Over the past couple of weeks I have been blogging about the costs of missions. I argued there is a cost to missions if we do Not join God as well as if we DO. If you have not read these previous posts I highly recommend reading them...
Cost if we do NOT join God
Cost if we DO join God
The cost of NOT joining God as well as the cost FOR joining God is high; however, there is a minor and major benefit to joining God which vastly trumps the costs. One of the minor benefits to joining God on mission is a greater dependency on God, while the major benefit is the Lamb will receive the reward of His suffering.
One of the minor benefits to joining God is that Julia and I will learn a dependency on God must people only dream about. In America, we have a tendency to rely on our job, friends, family, and comforts of America, however, in Ghana these things will be stripped from us. We will be taught to rely on God and God alone. We will learn simple trust in Christ-that in him God will do everything necessary so that we can enjoy making much of him forever. We will learn a dependency and a trust in God which people only dream about. Moving to Africa will force us to cling to God and our relationship with the Creator of the Universe will be stronger because of our time in Africa.
While there are numerous minor benefits to joining God on mission, I believe the greatest benefit to joining God is the Lamb will receive the reward of His suffering. To put it another way, the greatest benefit of missions is that God will receive the glory due to His name.
Dr. John Piper in his book "Let the Nations Be Glad!" writes, "Missions exist because worship doesn't." The ultimate issue addressed by missions is that God's glory is dishonored among the peoples of the world. God's name being belittled is the ultimate problem in the world. It is the ultimate outrage. The infinite, all-glorious Creator of the universe, by whom and for whom all things exist-who holds every person's life in being at every moment-is disregarded, disbelieved, disobeyed, and dishonored among the peoples of the world. That is the ultimate reason for missions.
Julia and I will leave behind everything in order to proclaim God's glory among the people of Ghana, Africa. We are leaving family, friends, comforts of America to share with the Ghanaian people the truth that God must be treasured above all of the treasures in this world. We go to proclaim-
a valuing of God above all else that is valuable.
a loving of God above all else that is lovely.
a savoring of God above all else that is sweet.
an admiring of God above all else that is admirable.
a fearing of God above all else that is fearful.
a respecting of God above all that is respectable.
a prizing of God above all else that is precious.
This is why we go. This is why we have counted the cost. This is why we have surrendered our lives to preaching the name of Christ both in America, Ghana, and abroad. We go to bring glory to God! Dr. Piper writes, "This is the first and ultimate goal of missions-that God's glory and greatness find a fitting reflection among the peoples of the world." We go in order that the Lamb may receive the reward of His suffering.
Perhaps the best way to conclude this blog series is with a video about two Moravian Missionaries who counted the cost and found the major benefit of missions to trump the cost...
Cost if we do NOT join God
Cost if we DO join God
The cost of NOT joining God as well as the cost FOR joining God is high; however, there is a minor and major benefit to joining God which vastly trumps the costs. One of the minor benefits to joining God on mission is a greater dependency on God, while the major benefit is the Lamb will receive the reward of His suffering.
One of the minor benefits to joining God is that Julia and I will learn a dependency on God must people only dream about. In America, we have a tendency to rely on our job, friends, family, and comforts of America, however, in Ghana these things will be stripped from us. We will be taught to rely on God and God alone. We will learn simple trust in Christ-that in him God will do everything necessary so that we can enjoy making much of him forever. We will learn a dependency and a trust in God which people only dream about. Moving to Africa will force us to cling to God and our relationship with the Creator of the Universe will be stronger because of our time in Africa.
While there are numerous minor benefits to joining God on mission, I believe the greatest benefit to joining God is the Lamb will receive the reward of His suffering. To put it another way, the greatest benefit of missions is that God will receive the glory due to His name.
Dr. John Piper in his book "Let the Nations Be Glad!" writes, "Missions exist because worship doesn't." The ultimate issue addressed by missions is that God's glory is dishonored among the peoples of the world. God's name being belittled is the ultimate problem in the world. It is the ultimate outrage. The infinite, all-glorious Creator of the universe, by whom and for whom all things exist-who holds every person's life in being at every moment-is disregarded, disbelieved, disobeyed, and dishonored among the peoples of the world. That is the ultimate reason for missions.
Julia and I will leave behind everything in order to proclaim God's glory among the people of Ghana, Africa. We are leaving family, friends, comforts of America to share with the Ghanaian people the truth that God must be treasured above all of the treasures in this world. We go to proclaim-
a valuing of God above all else that is valuable.
a loving of God above all else that is lovely.
a savoring of God above all else that is sweet.
an admiring of God above all else that is admirable.
a fearing of God above all else that is fearful.
a respecting of God above all that is respectable.
a prizing of God above all else that is precious.
This is why we go. This is why we have counted the cost. This is why we have surrendered our lives to preaching the name of Christ both in America, Ghana, and abroad. We go to bring glory to God! Dr. Piper writes, "This is the first and ultimate goal of missions-that God's glory and greatness find a fitting reflection among the peoples of the world." We go in order that the Lamb may receive the reward of His suffering.
Perhaps the best way to conclude this blog series is with a video about two Moravian Missionaries who counted the cost and found the major benefit of missions to trump the cost...
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