Module 2—Vocation of Messianic New-Covenant Community—Gentiles by Eternal Purpose Institute

the vocation of the messianic covenant community gathering the covenant harvests

introduction

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God’s eternal purpose for creation… a covenant community • • •

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revealing his essential nature—his glory revealing his purposes for his creation co-operating with him

partnering with Messiah in gathering “covenant harvests” of the earth

covenant harvests A GREAT NATION, BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING to every family on earth

harvest harvestofof MESSIANIC MESSIANIC COMMUNITY COMMUNITY

harvest harvestofof GENTILE GENTILEPEOPLES PEOPLES

a global shaking

new heaven and earth

harvest harvestofof JEWISH JEWISHPEOPLE PEOPLE

“look around among the nations and see! and be astonished! Astounded! for I am putting into effect a work in your days that you would not believe if it were told you” —Habakkuk 1:5

a harvest of gentile peoples a harvest of “all nations”

every ethnos

go and make people from all nations into disciples, baptising them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you —

nations = ethnos = ethnic people groups • • • •

different by ethnic origin different by language different by culture, religion, caste different by political nationality

Matthew 28.19

nation, tribe, people, language I looked and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb… —

who? • • • •

ethné phulé laos glossa

= = = =

race, ethnic people tribe, clan nation, people language

Revelation 7.9

great commission

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after-thought of Jesus? no: God’s eternal, unchanging purpose

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“bible explains mission” no: “mission explains the bible”!

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option for committed core of believers? no: calling to entire Christian community

world mission movements

 early church : ~ 450 AD •

Mediterranean to India

 Celtic church : 500-800 AD •

West, Central Europe

 Nestorian church : 480-1250 AD •

Asia

 Orthodox church : 800-1100 AD •

Eastern Europe, Russia

 Roman Catholic mission orders : 1209- AD •

mainly north, western Europe; North Africa, China

marginalisation of mission

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mission movements exception, not rule 16th century Reformers denied importance • • • •

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battling RC, rather than evangelising heathen imminent return Christ obligation fulfilled by apostles “election” made mission unnecessary!

mission marginalised theologically, organisationally… until 18th-century protestant missions…

Moravian Brethren, 1727-

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godly leadership •

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community •

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persecuted protestant refugees

prayer •

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Count Zinzandorf

24/7 prayer vigil lasting over 100 years!

dedication to world mission • • •

declared “every Christian a missionary” 1 missionary to every 60 community members ratio 1 : 5000 within Protestantism generally

Moravian missionaries

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worldwide network • • •

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Virgin Islands, North America, South America Greenland, Lapland, Labrador South Africa, Tanganyika (Tanzania)

missionaries • • • • •

unselfish dedication evangelists, not theologians artisans, trades-people self-supporting economic influence; led to spiritual influence

father of modern mission movement William Carey, 1792  vision, leadership, prayer, dedication  1st global statistical survey: • •

populations evangelistic progress

 formed Baptist Missionary Society  Serampore, India, 40 years • • •

schools bible translation; printing college for missionaries, evangelists

William Carey

expect great things from God attempt great things for God

five breaking waves of modern world mission movement

five breaking waves 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

mission to continental coastlands mission to continental interiors mission to geo-political countries missions to ethno-linguistic peoples mission by non-Western movements

first wave, 1792 - 1865 coastlands of unreached continents discipling, church planting • • •

islands, coastlands of Asia, Africa extremely long journeys slow, difficult communications

denominational • •

inter-denominational co-operation London Missionary Society

extraordinary pioneers •

William Carey

second wave, 1865 - 1910 continental interiors of Africa, Asia preaching to every person • • •

geographical penetration of inland regions AIM, SIM, Heart of Africa Mission (WEC) major threat of death by tropical disease

interdenominational organisations • • • • •

China Inland Mission, Hudson Taylor faith field autonomy “three-self” approach “go native” approach

second wave, 1865 - 1910 continental interiors of Africa, Asia world evangelisation before 20th century • •

much excitement pre-1900 afterwards momentum slowed by discouragement of non-achievement

“Student Volunteer Movement” • • • •

100’s missionaries huge educational impact non-theological personnel virtually halted by savage first world war

third wave, 1910 - 1966 geo-political nations, countries almost every one entered or targeted • • •

slow, steady missionary advance supported by Evangelical movement theological, social, economic, political hostility

moderate non-Western church growth • • •

church planting training indigenous leaders western domination stifled native Christianity

fourth wave, 1966ethnic people groups ethnically-defined people groups • • •

measured, analysed, targeted reached, unreached, progress change in missiological strategy

zones of regional darkness •

“10/40 Window” — theoretical ‘window,’10o and 40o N

•

Silk Route — traditional router for silk traders

strategic terminology “people group” largest group within which Gospel can spread as a church-planting movement or people movement to Christ… without encountering significant barriers of understanding or acceptance

strategic terminology “unreached / least reached” people groups without a viable indigenous church sufficiently developed to be capable of evangelizing its own people without cross-cultural assistance at least 50% of population have little or no access to the Gospel, either indigenous or cross-cultural statistically < 2% evangelicals and < 5% nominal Christian adherents

10 / 40 window gospel-resistant darkness 86% least-evangelised people 78% least-evangelised p/g’s •

2.5 billion Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists

82% of poorest people •

2.4 billion < $1.40 / day

overpopulation, disease 

AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis

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dictatorships, corruption children, women, Christians

10 / 40 window

Christian workers 94.5% among evangelised 4.8% evangelised / resistant 0.7% among unreached for every unreached ethné 580+ evangelical, great commission churches 40,000+ believers © john clements 2008-2009 / www.eternalpurpose.org.uk

fourth wave, 1966ethnic people groups massive prayer-based growth • • • •

still accelerating… 170 million praying daily for “revival” 20 million prayer “primary ministry” worldwide Christian radio coverage

centre of gravity no longer in West • • • •

‘60’s Africa ‘70’s Latin America ‘80’s East Asia ‘90’s Eurasia

fifth wave, 1980non-Western mission movements vibrant, emerging force in world mission • •

vibrant, vast numbers non-western Pentecostal movements engaging seriously with world mission

close to unreached peoples • •

geographically culturally

huge biblical educational requirement •

partnership opportunity: YSC’s / OSC’s

what difference have waves made?

number of non-Christians per believer

ratio of congregations to people groups

what remains to be done?

the great imbalance reached 61%

3.9 billion 58%

9169

1 billion = 1000, 000, 000

39%

2.5 billion

individuals

42%

6721 92%

128,000

unreached

ethnic people groups

12,000

mission personnel (not incl. RC)

statistics courtesy Joshua Project 2006

why it can be done… 500 million Christians committed to act • • •

annual growth rate 6.9% faster than global population growth 100 million are young believers

annual ‘disposable’ earnings $2.5 trillion • •

$8 billion given to missions (33c per $100) Christians own 60 million computers

3 million full-time Christian workers • •

285, 000 career missionaries 30, 000 broadcasting cross-culturally