized. But He did not make that up. That’s what the Bible teaches.
Where Are We in World
Here’s a Staggering Question – What line is 50,000 miles long, reaches around the world two times, and grows a half mile every day? Answer: The number of unchurched people in the United States Alone (Lost in
The need of world mission is staggering. Yet, we have made great strides in carrying out the Great Commission. How are we tackling the enormous job or world mission today?
Reaching “people groups” not nations. We used to talk about reaching nations. Now we talk about reaching people groups. The church has realized that each nation has multiple kinds of people. There are multiple cultures, languages, beliefs, etc. There are approximately 12,000 identified People Groups in the world. To reach those people groups, we now have 201,000 missionaries serving in the world (25,000 missionaries in
AD 2000 and Beyond. In 1989, a significant movement began called AD2000 and Beyond. This movement unified the global mission efforts around the goal “The Gospel for every person and a church for every people by 2000.” AD 2000 taught us that there are not multiple missions, there is one mission. Thus the reason I say mission instead of missions.
The Joshua Project. A part of AD2000 was The Joshua Project, which sought to research and list the “Unreached People Groups” of the world. The Joshua Project identified app. 6,000 unreached people groups. 1,600 of those groups had a population of over 10,000 but less than 5% Christian. By the year 2000, 1,084 out of the 1600 had a church planting team, and 487 reported having at least one congregation over 100 people. Though the ultimate goal was not reached, AD2000 made significant advances of fulfilling the Great Commission.
So What’s Left? About 25% of the world’s population has not been reached with the Biblical gospel. The most strategic mission efforts are those focusing on that unreached 25%.
The 10/40 Window
The vast majority of the yet unreached people groups are in the “10/40 Window.” This is the part of the world that includes the Arab world, S/E/SE Asia, Sub-Sahara Africa, and the Horn of Africa. This is where the greatest need is, but it is also where the greatest difficulty is.
Five Challenges of World
The Pressure of World Leaders. So much of the success of world mission is the support or opposition of world leaders. Missionaries constantly face corruption, beauracracy, and even hate by political leaders.
Climate and Weather. There is an increase of adverse weather and natural disasters in the world. Missionaries are faced with having to combine humanitarian aid with preaching the gospel.
Disease and Famine. Aids, malaria, and other diseases are literally wiping out people groups. Food and clean water are luxuries that we enjoy, but in the world they are commodities. It’s estimated by 2025, that 3 billion people will have problems accessing fresh water. Again, missionaries must seek to meet these physical needs before they can focus on proclaiming Christ.
Spread of False Gospels. Remember that Bible-believing Christians are not the only ones seeking to evangelize the world. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other groups have aggressive mission work. In many ways, the Mormons are better missionaries than we are because they have figured out how to mobilize lay people. The problem is they have the wrong message. Another problem is the rapid spread of the health and wealth gospel. They control the airways, even here in the
Persecution of Christians. There are 74 countries in the world that openly persecute Christians. About 400 million Christians live in those lands. In
Thankfully, that’s not the end of the story! Jesus told Peter, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
Five Bright Spots of World
A major harvest is being won. Let’s play a little trivia: What country has the Church with the largest attendance in the world? It is
Evangelicals are expanding. There about 420 million evangelicals in the world. That’s almost triple what there was in 1960. This is largely due to training of national pastors. In
Church growth in persecuted lands. There are growing churches in place like
Failure of human ideals. Communism has fallen. Radical Islam is losing credibility. Many Buddhists are seeking other faiths (
Grassroots mission work. Thousands of local churches are adopting an unreached people group. They pray for that group. Support mission to that group. And go to that group. I would love to see us do this someday: adopt an unreached people group and seek to reach them.
Conclusion
Are you a world Christian? Buy a map and pray for the people of the world. Christ died for them. They’re just waiting to be told.
2.
Overview of
Africa can be described as Exciting but Dangerous.
Africa has 12.9 % of world’s population, though the population growth is decreasing rapidly because of AIDS.
33 of
Though 48 % of Africa is now Christian,
There are about 18,000 missionaries sent to
Obstacles in Africa
Aids now overshadows the future of the continent. 25 million infected with AIDS and 13 million orphans due to AIDS. Lowered immunity has made other diseases more prevalent. 6,000 people die daily. In
Political instability. Corrupt leaders and forced takeovers abound. There are some Christian leaders who have made their faith known and are attempting to reverse this trend. Example: President of
“We are conscious that we have put other gods before you and worshipped them…we renounces idolatry, witchcraft and Satanism in our land…covenanting our nation
But such statements make leaders targets for attack.
