The Temporary Necessity

Pastor Peter Seow

Good morning, my name is Peter Seow and I bring you greetings from Canning Methodist Church. I grew up in church, Sunday School, Youth Group, I grew up in Church services and is one of the musician in our band. Thank you musicians for a great job today. We worship God together not just with our voices but also with our instruments.

I came to answer the call for full time ministry and I started with children's ministry, and my wife served the youth. Very good ministry. I pass the children to her youth for her to bring them up. We did that for many years but before that I was a music teacher at Yamaha Music School. But I gave that up and became a full time minister.

At that time I though God, I've gone full time already, I've sacrificed earning lots of money. I have a lot of joy serving in church and I thought that was it. That I will grow old in church and enjoy my retirement in serving God.

But that was not so. When teaching Sunday School one time on Missions Month and I challenged the kids if you hear God's call, don't reject it although you're young, God can still use you. Right after that I heard God speak to my heart, what about you Peter? If I call you will you go? I said no la God, I serve you full time already, my work is here.

Next year, same thing again, Mission's Month, I began to preach and also challenged the children to response to God's call. Then God spoke to me also. At the end I said, if I can preach it, I must live it. And so I said I will do that and I will answer the call.

And I searched for Mission organisations to join. So I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators because I feel that if I should do missions, the Word of God is important and the Word of God is eternal, it would not be destroyed. And at Wycliffe they translate the word of God into the language that the people are speaking.

I have some slides to show my family. When we answered the call to go missions our kids were quite small. Like 2 years old and the eldest was 9. Now they are all quite grown. David is the eldest, he's 22, Daryl is 19 and Hannah is 15. The first 2 have already gone to university and we have Hannah with us at Papua.

History of the Gospel in Papua 

In 1855, two German missionaries - Otto and Geisler, landed on Mansinam Island, Papua.

They knelt, prayed and claimed Papua for God The Gospel spread - first to coastal areas and then to the highlands.

Local believers became evangelists bringing the Good News to the highlands interior.

The Gospel in Danama

We work with a people group called the Walak. They are from the central highlands and about 5,000 strong, not more than 10,000. When the missionaries went to the highlands, the village chief Tenggino who is now about 60 years old, rejected it because he was not sure what kind of news it was. When the local evangelists came he killed some of them.

It was only after years later he heard the gospel and then received it and not only him but the whole village. They burnt all their charms and they turned to the saving love of Jesus Christ.

But because God is not in their own language it's like a foreign religion. So it's preached in Bahasa Indonesia but that's it their language. Their language is Walak. But there's no Scripture or writing system in Walak. That language has sounds that we don't have. It was strange to my ears when I first heard it. And we had to analyse the language and work out a language system for them.

Here I'm with Tenggino and Minagi. Tenggino the village chief was a warrior. He used to fight and kill and conquer other villages and protect his own village. But since the gospel came he has become a very gentle spirited person. But he is very strong. He wants the Bible in his own language. We are keen to bring the word of God to them if not by reading, by hearing. 

Types of Translation Programs 

1. Traditional translation 

You live in the village spend 20 years, learn the language, their writing system and after 20 or 25 years the nNew Testament is published. Not even the Old Testament. That's how long it takes.

2. Mother Tongue Translation

Work with a local speaker where together he does the translation because he understands the language. All you have to do is give him the education and he works on his own and you're the consultant helping him to translate. That's faster, maybe 15 or 10 years.

3. Oral Translation 

This is what we're doing now. We want them to get the word of God as soon as they can. We translate through speech. We record it, put it in the computer and analyse it, checked and work on it and bring it to the village. So they get to hear the word of God.

One Story  

1. A basic set of 25 stories are first drafted in Indonesian so that it can be translated into the local languages that need it.

2. We have 6 languages that come together 4 times a year for a month at a time. 

3. A consultantnt is at hand to check their work.

4. Computers are used to record and input data. Wireless network provide a repository so that all data is saved on local server. 

5. Checks are done and feedback given by consultant. Materials are the corrected and revised.

Revelation 7:9-12 (NKJV)

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,

Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,

Be to our God forever and ever.

Amen.”

It's amazing verse that shows what it's like at the end of the age. After being there for 12-13 years, I'd like to make a proposition to the church. Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. It's not the main priority. The mission call is to meet a target or goal. Missions is only the vehicle to that goal. What is the ultimate goal? What has God called you to do ultimately. Worshippers.

God wants us to be worshippers.

John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad!

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.”

“Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God….

Like all great works of art like movies or novel, it's the last scene where the lasting impressions happen. It's meant to leave a lasting impression or impact on the people. That's like what we read in the final pages of Revelations 9.

The scene or finale ends with worship. People of all nations and different tribes and tongues all together worshipping God. That's what we will be doing when we get to heaven. This is what happens when Jesus returns. A new heaven and new earth is established. People worshipping God our creator. So why is missions important?

… But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish.”

Worship also the fuel to missions.

I led worship in church as a youth for many years. And I can say that it was worship that fuelled me to missions. How can I sing and not be prepared to do what we sang. So we challenged ourselves, Angie and I and we said if we can sing that, we can do that. Worship is the fuel for missions.

How can we preach God if we don't cherish God? I cannot sell an iPhone if I'm using an Android.I sell iPhone but I like Android. Cannot work right? It does not make sense.

Why is missions important?

