Beware of the Bunker Mentality

I was sitting listening to a missionary speak in our church recently and something very important dawned on me. As he spoke he showed enthusiasm. I have noticed over the years that when we are not at our church, dealing with our problems we are often able to be grateful and enthusiastic.

But then at home when the bombs are bursting in the air and things are going wrong, people are moving on to new towns and jobs and leaving our church, the bills are piling up it is easy to develop a victim attitude.

I was just sitting here thinking about how good God has been to me and then I got an email from a great family in our church that is planning on moving to another part of the state. Every time I hear that I cringe and hurt--I think you know what I mean. I would never hold up there progress and what they believe God's will to be BUT

I will lose them, I will miss them, Our church will suffer and I don't want them to go. It causes me to start thinking that things aren't going good. It doesn't matter if things are going good or not I tend to focus on the bad things--Do you do that?

I develop a Bunker Mentality. I want to retreat where I can't get hurt again. I would rather not risk loving than lose the love or be hurt.

That begins to show in my demeanor and attitude in the pulpit and around people. Then people don't understand what is happening but they know that something makes them uncomfortable.

Do you know what I mean? I want a praise and let's go forward attitude. I hope you do. God is in control. He is going to work things out. Lets serve Him with joy in our hearts.

In the Vision News I have to be positive but sometimes it is hard and I just do not feel like it! Have you ever been there?

Ramblings from North Africa:

The following comes from an email sent out by project North Africa and Aaron. I want to encourage all of you to get your copy of this book as soon as possible. I have already ordered mine and paid for it over paypal.

One Church-planting team’s first year of minsitry to Muslims
My wife Jillian and I, along with our coworkers Cesar and Mariet Copa from Arequipa, Peru have kept a journal of our experiences over the last year since we arrived in Morocco. This book is unique because it is written from a man AND a woman’s perspective as we ministered to Muslims together.

If you would like your your family and/or your church to know how to better pray for our missions…
If you would like to know what it is like to live and ministry in a Muslim country…
If you would like to know how to witness to the Muslims that you know…
If you know anyone going to minister in Muslim country…

Buy One, GIVE One Free!

For every book YOU buy, we will GIVE a book to a college student. The future of missions lies in the hands of the young people who are preparing themselves in our colleges. Will they consider going to a Muslim country?

It’s up to you!

All profits from the book will go directly into the church planting efforts of Project North Africa!

Order online at our website: www.projectna.com or by mail:
Project North Africa
PO Box 519
Braselton, GA 30517
Checks made payable to “Project North Africa” for $14.95 for the book and $3 for shipping.

Special pricing available for churches or individuals requesting 5 or more books.

This would be the book for you!

Vision Baptist Church
Vision News

Preach Jesus

You [as preachers] have nothing else to employ as the means of good, except the salvation of Jesus, and there is nothing else worth telling.

I heard of a congregation the other day that was so very small that hardly any one came to listen to the preacher. Instead of blaming himself, and preaching better, the minister said he thought he was not doing much good by sermons and prayer-meetings, and therefore he would found a club, and if the fellows came in, and played draughts, that might do them good. What a lot of that sort of thing is now being tried! We are going to convert souls on a new system,—are we? Are we also to have a substitute for bread?—and healthier drink than pure water? . . .

[T]o hope ever to bring sinners to holiness and heaven by any teaching but that which begins and ends in Jesus Christ is a sheer delusion. None other name is given among men whereby they can be saved. If you have to deal with highly learned and educated people, nothing is so good for them as preaching Jesus Christ; and if the people be ignorant and degraded, nothing is better for them than the preaching of Jesus.

A young man said to another the other day, “I am going down to preach at So-and-so, what sort of people are they there? What kind of doctrine will suit them?” Having heard of the question, I gave this advice,—”You preach Jesus Christ, and that will suit them, I am sure, if they are learned people it will suit them; if they are ignorant it will suit them—God blessing it.”

When the great Biblical critic, Bengel, was dying, he sent for a young theological student, to whom he said, “I am low in spirit; say something good to cheer me.” “My dear Sir,” said the student, “I am so insignificant a person, what can I say to a great man like yourself?” “But if you are a student of theology,” said Bengel, “you ought to have a good word to say to a dying man; pray say it without fear.” “Well, Sir,” said he, “What can I say to you, but that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin?” Bengel said, “Give me your hand, young man; that is the very word I wanted.”

