Module 2—Vocation of Messianic New-Covenant Community—Gentiles

the vocation of the messianic covenant

communitygathering the covenant

harvests

© john clements 2008-2009 / www.eternalpurpose.org.uk


introduction

God’s eternal purpose for creation… a covenant community

• 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

harvest ofMESSIANIC

COMMUNITY

harvest ofGENTILE PEOPLES

harvest ofJEWISH PEOPLE

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

a global shaking

new heaven and earth

a harvest of gentile peoples

a harvest of “all nations”


“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


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

— Matthew 28.19

nations = ethnos = ethnic people groups• different by ethnic origin• different by language• different by culture, religion, caste• different by political nationality


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…

— Revelation 7.9

who?• ethné = race, ethnic people • phulé = tribe, clan • laos = nation, people • glossa = language


great commission

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

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

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

mission movements exception, not rule 16th century Reformers denied

importance • 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-

godly leadership• Count Zinzandorf

community• persecuted protestant refugees

prayer• 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

worldwide network• 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 wavesfive breaking wavesof modern world mission movement



five breaking waves

1. mission to continental coastlands

2. mission to continental interiors3. mission to geo-political

countries4. missions to ethno-linguistic

peoples 5. mission by non-Western movements


first wave, 1792 - 1865

coastlands of unreached continentsdiscipling, 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, Asiapreaching 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, Asiaworld 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, countriesalmost 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, 1966-

ethnic people groupsethnically-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-culturalstatistically < 2% evangelicals and < 5% nominal Christian adherents


10 / 40 window

gospel-resistant darkness86% least-evangelised people78% least-evangelised p/g’s• 2.5 billion Muslims,

Hindus, Buddhists82% of poorest people• 2.4 billion < $1.40 / dayoverpopulation, disease AIDS, malaria, tuberculosisprejudice, abuse, illiteracy dictatorships, corruption children, women, Christians


10 / 40 window

Christian workers94.5% among evangelised4.8% evangelised / resistant 0.7% among unreached

for every unreached ethné

580+ evangelical, great commission churches40,000+ believers


fourth wave, 1966-

ethnic people groupsmassive 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, 1980-

non-Western mission movementsvibrant, emerging force in world mission

• vibrant, vast numbers• non-western Pentecostal movements

engaging seriously with world missionclose to unreached peoples

• geographically• culturally

huge biblical educational requirement

• partnership opportunity: YSC’s / OSC’s


what differencewhat differencehave waves made?


number of non-Christians per believer


ratio of congregations to people groups


what remainswhat remainsto be done?


the great imbalance

3.9 billion 2.5 billion individuals

61% 39%

9169 6721 ethnic people groups

58% 42%

128,000 12,000 mission personnel(not incl. RC)

92% 8%

reached unreached

statistics courtesy Joshua Project 20061 billion = 1000, 000, 000


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 computers3 million full-time Christian workers

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

a harvest of gentile peoples

a harvest of “all nations”


“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


covenant harvests

harvest ofMESSIANIC

COMMUNITY

harvest ofGENTILE PEOPLES

harvest ofJEWISH PEOPLE

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

a global shaking

new heaven and earth

Documents

Module 2—Vocation of Messianic New-Covenant Community—Gentiles