Share Jesus!

2 Tim 2:1-2; Phil 2:5-11                                                         October 5, 2003

   You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. [2] And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

CCI: The call of God’s church is a call to share Jesus, the Goal of God’s creation is that one day we will all confess Jesus.

Intro: This month we are focusing on the international missionary effort of our church. Currently, American Baptist Churches directly support 149 missionaries. The goal of our International Ministries department is to help American Baptist Churches fulfill the mandate to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and deed beyond the boundaries of the United States.

         Giving priority to evangelism, leadership development, and programs leading toward increased self-support, International Ministries is involved in overseas mission work in dozens of countries in Asia, Africa, Central and South America and Europe.

         International Ministries relates to more than 500 educational institutions and 125 hospitals and medical facilities. Our missionaries work in partnership with some 15,000 trained national workers, who serve about 22,000 congregations and nearly 3,000,000 baptized members.

         This mission is geared to taking Paul’s admonition to Timothy seriously. The things you have heard from me, entrust to reliable people who will also teach others. This is the strategy that has guided the Church of Jesus Christ for 2,000 years.

         In 1792, William Carey, the first Protestant Missionary, wrote a book entitled “An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens.” This book challenged Christians to take seriously the Great Commission of Jesus to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.”

         The message spread and Christians began to look at the world as their mission field.

         About the same time, a precocious 3 year old, by the name of Adoniram Judson learned to read, and soon was able to read chapters out of the Bible. His parents, devout believers were thrilled. His father hoped he would follow him into pastoral ministry, but Adoniram wanted more. He hoped to write immortal poems like Homer and conquer worlds like Alexander the Great.

         While a student at Providence College, he became close friends with a brilliant young man named Ernest. Ernest was an atheist who could argue his case before anyone. Adoniram learned well from his friend and soon could answer any question about religion that arose. His father was disturbed, but his mother simply wept.

         In a short biography by Eugene Myers Harrison, we learn that One day he set out on horseback on a tour of adventure through several states. One night he stopped at a country inn. Apologetically, the landlord explained that, there was only one vacant room, and it was next to a young man who was extremely ill; in fact, probably dying.

         "I'll take the room," said Judson. "Death has no terrors for me. You see, I'm an atheist."

         Judson retired but sleep eluded him. The partition was very thin and for long hours he listened to the groans of the dying man -- groans of agony and groans of despair. "The poor fellow is evidently dying in terror. I suppose I should go to his assistance, but what could I say that would help him?" thought Judson to himself; and he shivered at the very thought of going into the presence of the dying man. He felt a blush of shame steal over him. What would his late unbelieving companions think if they knew of his weakness? Above all, what would witty, brilliant Ernest say, if he knew? As he tried to compose himself, the dreadful cries from the next room continued. He pulled the blankets over his head but still he heard the awful sounds and shuddered! Finally, all became quiet in the next room. At dawn, having had no sleep, he rose and inquired of the innkeeper concerning his fellow lodger.

         "He is dead." "Dead!" replied Judson. "And do you know who he was?"

         "Yes," the innkeeper answered, "he was a graduate of Providence College, a young fellow named Ernest."

         Judson was overwhelmed by the news that the young man who died the previous night in the adjoining room in evident terror of death was his college friend Ernest, who had led him into infidelity. For many hours the words "Dead! Lost! Lost!" kept ringing in his ears. There was now just one place that beckoned him. Turning his horse's direction, he went home and begged his father and mother to help him find a faith that would stand the test of life and of death, of time and eternity.

         The brilliant young skeptic realized at last that he needed:

           A faith for the testing of life!

           A faith for the exigencies of death!

           A faith for time and eternity!

         That day, Judson came to Christ and soon decided that he would go join William Carey in the mission of winning India for Jesus. His goal was to take “the things learned and entrust them to reliable men who would also be qualified to teach others.” He formed a mission society in England and soon set off on the ship Caravan. As he traveled he and his wife Ann studied the scriptures and come to the conclusion that the Baptists understood the gospel correctly and they became Baptists.

         Because of that decision, he could not continue to work with the mission society that sent him. In addition, the East India Tea Company, discharged all the missionaries because they feared they would interfere with their business practices. Judson soon boarded a ship headed for Rangoon. On the voyage Ann gave birth to a son who died and was buried at sea.