A simple gospel text is the word which every man needs who is in fear of divine wrath, and he may be sitting next to you at this moment, or he is in the same house of business with you, and needs that you should tell him about Christ. Do that, and bless his soul. May you all understand the Scriptures in this way, and may God make you a great blessing to those around you.

Charles Spurgeon

That is what Vision Baptist Church is all about. We preach Jesus service after service, That is what we did in Peru. God blesses the preaching of His World. Keep up with all if going on via Vision News

Are you ready

Get more information at Vision Baptist Church and stay connected through Vision News

Missionary Agreement Form 14

There is so much to learn from this agreement and I hope that you will go back to the very first post on this subject and follow all of the notes to really understand better how we can serve God on the mission field of the world.

It becomes us to use all assiduity in explaining and distributing the Divine Word on all occasions, and by every means in our power to excite the attention and the reverence of the natives towards it, as the fountain of eternal truth and the Message of Salvation to men. It is our duty also to distribute, as extensively as possible, the different religious tracts which are published. Considering how much the general diffusion of the knowledge of Christ depends upon a liberal and constant distribution of the Word, and of these tracts, all over the country, we should keep this continually in mind, and watch all opportunities of putting even single tracts into the hands of those persons with whom we occasionally meet. We should endeavour to ascertain where large assemblies of the natives are to be found, that we may attend upon them, and gladden whole villages at once with the tidings of salvation.

What wonderful and powerful truths and a great to do list we find here:

1. We need to give all effort possible to the explaining and distributing of the Divine Word. What are you doing right now to explain the word of God to as many and as many times as you can. What are you doing to get the word of God into their hands. It is alive and powerful. It will do its job.

2. Let's get the Bible to as many people as possible. I am afraid that we do not realize the power of the word. If we but get it to them it will do a work in their lives.

3. Find the crowds and get the Bible to them. Find where the people are--go to them and get the word to them.

At Vision Baptist Church I am motivated to see how to put as much of this as possible to work. Even in America people do not read the Word of God and so much preaching today is philosophy and not Bible. I want to see how I can go about getting the Word into their hearts and lives. Keep up with what God is doing with us over at Vision News.

Missionary Agreement Form 13

Well I have been in South Africa visiting our missionary Kevin Hall and so I have not been able to keep up with these posts but we are back at it. I truly believe that there is a great deal that can be learned from reading, thinking, and studying what these great men did in the past. All of it might not be relevant to your ministry but it can sure help us to do a better job.

Ninthly. It becomes us also to labour with all our might in forwarding translations of the sacred Scriptures in the languages of Hindoostan. The help which God has afforded us already in this work is a loud call to us to "go forward." So far, therefore, as God has qualified us to learn those languages which are necessary, we consider it our bounden duty to apply with unwearied assiduity in acquiring them. We consider the publication of the Divine Word throughout India as an object which we ought never to give up till accomplished, looking to the Fountain of all knowledge and strength to qualify us for this great work, and to carry us through it to the praise of His Holy Name.

Every missionary better believe in the power of the Word of God. We have nothing else to give them. The last thing that they need is the philosophy of the United States. We obviously even as a culture have not done much to promote the name of Jesus Christ and bring our culture to His feet. The prosperity gospel may work in the USA but it has little chance overseas where poverty and death are so rampant. Let us give them the Word.

I high lighted several things that I certainly hope you notice. They had to learn the language no matter what it cost! Do not settle for a half hearted knowledge of the language. You will be studying and learning until the day you die.

Do all in your power to get the gospel to the world and by that I mean the Word of God. We are to study it, teach it, preach it, live it. The Word of God is our life, it is all we have and all we are.

Vision Baptist Church on the Northside of Atlanta is committed to just this truth. We must preach the Bible, verse by verse. We are loving it! It is amazing how the truths of God's Word are already relevant. As we study the Bible these truths apply right now to our society and where we live.

I invite you to follow Vision News to keep up with what God is doing in our church.

Missionary Agreement Form 12

Under the divine blessing, if, in the course of a few years, a number of native churches be thus established, from them the word of God may sound out even to the extremities of India, and numbers of preachers being raised up and sent forth, may form a body of native missionaries, inured to the climate, acquainted with the customs, language, modes of speech and reasoning of the inhabitants; able to become perfectly familiar with them, to enter their houses, to live upon their food, to sleep with them, or under a tree; and who may travel from one end of the country to the other almost without any expense. These churches will be in no immediate danger of falling into errors or disorders, because the whole of their affairs will be constantly superintended by a European missionary.

