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HOW MUCH WILL YOU GIVE TO THE MASTER?
by Abner P. Dizon
Opening Text: John 13:36-38:
“Peter said to Him: ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.’” (v.37)
My sermon this morning is entitled, "How much will you give to the Master?" Today, I found myself asking that question. How
much am I willing to give to Him? Everyday we are faced with choices which answers that question. Should do this or that?
Everyday we are answering that question, and saying to those around us: "I cannot live without this or that." Or "I don't
care enough about this or that."
When I was a student missionary in the Northern Philippine tribal province of Ifugao, I heard about an encounter between the
rebel New People's Army and the Philippine military. The dead on the rebels' side were put out on the town plaza for identification.
One of the casualties was a young woman, around 18 years old. The parents arrived from Manila to identify her body.
"Yes, this is OUR daughter!" They cried out.
She was a student at the University of the Philippines, a university famous not only for their bright students, but also for
activism. Anyone who comes from that university has a good future. Yet she spurned all those advantages, went to the mountains
to join the armed struggle for a cause that she truly believed in. It was a lost cause, yet she was willing to leave everything
- wealth, fame and even life - for the sake of her ideology. When I heard of this, I began asking myself: "How about me? What
am I willing to give up for my Master?"
In one of the islands of Mindanao, lives a man who has decided not to get married because he did not feel his would be wife
would be safe among the Muslim tribe where he felt called to serve. Yet he continues to minister to the people even though
it meant giving up his right to have a wife. How much are you willing to give up for Him?
Someone had said that it is easier to die for Him than it is to LIVE for Him! True it takes a certain kind of courage to die.
But once you die, that' s it. Finished! But living 100% for the Master.. That's a 365-days-a-year, 7-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day
thing!
When I read the book of Acts, I seem to find a hidden message, and it is this: "Because they loved the Master so much, they
were willing to give up everything for Him." They laid down their money, influence, time, loved ones, even life itself that
they might accomplish the mission He left them. You know the result? They turned the world upside down! The apostolic church
sure knew how to show their love for the Master. They were willing to do ANYTHING for Him.
How about you and me? How much are we willing to give up for Jesus? Are we willing to give up much-cherished ambition so that
we can go and bring His message to those who do not know about Him? Are we willing to give up comfort and luxury in order
to be God's spokesperson among those in darkness and ignorance? Are we willing to give up fame and fortune that we might make
a difference in the lives of the lost? How much are we willing to give up for the Master? How much are we willing to do for
Him? Just like the usual question I ask people, "How soon do you want Jesus to come?" Or "When do you want Jesus to come?"
The usual pious Adventist answer is: "Today!" "Soon!" Unfortunately, for Filipinos, the words "today" and "now" mean things
other than what the dictionary defines them! You see, for Filipinos, a deadline is seldom DEAD! It is ALIVE, it moves. When
one says, today is the deadline, it means, any day, as long as it is called TODAY! It's like the "mañana" mentality
which
says: "Why do today what you can do tomorrow!"
Almost all of us Seventh-day Adventists say we would like to see Jesus come soon. Many of us say we would like to hasten His
coming. Many of us say that we are willing to give up everything for the sake of holding on to our faith in Jesus. But have
you noticed that for most us, there is a big gap between what we say we believe and what we actually do? One church planting
author said that "Your Theology dictates methodology." What he meant was that if a church planter believes that salvation
means simply being baptized then all he will try to do is to get people to say yes to church membership through baptism. Never
mind if they have not come to love Jesus. As long as they are baptized, they are saved and that's all there is to it. I guess
it's just like saying that marriage simply means going to church for the wedding! (Married folks realize that the wedding,
important as it is, is the least of their worries in terms of staying married!) Simply put, what you BELIEVE is what you will
DO.
Now, I am not saying that we do not really believe in the imminent coming of the Lord because we do this or we do that. Nor
am I suggesting that the discrepancy (if we can call that) between what we say and what we do shows that we are "FALSE" believers.
As a cross cultural missionary, I learned that in every culture - and all of us are part of a certain culture - there are
always two sets of BELIEFS. One is called the theoretical belief and the operating belief. The theoretical belief has to do
with creeds which have little practical impact on values and behavior. Ultimate concerns like "Where did I come from?" "What
will happen to me when I die?" so on and so forth, are addressed by the theoretical belief. However, as far as day to day
actions, values and behavior, people - of any culture - resort to their operating beliefs. How will I eat? How will I drink?
