The Call to Missions

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

I always tell people that the call of God in my life is teaching. I was not very good with my hands and when I was growing up and in December when everyone fly kite, my kite were gone after the third day. And I'd have to ask my brother to make another for me. Not good for your self esteem. But during exams they'd flock to me. Praise the Lord.

For me, I always regard coming to the pulpit a very special privilege. When at the pulpit, not only am I speaking to you but God is listening. The devil and the angels are also listening. So praise the Lord I prayed and am covered in the blood before I come out.

When demons hear the word of the Lord preached they will tremble.

So today you are also one of the hearers and I pray you will be blessed.

What exactly is missions?

There are two words. One is missions and the other is mission without the "s". This is the way I look at it.

When we say missions, we often think of mission trips and the person that goes, a missionary.

The church has one mission. To bring a person who do not know Christ to come to the saving knowledge of Christ. The mission of the church is to complete that mission.

When we have a big party or evangelistic meeting, we fulfill the church's call to missions.

When we say missions, we often think only of one person, the missionary. But the mission field is not just the work of one person. We need everyone involved in missions including those staying at home covering those that are in the field in prayer as they are in enemy territory.

But if you are not called to go, don't. You won't last. Even a teacher like me can only impart what I have. So my work is to prepare the person to have an intimate relationship with the Lord. When I put it this way, you'll see all of us are involved with mission.

All of us are people with a mission. And that is to fulfill the call to missions. I am not comfortable with the word ambition. I believe we all are actually people with a mission. We have one mission and that is to preach the gospel to every creature on the earth. Not animals huh. Our mission is the
focus.

How we do the mission is what this is about.

Romans 10:14-15
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

I just want to expand on the word sent. This root word is meant for the apostle. The word mission did not come from the bible. The bible was written in Hebrew or Greek The Latin word is "missio" and from that we get the word mission.

The missionary must be sent for us to have missions. The next time when you pray for a missionary, you must understand it is a call. Not because you like the person.

Also when you put your money for the harvest mission you must understand that you are called to give. Not because you feel guilty for not giving.

This is calling. God sents him but who gives him the money? It will not fall from heaven. You are a part of that mission work by giving.

Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

I want to focus on the word go. It is imperative. It is not a suggestion. It is a command. Some may say the command is for the eleven disciples only. They are now gone, in heaven so its not for me.

Luke 24:48-49
You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Here the word is witnesses. What are they to witness? These things are in verses 45-47. Who were Jesus speaking to? See verse 33. The group has widen. That command is not for the eleven. You will realize that those others were no special apostles. They were just like you and I.

So the word go and witnesses includes you.

On Friday's cell I spoke about listening to God through His word. I spoke about intimacy to God. And I said that the word of God is for all of us, to draw us into an intimate relationship with Him.

Luke 24:45-47
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

This passage is basically the gospel. What is it? These are for men and women in a precarious position not knowing God. It is a pressing matter. They are destined for hell.

Some time ago I read in the papers a paid trip to visit hell. I can tell you they are blinded as many come out thinking hell is not so bad. Hell is not made for men, it is for the devil and his cohort. It is a terrible place. A place of gnashing of teeth where all your greatest fears come true. I am not trying to scare you to heaven but just to stress to you how real it is.

When we say missions and talk about the call, know it is an important call. So that these people can be reconciled to God and have a relationship with God.

In Jesus is the forgiveness of sin and a restored relationship. It is to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. There is a call from 2,000 years ago. The gospel must be preached in the context of disciple making.

With that in mind, each of us must know our place. That call is an imperative call, and we are called to obedience.

When you look at it this way, it refers to each and everyone of us. This is a corporate call. It's a call every single person need to answer. In verse 49, it shows it's mission possible as in Acts 1, we have the enablement.

God is the main actor. You are only the supporting cast. If in your ministry you have a lot of fruits, you need to remind yourself that it is the spirit of God that brings about the regeneration. We are only the supporting cast.

When I teach in bible study, it is the spirit of God that speaks to the people or they would have fallen asleep. I am called to teach. And I love to teach. Whether it's 5, 50 or 500, I will teach, not to say that I have 500 students (laughs). I thanks God there are people wanting to attend or how else will I get to teach? I must thanks them for coming.

Here our mission impossible has become mission Possible because with God all things are possible.

To the regenerated, to God be all the glory. The work is always finally enabled by Him. Sometimes I understand in some ministries, you listen and you come out and said it was good, very good. You ask what is good? And he said I don't know but it was good. The preacher is good not the message. If that is the case, then we are in trouble. It's a celebrity preacher. Where else if you heard a message that draws you to God and you can't even remember the speaker, then he's a good speaker.

The world's value system is about success. I'll take Lee Chong Wei as an example. He is world No. 1 for three years but do you think he can be world No. 1 without support. Without the physiotherapist, his cook, the coach, the supporters that cheer him on? But when he wins the championship, nobody will remember the supporters or those that supports him in all these other roles. This is the world system.

But God sees things differently. When a missionary accomplish much in the mission field, there are many that supported the work. When God rewards, he sees the heart whether that person is the driver, the person that pray or the person that gives the money. It is a call and if the driver fulfills his call and served wholeheartedly, God is well pleased. Money is not being judged by how much you give but what's left. God judge with a different value system.

We all have different function in God's call, not different status.

Even as I struggled with this, the picture of the call, you can hear snippets of it. What is the place of good works in mission? Good works supports the gospel call but they are not the gospel call. The church is taking this platform, all the facilities, the Big Party etc is to support the mission call. The essence of mission is the gospel call. This is so we all know what and why we are doing it.

Let's looks at Paul.

Acts 9:15-16
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

When you see this you can see the call to Paul is very clear. Paul was on his way to Damascus when he was blinded by the light and God called Paul. Paul's call was a personal call. It was very clear for him to preach the gospel.

To us, we are talking about a general call. That general call is the corporate call that we are to be involved in missions. And they are related. In clarity, intensity and in function.

1 Corinthians 9:16
Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

This is the perfect example of Gods call. It is a personal call with a divine compulsion. Translated to us, we do not have that personal call to missions, but we all have a personal call to a specific area of mission. There is a divine compulsion. Like whether it is giving, teaching or worship leading, there is that compulsion to be involved. But that divine compulsion is not "Kee Tang". That is possession. We are talking about compulsion where you have a choice. Three o'clock and God calls you to pray for a need, you have a choice. You can be obedient to that call.

2 Corinthians 5:14
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.


2 Corinthians 5:20
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

This is the gospel. The love of Christ compelled Paul. The word love here is ambiguous.

Does it mean because Christ love me, I share the gospel?
Does it mean, I love Christ, that's why I do it?
Or does it mean because Christ love unbelievers so He compels Paul?
Or does it mean Paul is compelled to love the unbelievers which compels him?

I believe it is all four inside the apostle Paul.

Call of God will give you divine compulsion
The command of God leads you to obedience
The love of Christ in you represents the communion

That intimate relationship of Paul with Christ results in his answering that call.

We must remember, we are sent. We response in obedience. It is a command.

Don't put the cart before the horse. Don't put the commission as the horse and the communion as the cart.

The church's many programs and activities cannot be the platform to bring us into an intimacy with God.

It must be the intimacy that propels the commission. It is the engine. Then the church will move in the right direction. Draw our people to an intimate relationship with God and you will see the power of God working in the life of the people in our midst. The great commission will be fulfilled by the power of the spirit and will reflect what is in his heart.