Though I understand the comment and agree to a point I do believe that we need to so deeply train our people that they will be as trustworthy as us. That means that this can not be a work that is done quickly or lightheartedly. We must commit to real personal, life on life, training. I would hope that the day would come in any country that there are enough men and women who have matured sufficiently that they will not need to be supervised by a European nor an American.

Can we trust God to do such a work in their hears as He has done in ours? Could it be that we need to invest more money in getting good study materials into their hands. Maybe we should spend more time and give them real Bible College training. The problem is obvious and easily understood but should have a solution.

The advantages of this plan are so evident, that to carry it into complete effect ought to be our continued concern. That we may discharge the important obligations of watching over these infant churches when formed, and of urging them to maintain a steady discipline, to hold forth the clear and cheering light of evangelical truth in this region and shadow of death, and to walk in all respects as those who have been called out of the darkness into marvellous light, we should continually go to the Source of all grace and strength; for if, to become the shepherd of one church be a most solemn and weighty charge, what must it be to watch over a number of churches just raised from the state of heathenism, and placed at a distance from each other?

No doubt the infant churches will need our care. Let us just not leave it there.

We have thought it our duty not to change the names of native converts, observing from Scripture that the Apostles did not change those of the first Christians turned from heathenism, as the names Epaphroditus, Phoebe, Fortunatus, Sylvanus, Apollos, Hermes, Junia, Narcissus, etc., prove. Almost all these names are derived from those of heathen gods. We think the great object which Divine Providence has in view in causing the Gospel to be promulgated in the world, is not the changing of the names, the dress, the food, and the innocent usages of mankind, but to produce a moral and divine change in the hearts and conduct of men. It would not be right to perpetuate the names of heathen gods amongst Christians, neither is it necessary or prudent to give a new name to every man after his conversion, as hereby the economy of families, neighbourhoods, etc., would be needlessly disturbed. In other respects, we think it our duty to lead our brethren by example, by mild persuasion, and by opening and illuminating their minds in a gradual way rather than use authoritative means. By this they learn to see the evil of a custom, and then to despise and forsake it; whereas in cases wherein force is used, though they may leave off that which is wrong while in our presence, yet not having seen the evil of it, they are in danger of using hypocrisy, and of doing that out of our presence which they dare not do in it.

Let us never strive for the outward changes that so readily make us look like we have accomplished a great deal. Rather let us work to get the gospel into their hearts and for God to make a permanent change in them.

Vision News
Vision Baptist

Missionary Agreement Form 11

Still further to strengthen the cause of Christ in this country, and, as far as in our power, to give it a permanent establishment, even when the efforts of Europeans may fail, we think it our duty, as soon as possible, to advise the native brethren who may be formed in separate churches, to choose their pastors and deacons from amongst their own countrymen, that the word may be statedly preached, and the ordinances of Christ administered, in each church, by the native minister, as much as possible, without the interference of the missionary of the district, who will constantly superintend their affairs, give them advice in cases of order and discipline, and correct any errors into which they may fall, and who, joying and beholding their order, and their steadfastness of their faith in Christ, may direct his efforts continually to the planting of new churches in other places, and to the spread of the Gospel throughout his district as much as in his power. By this means the unity of the missionary character will be preserved, all the missionaries will still form one body, each one moveable as the good of the cause may require, the different native churches will also naturally learn to care and provide for their ministers, for their church expense, the raising places of worship, etc., and the whole administration will assume a native aspect, by which means the inhabitants will more readily identify the cause as belonging to their own nation, and their prejudices at falling into the hands of Europeans will entirely vanish. It may be hoped too that the pastors of these churches, and the members in general, will feel a new energy in attempting to spread the Gospel, when they shall thus freely enjoy the privileges of the Gospel amongst themselves.

The goal as soon as possible is to form an indigenous church. A church that is self supporting, self governing, and self supporting. That means we must teach them to do all the work and that our goal is to get out of the way.

They should be allowed to choose their pastors and leaders. They will have been taught well how to serve and honor God.

By the way that means that as a missionary you should not own their property nor should the mission. We have criticized very harshly large denominations that have done so in the states and then as independent Baptists go to the field and do what we condemn in the states. We act as though we could never trust them. You are not trusting them you are trusting and commending them to God.