         When they arrived, they found a filthy village where sickness and death seemed to be everywhere. Judson later wrote of his first night this way: That night "we marked as the most gloomy and distressing we have ever passed. Our only comfort is in looking beyond our pilgrimage, which we hoped would be short, to that peaceful region where the weary are at rest." They hoped for speedy death, or return to England. But as they prayed through the night, the voice of the Lord comforted them, saying, "Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God." These words assured them and gave them strength to carry out the mission God had given them.

         The political situation in Burma soon led to Adoniram being imprisoned. Faithfully Ann would come to visit, other times she would bribe guards to provide for him. Finally, he was released. He made his way home wondering how his beloved Ann was, for she had not visited for weeks. When he arrived at his home, he found a Burmese woman holding a dead baby outside the house, the child was so emaciated, he had no idea that it was his own child. Upon entering the house he found Ann upon the bed, her head had been shaved and her body was wasting away. As he wept for her, his tears roused her from her delusion. 14 years after arriving in Burma, Adoniram buried his wife and all their children.

         Judson had two passions in his ministry. First, he longed to translate the scriptures into Burmese. Through imprisonment and famine and sickness, he continued this work and today, his translation is still basic to much on the written Burmese language.

         His second passion was that individuals would come to faith in Jesus Christ and discover the peace that he had come to know. After 6 years of faithful ministry Judson baptized the first Christian convert. Throughout his ministry he saw over 100 people come to faith.

         In 1828, Judson came in contact with the a member of the Karen tribe. Ko Thai Bhu was the first Karen believer. He became a zealous evangelist and to this day, the Christian church among the Karen is strong and effective.

         Toward the end of his life, Judson met people who had learned of the gospel through his faith children. He had faithfully entrusted the gospel to people who would teach others. His ministry set the stage, and established the pattern for mission work among American Baptist to this day.

         The mission of teaching those who will teach goes on, not only in Burma, but in India, and Nicaragua, and Spain, and Russia, and Japan, and Haiti, and Columbia, and the Congo, and South Africa, and Thailand, and even in Cuba.

         A classmate of mine in Seminary, Susan Hegarty, is a missionary in Cuba today. A pastor in Santiago de Cuba tells says that Cuban church leaders believe that one day they will see Cuba presented to Christ! “Standing at the door of the church one day,” he said, “I greeted a visitor and asked if someone had invited him. “Noone has invited me,” he said, “earth has given way under my feet. Do you think I can find somewhere I can stand?” I told him, “I have someone you can stand on!” And I introduced him to Jesus Christ, and it has meant the world to him. He was a Marxist for 20 years, but now he has dropped that philosophy. Before he was a journalist from the university, now he is the president of our men’s group. In Cuba today, we see marriages broken, families divided, bankruptcies – people need security, somewhere to stand. They have found in the Lord Jesus a standing place, a place not only of security but of meaning.”

         The things you have heard, pass on to faithful people who will teach others. This is the task that we have been given, to invite, teach, mentor and instruct.

  But why? Phil 2 is the “Why.” We teach mentor and instruct that one day we will see God’s dream come to reality.

    [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

        and gave him the name that is above every name,

    [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

        in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

    [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

        to the glory of God the Father.

         This is God’s dream. That the world, every person that has ever lived will one day confess that Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God! What a vision! And we have a chance to be a part of that vision. As we pray for those who are serving around the world; As we consider our mission both at home and perhaps in Cuba or Burma or Nigeria; as we give to the work of the Lord through our offerings through New Hope and through the World Mission Offering; as we share the good news with faithful people who will in turn teach others; as we share Christ with our neighbors, sometimes with words, we become a part of God’s dream.

         The night Jesus was arrested, he prayed for his disciples and he prayed that they might be one, even as Jesus was one with the Father. Today, we will be sharing the Lord’s Supper. This is Word Communion Sunday. On this day, believers all around the globe are sharing in this symbol of Jesus death and resurrection. As we partake of these symbols today, we remember Jesus, we join hands with one anther and we are joined through Jesus to one another all around the world.

         Adoniram Judson was transformed when he met Jesus and as a result, he could no longer keep the message to himself. Have you been changed? If so, then you, too, are called to entrust what you have learned to faithful men and women who will in turn teach others. If you have not found that peace, if the fear of death haunts you, if purpose in life eludes you, then you, too, can find life with meaning in Jesus by accepting Him as your savior today.

Let us pray.