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African Americans and |
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Global Missions: |
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The Great Omission |
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Jim Sutherland, Ph.D. |
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We preach salvation by Christ alone to ALL
nations—Luke 24:47 |
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We make DISCIPLES of all nations—Matthew 28:19 |
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We glorify God by bringing new worshippers to
Him “from every nation, tribe, people and language”—Rev. 7:9-10 (NIV) |
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It is continuing to do Jesus’ work |
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“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”--John
20:21 (out of our comfortableness) |
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“The Son of Man came to seek and to save what
was lost.”—Luke 19:10 |
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To destroy the Devil’s work—1 John 3:8 |
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“preach Good News to the poor…free the
prisoners…release the oppressed”—Luke 4:18 |
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Someone sent by God on a task. The word “missionary” is the Latin
equivalent of the Greek “apostle,” or “sent one.” |
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Jesus met physical/emotional needs and saved
folks. But preaching took the
higher priority—it’s forever (read Luke 4:40-44). |
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Missionaries usually go to a specific people
(ethnic group). Paul went to
Gentiles and Peter to Jews (Gal. 2:8). |
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This distinguishes them from “witnesses,” the
work of every Christian, and from local evangelists. |
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Missionaries are sent by God, through the
Spirit, usually by local churches (Acts 13:3). |
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Missionaries are distinguished by a “call” from
God, although some believe Matt. 28:18-20 (“the Great Commission”) suffices
for a call to everyone. |
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The call may be to a specific people, a country,
or to a kind of ministry, such as teaching or medicine. |
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A missionary is NOT someone who simply does the
work of a deacon: |
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Comforting the grieving |
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Taking food to the hungry, etc. |
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Nor is the missionary someone who ushers in
church. |
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God wants no one to be lost (go to hell), but
all to repent (2 Pet. 3:9).
Missions is God’s work, not the agenda only of whites. |
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We see this in the Old Testament: |
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God sought out Adam after he sinned. |
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God called Abraham in order to bless “all
peoples” through Jesus (Gen. 12:3; 18:18) |
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The “Servant of the Lord,” meaning both Jesus
and Israel, was to bring God’s salvation “to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah
49:3-6; Acts 13:46-47). |
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Jesus’ earthly ministry was to Jews, but His
death was a ministry for all the lost (2 Cor. 5:14-15). |
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The Jews were ethnocentric—focused upon
themselves--content to keep salvation among themselves. |
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In the New Testament the Son of Man came to seek
and save the lost (Luke 19:10). We
are now His “feet” to reach the lost, wherever they are (Rom. 10:14-15). |
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Christians are now mediators (priests) between
God and unbelievers (Rom. 15:16). |
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The Gospel came to Africa (to Nubia) in the
first century because Philip, a Jewish evangelist, led an Ethiopian eunuch
to Christ (Acts 8:27-39), who evangelized his country. Sharing Christ may influence a whole nation. |
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Christ told the 11 apostles to witness not only
in Jerusalem, but even to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). Those 11 could not possibly go
everywhere—it is the work of the global Church until ALL are evangelized. |
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It finally took persecution to drive the
apostles out of Jerusalem--their “comfort zone.” |
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Sinners are born daily among our own people, and
yes we do have tremendous needs in our
neighborhoods. We should try
to meet them. |
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But all the ethnic churches are to partner in
such a way that every ethnic group is evangelized. Our “Jerusalem” is another Christian’s
“uttermost.” The Lord of the
Harvest will ensure that every people group will have the Gospel. |
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Short-term missionaries |
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can revitalize local outreach. |
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Those who do reject Jesus will not have eternal
life in heaven (John 3:36; 12:48).
JESUS said that none come to the Father apart from Him (John 14:6). |
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Everyone sins, but sinners don’t normally seek
God (Rom. 3:23, 11-12; John 6:44).
People even suppress the knowledge of God obvious to them in nature
(Rom. 1:18-20). They don’t accept
the light already given. |
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We also violate our own moral standards– thus
condemning ourselves (Rom. 2:14-16). |
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With 73.5% of the world adequately evangelized, 1,645,685,000 are left1. |
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There are 1,239,029,000 Muslims and 836,543,00
Hindus (as of mid-2002)1. |
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As of 2000 there were 145,000,000 untargeted
people—nothing is spent upon reaching them. Another 276 million are “uncontacted”1. |
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34.3 million die without Christ annually- 13.2
million of them were never evangelized.
65% of those who die annually aren’t Christians2. |
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If we can’t go personally, then we can finance
generously and regularly those who do go.
Missionaries have continuous expenses. |
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By 1950--7 of the top 25 cities were
non-Christian. |
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By 2000, 14 of the top 25 cities were
non-Christian1. |
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There are 133,600 new non-Christian urban
dwellers per day2 ! |
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About 155 were identified in 19983.