What is good to do with my money and time? What do I do when I get sick? Now, these two beliefs are not necessarily contrary
to each other. In fact they work on different levels so that the person does not always notice that he has shifted from the
theoretical to the operating belief. Interestingly, in the Philippines there is this joke that we are called Seventh-day Adventists
because we are Adventists on the seventh-day. But the rest of the week we aren't! That is the theoretical and the operating
beliefs in action.
When what we believe (in church) does not affect our operating beliefs (in every day affairs), we have what missionaries call
"dual allegiance." We see it all the time. A tribal person who accepts Jesus and who honestly believes he is saved by the
death of Christ, when he or a member of his family becomes extremely sick would go to the witchdoctor and pray to the spirits.
The missionary only touched the theoretical but was unable to impact the operating belief. Obviously, that is not the way
to go.
Romans 12:2 says: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind; so that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable will of the Lord."
The belief system has to be overhauled – and not just the theoretical, but the operating part as well.
You know the bad news about continuing on to have two different sets of beliefs? In Revelation 14:9 it says that the mark
of the beast (representing opposition to God) is placed on either the forehead or on the hand. Forehead means, you are convinced
and you believe in it (theoretical). Hand means, you follow suit because it is a convenient (practical, day to day) thing
to do. There is a saying in the Philippines that where a tree is leaning, there it will fall. The "leaning" of the tree represents
the operating belief which will decide what we will be in the end.
The point is: What we BELIEVE in theory, Must be seen in What We Do Daily! I realize that is a lot! But no one said being
a follower of Christ is easy! There is a cross to be borne, and a narrow rugged way to walk on. That is why I said that it
might be easier to DIE for Him, than it is to LIVE for Him! We all believe that the Lord wants every tribe on earth to have
the Advent message, right? Revelation 14:6 depicts the Adventist movement as an "angel flying in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting gospel to preach to every nation, tribe, tongue and people."
Now, an "angel FLYING" denotes speed. Yet we as a people are working like SNAILS in entering unreached tribes. Not that I
blame anyone. The places where these unreached tribes live in are "terrible places." There is no electricity, no good bathrooms,
no roads - and pigs roam around freely in the villages! (I remember a Chinese student in Phil. Union College who visited the
village where I was a student missionary, together with other ministerial students. When she returned to PUC, her comment
was: "The Ifugaos we saw were deep in sin and darkness. They don't take a bath, they don't brush their teeth - they are sinful
people!") For most "Lowland" Adventists, these isolated, far flung villages are terrible places to live in. Add to it that
usual threat of rebels, tropical diseases, plus the natural resistance of tribal people to change - and you have effectively
discouraged most workers from going to these places.
But God has not slept. If His children will not go and send the truth, let the stones cry out! So even Roman Catholics have
become channels of muddled light because we have not been quick in going to them.
Time after time, I have faced a native from a distant village who, after I have opened the Bible to him, asked: 'Why hasn't
your church come to our village?" "If you have the Truth, Why only now?" "What about my parents who died steeped in superstitions
and errors?" There were times I would hike for 5 hours. I would stand on top of a steep mountain trail and look down at the
cluster of grass-roofed houses. You know what else I would see? A nicely built native Catholic chapel. I would hike for one
whole day to another very far and rebel-infested village. And there would be a Roman Catholic nun, living with the people
- ignoring the danger and isolation. It's embarrassing to think of it. Where are the Seventh-day Adventists who say these
Catholics is the false religious system? Where are the self-sacrificing SDA missionaries who say they have the Truth - the
life and death message for the last days?
It is not an argument against the Truth. It is an accusation, a charge against those who know the truth but are not committed
enough to bring it to those don't know it. Ellen White says:
"My brethren, we have erred and sinned in attempting too little. There should be more laborers in the... missionary field."
(Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 391)
Why can't we do more? Why can't we send more missionaries? The Lord knows that we can do much, much more than we have done
so far. Sure, this is no ego race. It's not about who gets in there first. But when a tribal chief's wife who just lost her
beloved daughter wails and asks you: "Why only now?" What comfort can you give her? Can I tell her that we believe we should
"go into all the world to make disciples of all the nations." But we also believe in comfort and security. (Sorry, making
disciples is my theoretical belief, but comfort and security is my operating belief!) Should I tell her, "It's too bad about
your kid. Sorry, but there are no Adventist who wants to go to your village?" Or maybe, "There are missionaries who want to
go but no one wants to support them!"
