"A Missiology of Suffering, Witness, andChurchPlanting in theMidst ofPersecution"

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"A Missiology of Suffering, Witness,
and Church Planting in the Midst of Persecution" 

• Dr. David Sills
• www.davidsills.org

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Some Definitions . . .
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Missiology

• Missiology is the conscious, intentional,
  ongoing reflection on the doing of mission. It
  includes theory(ies) of mission, the study and
  teaching of mission, as well as the research,
  writing, and publication of works regarding
  mission.
• Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions

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MISSIOLOGY
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General Etymology

• Missio Latin for sending
• Ology Greek for study of
• Study of the expansion of Christianity

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MissiologyGods Mission Mans Nature
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Missional Helix
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Cuadrupal Helix

• Theological Reflection
• Mission Dei, kingdom of God, incarnation
• Cultural Analysis
• Social, linguistic, beliefs, worldview
• Historical perspective
• National, ethnic, church, mission
• Strategy Formation
• Methodology, priority, team, endview
• Dr Gailyn Van Rheenen, The Missiology Homepage

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The Missional HelixDr Gailyn Van Rheenen, The
Missiology Homepage
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Scope of Missiology

• A theology of mission
• The history of missions
• A philosophy of mission
• The strategic implementation on a given cultural
  setting

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Making God Supreme in Missions

• The Purpose, the Power, and the Price
• The Supremacy of God in Missions through Worship
• The Supremacy of God in Missions through Prayer
• The Supremacy of God in Missions through
  Suffering
• Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church.
  Worship is. Missions exists because worship
  doesnt . . . Missions begins and ends in
  worship. John Piper

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Making God Supreme in Missions

• Pipers 3 truths in missions motivation.
• Zeal for the glory of the King.
• Wartime lifestyle.
• Is our failure to thrive in Muslim countries the
  absence of martyrs?.
• Suffering is not a tragedy but a promise.

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Making God Supreme in Missions

• Suffering is appointed by God
• To deepen faith and holiness
• To make your cup increase
• As the price of making others bold
• To fill up what is lacking in Christs
  afflictions
• To enforce the missionary command to go
• To make manifest the supremacy of Christ

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Why go to the nations?

• To obey the Great Commission?
• To rescue the perishing?
• To bring greater glory of God in His world?
• Psalm 67
• Psalm 96
• Isaiah 6618-19

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What are the 4 selfs?
Self-supporting
Self-governing
Self-propagating
Self-theologizing
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The Primary Purpose of Missions is to be Light in
a Dark World

• Used by Jesus and Isaiah (Mt 514, Is 496)
• Light knowledge Darkness ignorance
• Light in the world also implies good deeds
• Light suggests joy and hope (Is 92-7)
• Light and darkness presupposes spiritual warfare.
  (Acts 2618, 2 Cor 44, Eph 613-18)
• Importance of prayer in spiritual warfare!
• The kingdom advances on the knees of His saints
• The devil trembles when he sees the weakness
  saint upon his knees

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The Primary Purpose of Missions is to be Light in
a Dark World

• Light in a dark world includes cultural elements
• Cultural adaptation is healthy
• Rejection of the cultural is unhealthy
• Total assimilation is unhealthy
• We are to be salt and light. (characteristics)
• Cultures are neutral but elements must be judged
• Sinful elements must be identified biblically
• The national Christians are the ones to lead
  change

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The Primary Purpose of Missions is to be Light in
a Dark World

• The Missionary community should be a community of
  light, but not from the heat!
• Eph 58, 15-20
• 1 John 17ff, 28-11
• The nationals are watching our lives
• Drive in such a way that you could stop and
  witness to anyone driving around you.

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Two extremes to avoid

• The purpose of missions should not be so narrowly
  defined that vital missions concerns are
  overlooked or obscured.
• The purpose of missions should not be so
  generally stated that everything becomes missions.

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SUFFERING
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Suffering

• noun   feelings of mental or physical pain
• noun   misery resulting from affliction
• noun   a state of acute pain
• noun   psychological suffering

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Suffering

• But these Nazi times had one great advantage.
  They taught us that physical beatings could be
  endured, and that the human spirit with Gods
  help can survive horrible tortures.
• Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

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Suffering

• Sabina told me, Richard, stand up and wash this
  shame away from the face of Christ! They are
  spitting in His face. I said to her, If I do
  so, you lose your husband. She replied, I
  dont wish to have a coward as a husband.
• Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

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Biblical Perspective

• Rejoicing in Romans 53-4 Acts 541
• Examples of Job, David, Daniel, Shadrach,
  Meshach, and Abednego

• Suffering of Righteous Psalms 22, 73
• Luke 1212-19 132-4
• Romans 833-39
• 2 Corinthians 417
• Philippians 310
• Hebrews 122-7

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CHURCH PLANTING
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Church Planting

• The International Mission Board, SBC has asked us
  to make it our focus that we do, Evangelism that
  results in churches. Further, as a result of
  our personnel being on mission with God, our
  goal is to see Church Planting Movements among
  Unreached People Groups that we engage. IMB
  Missionary

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Church Planting

• Key questions to ask and answer before engaging
  in Church Planting
• What is a New Testament church?
• How should one go about starting them?
• Who should lead them?
• Are they aquariums or fishing vessels?

