The Great Challenge Of The Hour
True New Testament Baptist Churches face a tremendous challenge. There is probably at least 3 billion lost people in the world. More than half of these have not even heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and millions have not even heard His name. Communism controls at least 1 billion people. Modernism holds a death like grip on Protestantism, and sad to say, the same thing applies to the majority of those who wear the name Baptist. Of course there are many interdenominational missionaries who do preach salvation by grace, but their efforts are largely wasted because of their failure to teach Church truth. This is also true of many who wear the name Baptist, because they are interdenominational in doctrine and practice.
Many of the Independent Baptist Churches that are sound in the faith, are sound asleep. Many are strong on orthodoxy, but weak on "orthopraxy." Many are missionary in name, but fewer are missionary in practice. Many are scriptural in the local Church work, but support unsound and unscriptural mission work on the foreign field. Some support missions enough to try to sooth the conscience, but few are sacrificial in giving and going. Some Independent Baptist Churches and preachers seem to think that their calling, is to criticize the mission work that other groups are doing. Remember, God did not call us to criticize, but to evangelize. Criticism of another man's method, does not constitute obedience to Christ. The servant must give an account to his own master.
Somehow, someway, we must do more than we have been doing. As great as the challenge, the hour is not hopeless. Though our number be few and the need so great, if we will only become available for God to use, there will be a miraculous advance in the mission work that we are doing. When we work in the energy of the flesh, what is accomplished is dependent upon what we can do. But when we are yielded and surrendered to God, what is accomplished is dependent upon what God can do. And there is a VAST difference between the two.
III. The Unction For The Hour
"But ye have an unction from the Holy One . . . "
1 John 3:20.
Someone has said, "It takes a Divine unction to make Orthodoxy function." That unction is promised to the children of God. The "Holy One" referred to in this verse is none other than Christ. Jesus was the "Anointed One." "God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
Hebrews 1:8,9. The context is clear, over against the Antichrist and his system with its many followers, God places His Anointed One and His anointed ones. "AN UNCTION. The word means that with which the anointing is performed - THE UNGUENT or OINTMENT. THE ANOINTING is from THE ANOINTED." Vincent. In both the O.T. and N.T., the anointing oil was a symbol of the Holy spirit.
If we are to accomplish the urgent task of the hour, we must recognize and utilize the power of the Holy Spirit of God. We are not advocating a second work of grace, because the Bible does not teach this. We do not need wild-fire, "strange fire" or fanaticism.
Power For The Hour
After Jesus had given His commission to the Church, He told them, " . . . tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
Luke 24:49. "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Acts 1:8.
The task assigned to that little band of defeated, disheartened believers seemed to be far above their capability. Their leader had just been rejected by the nation of Israel. He had indeed risen from the dead, but He had departed from them. From every human standpoint, Christianity had come to the end of the line. Both Jew and Gentile had rejected His message. There seemed little hope that such a small movement, led by men who had deserted their commander in the heat of the battle, could ever survive in such a hostile political, moral and religious climate.
But in just a few years, Christianity had spread to the remote areas of the Roman Empire. The converts were numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and many churches had been established in Europe and Asia. By the year 56 A.D., it could be said " . . . that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks."
Acts 19:10. WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?? It was the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church had tarried and the Lord had kept His promise.
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."
Acts 2:1. The Holy Spirit came, and that Church at Jerusalem was never the same again. On that wonderful day, that old ex-fisherman who had cursed and denied his Lord less than two months before, stood and boldly declared the gospel of Jesus Christ. On that one day 3,000 souls were saved, baptized and added to the Church.
Today, we do not need to pray for the coming of the Spirit, or for the "baptism of the Spirit." God kept His promise. Every truly born again believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling within. The reason we do not have the power of the Spirit, is because we so often "quench" and "grieve" the Spirit.
I Thess. 5:19;
Eph. 4:30. Then we fail to "walk in the spirit," and after speculate on why we are barren and unfruitful.
Gal. 5:25.
We are commanded to be "filled with the Spirit."
Eph. 5:18. When filled with sin, we cannot be filled with the Spirit. The question is not whether the believer has the Spirit, but rather, does the Spirit have the believer? Simon Peter said, "WE ARE HIS WITNESSES . . . AND SO IS ALSO THE HOLY GHOST . . ."
Acts 5:32. We need the glory of His presence and the power of His person, but we cannot claim this without separation and consecration.
A Wonderful Example
In the great Church at Antioch, we see a wonderful example of the relationship of the Holy Spirit to missions. "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas . . . and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they (the Church) had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; . . . " (
Acts 13:1-4a). Thus we see the beginning of the great missionary journeys of Paul, which resulted in many souls being saved and many Churches being established.
Please note some wonderful truths set forth in this example of how God works. (1) God was working in and through the Church at Antioch. (2) The Holy Ghost chose the missionaries. (3) The Holy Ghost spoke to the Church. (4) The Church was identified with the missionaries by the laying on of hands. (5) The Church sent the missionaries away. V. 3. (6) The missionaries were sent forth by the Holy Ghost. V. 4. (7) Notice the complete absence of any man made organization in sending out these missionaries. There was no convention, association, or board involved.
We do not believe that man can improve on God's plan. In the last days of this dispensation, as we approach the midnight hour, let us once again return to this great work of carrying out the great commission. With God's message, God's method, and God's motive, we can still reach countless souls. We need, and must have the power of the Holy Spirit.
Statistics contained in this tract have been obtained from many different sources. It is our belief that they are reasonably accurate.
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