A communist student leader once said to a Christian: "The gospel is a much stronger force to change society. Still, communism
will win because we are doing everything to propagate it. While you Christians are not even willing to soil your hands for
the gospel!" It hurts, but it often is true. Theoretical belief and operating belief. Friends, let us reconcile them. Let
us be sure our theoretical belief overrides our operating belief.
Brethren: Jesus is coming very, very soon. All the things we now have will soon be of no value. You can't take them to your
grave. You can't take them to heaven. But you can invest them now for eternity.
Just prior to World War II, there was a rich lady in Lucena City (Philippines). She had acquired a brand new Volkswagen beetle.
Top of the line during that time. Because the government was getting ready for war, they needed all the vehicle they can get.
The army called up this lady and asked if she would be willing to lend her car so the troops could use it. She flatly denied
the request. A few months later, the Japanese landed in Lucena. Everyone fled. As my father, an army sargeant, joined the
rest of the people leaving the city, this lady grabbed his arm and begged him to take her car. Unfortunately my father did
not know how to drive! When my father reminded her that the army needed it months ago, she cried out in desperation:
"My car, my car, the enemy will get it!”
When will you use your means for God? When will you use your time, talents and influence for the Master? Now is the time to
use them. "The signs reveal to us that 'the night cometh, in which no man can work.' The time is coming in which you can neither
buy nor sell." That is exactly what Rev. 13:16,17 says. She further says:
"Now you can sell and give alms. Now you can send your treasure before you into heaven. God calls for your means to advance
his cause." (Review & Herald, Dec.18, 1888)
Yes, a crisis is just upon us. I'm not one to set time - but signs indicate that God must be getting fed up with this world!
The last prerequisite for His coming - the preaching of the gospel to everyone - is surely coming under way. Even closed countries
are opening up to organized mission work. Afghanistan, one of the most unreached country in the world, has seen recent developments
which opens the door to the gospel. In the Philippines, the New People’s Army has laid low and now missionaries are better
able to enter in previously unentered villages. In Mindanao, the Muslims are becoming more open to change. As Mindanao becomes
more autonomous, more freedom would be gained and more missionaries can safely go to Muslim villages. Sure the devil won't
be idle. But there is nothing he can do to truly stop the gospel from being proclaimed! Matthew 24:14 is quietly but rapidly
being fulfilled before our eyes.
I believe we have reached a point in history, unlike any other time, when every condition and sign in the Bible prior to Jesus'
coming are all present:
1) The papacy is healed. The pope is honored by every national leader.
2) Protestants and Catholics shake hands to bridge the gulf.
3) The deteriorating morality both in Christian and non-Christian lands.
4) America is now the only super power in the world.
5) The movement in the Christian world to enter every place without Christians and to convert people to Christ.
6) In our own church, the number of lay people involved in the proclamation of the gospel.
Friends, we are nearing home! We are nearer home than any other group of Christians ever was. We are on the verge of stupendous
events. The imminent coming of our Lord is truly more imminent today than ever.
Romans 13:11 says "it is high time to awake for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed!"
So, what’s the point of all this? You ask. It is true, Jesus is coming very soon. But out there, People are dying for
lack
of the knowledge that you and I have. People will die, they will turn to false sources of salvation and be totally unprepared
for the coming of Jesus - unless we send missionaries to them soon. When we hear about thousands of who are dying in error
and superstitions we console ourselves by saying: "I am not called to go." "Go send someone else!" This is what I call the
Moses Syndrome (should I say SINdrome?). When God told him what he needed to do, Moses gave God all the seemingly "valid"
reasons why he should not go. Each time God gives him an answer that obliterates the objection. Finally, without any excuse,
he simply says:
"Please send someone else!" (Ex.4:13).
"Lord, I BELIEVE in what you are saying, but I love comfort and security more than I love You!" In effect he was saying: "Yeah,
Lord, I hear what You are saying, and of course I believe it's important to do what you say. But it simply is not convenient
or practical for me to follow."
Well, God wasn't pleased with that answer. When God asks "Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?" (Isa.6:8) you better
not answer "Please send someone else" (Ex.4:13)
You say, "Well, God can use stones. He said so Himself!" Okey, but do you want the stones to take your place in heaven? Now,
this is not a "salvation by works" kind of thing. I am not saying you are saved by sharing the gospel to others. But if you
are truly being saved, being sanctified by the Truth, you WILL share it with others. "As the Father has sent Me, so send I
you." "Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I say?"