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Metaphors of the Church

• People of God
• Body of Christ (Pauline In Christ)
• Temple of the Holy Spirit

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The Church exists by mission just as fire exists
by burning Emil Brunner
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Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

• Expositional Preaching
• Biblical Theology
• Biblical Understanding of the Good News
• Biblical Understanding of Conversion
• Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
• Biblical Understanding of Church Membership
• Biblical Church Discipline
• Concern for Promoting Christian Discipleship and
  Growth
• Biblical Church Leadership

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Evangelism defined

• Evangelism is the communication of the Good News
  of salvation in the power of the Holy Spirit so
  that people have a valid opportunity to accept
  Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and become
  responsible members of one of His churches.

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Cultural Mandate vs. Gospel Mandate

• Cultural or Primary mandate.
• Genesis 128, 215
• We are stewards of His creation.
• We are to care for the world and its population.

• Gospel or Evangelistic Mandate
• Matthew 2818-20
• Our purpose is not just managerial but also
  missionary

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Danger of the Extremes

• Social Ministry
• Liberation theology
• No evangelism
• Pluralism
• Healthy lost people

• Evangelism
• No credibility
• Not faithful representatives of Christ
• In violation of clear Scriptural commands

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PERSECUTION
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Persecution

• persecute verb
• to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long
  period of time because of their race, religion,
  or political beliefs or to annoy someone by
  refusing to leave them alone
• Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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Persecution

• To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or
  afflict to beset with cruelty or malignity to
  harass especially, to afflict, harass, punish,
  or put to death, for adherence to a particular
  religious creed or mode of worship.
• Webster Dictionary, 1913

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Persecution

• Persecution has always produced a better
  Christiana witnessing Christian, a soul-winning
  Christian. Communist persecution has backfired
  and produced serious, dedicated Christians such
  as are rarely seen in free lands. These people
  cannot understand how anyone can be a Christian
  and not want to win every soul they meet.
• Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

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Biblical Perspective

• Hebrews 1032-34
• 1 Peter 13-9 213-25 38-17 41 412-19
• 1 Peter 51 glory (John 2119)
• 1 Peter 56-11
• Revelation 210

• Matthew 1034
• John 1518-21
• Acts 94-5
• Philippians 128-29
• Colossians 124
• 2 Thessalonians 15
• 2 Timothy 312

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WITNESS
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Witness

• 1 attestation of a fact or event TESTIMONY2
  one that gives evidence specifically one who
  testifies in a cause or before a judicial
  tribunal3 one asked to be present at a
  transaction so as to be able to testify to its
  having taken place4 one who has personal
  knowledge of something5 a something serving
  as evidence or proof SIGN b public
  affirmation by word or example of usually
  religious faith or conviction

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Biblical Perspective

• Mark 834-38
• Acts 2220
• 1 Corinthians 133
• Hebrews 111-121

• Revelation 15
• Revelation 213
• Revelation 314
• Revelation 69-11

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Witness Martyr

• noun 1 person who undergoes death or suffering
  for great cause. 2 ( to) colloquial constant
  sufferer from. verb 1 put to death as martyr. 2
  torment.
• Etymology Middle English, from Old English, from
  Late Latin, from Greek martyr-, martys,
  literally, witnessDate before 12th century1
  a person who voluntarily suffers death as the
  penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce
  a religion2 a person who sacrifices something
  of great value and especially life itself for the
  sake of principle

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Witness Martyr

• 1. a person who chooses to die or be killed
  rather than renounce his or her religious
  beliefs. 2. a person who suffers greatly or is
  killed for some belief, cause, or principle.
• n 1 one who suffers for the sake of principle 2
  one who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty
  for refusing to renounce their religion

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Witness Martyr

• 1. One who, by his death, bears witness to the
  truth of the gospel one who is put to death for
  his religion as, Stephen was the first Christian
  martyr. --Chaucer.To be a martyr, signifies
  only to witness the truth of Christ but the
  witnessing of the truth was then so generally
  attended with persecution, that martyrdom now
  signifies not only to witness, but to witness by
  death --South.2. Hence, one who sacrifices his
  life, his station, or what is of great value to
  him, for the sake of principle, or to sustain a
  cause.

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What is a Martyr?

• Someone who is killed because of their faith?
• Someone who would rather die than deny their
  faith?
• Someone who dies in any manner while in the
  service of their faith?
• The above, but only if they die in a way they
  would not have experienced at home?

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Who is a Martyr?

• The missionary who is beheaded for ignoring the
  prohibition of preaching Christ?
• The missionary who is beheaded for being a
  citizen of the United States?
• The missionary who dies of TB, amoebic dysentery,
  a car crash, robbery gunshot, pneumonia, plane
  crash, SARS?
• The missionary who is murdered in a case of
  mistaken identity?

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Who is a Martyr?

• Does the intention of the criminal determine
  martyrdom?
• What about Jim Elliot? Lottie Moon?
• What about David Brainerd?
• What about the same choices you made in your
  description being applied to a pastor/minister
  here in the USA?
• Does location determine martyrdom?

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Martyrdom

• The cause, not the suffering, makes a genuine
  martyr. St. Augustine
• T.S. Eliot describes a martyr in one of his plays
  as one who has become an instrument of God, who
  has lost his will in the will of God . . . The
  martyr no longer desires anything for himself. .
  .

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Martyrdom

• Martyrdom is not depressing, but necessary for
  movement into a prayerful understanding of global
  Christian realitynecessary in order to receive
  that which has been granted on behalf of
  Christto suffer for His sake. Tom White,
  USA Director of the Voice of the Martyrs