XXXI. MISSIONARY WORK
`And He said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. And they went forth,
and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by
the signs that followed.' -- Mark 16:15,20
Every friend of Jesus is a friend of
missions. Where there is a healthy spiritual life, there is a love for the
missionary cause. When you consider the reasons of this, you obtain an insight
into the glory of missions, and into your calling to embrace this cause as
apart of your soul's life. Come and hear how much there is to make missionary
work glorious and precious.
1. It is the cause for which Jesus left the
throne of heaven. The heathen are His inheritance, given to Him by His Father.
It is in heathendom that the power of Satan has been established. Jesus must
have Himself vindicated as the conqueror. His glory, the coming and
manifestation of His kingdom, depend on missions. (Isa. 2:8; Matt. 24:14;
28:18,28; Mark 13:10; Luke 21:24; Rom. 11:25)
2. Missionary work is the principal aim of the
church on earth. All the last words of the Lord Jesus teach us this. (Mark.
26:15; Luke 24:47; John 27:18; Acts 1:8) The Lord is the head and He has
made himself dependent upon His body, upon His members, by whom alone He can do
His work. (1 Cor. 7:21) As a member of Christ, as a member of the church,
shall I not give myself to take part in the work, that this goal may be
reached?
3. It is the work for which the Holy Spirit was
given. See this in the promise of the Spirit: in the leading of the Spirit
vouschafed to Peter and Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 1:8; 11:12,23,24; 8:2,4;
22:21) In the history of the Church we find that times of revival go hand in
hand with new zeal for the missionary cause. The Holy Spirit is always a holy
enthusiasm for the extension of the kingdom.
4. Missionary work brings blessing on the
Church. It rouses to heroic deeds of faith and self-denial. It has furnished
the most glorious instances of the wondrous power of the Lord. It gives
heavenly joy over the conversion of sinners to those who watch for it with love
and prayer. It cleanses the heart to understand God's great plans, and to
await the fulfilment of them in supplication. Missionary work is a token of
life in a Church, and brings more life. (Acts 14:287; 15:4,5; Rom. 11:25,33;
15:10; Eph. 3:5,8,10)
5. What a blessing it is for the world. What
would we have been, had not missionaries come to our heathen forefathers in
Europe? What a glorious blessing has onto missionary work already won in some
lands? What help is there for the hundred millions of heathen, if not in
missions? (Isa. 49:6,12,18,22; 54:1,2) Heaven and hell look upon missions as
the battlefield where the powers of Satan and of Jesus Christ encounter one
another. Alas! that the conflict should be carried on so feebly.
6. There will be a blessing for your own soul
in love for missionary work. (Prov. 11:24,25; Isa. 58:7,8)
You will be exercised in faith. Missionary work
is a cause for faith, where everything goes on slowly, and not according to the
fancy of men. You will learn to cleave to God and the word.
Love will be awakened. You will learn to go out
of yourselves and your little circle, and with an open eye and a large heart to
live in the interests of your Lord and King: you will feel how little true love
you have, and you will receive more love.
You will be drawn into prayer. Your calling and
power as an intercessor will become clearer to you, and therewith the
blessedness of thus co-operation for the kingdom. You will discern how it is
the highest conformity to Him who came to seek the lost, to give up your own
ease and rest to fight in love the fight of prayer against Satan in behalf of
the heathen.
Young Christian, missionary work is more
glorious and holy than you suppose. There is more blessing in it than you are
aware of. The new life in you depends upon it more than you can as yet
understand. Yield yourself up anew in obedience to the word to give missions a
large place in your heart; yes, in your heart. The Lord Himself will further
teach and bless you.
And if you would know how to have your love for
missions, as the work of your Lord, increased, attend to the following hints: -
Become acquainted with the missionary cause. Endeavour by writings and books
to know what the condition and need of heathendom is; what, by the blessing of
the Lord, has been already done there; what the work is that is being done now.
Speak with others about this cause. Perhaps there could be instituted in your
neighbourhood a little missionary society. Perhaps one of your
prayer-meetings, say, once a month, could be set apart for prayer in behalf of
the missionary cause. Pray also for this in secret. Let the coming of the
kingdom have a definite place in your secret prayers. Endeavour to follow the
material for prayer in the promises of the word about the heathen, in the whole
Scriptures, especially in the prophet Isaiah. (Isa. 49:6,18,21,22; 54:1,3;
60:1,3,11,16; 62:2) Give also for missions: not only when you are asked; not
merely what you can spare without feeling it; but set apart for this cause a
portion of what you possess or earn. Let the Lord see that you are in earnest
with His work. If there is missionary work that is being done in your
neighbourhood, show yourself a friend to it. Although there be much
imperfection in that work, -- and where is there work of man that is perfect?
-- complain not of the imperfection, but look upon the essence of the cause,
the endeavour to obey the command of the Lord, and give your prayer and your
help. A friend of Jesus is a friend of missions. Love for missionary work is
an indispensable element of the new life.
Son of God, when Thou didst breathe Thy Spirit upon Thy disciples,
saying, `Receive ye the Holy Ghost,' Thou didst add: `As the Father hath sent
Me, even so send I you.' Lord, here am I: send me also. Breathe Thy Spirit
into me also, that I may live for Thy kingdom. Amen.
1. `Unknown makes unbeloved,'
is a word that is specially true of missionary work. He who is acquainted with
the wonders that God has wrought in some lands, will praise and thank God for
what the missionary enterprise has achieved, and will be strengthened in his
faith that missionary work is really God's own cause.
Among the books that help to awaken interest in
missions are biographies of missionaries. `The life of Henry Martyn' is one,
formerly issued by the Book Society. `Uncle Charles' is the name of a book
with an account of missionary work in South Africa. Some books on missions are
generally to be found in our Sabbath school libraries.
2. We should never forget that the missionary
cause is an enterprise of faith. It requires faith in the promises of
God, in the power of God. It has need of love -- love to Jesus, whereby the
heart is filled with desire for His honour, and love to souls, that longs for
their safety. It is a work of the Spirit of God, `whom the world cannot
receive': therefore the world can approve of missions only when they go forward
with the highest prosperity.
3. Let no friend of missions become discouraged
when the work proceeds slowly. Although all baptized men are not converted,
although even amongst the converts there is still much perversity, and some
fall back after a fair professions. Amongst our forefathers in Europe, a whole
century was occupied with the introduction of Christianity. Sometimes a nation
received Christianity to cast it off again after thirty or forty years. It
required a thousand years to bring them up to the height at which we now stand.
Let us not expect too much from the heathen at once, but with love and patience
and firm faith, pray and work, and expect the blessing of God.