God could send angels. In fact, the angels would love nothing more than to be the ones to tell that "old, old story" to people
who do not know that Someone had paid their debts. But no, God has reserved the privilege of preaching the gospel to puny
men like you and me. Because in so doing, in being involved in saving others, our character is changed. We become more Christlike
- more selfless - more loving and lovable.
Does God use angels and dreams? He does. Remember Cornelius? He saw an angel, but the angel did not tell him the gospel story.
He still had to wait for Peter to come and preach to him the goodnews. Angels and dreams are used primarily to prepare people
for the living missionaries or witness. That is why it is important for us to send missionaries to the most isolated places
on earth. Because they are waiting for the message which you and I can give.
Finally, the closing question. So Jesus is coming very soon. So, people are dying for lack of knowledge of the gospel. The
Question is: What Are You Going to Do About it? Two chicken were standing in front of the church one morning. One read the
sign on the bulletin board which says: "Fellowship dinner this coming Sabbath. Bring your own lunch." "Good!" Said the first
chicken. "I will bring fried eggs. You bring the fried chicken." The second chicken looked sad. "Easy for you to say that.
For you to bring fried eggs is just a donation. But for me to bring a fried chicken is COMMITMENT!"
Too often we merely give a portion of ourselves to God. And we content ourselves by saying, "That's better than nothing!"
Well, I have bad news for those who think that way. Jesus says to the Laodicean Church: "I wish that you are either hot or
cold. But because you are neither, I will vomit you out!" Friends, do you think God wants a 50% commitment? How about an 80%
commitment? NO? Why, that's higher than half-hearted commitment! Friends, the Lord will not accept a DONATION - even if it's
a 99.9% thing! What does He want? He wants you 100%!
Are we willing to give ourselves to Jesus 100%? Or Are we just DONATING part of ourselves? He does not want your money. He
does not want your time. He does not want your wealth. What does He want? He wants you - He wants me. Romans 12:1 says: "Present
your bodies unto God, as living sacrifice, which is your acceptable worship." Fried chicken, friends. Not just fried eggs!
When you do that, you know what will happen? God will use you to turn the world upside down. Someone once said:
"The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is 100% committed to Him."
When Peter told Jesus that he was willing to do anything for Him, Peter didn’t realize that being committed to Jesus
involves
more than just TALK. It does not only involve his theoretical belief. It must be part of his daily action, part of his everyday
OPERATING belief. As a consequence, Peter let Jesus down. You and I have let Jesus down so many times in the past. For the
most part, it's not because we do not love Him. I believe we do. (Will you say "Amen?") But we have yet to go beyond the DONATION
mentality towards the COMMITMENT mentality. We have to be 100% owned and operated by God!
In closing, may I ask: How many of you here wishes to sacrifice himself or herself to God today? Not just a donation, but
to die to self and live for Jesus. Shall all those who are willing and ready to give their all - to give themselves to the
Master right now, kneel with me in prayer?
Let us pray. Our Gracious Father and Lord. Thank You for Your love. Thank You that You have called us to be Your special children.
We know that we are not worthy of You. We confess that we have done nothing worthy of such love and privilege. In fact, we
have, even after knowing the truth, gone far from You, each of us doing our own thing. We have not given You our best - and
that is understandable, for have You not said that without You we can do nothing? Dear Lord, today…this very minute…we
lift
our hands before You in a gesture of commitment…of sacrifice…of obedience. Bind our hands, our hearts, our minds,
our lips, that we may be 100% dedicated to Your purpose and will.
Cleanse us, dear Jesus, from our defiling sins - both the known and the unknown. And make us vessels fit for Your service.
And dear Lord, please send us Your Holy Spirit - just like a dove - to dwell in a special way on each of us kneeling here
before You. This, we pray, in Jesus' Holy and Mighty name. Amen.
==========================================
NOTE:
It is my prayer that you will be encouraged to be fully involved in the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Christ: "Making
disciples of all the nations." Feel free to share this sermon with others or preach it when you get a chance to do so. God
bless!
© February 2003 Philippine Frontier Missions
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3687 Manila, Philippines
Office: Alcantara’s Compd., Putingkahoy, Silang, Cavite, Phils.