There are still many tribes and people yet to be represented before the throne of God, that have not been reached. If they can't get the good news, they cannot believe in him and if they cannot believe in him, they cannot call on him and if they cannot call on him, they cannot be saved and if they cannot be saved how can they worship God?

“The story of missions the whole world over shows that the success or failure of missions has always been dependent on whether those brought to Christ had the Scriptures in their own language or not.”  G. Campbell Morgan

If you do missions in China, you will preach in Mandarin. But if you go to a small village that speaks Han you'll need to preach in Han. This kind of thinking. If they cannot read the Scripture on their language how can they hear?

As of September 2016:

• 6,909 living languages (Ethnologue)
• 636 languages with full Bible translated
• 1,442 languages with New Testament translated
• 1,145 Bible portions or stories translated

=> At least some portion of the Bible has been translated into 3,223 languages.

<    50% of the world’s languages.

There's still a lot of work to be done and that's what we are doing at Wycliffe. And many other organisations are doing the he same also.

What is the goal of missions?

The gladness of people in the greatness of God.

The Psalmist proclaims let all the people praise Thee O God. Let the nations be glad and sings for joy. This is a very well used verse. This God that pursued us with his love, loved us so much that he sent his only son who talked to us and crucified on the cross and in doing so he redeemed all of humanity that they may be reconciled back to their creator. This is a very basic message of what we believe in as Christians. It's good to be reminded that there are many others who do not know this fact.

I've been a Christian now for 40 years. Every time and I pause and think and reflect on what God has done for me I'm deeply touched. I remember I was not who I was 40 years ago. I was a sinner. Rotten and dirty. I know I am. I know the thoughts in my heart and mind and I do struggle just like you too. When we got older we forget that we came from that state. We haven't arrived yet, we're still being sanctified and renewed daily. On our own we are helpless.

But God knows that, and it took him to came down to lift us up. We cannot climb up. He stooped down to save us. It was this God that created the heaven and the earth coming down to save us. Isn't that amazing. It's so amazing. That's why we sing that song Amazon Love and the sacrifice that he's given for us. Not everyone knows this fact.

More than half the world's population still need to know about Christ. These people have no one to tell them there is a way out. Will you respond and speak life to this people and bring the good news to them.

How should missions be carried out?

It should come from a point of passion. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching.

I want to end with a story in Papua. Although man does the work of mission, ultimately it is God who does the work.

Mission is supremely the work of God.

This is the story of Stan Dale and Phil Masters.

These two has been serving in Papua for many years back in the 1950s. They have reached the Dani people and they wanted to go to the Yali prople. They are very fierce warriors and they are scary too because they also eat human flesh. They believe if they eat their enemies, they'll gain their power. Their believes turns them to their animalistic side of their spiritual being.

These two families wanted to make contact with the Yali people. The Yali people out of fear conspired to kill these two. They shot him with an arrow and technically should have died but didn't. So they were also very frightened of them because they didn't die and they have white coloured skin.

So as they went back after meeting the people they were ambushed. Stan Dale stayed back to talk to the Yali people and he put his hands up and said don't shoot. But one of the Yali shot him from behind and it hit his armpit and he pulled the arrow out and broke it and threw it away. Then more shot arrows at him but Stan just pulled the arrow out and broke it. They got more panic as he was not dying. They became desperate. At the end of it they counted as many as 50-60 arrows were shot at him Stan knew he won't survive this. At last he dropped and died.

Next was Phil. As the tribe surrounded him he didn't run and just stood there with arms open. They shot him. They were surprised because usually the enemies run. It got them curious. The news got all around the world and more than ever people were praying for the Yali people than ever before.

The missions authorities went in and arrested those people who they heard were the killers. Killed 5 of them and put one in prison. With all these violence, that Valley was closed and that no gospel was going to go through.

God's plan was different from man's plan.

A few months later, a family called the Newmans had a missionary pilot took them to go to Mulia. This was a new Canadian pilot who was a professional and a good pilot. He was new to the place. At that time it was hard to read the Papua terrain. It was bad weather and instead of landing on Mulia it crashed in the same Valley. All died except for one boy Paul. Nine year old Paul Newman knew he was the only one alive. He lost his glasses and couldn't see and wandered in the valley for a few hours.

Then he came across a Yali man called Kusaho. He was one of the few that was against the killing of the missionaries. Kusaho saw this white boy and he said he must protect this white boy. He took him in and protected him for a few days. Here's an amazing story because here is a primitive Yali taking in a white boy.

The rescue mission in helicopter came and they saw that the plane crashed and probably no survivors. Two weeks earlier two expats were killed here so they are keen to quickly leave.  But then as they were preparing to leave, they saw this white boy running towards them, Paul Newman. And they were so surprised and shock that there was a survivor. Then they heard the story of Kusaho and how he protected the boy. A bridge was build from there.

The missionaries convinced the Indonesian government to release that one Yali man because he knew NP matter. Two years later, the Yali people invited the missionaries to visit them. God opened the door that was shut tight. It was God who guided all these things. He managed all these situations. We are just blessed to be called to this mission.

Although Stan is dead his son is there doing pastoral work and translating the Bible. Because God is doing the work there is no failure. We cannot not go just because we fear failure. We just need to be obedient and just work alongside God. He determines the end.

We can enter alongside our Master in this work in different ways:

• We can go to the mission field
• We can give to the missionaries and the mission organisations
• We can pray for the missionaries and for their work

ALL of us can do something.

All of us can do something. Because want to see the nations worship God.