Deepening poverty. Bad agriculture, debt, corrupt rulers, natural disasters, disease, and war have all contributed to making
Traditional religions. Underlying much of African faith, even Christian and Muslim, is a value system steeped in ancient African ways. This includes things like ancestor worship, idol worship, witchcraft, and superstition.
Muslim-Christian hostility. There are a number of aggressive Islamist movements in
Opportunities in African
Rapid expansion of Christianity. Revival movements in East Africa,
Need for discipleship. The mass expansion of new converts has not been combined with sound teaching of the Bible. So many new Christians are still practicing the “Old ways” of witchcraft, etc. The only way to change this is to disciple new believers. Teaching them the basics of the Christian faith, Bible study, and basic doctrine.
Need for unity. There are 15,000 denominations in
Leadership training.
Need for Bible translation and media. There are 2,110 languages in
Conclusion
Africa is a complex field of mission. It is a prime example of the need for a "whole gospel" approach desribed in the Lausanne Covenant. That is a combination of spiritual and physical mission. The meeting of physical needs and the proclamation of spiritual need.
3. THE
Overview
Summary: Impressive but Ineffective. Everything in the
Bright Spots in American Mission
Evangelicals have grown in Latin America. In 1990 there were only 200,000 evangelicals in Spanish-speaking countries. In 2000 there were 50 million.
North America has had a major spiritual impact on the world.
An awakening among Catholics in the Americas. Through Bible translation and study, many Catholics have come to know Jesus Christ. The last Pope did much to call Catholics back to biblical faith.
Churches are growing among the Native peoples. Groups like the Quechua in the
The church is spreading in formerly hostile places, like Cuba. After decades of
Bible translation work has been successful. Wycliffe and others have translated the Bible into scores of indigenous languages.
Media has expanded. Christian radio organizations broadcast about 3,000 hours a week in Spanish, and 320 hours a week in Portuguese.
Challenges in American
The Christian heritage of the
The Church in
Social and economic injustice in Latin America. In the
Lack of Religious Freedom. In
Lack of Maturity. Much of the rapid growth has come from Pentecostal evangelism. They tend to emphasize conversion but neglect maturity and discipleship. Most churches in Latin and
Opportunities for
Unreached People Groups. There are 6 countries where Evangelicals are below 5%: Greenland, St. Pierre and Miquelon in
Mission to the Upper and Middle Classes in
The Urban Poor in
Students in Universities. Only a small minority are evangelicals, far smaller than the national average. Campus Crusade has targeted this segment, but more work is needed. Mostly we need college students who are grounded in their faith going into college who can have an influence among their peers.
Immigrant Communities. Nearly every significant country in the
Conclusion
What does all this mean? We live on the mission field. You don’t have to drive far to be in the middle of a mission. See your life as a missionary. When you leave this church, you are entering the mission field.
4.
Overview
Can be described as exciting but intimidating
Over 83% of the world’s population are Asian
Asia has 80% of the world’s least reached peoples
Of the Joshua Project’s 1,739 unreached people groups, 1,107 are in
The only continent where Christianity is not the largest religion. {Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism).
There are 29,000 missionaries in
Bright Spots in Asian
There are now 300 million Christians in
The Church is being established in formerly closed lands (
Explosive Growth in
Largest churches, largest Christian gatherings, largest seminaries but opened only a century ago.
Converting Muslims in
The first largely Muslim nation to have a significant turning to Christ.
A fifth of the population is Christian.
Christian Expansion in
Obstacles to
The biggest obstacle to missions in
What Muslims Believe
Belief in One God. Islam is a monotheistic religion. Muhammad proclaimed that Allah alone is God and that other idols were not to be worshipped. Muslims reject the Christian concept of the Trinity.
Belief in God's Prophets. Muslims believe that God sent many prophets to the nations to teach erring men his ways. The Great Prophets are said to be Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Each of these prophets is believed to have been given books which were God's word. The Qur'an (Koran) is believed to have taken the place of all previous revelations of God's will. Jesus is considered to be the greatest of all the prophets except for Muhammad.
Belief in the Resurrection and Judgment. It is believed that one day the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised and judged for their deeds. Muslims believe in paradise and hell, but they do not profess to know where they will go until the day of judgment. Only those who die as martyrs slain in the battle for Islam are considered to be granted immediate access to paradise.
Belief in the Qur'an (Koran). The word "Islam" means surrender, or submission, to the will of God. The religion called by that name emerged over 1300 years ago when Muhammad, a merchant from
Belief in Five Islamic Practices. The primary practices of Islam are the five obligatory "acts of worship", also called the "pillars" of Islam. They are:
Confession of Faith. The first pillar is to confess verbally that "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Apostle of God."