Email: abnerdizon@hotmail.com
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WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?
by Abner P. Dizon
Key Text: John 14:1-3
Jesus said: “Don’t let your heart be troubled…. Believe in Me… I will prepare a place for you…And…I
WILL COME AGAIN and receive
you…So that where I am, there you will also be.” That is good news! Don’t be troubled and worried. I will come
again! In Rev.
22:20 He promised: “Behold I come quickly!” He gave that promise more than 1,900 years ago. Adventists have waited
for the
fulfillment of that promise for about 159 years… The QUESTION is: “Why Are We Still Here?”
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the world’s fastest growing Protestant denomination. It has a work in 210
out of
240 countries in the world. It has 12 million members. It works in 717 languages. It has more than 40,194 churches. That means
“The Work is nearly finished, just a few finishing touches and Jesus should be coming any moment now, Right?”
I’m afraid that is not exactly how things are. Let’s look at the global picture. There are over 6 billion people
in the world.
4.3 billion of which are non-Christians. Of these non-Christians, 2.7 billion are considered Unreached – a term used
to indicate
people who have no access to the gospel. 2.7 billion – that is almost half the world’s population! They have never
heard the
gospel! How come?
Well, let’s look at the world in terms of religion . If the world is a village of 100 people. Only 32 of them will be
Christian.
19 will be secular. 18 will be Muslim. 13 will be Hindu. 6 will be Buddhist. 3 will be Folk Chinese. 2 will be Tribal animist.
And the remaining 7 will be the rest of the unnamed religions. Christians form only 1/3 of the world’s population. For
every
one Christian, two are non-Christian. Now, where does the SDA Church come in? For every 1 Seventh-day Adventists there is
149 Christians who are Non-Seventh-day Adventists. Multiply that by two and you get how many Non-Christians there are, compared
to the Seventh-day Adventists.
Now if we categorize the world in terms of access to the gospel, we have the following. Evangelized groups that are mostly
Christian, and 20% of all groups of people are considered by missiologists as under this group. Unevangelized groups are those
that live near Evangelized groups and they have access to the gospel but often the gospel is not presented in a language they
can understand. 26% of all people groups in the world belong to the unevangelized category. Unreached are groups that do not
have access to the gospel. When a person is sick here, you call the doctor, or you go buy medicine from the pharmacy. Good,
because there are doctors, and there are pharmacies here. But in these places, even when they have the money, the doctor and
the pharmacy for the gospel is not available. They have no access to the gospel, there is no church in their midst, so that
even if they wanted to know, they have no one to ask from. 54% of all people groups belong to this class of people. They have
never had the opportunity to hear the gospel.
The sad thing is: of all workers and evangelistic efforts conducted and sent, 90% go to the Evangelized, while only 10% go
to the combined unevangelized and unreached people groups. This is what I call the unequal gospel distribution. While the
evangelized often reject the presentation of the gospel already, there are people who are literally dying for lack of that
gospel. As one person has said: “Why should anyone hear the gospel TWICE, when others have never heard it even ONCE!”
In a rich subdivision in Manila, where the rich and famous live, one of the richest and most famous held a birthday party.
To bring over his guests from America, he chartered a large airplane for the overnight party. The fountain that used to spout
water was now flowing with champagne! While everyone ate the lavished and so expensive food that was served non-stop, just
outside the subdivision’s fence are several squatter shanties. People who live off the street who bare eat 3 times a
day.
The same unequal distribution of wealth goes for spiritual things. While here in church we hear the Bible presented every
Sabbath – and often we argue over the interpretation, when there are thousands, even millions of people who are famished
for
the Word of God. Why should anyone hear the gospel twice, when others have never heard it even once!
Protestant missiologists estimate that there is enough evangelism going on to evangelize every person on earth. Unfortunately,
it is done repeatedly among people who have heard it before. I am not against conducting evangelistic campaigns. But how many
times have we done that here? Are there no other places where the campaigns have never been held? Again, I say, “Why
should
anyone hear the gospel twice when there are people – just as worthy of it as anyone here – have never heard the
gospel even
once?”
The sad thing is that every day, 80,000 people die among those who have never heard the gospel. 3,333 every hour, 56 per minute….Almost
1 person per minute! By the time I have finished my sermon, 1,960 of the unreached would have gone to their graves without
hope of eternal life! Friends, why should we keep on hearing the gospel, when people like them have never heard it before?