As missionaries our goals are to continue getting new churches started and new men trained for the work there. The longer we tell them what to do and do not allow them to step up the weaker they will become.

Missionaries should not interfere with a church once it has become organized. As long as it is a mission of your church you obviously have some authority but once they are organized you should not undermine the pastor getting involved in telling them what to do.

Let the nationals know that they are our equals in the work of God. For too long the n word of missionary work has been "national". We have treated them too often with disrespect and superiority. God can use them as well as He can use us.

Vision News
Vision Baptist Church

Missionary Agreement Form 10

Eighthly. Another part of our work is the forming [of] our native brethren to usefulness, fostering every kind of genius, and cherishing every gift and grace in them.

Many people do not currently understand the importance of a Bible College. They can not seem to understand how it relates to church planting but as they said we must do everything possible to get them to know and grow so that they can lead their churches. Probably the most important church planting on any field once the work as been started is the training of the future leaders. If you believe in church planting you have to believe in Bible College support and training.

In this respect we can scarcely be too lavish of our attention to their improvement. It is only by means of native preachers that we can hope for the universal spread of the Gospel throughout this immense continent. Europeans are too few, and their subsistence costs too much, for us ever to hope that they can possibly be the instruments of the universal diffusion of the word amongst so many millions of souls spread over such a large portion of the habitable globe.

They knew that the most important key to getting the gospel to the people was to train their leadership. We will never get enough workers. We must train them in how to lead. We must train the churches in how to follow. We must teach them to give and support their own pastors.

Their incapability of bearing the intense heat of the climate in perpetual itineracies, and the heavy expenses of their journeys, not to say anything of the prejudices of the natives against the very presence of Europeans, and the great difficulty of becoming fluent in their languages, render it absolute duty to cherish native gifts, and to send forth as many native preachers as possible. If the practice of confining the ministry of the word to a single individual in a church be once established amongst us, we despair of the Gospel's ever making much progress in India by our means. Let us therefore use every gift, and continually urge on our native brethren to press upon their countrymen the glorious Gospel of the blessed God.

This is probably one of the mission field's best kept secrets. Many missionaries can't ever master the language. They have a hard time adjusting to the culture. What if we would just learn that our principal ministry is training leaders. Maybe we would accomplish much more.

Vision News

Vision Baptist Church

Missionary Agreement Form 9

In walking before native converts, much care and circumspection are absolutely necessary. The falls of Christians in Europe have not such a fatal tendency as they must have in this country, because there the word of God always commands more attention than the conduct of the most exalted Christian. But here those around us, in consequence of their little knowledge of the Scriptures, must necessarily take our conduct as a specimen of what Christ looks for in His disciples. They know only the Saviour and His doctrine as they shine forth in us.

Carey and his fellow workers knew that they had to model what they taught. They would be watched very much to see if they taught and preached was also what they practiced. They had to be examples of what Christ was looking for in His disciples

In conversing with the wives of native converts, and leading them on in the ways of Christ, so that they may be an ornament to the Christian cause, and make known the Gospel to the native women, we hope always to have the assistance of the females who have embarked with us in the mission. We see that in primitive times the Apostles were very much assisted in their great work by several pious females. The great value of female help may easily be appreciated if we consider how much the Asiatic women are shut up from the men, and especially from men of another caste. It behoves us, therefore, to afford to our European sisters all possible assistance in acquiring the language, that they may, in every way which Providence may open to them, become instrumental in promoting the salvation of the millions of native women who are in a great measure excluded from all opportunities of hearing the word from the mouths of European missionaries. A European sister may do much for the cause in this respect, by promoting the holiness, and stirring up the zeal, of the female native converts.

They recognized the importance of the help that the ladies could give. It would be impossible many times to reach the women in another culture if it were not for the great work of godly women who surrender to mission work. Notice the words "great value of female help"

A real missionary becomes in a sense a father to his people. If he feels all the anxiety and tender solicitude of a father, all that delight in their welfare and company that a father does in the midst of his children, they will feel all that freedom with, and confidence in him which he can desire. He will be wholly unable to lead them on in a regular and happy manner, unless they can be induced to open their minds to him, and unless a sincere and mutual esteem subsist on both sides

In many ways the missionary is like a father to his people. It is our great privilege to work with these people. We must love them. We must feel for them. God will give their hearts to you if you will but be the father to them that He has called you to be.

Vision News
Vision Baptist Church