Ritual Prayer. These are the ritual prayers spoken five times a day, along with the correct postures, which all Muslims are expected to perform.
Required Alms. Muslims are expected to give a percentage of their possessions every year as a constant reminder that there are others in the world who are worse off than they are. The alms go toward helping those who are less fortunate.
The Fast of Ramadan. Muslims go by the lunar calendar, and so Ramadan moves every year. From sunrise to sunset, Muslims do not eat or drink. Smoking, sexual contact, swearing and anger are forbidden. The faithful are encouraged to use the month of fasting to draw closer to God, and to renew their spiritual strength.
The Pilgrimage. Every Muslim who can afford to and is not sick must complete a pilgrimage to the city of
What is Islam Missing?
Grace. “For by grace you have been saved, not by works…” Eph. 2:8-9. Islam is essentially a religion of works. They need to know the freedom of the gospel, where God gives man the free gift of eternal life.
Atonement. Heb. 9:26 – “Christ has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sins by the sacrifice of himself.” Islam is fueled by the need to purify yourself. But Christ on His cross has brought a once-for-all purification of sins. Muslims need the Savior
Love. 1 Jn 4:16 – “God is love.” The Muslim view of God is a stern deity who simply desires our submission. But God’s desire is to have a loving relationship with mankind, the way he created us in the garden.
5.
Overview
Summary: Great Culture, Bad Religion.
Population 725 Million (12% of world’s population)
Many ethnic groups and ideologies. They are center of the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformation, but also humanism, secularism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, and Nazism.
71% of the population professes to be Christian. The problem is what defines a Christian in
There are 16,000 missionaries to
Bright Spots in European
The Roma (gypsies) have been turning to Christ in
Muslims in
Former Communists in
Obstacles to
Loss of the younger generation. The youth are the least likely to have connection to Christianity in
Liberal Theology and Post-Christian culture. Most of the mainline denominations were crippled by the loss of confidence in the Bible and the uniqueness of Christianity. Now
Hang-ups from their past. Especially in central and
Oppression from Catholics and Orthodox. Catholics in the west and Orthodox in the East tend to marginalize evangelical mission efforts. Protestants and Catholics do not get along.
The Rise of Islam in
Opportunities for
Re-evangelization of
400 non-Christian people groups in
Immigrants in
Apologetics and Cultural Engagement. Europe, like
Outreach to Youth. Christianity among European youth is regarded as the remnant of a past age that hinders progress. New Age, eastern religions, and the occult are captured the minds of European youth. Drug and alcohol abuse and suicide are common.
Conclusion
Europe is a good example that our Christian past does not guarantee our future. If we don’t think mission, think spiritual death.
6. THE PACIFIC
Overview
When we think of the Pacific, we think of exotic islands or Crocodile Hunter. But we should think of mission. The Pacific is one of the greatest mission success stories in the world.
Summary: Reached but needs revival.
Pacific is made up of 29 Countries, including
Lowest mass of people. They have 0.5% of the world’s population. About 31 million people.
Has six megacities (population over a million), 5 in
68 % are of European descent (English Penal Colonies). The rest are black, Asian, and Polynesian.
In every country except
There are 4,100 missionaries serving in the Pacific.
Bright Spots in Pacific
The strength of Christianity in the Pacific. The Pacific was one of the first to be evangelized by Protestant missionaries. By the end of the 19th Century most of region had converted to Christianity. The islands of
Christianity has spread in movements. Whole people groups and islands have turned to Christ. This is happening today in
A Revival of mission vision. In the 1990s,
Obstacles to
The weakening of Christian heritage and values. There are signs of weakening in the church, especially in
Immaturity in the island nations. There has been inadequate teaching, especially in the areas of biblical living and values. This has led to a problem with combining Christianity with cults.
The spread of Mormonism. The Mormons have targeted this part of the world. Many of their converts have been Protestants who were not grounded in their faith.
Lack of Evangelical unity. There is a network that pulls evangelicals together. It is called The Evangelical Fellowship of the South Pacific. But it struggles with a low degree of cooperation from denominations.
Lack of mission vision. Though there is a mission renewal going on in
Opportunities for
Unevangelized tribes in
Re-evangelization of islands with few evangelicals. New Calcedonia,
The Indians of
The Chinese immigrants. There is increase in Chinese immigration. On the islands, they are coming as low-paid labor. In
Bible translation. Hundreds of smaller language groups are still without their own translation of the Bible.
BE A WORLD CHRISTIAN!
*Most of the statistics and research in this series are from Patrick Johnstone’s book, Operation World and the Joshua Project.