John 3:16 says “For God so LOVED the world….” Does He still love the world today? What do you think? Does
God STILL LOVE
THE WORLD? He still does! And that is why is Matthew 28:19,20 He commands us to “GO and make disciples of ALL nations….”
Now the word nations in there does not mean political countries as we have today. It comes from the Greek word, ethne. Where
we get the term ethnic. The command is not just to reach the 240 political countries, but to reach every ethnic groups (clans,
tribes, races) in the world.
In Matthew 24:14 it is clear that that has to take place before Jesus comes. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached
into all the world as a witness to ALL NATIONS (ethne), then shall the end come.” “the gospel must first be preached.”
Mk.13:10.
The preaching of the gospel to every language, tribe, race, people is what God wants to happen first before He comes. No wonder
in Rev.14:6 it is spelled out that the angel had an everlasting gospel to preach to “every language, tribe, people and
nations.”
All these non-Christian people groups: the secular, the Muslim, the Buddhist, the Hindu, the Folk Chinese, the Tribal animists…
They all have to hear the gospel in such as way as to give them a valid opportunity to either ACCEPT or REJECT the offered
mercy of God.
The Goodnews is....“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom.10:14) That is good news, right?
It doesn’t
talk about too much theology here! It doesn’t say you have to do this and do that to be saved. It merely says, “Everyone
who
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” You know why? For a Muslim to call on Jesus that’s a major change
in his theology.
For a secular man to call on Jesus (and not in mere profanity) that is a big change. “Anyone who calls on the name of
Jesus”
with sincerity “will be saved.”
The problem is: “How can they call on the One they have not believed in? How can they believe unless they hear? “How
will
they hear unless someone preaches to them?” Rom.10:14
Think of it as The Chain of Salvation. They can only be saved if they call. They can only call if they believe. They can only
believe if they hear. They can only hear if SOMEONE preaches to them.
Unless someone goes & preaches the gospel to them...Unless they hear....Unless they believe....Unless they call....They WILL
NOT BE SAVED!
Ellen White wrote: “When you hear that there are thousands upon thousands... in the darkness of error and superstition,
knowing
not the things that are coming upon the earth, how can you ENJOY the TRUTH and be at ease?” Review & Herald, Apr.14,
1910
Can we just sit still while people are dying by the thousands each day? If you live in a small hut by the cliff, and you see
thousands of people, in single file, walk to jump to their death on the cliff, will you just sit still and just cover your
ears to their fatal cries? I don’t think so. I think that you would go out and try to persuade some of them not to jump.
You
have a moral responsibility not to just sit still while thousands jump to their death! That is exactly what is happening to
this world. You and I have the message that can set them free!
In a town in Pampanga, during one flash flood that followed the Mt. Pinatubo eruption…. The hot lahar began to overflow
houses
up to their roof. The people had to scamper to climb the second floor, then up on top of their houses. A friend of mine related
how he and his 2 young brothers were huddled together on the roof of their house as the lahar inched up to them little by
little. He prayed really hard. As the lahar rose to just a few inches of the tin roof, he saw one old man on the other house
crying out in desperation. The man became so scared that the lahar would reach him that in desperation he jumped into the
lahar filled water and was quickly swept away. Never to be seen again. Just then, the lahar stopped rising, and my friend
and his brothers were saved. He thought, if only that man waited. But in desperation, not knowing there is hope, he jumped
into his death. Many people are desperate, hopeless and helpless. They are clinging on to life, but only for a little while.
They need hope, they need help.
That same night, another friend of mine relates how she, together with others, climbed on top of the market shop which was
higher than the houses around. She saw a woman with a flash light trying to navigate the torrents of lahar-filled water that
overflowed the streets. As she looked in horror, the woman was slowly sinking in the hot, scalding lahar, crying for help.
She saw the woman sink, only her waving hand, with the flashlight, was there, then even the flashlight slowly sank down the
surface of lahar! She cried as she desperately tried to reach out, but her hand wasn’t long enough. Right now, as we
speak,
there are people like that woman, who are slowly sinking into the clutches of death because they do not know the Lord. PFM
and other mission agencies have dedicated to specifically reach these people who have never heard the gospel. But like my
friend who tried to reach the dying woman, our hands are short. We need your help to reach out to them.