Possibly 400 serve today, far less than 1 percent of the 118,600 US foreign
missionaries4. African
Americans are about 13 percent of the US population. |
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John Marrant by 1775 had somehow preached the
Gospel to the Cherokee, Creek, Catawar and Housaw Indians. |
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George Liele by 1791 had established a church of
350 in Jamaica, despite persecutions. |
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Prince Williams established a church in the
Bahamas in 1790 that spawned 164 other Baptist churches. He pastored from age 70 to 104. |
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Lott Carey in 1821 was the first African
American missionary to Africa. He
went to escape racism and to serve his motherland. He was sent by Baptists and the American
Colonization Society, established to return Blacks to Africa. |
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Sources: Sylvia Jacobs, Marilyn Lewis, Alan
Neely, Wm. Sereile, Wycliffe Translators |
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Dr. Wm. Sheppard went to the Congo in 1821,
becoming head of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission among the Bakuba
tribe, going 1200 miles inland. |
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He build churches, day schools and homes for
children rescued from slavery. |
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His wife published the first book and hymnal in
the Bakuba language. |
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Sources: Wilbur Harr, Sylvia Jacobs, John
Hendrick and Winifred Vass |
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Dr. Aaron McMillan was a physician and Nebraska
legislator before going with the Am. Board of Commissioners in 1929 to head
an Angolan hospital. |
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He trained assistants, treated over 80,000
patients and performed over 3,000 surgeries during his medical ministry1. |
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Black households earned 543 billion dollars in
20001. |
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Median black household income was $30,436 in
20002. |
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Black household giving fell from 1.8% in 1998
($658)3 to 1.3% in 2000, while income rose 102 billion dollars1. This is the first generation with a
great chance to have a “piece of the rock.” |
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Some evangelical churches focus upon personal peace, wholeness and
prosperity. |
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“Many/most AFAM are 1st generation
‘haves.’ Those who are ‘have nots’
are usually unwilling to leave all for Christ. Until 2nd generation ‘haves’ are born again few if
any will leave their community to serve others. Once 2nd generation ‘haves’ move out of AFAM
stereotypes of success, a typical service can be affirmed.” |
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Kyshia Whitlock—African American missionary
to Honduras |
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One traditional church in Chattanooga with a
budget of $120,000 spent .4 % on evangelistic home missions (to blacks). |
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This church spent NOTHING on global
missions. More was spent on the
annual men’s breakfast and on the copy machine than on missions. |
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What percentage of your church budget goes to
cross-cultural/global ministry?
Ask. |
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Particularly among newer independent churches,
some give substantially. |
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Rosedale Park Baptist in Detroit gave $1 million
to missions in 10 years. |
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Christian Stronghold Church in Philadelphia
gives $110,000 /year for global missions, supporting 5 foreign missionaries
in 2002. |
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Global missions is not simply the job of the
white church. The African American
church is a full partner among the world’s sister churches. |
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Blacks have a unique role in world
mission—especially to people of color, and particularly to other blacks. |
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Blacks understand oppression and suffering well,
and can easily relate to the
oppressed. |
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Nations open to missionaries are open to African
Americans. |
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Civil rights is (again) law. |
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White missions welcome African Americans. |
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Evangelical schools will prepare black
missionaries. |
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Evangelical African American mission boards now
exist. |
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Black income steadily rises. |
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Short-term missions abound with ease of travel. |
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Jesus does send us as sheep among wolves
(Matthew 10:16). He doesn’t promise
safety. |
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But the Great Commission to go into all the
world closes with Jesus saying “I am with you always, to the very end of
the age.” (Matt. 28:20, NIV). He
promises to go with us. |
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The absolutely safest place in the world is in
the center of God’s will for you. |
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The most dangerous place is out of His will. |
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God doesn’t give us a spirit of “timidity,” but
of “power” (2 Tim. 1:7-NIV). |
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Money?
The great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, wrote “God’s work,
done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” |
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Loosing things? “And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for
my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal
life.” (Matt. 19:29-NIV). |
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Ask God what He wants of YOU. |
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Go on a short-term mission trip. |
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Read about missions—see the ACMC website
bookstore: www.ACMC.org |
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Develop a world missions team at your church. |
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Invite missionaries to speak in your church. |
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Financially support cross-cultural missionaries
and find out what your church spends for global missions. |
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Evangelize locally. |
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PRAY that God will send out 5,000 workers into
the harvest (Luke 10:2). |
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God has already given at least one spiritual
gift to every Christian (1 Corinthians 12:7). It’s there to help
other Christians. That spiritual
gift can also be used to lead people to Christ.1 |
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Missions help you to discover God’s equipping
and to learn dependence upon Him for ministry success. |
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Today any skill can be used somewhere on the
mission field. |
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If you can’t personally go, you can finance generously
and regularly those who do go.
Missionaries have continuous expenses. We can then send prayers after the funds. |
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Ambassadors Fellowship |
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719-495-8180 |
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Carver International Mission |
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carverfm@aol.com 770-484-0610 |
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COMINAD is an African American missions
mobilizing network. |
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IAAMM@aol.com
www.COMINAD.org
757-467-0601 |
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Have Christ Will Travel Ministries |
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215-438-6308 |
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Advancing Church in Missions Commitment www.acmc.org |
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Africa Inland Mission www.aim-us.org |
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Campus Crusade for Christ www.ccci.org |
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International Teams www.iteams.org |
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Middle East Christian Outreach |
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www.gospelcom.net/meco |
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Operation Mobilization www.om.org |
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SIM (Serving in Mission) www.sim.org |
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TEAM www.teamworld.org |
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United World Mission http://umn.org |
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Wycliffe
(Bible translation) www.wycliffe.org |
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Each year 400,000 go to mission fields for a few
weeks to a few years1. |
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Some Short-term Opportunities: |
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www.RMNI.org/Uganda/uganda_summary.htm |
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Rosedale Park Baptist Church |
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www.RPBC.net/opportunities.htm |
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www.ShortTermMissions.com |
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SIM (Serving In Mission) |
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www.sim.org/short-term.asp |
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Southern Baptists www.imb.org/vim |
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TEAM www.TEAMworld.org/opportunities |
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Notes