We started out with the question: Why Are We Still Here? Ellen White has this to say: “The morning is deferred in mercy,
because
if the Master should come, so many would be found unready. God’s unwillingness to have His people perish, has been the
reason
of so long delay.” Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 194
We are still here because there are so many people who have not yet heard of the life giving message that Jesus is their savior.
We are here because there are thousands and millions of people who have yet to hear that Jesus paid the price for their sins.
We are still here because God loves them as much as He loves you and me and wants them to have the opportunity to be saved.
Ellen White says: “By giving the gospel to the world it is in our power to hasten our Lord’s return.” --Desire
of Ages 633
“It will not tarry past the time that the message is borne to all nations, tongues, and peoples.” --Evangelism,
p. 697
As soon as the message reaches everyone, Jesus will come. As soon as the last people in the last tribe has heard… Jesus
will
not say: “I am not yet ready. Your mansions here isn’t finished yet!” No, Jesus is not like Filipinos. For
Filipinos a deadline
is not DEAD. It keeps on moving. There is always next time! “Your mansion isn’t finished yet, come back tomorrow
or the day
after.” How many of you believe the mansions in heaven are already finished? I believe the mansions of everyone who will
be
saved is already ready. Don’t you think so? You think it will take Jesus such a long time to “prepare a place for
you – a
physical place?” No, Jesus is ready to come and take us home. In fact He has been ready for more than 100 years now!
In 1901, Ellen White penned this statement: “Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving to the world
the message of mercy, Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth, and the saints would have received their welcome into
the city of God.” Evangelism, p. 694
As early as 1900s, Jesus could have returned already and taken His people to heaven. But the time dragged on and on, because
there are many more people who have not heard. You might say, “It’s good that He did not come, otherwise I won’t
be here and
have the chance to go to heaven!” Well, how long do you want this world to continue this way? Do you wish to see your
great,
great grandchildren still before Jesus comes? How long? When do you want Jesus to come? When do you want to leave this earth?
When do you want to GO HOME?
Someone remarked that it is impossible for us to finish God’s work in this generation. Sure, I agree. With the usual
trend,
the pace that we are going, missiologists estimate that by 2025, 20% of the world will still be unevangelized. That’s
just
the thing. DO you want us to continue, “business as usual”? God wants to turn the world upside down by using you
and me! He
doesn’t want you to rely on your own power. Think of the Early Church. Only 120 members, but because they gave themselves
100% to God, and were filled with the Holy Spirit, they turned the world upside down! They had the power that was needed to
evangelize the whole world.
Brothers and sisters, you may ask “what can I do to make a difference? Is there something I can Do?” YES, definitely!
1. Pray
for more missionaries. Ask the Lord to send forth more workers into His harvest field. Missionaries are needed both here and
abroad. 2. Encourage others to be involved as missionaries, supporters and prayer warriors. Share what you have learned today
to others in the hope that they too will be involved. 3. Go as a missionary whether it be around here or somewhere else. If
it is at all possible, look for an unreached group even here in Canada, and seek to reach them for Jesus. 4. Support those
who can go to distant unreached groups. You may not be able to go far, but you can help those who are reaching out to the
unreached have a longer reach. Missionaries need your support so they can continue ministering the gospel to people.
Finally, in the power of the Holy Spirit, dear brethren, the advice to you is: “As you look forward to the Day of God…
Hasten
it.” 2 Peter 3:12
How many of you here would commit yourself before God to be an instrument of His in hastening His Coming, will you rise? Let
us pray.
Father, here is your people standing before you. Signifying that they want to be involved – to become your instruments
in
hastening the Day of God. I pray that you will use them, Lord. Take away any selfishness and slothfulness. Instead give them
a zeal for You and for the lost. Send them out as missionaries, send them out as prayer warriors, send them out as Encouragers,
as supporters of missions. Use them in whatever way you can, Lord. And may missions be a fire burning in their bones that
will never be quenched until they have done their best for you. In Jesus name, Amen.
==========================================
NOTE:
It is my prayer that you will be encouraged to be fully involved in the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Christ: "Making
disciples of all the nations." Feel free to share this sermon with others or preach it when you get a chance to do so. God
bless!
For sermons, news & mission stories, check out my website: http://members.lycos.co.uk/philfrontier/
© February 2003 Philippine Frontier Missions
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3687 Manila, Philippines
Office: Alcantara’s Compd., Putingkahoy, Silang, Cavite, Phils.
Email: abnerdizon@hotmail.com
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